Genesis Locorum

At the atelier in the Black Box, Sarah is busy at her forge. The platinum-haired dwarfed poured molten metal into a mold for a cuirass. As the white-hot liquid poured into the mold, she noticed her brother open the door and brought several sheets of fabric.

“How is the armor fairing, Sarah,” Richard said.

“Fine,” Sarah said. “I have several of them made for you to check.”

Richard turned his head to the side and saw several chest plates in various styles.

Sarah turned to her brother. “Did the client ask for any other details?”

The Smiths were recently tasked by the Rosenkreuz Guild to create a set of dress armor for an actress from Pacifica. Pauline had sent a commission to Emily and her party, especially to the dwarven weaver and blacksmith siblings.

“None so far,” the blond dwarf said. His eyes held a giddy excitement at the commission as he laid out several sheets of fabric on a table. “What do you think of these colors? I’m leaning towards a wisteria hue myself.”

Sarah shrugged as she turned her gaze to the mold. “Maybe periwinkle would fit better? Come to think of it, the client never mentioned what film this thing will be for.”

“Hello!” Emily’s voice echoed to the siblings.

“Hey, Emily,” Sarah said while looking at another empty. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” the dungeon said. “How is the commission coming along?”

“So far so good,” Richard said. “Say, could you give your opinions on these colors?-”

Emily’s turned her gaze to the swatches of fabrics in the workshop. The colors range from pastels to vibrant hues, to earthen tones. “Hmm,” Emily said. “I think the peach one looks neat.”

Sarah looks over the chest plates she had made. She checked the Mythril armor for any flaws or imperfections. “Hmm,” she said.

“Something wrong?” Richard said.

Sarah noticed that one of the cuirasses was designed differently. The chest plate has a shape that includes a cleavage and two cups. A dissatisfied and confused Sarah takes the piece to the nearby furnace to melt it. “I have no idea how that mold was used,” Sarah thought.

A while later, Richard and Sarah assembled various dress armor. Richard stitched the fabrics into the bottom edges of the cuirasses in the form of a skirt. One had a peach-colored skirt, another periwinkle, another wisteria, another a pale lime green and the last had a pastel pink hue.

Later that day, Emily, via her avatara, helped the dwarves bring the armor to the guild to meet with the client.

The filmmaker looked at the various armors. He was a porcine man, with a portly figure, but clad in a refined suit with a black coat and tie. He wore a bowler hat. He observed the various armor.

“The craftsmanship is exquisite,” the Porcine man said, “But these armors aren’t quite what I’m looking for, my apologies.”

Sarah sighed. “Are there any specific problems with the armor?” Emily asked.

The filmmaker looks at the armor. “I’m looking for something befitting a valkyrie, if that makes sense?”

“You’re gonna need to elaborate,” Richard said.

The filmmaker tells of his encounter with a Messenger, and how he had regaled him with certain myths from the old world, including those telling of shield-maidens sent to retrieve the slain. Unfortunately, the information he knew about them was not enough for the siblings to hone in on the right details, beyond the presence of a shield, and that one of them involved swan feathers.

Emily headed to the front deck to ask Benoit a question. “Are there any Dugneons around here where swans live? We might need to get their feathers.”

“Swan feathers huh?” Benoit said. “I heard there was a maze around the Eitri meadows where swans are known to gather.” Benoit checked his files for the dungeon in question. “Let’s see, hmm, over there? Ah, there it is!” he take out a document with the label “Brokkr’s Maze”. “Its over to the northeast of Eastshire,” he said.

“Thank you,” Emily said. The three left the guildhall.

✦✦✦

The next day, Emily, Heathcliff, Elizabeth, Tim, Carla, Richard and Sarah. Explore the Eitri meadows. The plains were littered with ruins of an old civilization with stones scattered about the lush flatlands.

“We’re here to get some feathers, cher?” Heathcliff said.

“Yeah,” Emily said.

“It’s for the dress armors,” Richard said.

“Ah,” Heathcliff said. “That guy was rather vague on that. Did he even describe who was to wear it?”

“Fortunately,” Sarah said as she took her hammer out. “He said the actress was a fawn woman and mentioned a range of sizes.”

“Swans huh,” Carla said. “Do you have any idea how to use their plumage?”

“I have several ideas, yes,” Richard said.

The group soon saw a large entrance with masonry that vastly differed from the other stones. There were no signs of erosion on the gate. The marble columns were untouched, as blue as the sky itself.

“Is this Brokkr’s Maze?” Emily said.

“It should be,” Elizabeth said. Her wingers fluttered to the entrance as she saw runes engraved on the stonework. As well as metal plating hidden beneath the rock.

The Smith siblings felt drawn to the entrance, Sarah in particular felt like something was calling to her from within. A curiosity about this Dungeon.

“Let’s go in,” Sarah said. “These feathers aren’t gonna get themselves.”

