The Dungeons Call

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The Dungeons Call [OOC]

@illirica @Shelzi Here's our discussion thread for the sake of not throwing info all around!

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The world of Atalaya, a land where the surface beauty of towering mountains and vast plains hides the true wonders and dangers beneath. Populated by brave adventurers, and creatures unimaginable.

In this realm of contrasts, the peaks reach skyward, piercing the clouds, while the plains stretch out endlessly, dotted with rivers and dense forests teeming with wildlife. But for the people of Atalaya, it is not the natural beauty that captivates them, but rather the ancient, mysterious dungeons that lie hidden below.


Scattered throughout the land, these dungeons are filled with unknown magic and strange creatures. They lurk beneath mountains, spread out under the plains, and occasionally emerge above ground in forgotten ruins. The recent discovery of a new network of dungeons has ignited a frenzy among adventurers. Rumors of hidden treasures, powerful artifacts, and lost knowledge echo through the halls of the guilds, drawing both seasoned explorers and eager novices to gear up for the challenges ahead.


However, not all is as it seems. The newest dungeon, whispered to be the creation of an evil demon king or a sinister wizard, has become the epicenter of a dark plot. This dungeon, with its perilous traps, monstrous creatures, and dark magic, is said to lure the unsuspecting, growing larger and more dangerous as it connects with other dungeons underground. The scholars call this phenomenon the Plague of Madness, a dark force that twists the dungeon's very fabric and drives monsters into a frenzied state.

The dungeon entrances yawn before its explorers, a dark void in the earth. Those who dare step inside, feel as the air grows colder, and the light of the outside world fades. The magic within their walls is palpable, a living force that shifts and changes the very structure of the dungeon.



The Guildmasters, retired adventurers with tales of glory and caution, have sent you on this quest. Your goal is clear: delve into the depths, uncover the secrets hidden below, and return with knowledge, riches, and the hope to thwart the growing darkness. The walls of the guild are lined with maps of known dungeons, missing adventurer notices, and calls for help, reminding you of the dangers that lie ahead.


Each adventurer carries the hopes of their guild and the weight of their own ambitions. The path ahead is fraught with danger, but also with the promise of untold riches and powerful artifacts. The dungeons of Atalaya are alive with secrets, waiting for those brave enough to uncover them.


It all starts in the city Molomar; the cold air tinged with the scent of must and magic. Your fates now will intertwine, and your companions brought by destiny await.

-

As you approached, the guild, you likely saw that there were two people at the entrance of the Guild, a large man with his hair tied back into a long ponytail, carrying heavy armor and a large blade strapped to his waist, although one could be intimidated by him, it was obvious he was just a guard with no experience, only wearing the spoils of looting.

The other one was a female Myconid, small and waving her fist in anger as she seemed to be scolding the man.


"SON OF A TOAD- I have told you for the eleventh time, I am sentinet, are you deaf? I can articulate and form sentences, I ain't no cave goblin or some sort of plant person for you to treat me like this, now, step aside! I got matters to solve with Guildmaster Amaudest! I saw the papers scattered across the forest announcing the next entry to the new veins of the dungeon. I will not let a rookie like you stop me from my mission!"

The short Myconid clenched her jaw tightly as the man standing at the entrance waved his hand dismissively and laughed.


He spoke in a mocking tone rolling his eyes an generally being a pain, only managing to anger her further.


"Yeah yeah, I heard you loud and clear, you know how to speak, I already heard you blabber on and on about it. However, it still stands, no inhumans allowed, now move along- Unless you want trouble, I'd reccomend leaving, mushroom girl."


Her eyes widened for a moment, the grip on her staff tightening as she couldn't believe how rude the human was, she took a deep, calming breath, and began barking back at him with her pride crushed.

"Mushrooms girl- MUSHROOM. GIRL?! You... You swine! How dare you call me a mere mushroom? I am a proud Myconid, Favyaura Holangis, I have lived in and protected the forest since before you were born, I will not tolerate this! If you do not apologize right now, I swear over the ancient mycelium... I am going to make you pay for it, you hear?!"


The reaction of the man was aggresive to say the least. He released his sword from its sheath, not pointing it at her, but making it clear he was starting to boil with anger at how determined Favyaura was.

"You don't seem to like it the easy way- Fine by me. This is my last offer. Leave unharmed, or leave in pieces. Monster parts are valuable resources nowdays, I'm sure I would get paid a lot for delivering a rare one like you."


Some bystanders were even concerned for the safety of the woman despite her appearance, after all she looked so frail... But not afraid, her stance changed in reaction to the threat, as if attempting to make herself look larger, puffing out her chest and lifting her chin.


"You do not own the spores to do that- Try me you soft-footed-soil-skipper!"


She was not good at hand to hand combat, far from it, she lacked the strength or size to even land a decent punch on someone, not to mention her lack of bones, if she was to hit someone directly, it'd feel as if they got smacked with a pillow, probably might hurt a bit with enough force behind it, but definetely not even close to lethal, regardless of this, the Myconid, stood unmoving, as if daring him to make the first move.

Nicholas hadn't meant to walk into a fight. There were some places that he had learned to expect them, and maybe the guild house was even one of them, but usually the fights didn't happen on the stairs, and usually they didn't seem quite so... mismatched.

That man was going to get his armored buttocks handed to him in a carrying sack.

Nick didn't think he had the sense to realize it, either. The armor didn't fit, though - not properly, which meant he wasn't going to be able to move right, and since it looked new-to-him that meant he probably wasn't used to wearing it yet, which was going to make the problem even worse. Also, the mushroom girl - he noted very quickly that mushroom girl was not the preferred term - definitely seemed... plucky.

Anyone who could be described as plucky was generally capable of unexpected things. Nick didn't know exactly what was to be expected of a mushr-, erm. Myconid? Apparently- in any case, he didn't know what to expect, but he doubted the man did either, regardless of how many spores he did or did not have.

