Melia the Magnificent

Four days had passed since Meliastraza revealed herself at the forest’s edge behind Abbyton, and [Sunrise] had not been idle. Word quickly spread that a dragon had made a home for itself in the fields, and Alastair wondered how far the news would eventually travel. He, with help from Jessica after her playful stunt, had spent the better part of yesterday doing damage control.

Honestly, having a bunch of worried parents watch a professional adventuring team “play” with a dragon probably helped with nerves more than it hurt, but Al didn’t want to boost Jessica’s already inflated ego.

Alastair got up early to prepare for the day. Take care of meditations, maybe go visit the [Greenhouse] to investigate the rumors of a holy tree, and otherwise handle all the chores that tend to build up while they're on a job. Like laundry and armor maintenance. Fortunately, both tasks were easily performed while meditating, so they didn’t feel too monotonous. Midway through hanging up his spare tunics out to dry, Alastair reflected on the last few days.

He had killed a lot of wolves.

Not that they gave him much experience anymore, and they were losing their effectiveness for Eluna, too. Thinking back, Alastair was stunned by the progress the high elf had made. The whole team, now that he thought about it, had benefited greatly from her addition to the party.

Alastair was level 359. He passed level 350. Technically, over halfway through rank 3. It was a number that boggled his mind, for somebody only 28 years old who never joined one of the big guilds. He didn’t want to sign his life away…to anyone other than Celestara. Or maybe a soulmate, if he ever found one? Somebody was always in the back of his mind, but they were both rather preoccupied to start a family.

The rest of the team was getting very close to cracking rank 4. Ellesea was still the closest at 381, while Jessica was on the cusp of hitting rank 3.5 with her level 348. Technically, Y’cennia had beaten them all already. Her time was not spent idly, and she had reached level 403. They were waiting for Meliastraza to wake up so they could celebrate, and secretly, the whole team was excited for what food she might make.

Even though Y’cennia was the highest among them, everybody was making stellar progress…but none so much as Eluna Brandywine. When the team first met her in the Bastion’s healing wards, she was only level 10. Now she was level 157. While not anywhere close to the rest of the group’s standing, gaining 147 levels in little under a week was astounding. Alastair had no doubts that the rate would drop off, but at the same time, everybody else’s progress increased, raising [Sunrise] up as a whole.

The only wildcard remaining was Melia.

The giant dragon was still napping in the corner of the field, and nobody, not even the [Retainers], had any clue when she’d wake up. Al was worried that they’d need to return to Horizon before she did and they’d miss each other…but then again, Melia would definitely find a way to locate them. And it wasn’t like going “all the way” to Horizon held the same connotation as it did a few days ago. Not with that [Mini-Aetherstone] offering them affordable fast travel. It took a day or two, but already Alastair was starting to see it get some use. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was mostly used by the [Scholars], and Headmaster Veloran was the first to actually use it. Now, there was a steady stream of researchers coming in the morning and leaving after supper.

It might be a little cheeky of them to leave after eating, but between Melia’s [Planters] and the new [Greenhouse], the abbey was struggling to contain all its food. It wouldn’t start to spoil for quite some time, so nobody was worried, and frankly, it was a good problem to have. At least nobody was starving.

[Sunrise] needed to return to Horizon either today or tomorrow. They’d decided not to go out leveling again, but now that the threat of something drastic happening if somebody discovered the sleeping dragon had waned, Alastair couldn’t help but think of the future.

What were their next steps?

Each of them had their own mini goals, and Ellesea’s were probably the most important. Once she hit level 400, she could start taking the Teleportation Exam, and that could have heavy ramifications for her future. Not that she would suddenly quit adventuring and leave the team…but she could. She’d also be able to whip back to Horizon for the cost of a few measly reagents instead of paying a decent sum of gold. Now that she was less than 20 levels away, she had been studying from her tomes obsessively. Secretly, Alastair wondered if she was hoping Melia woke up before she had to take the test so she could pick the ancient [Archmage]’s brain.

Alastair still found it weird that, out of every unthinkable thing Melia had done, said, or showed them, she was a system titled [Archmage] on top.

