Forge of Eternity: Alpha Testing, page 50
As I spoke, the dwarf’s face shifted from calm, to concerned, to confused, ending somewhere between all three. He reached out, pointing at my faction ring. I shrugged and gave him my hand. Efficiently, he set out a small inkpot, a quill, and some pieces of parchment similar to the one our contracts were written on. The quill began to move across the page, the dwarf reading the incomprehensible output as it was written. Suddenly the quill, inkpot, and parchment burst into motes of orange light and drifted away.
“That’s a new one,” Edralin said with an amused snort.
“Even an echo of the power below was too much for standard materials,” Coal shook his head, wiping ink from his face. “We need to get down there.”
“You’ve got that right,” Tack called out as he sprinted toward us from the direction of the switchbacks. “The next wave started moving, and they aren’t just a bunch of street urchins with magic tricks following a few competent leaders. Ferventus sent real support.”
Tack wasn’t out of breath, despite his sprint, and calmly slowed to a stop as he reached us. He glanced over his shoulder, the calm expression wavering for a moment before returning.
“Real support as in a mercenary group able to challenge Lindy’s Losers,” Edralin asked, earning a glare from the foreman and raising his hands. “Lindy’s Lot.”
“Yeah,” Tack nodded, ignoring the elf’s jab. “I’m pretty sure we’d have trouble handling a lesser god even if we were at full strength. Without fixed defenses, well…”
“A lesser god?” Quickhand asked, stealing a glance back toward the switchbacks. “How long do we have?”
“Quarter-hour at most before they reach the base of the path,” Tack shrugged, “they don’t seem to be in a hurry.”
The halfling leader issued a sharp whistle, causing every head to snap her direction. “Everyone, finish what you’re doing and head into the mine. Anyone not inside in the next ten minutes is going to have to dig through a mile of stone.”
“What should we do?” I asked as a stream of small bodies began forming up around the entrance and filing inside.
“Show them the way to the dungeon,” she pointed at Lorekeeper Coal, “and take him with you. We need that shrine upgraded if we don’t want to starve to death down there.”
The pale dwarf opened his mouth to protest but shut it again as the halfling narrowed her eyes. He gave a small nod instead.
“Do we need to worry about being followed once we’re inside? Like, can the god magic their way through the rocks, or whatever?” I asked, unsure how much of a barrier a little rubble at the entrance would be. I thought back to how trivially we bored through to the cavern after the cave-in.
“Did you not hear me when I said a mile of stone?” Quickhand asked with a smirk, placing the cigarette holder in her lips for a long pull before continuing. “We collapse the entrance in ten minutes, and when we get to the junction, we’ll collapse the rest of the shaft.”
Amalie - Leading
Gavin and I led the way, covered in a generous coat of glow dust, with Lorekeeper Coal keeping pace. The military nature of the miners was apparent by the orderly way they filed in behind us. There was a low din of conversation from the group, the occasional pocket of good-natured laughter, but it didn’t hinder anyone’s efficiency as they moved with purpose. I had to wonder what these NPCs had seen that prepared them for the battle outside that destroyed their encampment and the current pursuit by a literal god.
Reaching the junction, I hopped into the control seat of the lead mining cart and gestured for Coal to get in. He paused, then looked at the cart nervously.
“Are you certain this is safe?” he asked, scratching at his beard. “It does not look like that contraption is made for riders.”
“We don’t exactly have a surplus of time,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Don’t be a baby, Deacon fit in it fine earlier.”
The dwarf continued scratching at his beard, then pulled a small flask from his hip and took a swig before heaving himself into the cart. I didn’t give him a chance to rethink his decision, taking off at full speed as soon as he was settled. He shifted heavily with a grunt and I could hear the sounds of minecarts clattering behind us. A muffled boom in the distance made me worry about a possible collapse until I checked the time. A little more than ten minutes since we left the surface.
“Sounds like Lindy made it in,” Coal said, his deep basso rumble easily piercing the whipping wind and grinding metal. “I think we can slow down now.”
