Tiny Dungeon

The process of ordaining Natalia ended up being pretty simple and even now, hours after the ceremony, Valterra couldn’t shake the strangeness of feeling her in his Spark. It was almost as if she were a Guardian but not quite. The Guardian bond was a binding of extreme magnitude to the point where he was so intimate with the creature’s soul that he could bring it back from death. The priestly bond he had formed with Natalia was still intimate but not nearly as all-consuming.

He could speak with her and she could do the same, though only he had the power to initiate conversation. She could reach out and request his presence, similar to how other priests worked, but he would have to confirm the conversation. She did have some benefits beyond simple conversation. Upon entering his domain she could embody his Title, shrinking herself and yet keeping all of her faculties. This gift even affected her weapons which she had been thrilled to learn.

His monsters would also no longer impede her and would in fact help her wherever possible. In case of an invasion, she could even command them like a general which was a surprise to both her and Valterra as it was the System that was informing them of all of the particulars. In any case, the bond gave her a certain undeniable authority in his Dungeon and even his Guardians would recognize it within reason.

This would be important when others eventually found his Dungeon as she would be able to negotiate with the full backing of his Dungeon, even when he himself was only able to act subconsciously. That time was coming quickly. He had released Cormac and his party to head to the Garden where they would ritually plant the seed of the Ninth Daughter and begin the process of awakening her. Hours later they would have finished and would now be moving to make some temporary shelters in order to guard the seed until it sprouted.

Natalia and her team had departed so that she could collect her weapons and they could send a message to their Delver Society about their findings. Simultaneously they would send a message to the churches that there was now a new one which made Valterra wish that he could see their faces when they saw that message. Regardless of how they responded, however, soon his Dungeon would be receiving a lot more attention and his goal was to make sure that his Dungeon survived the process.

He still didn’t fully trust Trik’Weri or the other gods but they had at least proven that his survival was tantamount to their plans so it was in their best interests that he lived. Perhaps even more important than that was the knowledge that more conflict would push his creatures to new heights. The risk of his being found was worth it if his creatures were able to grow in leaps and bounds. His conditions had already been hashed out with Natalia and she would see his will done in this.

All that was left after that was to put his Dungeon in order which he had done. His Guardians all had their instructions and knew at least a little of what to expect in the coming months. They were all raring to evolve and Valterra had preemptively spent some time with the System to prepare for their evolutions. It should be as simple as his subconscious agreeing with the decisions he had already made for them to begin evolving. There were parameters in place according to projections of their available Evolutionary Pool and he figured he had done the best that he could with the knowledge he had.

As his Awareness panned over the pond in front of him he took note of the changes it had undergone in so short a time since claiming it. The whale pod had completed their takeover, the little waves that lapped at the edges of the pond proving that their power held sway. There was a current that hadn’t existed before and the other inhabitants were adapting to survive their new environment. The Rakali were close to waking and it was a shame that he wouldn’t be awake to greet them properly but they would survive without his presence for the few short months he would be asleep.

He reached out with his Aether and felt the System respond.

Congratulations Valterra Unok’Davaas!

You have successfully created your second Detached Floor using a Location of Power. Would you like to keep its Name?

You have Named a Location of Power and have formed your second Divine Domain. Greater agency over the space is now available.

The Pond of Hidden Depths (Rare)

Once a common pond, this body of water has been transformed by the presence of a Shard of the Deep. The Shard is far changed from its original nature, being another failed experiment by the Archmage Calamvor to craft a Dungeon Core. Like a Dungeon Core, it stores the Schemas of those within its territory and is capable of unconscious changes to said Schemas over time. Future evolutions for creatures within its boundaries have a higher chance of aquatic mutation, specifically adaptations for facing the extreme cold and pressure of the depths.

The Core has created its Second Detached Floor from a Location of Power. It has also Named a second Floor and created its second Divine Domain.

Progress to Core Evolution:

100%

There hadn’t been much time to come up with a properly terrifying name but he felt the original one fit the space well enough. He felt the weight of his coming evolution and his thinking began to get hazy. He spread his awareness out throughout his Dungeon, sending feelings of pride and gratefulness to all of his creatures. There was an uproar as they responded in any way they knew how. Even the plants managed a rustling of their leaves and stems.

Like a yawn, Valterra drew in a massive influx of Aether and settled in, gradually letting the Aether go in a flow that would become normal during his sleep. His mind, already clouded by Dungeon Sleep, reached out to his uncles, aunts, and Natalia. ‘See you soon,’ he murmured, as the Dungeon Sleep overtook him completely. His creatures paused momentarily as if they were giving him time to fully go to sleep before they began fighting just as hard if not harder to evolve and climb higher.