Tiny Dungeon

Valterra immediately chose the ‘Yes’ option. He didn’t want his new creatures to be an unknown and he wanted to name it something that would strike fear into the hearts of any Delvers that eventually made it to his humble abode.

The system then prompted him to make a decision but he was ready with an answer. He had a name already picked out and he thought it was rather good. ‘Flying Wolfbear!’ He declared excitedly only to jump when a presence descended rapidly. As the voice started speaking he realized with a start that it was Maph’Ira who had come this time.

“No no no, my dear little one. I cannot allow such a travesty!” The horror in her voice made Valterra shrink a little.

‘Was it really that bad?’ He asked sadly. He felt the goddess change tone as she backtracked hastily. “No no, it wasn’t terrible at all.” She said and Valterra narrowed his metaphorical eyes at where he imagined her presence to be.

‘You said it was a travesty.’ He accused and she heard her sigh.

“It wasn’t the name that was the travesty per se,” she said, “It’s just that your first created monster should have some pizzazz to it.”

Valterra pondered her response before asking, ‘What’s pizzazz?’ His question seemed to encourage her because she responded with excitement.

“Pizzazz is possibly the greatest invention of Mortal kind! If something has pizzazz it means that it's got a life of its own and it's full of vitality and glamour! I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing!”

Valterra absorbed the goddess’s description calmly. ‘So…why is that important?’ He could feel the goddess deflate slightly before rallying.

“If your creature names have pizzaz then when Delvers come to brave your Dungeon, they will treat it with the proper respect and caution. There are rituals they can do to reveal the names of your creatures and some of their strengths and weaknesses, so if you name it right they will be much more respectful and less dismissive.”

Valterra accepted this explanation without comment. He could tell she was serious and he appreciated the fact that she cared enough to try and help. ‘Okay then, what should I name it instead?’

He could almost see her rub her hands together gleefully. “One of the best ways to add pizzazz is to use the old tongue. It adds depth to a name that otherwise wouldn’t be there. Your name is based on that language too as a matter of fact.”

‘So it will seem older than it is?’ Valterra asked.

“Yes, exactly!” Maph’ira praised. “Delvers will leave with the names of your unique creatures and scholars will ponder their meaning. It will encourage Delvers to be more cautious when entering your Dungeon. The more unique creatures you have, the less they will be able to plan ahead, and the more time you will have to grow. It will make you safer.”

Valterra finally gave up and surrendered to the fact that his creation would not be called a Flying Wolfbear. ‘What should I call it then? I don’t know the Old Tongue at all.’

Maph’Ira just laughed. “That’s why I’m here silly. All of the High Spirits know the Old Tongue.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “Perhaps we can include a primer on the Old Tongue in your next Evolution. I’ll talk to Krat’Imos about it.” She seemed to shake herself before continuing.

“Anyway, here is what I’m thinking. There was an old monster ages ago that looked remarkably similar to your creation. Of course, it was massive and far uglier than what you have created. It was also a natural unique evolution and therefore couldn’t breed in order to pass on its peculiar traits. Despite all of that it was a fearsome predator and the people of the past took to calling it the Wyvre. In current common that would translate to Swooping Death. It was never killed to my knowledge. Died of old age.”

Valterra liked that fact, liked that a lot. An ancient monster that had never been killed, seemingly resurrected en masse within his Dungeon albeit on a much smaller scale.

As if reading his mind, which he suspected was highly possible, Maph’Ira spoke up. “While we are on the topic of naming, one of the things you can do when creating a creature is to denote whether it is the adult form or not. By denoting it as young you are telling the system and through it your Divine Potential, that you want it to have room to grow. It will cost more Potential at the start,” she warned, “but it will enable you to build upon the Schema easier later on. Because of your Boon, you are perfectly situated for creating juvenile creatures that can grow beyond the limits of your Title as they evolve. This will allow you to control just how big your creatures become rather than letting the system do it for you.”

The Core appreciated the advice. He knew that without targeted evolutions his creatures could become much larger than he was capable of containing within his Floors. He could expand of course and he knew that his lower floors would have larger spaces but he liked being small and he liked his Title. It was just…who he was. His Dungeon and therefore his creatures, would reflect that reality. That might change as he got older but for now, this was enough.

‘So,’ Valterra said slowly, ‘I would call it a Young Wyvre?’

Maph’Ira confirmed it for him but spoke up to further explain. “The system may use the term Juvenile but it means the same thing.”

Valterra put the name in the system and sure enough, the creature was labeled a Juvenile Wyvre.

Unique Creature “Juvenile Wyvre” Base Template Created!

Analyzing…Base Template Cost…Divine Potential Cost Confirmed!

“Juvenile Wyvre” currently costs 20 Divine Potential to create.

Would you like to infuse the Base Template with Aether?

Note: If you do not choose to infuse the Base Template then the Schema “Juvenile Wyvre” will have no rarity assigned and will have to evolve normally.

