Tiny Dungeon

‘Hmm. Adding things increases the rarity of Schema.’ Valterra pondered Qual’Dorn’s words even as he continued the creation of his Fifth Floor. He set his Stalkers loose and watched as they hunted and were hunted by his Minks.

He now had three creatures that populated his little wooden cave system but still wanted more diversity. He continued to think about it as he created more overhangs and tiny alcoves within the wood before layering the outside with stone.

‘I need some small things.’ He realized. He looked at the Schema for his small things and frowned mentally. ‘I have a ton of small things,’ He thought in frustration, “But none of them seem quite right.’ He tried summoning some of the creatures that didn’t have a rarity only to have them begin rapidly absorbing the dense Aether present.

He watched in horror as his control over them snapped and they began to malform, their Sparks bursting into jagged crystalline structures. They grew rapidly, continuing to absorb the rich supply of Aether around them.

He immediately sent his creatures to kill them and found that they were almost outmatched. He summoned more high ranked creatures and sent them to the front line. His unfinished Fifth Floor became a bloodbath, full of gnashing teeth, tearing claws, and nutritious goo. By the end, he was left with several dead or severely wounded creatures and a variety of slain mutated monstrosities.

Valterra sat for a moment and tried to settle himself. He had never witnessed a Schema simply snap before. The creatures had seemed fine and then when they reached the point of evolution it seemed like they couldn’t stop. Their Spark Matrices just…failed. They became vacuums for Aether, their bodies mutating to keep up with the supply. They weren’t even really alive anymore.

For the second time that day, he felt a presence descend and look over what he had done. Valterra felt the gaze harden and turn on him and he wilted under that stare before it softened and he heard a voice sigh.

“I forget sometimes that you are still a child with only one evolution under your belt.” Tal’Irieth declared with another sigh. “It seems we have been remiss in our teaching.”

‘What happened?’ Valterra asked quietly. “What did I do?”

Tal’Irieth’s voice softened as he responded to the questions. “You created monsters. Well…that’s not strictly true or we would be having a very different conversation. What you did was create the perfect environment for a monster to be created.”

‘But I thought that's what I was doing before.’ Valtterra said. ‘What’s the difference between my creatures and those?’ He asked referencing the monstrosities. "And what about my Moss? That didn’t change into a monster."

“Hmm. Strictly speaking, what you make are monsters as far as the mortal races are concerned which is why the System we created sometimes calls them that. However, the truth is that they are far from the monstrosities you happened to create. A monster, a true monster, is a creature that has had its Spark Matrix broken, fractured, or shattered through some catastrophic event. "

"It could be complete Aether Oversaturation like what happened here. It has happened occasionally in different wars when mages with too much power unleash it all at once. The Aether from their casting form pockets over time and affects any creature or mortal that stumbles into them.”

“A more common way that monsters are created is through tragedy, pain, and suffering. Their Sparks attempt to heal the trauma and most times it is successful. But if the trauma is long lasting the Spark becomes strained. If it continues too long it can fracture. It only takes one more push at that point for it to break completely. All of that pain becomes the Core of that creature. The Spark crystalizes all of the trauma, pain, and suffering as a last ditch effort to save itself and the result is a monster.”

“As for your Moss, it isn’t like an animal or insect. Very few plants have a Spark Matrix. They have a Spark but it isn’t the same quality as one of your creatures. Think of them as Aether Accumulators. They take in as much Aether as they need but once they have enough they stop automatically. Something about their nature prevents them from becoming monsters. That isn’t to say it doesn’t happen but it is very very rare and requires special circumstances.”

Valterra absorbed this silently before replying quietly. ‘What would have happened if they had escaped?’ He sensed Tal’Irieth look at him for a long moment before responding.

“They would have been drawn to the largest sources of Aether to absorb it.” His voice was almost apologetic as he continued. “Some would have gone after the rest of your creatures. The strongest would have been gone after your Core. They would try to get to it to either destroy or consume it.”

Valterra shrunk in on himself processing just how close he had come to being his own demise. He watched numbly as Tal’Irieth moved and dissolved the corpses of the monsters leaving behind the jagged crystals of their cores behind.

“I think the lesson you have received is enough punishment so I won’t add anything to it. Mistakes, however, do sometimes yield their own rewards. Monster Cores can be excellent holders of Aether by design so perhaps you can find a use for them.”

Valterra felt Tal’Irieth turn his gaze on him and heard his tone soften again. “Remember that we watch over you Valterra and do not let worry cloud your mind. You will continue to make mistakes. The trick is to not make the same mistake twice. Now, I suggest you take a break and let your Fifth Floor be for the moment. Other creatures will evolve and make their way deeper when they feel the need for more Aether.”

The Core agreed mentally and felt the divine presence recede. He gathered up the Monster Cores and brought them into his central Aether Funnel where he placed them around his Core. Then he repopulated the Fifth Floor and confirmed its creation. He barely heard the chime as he let himself drift off into his Dungeon Body, his conscious thought receding as he began to drift with the tide of his Aether. He needed to think.

End of Chapter Notifications:

Floor 5 Created!

The Core has created its 5th floor with an active and diverse ecosystem that combines prey, predator, and environment with Aether.

Progress to Core Evolution:

80%