The party enter the dungeon, looking to gather enoguth feathers for their plans, and maybe bring soem swans back with them just in case.

✦✦✦

Emily and her party venture into the maze. They found several flocks of swans on the lakes scattered through the maze. The walls and ceiling are a blend of dark purple and blue marble that reflects light in a way reminiscent of the night sky. With holes where Stella’s rays pierce through the ceiling. Copper piping is seen lining the walls.

“We’d need to be careful,” Elizabeth said. “These swans are likely the maze’s [Cells] and would become aggressive when approached.”

“It would be safer to find molted feathers anyway,” Richard said.

Sarah looks at the details of the maze and notices their familiarity. As the party makes their through the artificial ponds and rivers and searched for places where molten feathers are gathered. They witnessed various automata tending to the cygnets. The brass machines reminded them of the Engines’ Cells.

The group found a locked door. Adorned with a fresco. Whereas the walls were in dark purple and azure hues, the door in contrast is a contrast of orange and black. It depicts a blacksmith toiling over an anvil with a hammer in hand.

Elizabeth approached the fresco. “Is that…” she thought. She wondered if it was meant to represent Obsidian before she noticed several details were off. The figure was shorter and the volcanic iconography usually associated with him is absent.

Sarah noticed a collection of white orbs beside the fresco. Placed in concentric circles. She recalled the model of the star system she had created a few years back and noticed the orbs were arranged in a similar manner to the planets. While the others pondered how to open the door and Elizabeth wondered who the figure is, Sarah moved the orbs around, almost like she was in a trance. By the time she was done, the orbs were arranged in a celestial formation and the door trembled.

“Huh?” Sarah said. Snapping back to reality and unaware of what she had done. The door receeded into the floor and revealed a large room filled with molted feathers.

“Well that was easy,” Heathcliff says. “A bit too easy…” the knight keeps his guard up as they party entered the room. Emily and Elizabeth keep an eye for any emerging foes while he others collect enough plumes and down for their purposes.

As the dwarven siblings collect the feathers, they noticed they were being watched. They soon looked up and saw another dwarf, perched atop a balcony. His gaze is fixed on the siblings as if he had anticipated them. “How I dreamt of this day,..” He said before walking off.

With enough feathers for a hundred dresses, the group is satisfied. They took the bagged feathers and prepare to leave the maze. Arriving back at the entrance without any incident. Heathcliff and Emily were left confused by how…peaceful the trip went. Elizabeth wondered why the Dungeon haven't sent any forces to bar their path. The dwarven Smiths, and Sarah in particular are left with with something gnawing at them. The group made their way back to the Black Box. Richard and Sarah then spent the rest of the day working on the feather lined dress armor.

✦✦✦

Later that night, Sarah lies on her bed, her thoughts lingering on the strange Dungeon and memories of her and Richard’s father. She recalled when he helped her craft her first sword, and also when she showed him a mechanical staff she had made from brass gears. She drifted off to sleep and dreamed of a place similar to the labyrinth, lined with its unusual marble and brass pipes. She wandered around the place as if it was f to her.

The next week, Emily took the armor Richard and Sarah had made with the addition of the swan feathers to the guildhall. There the Porcine filmmaker observed the various armors and accompanying shields.

“These are better than the last batch, excellent work,” the filmmaker said with a smile. “But why aren’t the craftsmen here?”

“They’re busy with an errand in Eastshire,” Emily said.

Pauline oversaw the two as they talked the armors. The blue-haired elf noticed something familiar about the porcine man but was unable to explain why.

The pig-eared man took a look at an armor with a teal skirt, along with metallic teal parts on the cuirass. A Theress’s trim was made of the nacreous dreamthread, while the rest of the skirt had swan feathers lining its outer layer. The accompanying shield was itself designed with an image of a swan. “This will do nicely. Thank you miss.” He turns to Pauline. “You have fine talent in your ranks.” Before leaving with the armor.

Pauline looked at the other armors, similar to the teal ones, but with various flourishes and styles. All they shared beyond the basic framework was the detail of swan feathers.

“The Smiths had made quite a lot of these,” Pauline said.

“Yeah,” Emily said. Her thoughts turned to the strange lack of conflict over at Brokkr’s Maze. “Excuse me, Pauline?”

“Yes, sweetie?” the elf said.

“Is it normal for a Dungeon to be so…peaceful?”

“Hmm,” Pauline said. “That depends on the Dungeon itself. While it is true that they should test adventurers in some form, there are some that do not. Those tend to not last long though for reasons that I’m sure are apparent.”

Emily recalled how the loss of all of a Dungeon’s mana would cause the Dungeon to die. And how that nearly happened to her.

“Why do you ask that, dear?” Pauline said. “Did something happen at the Maze?”

“Nothing happened,” Emily said, indicating that the lack of conflict was why she asked.

“Ah,” Pauline said. “Don’t worry about it, dear. Something you’ll find unusual places like that.” Pauline left Emily to attend to a phone call.