I laughed, a bit maniacally, and pressed the acceleration rune harder. We were already at top speed, so it didn’t do anything. I let go a second before pressing the rune again to get a little bump of perceived acceleration. My laughing died down to light giggles as we stopped, just outside the small tunnel to the cavern. The Lorekeeper glared and hoped out with more grace than I’d have expected out of a dwarf if I hadn’t seen him in a fight.
“It’s just at the end of that tunnel” I pointed, seeing a look of disgust on Coal’s face.
“What sort of thumb-fingered, dirt-brained fool dug such a terrible tunnel?” he asked, the accusation in his voice making it clear that this offended him on a visceral level. “No respect for the stone, clearly done in haste. I weep to think of the gems and ore wasted here.”
“Obviously it wasn’t made with mining in mind,” I shrugged, leading the way as Gavin’s cart arrived. He managed to pack about a half-dozen halflings with him, all unloading in a hurry.
“Obviously not,” Coal spat, both figuratively and literally. “This better not collapse on me.”
He reluctantly began following, only ducking his head and shoulders the slightest bit to avoid scraping against the top of the tunnel. The dwarf’s shoulders nearly touched the sides of the tunnel walls, but he looked perfectly comfortable in the enclosed space. We continued in silence, the sounds of additional bodies echoing through the tunnel behind us.
Lorekeeper Coal let out a low whistle as we emerged into the cavern, walking straight up to one of the marble trees in awe. I cleared my throat and pointed down to the stone tulips he’d crushed underfoot. He picked up one of the mostly-intact flowers and marveled at it for a moment, placing it gently in a hardened leather tube at his belt.
“Plenty more down below,” I said, leading the way toward the stairs at the far end of the cavern to the pit below. Gavin and the leading edge of the halfling mercenaries trickled out of the tunnel, forming up into small squads as they were no longer forced to walk single file. I wondered, not for the first time, what led this group to take up mining when they were so clearly practiced and disciplined as warriors.
“I know we don’t have the time for detours,” Lorekeeper Coal said as we took to the stairs, the complex mural in plain view across the chasm. “But permit me just a moment, if you don’t mind. Should none of this survive the next few hours I would not forgive myself if I didn’t at least try to preserve some memory of this place.”
I checked the quest timer and nodded to the dwarf. “Everything could go up any minute now, but I can use this time to brief the miners, or, uh… what was the name of their mercenary group?”
“Officially, they were the Firehanded, but most of us just called them Lindy’s Lot,” he said, taking a ring from a stubby finger and affixing it to the top of his scroll tube. Small telescoping metal legs propped the tube up at an angle as Coal aimed it toward the giant magical engraving. With an effort of will, I pulled my eyes away from the fascinating work and turned my attention to the mass of halflings forming up behind us.
“Hi everybody,” I started, hearing the din of conversation die off completely. “Below is the Marble Forest, a screening area for anyone looking to enter the dungeon beyond. Apparently, this place was a big deal in the past, being some sort of test to get into the Forge itself. Gavin and I have been through it before, but none of you have, so I don’t know if our protection will extend past us.
“I’m going to assume the Marble Forest is going to be hostile to you all. The path is trapped and the creatures in the trees aren’t the friendliest. It’s not really that difficult to get through if you’re paying attention though, we only had to contend with the traps. Then again, I don’t know exactly how the scaling works, but the dangers increase to match the power of those who challenge it. We found sending a scout and marking the safe spots to step works best. Then again, I think it should be trivial for the Firehanded to find their own solution. Any questions?”
Koh stepped forward, dragging a net full of scrap metal. “First, can you tell me whether Lex is safe? Then, can you describe the traps we’ll be facing?”
“As far as I know, Lex is safe. She was the only one who could have fixed the self-repair for the dungeon,” I said, trying to sound confident to reassure him. “Traps, however, I am able to talk about in a bit more detail.”