Nick wondered if he had any spores himself. He wasn't exactly sure what one's spores were, but maybe this was not the best time to ask, in case the plucky Myconid girl went and, and, ah, plucked them out. So to speak.

He walked up as casually as he could, which people didn't usually assume was casual at all. Nick regretted that sometimes. He didn't mean to loom, he was just... loom-sized. The other man might know a thing or two about that himself, Nick supposed, but Nick figured if he was looming in badly fitted armor, he was probably doing it on purpose. Nick's worn-and-mended clothes and cloak might not have been too shiny, but at least they fit - even if he'd had to let a few seams out to make them that way - and at least they were clean. He hated being dirty. Leftovers, he supposed, from the parts he couldn't remember.

"Is there a problem here..." He paused, not so much for drama, but rather because he realized he didn't know the proper form of address for a don't-call-me-a-mushroom-girl, and was rather afraid he might botch it from the get-go. No other options immediately presented themselves, though, so after a hesitance he went with an uncertain but well-intended: "Er, miss?"

"La dee da, dum dum. La dee da, dum dee..." Alory mosied along towards the guild, dodging wagons and push carts and so many people. Molomar was a true city, not unlike where she grew up except she rarely got to go out and about there. This was a whole new experience and she was absolutely eating it up. Even if it was damn cold.

With that thought, she pulled the hood of her cloak up and hurried onwards, spurred on by the hope of warmth inside the guild. When it finally came into sight, her lips spread into a wide smile and she added even more pep to her step. A small crowd was beginning to gather around the entrance and she slipped her way through it, prepared to continue to mosey her way inside. Except the way was blocked.

"Yeah yeah, I heard you loud and clear, you know how to speak, I already heard you blabber on and on about it. However, it still stands, no inhumans allowed, now move along- Unless you want trouble, I'd reccomend leaving, mushroom girl."

No...inhumans...allowed? Uh oh. Did that mean elves, too?

But the self-proclaimed Myconid (she'd never heard of one of those before so it was super great to see one in person) wasn't taking the guard's crap laying down. No, she gave him a verbal lashing that had Alory fighting the urge to snicker.

Except she couldn't stop thinking about "no inhumans allowed." Worried her adventure would come to an end before it even started, she rushed forward before it registered the guard had drew his blade, and the little Myconid had a big buddy at her other side.

Whoa. Definitely a big buddy. He was addressing the little female, so she decided to take her chance.

"I'm sorry. Excuse me, mister guard, sir?" Alory waved with one hand while pulling back her hood with the other. Long blonde hair streaked with silver spilled down her back from where she'd had it tucked away. The sharp points of her ears jutted out slightly through the strands, making her race rather obvious. She was beautiful in the way most elves are beautiful, her large blue eyes widened in worry.

"You said no inhumans allowed. Is this a human only guild?" Did those actually exist? She had no clue, but if they did maybe he'd direct her to the one for elves. One way or another she was getting into that dungeon.

Favyaura was surprised by the voice of the rather large stranger, who to the pint-sized woman, looked more like a giant than he did to most. Good, she thought, I get my own personal wall, for free? How delightful.

"There is definitely a problem, thank you very much! This waste of oxygen says I am not allowed to participate in this entry of the dungeons for being 'inhuman.' Can you see how ridiculous this is? I clearly am capable of speech. Damnit, I'm even able to count! Why is it so hard for flesh-things to understand?"

The man felt cornered, to say the least. He wasn't afraid of fighting—not at all—but truthfully, the closer he looked at it, the more wrong it felt to murder such a humanoid creature in front of others. It wasn't a matter of moral compass; it was more about the shame of being judged publicly for his actions. Pathetic, of course, but humans did have a habit of seeking approval.

He didn't quite get that approval, but instead found someone rather pretty to talk to. Clearing his throat, he tried to regain his composure as the elf approached him. Of course, he was already fawning over her not even a second into the conversation, further proving he was a complete idiot. This only made the already seething Myconid far angrier. Elves always received special treatment; it wasn't new to her, but it didn't change her current animosity towards him.

The guard bowed slightly and decided to explain as best as he could how this rather unfair system worked, keeping his more bitter comments about Myconids to himself.

"Well, no, miss. Non-human species are indeed allowed. Elves, merfolk, and fae are all welcome. All registered sentient species, in fact. What we consider as 'inhuman' here in Molomar are those who lack a conscience—monsters, in other words. So, worry not. Please, go through and enjoy your adventure. Don't let this... thing bother you."

He had a nice, stupid smile on his face, which was soon erased by the Myconid's voice.

"Do you hear yourself? Such discrimination is absolutely unacceptable! If an elf is allowed inside, what stops me? You even let merfolk in—how do you even get a half-fish through a door like that? Not to mention the lack. Of. Water!"

She huffed and puffed, trying to control herself, but it was impossible, especially as he matched her tone.

"Alright, I've had enough of your justice speech. Your kind are beasts, just like ghouls, goblins, orcs, and trolls. The fact that you cannot just accept this and leave proves your lack of brains. If you get through that door, it'll be over my dead body. I will not allow an abomination like yourself in. Now make like a tree, and leave."

She stepped closer, making him back up in surprise at the finger pointed towards him in anger.

"I am not going anywhere! I know human law: if I get at least two acceptable members to join me, that's a complete party. Don't think I haven't noticed—you let adventurers go through with goblins for tracking gold and count them in your records. I've seen it in the papers your guild members forget in the forest when they go drinking."

Without thinking twice, she addressed the elf and the huge stranger who had come to give her a hand—or so she guessed, as she hadn't let him speak yet, being busy verbally attacking the guard.

"You two, you are interested, yes? I am a healer. No party can go around in dangerous places without a healer. I'm better than whoever is recruiting inside that place. Come on now, you believe me, right?"