Emily gathered the armors and returned home.

✦✦✦

Meanwhile, the Smith siblings went to Eastshire. At Minerva’s and Carla’s insistence, they brought the Coloraturas as well as Charlotte and Nina, with them.

“So this is where you used to live?” Rose said as she slithered along the rustic roads of the village.

“Were you expecting underground tunnels?” Sarah quipped.

Rose stood silent. The young lamia child could not think of a response. “M-maybe?”

Sarah laughed. “Don’t sweat it.”

Strelitzia and Clover looked at the cobblestone roads and the lack of automobiles in the areas. “This seems very different from Noir,” the minotauride said.

Raine meanwhile looked at an empty building. “Was this where you used to live?” the phoenixian girl said.

Richard looked at the building and confirmed it was the building was their original atelier.

Lily cantered toward the building with a gleeful smile. Richard stopped her. “Wait, we have taken everything out of the house when we moved. This is no longer a workshop anymore.”

“Aww.” The centaur said.

“If there is nothing there,” Charlotte said. “Then why did you decide to come here?”

“That is a good question?” Azalea said. “It seemed a little too early for homesickness to be setting in.”

“I wanted to catch up with some folks is all,” Sarah said. Richard noticed something in Sarah’s expression.

As the group of twelve toured the Smith’s former home. Richard explained to them the financial struggle they had and that why they decided to move to the Black Box, as well as the events leading up to that.

“…So that is why there are a lot of Arachne with Emily?” Rose said.

“Yeah!” Nina said. “Mommy had to move because our house was burned down.”

“Rosie,” Anemone said. “We knew of this after we moved in, remember?”

Rose rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. “I forgot.” Anemone and Raine sighed.

During their tour, Sarah caught up with old acquaintances and clients, asking them about Brokkr’s Maze. She learned about how it supposedly began as a network of tunnels before someone took up residence there. And how it is ambiguous as to if the Dungeon was a Natural or Divine Dungeon, with its sudden changes causing people to think it is the latter. She also leaned about how several craftsmen had attempted to explore the place, believing that it is connected to a legendary figure. During these talks Sarah also asked about her deceased father, but could not find any new information. Only stuff that she already knew, such as his tendency to leave the workshop to gather material.

The visit to Eastshire went to an end and the group prepare to leave. The siblings take one last nostalgic look before someone approached them.

Richard noticed the woman and recognized her as a niece of the person that commission that dress. The one that lead to Sarah’s ill-fated venture to Tarantuloplous, the last commission they made before moving in with Emily.

“Hello,” Sarah said. “What brings you here.”

“Hello,” the woman said. “I wanted to give my thanks again for the dress you made for my aunt. I heard you guys moved shortly after finishing that?”

“Yeah,” Sarah said. “Couldn't keep up with the property fees.”

“That’s a shame,” the woman said. “But I understand. I heard you went to the Eitri Meadows recently?”

“We were looking for some swan feathers,” Richard interjected.

“You’ve been to Brokkr’s Maze then?” the woman said. “My aunt said your father went there often.”

“What?” Sarah said.

“Sarah?” Richard said.

Sarah thought more about the maze again. She wondered if that is why things were quiet there.

“I’m afraid I couldn't tell you more,” the woman said. “He was a rather secretive sort. Thanks again.” The woman left the dwarves alone.

The dwarves and the kids made their way back to Rosenkreuz, Sarah lingered on the questions the parting encounter posed.

✦✦✦

Later that day, at Sarah’s insistence, Emily hand her group had returned to Brokkr’s Maze. Accompanying Emily, Heathcliff and the Smiths were Raine, Azalea and Carla.

“What an a-maze-ting twist,” the young clionid mermaid said.

“Are you sure what that woman said was right Sarah?” Emily asked.

“I’m certain!” Sarah said, firmly grasping her hammer.

“Why would father travel this far from Eastshire?” Richard said with curiosity.

“One way to find out,” Sarah said.

With that declaration the group ventured into the maze again. This time the labyrinth carried a more ominous aura. Gone were the graceful swans, in this marled place with brass pipes were only Emily and her party, and vast emptiness.

“Seems like this Dungeon means business this time, chers,” Heathcliff said as he drew his sword.

Compared to the last visit, there is less sunlight entering through the holes and windows on the roof. The only other lights were from spheres embedded onto the dark purple and blue marble walls. Their faint glimmer evokes the imagery of stars in the night sky. Raine used fire magic to create a glowing torch.

Carla heard the fluttering of wings in the distance. She alerts the group to the increasingly loud noise as a flock of swans arrive to accost them. The avians swooped from on high and their talons clashed with Heathcliff’s shield. Richard used his stunners to paralyze one of them, but another makes a riposte, pecking at the dwarf with beak and claw and obscuring his vision of the others with its wings.

