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Peek: A Spark in the Darkness
🕑 Added 2024-07-29 00:04:03 +0000 UTCThe first thing the young dungeon feels is terror. It only just came to be, and yet there are so many overwhelming dangers around it! Colossal beings stand around its core, and the smallest of them is the most dangerous: a scion from another dungeon! Its fate seems sealed, as if the furry thing doesn't subsume it, the charging beetle invader will!
The hatred and madness in the beetles eyes are destroyed utterly by one of the colossus, crushed with no apparent effort. Subsumation is probably preferable to being drained by an invader, but the young dungeon wants to live! The rival scion looks to the small chip of a core and speaks, revealing the gulf of power to be ever greater, as it's a Voice!
"Hide inside, little one."
The gentle advice cuts through the panic, and instinct latches on the lifeline. Invaders are still coming, but the giants are defeating them, giving the young dungeon mana. It quickly spends it, earning itself a worm scion, and rushing its first construct spawn. It quickly orders them to retrieve it and settle it in one of the holes, and the denizen and scion rush to obey.
The worm is not cut out for fighting, but it does what it can to protect its master, by curling around the little chip of jet, and then shuffling onto the disk of the construct denizen. It's awkward and the core is frightened the entire time. It feels like an eternity before the construct reaches the nearest hole and tumbles in, worm scion and core coming along for the ride.
The core is safer, but still not truly safe. It spends its mana rushing the spawners, filling the holes with milling constructs and worms. The giants step out of the dungeon's territory, and the nascent dungeon must now fend for itself. Now that it has a safer Sanctum and some spawns, such a task is within its ability, and it gets a few moments to try to think.
It doesn't know much, but its experiences already war with its instincts. Outsiders are dangers! And yet... they clearly protected it. Was it just a fluke? Did they despise the invaders more than the core, or maybe they didn't notice it?
No. They definitely were aware of it. It tries to find some difference, something to explain why the outsiders would help it, especially that Voice. The large fuzzy thing was a scion for certain. The large things were invaders... right? No... no, not right. They were... delvers. Instinct grudgingly admits that delvers and invaders are not the same thing. Delvers are protectors?
Instinct is unhappy about that comparison, and soon leaps on the chance to question it when one of the delvers returns and kills a construct! They are destroyers! Something seems off about that, especially as the delver continues to slowly pick away at the denizens, only killing the ones that wander from the holes. It takes several dead denizens for the dungeon to realize the true difference between invader and delver: it gains mana from them killing its denizens! The invaders either steal it away, or let it dissipate into the surroundings. The delvers do something else, and energize the dungeon from it.
Can it get a lot of mana by making more denizens? It decides to try, and so continues to spend mana actively spawning, building up a large force to send out. After several minutes, over a dozen each of worms and constructs surge from the holes, and the other protectors step into its awareness to quickly dispatch them.
So much mana! It still costs to spawn and to direct the denizens, but it's earning more than it spends! It happily spawns several more waves, earning mana with each cycle, before the protectors step back. The dungeon is sad they seem to be done, then frightened with another scion enters its territory! It's larger than even the protectors, and radiates power. What should it do?!
The large scion lays down, folding its long legs, before speaking. "Hello, little one. I represent the Southwood, a powerful dungeon far from hereโฆ or not so far from here, thanks to the shortcuts."
Is... it also a protector? Where did they go? Are they alright? While the dungeon wonders how to respond, its scion ventures forth to confront the large scion. The worm would stand no chance against that, and the dungeon tries to call it back, before the large Voice starts explaining.
The protectors are safe, but they can't always be here to help. The scion's dungeon, however, is willing to help guide it. It is the dungeon's choice: become a protege, or go it alone. It's not difficult to decide. Alone is dangerous! The dungeon needs swarms of denizens to protect itself, but even every denizen at once wouldn't do anything against that Stag. If it's going to offer help instead of destruction, the young dungeon will eagerly accept!
It feels the bond form, its mentor ancient and stable. It feels... safe. It also feels more, weaker bonds, thanks to its mentor's... ally? The ally has a vassal and its own protege, too! That ally feels... odd. Warm. The other protege is curious and bright, while the vassal feels prickly yet somehow soft at the same time?