She offered a sincere smile, odd coming from such a volatile creature, but at least she tried. She hadn't realized that only the elf had shown interest in the dungeon; the other stranger might not even want anything to do with them, but she was already including him, because why not?

Nick was not sure how this had happened.

He was also not entirely sure what had happened. One moment he was trying to figure out what was going on, and the next there was... whatever this was? He did not know what this was. There was an elven girl - was he allowed to say elven girl? Was that like mushroom girl and he'd just never thought about it? Was he speciesist? Had he always been? What about the time when he couldn't remember? Did that count? It had to count, right? Because it counted to the - the, er, Myconids? That he had been theoretically calling names if he had ever talked to them in the five years that he didn't remember, and if it mattered to them then it should matter to him, even if-

His mind was going in circles and it didn't have the space to run around like that.

"Um."

This was probably not the answer that she wanted to her question. Nick was still trying to catch up on what the question had actually been. There seemed to have been a lot of questions, some of them involving mermaids - there really wasn't water, should someone have build a, a, a canal or something, along the road? No one had done that. Was Nick supposed to do that? Nick had no idea how to build a canal.

Nick... needed to slow down. He looked between the two other people - not the guard, because Nick could at least understand him - and wondered what would actually... help, here.

If she was a healer, that was a good thing. Healers were always useful - but he shouldn't judge people based on whether they were healers - and if he did, then didn't he have to judge himself? And Nick wasn't a healer, so-

He took a breath, trying to shape it into something that was at least comprehensible.

"What are your names?" That was a good starting point, right? It had to be. "I'm Nicholas."

It took Alory a few beats to respond to either one of them. She was still caught up in the fact the guard bowed. Just a little bow, but enough to qualify for the word and that was weird. Weirder still was the guard's entire change in demeanor when addressing her, compared to the little Myconid. The clear prejudice had her insulted on the other female's behalf.

She had to grin when the Myconid stepped right up to the much larger guard and let him have it. She spit out facts Alory didn't know, but the elf was seriously impressed. Clearly the little female was fearless and intelligent. A rare combination.

And then an offer to join up. It's exactly what Alory had come for; she just expected to find it inside. Where it was warm and there was ale. Life was just full of surprises.

So it would be the Myconid, herself, and...the big guy. She took him in, trying to assess at a glance what it was he'd bring to the party. Size and strength were easy to assume. He also had stepped up to help the Myconid, seeing an injustice and doing something about it. Those were good things.

He also had common sense, asking for names first. "I'm Alory," she answered, giving him a warm smile.

Which she then turned onto the guard. "I understand you're upset." Understatement, but she was trying the "you get more flies with honey" approach. She swept a hand at the gathering crowd, and at the few irritated adventurers among them who just wanted them to stop blocking the doorway. "Clearly she's smarter than a goblin, and if those are fine, I don't see why we have a problem. You'll let us in so we can talk where it's warm...won't you?" It was her first time attempting something like this, but the guard had seemed rather infatuated with elves and she wasn't above using that to their advantage. So she widened her eyes and batted her lashes a couple times, attempting to look sweet, innocent, and harmless.

"It's only that it's very cold out, and I've traveled a long way to get here. I'd like to sit down, have an ale, and get to know my potential partners before being forced to make such an important decision on mere principle alone. You wouldn't want to set me up for failure...would you?"

The fuss was getting to it's end, it seemed like most of the crowd was losing interest in the argument and starting to get desperate to the fact they were still outside in the cold, making some whisper to each other, it seemed like the open invitation from the Myconid wasn’t properly answered by the other two people who stepped into scene, but it was a good offer, indeed something that he was interested in, besides, a healer nothing else, and one who seemed capable and with a strong personality.

Without paying too much attention to the big man's proposal of saying their names, a suspicious-looking man emerged through the crowd in an instant, and while the young elf was talking to the guard, this third intruder raised* his hand and spoke loud enough to be listened.

"I accept your proposal of forming a party."

That was all, what came after was just silence, and a very awkward silence, soon, but not enough, some people within the spectators began whispering between them - "Isn't he that weird explorer who helped Rowan's team in their searching mission last month?" - said a young looking adventurer to his companion - "Yeah, I think so too, he gives me the creeps, but for what Rowan said he seems to be pretty good at his job, was he interested in going inside that doomed place?" – She replied while trying to get a peek at the mysterious person’s face, but due to the cloth covering his face it was nearly impossible - "I don't know either, not that I would talk to him to be able to know."


Again, after some seconds passed that man spoked again: "My name is Xah' Ak' Thut, I am an experienced and registered ranger an cartographer, I think I can be of help."

Then again he went silent, but in his mind he was trying to figure out the capabilities of those who were reunited in that place and moment by will of some deity, or a powerful coincidence, knowing the obvious, that big man named Nicholas was some kind of warrior, maybe a fighter or a martial artist, then the Myconid, a healer, and finally the young elf, Alory, he was sure she was adept in magic and surely she was some kind of magician or something like that, but he needed to observe them further to be sure if they would be capable of the journey ahead.

The Myconid was confused at first, being asked her name rather than being given an answer to what she'd inquired. Regardless, she decided not to lash out at the one asking for a way to identify everyone. Truth be told, she found it endearing in a way. Despite his size, he looked so... lost and confused. She wanted to keep him, for lack of a better expression. Was it legal to keep human pets? She guessed not, but it didn't matter that much. As long as he was part of the group, she would keep him around for the sake of human study.

"Nicholas, huh? The name is Favyaura... Fuh-Vee-Oruh," She repeated, knowing well her name was not easy to pronounce. "Nice to meet you, big guy."

Before she could continue, she heard the woman dealing with the guard—defending her? Well, vaguely, yet she was smart enough to try getting them inside while avoiding a fight. Quite clever. She already liked her quite a bit.

The influx of information increased even more with the snickering about yet another newcomer, his name, and the acceptance of an invitation she had not given. But she wasn't going to turn him down; it made a grin grow on her face.