He shook his head and finished pinning up his laundry. It would take several hours for it to dry…unless he asked somebody with a domestic class to speed things up. Technically, he could ask one of the [Retainers]...but that was a mildly terrifying thought on its own. He glanced around and didn’t see one lurking behind him. He narrowed his eyes. That did not mean they weren’t nearby, as all of them seemed to know [Stealth]. Alastair sighed. Layalee was most likely keeping watch over Melia, and L’menia was probably slinking in the shadows near Y’cennia. He found the pair’s dynamic amusing. That left Lethia, and nobody had seen her since leaving the [Obsidian Mansion].

Speaking of the kingdom’s newest dungeon….

Alastair felt a smile creeping up his face. They weren’t anywhere close to being where they needed to be to beat the first portal, but they were getting surprisingly close to entering it. Technically, Y’cennia already could.

[Act 1: What Lies Beneath].

Alastair had spent more time than he’d like to admit daydreaming about the first portal. What did lie beneath? Beneath what? The image floating in the portal looked suspiciously like Horizon. Would it take them to some vision of the past? And how did the dungeon relate to Melia? He knew it did. It had to, since it appeared in her mansion, only after she unlocked it with her key.

With how fast they were gaining experience with a real healer in their party, Alastair could see them hitting rank 4 in two, maybe three more outings at Lakeridge. Then they could technically enter the dungeon.

Not that it would be advisable, since that was the bare minimum the dungeon allowed, but the option was there.

Alastair shook his head. He never imagined he’d catch the dungeon bug. Dungeons were among the biggest lures for joining established guilds. If people wanted to try their luck at delving, without the risk of dying instantly, they needed support and infrastructure. Alastair was never really interested, so he never fell for any of the predatory tactics most big guilds used to snare new recruits.

But that changed when the party challenged [Astoria Boondocks]. Al wasn’t suddenly thinking about abandoning everybody to join some big syndicate, but he found himself thinking about dungeons more and more. The adventure they promised, the thrill of testing one’s might, and the allure of loot was intoxicating.

Not today, though. Today was for washing old clothes. Alastair double-checked his laundry line, making sure nothing was going to blow away in the wind. A particularly ratty old tunic was starting to yellow near the armpits. Maybe it was time to visit a [Tailor]. They had the coin; it would be nice not to need to rely on secondhand goods.

​

Alastair made his way back to the abbey with a tune on his lips and a spring in his step. It was late enough in the morning that everybody, even Ellesea, should be awake. And as soon as he made it back to their little corner of the dorms, he found that they were.

But nobody was smiling.

“What’s wrong?” Alastair asked, approaching the group, which was sitting close together in a huddle.

“Oh, Al, you’re here,” Ellesea said, standing up. “We’ve been summoned.”

Alastair drew his head back.

“Summoned?” he asked. “By who?”

“The guild,” Jessica frowned. “And we have no idea why. The messenger didn’t say. We only know it has to be important, because they’re giving us [Transport Tokens] to let us take the Aetherlines.”

Alastair frowned. The guild didn’t summon people often, similar to the Call to Arms issued by Hammerfall’s baron. As Jessica said, they were only used for serious things. Alastair didn’t think they’d ever get a summons, mostly because they weren't important enough to summon. What did they offer that nobody else could?

“No explanation at all?” he asked. “Actually, how did we even find out we’re being summoned?”

“Perhaps I can assist.”

Alastair turned to see a finely dressed man enter the common area and walk their way. Al recognized the uniform and frowned. Just like Jessica said, whatever this was, it was important. The man wore the colors of the guild headquarters in Horizon. Alastair wasn’t super familiar with the staff hierarchy, but he was comfortable enough with receptionists at the main branch that he was certain this man wasn’t one of them. He might be a secretary to an executive or someone who strictly handled clerical or administrative tasks. Besides, his hunter-green uniform was clearly made of higher-quality materials than most desk clerks'.

“My name is Charles Montgomery. I’m the personal assistant to Sir Raleigh."

Oh. Drake Raleigh was the guildmaster of Horizon’s main guild. That made him the top of the top in the adventurer’s guild. Essentially, everybody’s boss. Yes, the fine clothes checked out. Something big was going on. Still, Alastair remembered his manners, offering a firm handshake. The man took it gladly, and Al could tell he had a few good levels under him, too.

“I’ll get to the point. Your presence is required in Horizon. The guildmaster is expecting to see you in his office early this afternoon. Try to be punctual. Good day.”