Azelia avoided the swans’ attacks by swimming in the air. “Who ruffled their feathers?” she said as she deftly avoided the attacks.

Heathcliff defended Clara while she prepares to use her aroma to calm the waterfowl down. Sarah used her hammer to knock some of the swans back while Emily used lightning magic to fry them. Eventually Carla used a special scent to clam the aggression of the waterfowl, but a few darker colored swans remained belligerent.

Raine used her chakrams to singe the remaining swans as those calmed by the alraune’s aroma flew off. The phoenixian girl’s attacks managed to scare the remainder of the flock enoughs for the fowl to fly off.

“You had done well,” a voice echoes out to the group. “But there are more trails to come.”

“Who are you?” Sarah shouted. “Why did—”

“If you wish to know, if you seek that knowledge, that treasure, then you must delve deeper into the labyrinth,” the voice interrupted. Sarah tried to get the dungeon to respond, but he remained silent.

“Don’t think this one is a Divine one,” Heathcliff said.

“We’ll find out in roughly two hours,” Richard said.

“What did he mean by ‘treasure’?” Emily asked.

“I don’t know,” the silver-haired dwarfette said. Her eyes gleamed with a fiery determination. “But I’m going to find out.” She slowly marched forward, leading the others deeper into the labyrinth.

✦✦✦

Later, after more encounters with swan flocks, Emily’s group arrives at a large arena. The room was shaped like a cylinder and concentric gold circles are seen on the glossy black floor.

Sarah recognized the design as resembling the lock on the door from the last visit. “Orbital patterns?” she asked. Before she could examine them further. The circles begin to glow.

Steam hissed from the brass pipes as the party heard the sound of mechanical stomping. The first Sentinel of the maze arrived. A mechanical golem with cygnine features. Including a spear that resembled a swan.

“So the first Sentinel has arrived!” Sarah said as she drew her hammer. Raine and Richard noticed a shift in Sarah’s demeanor as she drew her sledgehammer.

Sarah rushed forward to confront the mech. “Sarah!” Richard said as he saw his sister leap into battle. The dark-skinned dwarf swung her weapon against the boss, but the blunt blow bounded off the metal body of the machine. The steam-powered golem lifted itself off the floor and hovered in the air, gazing analytically at the assembled opponents. Carla tries to ensnare the boss with vines, but with a slash of its spear, the mech sliced through eh foliage.

Sarah charged toward the center of the room and jumped to attack the areal machine. The mech dodged the attack and drifted closer to the wall. Sarah fell onto the floor, being caught by Richard.

“What are you doing?” Sarah’s brother said.

“Trying to fight this thing, of course”! Sarah said with a huff.

Richard sighed, well aware of how hardheaded his sister could be.

The machine had analyzed enough of its enemies and plunged toward Clara with its spear. Clara tried to move out of the way, but the machine is too fast for her to evade. Heathcliff intercepted the spear and deflected it with his sword and shield. The two and Emily fight off the sentinel with Emily using lightning spells and bardsong and Carla using her vines and earth magic to root the machine to the ground. Raine and Azalea supported with their own magics and Raine’s chakrams. The phoenixian’s girl’s rings severed one of the the golem’s arms from its body.

Sarah looked at the bound boss and rushed towards it once more. She whacked at it with her hammer, forming dents in the brass exterior of the machine. The mech warmed up its body using its combustion engines, burning through Carla’s bonds on it and heating its spear. The swanlike elements turned from gleaming alabaster to searing scarlet as it rushed across the arena. Everyone dodged its attacks.

“Seems like that guy is steamed,” Azalea said as she swam to her right to avoid the mech’s attacks.

Sarah noticed that the boss’s head remained the only part of it not blowing with incandescent heat. “Emily, try to freeze it!” she said.

Emily looked at the machine and casts ice spells to halt its advance. The mech is stopped in its tracks by the formation of a glacier around it. Azalea helped by turning the moisture in the air into water and flinging it to the glacier to add its its ice. “Time to chill out!” the mermaid said as she summoned more water.

Sarah used the opportunity of the stalled mech and swing at its head with her hammer. The sudden movement of the head of the much proved her hunch that it was the weak spot. She swing it again, landing a flurry of heavy blows. Breathing heavily, Sarah made one last swing ans dislodge the head from the rest of the golem. The machine cooled off from the lack of power and the ice.

Mist hissed from the pipes once more and coated the area, melting the ice. “Well done,” a voice echoed to the party. The mist vanished and with it the ice and the golem. In its place was a treasure chest.

Emily approached and opened it. She found quarts crystals and a slab that had something etched in it. Sarah took a look at the slab and noticed it said something in a dwarven language. Emily handed her the slab, having sensed her interest in it.

Sarah read the slab and translated it. “Long ago, when the first Archfiend ruled the land. There was a smithy, skilled were they in the art of metallurgy. Legendary weapons forged by their hand. Their craft were forge in the flames of a star…” the except ended there.