The already pressured guard turned red with anger and shame. He was about to argue that they could not enter with the Myconid, even with the elf vouching for them, but the new stranger pushed him further back into the grave he dug for himself. He could no longer deny them entry.

"I suppose... you are right. It is very cold out here and... fine." He reluctantly put his weapon away and stepped aside, displeased, looking at Favyaura as if he wanted to tear her apart that instant.

Favyaura placed her hands behind her with feigned innocence and squinted her eyes, basking in her victory over the big bad guard.

"Wow, who could believe this? Four members? Three of which are not inhumans? Oh no, what could be done about this?" She sighed, trying not to laugh too hard under her breath. "What a shame, you will have to let me through with them. Poor them... Oh well, let's go, before the MUSHROOM causes any more disturbances."

She gently fixed the mushroom cap on her head, which had been displaced slightly in her verbal destruction of the pathetic excuse of a bouncer.

Her happiness couldn't be contained. It showed in the way she skipped lightly towards the elf, thanking her with a smile, while gesturing for the two men to come along inside, completely disregarding the guard with his pride torn to shreds.

"Well, I must thank you all. I was quite sure I'd not be able to get inside. Allow me to reward you all properly. How about a meal and ale? My treat, of course. While we wait for that, we could have a chat and sign up for the entry, yes?"

Despite appearances, Myconids were actually quite wealthy. Although most of them were not particularly smart, their territories were large forests where they collected minerals and expensive materials to trade with willing species.

Elves, as much as Favyaura had a bit of difficulty tolerating them, often traded gold for what she could collect—which was a lot.

-

The dungeons were complicated territories, they were dangerous yes, but being magical, they provided a decent amount of loot- The more dangerous the better the things one could collect. This of course meant the main dungeon was an easy. yet stupid way of reaching a lot of loot. While it was easy to find valuables in the higher levels without much difficulty, greedy adventurers often went down quicker, gathering more and more until they encountered something that was, far too much for them to handle.

The 'entries' of the dungeon were a literal pass the guild of Molomar gave to adventurers, a limit so to speak, of how many could go in at a time. It was a safety measure, both to be able to save as many people who needed it, as well as controlling the growth of the dungeon; yes, its growth.


The more souls it claimed, the larger it became, the bolder monsters became, and the more attacks innocents suffered.

Entries were given to people who were considered capable enough, as judged by the guildmaster, who became more, and more strict about these entries. Sadly, that didn't change the fact that some people were simply too stupid for their own good, and snuck into the dungeon to meet their demise.

This was known to most people, but that didn't change the fact that there would be some completely unaware of how this may work.

Alory. Favyaura. And, uh. Xah'Ak'Thut? Nick was sure that he hadn't been here a moment ago, but he didn't have any particular objections. He was probably the last person who ought to be objecting, after all. He wondered if the rest of them would object to him, or if they would if they knew... whatever it was Nick couldn't remember, but he could certainly fill in some of the gaps... and whether he ought to tell them.

There were three of them now, after all. It wasn't like they needed him to form a quorum. Of course... on the other hand, the three of them were the Myconid healer, the elven... he wasn't sure what she was, but she was not very big and didn't have the look of a front-liner. Smooth talker, from the way she was handling the guard. And a cartographer. Nick didn't want to judge based on appearances, but none of them really did look like front liners, and... well, the dungeons were dangerous. And someone ought to... look after them, maybe. Not that they needed looking after. Favyaura certainly seemed like she could handle herself, it was just... well, she was a healer. And it wasn't right to put your healer right in the middle where everything hit at them, that just made things worse for everyone.

"I... will also accept." His words came late, maybe later than anyone had expected them, since the others had already moved the conversation on to talking to the guard or at the guard, or to each other. Nick supposed if he was already five years late on doing the right thing, another minute or so wasn't going to make any difference in it.

He considered the guard one more time, considered the rest of his party, and gave a rather firm nod.

"Yes. We will be going inside now."

Perhaps Alory had already convinced him, but Nick wasn't making an additional argument. He was simply stating a fact, with the bulk to back it up. He stepped forward, not quickly, just... definitively - and opened the door, holding it politely in a way that didn't quite suggest a willingness to rip it off the hinges and use it as a shield if anyone had any objections, but if someone happened to think of that on their own... well, that was on them. Wasn't it?

"After you."

The guard earned an approving smile and a happy, "Thank you!" Who knew that would work?

Favyaura's smile was returned with a warmer version of the one she'd gifted the guard before she fell into step behind her. Nicholas and Xa' Ak' Thut both got a smile, too. She was feeling really good about things. Somehow she'd wound up with a party before even stepping foot in the guild. A healer, a cartographer, and muscle...and her.

For a moment she felt self-conscious. She'd only been below once before, and that hadn't turned out very well. Best not to even bring that up. Not that anything that happened was her fault, but it wouldn't sound good. Being the sole survivor of your party got two reactions from people - pity, and suspicion.

"Thanks, Nicholas!" she chimed, grateful for more than just him holding the door. If the guard had second thoughts and decided to be dumb, she was sure Nicholas would set him right.

"I'll take you up on that," she said to Favyaura, letting the other female lead the way. "Just how selective has the guildmaster got? I've heard rumors it's almost impossible."

She glanced behind her, checking to see if the men were still back there and wanting to include them in the conversation. "Have any of you been down there before? I've studied a lot about dungeons, but this one is said to be weird." That was an understatement. People went down there and didn't come back. A lot of people. But if any of them had made it in and out before, well that would be just about priceless.

As they moved through the guild, Alory was taking it all in even as she waited for a response. The people, the place, the sights, the smells... Not all of them were pleasant but it was obvious she was thrilled to be a part of it. Her delight was almost childlike, and she wasn't trying to hide it.

She was exactly where she wanted to be.

