Worthy Core

Beatrice's party had been exploring the dead dungeon for three days now, and were both making good progress and also getting absolutely nowhere. Roxxy and Taly had set up a very efficient marking and mapping system between the two of them thanks to Roxxy's ability to easily carve writing into the stone walls. Taly had established a three-character identifier for each portion of the dungeon: the first character was a digit for how many levels deeper than Worthy Dungeon the section was, based on average dungeon floor heights, while the second and third characters used letters and numbers to identify how far away it was from their entry point in north/south or east/west directions, counting by the size of a 'standard' dungeon chamber. Thus they had started their expedition in Hallway 1-0-0, they had camped out for the first night in Chamber 3-4-5, northeast of their starting point, and were currently in Hallway 5-A-B, slightly southwest of where they started.

Other than consuming ridiculous amounts of Taly's paper supplies however, the group had nothing at all to show for their efforts so far. They had reached at least seven different distinct 'floors', but it was impossible to tell how deep the place ultimately went, or how wide it spread horizontally. Like with Grizza and Roxxy's earlier escape from the place they were constantly going back up and down and backtracking due to collapsed sections, and exploring the place was taking far too long despite the lack of any real obstacles to slow them down. For the party members not engaged in map-making activities, it was all starting to get far too boring.

Beatrice groans. "Ugggggh! Okay, I know you said this place was empty, but I didn't think it'd also be just this dull! There's an ancient deepway below the kingdom I come from which is mostly as abandoned as this place is, but it's at least got neat shit to look at. Ruined statues, ruined great halls, the occasional pile of skeletons...Xe - uh, the dungeon's really gonna owe us for this one, more than I was thinking."

Grizza snorts. "You can just call her Xenia, you know. She told Roxxy and I her name, you can stop pretending you're not on first-name basis with the spirit yourself. And you're the team leader, aren't you? Shouldn't you be the one trying to keep the rest of us motivated?"

The warrior sighs. "Yeah, you're right. I'm not actually used to working in a party these days, you know, guess I sort of got a bad habit of just wandering around and bitching to, uh...my sword, actually. To keep my head clear."

Sely laughs at that. "Hah, why your sword, specifically? It's better at working out your frustrations with? Or are you expecting it to talk back to you one of these days?"

"Hey, you never know, it happens sometimes." Checking to see that Taly and Roxxy are still keeping the map-making under control, she turns to Grizza. "So...you're a spider-dude, huh? You and Alizz are the first ones of your sort I've met. What are your people like?"

The Mage needs a moment to collect himself before answering, a bit surprised at suddenly becoming the topic of conversation. "Ah, drider, is the term. Like most of the races that colonized the New Continent, our original origins are a bit spotty, but here at least most of us live in the Valleylands. ...The northwestern third of the continent, if you're not familiar with the geography. We tend to live underground, the Undervalley is our largest settlement. We do quite a bit of mining, as you might imagine, though those of us in the military are mostly known for our affinity for magic. Our Mana Weavers are the premier spellcasters of the Valleylands, you know."

Beatrice nods along. "And the Valleylands...don't like the Rainlands? Which is where we're at now? What even are those generic-ass names?"

Sely raises an eyebrow at the question. "Just how far away did you come from? The New Continent isn't that new anymore."

The warrior sighs again. "Just...really far, you wouldn't have heard of it. So, I almost hate to ask, but what is the history here, then? The super-short version, if you could."

Grizza and Sely share a look, but Sely motions for Grizza to take the lead. "Well...many centuries ago, the entire continent belonged to the Dragonlord. However, no one from outside the continent knew that, because not only was the continent barely populated, but most of that population was focused in the south of the continent, which is by most standards the least habitable territory. The good farmlands and such were largely unsettled, given that the native races, uh, aren't exactly what you'd describe as being big fans of traditional agriculture. After the devastation of the Age of Warlocks, though...which I'm definitely going to skip over today...most races were eager to set up colonies in such fertile lands. The humans, dwarves, elves, gnolls, driders, orcs, demons and minotaurs all established city-states around the coastline."

Beatrice groans. "That is way too many city-states. Please tell me this isn't going to involve learning all of their little politics and wars and shit."

