Chapter 2 - "Setlling down"

Chapter 1 < Chapter 2 > Chapter 3

Chapter 2 - "Settling down"





As the light show comes to an end, with the human commander disappearing last, the scaly creatures stay in front of the entrance for a while and enthusiastically debate about something. I can't do anything but stay put and watch them while my brain (if I had one) is desperately trying to sort out all the things that happened just now.

What makes this moment really creepy is the fact that deep down I feel satisfied, for an unknown reason.

I look around what was a battlefield just minutes ago. Strangely, all the armor, weapons and other stuff they had with them is still there. I confirm it one more time: [ ... Yep, all the bodies are gone, even the dogs!] Only the blood they lost is still there. [I hope I'm not expected to clean that up!]

The creatures outside are slowly calming down now. As I look through the door, the lizard-like people seem to prepare their leave. I remember one of the soldiers calling them Lizard-Men. [That's what I will call them then.] The big one who seems to be their leader is looking silently through the entrance, as his injured people are being prepared for transport behind him. It's the first time I have a chance to take a good look at one of them.

Orsog
His scaly skin is green with a reddish pattern and is slightly darker than the others, and he is at least three fists higher than anyone else in his group. He wears some kind of protection on his arms, legs and back. It's made mostly of bones webbed together by thick strings. I wouldn't call it a real armor though, it seems more like a decoration. [Man, I can't read his face ...] There is no way to tell what he is thinking. The big guy finally turns around, yells something in a high pitched voice, and the whole bunch of them leaves. [What? Just like that?]

Some minutes of silence pass by, and now it's like nothing ever happened ... [... Aside from all this stuff they left behind ... and all that blood ...]

Now this room looks really messy. [What am I supposed to do with all that? ... ] I can't think of anything, and there is no answer from above ... [I could simply kick it out of the door ... ] No, I'm not ready to do that right now, maybe it will be of use at some point later. [This place is a mess!] It suddenly became really uncomfortable in here, even more than it was before. The way it is now, it would be hard to walk around. [Not that it would hinder me, but...]

Before realizing it, I start to move everything closer to the wall, one thing at a time. Not with the intention to actually clean up the place, but more to occupy my mind with something, so I don't go nuts from all that randomness. While doing so, I find the names of the three soldiers written on the inner side of their armor.

Three people lived their lives until the age of 30 or 40 or so and then "bam" - dead! Just like that ... [Only their names remain ...] "Tamani", "Branok" and "Walkir". [I can't tell who was who, though.] Will you guys be missed somewhere? Well if you really were slavers or head-hunters, then probably not.

They left more stuff behind than I expected at first. [Just what is all of that?]

Suddenly a screen appears in front of me:


){}-----------------------------------------{}(


Inventory list of the Dungeon:

All floors / Floor 1
All rooms / Room 1
All Items / Equipment / Furniture / Traps / Tools / Consumables / Magical / Misc.

///\\\


  • ...
  • Rain-Cape
  • Small Purse (1-S, 15-C)
  • Leather Armor
  • Tooth Necklace
  • Weak Healing Potion
  • Leather Helmet
  • Shortsword
  • Bone Leg Protection
  • Simple Pants (Brown)
  • Leather Armor
  • Engraved Dagger
  • Bone Spear
  • Gold Amulet
  • Simple Shirt (green)
  • Bone Claws
  • Schortsword
  • Weak Antidote
  • ...

\\\///

){}-----------------------------------------{}(



[ ... That was unexpected!] The information windows seem to appear when I ask for them. [Now, let’s see ... man, this is a lot of stuff!] I can scroll the list up and down and also select different categories. Some of them are empty, like the ones for furniture or traps. [If I open a shop with all of that, I could make a living. But who would come here to trade with a ghost?] The fact that I'm lacking a physical body keeps frustrating me.

[Still, that doesn't solve the question of what to do with it?] ... This time no window appears to answer my question, so I guess it's up to me. After an hour or two (It's hard to keep track of time, when I can't see the sun) of sorting the items and equipment, I look around the room again. Now there are piles of stuff all over the place and it doesn't make the room look much comfier than before. [It would be nice if the room was furnished, then I could organize it a little.] Just as I say (or think) that, a new window jumps up in front of me:


){}-----------------------------------------{}(

Available Items:

All Items / Equipment / Furniture / Traps / Tools / Consumables / Magical / Misc.

