The Labyrinth, page 31
part #2 of The Gods' Game Series
A level 20 stone mason essence construct has been created, using 100 essence crystals and 190 natural essence.
Both bowed low to Kyran and then raced out of the chamber. Kyran raised a questioning eyebrow to the keeper.
“They have gone to their tasks, the miner to carve out the tunnel to the portal chamber, the second spoke—and the mason to prepare the stone doors of the first spoke.”
Kyran nodded. His work here was about done. He glanced around the chamber, wondering if anything else needed doing before he departed. His eyes fell on the stack of essence crystals. “Guardian, can I store my items here?”
“You may. The fort is not sufficiently advanced to construct a vault or storeroom but your items will remain protected here.”
Happily, Kyran unloaded some of the crafting and miscellaneous items he collected thus far, significantly lightening his load. He kept only a few essentials and valuables.
He turned to leave but one last important detail, almost forgotten, occurred to him. “One last question before I go. The portal, when it is constructed, will it be active and connected to the other world portals and will anyone be able to use it?”
“The portal will be active and connected to Myelad’s portal network on creation, unless you wish it otherwise. As with all else within Deepholm, the portal will be invisible to all others unless you set it to public access. Only you and those you explicitly provide access to, will be able to use it.”
Kyran nodded, relieved to hear his assumptions confirmed. “Well then, Keeper, it seems my time here is done. Goodbye.”
The Keeper bowed low. “Goodbye, master. I look forward to your return.”
Kyran nodded, and turning on his heel, left the Keeper standing motionless within the chamber.
✽✽✽
It was a much more bedraggled and reduced company that exited the forest than the one that had entered three weeks ago. They had finally reached the city. As the column of the fifty-three surviving paladins left the forest cover, Sara breathed a sigh of relief at being free of the forest’s clutches.
Spread out before them was a large walled city that rivalled Durham in size. At first glance the city appeared pristine, with rows of granite stone homes lining the slopes of the mountain against which the city rested. One could almost believe it to be a living, thriving city. But a second look gave lie to this and revealed the shattered homes, gaping windows and collapsed roofs. The city walls, once formidable, were breached in several places, its gates fallen and rotten. And most disturbing of all, was the eerie silence which cloaked it.
“Is that Crota?”
“Yes, milady,” said the commander, riding beside her. “Prior to its fall, Crota was considered an impregnable fortress. Below it, on the lower mountain slopes is the city, arranged in four concentric rings, each with its own walls, gates and towers.” As the commander spoke, he gestured, pointing out the ruined landmarks to Sara.
“And up high above it all, accessible only through a steep mountain pathway was the citadel. Backed against the mountains, and assailable from one front only, it was nigh-impregnable.”
Staring hard, Sara could make out the ruins of the citadel, perched amongst the mountain tops like a belligerent beast, lying in wait for the unwary. Much of the citadel appeared intact and when she narrowed her gaze on it, she detected a faint, vaguely repulsive aura emanating from within. The undead. She shivered involuntarily.
“How did it fall then?”
“At great cost and under the sheer weight of numbers, milady. The allied gods’ forces marched straight up the slope and assailed the citadel with both might and magic, and even though they sustained massive losses, they had the numbers to maintain their assault, eventually overrunning the citadel’s walls. That day the dead numbered in the hundreds of thousands. The battle was one the likes of which has never been seen before or since.”
Sara shuddered at the images conjured by the commander’s words. “We will make camp in the city, somewhere we can keep watch on the road leading down from the citadel. If the agent escapes the labyrinth that will be his most likely route.”
“We will not attempt to enter Crota itself?” asked the commander, relief evident in his voice.
“No, Iyra specifically forbade such.”
“And if the agent exits elsewhere, milady? There are rumours of other ways out of the labyrinth.”
Sara nodded. “That’s why we have this,” she said, pulling out a tracking crystal. “This was crafted by the First and blessed by Iyra herself. It will let us track the agent the moment he escapes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work while the agent remains within the labyrinth. Something about the disruptive effect of the orichalcum.”
Commander Ruben peered at the crystal, both curious and puzzled. “Ah, but how? I know little of such devices, but the little I know, is that for them to work requires an item that resonates strongly with the target. Forgive my doubts, milady, but how could we have such an item if the player was but newly incarnated here?”
Sara smiled broadly, “Oh, don’t worry commander, I expressed the same doubts to the First. I confess I understand little of the device’s crafting either. But as to the device’s key… I myself am the key. After all, the agent, Kyran, gave his life trying to save me back on our home world. A strong enough resonance, wouldn’t you say?”
The commander chuckled, nodding appreciatively.
Game Data
Deepholm Construction Work Order 01 Status
Date: 20 Sepa 2603 AB
Progress: 0% (0 of 11 items completed).
Build Queue (remaining)
First Spoke (modifications): marble, 7 days.
Second Spoke (including 3 x stone doors, primary guardroom, secondary guardroom): marble, 7 days.
World Portal chamber: marble, 5 days.
World Portal: 10,000 EC, 2 days.
Central guardroom: marble, 7 days.
