KEEPER POST
Keeper Kuroki heard a unexpectedly heard a raised voice near his Dungeon Heart, yet still insignificant to his next to own.
“Let me introduce myself Keeper, I’m Chester and as you can see a Warlock. You may either use me as a Researcher or a vanguard I’m fine with both.”
Kuroki arched a metaphysical eyebrow in the Mentor's direction. The Keeper mentally phrased his question with a slight undertone of malice.
Why was I not informed a creature had entered, Mentor?
I was looking the other way, the Mentor sniggered sardonically.
There was no delay to be noticed in the Keeper's response.
"Greetings, Chester. You are welcome in my domain... it is the Southern Isles in which you dwell now. I have a little score to settle here, but as soon as this little backwater diversion is dealt with, you'll find we can strike for at some more... strategically valuable realms. Why was I telling you this? Ah, yes... Scores to settle. My rival here... Rattus, an honourless scoundrel who undermines my goals!"
Only now did Chester notice the Call-to-Arms flag.
"You’re under attack? If you need me I’ll go right into action!”
"I fully intend to give him a excruciatingly painful and well-deserved send-off to beyond the curtained veil. That is the plan. As it is this dungeon is on lockdown. Rattus has made the first move, albeit on my terms. He has set himself upon crushing my dungeon, but I will not tolerate it. There is a bounty of 100 gold for every creature you turn back in the defence of this dungeon, Chester... do you wish to collect?"
x1
Kuroki dropped Chester into the battle, making a mental note to warn him later about the situation with the heroes later.
This is getting frustrating.
Scutus died, virtually flattened by Lilith the Level 5 Spider. The Keeper was annoyed to loose a valuable tank so early in proceedings... and was even more annoyed when Luna, one of his goblins, died taking down the Spider.
What are all my high level creatures doing? What in the name...
His highest level creatures, Dregs and Asifet, were tied up fighting the lowest level enemies. Meanwhile Lilith, Baerfang and Tezark were thinning his ranks and killing his creatures! Kuroki fumed.
They inadvertantly endangered the lives of their fellows, endangered the defence of his dungeon and the RCI Keeper vowed that if they were still standing after this battle, they would be sorry.
Meanwhile, Oliran had stepped up to the plate of taking on Baerfang. The Dungeon Keeper looked on, cogs at work behind a metaphysical poker face. Despite the dire and grim nature of the situation he was pleased to have a minion taking to battle with such enthusiasm. Money couldn't buy conviction.
Picking up on his previous line of thought, the Mentor responded.
Honour... some lower level minions are dead, do you really want to drive away your highest level creatures on principle?
Of course not, but loyal instruments of my will are dead and it is them to blame... I shall not overlook this.
Developments continued to unfold, and on an unrelated note a small party of heroes, tunnelers, exited the southernmost heroic settlement and began to mine the rest of the gold there.
Kuroki's mana store was now full and he quickly and fully healed Eixe, Zaral, Anika and, somewhat reluctantly, Dregs. The Keeper registered to his surpise that Beetlington, his long-standing and reliable researcher was now in the Training Room.
"Excellent work, Beetlington... keep it up. When you do get back to Library, begin research on the Prison and inform any other researchers to do the same. There is no rush so feel free, however, to continue training."
Kuroki decided it might finally be time to build a combat pit, and he checked his finances.
As a Keeper he had never stressed as much focus on dungeon development as some of his peers. Against the some of the forces in the land, dungeon size was an irrelevance. Knowledge, he had always felt, was the quantity which would always triumph.
A functional combat pit would be costly at around 24,000 gold pieces. Whilst Kuroki had enough, he decided to boost his finances with the aide of Create Gold casting the spell thrice.
Only now did he place the room north of his Dungeon Heart.
Excellent, hopefully this will attract a higher grade of creature... or at least motivate the ones I have to better make something of themselves.
Creatures would be able to train up to Level 8 in there now.
In the Workshop, Kuroki noticed that Grot had finished several Lightning Traps - he didn't place them yet, however, keen to let his funds recuperate after such an expensive investment. He didn't wish to spend his last 6,000 gold building them.
DUNGEON SUMMARY________________________
Heart Health: 100%
Gold Held: 6,000 (+4,200)(+2,400)(-24,000)/43,000
Spells Researched: Create Imp [Basic?], Create Gold [Inherent], Sight of Evil [Inherent], Speed Monster, Heal, Lightning
Rooms Researched: Combat Pit [Inherent] Hatchery, Bridge, Lair, Library, Workshop, Treasury, Workshop, Guard Room,
Available Creatures: Fly, Goblin, Spider, Beetle, Warlock, Troll, Bile Demon, Demon Spawn, Orc, Dark Elf, Black Knight
Current Creatures: 13 + 9 Imps
Annika (AoO's Warlock), Asifet (MC's Warlock), Chester (Skrk's Warlock), Oliran (MGR's Bile Demon), Niea (MGR's Dark Elf), Eixe (Evi's Goblin), Dregs (MC's Goblin), Beetlington (SF2's Beetle), Grot (MC's Troll), Zaral (AoO's Demon Spawn)
Mdukos (EJ's Goblin), Kosov (DL's Warlock), Chuckles (W-H's Spider)
Other Stuff
Death Count: 4 + 1 Imp
Ririi (MGR's Goblin), Buzzard (MC's Firefly), Scutus (Moth's Beetle), Luna (MGR's Goblin),
Trap Crates: Steel Door/Gas Trap x1, Lightning Trap x2
Imps:
Imps 1 Reinforcing Walls in the Ruined Dungeon.
Imps 5, 6 & 8 Idle, Behind Sentry Traps on Body Duty.
Imp 2, 3, 4 & 7 Mining Gold (Northern Seam)
Imp 9 Idle on Workshop Duty.
Summary:
GENERAL
- Addresses Chester and drops him into the battle
- Heals Eixe, Zaral, Annika and Dregs.
- Becomes pissed at Asifet and Dregs.
- Builds Combat Pit.
ENEMY COMPOSITION
- Fly #1 "Hazard" - Level 3 (Dead)
- Fly #2 - Level 3 (Dead)
- Fly #3 "Zippy" - Level 3 (Dead)
- Spider #1 "Lilith" - Level 5 (Dead)
------------------- - Spider #2 "Baerfang" - Level 4 (69% H) Web
- Spider #3 "Cicero" - Level 2 (39% H)
- Beetle #1 "Dreulbite" - Level 2 (29% H) Speed [Cooldown]
- Beetle #2 "Tezark" - Level 4 (79% H)