Saga of the Soul Dungeon

“The nine seasons are: Thaw, Calm, Rain, Grow, Harvest, Burn, Storm, Recede, and Freeze.”

-Children's Primer

===POV: Zidaun===

I felt the unmistakable sprouting of a new dungeon just a few hours before. Now, we were all caught in the preparations for the inevitable trek to the location. It was almost due south, with just a bit of east thrown in. And, from the reverberations I had felt, I was unfortunately certain it was in the middle of the Lances to the south. Trekking through wild mountains was always a chore. It was also disputed territory. Not a problem for me, I was as neutral as any Adar, and no one would dare to kill me. My companions were not so lucky, humans one and all.

Well, I would do my best to protect them anyway. I didn’t really understand human tribalism though. They could change sides on a whim, or endure to their death.

Adar took the instinctive bonds we all had for granted. Most of us anyway. I loved my people… in moderation. My duty was to be of use, however, and so I served as a seeker. And a new dungeon was exactly the reason for my purpose. I lived, so I served, how else could my people exist?

And even without duty I was drawn to dungeons. That, at least, I shared with my people. It was natural for us, like leaves growing toward the light.

And I loved the journey. It would be long and cold, sure. It was Freeze, that was to be expected. There was no telling what we would find when we got there. That was the source of my excitement, the little spark in my heart. It was why I was allowing myself to get distracted from my packing too. Not like I couldn’t do that in my sleep by now, anyway.

Most likely it was just a new dungeon. They were relatively common and I had already seen the emergence of several of those. Those were simple and rough, just an idea beginning to take form. And if that was all it was I would give it a gift and move on after documenting its progression. It would almost certainly be decade before a new dungeon became something of true worth to anyone.

However, there was always the possibility that the dungeon would be something special. When a dungeon emerged from hibernation it could be spectacular. All dungeons are sacred. Each carries the spark of divinity, a possibility that they could grow into a true flame. Adar carried a spark of that fire in our connection to dungeons and each other.

And would this dungeon be awakened?

I didn’t know, and the thought was intoxicating. Would I come into the presence of true divinity? The consequences, well they were not under my control. I would serve.

I sighed, once more brought back to my packing. My hands, a soft brown and green, blurred together as I continued the familiar motions. Knives, heat and light stones, an oiled canvas tent cover, basic cooking utensils, a communication spell, clothes, and all the rest found themselves checked and then neatly packed. Soon everything was ready and I bore the weight of the pack as I moved out of the room.

I left the Adar section of the guildhall and went to one of the meeting rooms.

Inda was already there, waiting and ready when I arrived. Her blonde hair stood out amidst the dark brown tones of the room. Dark wooden walls, dark wooden furniture with a slightly paler leather.

I walked in and gave her a little wave before I placed my pack next to hers and then sat in a chair next to hers.

“Well at least you are on time.” She said. She sighed… “Doesn’t anybody else realize we need to get going?”

I smiled and shook my head. I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them again and answering.

“Firi is probably done already,” I said, “he probably just stopped to pray. He is one of the clergy after all. And Gurek… well you might know better than I.”

Inda blushed.

“Hah, don’t think the fact you two have been eyeing each other has gone unnoticed.”

She spluttered. “No, I don’t, I mean we haven’t even done anything yet.”

There was a small pause.

“He’s been eyeing me?”

“Yes! Firi and I are about ready to start placing bets. The two of you seem oblivious though…”

Inda was about to reply, then she took a deep breath and her eyes narrowed.

“Well what about you and Firi?” She said.

I sighed.

“I want a real relationship, and that just isn’t possible.”

She winced.

“Sorry for bringing it up.”

The conversation was cut short by the arrival of Firi himself. His wide frame barely fit through the door, particularly with the additional furs. Sadly, the furs also stopped me from admiring the view.

“I would apologize for being late, but it looks like I am here before Gurek. Or did he already arrive and just step out?”

