Libriohexer ~ 6!

Chapter Six

The sun was hanging high overhead and sweat was streaking down Sam’s face when they finally pushed through a swatch of bushy ferns and hanging moss. The trek through the Forest of Chlorophyll Chaos had been exactly as difficult as Sam had envisioned. The second they crossed over some mystic barrier, they disappeared in the span of an eyeblink, their whole party materializing deep in a boggy section of forest with sucking mud pits, a tangle of creeping vines, and swarms of biting mosquitoes.

Had Sam been alone, it almost certainly would’ve been the death of him. His family had taken camping trips nearly every summer, but his family’s version of camping was decidedly different from the typical tent camping most people did. Usually, they stayed in plush cabin retreats with all the amenities anyone could ever ask for. ‘roughing it’ usually meant a trip out in their state-of-the-art RV, complete with air conditioning, composting toilet, and a stand-up shower. Sam would never be accused of being the woodsy sort; what he knew about wilderness survival could fill most of a thimble with room to spare.

But, between Arrow’s Navigate ability and Velkan’s Bushcraft skill, they quickly found dry ground and managed to get oriented with a little help from the rising sun. Although they got randomly dropped in the middle of the forest, the relative location of places within the forest remained constant. Since they had a rough idea of the Dungeon’s location - thanks to the Compendium - Arrow was able to scamper up a tree, find a prominent landmark, then shoot an azimuth that took them more or less in the direction they needed to go. From there, Velkan’s keen senses kept them from blundering headfirst in pitfalls or hostile monster burrows.

They’d still had to battle through their collective body weight in bunnies, feral foxes, and onyx caiman, earning Sam a solid five hundred and thirty points of experience even before they reached their destination. Thankfully, they were finally here. On the other side of the foliage was a clearing; sixty feet wide and ringed by gnarled oaks and looming ash trees. The leafy canopy blocked out much of the oppressive heat, but errant sunbeams streaked through the leaves, illuminating the structure protruding from the undergrowth like a cancerous growth.

Those sunbeams reflected off the golden minarets poking up from the Dwarven dungeon fortress. Arrow whistled softly through his teeth, hands planted on his hips, eyes squinted as he took in the building’s façade. Kai let his own awe linger in his voice. “You can say that again. This place is totally epic, dude.”

Sam had to agree. He wasn’t sure exactly what he’d been expecting, maybe a cavern system or the shabby remains of some ancient temple? It certainly wasn’t the artfully carved building of stone and bronze before him. A set of immaculate gray steps lead up to a pair of bronzed double doors covered in intricate patterns, pitted cogs, and long silent gears. The building itself was crafted from slabs of gray stone inset with ornate bronze panels, depicting an elaborate series of geometric designs, all interlocking in ways that seemed impossible at first glance. Flanking the doors were a pair of grim-faced bronzed figures, squat and outrageously broad, holding out their hands, palms open and cupped together.

“Sacred Geometry,” Bill cut through the quiet reflection and heavy breathing, “I never spent any time with the Dwarves. They moved on before my day, but I was buddies with a Dwarven historian, Smelly Pete. His odor had absolutely nothing to do with his work. Great scholar, just terrible hygiene.”

Bill paused to collect his thoughts. “Might’ve actually been some sort of skin condition, now that I think about it. Anywho, Smelly Pete and I were thick as thieves during my tenure with the College, and he was always nattering on about Dwarves and their Sacred Geometry. Kinda makes sense for a bunch of guys that were obsessed with gears and cogs to be big into shapes.”

“I don’t like this,” Velkan took a few tentative steps forward, then dropped into a low crouch, his clawed fingers tracing over the ground. “Observe. There are no signs of prey here. No tracks. There is no scent of game lingering in the air. Surely these ruins have been here since before the humans rose to power, yet no creature has made this into a lair.”

“Yeah.” Bill gave the Wolfman an exaggerated eye roll. “Of course they didn’t, because no one in their right mind would want to go in there. Dwarves were dangerous and their stuff was even more so. People and animals alike left this place alone because they weren’t stupid and didn’t want to die horribly. According to our handy-dandy Compendium, the Irondown Burrows are infested with mechanical Dwarven nightmare fuel. No one in their right mind would go in there.”

“What does that say about us?” Sam quipped, his joke going over like a lead balloon.

“It says that beggars can’t be choosers, and desperate people make desperate choices,” Dizzy replied with a clenched jaw, her face set like the hard panels of bronze covering the ruins. “Now come on. No sense cooling our feet out here. Let’s see just how bad this place really is.”

