Worthy Core

The party had moved from the bedroom to Sincere's new kitchen dining table once it was confirmed that the new boss monster had spawned in perfect health, both physically and metaphysically. Before taking a seat of her own Xenia paused to take in the sight, as a slime, a demon, and a fully-armored warrior sat down as if they were preparing for their evening dinner, while a glowing screen floated around in the background. Looking them over, Xenia can't keep a grin off her face. "Man, wish I could paint right now. This is way better than dogs playing cards."

The group collectively turns to look at her, with Lollyp asking the question. "You've been to a world where dogs play cards?"

"No, no, it's just a picture of...never mind." Noticing a green tint to Sincere's eyes, Xenia turns to him as she finally takes her seat. "Getting peepy again, Mr. Demon? You seem to like using that trick a lot."

"Just confirming something. So you, like Beatrice here, are from another world as well? The same one, I assume? That would perhaps explain a few things, though not how you ended up as a dungeon master and she did not..."

Xenia shakes her head. "I'll catch you up on the Life and Times of Xenia Worthy, but another time. Tonight, we got a deal to settle up on. I believe you have a few answers for us?"

Sincere sighs. "And apparently the matter of my name is one of them?"

Beatrice tries not to chuckle. "I mean...you can't blame us for being curious."

The man nods. "To be honest, it is rather amusing from a certain angle, just perhaps a tale I've gotten a bit tired of after so many years. But...if you are newcomers to this world, I assume you perhaps need a primer on how exactly demons came to this world to begin with?"

The dungeon master shrugs. "People summoned you? That seems to be the typical method."

"In a general sense, yes. I suppose I'll try and keep the history lesson brief. There was a time in this world's history, a period a few centuries long, known as the Age of Warlocks. It began when people first learned to summon demons to this realm, although in the early days those summonings were quite brief...especially the very early ones, given that the demons usually killed their summoners and returned home quite quickly. Over time though, mortals learned to bind demons as part of their rituals, both to stay for longer periods, and to be forced to obey commands, and so on. One of these rituals involved providing the demon with a new Name. Such names are quite real, not merely a nickname or a legal fiction, but something that becomes ingrained on our soul."

Lollyp grimaces. "And a Warlock named you Sincerely Fucked? I heard those assholes were pieces of work, but that sounds like, obscenely petty."

At that, Sincere actually chuckles, just a little. "It was, in fact, an accident. You see, with the exception of rituals designed to summon specific powerful beings, most summonings merely picked a plane of Hell and selected a random demon from it. Given that demons from a given plane tend to be fairly uniform in powers and skills, it was generally 'good enough' most of the time. So one day a certain Warlock, looking for aides in his research project, opened a portal to the Viridian Twilight plane of Hell and brought forth an arcane demon. Myself. Who was, at the time, approximately three years old." The demon pauses before continuing. "I suppose I should note for reference, that arcane demon children age at more or less the same rates as human ones. In other words, the Warlock found himself with a demon toddler sitting in his ritual circle."

Slight gasps and surprised noises fill the room, and a look of anger crosses Xenia's face. "Wait, what? They were just kidnapping...literal kids!? That's pretty fucked up, man. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Sincere nods. "It's not exactly a great comfort to know it's not what the Warlock intended, given that he had after all, intended to enslave someone, even if it were not me specifically. But, well...when he looked down at me, and realized that I, a demon child, would now have to make it on the mortal plane, he looked at me and said: 'Well, now...you're sincerely fucked.' Quite forgetting that he was in the part of the ritual where he was supposed to be binding me with my Name."

"Ffffffuck." Beatrice leans back in her seat. "Wish I could wallop that asshole for you, seriously."

"It could have been worse, I suppose. He did at least accept the responsibility of raising me, even at times seemed to consider it an interesting project. But it never changed the fact that I was a slave, something none of us ever forgot, and well...I suppose the full history of the Age of Warlocks is perhaps a bit off the trail of the matters you truly wanted me to discuss."

Xenia summons up a round of cheap wine, figuring a conversation like this could use a few drinks. "Might wanna chip at that sometime later, but yeah, suppose we should move on to the more relevant shit. So, tell me, Sincere. What the hell is so special about my mountain?"

Enjoying the moment, Sincere leans back and sips his drink with a smile before answering. "Well, it's quite simple, really. Triple Peak Mountain, or Mount Faralis, the Center of the World, just so happens to be the ancient capital of the Dragonlord's Domain." The smile fades a bit as he licks his lips. "...Is this the quality of food and drink you currently have access to? I suppose improvement is one thing to look forward to..."

The group freezes for a moment at the first part of that statement, before Lollyp contradicts him. "Uh, no it ain't. The capital is Dragon's Jaw, I've been there. Bunch of mountains with the continent's biggest canyon in between them, real distinctive."

Sincere shakes his head, still slightly smirking. "Dragon's Jaw is and ever has been the most populated city in the Domain, well, unless you count certain points when vassal Valleylands cities took the top rank. But it was not always the seat of power. That did not become the case until only months before the conquest of the Valleylands began."

Beatrice grunts, unconvinced. "I've been to more than a few capital cities in my time, and a king having a vacation home in the mountains does not a capital make. You'd need residences, administrators, roads...all of that would leave a mark behind, even centuries later, and all we got is an empty dungeon."

