Worthy Core

The 'Bone Maze' had been completed, though calling it a maze was perhaps overstating it. Xenia had turned the third room into a two-story affair, with the first floor filled with winding stone hallways eventually leading to the exit, filled with orc skeletons armed with knives. Meanwhile the second floor was a completely open level, but its only connection to the lower story was iron bar windows in the floor. From here, human skeletons with bows could fire arrows down onto intruders walking the maze, which seemed like a large improvement over simple dart traps. It seemed a bit odd that the dungeon had absorbed a crossbow and yet Xenia's best ranged weapon option was standard archery bows, but she was at least glad that she didn't have to start off with thrown rocks. On top of that, with the feeling that the 'Slip'n'Slide' room needed a little something extra to it, Xenia had tossed up a locked door with a stone-colored key hidden in the low water in the center of the chamber's pressure plate traps. Perhaps with any luck the room would collapse every time and the key would be lost, though Xenia doubted things would be that easy.

Now she was sitting in her new fourth chamber, 'researching'. She and Guy had continued to lure in rabbits and the occasional coyote, raising her 'Lagomorphs' tier to D and then D+, and trickling in enough mana to stock up the Bone Maze with skeleton warriors and still leave her enough to work with. As for what that project was, Xenia had declared that it was time for a Boss Room, and was currently trying to use Crossbreeding to create a Boss Bunny worthy of the position. Unfortunately it was a slow process which tied up most of the mana she currently had available, and the pair were left without much else to keep them occupied. Somewhat to Xenia's surprise though, it was Guy who finally broke the silence with some personal chat.

"So, I may have to admit to looking a little unprofessional here perhaps, but I'm not actually that familiar with the details of sapient weapons outside of their use in dungeons. You say this is your first dungeon, so might I ask how you found yourself in the position of being a magical sword exactly?"

Xenia grins, happy that Guy's found an interest in something other than perfecting their latest murder machine. "Well, I couldn't tell you how souls get assigned or whatever, but I did learn a few things on that run. Apparently, there's two ways for a thinking, talking weapon to be created. The first is probably pretty much like what it would be if I did it here - some wizard or god or whatever takes a weapon and then they cram some life force into it. Don't think I'll be doing that though...unless it could fly or something. Being a talking, flying magical sword woulda been way sweeter than just the boring ol' kind that needs to be carried everywhere. But anyhow, that wasn't me, I was a natural birth."

Guy takes a moment to try and process that. "You were...born as a sword?"

The dungeon master cackles. "And momma never let me forget it, haha! ...But naw, the other way is a high quality item or whatever just sits around soaking up magic for a long-ass time and then one day, bam! Living magic item! Me personally, I was born in a dragon's hoard."

The guide hums at the thought. "You must have made for quite the prized treasure, then." Xenia turns away from her work to give Guy a grin - not that she was technically looking at much to start with, the magical crossbreeding results being more of a foggy mental picture in her mind until a viable product is found.

"Aw, flatterer. I guess I kinda was for like a day or so, but maybe unsurprisingly I really ticked that bastard off pretty fierce before long. Dragons spend most of their time sleeping on their hoards, y'know, and they don't really like it when their beds try to talk to em. Not that I was having much fun of it either. After a month of that the dude actually did something dragons never do, and threw me out, can you believe it!? Flung me as far from his cave as he could get, which turns out to be way further than you'd think. Must be all in the neck."

"Ah, and I imagine after that you were found by some Hero and your true adventure began, hm?"

This time Xenia slips into a far-away look, but with a soft smile on her lips. "...Yeah, I was. And not one of those capital-H Hero douchebags, either, but the real deal. Blacksmith's daughter named Beatrice. Turned out she had a grudge against the dragon, dude fried up her sister when they were kids, and she made it her life's quest to slay the dick. She had a long-ass way to go before trying some shit like that though, and I managed to talk her into working her way up. Stab a giant rat or two before you slay a dragon, right?"

Guy gives a contented noise as Sir Flopsy slowly chases them around the empty chamber. "Sounds like you two became quite close, then."

Xenia doesn't respond at first, clearly lost in a memory. At least until she drops an apparently random line of thought. "Did you know talking swords can vibrate if they hum just right? Don't need to stop to breathe, either."

Guy pauses. "What?"

Xenia snaps back to attention. "I didn't say shit!"

Deciding a change of subject would be best, the guide tries another topic. "...So, did you ever slay that dragon?"