It seemed there wasn't anything else to do, as the others started going inside, the fourth of them walked silently towards the guard, putting his left hand over the guard's shoulder and leaning over his right ear, Xah' Ak' Thut spoke to the man in a hushed manner so it would remain only between the two of them.

"I know you're kind of new at this job, but there are rules you have to follow, pray to the gods you believe in that the guildmaster won't learn about this little... incident."

His serious and heavy voice gave the advice from an experienced adventurer that had met the guildmaster a few times and knew the ins and outs of how things go within the guild. A warning to a rookie guard that came from some place nobody cared about and had no idea of the shameful mistake he had commited. Without any more to add, Xah' walked inside the guild, thanking the big guy who keept the door open with a silent nod, indicating that only he was left to go inside.

While walking through the "bar area" of the guild house, the only thing that kept coming to Xah's mind was if this improvised "party" would be able to get the entry permit, considering how unprepared they looked at first sight, but things being like they were, it was still a possibility for them to get their way, and then make a reliable map about that damned place, maybe they could even help others to not get lost and make their way to the exit easier, like how he had done with so many other dungeons before. As hearing the offer from the Myconid, Xah' thought that it whould be extremely impolite to turn down such offer:

"Then I'll grateful accept your invitation", he replied.

The young elf Alory asked something really interesting, it was known that just a few expert adventures made it out from that place, but that was months ago and certainly was taken as a miracle since it seemed nobody else came out from all the expeditions done after, from that reality is where the dungeon's reputation comes from.

"I haven't, It's true that some adventures of great reputation make it out from that place, but they were all nearly dead and it happened a long time from now; since then that damn dungeon just keep becoming more and more dangerous, at the same time as It's getting bigger and bigger, that's why it's necessary to do something to at least minimize the impact that place is taking over the surroundings. Someone has to stop the meaningless loss of lives of reckless adventures."

The bar area was quite crowded at the time, and that made Xah' Ak' Thut kind of uncomfortable since he preferred the silence of the forest, but this was necessary to form a bond between his new companions and to be able to work with them easier.

And so, their group was complete… For the most part.

Favyaura gave a gentle nudge to Nick with a proud smile, she appreciated having the door held open for her. Finally, some respect like the one she deserved. She was not a simple non-brained creature. Well, she did not have the structure a human would call a brain, she was just born with the ability to think and speak, surely because she was special. That's what she was led to believe in the last few years of her existence.

Regardless, she was quick to get past Nick, who she was growing fond of, and reached out to his free wrist, pulling him along, or well, trying to pull him along.

"Alright now, stick close to me, they'll look at you weird if you are all by yourself behind everyone else."

That was a lie; she was mostly using him as a shield from others, knowing perfectly well that being a Myconid in a place full of inebriated armed men was not exactly safe, she was sure Nick would keep her relatively safe.

It was not that she fancied him; gods forbid a Myconid having any sort of attachment of that sort with a human. No, it was not that, but she simply enjoyed being faced with a flesh being who was not a complete pain in the gills. He seemed kind enough so far, and he just, didn't look all there in her eyes. She did not know where he had come from, then again, nor did she know where Xah had come from either, but it did not matter, they were her team now, she trusted them.

Even in her great wisdom on the arcane, she was still naive to tricks and lies, living isolated from others had driven her to this.


She could feel the eyes of some adventurers fall onto her, threatening for the most part, or judgemental.

Truly, it was a rather annoying existence to be an educated Myconid. On one hand, she was still considered a "monster" due to the rest of her species being blabbering fools who acted like trolls when it came to their low intellect. The other option they took, whenever someone truly recognized how smart she was, was often to patronize her and treat her like a dog who learned an awesome new trick.


Her eyes scanned over the space inside the guild. This was new to her, of course, but she felt at home. She loved the forest more than anything; after all, the mushroom grove she was created in was her one true safe place. But this guild, scented of ale, pine, and various cooked meals made her… heart? Flutter. Perhaps this is what humans meant when they said they felt butterflies in their stomach. She was in love with the concept of adventuring, as much as the people involved were often a plague to her purposes.



It was at this point that Allory separated from the rest, insisting that they would require supplies for the long trip. She departed, telling the group to advance into the dungeon if they managed to get past the complicated entry process.

Favyaura thanked her and assured her that she would leave a trail for her to find them when the time came.

Eventually, she found a decently clean table and got onto a chair with difficulty. It was nice and circular, optimizing the space between the other longer tables meant to be shared among groups. This could be their own little space rather than having to deal with others. Eventually, a confused man approached them, asking if he could help them.

"Three horns of ale, save a full barrel for this table, yes? Oh, and meals, yes… large cuts of meat. We want to enter the dungeon, and we need energy for this. Let the one in charge of registry know."

The young man did not deny her but asked who the leader of the adventure would be. Favyaura considered herself the leader, of course, but she knew it was likely they would not allow her to go if she said she would guide them. Therefore, she picked the person who looked most professional.

"Xah' Ak' Thut."

She said, gesturing to the man.

The young man nodded, reminding himself quietly of what they ordered, and then he gave a quick glance to both Xah and Nick, simply stating, "You trained your Myconid outstandingly, she's very well-spoken." He then left, leaving Favyarua with her eye twitching in anger. She decided not to take her rage out on him.

She took a cleansing breath and cleared her throat.

"Well… we are in. Since Allory will stay behind for now, we should likely find someone to fill the spot temporarily. I would consider talking to some lone adventurer. What say both of you?"

Ah, but there was nothing quite like the bustle of a warm guild hall on a cold day. Quill had been standing by the bar for long enough to have seen many parties come and go, be they single adventurers looking to gather a group or more familiar strangers gatherings to celebrate - or, in some cases, mourn - a recent journey. Luckily, they hadn’t had to turn down too many invitations in that time, as despite their friendly face it was only the truly young or the very desperate who would approach a person applying to be a barkeep.

