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Peek: Set Sail for Adventure!
🕑 Added 2024-09-30 00:17:24 +0000 UTCWarnd doesn't sleep especially well that night, his dreams a chaotic mishmash of high adventure and nighmarish failure. He wouldn't want to admit it to Lem, but he's excited for this. Fighting and delving is supposed to be for adventurers, not journeyman shipwrights!
Yet here he is now, about to meet his changeling friend at the bakery just outside the dungeon. He's easy to spot as one of the only people near the bakery and not actively in line nor eating, and he brightens when he spots Warnd and waves for him to hurry up.
"Warnd! There you are! Let's get in line for some cobblebread before we go. You didn't have breakfast yet, did you?"
"Ah... should I have?" Warnd may have been too eager to come and forgot to eat anything at home.
"Nah, this will be breakfast! Their fortified cobblebread is perfect for a delve. Do you like it sweet or cheesy?"
"For breakfast? Sweet, please."
Lem claps him on the back as they get in line. "Hah, me too! Nothing like something sweet to start the day, set the tone, yeah?"
Warnd chuckles. "Yeah."
"Nervous about the delve?"
"Some, but I'm more excited than nervous, I think."
Lem nods at that as the line moves. "The first delve is always the scariest. I've even heard adventurers from the guild say that. No matter the level, a new dungeon always gives that bit of unknown danger. Thedeim's great, though."
"What are we going to do for the delve? With all those real adventurers, is there going to be any room for someone new to it like me?"
"Yeah, the manor will be a perfect place to start. We'll probably want to stay out of the attic until you've gotten a few more levels, but the house and the yard are designed for new adventurers."
"Does that still count you? You sound... pretty confident and secure in all this. I wouldn't want to slow you down."
Lem laughs. "I've only been in a couple times, but I've heard plenty of adventurers talk about their adventurers in there. For us, we should probably grab a quest on the porch and then just wander around some."
"How's that work, anyway? The quests? The pamphlet talks about it, but I just can't picture it."
"So, Thedeim has aranea, yeah? They look pretty scary, but they keep to the rafters mostly. They make little signs and hang them down, and the quests are written on them. Just take the sign and you'll get a quest. You'll get a bit more experience for doing it, and when you return the sign, they'll drop a reward for you , too."
"Anything particularly interesting?"
Lem shrugs. "Mostly clothing made from silk. I think it's a bit rougher than the fancy silk clothes nobles are supposed to wear, but I've never been able to compare, you know? I got a second sock the last time I delved, which is great. They're so comfortable. I've heard it said you're old when you appreciate some good socks, and I think the aranea are making a lot of delvers old prematurely, heh."
Warnd looks a bit confused at how much Lem seems to appreciate a pair of socks. They're just socks, right? He doesn't get a chance to think on it for long, though, as it's soon his turn to order his meal. "Cobblebread, please. Sweet."
"Do you want it fortified?"
"He sure does!" interrupts Lem before Warnd can even ask what that is. "He's going on his first delve right after!"
The lanky troll behind the counter brightens at that. "Ah, a new delver! Then let me do the fortification on the house! Just a little extra help to make that first delve a memorable one!"
While the troll prepares the treat, Warnd looks back at his friend. "Fortified?"
Lem nods. "The bakers here are good enough to infuse buffs into their food. You can ask for a lot of different things, but the fortified cobblebread is their signature for a reason. It's delicious, and also makes you just a bit tougher for the day. Maybe we'll do your second delve without it, just so you can see the difference. Personally, I wouldn't delve without it, and that's not just because I have a bit of a sweet tooth!"
The troll returns with Warnd's selection, and after paying, he takes a seat outside. Ordinarily, he'd wait for Lem to come out with his own, but the scent is just too tempting. One bite is all it takes to ease his guilt, and Lem smirks as he joins him.
"Couldn't even wait for me?"
"No."
The changeling barks a laugh. "Hah! Honestly, I probably wouldn't either!"
There is little room for conversation as they eat, both consumed with consuming the sticky fluffy plate of heaven before them. Warnd eyes his empty plate, debating if he has more dignity than to lick it clean. Lem doesn't give him a chance to decide, though, and scoops both plates up to take to the drop-off.
"Time's a-wasting! Come on!"
The elf can only pretend to be put out for a few moments before smiling and standing. Breakfast was great, now to start working off the energy gained from it! He shudders a bit as they cross through the gates into Thedeim's territory, his instincts telling him this place is dangerous. His eyes, however, beg to differ, as many crafters can be seen on the grounds fighting, chatting, planning, gathering, and otherwise having fun delving.
He follows Lem to the porch, where he finally gets to see the hanging signs offering quests. He can't resist looking up, and accidentally meets the eyes of one of the aranea. He locks up for a moment as the dweller seems to stare into his very soul, before it motions at one of the signs and moves on. Warnd shakes himself, trying to calm down and remember how safe the dungeon is supposed to be, then looks at the sign the monster pointed at.
Kill Three Rats
That sounds... perfect, actually. He takes the sign as Lem rejoins him, bearing his own quest to kill three snakes. "Ah, rats. That should be a good introduction, yeah. I'm gonna get a couple snakes. There's also gathering quests, but the best lumber is still in the maze."
"The maze?" Warnd echoes, still a bit distracted by the encounter with the aranea, and the feeling of having his first combat quest.
Lem nods and motions for him to follow him around the side of the house, where a huge wall of greenery can be seen. "The hedgemaze. Tiny runs the place. It's mostly not for combat, but there's direrats that will steal your stuff if you're not careful. I think I want to be able to clear the attic before I try my luck in there. I figure, by then, I should be able to keep them from robbing me blind."