Sely chuckles as she takes over the story. "Well, it does kinda simplify after that. See, eventually the Dragonlord got super pissed-off about all these people moving onto 'their' territory, and gave everyone the ol' 'join me or die' ultimatum. Only the demons signed on, probably because everyone else treated em like shit anyhow and it was the first time anyone ever wanted them in their country. After everyone else told'm to shove off, an invasion was launched and pretty much rolled up the whole west coast before anyone was really able to do anything about it. The east coast settlements were able to join up together in the 'Rainlands Alliance' before their turn came around though, and were able to fight the invasion off. Became an actual nation and all that a few years later."

The warrior nods along. "So the Valleylands were part of the Dragonlord's Domain, then?"

Grizza picks up. "For that, we can skip ahead a few centuries. You see, because our ancestors resisted, they were enslaved. Driders, orcs, and minotaurs, that is. In particular, slaves were used to bolster the armed forces, and had to join in on campaigns that happened every decade or two, for a long time. Until around a hundred years ago we launched a revolt, and won back our freedom. Unfortunately by then there was far too much bad blood between us and the Rainlanders, and so we ended up forming our own nation rather than joining together with them."

Sely gives a rueful chuckle. "Yeah, it's a shitty situation, and I'm not the kind to hold it against anyone personally. I mean, hells, my bosses are a kobold and a drider, and they're great at their jobs. But every town and village has a memorial to a time some orcish raiding band burned the place down once, or some noble family remembers a time a drider cursed their highborn great-great-great-grandfather, and they're still pissy about it. Doesn't help that some folks, like the elves, actually remember it first-hand. So it is what it is. We both watch each other, and we both watch the south."

"Yeesh. Glad I'm only here to stab monsters, and not fix politics or prejudice. That shit is - hold up." Beatrice suddenly stops and raises a hand, bringing the party to a stop - for the most part. Roxxy continues on for a few more steps before noticing everyone else's frozen positions.

Sely leans in. "Uh...what's up?"

Instead of answering the healer, Beatrice calls out to her sister. "Taly? Stash the maps and eyes ahead, would you?" The rogue quickly puts her papers away into a bottomless bag and catches up with her leader as ordered. Looking down the darkened hallway, she suddenly gasps.

"Light! Multiple moving lights at that, torches I'd guess. Someone's coming our way!"

Beatrice turns her head left and right, scanning their current hallway, but doesn't find what she's looking for. "There's zero cover here. I don't want to run back to the last intersection and expose our backs to whoever's approaching. Roxxy, you're up front with me, and everyone douse your lanterns. We'll move forward and meet them halfway...hold your fire though, we don't know if they're hostile." The group is quickly covered in darkness, first due to the extinguishing of their magical light sources, and then by a supporting spell cast by Taly. Fortunately, the magical darkness only hides the group without ruining their own vision, allowing them to see as three figures engulfed in flame enter the hallway at a junction up ahead.

Or rather, not engulfed in flame, but made of it. As the group quietly approaches it becomes more apparent that there's nothing solid about the human-shaped trio up ahead, with the occasional flickers of flame allowing them to be seen right through. Despite their transient forms, it does eventually seem as if one of the three is a more feminine shape, while the others take on a masculine form. More surprisingly, they have the voices to match. A loud, jovial-sounding voice rings out down the hallway. "Oh, wow, look at this! More nothing! Though at least we have the option of turning left or right this time. It's that kind of variety that really spices up this gig, don't you think?"

The feminine voice answers his. "Hey, I've got a bright idea. How about we split up? You go that way, we go this way, and then we never have to listen to your whining again?"

The third joins in, even as he starts to turn in the direction of Beatrice's group. "I wish, but orders are...wait, hold on. There's something weird about the...nothing down in that direction."

Seeing that their cover of darkness was perhaps a bit too dark to blend in properly, Beatrice whispers to the rest of the party. "You wait here under the cover, I'll step out and say hello. If they get feisty, back me up." Sheathing her sword, the warrior stands up straight and marches ahead of Taly's mystical cloak. "Hey there! Didn't mean to interrupt your walk, but I seem to have gotten a little lost. Think you could give me directions?"

The trio of fire elementals look at each other for a second, then without a word they each turn back toward Beatrice and fire off a fireball in her direction. Dodging them with a roll, the bolts vanish into the darkness behind her, barely illuminating the space concealed by the party's rogue. Quickly re-drawing her sword, Beatrice shouts out orders. "Alright, getting mean then! Roxxy, help me pin em down, support, douse em with whatever you got!" With thunderous footsteps the earth elemental emerges from the cloak, charging her opposite numbers at a pace Beatrice has to rush to keep up with. Two of the firestarters turn their attention on the approaching boulder, while the third fires off a shot that gets dispersed by an enchanted shield that suddenly takes form on Beatrice's left arm.