"You judge by human standards, not draconic ones. Dragons have ever lived solitary lives in remote caves and the like, and what need do you have for roads when the top ranks of your citizenry can fly? You are aware, I assume, of the Dragonlord's affinity for deal-making with dungeon spirits, and what better fortress than the world's most dangerous dungeon? Not that it was a difficult title to achieve, given the third great secret of the dead place below our feet. For you see, the Center of the World was also the world's first dungeon. The place where the gods tested their design, against the most powerful of the mortal races."

Xenia grimaces. "Great, just figures I get plopped down into a cultural heritage site. But how come the place died, and how come no one knows about it but you?"

The demon takes another drink, considering his response. "I can only answer part of those questions. When it comes to why the seat of power was moved, I believe it has to do with military necessity. The mountain was in the center of the Domain geographically, but the Dragonlord's military strength was focused far south of here. Not that the Domain had ever needed an organized military in those days in any case. Before the influx of refugees began settling the coasts, the continent had no masters save the Dragonlord themself. But after they were settled, by time the Dragonlord was ready to fight the colonial states they were already far too close, the mountain was too vulnerable. As regards to the erasure of history, well, that was a matter of military secrecy. The draconics didn't want their enemies to know that this had been a center of power, that there could be secrets or artifacts hidden away here for the taking. So any external signs of civilization were dismantled, and the place quietly abandoned. Very few denizens are old enough to remember those days personally, so keeping the secret now is as simple as keeping it out of the history books."

Lollyp stares at her own drink, looking a little uncomfortable. "And so they just...killed the dungeon on their way out? To keep anyone from finding it, or what it knew about the Dragonlord?"

At that, Sincere smirks. "That is one theory. I have another, one which I was hoping to confirm here if I could. Everyone knows that dungeon cores can be removed from their dungeon, at the expense of the dungeon's health. The core stops regenerating mana, the monsters and traps cease respawning, eventually magical constructs cease to function, and over a long enough period of time, even solid constructs begin to dissolve. I wonder though...if perhaps the Dragonlord didn't uncover a way for dungeons to be relocated. And if perhaps the Center of the World still lives today, in Dragon's Jaw or some other place."

The group considers the implications and possibilities of that statement for a while, before Xenia speaks up. "Might be interesting to know. I'm guessing your little research project is on hold indefinitely now, though? Sorry to ruin that for you."

Sincere shrugs. "It's a better fate than death, and although one door may have closed, actually becoming part of a dungeon opens up entire new avenues I'd never considered before. It is a shame I can't take even a brief stroll outside though, knowing that the dungeon is so close and yet beyond my reach."

Having remained silent up til now, Guy floats forward and makes a suggestion. "About that. Might I remind you of your third curse, ma'am? The part about, may I quote, 'Floors may be added without unlock requirements, if the old energies of the great dungeon can be subdued and harnessed'. I know we've been putting off investigating that until after Lady Beatrice's adventure was concluded, but the truth is, I still have little idea about what that actually means, or how we might go about it. It's quite beyond my repository of dungeon knowledge, yet it presumably involves interacting with the old dungeon in some manner."

Leaning forward, a new light shines in Sincere's eyes - metaphorically, this time. "Subduing the energies of the old dungeon, you say? That is - that is perfect! If we cannot go to the old dungeon, then we shall bring the old dungeon to us!"

Xenia scoffs. "Great idea, big guy. So, y'know. How?"

The demon claps his hands together in excitement. "With thorough research and careful study!"

As he looks around the table, he slowly displays a growing level of disappointment as he notices the lack of an enthusiastic response. Standing up from the table, Beatrice speaks for the group. "Well! You have fun with that! I...need to go to bed and sleep for a week."

The next morning, Grizza and Roxxy were starting to make their way out of the Challengers camp when they were hailed by the minotaur Grizza had shared dinner with the night before. Walking up to the pair, the giant man takes note of the baggage the two are carrying - or at least which Roxxy is carrying, the elemental doing the bulk of the heavy lifting. "Morning, friends! Heading out early, are we?"

Grizza nods, remembering at the last minute not to salute. "Yes sir, Mason Tossrock. My level promotion's been confirmed, and we were planning to make our way to Highfalls so that I could get the required training for my Advanced class. After all, the sooner I get started, the sooner I can return...although if you require my presence here, I can put those plans on hold?"

The minotaur shakes his head. "No, by all means, you have the right of it. I look forward to seeing your progress. And how about you, Roxxy? Signing up for the life of an official Challenger as well?"

The elemental shifts as she turns to face Tossrock, moving a heavy pack as if it were weighed down by feathers as she does so. "Nah, didn't see much point! I'd only be like, level two if I signed up, and it all seems like way too much paperwork just to prove I know how to smash things real good, you know? But I figured I'd keep Grizza company, given that he kind of has a hard time making friends, unless he's wearing his sexy rabbit ears but he doesn't seem to like doing that for some reason?"

The minotaur and the drider stare at each other for a moment, until finally Tossrock breaks the silence. "Well, I...suppose that's very kind of you, to support your friend like that, Roxxy."

Trying very hard to control his expression, Grizza takes a few deep breaths. "Yes, I greatly appreciate your help. Particularly in social matters. How about you, Mason? Are you staying around long?"

Pleased by the change of topic, the minotaur grins widely, showing off his teeth. "More than that - our first official batch of 'trainees' has finally received permission to cross the border, according to the terms of our deal with the Rainlanders. Tomorrow I'll be leading a team in myself. No worries, Mage, we'll be keeping a close eye on the place in your absence. I believe you were right - this dungeon has questions aplenty, and I'll see if I can't pry out a few answers by time you return..."