Tentatively, they made their way up the steps, the sound of their footfalls unnaturally loud in the hush of the clearing. Sam mentally prepared himself for the bronze figurines flanking the doors to leap to life and clobber them where they stood, but they remained statue-still. Their metal eyes were vacant, their palms still stretched out in supplication. Dizzy nudged Arrow in the ribs with her elbow, spurring him into motion.

“Yeah, yeah,” he grunted, examining the doors. He was a Ranger, not a Rogue, Lockpick, or proper Thief, but with Sphinx gone he was the best they had. Using Trap Sense, he looked for any malicious mechanisms but found nothing. Unfortunately, he also didn’t find a way to open the doors. There was no handle, no lock to pick, no secret lever or hidden switch that jumped out. Not exactly the most auspicious start to their raid.

Once it was clear that the doors couldn’t be bludgeoned open, Dizzy had them break into pairs and circle the building, looking for some alternate way in. That, or maybe some way to trigger the doors. Sam and Bill took a lap with Kai in tow - making sure they had a little muscle in case anything nasty jumped out - but found a whole lot of nothing. The exterior portion of the ruins, though impressive in design, was actually fairly small in scope. But that matched up with the info they’d read about this place. According to the Compendium, most of the compound was below ground, nestled in a twisted series of tunnels and rooms. Toward the rear of the building, they did find a sealed stone door.

The door was flush with the ruin’s exterior, however, and looked like it could only be opened from the inside. Probably an exit from the primary Boss Room.

When the trio finally got back around to the front, Velkan had turned up a lead. He began tracing a nail along a line of script hidden within the palms of one of the guardians, “There is something inscribed within the palms of these figures. It reads ‘Give the Smith his due.’”

“Can’t believe I forgot that,” Bill chuckled ruefully, “of course there’s an entry price. The Dwarves are big into barter and reputation. There’s always a price with them. Hmm. Give the Smith his due. Hey, Legs. Grab out some loose pocket change. Any coin should do it, but silver or gold is probably best.”

Sam frowned but complied, pulling out a pair of silver marks from the coin pouch at his belt then tossing them into the open hands. The second the metal *clinked* against the bronze hands the figure’s eyes erupted with electric blue light.

“Yep. Just like I thought. Go ahead and toss a Fire Shuriken into the other one,” Bill instructed, sounding rather smug and self-satisfied. Sam hated that he was right so often; sure it was great to have someone with his level of experience, but abyss below could he be insufferable.

Sam quickly summoned his red leather tome, plucked out a page, and tossed it into the other statue’s expectant hands. The scroll ignited on impact, a ball of yellow orange flame jutting up. The second figures eyes burst to life with ghostly blue light and an audible *click* floated through the air as the gears and cogs decorating the doors spun and whirled to life. Once the frantic motion stopped, Arrow pushed on the doors and they swung inward on silent, well-oiled hinges; revealing a circular entry room light by wall mounted crystals that shed watery blue light. It was the closest thing Sam had seen to electricity since coming to the game.

A moment later a popup appeared in front of Sam. From a casual look around, he realized the rest of the party had received the same notice.

Quest alert! A Den to Call your Own II. Hey, will you look at that! Your party has just accessed the Irondown Burrows, a lost dungeon located in the dark heart of the Forest of Chlorophyll Chaos. As a Wolfman-aligned Guild without a dedicated headquarters, you can lay claim to this abandoned dungeon… including its resources and any minions within. Assuming that you can subdue it. Would the Wolf Pack like to lay claim to the Ironbown Burrows and attempt to convert it into a Guild Den? Note: This action must be approved by majority vote of the Wolf Pack Guild Officers! Accept / Decline

Sam didn’t even have to think about it. This is what they’d come for and they would never get a better chance to carve out a place of their own. The screen disappeared, only for another to appear.

Okay, I know everyone accepted, but seriously, are you sure you want to lay claim to the Irondown Burrows? Once you officially lay claim to a dungeon you cannot lay claim to another dungeon location until this one is subdued. There are consequences to choices! So, let me ask again, would the Wolf Pack like to lay claim to the Ironbown Burrows and attempt to convert it into a Guild Den? Note: This item needs to be approved by majority vote of the Wolf Pack Guild Officers! Accept / Decline

Sam accepted once again then read over the new prompt that appeared.

Congratulations, members of the Wolf Pack. You have just laid a claim to the Irondown Burrows of the Forest of Chlorophyll Chaos. You can now begin the reclamation process! Claiming a dungeon is no easy task, nor is it a quick one. Located throughout the dungeon are key Junctions that need to be captured. Some may even need to be refurbished to working order. Once a Junction is captured, you can access and even use that part of the dungeon… though be warned, Junctions are often ferociously guarded against interlopers by powerful Keepers.