Again, Xenia takes a moment before answering, sucking in a deep breath first. "...Was the last thing I ever did. Found a whole party of friends over the years, real A-class dudes and ladies, y'know? Eventually the dragon hit another town and we decided it was time to make our move. ...We thought we were good, but it was a bare thing. I know at least two of em didn't make it, Beatrice was the last one standing. I told her to throw me down the asshole's throat, and that she did. Guess he melted me down before he went, but at least I know he choked on me in the process. And the look on his face..."

Guy gives her a moment of silence. "...Sounds like quite a woman. I'm sure she'll never forget your sacrifice."

"Sure was..." If she was going to say anything further, it's distracted by a system ping. "Aw, sweet! Boss Bunny's got fangs!"

Outside the village of Grassbrook, the gnoll Scout Tafyaf considers his options. To the west lies the village itself - population approximately five hundred including all of the nearby farms, almost entirely populated by humans, and built around an economic foundation of 'what's an economic?'. Having been to the village before he knows what he'll find inside - a small blacksmithy, a standard pan-deity temple, and a combined general store-slash-tavern, where the family running the store swaps to serving beers and meals around dinner time. As the day's light was beginning to fade, odds are the more active citizens would already be gathered together to discuss the day's latest non-events over a drink or two.

Meanwhile to the east sits The Fort - not worthy of an actual name and barely even worthy of being called a fort at all. The place had a garrison of about two dozen, although with a far more diverse makeup - a few gnolls and elves Tafyaf knew, and at least one dwarf for the fort's own smithy. Small as it was, it was still far more defenders than a village this size would normally be worth - but then, most villages weren't this close to the borders of the Dragonlord's Domain. Technically, the Alpine Scout knew he was supposed to report his findings to the commander of the local garrison and then obey the following orders. But he hadn't joined the scouts because he liked having micro-managing commanders giving him orders all the time. And technically his investigation was still underway up until he actually reported in, which meant as long as he was still looking into matters, he wasn't doing anything incorrectly.

Decision made, the gnoll makes his way into town, heading directly towards the The General - the name of both the store and the tavern - where he's spotted first by the fourteen-year-old daughter of the family who runs the place. "Taffy! You're back!" The gnoll gives her a grin, thinking about how a few years ago she would have run up to give him a hug, though now she's too busy being employed serving drinks to show quite that level of enthusiasm.

"Ah, it is Em, if my senses are correct, yes! You've grown again, almost I would not recognize you!" The young barmaid gives him a smile, waving him inside.

"Only because you hardly come by anymore! Come on in, I'll tell da you stopped in!" Tafyaf nods and makes his way to the counter, making friendly greetings with those he passes on the way yet not joining in with any ongoing conversations just yet. By time he's taken a seat the owner of the establishment's made his way out of the kitchen, a large man with a bald head who makes up for it with a terribly bushy red beard.

"Well if it isn't our favorite gnoll! Been a few, heard you got your Advanced since the last time you came by!" He's already pouring a drink as he talks, which is perhaps a small part of the reason Tafyaf came here and not to the Fort.

"Yes, yes, Alpine Scout of course. And good to see you it is, Mister Plit, though I wish I could say I was not on duty still." Barkeep Plit smirks as he slides the mug Tafyaf's way, knowing that's not about to stop the gnoll from enjoying the drink.

"What's that? Don't tell me you're being sent on your way down south or some foolishness?" The Scout takes a long gulp before shaking his head.

"Far more local it is, I am afraid. Tell me, Mister Plit - have you seen signs of orcs around your village? Perhaps near the mountains?" Plit frowns and shakes his head, but a nearby man catches the conversation and joins in - exactly the sort of result Tafyaf was hoping for when he came in here. He doesn't know the other man, but there was bound to be someone here who had some idea of local events.

"Valleylanders? Fuck! That's gotta be why no one's seen Lundsen back in town, yet! Man always did like to work around the mountain, didn't he?" The barkeep's frown doubles at the mention.

"Man still hasn't turned up? I know the poor sod's been lost in the woods for a night before, but if there's orcs around...I don't like the sounds of that. You're looking into this, Taffy?" The gnoll sighs, as he decides this probably is still his responsibility until he actually does make his official report.

"Am still looking into, yes I am. Though tonight I am not, in the morning I shall investigate the Peak and see what there is to see." That mostly settles the topic for the moment, as no one else has anything to add to the discussion other than wild theories. But as Tafyaf slips into his rented room later that night the conversation continues without him, and he would perhaps come to regret not visiting the Fort instead.