‘I would like to infuse the template please.’ Valterra projected to the Helpdesk. As soon as he did so he felt the new system respond with the equivalent of a mental question mark. The system wished to know what attributes he wanted to impart. Valterra figured he would go as high as he could while still remaining in Uncommon territory and he figured the system would tell him when he reached that point.

‘Smarter, stronger, faster, heal quickly, have power over elemental affinities, and manipulation of Aether itself.’ Valterra declared and he watched as the system responded.

Attributes Chosen:

Enhanced Intelligence, Enhanced Physicality, Enhanced Vitality, Elemental Affinity, Aether Manipulation

Analyzing…Resulting Schema Rarity…Exotic

Recalibrating…Attributes Synthesized…Uncommon Rarity Reached

Attribute Given: Aether Blood (Low)

This creature’s blood has been modified to contain Aether itself, albeit in a small quantity. It has no need for Aether Conduits as its blood takes over their function. The Aether in the blood provides a minor healing effect on the creature while strengthening musculature, increasing bone density, and generally providing an increase in raw physicality. By harnessing the Aether in their blood this creature gains a small affinity for the various basic elements and is able to sense Aether flows in the air.

Applying Aether Blood (Low) to “Juvenile Wyvre”...Complete!

Creating Schema…

Juvenile Wyvre (Unique - Uncommon)

A unique creation of the Dungeon Valterra and carrying the legacy of the first Wyvre, this amalgamation of various creatures has become a true creature in its own right. Its blood has been transformed into a Psuedo-Aetheric substance, giving it minor control over the basic elements and even the flow of Aether itself. Roosting like a bat and living in small colonies these hunters have been created to be apex aerial predators. Still juvenile these creatures have plenty of room to grow and have been given every means to do so.

This Schema costs 250 Divine Potential. Potential left after creation... 294 Units Remaining

Would you like to create this Schema?

Yes/No

Valterra looked upon his creation with awe. It was perfect. Not the true terror that he had set out to make but the potential was overwhelming as shown in its cost. Two hundred and fifty Divine Potential was almost half of what he had left after igniting his Divine Spark. It was probably the best Uncommon Schema he could make with what he had but it also meant that he wouldn’t be able to create the Rare evolutions for his Danians. If the highest price he could get for an Uncommon was 250 then it made sense for the higher rarities to cost even more.

The Core mentally shrugged. This was what he had decided to do in order to complete his Sixth Floor and evolve. He mentally selected the ‘Yes’ option and felt power flow out of his Core to shape his creation. He felt Maph’Ira give him a smile of approval and then begin to depart. He sent her a feeling of gratitude and then became completely focused on his new creation.

Once the Schema was fully formed, he wasted no time in summoning the first one. He summoned a male first, forming him out of Aether. His body was long and sinuous, and his wings flexed wide and powerful. He looked like a wonderfully terrifying monster. Valterra sent a feeling of pride at his new creation and watched as it preened at the attention. He summoned a whole colony after watching the lone one fly around for a while and let them do their thing.

Then he went about finishing up his Sixth Floor. He made a few more ledges and roosts for the Wyvre’s and he created a door leading into the living room set in the largest roost where Aether could flow to his central column and Delvers could eventually travel deeper.

He then went ahead with an idea he had had for some time. He formed little islands and carved the Aether holding runes from the ritual room onto the sides of them. Then, he took hold of his Authority over the element of air and infused it into the Aether currently pouring into the runes. As the islands gradually rose off the ground Valterra cackled happily. He created multiple islands with a different number of runes on each one which seemed to control how high they could rise. This fact delighted the Core to no end.

The Juvenile Wyvres’ seemed to love them as well, darting back and forth among the various floating islands. Valterra seeded them with moss and let them hang over the edge until they reached the next islands in line. In this way, he connected each island with bridges of moss. Then on the islands at the top, he created little craters and divots that led to the edge. He then repeated the runes of holding but infused them with water and watched as water bubbled forth to fill the craters and then trickle to the edge where they began to fall downwards in tiny waterfalls that helped to hydrate the moss and make them trickier to climb by Delvers.

He finished things off by creating openings in much of the ceiling leading to the Fifth Floor which would allow both Delvers and other creatures to climb higher. He couldn’t wait for his creatures to grow and evolve. They would make their way deeper into the Dungeon and would have to confront the Wyvres to travel further even as the Wyvres grew themselves. He confirmed the boundaries of the Floor and felt it lock into place deep in his soul.

What followed was a sensation of deep exhaustion as Valterra felt himself breathe deeply, sending a flood of Aether to slam into his column where it was condensed down until it eventually reached his Core. He felt himself sink into a different kind of state but wasn’t alarmed as he continued to be semi-aware. He saw his gem begin to shine, converting the raw Aether into something else as golden light exploded forth.

End of Chapter Notifications:

6th Floor Created!

The Core has created its 6th Floor with active rune structures, integrated with the environment, and an apex predator.

Progress to Core Evolution:

100%

Preparing to Evolve!