Dungeon’s Path

While the party wasn’t 100% on board with continuing, in the end they had come prepared to scale a cliff or two so turning back now would feel bad. In particular, Bill pointed out the fact they should have already known all of this coming in today. Nevermind the fact that no one had really considered what the cliff actually meant for the group.

Either way, they ended up pressing onward. Because honestly? The cliff was nothing to them. The only reason they turned back last time was because they didn’t want to be climbing the damn thing only to get pelted with rocks by some monster down below.

So the group easily climbed up the otherside using the rope once again. The only difference being that Jeremy made the climb first to attach it. From there the group kept their heads on a swivel as their line of retreat, while not cut off, was severely limited.

Not that they needed to worry too much as there didn’t seem to be any monsters, only a bunch of mushrooms. Though they almost turned around again when they reached the next feature, a section where the tunnel squeezed down until it was so tight that someone in metal armor would likely need to go through sideways. The whole group looked at this feature with a good amount of suspicion.

In fact, Bill right out said what the rest were thinking. “This feels like the place where we get ambushed by some burrowing monster.”

Of course Doyle doesn’t have anything like that yet, though just like what the others in Jim’s team were worried about, he marked it down for future use. After all, even if the dungeon isn’t awakened, no need to start giving it ideas.

Though once the party is through that tight section they end up right at another section that dips down. This one however was a lot more waterlogged. Jeremy took a moment to observe. A worthwhile endeavor as he managed to figure out why.

Jeremy points towards the other side where a much more active waterfall is present. “Whatever is to come, the passage must continue upward without another pit like this for at least a while.”

Jim, “Can you be sure of that? There might just be a more active water source.”

Jeremy shakes his head, “I’ve been paying attention to tunnels. I guess there could be something like that, but I bet it continues on in the same way. The walls aren’t just wet, they’re oozing water. It's a little hard to see around all the fungus, but it is there.”

Jim shrugs, “Fair enough, now will that cause any problems for us to get up on the other side?”

Jeremy, “It shouldn’t. We just want to climb up the side instead of the center.”

From there the party descends into the swamp below. Though this time at the bottom they find a much more recently lived in village. Kelly in particular is interested in it. Top of her mind was how it was formed.

Kelly turns to Jeremy, “Do you notice anything that would indicate an artificial origin to these huts?”

Jeremy laughs, “This whole place is artificial in origin. I bet a dungeon could create something that would carbon date as millions of years old despite just being spawned. The real question is, did the dungeon make them and if so, why?”

Kelly snorts, “And you understood what I was asking. While I’m sure the dungeon could make things like that. I’m assuming they aren’t artificially making rough tool marks on things.”

Tess holds out her spear, “This piece of work was loot and it has signs of being created with a hammer. I’m going to guess that the dungeon just makes replicas and it doesn’t matter what the source looks like, it can just copy it.”

Kelly shrugs, “But those marks aren’t ‘rough’ tool marks. It isn’t like I haven’t observed the various pieces of loot slowly flooding the market. The only reason we aren’t all fully decked out in loot is because we are using crafted gear to help our crafters. Maybe if we could get enchanting up and running it would be worth switching, but for now it isn’t really all that much of a difference.”

Bill scoffs, “Rough tool marks? What’s next, cold fire? A visible tool mark is clearly a sign of imperfection and these are supposed to be masterworks!”

Kelly shakes her head, “The tool marks have a purpose. You can tell that because not all places where there would be a tool mark, is there one. A good example being the various bits of leather gear.

“It should have all kinds of markings from scissors and such. Instead, the cuts are even more perfect than what you would get from a machine. On things like the spear head, the marks of a hammer are instead there to enhance the final product for things such as disturbing force through the weapon.

“It might not be big, but a perfectly smooth surface isn’t always the best option. Though I will admit, it might be possible that the dungeon simply doesn’t have a better model to work off of.”

Bill rolls his eyes, “Then what was all that nonsense about?”

Kelly, “Not nonsense, if it was better, I am sure the dungeon could just smooth it all out and yet it doesn’t. Anyway, this has gone on long enough. Jeremy, what have you found?”@@novelbin@@

Jeremy steps forward, “I took a look around the various huts and found the answer. Well, maybe the answer. I guess it would be more correct to say that I don’t know if the huts are dungeon made or not, but they have been lived in, likely by those mushroom people.

“Kind of funny, it actually has to do with the whole masterwork thing. As pointed out, everything the dungeon creates is a masterwork. So the fact that I found carved household items which aren’t masterwork items, shows something besides the dungeon has been making stuff.”

