The group looked around as they filtered in, each party member finding something to occupy their curiosity. Abe, Devon, and Ross moved around the pedestal and just stared in awe at the crystal ball. Morgan and Marie looked through the myriad books and found fashion magazines, college textbooks, scrapbooks, fictions of various genres (mostly trashy romance books), and the occasional book on mathematics or architecture. Jason and Randy sifted through the chest but upon finding it full of old diaries, picture albums, and letters decided to close it and not go through the possible treasured thoughts of a dead girl. George and Jesse just generally looked around in search of anything interesting on the shelves but couldn't seem to find anything that looked truly out of place for the room.
Jesse picked up a cotton candy scented candle and flipped it in his hand before looking at the trio standing stock still and looking at the ball on the plinth. "So... Where's the secret? What are we looking for? Why are you looking at that?"
"Dungeon Core" all three said in unison before looking shiftily at each other and gaining the attention of everyone else.
"How'd you know that?" Ross pointedly asked Abe
"Played games and read stories with this concept," He replied, "how do you know this?"
"Let's call it divine revelation," he said as he opened his jacket and pinched a baggie in an inside pocket.
"Divine rev-" Jesse started before realizing "goddamn it Ross, how long have you had those on you?!"
The stoner just shrugged at his question, "long enough to be disappointed I couldn't get to use them in here."
The goth sighed and shook his head as Abe and Ross turned to Devon.
"So when'd you find out about this?" asked Ross, slightly more suspicious of him than the geek.
The metalhead slowly turned to look at his friend, "remember when I asked how to do a summoning? And about those things you and Morgan thought could be involved?"
The stoner's eyes widened in concern, "you didn't."
"I did. Just the other night in fact. Right above this bunker, or ,I guess, dungeon," the calm, nearly defeated, tone in Devon's voice set Ross and Morgan on edge.
Ross narrowed his eyes and leaned towards him, "who did you call?"
"Arkanyct," he said with the ghost of a smile on his face.
"Ar-what?!" the stoner was incredulous and the witch looked at Devon like he'd grown a second head, "Why would you call out to that one? There's almost no info on it and supposedly it's been either destroyed somehow or bound in another realm."
"I figured I'd try something and the others didn't seem like they'd be helpful," Devon shrugged, "besides... He responded."
"Responded? You mean, like a sign or something?" probed the witch.
"No, an actual manifestation," the metalhead responded while locking eyes with her, the placid face he'd had all day a stark contrast to the intensity of his eyes.
Morgan took a step back from the force of his gaze, "a manifestation? You mean like... a spirit aligned with the primordial or mayb-"
"No," Devon cut her off, "I mean a fragment of the thing itself manifested in the form of a hyena composed of solid nothingness with eyes and spots of stars-"
"A null cack-" Morgan started to say but was denied.
Devon continued despite the attempted cut-in, "-the voice of a man, and the soft sound of pipes and drums carried through the space between the atoms that made up my body. He may be trapped or bound or whatever, but he responded to my call. He warned me about the core, hinted about what could happen, and told me about other things I should watch for."
Both mystics reeled from the words. George and Jason glanced at each other then back at the man who up until recently had never seemed the religious type. It was Marie who broke the growing tension.
"What did he ask for?"
It was a simple question, but it carried a hefty weight. Actions like this always had a price to pay. Tsuaf and Sadim were the first examples that came to mind to the group of Seniors. What had the young man risked for knowledge? He smiled then chuckled dryly and looked at the girl who only a short time ago had scoffed at the very idea of the supernatural.
"Nothing."
The word reverberated in the silence. As though speaking it plucked the string of an instrument beyond the ken of physical beings. Everyone shared glances, the air in the room becoming uncomfortable and stifling. It was Morgan's turn to speak now, though she didn't know if she could.
"What do you mean, 'nothing?'" the young witch whispered.
Devon's eyes snapped to her with such intensity it made her jump, "I mean nothing. He asked for no recompense, no favors, no offerings, no succor. I made a deal with him for knowledge and he was more than happy to oblige, saying that just having the knowledge on its own was enough of a price. 'There are things that man was not meant to know,' he said as I stared into him, 'and now you will know why.' Then he started speaking and explaining concepts and things I can't put fully into words. And he was right. The knowledge was its own price. I had locked eyes with the abyss and it cackled with glee."
The man's voice had become a growl as he neared the end of his tirade and his eyes drifted to the core. The damned primordial was right. About everything. Well, so far anyways. He peered deeply into the orb, its slightly cloudy insides getting murkier the deeper he looked. His gaze drilled deeper and deeper through the pink clouds until finally the truth was revealed and his eyes connected with another pair. Emerald green and terrified, both within the core and above the group in the room, framed by a tanned face, eyeliner, and mascara.
He broke his eye contact with the core and released a broken, tired sigh, "now what do we do?"