Warnd wants to ask about Tiny, but he spots a pair of rats heading their way. "Rats!" He points, and readies his bardiche, with Lem readying his hammer and shield as well.
"Just stay calm if they hit you. I overreacted the first time I got hit, and that only made things worse."
Warnd nods before the rats split up, one heading for each of them. He plants his feet, preparing an overhead strike, and shouts as the rat gets close. "Yaah!" His bardiche comes down a hair too late, the small target being more awkward to hit than he was expecting. He can only shift his stance a little before the rat tries to sink its teeth into his shin! The armor holds, though he doesn't know for how long. The urge to swing wildly rises, but he forces it down. Stay calm, even with it chewing on your leg! It's chewing on your armor, not your leg, you have time to react properly!
He considers swinging the bardiche head at it again, but even a fresh fighter like him can guess that'd be a bad idea. Instead, he slams the butt of the haft down on the rat, stunning it and making it release him. He takes a step back and swings the business end, and this time he cleanly cleaves the rodent in twain.
His foe defeated, he turns to help Lem, and is relieved to see he has his own rat handled. It leaps toward his friend, who bats it out of the air with his hammer, bounding the enemy off the ground before it stops moving. He sighs as they two get their experience, and Lem turns to him with a smile.
"Good job! You handled that a lot better than I did my first time, heh."
Warnd chuckles, planting the butt of his weapon on the ground as he fights shaking from all the excitement. "I think it was more that I realized it'd be a bad idea to swing the sharp end so close to my own leg. I still wanted to, but the stupidity of the idea helped cut through the panic."
"Either way, that's two down for your quest! You feeling up for more?"
He really is. It was scary, yet also exhilarating! No wonder adventurers do this for a living! He doesn't think he could handle doing this all the time, but every so often?
"Yeah!"
"Great! Then let's get to it!"
With that, Lem leads the way back to the porch and inside the manor, eager to have a bit of adventure, and oblivious to the dungeon watching them and having just as much fun.
Comments
Ch W
I missed Queen assigning ants to watch the public labs, cool idea. And semi intelligent denizens reminded me of Thedeim's observations of how ratlings work the spread of dweller offerings to dungeon warehouse, so thanks.
Ethan Barrow
Adventure!!!! TFTC!
Altaan
Thanks for the story, I must admit i laughed at lem saying he finally got his second sock.
Kali Smith
These peeks are amazing! What incredible bonus content! I really love these as they add extra slice-of-life feels even when the main story is in a dangerous place.
Aerowarrier
Look at him, already using the whole of his Bardiche as a weapon instead of just the head! Guy’s a natural lol
Magnadra
Queen has Ants in the public Lab that take Samples and watching over the process. In the beginning Thediem recorded what he had seen as you said. The Aranea decide on what quest to give out and what the delver get as reward. Thediem has little to no Influence over most of the quest or the reward (He tried to get them to drop 2 socks per quest but they don't like the idea to give two pieces for one quest) He proabably can mana-command them but we all know he normaly doesn't do that. Telar (Dungeneer Lady) once said that maxing out a spawner give semi intelligent denisenz that decide for themself how to best help their dungeon and the Aranea thought giving quest was the best.
Jerramy Scoggin
I believe that to be a language joke about the two common uses of the word consume, but i can agree it may also being confusing for readers occasionally. The same word in rapid succession like that is often seen as a mistake rather than intentional, so maybe a better option would be ",both too engaged with consuming..."
AbyssalIceLord
I have also wondered this, but since he is a God in this world now...i think it would be kinda useless lol
AbyssalIceLord
That wrapped the peek up perfectly for me lol. I love it when he mentions Thediem watching and interacting in these side stories :)
Herakilla
Thanks for the peek! Slice of life moments centered around the city's interactions with the dungeon, especially new delvers, are always so fun to read!
architectural engineer
he should eventually set up b and c and etc. side series to set up. independent books following the adventures of these people in the form of different genres. like instead of its normal storytelling flow it could be a book set entirely in their own unique style all throughout the story except when the main characters are influenced by Thediem during the peeks or main story.
CM
Thanks for the chapter! He (cna > can) only shift his stance a little before the rat
Anthony Felscher
TFTC! I'm hoping these two become a regular occurrence.
Ch W
Thanks for the peek. How does the public labs and workshops work? A passing comment in book one is Thedeim peeking over shoulders to learn magic. Does he record and update blueprints to his secret library for his scions to learn and use? Battle and gather quests are cool. Did the aranea put out quests to make?
Ben Bass
TYFTP! Aww, it looks like Warnd is starting to get the delving bug! I think we might see him back on weekends or on vacations to unwind and get some XP and some stuff. This is how Thediem will help bring prosperity to Fourdocks, one craftsperson and townsfolk at a time!
Demonlord
Thanks for the nice peek 😊 Really love these side storys Also little spelling mistake: "There is little room for conversation as they eat, both consumed with consuming the sticky fluffy plate of heaven before them." The first consume should probably be a continue
Kevo
I’m really enjoying these peeks, and at the end knowing that The DM is watching and enjoying it too was nice
Raufgar
Thanks for the Peek~! Could've done the home run bit, rat goes to the stratosphere in a twinkle...
David Rusk
I know that it been established that scions don’t normally aquire new affinities, but thadiums do. But, can a dungeon as a whole, like thadium, also gain another affinity?
Morgwath
Nice chapter, I enjoy Reading these innocent side bits and the new viewpoints they offer. I found a small spelling mistake:"He cna only shift his stance a little before the rat tries to sink its teeth into his shin!"
Durphymcbob
Thanks for the chapter! I really love watching these crafters, advetnuring in their free time, its great