The man retrieved a small pouch, handed it to Alastair, nodded to each of them, and left. [Sunrise] stared, blinking, at the back of the retreating assistant. If one thing could be said of Mr. Montgomery, it was that he was a man of few words. Al opened the sack to see a small pile of conjured [Travel Tokens], one-time use coins made of mana that would bypass the cost of using fast-travel. These ones specifically were attuned to Horizon, and they’d disappear in a couple of hours if they weren’t used. Basically, they were perfect for a one-way trip back to the capital. There were also 6 coins inside, suggesting that the guild either didn’t know exactly who was part of their team…or maybe they knew exactly who was, despite two of the members not being registered to the guild.

One of those was never going to join, while the other simply hadn’t gotten around to it.

“So…what do we do?” Y’cennia asked. The rest of the party shared a grim look.

“I don’t think we have a choice. We’re going back to the capital.”

​

Riding the Aetherlines was not an everyday experience for [Sunrise]. Ellesea and Alastair had used an Aetherstone before, while Y’cennia and Jessica had not. Technically, Brandy had never used one in real life, but she was an old hand at using them in the ancient days and, after a little coaching, managed to figure it out.

Jessica was excited to “ride the lines” and was the first to go through. As such, she was waiting by the crystal in Horizon’s Trade District as her team popped up around her shortly after.

“I don’t know if I could get used to that,” she grumbled, holding her stomach. It wasn’t anything like she’d experienced before, and she didn’t know if she could describe how it made her feel. It was…like existing and not existing, all at the same time. Certainly different from riding a horse or a carriage.

Or a dragon.

“Might need to,” Alastair grinned. “Now that there’s an Aetherstone in Abbyton, it’s cheaper to take a transport than to rent a coach. Even the cheap, box busses cost several silver for a trip to the abbey, and Melia’s stone only costs two.”

“I wonder how long it will take before the transport guilds start setting up an office there?” Ellesea mused.

“You think they will?” Y’cennia asked curiously. “How much traffic do you think it’s likely to get?”

“Please,” Jessica scoffed. “Those misers will notice if they’re losing out on coppers, let alone silver. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re some of the first people to find out about a new Aetherline.”

“Speaking of coaches and carriages,” Al said, “We need to get moving. Don’t want to be late.”

One 10-minute ride later and they were standing inside the lobby of the Horizon’s Adventurers’ guild. All 5 members of [Sunrise] approached the reception desk, where Alastair took the lead.

“Good afternoon!” the receptionist chirped. “What can I do for you today?”

As fate would have it, it was the same woman working the counter who was there the last time the group visited and requested information on an old, forgotten dungeon.

“Oh!” she smiled, clearly activating some kind of skill. “You’re the group that re-discovered [Astoria Boondocks] two weeks ago! Hehe, it seems you have a knack for finding dungeons. You must have a gift!”

Alastair and Jessica shared a look. Had that really only been two weeks? It felt like months. And what did she mean about having a knack for finding dungeons? Regardless of how true it was, Alastair found it suspicious.

“Thank you,” Alastair said calmly. “But I’m not sure I know what you mean?”

“Oh?” the receptionist tilted her head. “But your meeting…? Ah, I see. Well, I don’t want to spoil the surprise. You’re here to see the guildmaster, yes? Please wait in the lounge. I’ll come get you as soon as he’s ready to see you.”

Al led the group back to the entrance, to a booth in the corner where they were mostly out of the way and could find some privacy. Brandy slid in first; most of the loitering adventurers were not so subtle in their staring. Jessica slid in next to her and patted her on the thigh.

“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. You’re our strawberry, we’ll protect you.”

“Thanks,” Brandy rolled her eyes…which wasn’t very obvious to most people, but her team was picking up on the way the covering enchantment shifted.

“So,” Ellesea said, taking a seat. “They know.”

“Seems that way,” Alastair said. “It also makes sense why we’d be summoned on such short notice without any option to refuse. I’m sure if we tried, they would have hit us with the bylaws and threatened penalties or fines. And then they’d get their information regardless.”

“They’d do that?” Brandy asked. “Sounds extreme.”

“For information on a brand new dungeon?” Jessica scoffed. “They’d do anything. Who knows what the [Obsidian Mansion] has to offer. We got a fat payday for confirming [Astoria Boondocks] was still in place, and that was something they already knew about. Something brand new? And high level? I bet they’re already salivating just thinking about it.”

“Makes sense,” Brandy said thoughtfully. “Dungeons have always been a big deal.”

The others looked at her thoughtfully, but it was Y’cennia who eventually said what was on their minds.