It leaves the feeling of the bonds for now, as it tries to follow the advice its mentor gave: grow. It wants more denizens, and it wants to get a node. It doesn't quite know what a node is, even after the mentor described it, but it understands that it will make more mana, and will bring more protectors. It will need to have plenty of denizens for them to cull, not to mention to protect the node from invaders!
It focuses on its spawners, wondering if it can enhance the spawn rate significantly. Alone is dangerous. It should make sure its denizens are never alone.
Comments
Aerowarrier
Hopefully they can get the First Mate out there somehow to explain the possible problems of being overprotective. Definitely seems like the little guy is gonna take after uncle Hullbreak in that regard lol
Demonlord
YES
Blue Trooper
xD
Blue Trooper
Found the JET PROTECTION FORCE (J.P.F.)? Y N
Sturstryk
Heh. Thediem is "odd" and "warm" ... yeah, that checks out. I am SO glad the little one has some guidance. Also, I somehow kinda want Violet to be a kind of big sister/cousin for the new baby, mostly because I think that'd be adorable. I'm not sure HOW that would happen, considering the distance and all, but the idea of Violet finding out about the new dungeon and getting all protective about him and wanting to teach him the things that the "grown-ups" don't think about just seems too precious for words.
Elmithian
Swarm dungeon with desire to protect the protectors. That is adorable, if potentially a bit concerning in the long run
Wolf_Senpai
https://youtu.be/s9XXd_I04dY?si=ICxzVL-Y1V2hk0Cu
Ender419
The worm had a lot of grit and should get the brave or grit affinity. Plus I think it had a plan, enter the stag and beat it from the inside.
Cha0sniper
Jet Protection Force, reporting! :D
Ethan Barrow
Good little shadow, I kinda want the dungeon's name to be Jet due to it's jet black core color. TFTP!!
Ibram Gaunt
Oh that is soooooo cute. Thank you.
Gregs_Crow
โ (/^U^)/ โ this is epic!
Jacob
Hello everyone this is my new child and if anything were to happen to it I would kill everyone on the internet and then myself.
Jacob
It's just a scared lil baby! OhmygoodnessitsSOCUTE!!
Herakilla
Thanks for the peek! That was warning to read from the little dungeon's side
Demonlord
Thanks for the nice peek ๐ Really adorable ๐
Robothaus
swarm theme with worms might make "Worm that Walks" rather than big worms, and if the constructs can get even smaller individually those swarms could wind up scarier than the worms
Vayash
Can we name it Serral
Sonata Fauns
Good let the army of pebbles and worms grow! Though now that I thought about this I feel like Jet could easily become a threat if not taken care of well.
Durphymcbob
In one of the earlier Peeks their was a "Swarm" Sub-class, given from the dungeoneers guid. I Think Little Vanta is on the path of becomeing one.
Vik M.
Jet, the swarm specialist
Vik M.
The genuine concern Jet expressed for the worm was adorable
Sonata Fauns
Oh gods we found the Zerg core. At least itโs on our side, though I do really like the thought of these dungeons slowly becoming a giant thing.
FluffyPrincess
Hullbreak is the grumpy old uncle XD
Vorquel
Adorable
C
That felt way to short lol. I'm going to need the next one asap.
Durphymcbob
This little one seems to be picking up on the ideas of swarms instead of powerful indiviuals, I do do hope theat once it grows a bit and gets a bit smarter it can be taught to not kill the delvers.
Markell
Jet upon meeting the stag: โNo! Come back worm! You are no match for its power!โ Worm: โimma fight it.โ
Ben Bass
Thank you, I love the peek! I really like this new little dungeon, I hope they are able to grow and flourish under the guidance of Southwood!
Raufgar
No Core left behind.
m1872
This was really cute
ForgeMaster
A truly terrifying way to start a life, but I have great expectations for Jet.
Eriach
Tftc
Preswolfwood
I like this little guy. And he seems to have accidentally picked up a nice Human Concept. With Humans you will never stand alone.