That was their cover, anyhow, and though they had scribbled the application questions on a napkin it was working remarkably well. People saw what they wanted to see, and turned their eyes away from the rest. Their annotated napkin also gave Quill an opportunity to chat with the servers, whenever there was a lull or a particularly interesting commotion. All barkeeps tended to enjoy a good spot of gossip.

The newest buzz seemed to be about the latest group, and the brief blockage they had caused at the door. Quill hadn’t been paying very much attention when the whispers started, more interested in trying to ponder up a new question to add to their list - leave it too long without writing anything, and it would look like they weren’t taking their fake job seriously, and that wouldn’t do at all - but when the whispers kept up, ticking up in volume as the door opened and closed, they finally put down their charcoal.

Such a big fuss about a little group with two humans and… oh. A Myconid. Was that a Myconid? Quill turned away quickly, their hand reaching up to smooth their own hair down, brushing past their antlers and the carefully crafted point of their ear. Reassured that their disguise was firmly in place, they turned back with fresh eyes, thoroughly interested. They hadn’t seen Myconids in ages, and certainly none so… human. Was she like them? A shifter, outcast from her home and seeking her own kind?

They had to know. They had to help, if that was the case. Their gaze dragged over the two men with her, one tall and strong - the muscle, they assumed, automatically - and the other well-prepared and heavily garbed, but familiar to this place - a guide, no doubt. Quill could work with that. They crumpled the napkin in their hand and casually swept it to the floor, arranging themself against the bar as though waiting for something.

Not waiting too eagerly, they thought, and rearranged their expression to follow. They were a little bored. They had been waiting here a while, all set to go adventuring, and their previous party had flaked. Yes, that would work nicely. As would some muscle, they decided, slowly building it in their arms under the cover of their sleeves. You could always use more muscle.

They kept their eyes on the door, angled where they could watch the group in their periphery without being too obvious about it. Now, they just had to wait for their in.

Favyaura definitely seemed like she knew what she was doing. Nick felt mostly relief at that. Relief, and a little concern, because he wondered if just going along with what people told him to do was what had gotten him into everything in the first place. He didn't think this was the time to raise that question, though, or if he ought to raise it with anyone but himself at all. It was not the sort of thing that they were likely to be able to help with, and it would probably just make things worse.

He followed along, because he was good at that. The others had plans, and Nick supposed he would just be there to back them up, or step in front to clear a path. The path seemed to be clearing itself, he noted, probably because Favyaura was just so... plucky. He cast a few veiled glances at the self-styled cartographer, because he definitely felt like that man was hiding quite a lot. Nick didn't pry, though. Prying meant someone might start asking him the same questions, and he certainly didn't want to be answering them.

Favyaura registered them with Xah'Ak'Thut as their leader, which Nick found interesting. It was pretty obvious to him that she was the leader, but it was entirely possible that she was merely circumventing the issue of her being a Myconid. He hadn't thought about it. Nick tried to catch the other man's eye, briefly, silently wondering what he thought of all this, but Nick didn't ask aloud, worried it might come off as rude.

Perhaps, he thought, he shouldn't have worried. The comment about the trained Myconid was enough that even Nick with his five minutes of experience with the subject knew he should wince, which he did. The man had vanished already, though, presumably to bring back food. Hopefully the food was good, at least.

"Sorry." He spoke to the Myconid, but watched the steward's retreating back. Nick wasn't the one who needed to apologize, but he doubted she was going to get one elsewhere, and someone ought to. Besides, he had gotten good at apologizing. It was an often needed skill, when one happened to be rather large.

He took a seat at the table, looking around the rest of the room. "Another might be good. Or a couple. More hands, more help." It was easier to shoulder a burden, if it was shared. Nick was contemplating the dungeon already, and the mysteries it held. He had been, for a while. He thought back to earlier conversations, and questions that had gone unanswered.

"I don't remember ever having been down there."

This wasn't the same as saying he hadn't been. Maybe he had, maybe he hadn't. Nick wasn't trying to be cagey - he just didn't know. For all he knew, he'd been on eight expeditions there already, and just didn't remember any of it. He rather hoped not, though, because if he had... well, whatever he would have been doing down there, it was pretty much a given that it wouldn't have been good.

"Have you? Or heard stories?" There were always stories. Some of them, Nick was aware, might even be true.

More and more unwanted stares kept coming their way, their chosen table seeming now like a freakshow, most of them came from the young ones, curious of the new "creature" they were seeing for the first time, and others were from the veterans who let out their discontent for sharing the same space with that filthy being.

Humans had always been like this, disrespectful toward other races, they were often like that among each other, but with the rise of more and more sentient things, it seemed that this hatred moved onto these species instead, which made Xah' feel disgusted for sharing part of his blood with such creatures.

Coming back to reality, being appointed as the leader of the party out of the blue was quite a surprise, but it was reasonable taking in consideration how things had gone so far, so he decided to just nod as a response without showing his surprise.

The young human serving them assumed the Myconid was some kind of "tamed creature", an anger started to build up inside Xah' Ak' Thut so he decided to talk to his companions and get some answers before jumping straight into that damned dungeon.

"Say, big guy, Nicholas, was it? It keeps bugging me, can’t you relax a bit? It seems like you're having a bad time." - He spoke in a more relaxed manner than before, since Xah' wanted to avoid a situation where everyone would be on the defensive and make things harder.

Without waiting for a response from Nicholas, Xah' continued - "Like I said before, there are some tales of adventurers coming out alive from that place, but what they learned about the insides of that dungeon is completely useless, since now the place is bigger and even deadlier." Again Xah' went silent, thinking about the information that they got in the guild about the dungeon, and how ridiculously ignorant they were.