Everyone started looking at each other and the few who thought they had ideas merely closed their mouths seconds afterwards. Suddenly Morgan remembered something, dropped to her knees, and started rummaging through her backpack. Everyone watched her curiously, as she pulled out a little blue rock on a chain and a circular wooden board with letters painted on it and a long hook attached to it out. She placed them on the floor then pulled out a little pack of incense, a flower-shaped burner, and a little bell. Ross realized what she was doing and moved over to help her set it up, lighting and setting the incense as she propped up the pendulum over the circular board.
When everything was ready the young witch cleared her throat, centered herself, and rang the bell. The change was practically instant. As the crisp, clear sound wave spread out through the room everything became still in a way that it hadn't been before, as if the very air was holding its breath lest even a single eddy current appear to break the spell. The young woman slowly pulled out a notebook and pencil then looked to the orb on the plinth and spoke as though she was performing a ritual.
"Patricia," she called out in a loud but even voice, "if you are here then please communicate with us. We mean you no harm and wish to know more about you and this place. If you cannot speak to us with your voice then I beseech thee to move the pendulum before me and use the letters written on it as your voice. I will record the letters you show so we can understand you."
The group listened in amazement and sorrow as the witch recounted the ghost girl's story, some of them sneaking glances at the core after it was revealed how she became its soul. Once her tale was told the room fell silent as they all took in the information they'd received. Morgan had a few more questions that she was dying to ask, but the time didn't seem right to ask them. Abe, on the other hand, didn't seem to have that problem.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"Patricia," he asked slowly, "do you know how long have you been in here?"
Morgan shot him a look both for not being respectful of the moment but also for stealing one of her questions. She was just about to hiss out a response at him when she noticed the pendulum swing between the "Don't Know" sections. Hold on, she didn't know how long she had been down here? That can't be good for one's mental health. Just as she was about to say something, the pendulum started swinging again.
'W-H-A-T Y-E-A-R I-S I-T'
Morgan dropped her pencil and stared at her notebook. She stammered, took a breath, then slowly repeated the question. Everyone looked at each other as none of them wanted to give the ghost girl dungeon core a panic attack. After what felt like a minute George cleared his throat.
"It's uh... It's 1860."
You could have heard a pin drop in that room. The pendulum went completely still, as though someone had stuck a magnet in the center of the board. Everyone stood completely still, terrified of what might happen to them. It felt like forever had passed before the pendulum began to move again.
'S-E-V-E-N Y-E-A-R-S I H-A-V-E B-E-E-N A-L-O-N-E F-O-R S-E-V-E-N Y-E-A-R-S'
Morgan teared up at the realization but managed to repeat it for all to hear. Their response was predictable. Pity, sorrow, and amazement that she hadn't gone mad. George, Marie, Abe, and Jason exchanged knowing looks as they'd realized how long she'd been alone from the moment the bunker was built in her story. George felt like it was his turn to ask now, partly to change the subject and turn her thoughts to something lighter.
"Patricia," he started, but stopped when the pendulum started swinging.
'"P-I-N-K-Y M-Y N-A-M-E I-S P-I-N-K-Y'
Morgan nodded, "she says her name is 'Pinky' so we should probably use that instead."
Jesse glanced around but bit his tongue and George continued, "Pinky, why did you put that slime pool in the second room?"
<"Because I thought you would want to know how it got there and would go deeper in to find out.">
"But I thought that dungeons wanted to keep people out? Why draw us deeper in?"
<"Oh that's simple," she said as she spelled, "I was desperate for any form of outside contact other than wolves, coyotes, deer, or the occasional bird. If I wasn't, you probably wouldn't have survived the first room. I mean, you almost didn't. I had to order my slimes to not dissolve your flesh purely because I wanted you to come back. Oh, and speaking of not hurting you... Beanie Guy, I'm so sorry for my vine almost killing you. I didn't mean it. I guess I just forgot to order them to take it easy on you guys.">
"My uh my name's Ross, actually."
"So, you can't tell us about our loot? Like, what it does?" prodded Abe.