Jim nods, “Good to know. Now, are we ready to continue? I don’t begrudge us the time to figure stuff out, but I don’t particularly like standing around on soggy ground.”

Kelly nods, “I’m sure we’ll find more stuff later. In fact, it is likely we’ll find more mini villages like this that aren’t so uninhabited. Though it was better to find out now rather than later.”

With that Jeremy once again is the one to attach a rope so the party can get out of the pit they’re in. After that they don’t have to wait long to finally face some monsters. Though it seems that the ninth floor isn’t the only place that can catch the group off guard.

Despite Jeremy keeping an eye, they manage to miss the shrieker mushrooms that the myconids had set out as a warning. This would honestly be more embarrassing, what with them not even having a hiding skill, if not for the fact that they weren’t just hiding.

The shrieker mushrooms had been hidden and not just in a normal way. Not even Doyle and Ally had noticed what happened so it was fair enough to miss the fact that the shriekers had basically a facade of other fungus around them. The three myconid construction crew really did a good job.

Though better for them to be caught by a trap like this, than something deeper in the dungeon once the stakes are higher. All shriekers might do is burst an eardrum if you’re really unlucky. Well, it also means the monsters know where the party is, so they lose all chance at stealth. A potentially deadly result in and of itself.

Still, this isn’t the group's first rodeo. While the shrieks are certainly annoying, it doesn’t prevent them from readying themselves. Which in turn gives the myconids a chance to get ready as well.

Oh, and Jeremy kills the shrieker. Right away, the moment it starts shrieking. Almost a shame as the sudden silence tells the monsters more than if it was left to shriek or was killed after a moment as if the party had backed off.

Not that this first group of monsters was too big of a threat. While hundreds of sprouts covered a good bit of ground, there were only three bigger myconids herding them towards the group, not even one of the guards was present. Still, having to face them all at once certainly wasn’t a fun time.

Bill and Tess stood in front, with Tess doing most of the work in keeping the sprouts away. Her spear sweeping out in broad strokes, cutting down many of the monsters. Behind her, Bill stood guard to take care of any that leaked through her defense.

For the first few moments of battle, the two did a decent job. In the end though, hundreds of sprouts was just too many for them to effectively contain when the terrain wasn’t in their favor. Good thing the others weren’t just standing around.

Jeremy wasn’t anywhere to be seen, which honestly meant he was doing his job pretty well. Jim had already taken out one of the lesser myconids with his bow. Not that the lesser was his target, but rather the lesser did a good job at defending the regular myconid.

Though without the lesser there to guard it, another arrow soon finds its way down field and into said myconid. Too bad for Jim that there aren’t exactly too many vital points on a mushroom and the myconid had twice the constitution of the lesser so it easily survived the blow. As for why the other lesser wasn’t there to defend?

Well, that was Jeremy doing his job. Then all the sprouts to the left of Tess fall over as Kellinger lays down a grease spell. This is soon followed up by a bit of fire from Kelly, roasting nearly a hundred of the sprouts.

Not that the center and right side get off easy either. Down the middle, Bill and Tess reap a path of destruction. No longer needing to hold them back, the two show their offensive capabilities in spades.

The right side fairs a little better, though only because Jeremy is more of a single target type of guy. Still, with his impressive speed he is able to shred through the shin height sprouts. As for Jim? Well, the myconid in the back wasn’t going to fill itself with arrows.

So to no surprise, the fight is soon over and most of the group is cleaning up the drops. Jeremy and Kelly however have gone to explore the much more lived-in collection of huts. Not only that, but there are many things to harvest if one was of the mind to.

It hadn’t been intended, but the farms didn’t exactly vanish once the myconids were beat. Even if you didn’t want to bother with harvesting the grown mushrooms, the myconids had some stockpiled supplies. So whether it was the wood substitute or the dried mushrooms for food, a person would have more than enough supplies.

In fact, compared to another piece of masterwork equipment, Jeremy is much more excited about the food. In particular, while he would have to test them, the frilly mushrooms drew his attention. See, not all mushrooms have a lot of vitamin C, but one type that he does know of is the maitake, otherwise known as the hen of the woods.

At the moment the town doesn’t have too many palatable sources of C that keep. So while everyone else is able to get by on leafy greens and such, Jeremy needed a lightweight source that would keep during travel. Sure, he could easily forage off the land, but the people he is training to help keep an eye on stuff aren’t exactly brought up like he was.

Then here he was, on the tenth floor only to find the solution to his problem. And not just the start of a solution either. The dried mushrooms are already perfect trail rations you can throw in boiling water with some jerky.