Main barracks: marble, 3 days.
Final Spoke (modifications): marble, 2 days.
Mine guardroom: marble, 3 days.
Mines: marble, 21 days.
Third Spoke: marble, 7 days.
Craft Halls: marble, 14 days.
Deepholm Inventory (Full)
Stored Weight: 86.8 kg
Money: 0.
General Items:
Hunter's net (5.0 kg).
Crafting Items:
Bone spearheads x 10 (5 kg).
Spider silk (3 kg).
Chitin leathers x 5 (5 kg).
Jade bear skins x 30 (30 kg).
Spear shafts x 20 (8 kg).
Frost ophidian skins x 25 (12.5 kg).
Naga skins x 7 (7 kg).
Armour:
Rusted darksteel chainmail vest (7 kg).
Weapons:
Steel shortsword (0.8 kg).
Rusted steel knife (0.3 kg)
Crude feral kobold bone spear (1.8 kg).
Basic longsword (1.4 kg).
Part Four
Chapter 21
21 Sepa 2603
There are cities, and then there are true cities. True cities, of course, being those powered by natural essence. And at the heart of every true city is the settlement stone. Its strategic value in warfare is well known and often expounded but its civic importance is usually overlooked. Quite simply, the settlement stone is a settlement’s power source, the anchor for the ley line from its essence well, and the means by which natural essence is transferred to the settlement for its use. Without it, none of its essence technology can function. – from Settlement Basics by legendary scholar Jostfyler Graldvir.
Kyran hurried out the settlement, pausing only when he encountered the mason construct near the exit. The construct had marked out twin parallel lines in the corridor—the outline for the planned stone door—and was diligently chipping out the door’s groove. In fascination, he saw that the construct accomplished this without tools, its hands themselves morphed into hammer and chisel. Content that all was in hand, he exited the secret door.
At once he was bombarded by Aiken’s sendings. A jumble of emotions—anger, fear, admonishment, joy and despair—coursed through the bond. The cub was frantic with worry. He had not been able to sense Kyran in the settlement, and from the sense of Aiken’s projections, Kyran had been there longer than he realised.
He checked the game’s internal clock and with astonishment saw he had been in Deepholm for over a day. It had to have been the bonding. It must have taken longer than he thought. No wonder Aiken was miserable with concern. Only now did he realise that the veil around the well had obscured their companion bond. Irked at himself, he assured Aiken of his well-being. “Sorry, brother, I didn’t mean to worry you. I had no idea.”
But Aiken was not done yet. He projected a torrent of images, leaving Kyran in no doubt of what he had put the poor cub through. Kyran bore it, knowing that he deserved worse. He apologised again and made his way down.
Stepping out from behind the falls, he found the party clustered around its base, seeking for a way into wherever Kyran had disappeared. Adra and Gaesin were soaked, probably from diving in search for an underwater entrance. Even Aiken—despite his aversion for water—was wet. He waved feebly to the three staring up at him and called down, “Uhm, sorry, people. I’m all right. Nothing to worry about.”
Silence.
Sheepishly, he climbed down and waded through the water back to the camp. His companions had not waited. They had headed back the moment they saw he was hale. He winced. They were still upset.
At the campfire, he found them drying themselves. His arrival earned hard stares from all, even Gaesin. Their reaction caught him off-guard, he was not used to others worrying over him. And he feared that he had handled it badly. Concern. For him. Despite their anger, he could not help but feel a warm glow at this. They were no longer simply lord and vassals. Their battles together had forged deeper ties between them.
Friends.
That’s what they were. Steadfast and loyal. He looked closely at each. He would sacrifice much for them. Shamefaced, he apologised again, explaining he had no idea that so much time had lapsed. After supper—he had been starving—his companions’ moods lightened. He reported what he could of the events in the settlement. He was sketchy on the details but they did not probe. Aiken, he could not keep from the truth. He would see his memories and know all of it but with the others, he was not ready to share the danger such knowledge would bring. He said carefully, “Our mission was a success. I can open the city’s gates.” He paused. “There is just one complication. I am not sure if the gates still work.”
Gaesin and Adra shared confused looks. “And how will we figure out if it works?” queried Adra.
“That’s where it gets complicated. What do you know about settlement stones?”
Adra pulled at her whiskers in thought. “They are the heart of a settlement, fought over in divine wars.”
Kyran nodded. “But do you know their purpose?”
Gaesin answered, “They are the central node of a city, used to control all its essence structures.”
“Correct. I can open the city gates but only if the essence structure powering it remains functional and if we can locate the city’s settlement stone.”
Gaesin stared at him in surprise but remained silent. “So, we may end up crossing the length of the labyrinth and still find ourselves trapped?” asked Adra.
“That’s about the gist.”
Adra shrugged. “Well then we would be no worse off than we are at the moment.”
He looked to Gaesin who nodded in agreement with the sentiment. “So be it then.” He pulled out Aveyad’s map, rolling it out on the floor before them. “Now, let’s see if we can figure out where to find the settlement stone.”