[Name: Steel Knife] [Size: 1] [Damage: 1 Rending]
[Type: Melee] [Weapon Group: Blade]
[Keywords/Special: Dual Wield, Throwing, Stealth (+2), Minor Antimagic]
[Name: Slimecrystal Shield] [Size: 2] [Armor: +1]
[Slot: Arm] [Keywords/Special: Shield, Passive regeneration buff applied on taking acid damage with duration equal to amount of damage taken]
[Name: Antler Wand] [Size: 1]
[Keywords/Special: Stealth (+2), Allows access to Magic without the Arcane Seed perk]
[Name: Slimecrystal Slime Slinger] [Size: 2] [Damage: 1 Acid]
[Type: Ranged] [Reload: 1 AP] [Range: 5 Hexes] [Weapon Group: Launcher]
[Ammo: 10 Slime] [Keywords/Special: Spray Variable, Launcher (Chemical), Damages one Item Type or Biological Physiology at a time chosen before firing]
[Name: Loosh Sublimate Chameleon Cloak] [Size: 4] [Armor: +0]
[Slot: Head and Back] [Keywords/Special: Cloth, Environmental (Cold, Wind, Precipitation), Stealth (+3)]
[Name: Slimecrystal Shillelagh] [Size: 2] [Damage: 1 Impact]
[Type: Melee] [Weapon Group: Club]
[Keywords/Special: Dual Wield, Bypass Slime Impact damage immunity]
[Name: Slimecrystal Chainwhip] [Size: 5] [Damage: 3 Impact]
[Type: Melee] [Weapon Group: Lash]
[Keywords/Special: Reach, Close Attack, Finesse, Sticky, Reeling]
[Name: Slimecrystal Slimazeen] [Size: 1]
[Keywords/Special: Liquid (Slime), Can reform to act as viable ammo for any firearm it is used in]
[Name: Livingwood Staff of the Green] [Size: 3] [Damage: 1 Impact/1 Impact]
[Type: Melee] [Weapon Group: 2-Handed Club, Monk]
[Keywords/Special: Hand and a Half, Double, Container, Allows access to Magic without the Arcane Seed perk]
"Hey Miss Dungeon Core? What did you say this cloak was made out of?"
"What is that?"
"Then how did you make it?"
"Hey, Pinky, could you make a way for us to come back down to the second level without needing to fight through the first floor? It's honestly beautiful and I'd love to come down some time without having to get a few others to sweep through with me."
"Ya know," the stoner said as he looked up at the statue, "I don't know if you can hear me or not. But if you can, you might wanna set up a little table in here with a bowl or two for donations. Maybe a sign above it or something. So we don't have to go in and wreck things just to give you a bit of juice. Plus I think it'd be nice for people to give you gifts. Not just because of the experience they'll have, but also to expand what you can make. You said it yourself, you can't directly make what you haven't absorbed."
Patricia "Pinky" Millicent
Primary Stats
-Control 1
-Acumen 3
-Mental Power 1
-Intelligence 3
-Empathy 4
Secondary Stats
-Durability: 8 TN, 6 Hardness
-Break Points: 12
-Size 5
-Creature Focuses
--Slime
--Deer
--Fish
--Vine
--[Unused]
-Saves
--Physical: 5
--Mental: 4
Perks:
-Soulborn
-Training Wheels
-Hit Marker (Pleasure)
-Interior Designer
-Dungeon Sight
-Masterworker
Theme - Arcane
Secondary Theme: Fashion
Dungeon Type: Summoner
Avatar Type: Phantom
Core Color: Hot Pink
Core Level - 1
Contracted Creatures:
-None
Phantom Appearance:22-23 year old rich girl with long blonde hair, tanned skin, and tasteful makeup.
Personality: Ditzy, bubbly, bored, tired of being alone, desperately desires human contact despite being a ghost in an orb, very curious and anxious now that people have found her dungeon after her father died
Backstory:Born to a rich family, Pinky had everything growing up. From a young age was a very happy and talkative girl, though not the smartest, with a love of makeup, fashion, and music. When she was around 10, her father gave her an expensive piece of jewelry with a sparkly grape-like jewel he'd picked up from a trip to a foreign land that, weirdly enough, changed from deep blue to hot pink after about 12 years of her wearing it. As she got older she began to yearn for the boys around her, but her father forbade her from even thinking about it and promising her a new car and house if she remained pure until she was out of college and married.
She followed his wishes and remained pure even through college, though to make up for it she began dressing in very revealing outfits to get a taste of the attention she desperately wanted. It was for naught though, as she got into a car crash while on the way back home and was barely kept alive by the paramedics, passing away a few days after the incident from her injuries surrounded by her family. When she died, the jewel flashed and her father was puzzled by what happened. The night before the funeral, he was visited by her ghost in a dream, saying that she was alive in the gem somehow and she felt unsafe, telling him what she needed to feel safe. Using the money he was going to put towards the house and car he had a crypt built to house his family's remains, had a lavish funeral, and bought a small piece of property out in a forested rural area with a large hill he turned into a shelter to hold his daughter's jewel.
He had a sculpture of her made with a plaque bearing her nickname and placed it in the shelter behind a marble pillar made for the jewel to rest on. He brought her belongings to the shelter every day, at first terrified that someone had somehow stolen them before seeing that they dissolved as he left. Using signs she asked him if she could change the shelter to better suit her and he agreed. He came back to see that more rooms had been added and her pedestal had moved deeper, that strange creatures she had made to protect herself had filled the halls, and that even a new floor had been added. He visited every day and, when he eventually died, his most trusted servants recorded the funeral for her to watch. After which she turned one of her rooms into a memorial with a statue of her father.
Since his death, she had no visitors. Eventually the door became loose and animals began to enter, drawn by the lingering energy to seek her out, and putting them down became somewhat routine over time. She had little energy to expand, most of it going to sustain herself and her monsters, and spent most of her time daydreaming.