Hearing the proposal from Favyaura to find another member for this party, Xah' Ak' Thut raised his sight slightly and scanned the adventurers at the surroundings searching for one that can be of help, and more importantly, someone who won't die the moment they step inside that dungeon. - "I also think it would be good, since we have to be prepared for anything, the more we are the better." - He paused for a couple seconds, and then spoke again - "I see some options here and there, want me to talk to them before we get to eat? If not, I can talk with some of the guild members later and ask for information about adventurers available right now, I've worked directly with the guild before so I think that would be helpful now."

While waiting for the answer of the other two, Xah', who hadn't put away his equipment all this time, left it near the chair he chose and then sat for a while since he had just returned from completing some requests and his feet were starting to hurt.

Favyaura's eyebrow rose at Nick's apology. She was surprised and even a bit uncomfortable. She wasn't offended, it was just unusual for anyone to apologize to her, especially for something they hadn't done. The fungi offered a soft smile, displaying a level of empathy she hadn't shared with anyone in the party yet.

"No need to apologize. Other humans are just... Eh, humans. I was expecting worse considering mister shiny pants back at the entrance."

She exhaled deeply, watching the fire from the torches flicker as people walked by, mostly minding their own business.

Nick had made a good point about needing a couple more adventurers to ease their journey. His question caught her off guard. Truth be told, she had never ventured into the dungeon herself, at least not in her natural body. Before she could provide her input, she turned to Xah' and listened to what he had to say.

The woman shot a rather murderous look at Xah' momentarily. She found his comment about relaxing to be oddly rude, and given her limited understanding of societal norms, it was significant that she found it distasteful. Favyaura didn't necessarily defend Nicholas, but she made it clear she wasn't fully trusting of the other adventurer.

"I believe we are all a bit on edge. We do not know much about each other—do we? Time will tell whether we can develop a more... amicable attitude."

She attempted to compose herself, realizing she was now the one being rude. She traced the wood of the table with her index finger, following the pattern of the wood's texture as she explained her own experience with the dungeon.

"I have sent a couple of my familiars down. Small and nearly undetectable for the most part. I haven't been able to go further than the second level. Each space is massive, and the mycelium cannot reach further down unless I place it myself. What I can tell is that the influx of dangers has increased even on the two highest floors. Last time I checked, there were fallen adventurers on the first..."

For a moment, her eyes scanned the room, looking for anyone who seemed suitable. Hopefully not a human, but if it had to be, it should be someone who wasn't a complete idiot and wouldn't question her leadership.

Her eyes landed on one adventurer who kept glancing at the door. She was unsure of what they were up to, but they seemed to be familiar with the place. Maybe, just maybe, they would be a good fit.

"Anyway, we should get moving. I say we split up. It will be hard for me to get anyone to join, perhaps—if you two convince others, like that one," she pointed discreetly, "Another one would be ideal, but let's not get ahead of ourselves... A large group will attract others regardless."

Nicholas looked over at their listed party leader for perhaps a moment longer than was strictly comfortable, for either of them. The comment had been directed at him, but he opted not to answer it, perhaps rather pointedly. Eventually, he drew his gaze away, looking around the room as well. He tried to gauge what people were likely to be like, whether they might be the right sort to fit into the party, but Nicholas wasn't even sure he fit in the party, and there were only the three of them so far.

Favyaura seemed to be doing much the same thing, and he wondered if she was any better at it than he was. There were a great number of things one couldn't tell by looking at a person, he knew. He tried to catch the eye of a few of the people who seemed to be looking in their direction, trying to figure out if they were looking over because they were obnoxious - to these he gave the level stare of someone who knew they were large, and knew what to do with that. To those who seemed like they might be curious or interested, though, he tried to soften the gaze a little, and hope that... well, hope that they didn't come over just to add injury to insults.

"'Mushroom girl' is like 'big guy,'" he stated simply, having just worked this one out. The clarity it provided was not precisely welcomed.

A casual glance over the crowd, as though double-checking that their imaginary party hadn’t slipped in without their notice, and Quill had to turn back to the bar to hide the beginnings of a smile, disguising it instead as a forlorn sigh. Internally, though, they were buzzing with curiosity, excited by what they had glimpsed. The party with the Myconid was looking around, and Quill knew that look. They were looking for new party members, sizing up strangers in the crowd to see who could potentially make the cut. They had even met the muscle’s eye, and he seemed not to immediately disapprove of them, so they definitely had a chance.

It seemed like now was the perfect time to make their grand entrance. Just in time, too, as the barkeep assigned to the Myconid’s table had just exited the kitchen and was struggling to balance a multitude of plates and glasses on his arms.

“Oh dear, lemme help you with those!” They offered, quickly stepping forward to catch a plate before it could tip. The man seemed grateful, and they gave him a carefully crafted smile as they took another plate and cup. They had heard his small-minded comment earlier, and had no true sympathy for his plight. It was simply easier this way.

They followed the server to the table with swift, careful steps, carefully slid their plates onto a clear spot on the surface, and then very un-carefully stepped over whatever the man might’ve tried to say with a cheerful chirp of, “Greetin’s, adventurers. I couldn’t help but notice y’all looking around. Are you looking for more hands for yer party?”

Their grin would be slightly eager, they decided, but friendly and well-worn. “Ah’ve been eyeing the dungeon too. Hoping you don’t mind the intrusion, but I’m in the market myself and y’all seem like fine folks.”

A sigh, then, gusty and disappointed as they set their hands on their hips. They let their mouth tug to the side, slightly rueful and apologetic, just a touch annoyed in a distant way. “My party went n’ flaked, it seems.”

Tornir Silverthread was trying to get drunk, and failing miserably. She took a sip from her wine, swirling the glass around a little until she caught the eye of a passing server. She raised it slightly when they nodded, downing the rest in a single gulp. It was her fifth so far, and she’d told the staff that she’d wanted a different beverage each time. It had taken some convincing, given her size and something about “duty of care”. Luckily gold was the great equalizer and after setting down several pieces she’d gotten the bartender to pass the message along to the servers.