“Quite,” the dungeon echoed to her. “They called them the Star Forger. And claimed he was Obsidian incarnate. And one of the Heroes that saved Titania form the first Archfiend.”

“What does this have to do with—”

“For that you’ll need to delve deeper into me and find out.”

Sarah’s brow furrowed.

Richard remembered hearing their father tell them about the first Archfiend and his demise, but he is unable to recall the exact details. Emily is curious about the legend.

Heathcliff examines the rest of the chest’ contents and saw a spear similar to the one the machine used. He took the weapon and the crystals.

The party, led by a determined Sarah delved deeper into the dungeon.

✦✦✦

The party fought through more swans, as well as caretaker automata that were directed to fight them. Along the way, Raine had an opportunity to speak with Sarah in a room with fountains spewing water onto the artificial lakes.

“Yes,” Sarah said with an unusual tinge of irritation.

“I’ve been thinking,” the Phoenixian coloratura said. “You have been acting more impatient after learning that your dad visited this place.”

“Impatient?” the dwarfette said. “Me? I’m the pinnacle of patience.”

Raine raised an eyebrow.

Sarah sighed. “Okay, fine. But you first.”

“What are you talking about?” Raine said.

Azelia approached them “Isn’t it obvious?” the clionid said. “You are rather testy at times, especially around Rosie.”

“Am not!” Raine said.

“It’s true,” Sarah said. “You have a good chance of being moody at times.”

“Rather heated, to be frank,” Azalea said. “We don’t mean to ruffle your feathers Raine but…”

“I get it,” Raine said calmly. “I guess I get frustrated at times.”

“Frustrated?” Sarah said. “By what?”

“Parents.”

“Huh?” Azalea said. “Did Stre rub off on you?”

“It’s not that,” the phoenixian girl said before a sigh and a deep breath. “I’m frustrated and tired and envious about how you and the others were able to recall your parents while I cannot. My earliest memories were of wandering the Underground at Noir. I have no idea why my parents left me behind, where they are now, or even if they are still alive. I don’t even know what they look like. It’s just— I can’t really be enthused hearing Rose or Lily or Anemone or Clover talking about their parents.”

The mermaid and dwarf are stunned for several moments. Sarah eventually broke the silence. “I get it,” She said. “It’s not like I knew my folks that well either.”

“Huh?” Raine said.

“My mother died when were young, Father had to take care of me and Richard practically alone. Working hard with his craft to feed the two of us, when were older he also took to great lengths to teach us his trades. Yet I came to realize that he seemed distant from us. While it was clear he loved us dearly, he always kept to himself, never telling us much about his work or how he spent the time he didn’t use to raise us. He felt like a stranger to me at times. And then he died before he could even think about telling us.”

“Is that why you seem to be gung-ho about finding answers here?” Azalea said.

“That much is obvious,” Sarah said. “Brother doesn’t seem to be bothered by my father’s secrets or his demise, but I am. I want to know what happened to him, and who he was. I want to know who the man that raised me and Richard was. Is that wrong?”

“No, I get it,” Azalea said. She used her magic to levitate some heated water around.

“It seems like we’re in the same boat,” Raine said with a smile.

“I am thankful Brother and I were of age when that happened at least,” Sarah said. “I’m sorry that the same couldn’t be said for you.”

“It’s no big deal,” Raine said.

Emily approached the three. “Guys we’ve found something!” she said.

“Coming!” Sarah said.

“You two go on ahead,” Azalea said. “Raine and I have something to discuss. We’ll catch up in a bit”

“We do?” Raine said.

Sarah shrugged and left the two alone. Unaware that Richard had listened in from the corridor. His expression was forlorn. “Oh, Sarah.” He thought.

Raine meanwhile quizzically looked at her friend. Azalea had a contented look on her face. “Azalea, what is going on?” Raine asked.

“I just want to let you in a little secret…” the mermaid cheerfully said. She swam close to Raine and whispered something into her ear. Raine’s eyes widened in shock.

“What, but how?” Raine said. A realization dawned on her, but before she could express it, the mermaid shushed her.

“I haven’t told Rose yet,” Azalea said. “I’m sorry I kept this from you for so long. You’re not mad are you?”

“More…confused?” Raine said.

“We can talk about this later,” Azalea said. “C’mon, we can’t keep them waiting!” she cheerfully swam away.

Raine is left with a new understanding of both Azalea and Sarah. And more questions about the former. She realized that not wasn’t the time to muse on that yet and followed her fellow Coloratura to the rest of the party.

✦✦✦

Emily’s group arrived in front of a door, lined with nine concentric circles. Sarah observed them and noticed that there was an empty bowl in the center of the door. “That figures,” she said. She knew it was a larger version of the lock she found from the previous visit.

“Is that…” Emily asked.

Sarah nodded. “These rings represent the stellar system.” She pointed her finger to the third ring from the center. “That should be Titania, that means Eosphoros and Stilbon should be closer to the center.”