I gave a basic rundown of the traps on the path along with a warning about Zeek and his truth effect. By the time I finished, Foreman Quickhand and the last of the halfling mercenaries joined up with us. As she made her way to the front her kukri began glowing like a torch. The others stood a little straighter as they noticed. She turned to the group and gave a salute of sorts, sword-hand pressed into her armor above her heart. As one, the assembled mercenaries returned the salute.
“Thank you, Amalie,” Quickhand said, turning away from her troops. “I think we’ll be able to manage a few traps and some uppity statues. Coal, you done playing with your toys? Stow your gear anyway. Everyone, you know the drill, let’s go.”
The dwarf snorted and popped the ring back onto his finger, clipping the scroll tube back on his side. He looked around, gave a wave to Edralin as he caught sight of the elf, and started down the stairs without a word. The elf and halfling leader followed just behind them, and Gavin and I jogged to overtake them.
“When we reach the path, Gavin and I will take the lead,” I said, calling over my shoulder as we reached the bottom and moved toward the forest. “Give us about a fifteen-foot lead so we don’t get hit with any traps you set off. You know, just in case.”
“Fair enough,” the dwarf said, slowing. Quickhand and Edralin slowed as well a couple of paces behind him. “Don’t slow down on our account.”
I nodded, then began jogging down the previously-trapped path, just slow enough to avoid draining my stamina. Neither Gavin nor I set off any traps, the road just a simple cobblestone walking path for us. The moment Coal set foot on the path, each of the bushes alongside him burst into stone shrapnel, obscuring him in a cloud of dust and smoke. When the dust settled, the Lorekeeper lay on the ground under a layer of rocks and dust.
Gavin turned to send off a healing spell, only for the dwarf to stand up and brush the dust out of his beard. I tried to inspect him, finding his level was still obscured and I couldn’t get a numeric reading on his health. What I could see, however, was that his health bar was missing only the tiniest sliver.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” he said, shooing us forward. “Nasty trick, but I’ve seen worse.”
As he spoke, a screeching howl from above heralded the arrival of a new threat. With a clattering of stone leaves, the branches overhead parted as a halfling-sized stone monkey dropped toward the dwarf. Edralin fired off two arrows, each digging chunks into the monkey-beast and knocking it off target. It fell on its side in front of Lorekeeper Coal and his ax blade sliced it in half. Three more darted in from the side with howls of their own.
“You sure you guys can handle this?” I asked, seeing one of the beasts latch onto Coal’s forearm.
“It may take us a little longer to cut our way through,” Quickhand said, setting off a vine trap as she moved to aid Coal, ensnaring her sword-arm and one ankle. “Ah, shit. Okay, maybe a lot longer if it’s going to be this bad the whole way.”
“Yeah, this isn’t going to work,” biting my lip as I thought, an idea forming. “Keep trying to fight through though, Gavin and I are going to go talk to a cat about an exemption here.”
Deacon - Fortunate
“Lenny, what the hell is happening?” I asked, pulling his mana crystal from my inventory. “Why is this room covered in squirrel-sized spiders?”
“Oh thank the gods I’m free. Can you not put me in that terrible void again?” he asked, a pleading whine in his tone. “I have no idea how long I was in there, there was literally no sensory input in that hell.”
“Here’s some sensory input,” I shook the orb, then thrust it out in front of me, “explain what you’re seeing for me, because I’m having a tough time with it.”
The dead Argus laughed from his orb. “You must be joking. Put away your weapons. These are simple repair constructs, less mana intensive for larger-scale repair work. Ignore them and they will let you pass.”
My gut feeling about the scene in front of me was unaffected by this revelation. The mirror puzzle room’s walls were crawling with unnaturally large metallic spiders. As I watched, they etched designs into the stone walls or applied new coats of paint over top of freshly chiseled art. Small plumes of flame erupted here and there from the strange constructs, which was my initial cause for concern. I could see now that they were simply drying the fresh paint.