The enemy trio at least doesn't seem to be thrilled by this assault. "Shit, they got an earther! Focus fire on that one, we gotta melt it down!" Roxxy reaches her first target but finds that one on one, earth and fire elementals are nearly immune to each other in a melee fight. Each of her heavy swings simply passes through her opponent, while the flamethrower burst the torch responds with does nothing to her stony frame. Still, Beatrice is concerned by the suggestion that the three of them could potentially melt her down, and steps in to ensure that doesn't happen. Shield raised, she charges directly into the nearest elemental only to be surprised by the sound of a clang when a small solid object actually bounces off of her shield. She doesn't get the chance to see what it was, but the elemental is thrown to the floor next to her, indicating that there is at least something in there she can attempt to stab. Or to kick, or smash, Beatrice isn't feeling particularly picky today.

A second elemental is pulled away from Roxxy by attacks from the party's ranged members, with shadow-coated arrows and bolts of light flying through its form. The dark arrows have a slight chilling effect to them, but they're no ice arrows, and the holes they punch in the living flame are quickly healed over. Grizza's magic bolts meanwhile only serve to distract the creature, but they do at least accomplish that much as it shouts out. "Shit, there's more of them! I'll take care of the squishies, you two hold on!" Rushing towards Taly's cloak, the elemental stretches out both hands and blasts the entire region with a pair of flamethrower bursts. It manages to miss its targets, falling short of where the 'squishies' were actually standing, but having to pull back and attack at the same time causes Taly's mystical shadow to disperse, revealing the remaining three members of the party. The elemental spots Grizza first, and laughs. "Gotcha!"

He launches a fireball at the Mage, but to Grizza's immediate relief and then horror, the drider is saved when Sely jumps in front of him, taking the hit. Only to be engulfed in flames herself, screaming in pain as she drops to her knees. "Sely! They got Sely! We need to - " Grizza's cry is interrupted as someone pulls at his arm to get his attention - as it turns out, Sely, entirely unscorched.

"Don't get all dramatic, handsome! It was just a temporary copy popped out by Wish Fulfillment."

Distracted by the battle as he is, Grizza's mind needs a moment to process the name of the spell. "That's what you call 'wish fulfillment'!?"

Sely grins wildly. "Sucked up a lot of good burn wound energy from that one! Can only use it once a day though, so next time dodge, yeah!? As for you, smokey...lets see how you like it when I convert that energy to frostbite, shall we?" To the elemental's surprise the Masochist charges him, sticking her own hand into his chest. For a moment he laughs, thinking the healer is sacrificing herself for real, but that attitude doesn't last long.

"Pfft, you like getting burned that much, huh? Well then...wait. Why do I feel...is this...cold? Is this what cold feels like?" Flickering in a way that reminds Grizza of a shiver, the elemental tries to step back, but stumbles as he realizes Sely is holding on directly to his scorching-hot core. Though not scorching-hot for long, as second by second the living flames seem to die down, until the process is suddenly halted by the explosion of the glowing sphere. Sely shouts as she draws her arm back, her bare bicep covered in burns and her gloved hand bleeding from shrapnel wounds.

"Ah! Dammit, right...shit explodes when you fuck with temperature like that, don't it! Hahaha! Who's next!?" She turns to Roxxy, but is a bit too late to join in. After enough swings the giant had also found the rough position of the core hidden inside the fiery woman, knocking the elemental around every time she struck it. Eventually she switched to overhead blows, turning herself into a hammer and the dungeon floor into an anvil. The elemental attempted to dodge backward as best she could, but the third time she was struck against the floor her core shattered, dissipating her flames immediately. That left the third, who was finding that Beatrice's enchanted armor was nearly as fireproof as Roxxy's own body. Unfortunately, her sword wasn't nearly as good at damaging her opponent's core, but that wasn't an issue - the warrior had more tricks up her sleeves than one could fit in a mid-size barn, after all.

Sheathing her sword and pulling a small blue crystal from one of her Item Boxes, Beatrice shouts out an activation phrase. "Freeze my foes - Ice Prison!" She slams the crystal onto the dungeon floor, shattering it beneath the feet of her opponent, and within an instant the fiery figure is replaced by a giant ice crystal. Roxxy immediately rushes over, ready to smash.

"The core's still intact - he'll melt his way out eventually! Want me to break it?"

Beatrice shakes her head. "No, this is perfect. I think we've got some questions we need answered..."