In order to reclaim the dungeon and transform it into a Guild Den, you’ll need to capture all of the Junctions.

Good luck! I have a sneaking suspicion you’re going to need it.

Irondown Burrow Junctions Capture: 0 / 8

Dizzy was staring blankly at the air in front of her, clearly still reading the game notice. After a beat, she blinked the message away and licked her lips. “Well, I guess we’re in it now. I hope we made the right choice.”

“We can’t second guess ourselves,” Kai dropped a friendly hand on her shoulder. “If my life has taught me anything, it’s that our choices are cumulative. Just look at us: none of us would be where we are if we played things safe or followed the well-trodden path, but there’s like no place I’d rather be than right here with you guys.”

“You’re only saying that because you aren’t the one looking for traps,” Arrow muttered morosely.

“Don’t worry, bro,” the monk trumpeted, “I’ll be right beside you to pull your bacon out of the fire. We got this.”

Sam wasn’t quite as confident, but he appreciated Kai’s positive outlook.

“Hippies and their flippant…” Arrow drew a curved bow from his back, checking the quiver at his side. The leather sheath was chock full of black-feathered arrows. Sam summoned his tomes and cast Papier Mache armor in a swirl of pages while the rest of the party stacked up, getting into position. Arrow and Kai were in the very front, with Dizzy close behind. Sam and Bill lined up behind her, tucked away from the bulk of the action, while Velkan took up a position just to Sam’s left.

The doors let out into a circular chamber that looked like a steampunk wonderland plucked from a different age. The floor was polished stone, immaculate, which Sam found strange, but the walls themselves were covered with brass and iron as often as rock. Overhead was an enormous chandelier that displayed a series of metal orbs rotating around one another in intricate patterns that reminded Sam of a model of the solar system. Planets and moons, orbiting the sun in a never-ending cosmic dance.

<Yeah, that’s not at all a model of any solar system,> Bill sent, reading Sam’s thoughts. <That’s a model for core cultivation. Like I said before, those Dwarves are super into body cultivation. They are all about them gains, and their sacred geometry plays into that. A lot. That and following the ‘whey’. Not the ‘dao’, the ‘whey’. I get the strange feeling that you’re gonna like Elven society more than Dwarven if you ever get a chance to interact.>

The entry room connected to a set of wide stone stairs that cut deeper into the earth. Arrow moved slowly, cautiously, examining each step before gingerly placing a foot with a grimace and a wince; for good reason. On the fourth step down a stone shifted and a flashing buzzsaw as big as a truck tire erupted from the floor screaming to life, teeth blade flashing. Thanks to his high Dexterity, Arrow narrowly danced out of the way of the blade just before it extended from the floor. Had he been half a second slower, he would’ve lost a foot in the best-case scenario. “Uh. Trap here. Maybe give that one a wide berth.”

“Gee, thanks for the warning,” Dizzy taunted, getting a rude hand gesture in reply. The stairs eventually dumped them into a long hallway, studded by metal pillars and surprisingly high arched ceilings. The pillars were inscribed with more sacred geometry and had cloudy glass orbs protruding like bulbous eyes. They flickered with the same artificial blue light Sam had seen above.

This place hadn’t been occupied in hundreds of years, so it must’ve been some sort of magically-generated power. Cogs, gears, and churning pistons dotted the walls. Those, in turn, connected to a series of gleaming brass pipes running up the walls and along the ceiling, where it wouldn’t obstruct foot traffic.

The pipes groaned and rattled overhead, hissing out an occasional burst of steam from pressure release valves. Each section of flooring was as immaculately clean as the entry room had been; no sign of dust or wear at all. The pipes seemed brand new, and meticulously maintained.

More red flags raised in Sam’s head.

They padded forward on silent feet, winding through a short series of passageways that concealed a bevy of deadly surprises: a false floor with a spike-studded pit, hair-trigger pressure plates that would’ve released a barrage of poison-tipped darts, and another of the buzz saw traps connected to a tripwire. Thankfully, after their narrow escape the first time around, Arrow had figured out what to look for, and they managed to avoid the deadly pitfalls without suffering any of the horrific side effects.

Eventually, the twisting hallway led to a small room with two branches jutting off, one cutting hard left, another continuing straight as an arrow. Dizzy gave a set of orders in a low whisper, “Kai, post up straight ahead, Velkan, guard the left-hand tunnel. Arrow, I want you scanning for traps. I know we haven’t seen any unfriendlies yet, but we need to stay sharp.”