Inda scowled at the air.

“We wouldn’t be so fortunate.” She said, then her glare snapped to Firi. “And just because you are not the last person to arrive, does not mean you are on time, Firi!”

Firi rubbed the back of his head like he was a guilty kid and smiled sheepishly, his smile going wide and his cheeks dimpling. He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a growing sound of feet as they pounded down the hallway.

With a faint thump as he hit the side of the doorway and bounced off, Gurek scrabbled his way into the room.

“Sorry, sorry! I couldn't find where my ration packs got off to for the life of me; it took me forever to track them down.”

Inda scowled. “Considering that your room is as hazardous as a dungeon, I am not surprised.” She snapped. “One of these days something is going to come to life in there. Honestly, Zidaun is the one raised in a swamp, not you.”

“Leave me out of this if you would,” I said, “besides, we maintain the swamp quite well, so not a great comparison.”

The gentle sound of bickering accompanied us out of the guild hall and onto the streets.

Asmund greeted us with all its usual sights. The streets were full of slush and snow, half melted and trickling slowly through gaps in the cobblestone. The city was fairly warm, the great dome over the city keeping it bearable. It presence was betrayed by a faint shimmering in the air.

We trekked out of the city past the walls and a few miles more until we were at the edge of the dome. We entered the stables on the side of the road there.

“The slogi are prepped and ready for you, just need your chits.” A handler said.

Firi gave over the chits for them after fetching them from his furs.

“Okay, you are good to go. Head through the barrier into the back and head out.”

We did, each of us proceeding through the shimmering barrier after saying a different command word. The air turned bitterly cold as I passed through the tingling barrier, but the heat stones embedded in my furs kept me warm as we entered the stables proper.

Slogi, huge and furry, with their own magics for traveling in this weather were ideal mounts, but they had to be kept in the proper conditions during Freeze, or they would lose their coats.

We each mounted a slogi and brought them outside. The wind blew past, the chill enough to freeze the sap in a barren forest. At our direction they took off into the snow, Asmund behind us, and an unknown dungeon waiting.

===POV: Tarrae===

I had been thoroughly enjoying my family breakfast when the summons came from the guildhall. The summons was supposed to be urgent, but it still took a while to extricate myself from various relatives. My nieces and nephews had started jabbering questions about what was so important. Not like I could answer, I didn’t know yet. Some of them even followed me as I put on my heavy furs.

My brothers and sisters had just smiled fondly and watched with amused eyes at my predicament. My mother had been fussing about when I was going to get married earlier, but now just came and gave me a swift hug. My father was more practical and just rolled his eyes.

“He will come back here to pack, even if he has to leave.” He said. “Now let him get on with it.”

“Thanks Father.”

With only minor difficulty I managed to pry off a few children who had clamped on and buried their faces in the furs of my leg.

Finally free of passengers I was able to exit through the thick inner door and make my escape. Even with the door shut firmly behind me I could already feel some of the cold outside. I opened the outer door and quickly shut it behind me; no use in letting any warmth escape. I took a breath and felt the air crackle in my lungs.

Below, above, and to the sides of me the city of Soamana stretched out. The canyon walls had been carved into long ago. Up near the top I could see the poorer districts, where they were highly exposed to the extremes of the weather. I didn’t want to think about the cold there.

I looked around me at the merchant and craftsman districts on each side and below as I stamped my feet to get blood flowing. I turned my back to the noble district and the Imperial Grotto and headed east. In front of me lay my destination, the most powerful guilds. They lay sheltered, the canyon walls towering above them marking an end to where the city had carved away at them. The Adventurer's Guild was there waiting for me.

I hurried to the east. Cold resistance not withstanding, I was was more than eager to get out of the chill air. The paths were sparsely trafficked and I ignored what few people traveled the terraced streets. Homes and storefront entrances, flush with the stone, were closed this early, with only a few exceptions. A nearby bakery already smelled heavenly. Most of the stores would start to open soon, though none would be using the space in front of their stores until well after the start of Thaw. Some would probably wait even later. Well… maybe some of the enchantment stores would showcase their heat stones again in the cold weather.