“What were dungeons like? Back in your day?”

“A madhouse,” Brandy said instantly with a sigh. But then she grinned. “And some of the most fun I’ve ever had.”

“You do dungeons for fun?” Jessica asked. “Actually, I think I remember Melia saying something similar.”

“Maybe it’s a difference of perspective,” Brandy shrugged. “Oftentimes, we saw it as something that simply had to be done.”

“Because the gods willed it?” Alastair asked. Brandy seemed to freeze, thinking. She eventually shook her head. “Possibly. More like…it was what we were all here for. We took care of the big threats. Dungeons were part of that. And if they helped us learn coordination and gave good loot? All the better.”

“I see,” Alastair nodded. “The history books glorify the old heroes, but they don’t often talk about their failures.”

Brandy gave him an amused smile and a curious tilt of her head, so he explained.

“I was shocked,” he chuckled. “When we first met Melia, she was telling the story of Brandywine’s Bane.”

“Brandywine’s…excuse me?” Brandy balked. Jessica started snickering.

“Don’t you know? There’s a whole ballad about you!”

“The Executor’s Terrace? Where you threw down the Fallen Executor?”

“Well, yeah,” Brandy spluttered, “But what does that have to do with me?”

“I used to think it was the goddess teaching you humility,” Jessica cackled, “But Melia said you fell asleep.”

“Fell…wait. That Executor? Why was that recorded in the history books?!”

Jessica started laughing and Alastair shrugged.

“I think recording the downfall of one of the most dangerous members of the church to ever go rogue and try to ascend to godhood is pretty worthy of recording.”

Brandy opened her mouth to complain, but no words came out.

“Melia also told us,” Jessica said as she clutched her sides, “That you tried to tame a rogue mana elemental to keep as a pet.”

“Melia!” Brandy wailed, but this time she smiled. “In my defense, they’re adorable!”

“You like pets, don’t you?” Y’cennia asked. Brandy nodded eagerly.

“Oh, you have no idea. I have this bunny-.”

“Wait,” Jessica sat up, looking surprised. “You had a rabbit? As a pet?”

“Yes?” Brandy tilted her head as one ear twitched. “They’re adorable?”

“Are we talking about the same type of animal?” Jessica asked.

“Small, brown, fluffy tail and soft ears?” Brandy shot back.

“Well, yeah,” Jessica admitted begrudgingly, “But have you never heard of the giant rabbit that went on a rampage and almost destroyed Westshire?”

“Wait, what?” Y’cennia asked, looking pale. “They can do that?”

“They say it was over 50 feet tall,” Ellesea said seriously. “It’s why rabbits are hunted on sight in certain settlements in Serenity Forest.”

Brandy’s mouth was slowly falling open, as if having a sudden epiphany, but before she could say anything, the receptionist returned.

“Thank you for waiting. The guildmaster will see you now.”

The group quickly gathered their things and followed her up behind the counter and up the stairs.

​

The guildmaster’s office was large and filled with file cabinets, storage bins, and overflowing bookcases. Fortunately, there was also plenty of room in the center where six chairs had been placed, each facing a large desk, equally as crammed as the rest of the room. Any thoughts of the man stalling their meeting simply to put himself in an advantageous position were instantly discarded. The guildmaster, Sir Drake Raleigh, was a wiry, older man with countless scars running up and down his arms, looking incredibly exhausted as he sat behind a towering pile of paperwork and documents awaiting his signature. As [Sunrise] entered, they saw him scratching away furiously at one final piece of parchment, so they silently took their seats and waited for him to be finished. He lifted his hand to acknowledge their presence, but he kept his head down, continuing to write as his hand flew across the page. A full five minutes passed before he eventually put his quill down and stopped the bottle of ink.

“I apologize,” he said in a low, gravely voice that sounded like sludge sifting through a gutter. “It’s as they say: no rest for the wicked, and only the good die young. I don’t know what that says about me.”

He gave a short, barking laugh as he stood. He was a tall man, and in his youth, he must have been powerfully built. Now, he was lean, lanky in such a way that he almost appeared stretched, with broad shoulders that seemed more in tune with a knight wearing heavy armor while riding a charger than with a man stationed behind a desk. He was taller than everyone but Brandy, and as he moved around his desk to greet everyone, they stood to do the same. His grip was like a vice, but his smile spoke of no malice, and his crinkled eyes held a hidden light not yet diminished by age or exhaustion. As soon as Brandy rose, he paused, his walrus mustache quivering and the light glinting off his bald head as he tilted his head back. Brandy stood with her hand extended awkwardly, and after several seconds, he regained his wits.