She paused and searched the darkness up ahead. “They’re out there somewhere. I can feel them. Sam, mind if we take a look at the compendium? We need to decide where to go from here.”

“On it,” he replied, pulling the thick tome out from his Flask while the others spread out, following Dizzy’s order.

The book itself was a monstrous thing of red leather, with gilt gold edges and delicate lettering on the spine. He balanced the thick volume on one hand and quickly rifled through the pages until he found the section detailing the Irondown Burrows. On the first page was a brief description of the dungeon itself, while the opposite page contained a crudely drawn map of the dungeon. The lines were smudged in places and the map looked far from precise - almost as though it had been drawn while on the run - but it gave them a rough layout to go by.

“Not sure what you’re waiting for, but I can’t read any of the information in the book, so give me a rundown.” Dizzy exasperatedly demanded after a few moments of silence.

Sam traced a finger along the path they had followed so far, through the main foyer, down the stairs into the entry hall, then along the snaking pathway to the first main fork. As a stream of consciousness, he explained that they had two options. If they headed left it would bring them to their first major Junction, marked Barracks. Going straight would usher them deeper into the heart of the Irondowns and toward a pair of Junctions, one marked Library the other labelled Control Room.

The fact that this place had a Library at all made Sam salivate in anticipation. He couldn’t help but wonder what secret knowledge was tucked away in a place like this. Abyss, even if the books were useless, having extra paper would be a steal all on its own.

“Well,” Dizzy murmured as she tapped at her chin, “we need to try to capture one of these junctions, but the question is… which one?”

“Hold on one sec,” Sam flipped through the pages until he found a reference section that detailed the various rooms contained within the dungeon. “Look at this.”

He tapped a finger on the page. “There are eight rooms, each with a Keeper. Now, this book doesn’t specifically list out the Junction points, but the quest prompt told us there are eight of them. Eight Junctions, eight rooms. I’m guessing that isn’t a coincidence; that these are the points we need to capture in order to convert the dungeon. Barracks, Library, Control Room, Kitchen, Alchemy Lab, Training Hall, Flame Forge Armory, and Husbandry Pen.”

“Airtight logic,” Bill announced brightly. “Unfortunately, whoever wrote this thing wasn’t thoughtful enough to mention what kind of threats we’d be facing, but he did leave a few notes in the margins about each room.”

Husbandry Pen – the foulest of fowl, very protective, but not terribly dangerous. Still, proceed with some caution.

Flame Forge Armory – The master of the Irondowns dwells within. Avoid this room at all costs!

“Okay.” Dizzy considered the options seriously. “The question is, do we try for the most practical room, or the easiest? Also, for the last time, stop showing me the book. I only see gibberish, and it bothers me that this world can make it impossible to read stuff!”

“The most practical would have to be the Library,” Sam voiced instantly, trying and failing to keep the greed from his voice.

“For you and Bill, maybe,” Dizzy replied with an eye roll, “but for the rest of us it would have to be either the training hall or the armory. Think about all the gear this place probably has. Besides, just look at the description. ‘Library–a cunning creature of paper and steel haunts the stacks. Step quietly, or perish’. That doesn’t exactly sound like an easy fight. To be fair, neither do the training hall or the armory.”

“This is just my two coppers,” Bill broke up the debate, “but I’m thinking we should just work our way up from the bottom. Start with the easiest Keeper and grind our way to the top. That way we can gauge exactly how tough these things are, and it’ll allow us to collectively level up as we move on to the more difficult challenges. If I’m reading this book right - which I am, because if there’s one thing I know, it's books - then the easiest Junction is the Barracks, which is only a stone’s throw from our current location. ‘Long abandoned by the Dwarves who called the Irondown home, only a lowly House Keeper remains, sweeping floors and folding linens that will never be used’.”

“Sounds almost like a maintenance automation,” Dizzy nodded slowly. “Which makes sense. This place has been abandoned for what? A hundred years? Two hundred? It's still meticulously clean and well maintained, that doesn’t happen by accident.”

“Plus, the quest prompt did say that once we capture a Junction we can use it, even without capturing the rest of the dungeon.” Sam shrugged off the fact that he’d need to wait for the library, “As of this morning, we’re homeless. Capturing the barracks would give us a safe place to sleep.”

“It’s not as glamorous as storming the armory,” Dizzy grumbled almost too softly to hear, “but I suppose in terms of practicality this is the best choice. If the Keeper there really is a pushover, we can always try our luck with another room.”

“Sounds like we have a plan,” Sam replied, stashing the dungeon compendium. “Let’s go check out the barracks, shall we?”