“Right,” Emily said. “And Pyrois is at the other side. Followed by Phaeton and Phaenon.”

“And then, Glaucus, Maimairo, and Mesonyx in that order,” Heathcliff said. “Why bring up the space lesson now, cher?”

Sarah looked at the door depicting the concentric circles. “The orbits of this system is a recurring motif in this place.”

Richard approached the group. “The aesthetics of the Dungeon in general had a cosmic feel to it, aside from the pipes. Much of the scriptures have space as a recurring element. Chief among them obviously being Astra, the Cosmos.” He presented a key he procured a few minutes ago. “I took the time to search for this, sister.” The key took the form of a large sphere.

Sarah took the Orb and Richard and affixed it to the bowl on the door. The orb snugly secured itself and glowed as the rings around it illuminated. The party heard mechanisms whirl within the door and soon, it opened to reveal a room with three figures standing in the center.

Everyone prepared their weapons, expecting the figure to be the second of three sentinels.

“Feeling rather hasty today, are we?” the dungeon echoed to the group.

Sarah stayed silent, anticipating the three figures to arise and attack.

“I understand,” the dungeon said. “If you can best this trial, then more shall be revealed.”

The marionettes activate, and feathered robes form over them as steam hissed from their joints. One brandished an axe, another a sword, and the third a bow.

“It’s show time!” Azalea said as she prepared a water spell to drench the automata. Emily used lightning magic to enchant her and Sarah’s weapons as Sarah rushed toward the sword-wielding automaton. The electrified hammer made contact with the opponent and sent a high voltage across it. Richard aimed his stunner crossbows at the bow-wielding opponent and fired his own to a similar effect. Emily and Heathcliff meanwhile clashed with the axe wielder. Raine used her flames to create supporting attacks while Carla used her powers of earth to throw the machines off balance.

Sarah landed another blow with her hammer, knocking the sword wielded to the wall and separating it from the other two. The dwarfette then followed up with another swing and crushed the mechanical sword arm. Sparks emerged from the limb as the machine tried to move it.

The bow wielder tried to snip at Richard from a distance, but the dwarf deftly avoided the projectiles and fired back with his own. Azalea levitated the nearby water and used it to throw off the machine’s aim.

“Can’t really sea what we’re capable of,” the mermaid said as she swam to the floor and close to the machine. She headbutted the automata’s elbow and forced it to let go of the bow. The machine tried to reach for it, but Azalea used the opportunity to slice the arm clean off with her knife while Richard landed a bolt on its back. The stunner’s lightning coursed deep into the automaton and shorted it out.

The ax-wielding machine locked blades with Emily and Heathcliff.

“Got any plans, Heath?” Emily said as she made a vertical slash at the third machine. Heathcliff followed up with a charge and rammed the opponent with his shield before curing the arm of the mech off.

“Heh, the plan’s simple. Send them to the scrap heap.” Heathcliff lodged his sword into the machine’s other arm and pushed it onto the pipes. The machine’s other arm was stuck behind and betwixt the brass pipes and he was pinned to them. Emily combined her sword into a chakram and enchanted it with lightning magic before throwing the weapon. The ring landed on the machine and sent large amounts of voltage through it, and the pipes. The chain reaction shorted out the machine.

The sword-wielding automaton was unable to use its arm, but it was not willing to concede the battle. It used its other arm to try to defeat Sarah, who dodges its blows and counter with swings from her hammer. Sarah eventually prevailed after multiple attacks paralyzed the mechanical being’s other arm and legs.

The three automatons were defeated, their robes and weapons dissipated into a storm of feathers that coalesced at the center of the room. A chest emerged from the feathery squall.

Richard opened the chest this time. Se saw another slab as well as several bottles of various liquid reagents. He took the slab and faced his sister. He handed her the slab.

Sarah looked over the dwarven handwriting and translated. “The Star Forger armed his allies for the fight with the Archfiend. It was through his help they they prevailed against him and liberated the land from his tyranny. The person was shrouded in mystery. Some said he was Obsidian incarnate, others said he was merely a student of his, but one thing was clear. The quality of his craftsmanship had rivaled the Forgemaster’s himself. And his students had possessed similar potential. As did their students. The best of them in turn took on his mantle. Those artisans who can use the stars in their crafts would henceforth become known as Star Forgers.”

“One such student,” the dungeon’s voice echoed to Sarah again. “Is a young dwarf. Pious to Astra, he sought out those that had inherited the art. Who then took them under their wing. From this ancestor a family was born, as he passed on the techniques of the Star Forger to his children, and they in turn passed it onto theirs…” The Dungeon grew silent.

Sarah began to piece together parts of the story, but there were still some details missing. After collecting the reagents formthe chest, the party moved deeper into the maze.

✦✦✦

After more battles with swans and automata, the group arrived at a rest area. As they prepared the remainder of their supplies, Sarah gazed upon the cosmic diagrams decorating the walls.