I stepped inside the room, expecting the constructs to swarm in my direction. The few in my path simply stepped aside and continued about their business when I passed. After making it a few steps into the room without incident, I motioned for everyone to join me. Lex hovered back a moment, waiting for someone else to go before her. Not the worst move, it was nice having an escort-quest type NPC show some interest in self-preservation.
“They don’t really have much combat utility,” Lenny said, and I passed the orb back to Lex, freeing my hands just in case.
“That doesn’t mean they’re harmless,” Uri countered, pointing at baseball-sized gouts of flame. “That looks painful, and quantity has a quality of its own, as they say.”
I grunted in agreement, opening the door back to the Hall of Challenge with slow, cautious attention. The room beyond hummed with energy I could feel at an instinctual level, the floor glowing the color of sunlight through honey. The brand on my neck pulsed with a pleasant heat as I entered the hall. Thankfully, this room was devoid of spider constructions and I got my first glimpse of the glory this dungeon likely held in its prime.
Unlike before, each of the archways in the hall held a door instead of blank stone. The engraving and writing on the walls glowed gently as if backlit by smoldering fire. If the self-repair was that effective in such a short time, we may actually stand a chance.
Lex paused abruptly at the threshold from the mirror puzzle room, blinking rapidly as she looked around with tools jangling from her clothing. Goodwin gently urged her forward, his eyes scanning the room. Uri let out a low whistle, leaning in to get a closer look at one of the wall murals.
“That’s not possible,” Lenny said as if still processing what he was seeing. “There’s no way the self-repair could have done so much in such a short time.”
The mention of time brought me back to the current urgency around bringing everyone down here. As much as I’d love to wander around sightseeing in the dungeon, we had places to be. The wooden door in the direction of the entrance stood half-open, revealing a room full of spider constructs surging about.
“Lenny, do you need to do anything to disarm this room,” I asked, tapping on the door.
“With the repair running, the traps and monsters will be disarmed until the entrance is opened,” Lenny said, still sounding distracted. “You all were in here when the repair was initialized, you’ll be safe from threats until you leave and return. If the dungeon builds up enough mana it may seal the entrance, but that will take at least a couple days.”
With that, I set a grueling pace for the entrance. We made it to the first hall before Lex and Phelyya both started lagging behind, each clearly out of breath. Taking just enough time to let them recover, I watched the spider constructs go about their work. Small sections of the walls showed the same polished finish I’d seen in the hall, and the centuries of decay and abuse were being systematically peeled away. When everyone’s stamina finished recovering, I told Uri to set our pace when we leave. We needed to go as fast as we could without running anyone out of stamina.
The artificer tinkered with the entrance panel once we were ready to go, and the door slid away smoothly. Within a few steps, the faint sounds of animal noises and explosions could be heard in the distance. I hoped it was the foreman and her halflings fighting through the forest, and not some unbeatable overpowered death squad of players slaughtering their way to our position. Picking up a little speed, we rushed through the forest into the clearing with the fountain. Seeing movement, I readied my hammer and shield before I could process what I was looking at and a new sensation in my awareness.
“Amalie?” I asked, dropping to a relaxed stance, but keeping my weapon drawn. “Why are you running?”
“Need Zeek to call off his monsters,” she panted, coming to a stop. “Is he here?”
“Yes, I am,” the tiny cat-man said, startling me until I found him perched on a branch behind me. “I am also curious. Why you think I will grant safe passage to that massive band of warriors following you?”
I glared up at the frustratingly calm face, its cat body draped lengthwise over a branch like a bearskin rug. Tightening the grip on my hammer, I briefly considered throwing the weapon at him.
“Because your forest, and most of this mountain, may be destroyed at literally any moment,” Amalie said before I could fully dismiss the idea of fighting the sphinx. “Let them through now, and if this forest is still here tomorrow we can talk about having you test them with it.”
“If I forsake my duties and allow any to enter unopposed, it is possible those with impure intentions may try to profane the dungeon or the Forge itself,” Zeek replied, pausing to stretch and sit upright. “The potential death of your companions or the destruction of this trial area are not sufficient reasons to forsake my duties.”