In truth, she was mildly buzzed at best. While other drunks would see this as a dismal waste of coin and alcohol, Tornir saw it as an absolute success. After an unfortunate incident with her last party involving alcohol, three knives, and twelve missing digits, she decided that her next project was going to involve helping people sober up, whether they wanted it or not. The first stage was, naturally, preventative. If she could stop the alcohol from entering the system in the first place and causing intoxication, that would be enough for most alchemists to call their product finished. But that wasn’t good enough for Tornir.

The next stage would be eliminating alcohol and its effects, preferably without the primary method being regurgitation. She’d come across prior attempts in her research, and in her opinion any result with similar symptoms and/or side effects as intoxication made the reagent worth less than the sum of its parts. She started when the server came back with her newest glass. It seems that she got so lost in her own scientific machinations she failed to take notice of her surroundings. That was going to get her into trouble one of these days. But not today!

Tornir scanned the room as she took a sip from her new drink, something clear, sparkling, and tasted somewhat of citrus. While she certainly couldn’t consider this a success after only a single test case, it worked well enough that she believed that the next stage could begin. But how best to counteract the effects of alcohol after it’s already in the body. It would have to be something that, when ingested, could bind to the alcohol and render it inert. Maybe something with mushrooms…

Wait, mushrooms?

Tornir’s gaze jumped back to one of the circular tables. Her free hand reached up and flicked down one of her lenses, bringing a particular figure into focus. She was taller than Tornir, which didn’t mean much, but the purplish cap on her head sparked an idea. Tornir polished her glass off, grimacing at the burn and the fizz before she began scrambling her papers together from across the table. And by scrambling, naturally she had to first go over her notes and categorize them alphabetically before returning them to their proper place within her satchel. And maybe get another drink while she was at it. They’d still be there when she was done, surely. But science, science waited for no one.

Favyaura nodded at Nicholas' statement. Indeed, "big guy" carried the same dismissive weight as "mushroom girl"—a casual remark that, while seemingly harmless, could easily twist into something bitter. It was akin to calling an elf "pointy ears" or labeling a mountain dwarf a "rock brain". Regardless, she restrained her irritation, forcing herself to remain patient towards Xah. Navigating societal norms was a difficult, especially for her, and she could only assume it was equally perplexing for him, or perhaps he was simply rude as hell. Either way, she couldn't shake the thought that, one day, she'd have the great pleasure of slamming her staff against his thick skull. Gods, there she went again.

Her violent thoughts were cut short by the sudden presence of a stranger. An oddly good-looking one, for a non-myconid. Not that she cared- Not at all. And she most certainly had not stared for longer than was appropriate before speaking up.

"Err, hello," she greeted, straightening her posture with feigned confidence. "Yes, we are indeed looking for extra hands. I am Favyaura Holangis..." She glanced around, ensuring no unwanted listeners were nearby. "I will be leading the party into the dungeons." She gestured toward her companions, introducing them with a brief wave. "This is Xah' Ak' Thut, our cartographer, and Nicholas, our muscle. I, myself, am but a druid, so if you possess any combat skills, you'd be a most welcome addition."

She exhaled, pausing only briefly before continuing, with a bit of urgency in her tone. "May we have your name, stranger? Also, if you happen to know of any capable adventurers looking for work, recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I estimate that five might be the ideal number for this task."

As her words settled into the air, an eerie shift overcame the space. Her shoulders tensed involuntarily as the undeniable sensation of being watched began to bother her. It was a feeling she had grown accustomed to since arriving in this suffocating place, where glances lingered far too long and whispers followed her every move. Still, she forced herself to shake it off. Paranoia, she told herself. Nothing more.

-

But it was then, the ground trembled.

At first, the disturbance was subtle, easily dismissed as the passing of horses and a carriage outside. But within moments, it grew erratic, violent. The tremors surged upward rather than sideways, as if the earth itself had been taken by unseen hands and was being handled like a salt shaker. Those standing fell if their bodies weren't strong enough. Glass shattered, horns of ale spilled onto the wooden floorboards, cabinets swung open with an unnatural force, their contents spilling out in chaotic manner.

The wall... Oh, the walls.

From the cracks in stone and wood seeped an eerie substance: translucent, faintly green, pulsing with an unnatural glow. It oozed and crawled as if it was alive, feeding upon the structure itself, if enough attention was payed to it, one could almost hear it whisper along with the crackle of wood. A sudden gust of foul winds blew out the torches, turning the room into darkness.

A warning. A message.

Then- Silence.

Torches reignited, their flames flickering back to life slowly, and the sickly luminescence vanished from the walls as if it had never even been there. The only remnants of its presence were the shattered windows and the shaken expressions of adventurers too confused to speak.

Favyaura did not flinch.

Rooted to her seat, she scanned the room, lips pressing into a thin line. A quiet "tsk" escaped her... A convincing act of composure.

In truth, she could feel a scream clawing at her throat, only being kept in by an invisible knot squeezing tightly around her toungue She understood all too well the implications of this disturbance.

The dungeons were shifting.

Expanding.

Growing restless beneath their feet.

This was but a fleeting glimpse into the immense power of the Dungeon Master, or whatever adventurers called the monster living in that horrid place now. Had she possessed a heart, it would have surely failed her in that moment and left her cold and dead in the ground.

With no small effort, she rose, unsteady, before forcing herself into motion.

"Now," She declared, voice far more firm than her body, ignoring how her knees wobbled. "We move. If we intend to sign up, it's now or never. That old fool of a guild master will seal off the dungeon soon- He’ll call it for safety reasons, but we all know what it really means- He willd send other adventurers down for surveillance before allowing another opening at least a month from now. We need to be down there before it comes to that."

Without waiting for agreement, Favyaura strode forward, purpose fueling her every step. Whatever awaited them below, there was no turning back now.