Richard noticed his sister was lost in her thoughts and approached her. Sarah was started by her brother’s calling. “Richard, what’s up?”

“Sarah,” Richard said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?” Sarah said while feigning a cheerful mood.

“Sarah, I heard you talking about father,” Richard admitted. “How long had you kept that pain to yourself?”

Sarah sighed. “How long did you think?”

“Sarah…” Richard said.

“I’m sorry,” Sarah said. “I didn’t want to burden you further. You already had a lot on your plate with trying to keep the workshop afloat, trying to get eyes on it, trying to prove to the world that—”

“But I didn’t want you to suffer in the process,” Richard said. “Sarah, I’m your brother. I’m his son too, of corpse there were times when I wanted to learn more about him as well. Of course, there were times when I wished he was still here.”

“Richard, I…” Sarah said.

“I don’t like dwelling on the past,” the dwarf said. “It blinds me to the future and the present. I want to honor our father’s legacy by moving forward. Please do not let the past blind you.”

Sarah is stunned by Richard’s response.

A while later, the group finds another door, this time showing diagrams of Astra and Stella alongside representations of other Administrators. Including the Planetae that the planets besides Titania were named after.

“The Wanderers,” the dungeon said to the group. “An enigmatic group, where as the Trinity of Obsidian, Halcyon, and Anesidora are collectedly Titania, no one knows if they are the only ones that are their dominions in the heavens above. Yet their cosmic power is the source of many abilities on this star. The original Star Forger channeled these powers in their craftsmanship and passed these abilities onto their students.”

The door opens as the Dungeon says this. Beyond lay a third dwarf, clad in armor and wielding a greatsword. The armored dwarf spoke with the same voice as the dungeon. “The powers of the stars course through your veins. Of this I am sure, prove to me the strength of your arms. Heritors of the Star Forger!”

Sarah and Richard enter the final realm, but as there did the dungeon shifts its walls and forbade Emily and the others from entering.

✦✦✦

Emily tried to break through the ward barring their entry, while Sarah and Richard confronted the core of the maze by themselves.

The armored dwarf calmly moved their greatsword and glared at their two opponents before charging at Sarah. The silver-haired dwarf leaped out of the way and countered with a swing of her hammer. The two weapons clashed and Richard fired bolts from his stunners at the armored adversary. The two bolts bounded off the armor and the armored Sentinel repulsed Sarah with a swing of their sword.

Sarah slid to the ground as the attack knocked her back. The armored dwarf turned towards them. “It will take more than that to best me!” The dwarfette faced her opponent and charged forward while brandishing her hammer. She slammed her weapon onto her opponent’s side with a large swing, but he was only pushed back a few inches. Richard aimed his crossbows looking for a weak point to exploit.

The three dwarves fight. The Smiths now know that their father was part of a hidden legacy, but they still do not know why they kept it from them. The armored dwarf knows their mission is to test their worth and test it they will. They take their sword and attempt to charge at Richard. But Sarah intercepted the weapon and repelled with with her hammer.

“I already lost my father!” Sarah said. “I’m not losing anyone else!” She slammed her hammer onto the floor and caused the room to tremble The hammer’s blow and Sarah’s strength caused the pipes in the floor to rupture, and the heated water therein to emerge as geysers. One such geyser caught the armored dwarf and lifted them towards the ceiling. The metal armor they wore became drenched. Richard saw the adversary in midair and fired a bolt at it, causing the boss to take jouls worth of thunderous lightning while Sarah leaped off the wall to slam the opponent onto the ground.

The armored dwarf fell onto the floor and stood up. He drew his blade. “Clever,” they said. “But will it be enough?” Runes on the sword began to glow as illusions of the night sky encompassed the battle. Stars, nebula, galaxies, planets, comets, and asteroids surround the three as the armored one begins to channel a potent attack. The dwarf took eleven cards.

“Long did the Wanderers lend their strength to the diviners,” the Core said. He took the cards, glowing with yellow light, and placed them all onto the large sword. The blade shone with yellow starlight as Eosphoros’ power was channeled onto the sword. With it, the armored dwarf made several slashes with the blade, beams of light erupted from the blade as he moved it. Richard and Sarah moved to avoid these slashes. As Richard tried to avoid these spells, he saw that one of them drew too close for him to dodge in time and braced for the impact. Sarah saw the spell and charged to push him out of the way, and took the radiant attack.

The spellblade’s attacks had dealt damage to Sarah’s left arm. Though her Cyberworks armor itself shows no hints of wear, the flesh beneath took a heavy blow and the blacksmith knew it. Sarah clutched her shoulder in agony, but the look on her face told the armored opponent that she would not give up the fight so easily.

The armored dwarf’s helm concealed his surprise at the sight, almost contentment. It also concealed his smirk.