“[Saintess], welcome,” he said respectfully. Instead of crushing her long, slender fingers in his grip, he gently took her hand in both of his and shook it up and down as if elevating and lowering fine jewelry. Brandy smiled, intrigued that he was reverential to her, but not overly so. She sat back down, and the others followed.

“I assume you’ve found out why I summoned you today,” he said once he was seated behind his desk and he cleared a space to actually see his guests. “Between the gossip downstairs and whatever my assistant may have told you. But just in case you’re unaware, I’ll say it plain. Rumor has it that a new dungeon has been discovered inside the kingdom. And you were there. I’d like you to tell me everything.”

As one, the girls of [Sunrise] all turned to Alastair, who sighed.

“How do you know it was us?” he asked warily. The old man laughed. Actually laughed, a full, hearty laugh that sent his mustache flapping like a pair of wings.

“Don’t play games, boy. If you’re worried about compensation, don’t be. You’re about to be rich. We’re adventurers; we treat dungeons seriously. We also look out for our own. For the next two years, your party will receive a portion of any buyback sales the guild makes from dungeon loot as a finder’s fee. It’s in your interest to tell us everything you know; the more you give, the more you make.”

“Holy,” Jessica muttered, leaning forward, but Brandy pulled her back.

“That’s…incredibly generous of you, sir. But, at the risk of sounding disrespectful, I’m curious how you found out so fast. It’s been four days. Five at most.”

“Somebody from the Spymaster’s office came and paid us a visit,” the guildmaster said seriously. “Said they verified the system mark on somebody who entered. We were told nine people entered the dungeon, but four of those people won’t answer to the guild. Three of them are apparently high-level servants to a high noble, or something like that, and we can’t drag the noble in here either. So we’re doing what we can to find out the truth. I can’t make you, but as a member of the guild, will you confirm the presence of a dungeon north of Eastshire in the mountains bordering the Ashlands?”

Alastair thought for several moments, refusing to be cowed under the guildmaster’s intense stare. Finally, he made up his mind and revealed his status screen.

The guildmaster leaned forward, his eyes narrowed as they quickly scanned what was offered. There, in Alastair’s record of system-tracked achievements, was his dungeon record. Two were on file.

[Astoria Boondocks], located in Sickledrop: beaten.

[Obsidian Mansion], located in the Frostrim Mountains: entered.

The man let out a long, low whistle as he leaned back in his chair. He swiveled around partially, staring out the window to the busy street below while still keeping a single eye on his guests.

“So, it is true then,” he said. His voice sounded just as tired as before, but now it held the undertones of barely concealed excitement. “A new dungeon. In my lifetime. What a wonderful world we live in.”

“Sir?” Alastair asked.

“Ah!” the man swiveled back and gave them an encouraging smile. “Nothing. I suppose in time, you might come to appreciate moments like these a bit more when you’re no longer out in the field yourselves. But then again,” his eyes slid over to Brandy, “Perhaps you already know more about it than me. Regardless! That’s not what we're here for.”

“And what are we…?” Alastair began. The man waved a hand impatiently.

“Details! We want details! If we’re going to start mapping out the best way to conquer a brand new dungeon, we need every little detail we can get to start us off right.”

“I…understand, sir, but what exactly do you want to know?”

Alastair pointed to himself and waved at his teammates helplessly.

“As you can see, sir, we’re low level. Y’cennia here is barely rank 4. She’s the highest among us, and she’s an [Alchemist]. We…didn’t do much exploring.”

“Nonsense,” the man said, leaning forward. But he didn’t seem to be saying that out of ignorance. “Every little detail matters. Every. Detail.”

He punctuated those last two words by jabbing his finger into his desk.

“We want everything. Everything you saw, heard, felt…hell, I’ll take what you thought. Anything that will give our scouts a fighting chance to survive when they set out, I want it.”

“Scouts?” Jessica asked, covering her mouth rapidly with her hands as the guildmaster shot his gaze her way. He nodded his bald head sharply.

“You think we’re sending you back in? Until we get the basics sorted out, we’re posting guards at the entrance to keep people from killing themselves. I hear it’s nightmare difficulty.”