  • Small Shelves - 10 DP
  • Wooden Table - 30 DP
  • Wooden Chair - 15 DP
  • Small Bench - 15 DP
  • Small Wooden Crate - 5 DP
  • Big wooden Crate - 10 DP
  • Wooden Barrel - 15 DP
  • Small Wooden Chest - 25 DP

-----------------------------------
Remaining DP: 4163
){}-----------------------------------------{}(


[Well, this is interesting, is that by any chance ... A shop?] The items are separated by categories, like in the inventory list, but this time there are prices. [What is this "DP" thing? Is that the local currency?] Whether it is or not, I seem to already have some to my disposal - 4163 to be precise! Judging by the prices, this is not a small amount either. Am I actually allowed to spend it? [Hey, "Mr. dungeon Master". Is it alright if I spend some of your money?] ... No answer again. Well it's his fault for not saying anything, so here we go ...

With this, I point at the “big wooden crate” on the list. The same instant a wooden crate appears in the middle of the room. [Wow, that was amazing! ... And quite easy.] I check my account balance - 4153 DP. The amount was subtracted accordingly. I also add a small crate, a barrel and a small chest the same way. [That should be enough. Now time to tidy up ...] I just stuff all the weapons into the barrel. All the armor, helmets and so on get a place in the big crate. Everything that looks valuable is put into the chest. Clothes, and things that didn't belong anywhere else - like potions - are put into the small crate.

I look around again [... Much better!] I think about placing a table and a few chairs, but since there is no one here to use them, the idea sounds rather silly. By the time I finished, another hour must have passed. The sunlight changed its color to a more orange tone, so I guess the day is ending soon.

...

With nothing more to do, I'm alone with my thoughts again. Now that my mind cooled of a little, I'm able to think more clearly. [... Why did these bodies disappear?] I recall the mysterious event in my mind. As they turned into particles of light, they were somehow absorbed by the ... [What did this guy call it again? ... "Dungeon heart"?] As if it were eating them... [Creepy.] What's even more disturbing, is that I actually "felt it". No matter how I look at it, I'm definitely connected to it somehow.

[What if ...] ... Could it be that I died in here and got absorbed, like these guys from before? Then they could also appear in here without memory, like I did. Maybe they already did, and we just can't see each other? My thoughts begin to become agitated [No, no, no - wait, calm down ...] If they are here, they would at least see me carry stuff around for the last several hours. At least one of them would have figured out how to do that by now and would try it too. I would definitely notice that! So I'm back to square one, I have no idea how I ended up here. [Just where exactly is "here" anyway?]

I open the map to see, if I can find a clue ...

The surroundings of the ruined tower are shown in a 100-meters radius, with the tower in the middle. There’s nothing interesting in the area, so I zoom in on the tower.



There is actually a broken wall surrounding it, as well as a small building next to it, that seems to be a storage room or something of the sort. [I wonder what’s in there.] Yet again a spontaneous thought of me is answered as the ceiling of the room disappears on the map, so I can take a look at what is inside. [Sigh ...] I get a response to random thoughts, but not to the important questions [Still - thanks!] Anyway, now that I look into the room, it perfectly matches the one I'm currently in ... [So I'm actually not in the tower, but in the building next to it!] Well, it doesn't make any difference to me - a prison, is a prison. I can't see myself on the map, but since I'm a ghost, that doesn't actually surprise me.

What catches my eye though, is a metal signboard on the side of the tower. I move closer, so I can read it. It says that the tower was build in the year 346 A.T. [Whatever that means ...] by lord "Kalifos". [A catchy name!] The name of the architect is also there at the bottom. It was designed and built by a guy named "Garlok". [Well, now it's in ruins, great job Garlok!] Not that I could have done it better …

[Wait, what was that right now?] I think I just saw something move in the bushes, next to the wall ... [Am I seeing things now?] I concentrate on the spot for a few moments. [There! Something definitely moved there!] As I watch for a while longer, I finally identify the culprit. It's one of these Lizard-Man from before. [... What is he doing there?!] It looks like he is just watching the surroundings. [Is he guarding this place? Why? Because of me?] ... No, this can't be, he shouldn't even know that I'm here. Then what could this be about? This bothers me. I have no idea what he is up to, and I feel the urge to deal with him one way or another, before he tries anything funny ... [I know!] I open the shop menu and switch to the "Traps" category, which I’ve been curious about since I noticed it. There are some options presented to me:


){}-----------------------------------------{}(


Creatable Items:

All Items / Equipment / Furniture / Traps / Tools / Consumables / Magical / Misc.
All Traps / Activators / Mechanical Trap / Magical Trap / Aerial Trap

  • Pressure Plate - 50 DP
  • Trip Wire - 20 DP
  • Connection 5 DP
  • Spikes - 10 DP
  • Boulder Trap - 100 DP
  • Arrow Trap - 100 DP

-----------------------------------
Remaining DP: 4108
){}-----------------------------------------{}(



These are slightly more expensive than furniture. [Now, how to make it efficient?] Firstly, I should guard the dungeon core! As far as I understand the situation, this thing is vital for the existence of a dungeon. [... And probably for mine too.] Having something at the room’s entrance wouldn't be a bad idea either. The entrance is easier to cover, so I will start with that. On the screen I can see that Traps are divided into categories, one of them called "Activators". So I guess they don't activate by themselves, but need a trigger and a connection to it.

I place a "Trip Wire" at the entrance. Pretty obvious and easy to notice, if you are careful. Right behind it, a "Boulder Drop Trap" is placed on the ceiling. [Now, to connect them ...] I chose "Connection" from the menu. Two shining dots appear which I connect to both the trap and the wire. [Seems to be fine.] I inspect my creation ... [Only an idiot would fall for that!] I guess I'm not a trap expert. But even if someone notices it, it will tell them that they are not welcome here …

[Let's place another one near the core.] For this I had another idea, but I need to check if traps work that way. First, a pressure plate is placed in front of the core. On the wall behind it an "Arrow Trap" is placed, which is basically just a small hole in the wall. As it gives me the option to adjust the angle in which the arrow should fly, I decide to set the trap right beneath the ceiling, and point it diagonally to the floor, where the intruder should be standing. Now, as an experiment ... I place another two Arrow Traps next to the existing one and adjusted them, so they all should be shooting in a cone-like manner (In case there are several intruders). I try to connect them to the pressure plate, and "ta-daaa" it works! [So, I can wire several things together. That's good to know!] This trap looks much more promising than the first one.

Suddenly a devilish Idea comes into my mind ... Now that I know that several traps can be triggered by one activator, I want to confirm that a single trap can be activated by different triggers. I pick another pressure plate from the menu, place it right beneath the boulder trap at the entrance and connect the two of them. [Seems to work just fine.] Now if someone steps over the wire and thinks that he avoided the trap, he still gets a boulder on his head! [Man, now I feel evil ...] But it can't be helped, a ghost must know to protect its home. [Or rather prison, in my case ...] Still, I feel a little less helpless now.

As I inspect the angles of the arrow traps a little more, some noise occurs outside. [What is it now?]

I don't see anything through the entrance, so I open up the map again. Out of the woods comes a whole line of Lizard-Men marching in the direction of the ruins. There must be at least 50 of them. [I don't have enough traps for so many!] But after taking a closer look I see many small individuals, like children with them and most of them are also without weapons. It doesn't look like they are prepared for a fight, but ... [I shouldn't drop my guard just yet!] I don't know anything about them after all.

As they arrive, they gather around the remains of the outer wall, as if the inside is a taboo zone. Now, they all look with curiosity and a bit of tension towards the entrance. [Man, it looks like their whole tribe is here. Just what do they want?] I feel like an animal in a cage …

Finally one of them comes forth. It seems to be a respected person, because the others are making room for him. He wears a lot of different ornaments around his neck, shoulders and arms. They are mostly made of feathers, shells, bones and colorful stones. He sports a big scar from the right shoulder to the left side of his stomach. On his head, he wears the skull of an animal with long teeth. His head seems to fit perfectly in it, though.

I think he noticed my trap, as he stops right in front of it. For a moment I've been on my toes because of that. I was afraid he’d walk right into it, get killed, and then all hell would break lose. Standing there, he raises both of his hands and lowers his head. Behind him all of the others lower their heads too.

Lizard Man: "Shornag nagar ... Shornag kar go-schar ... Shornag ar ornag-schehar!"

...

[ ... What?!]

Chapter 1 < Chapter 2 > Capter 3


My Patreon. Click for more info.

No comments:

Post a Comment

What kind of character did Argos have?

What was needed to bring Argos down?

How should slavery be handled in the world?

How should the dungeon advance in the near future?

Haw scarce should magic be in the world?

What Name should the Dungeon get in the future?

Should the Protagonist remember his past?