Richard looked on in shock at the effect of the spell on his sister. “If this continues, she’ll…” he thought in horror.

Emily and others also watched on, unable to intervene in the fight.

Richard sought to find a means to end the battle quickly. He noticed that in the illusory cosmic starscape, geysers were still forming, and the ejected water had flooded the arena. The armored opponent summoned meteor showers to assault the two siblings, but Sarah’s damaged arm impeded her attempt at movement. While Richard was able to dodge these comets. Sarah had no choice but to try to deflect them. Like a slugger at a baseball game, she tried to knock the rocks away from her with her hammer.

Sarah breathed heavily as she swung her hammer, barely able to repel the meteors. The armored opponent observed her gear as she repulsed meteor after dismal meteor. Her firey rage amused them. However, they were too distracted by Sarah to notice Richard sniping them with his Stunners. He fired as many bolts as he could fire, each landing on the armor of his target and and the nearby ground. Sarah saw what was about to happen and used her hammer to vault herself into the air, getting hit by a meteor in the process as the flooded arena began to glow with electric power.

The armored dwarf was unable to react as Richard’s projectiles zapped them with the force of a thousand thunderstorms. The silvery armor blacked from the repeated instances of lightning magic that emerged from the bolts puncturing his armor and the bolts that emerged from the water.

The lightning faded and the armored dwarf was too stunned to Act. Sarah’s arm had healed from the bruises thanks to her armor and she was able to push all of her strength to bear. She made several leaps towards the dazed enemy and slammed her hammer onto him with as much strength as she could muster. The force of the swing caused the weakened dwarf to be hurled several feet back, their gauntlets and greaves destroyed by the impact as they landed on the wet floor. The boss could only chuckle as they grew aware of their defeat.

The ward and the illusions before fade and Emily, Heathcliff, Carla, Raine and Azalia were able to enter the arena. They rushed to aid their dwarven companions. Sarah and Richard, in turn, approached their fallen foe and found the avatara fading away. In their place was the true form of the core as well as the final chest.

“Well done,” the core of the Dungeon echoed to everyone in the arena. “I knew you had the potential your father had shown.”

The chest immediately opened, but inside was only a single table. Sarah took the object and began translating it. “Among the Star Forgers of recent memory, was a dwarven man from Eastshire. A descendant from the dwarf that sought their teachers. The latest in a long lineage. He had visited this place for counsel as he began to teach his two children his art. He kept his knowledge a secret, for the Star forgers have become feared as creators of relics of dread power as much as they were valued for crafting alms of miraculous boons. Few knew his progeny were of that lineage, not even the children themselves, for he kept the nature of their talents secret from even them to protect them from harm. His last will for this sanctuary was to grant them the knowledge to finish that he was unable to.”

“My name is Brokkr,” the core said. “I am that sanctuary. I had kept many generations of Star Forgers with these walls. But my own time is drawing to an end.”

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked.

“The legend of the Star Forgers was kept a legend by history so they can work in peace, free from the fear of people seeking to exploit their knowledge. Yet there are still those that know of their existence and try to find them. There will come a day with people will invade this labyrinth to see my knowledge. Use it to find the Star Forgers and take them away. I had but two wishes before that came to pass. The first is that I was able to honor the last will of Travis Steele Smith.”

“And the second?” Richard asked.

“That they were able to find someone capable of taking the knowledge with them. I asked the avatara with you to absorb me. To ensure this knowledge cannot be used for evil.”

Emily is shocked to hear that. “You what?”

“I knew of your desire to free those trapped within you,” Brokkr said. “And that you need a large amount of mana to do so. I’m afraid I cannot offer enough to that end, but I know our interests have aligned. I want to offer all of my power to you, both as a way to protect the Star Forgers and as thanks for taking care of Travis’s children in his stead.”

“Are you sure?” Emily said with hesitancy.

“I am certain,” Brokkr said. “Take my power and guard it well.”

Another chest appeared already opened, within it was another tablet. Richard took a look and noticed it contained a poem with opaque imagery.

“This poem shall be your map. It will guide you to the other Star Forgers when the time is right,” Brokkr said.

After a few moments. Emily approached the core and began absorbing its mana. As she does so, the group is surrounded by all of the swans in the dungeon. The waterfowl circled around them as Emily held out her arm and absorbed the core. The celestial maze began to fade from existence. After a few moments, the deed was done.

“May you be blessed in the starlight,” Brokkr said as his final words. The Dungeon reverted it a more natural forest and most of the swans had flown away. Those that remained took a liking to Clara to her bemusement.

The group saw that twilight was upon them. They decided to head to an inn in Eastshire before returning to Rosenkreuz. As they prepare for the return home. Sarah mused on the legend of the Star Forgers and the revelations made in that maze.

The next morning, Emily led the others back to the Black Box, where she, Sarah, and Richard told Elizabeth all about their recent adventure while Carla took her new pets to a more suitable home within the Bleumaw.