The canyon wall on the side opposite the city offered little to see; it was covered by shadows. A part of the Maw, a small curve of its burning ring was visible, but the sun remained unseen behind the canyon walls. And I could faintly hear the river Rawimi far below as it continued its eternal flow. Even in Thaw it never froze. Faint wisps of steam just reached the bottom of the city.

Eventually the guildhall lay before me and I entered. I paused only briefly to leave my outer furs with the clerk. I probably wouldn’t actually be damaged by the heat, but this way I would be comfortable. I made my way toward the guildmaster’s office and his secretary nodded his head at me and quickly let me in.

Four strangers and the guildmaster himself looked at me as I entered. Three of them were sitting in chairs and the other stood to the side of the guildmaster with fine robes, and an impatient expression on his face.

I opened my mouth to apologize for arriving last, but guildmaster Manja just cut off with a raised hand and gestured to the remaining empty seat.

“Good, you’re here.” She said. “Then we will begin. First, introductions:” she pointed her hand at the standing man.

“The honored Imperial Representative, Ndrivo,” The man, hints of gold and silver glittering in his robes as he moved slightly and opened his mouth, abruptly shut his mouth with a frown as Manja continued.

“Adar Seeker, Anaath,” The Adar nodded, his brown yellow bark-skin and hair like long green backward facing thorns making clear that he was from the desert to the south.

“And the next three are members of the guild.”

“Soara,” a tall thin man, “Norana,” A woman, her muscles heavily defined and her brown hair cut short, “and Tarrae.”

We each nodded to the others.

“Good, now that we have that out of the way I can tell you why you are here. Adar Anaath came to me and informed me of a dungeon awakening an hour ago. Usually we have a team for this, but they are already on a dungeon dive. They won’t be able to feel it there, and it would take them too long to return even if we sent them a message now. Usually we would wait, but… well circumstances are what they are. You four are going to replace them.

Anaath will lead you to the entrance and minimize what danger he can. Obviously he is also the Adar representative. Unfortunately, we have no idea what to expect. It is likely that it will be a new dungeon and have minimal danger, but you will need to sort out your roles as you travel and prepare for the eventuality that it is a re-emergent dungeon.

Ndrivo will cover why we are not just waiting. Ndrivo?”

“Hrm,” he coughed, “yes. Anaath has provided us with his best guess on the location of the new dungeon. Unfortunately it is in a politically inconvenient spot. It is in the Lances. Since the entire mountain range is meant to be neutral territory between us and the Froans it could become somewhat tricky.”

He scowled a little.

“If the dungeon has an entrance that is accessible to only one party then we will either claim it solely, or allow the Froans to take possession. However, if we both have access… it is imperative that Tsary stakes its own claim. If it is a new dungeon, then the claim over the dungeon itself is of negligible importance for the moment. However, access to another pass through the mountains is of paramount importance.” The man’s expression looked like he bit into something sour for a moment. “Oh, also. Be polite to any team from Froa, we do not want to have an incident. If both countries have access, report that right away. A diplomatic team will be prepared as soon as you can provide details on how they can make the journey safely. If a diplomatic envoy from Froa appears first, inform them that their counterparts will be arriving soon and that you have no power to make any deals.”

Manja nodded and spoke, “Time is of the essence. The route you are taking will be to the east. Go along the canyon road to the Wither Salt Flats. Mounts will be provided for you at the end of the canyon road. From there head north to the Lances as Anaath directs you. Prepare for an extended trip and for high altitude. Go gather what you need and meet back here in three hours. Don’t worry about magical communication and survival gear. Those, and the best map we can find, will be provided. Team leader is Tarrae. Dismissed!”