While the map was absent of any detail, it showed the city’s basic layout and major structures. Kyran was betting the settlement stone was in one. A double ring of walls, with two primary exits, circled the city. The city’s North Gate opened into the labyrinth and would be their means of entry. The South Gate led to the surface and was the one through which they hoped to escape. There were several forts within the city, but it was the prominently marked Stonekeep in the central Government Square that attracted his notice. It was the most fortified structure in the city and the most logical choice to house the settlement stone. He tapped it. “Here?” he asked.
Adra following his gaze, nodded firmly. “I agree,” she said. “I have never heard of a settlement stone housed anywhere but within a city’s central keep.”
Gaesin confirmed, “It was so in Iltenial.”
“It’s decided then. Tomorrow we head for the dwarven city.”
✽✽✽
The next morning, Kyran planned their route, poring over the labyrinth map with Adra. It was a journey of two weeks to Durn Duruhl. Two weeks of travelling in passages likely infested with kobolds. According to the map, the kobolds were most populous in the southern labyrinth, making the journey south no trivial matter and one needing careful forethought.
The largest concentration of kobolds was in the southwest which meant their journey to the city would only skirt the edges of their settlements. Nonetheless, they would have to cross over the territory of many villages. To complicate matters further, after the unexpected encounter at the North Core, Kyran was no longer certain of the map’s accuracy.
They plotted their route through back trails and side tunnels, favouring caution over speed. To avoid conflict, the party would circle the kobold settlements. It would add several days to their journey but was for the best. With the route decided and contingencies in place, they set off.
✽✽✽
The first week passed without incident. The few kobolds they spotted were of the normal variant—as Kyran came to think of the simple level ten warriors—and not the elite soldiers they had run into in the North Core and slavers’ caravan. Kyran hoped that boded well for the rest of the journey.
As they travelled, they trained their civilian skills, and each made steady, if slow progress. Adra reached civilian level nineteen where her progress stalled without more crafting materials. Gaesin reached level eighteen while Kyran inched closer to level twenty.
Kyran has reached civilian level 19!
Base skill in mage lord has increased to 19. Vassal channelling essence penalty: 208,8%.
Base skill in commander has increased to 19. Max battlegroup size: 155.
Base skill in scrying has increased to 19. Show hostile radius: 273m.
Base skill in travelling has increased to 19. Max travelling distance: 1.36km.
Base skill in nature lore has increased to 19.
Remaining: 1 Civilian SP and 3 AP.
At the end of every day he received progress reports on the Deepholm settlement’s development. By the end of day one, the first stone doors were finished. On the seventh day, the first spoke modifications were completed and the miner started on the tunnel to the world portal chamber. Through the settlement interface he observed the progress as it was steadily carved out. The stockpile of marble grew and then shrunk as the construction progressed.
On the ninth day, they picked their way through a simmering lava field. Using slippery ice, the trio jumped from rock to rock, navigating a dangerous path through. In the depths of a molten river Kyran spied the slow-moving forms of a school of fire salamanders. He toyed with the notion of bonding them but restrained himself. They needed to travel inconspicuously and without attracting attention, which would be difficult with glowing salamanders in tow.
On the eleventh day, they traversed a natural bridge that spanned high above the fathomless depths of a subterranean canyon. Fighting vertigo, the party edged across. Aiken made the entire trip shivering in fear and refused all Kyran’s coaxing to share the source of his dread. When Kyran stared down he was overcome by a sense of nameless dread that caused Aiken’s anxiety to peak and himself to fight an urge to jump. After that, he shoved curiosity aside and hastened away.
On the twelfth day, the kobold presence in the tunnels increased. They saw not only level ten warriors but other more advanced kobolds, and try as they might, could not find a section of tunnels free of them. Their progress slowed to a crawl as they were frequently forced to stop or backtrack.
On the thirteenth day, they reached the honeycomb of tunnels that surrounded the city. They were almost at their destination, but that was when things took a turn for the worse.
✽✽✽
That morning started like any other, with Aiken greeting Kyran playfully. “And a good morning to you too, brother,” replied Kyran. Despite the heightened kobold presence, the party’s spirits were high. They were nearly at the city—and escape from the labyrinth.
The day’s journey began like any other but around noon the pattern changed. “Kobolds ahead,” reported Adra. “A party of thirty.” This was significantly larger than previous patrols.
“Any chance of avoiding them?”
“Not unless we retreat to the last juncture,” replied Adra.
“Very well,” agreed Kyran.
They fell back to the last intersection and proceeded down an alternate path. Only to run afoul of more kobolds. Again, they backtracked and diverted course. Again, kobold patrols blocked their route. After three more attempts it was clear that there was a strong kobold cordon around the city, one which they could not sneak through.
What was the reason for the heavy kobold presence here, wondered Kyran. According to Aveyad’s map the city should have been deserted. So why were there kobolds patrolling it? None of the possibilities were pleasant.
The party had a decision to make. They could continue circling the city, trying to sneak through the kobold cordon, but eventually their luck would run out and they would be detected. Or they could try to break through. He didn’t like their choices. But there were no good options here. He gathered the party for a hasty conference.