“Wait,” Alastair said, confused. “You already know where it is?”

“Of course not! That’s one of the things we need to hash out. How did a group of rank 3s such as yourselves manage to scale the bloody Frostrim Mountains? North of Eastshire, they’re practically cliffs!”

“Well, for one, we traveled north of Abbyton, not Eastshire.”

“Abbyton,” the guildmaster muttered, once again scribbling notes on some paper. “Not…Eastshire…got it. Why? If you were going to have to scale cliffs either way, it makes more sense to go from Eastshire. There’s more infrastructure there, a better place to set up camp.”

“We didn’t exactly need to scale any cliffs,” Alastair admitted. “And we didn’t care about setting up camp. The, uh, noble that went with us owns the mansion the dungeon spawned in.”

“The…owner?” the guildmaster gawked. “A shame. Hopefully we can come to some sort of agreement over entry to the dungeon…or else I fear they’re about to have a lot of gate-crashers.”

“There wouldn’t be much crashing,” Jessica chuckled under her breath. The guildmaster snapped his head back to her. Al sighed. If they were going to do this, they had to do it right.

​

Over the next 45 minutes, the guildmaster grilled [Sunrise] for every little detail they could remember.

The path up the mountain? How did they find it? Is it well hidden? How long does it take to climb? How wide is it? Can wagons make it up the path? Ox-drawn carts? Horses? Other mounts?

What was the mansion itself like? In disrepair? How derelict? Would it fall apart immediately under the strain of sudden visitors? Did it need to be structurally supported before the dungeon could be delved? Why was the owner neglecting it? Were the rumors of it being a dragon’s den true or false?

True? Would the dragon return? Is that why the owner fled? And now that they returned, would they need help fighting off the dragon? Adventurers could be hired for that. What level was it?

Not needed? Very well. A local expert on dragons would be consulted, regardless.

Was there room to set up a staging area in the courtyard? No? And the mansion seemed to have a foreboding aura that made animals restless and nervous? Guards for the entrance. Back down to the valley then. How much room was there between the abbey and the foothills of the Frostrim Mountains? What sort of amenities did Abbyton have?

An Aetherstone?! That changes things. Were there inns? Shops? Specialty artisans? Who was the contact for the abbey itself? Somebody needed to be sent to the Bastion to seek approval. A new guild branch would need to be created…staffed…supplied…but he could worry about that later. Back to the mansion.

How, exactly, was the dungeon connected? In a grand ballroom? Which was previously the dragon’s den? More guards. Entry by flying through a ruined wall or by the mansion’s front doors? Chances were, if horses were spooked, gryphons wouldn’t fly. Front entrance, it is. Was the owner amenable to delvers coming and going? Were other rooms accessible? How hard was it to get from the front entrance to the ballroom? The dungeon had already claimed a domain around the ballroom?

…Had monsters started spawning yet? No? Soldiers, maybe, on top of guards. Now, for the entrance to the dungeon itself.

[Obsidian Mansion]. Nightmare. Raid. Level 1000. The man shivered. Guards for the bottom of the trailhead. Strict access rights and background checks. How did they not die?

Ah, the first entrance was a hub. A theater? How strange. Initial monster pack? A single ghostly pair of hands? That gave out tickets? A neutral monster. More neutral monsters? Did anybody try attacking?

…level 1000 hands?

No, [Sunrise] made the right call. Leave that to the ranked guilds and companies. Any drops encountered?

…a snack bar?

…that cost money?

But it gave food buffs, for cheap, so an investigation was required. [Appraisers], on top of [Scouts].

The tickets were good for entry into the auditorium? Where they had to watch a play?

…what kind of dungeon is this?

A play written by Cromwell himself?!

…escort missions for the aristocracy might be in the guild’s future. Not today.

When the curtain rose, there were more portals to different acts? Act One required a minimum level of 400? The mansion's owner actually entered the first act?!

​

By the time [Sunrise] was done answering the guildmaster’s questions, Alastair had talked himself hoarse and Brandy cast healing on his throat twice. A vague plan was set in motion to call for the top raiding guilds and invite them to help scout, on top of pitching a bidding war for first access to the dungeon itself. Notices had been sent out to crafters and suppliers, seeking to buy or procure everything needed to build a base camp at the edge of Abbyton Valley. Soon, very soon, the [Obsidian Mansion] was about to have visitors.