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Peek: The Tragedy of Hullbreak Harbor
🕑 Added 2022-07-24 21:38:05 +0000 UTCPreliminary Inspection
Mana flows suggest nascent dungeon. Have tracked likely source to Hullbreak Harbor, so named for the large coral reefs that dot the northern portion of the bay. Any ship large enough to warrant a sail must be careful to not run aground on the reefs and break their hulls.
Have tracked likely location of core, but cannot visually verify. Was unable to obtain an aquatic pendant, potions, or other means to stay under the water for extended periods. Core appears to be located in one of the deeper patches of coral. Have identified denizen fish and hermit crabs.
Dungeon likely to form fully in about a week, will return at that time to perform a follow-up inspection.
-Inspector Listor
Follow-up and First Inspection
Dungeon is fully formed, borders are stable. Have obtained several aquatic potions, so can perform a more in-depth inspection. Fish and hermit crabs appear to still be unupgraded, which is unsurprising, given how young the dungeon is. Core appears to be a blue tetrahedron. Core size and denizen activity makes it difficult to give more detail.
Fighting style is awkward, even with aquatic potions, so few denizens were defeated in inspection. Next time, will bring fishing tackle and attempt to defeat denizens that way. Will need to capture invaders for decent odds of success, I expect.
-Inspector Listor
Second Inspection
Tackle has proven effective when combined with hooked invaders. May be able to train dungeon to bite at ordinary bait once it understands the mana it gains from fishing activities. Dungeon appears to have expanded to encompas a few more patches of coral, have observed new denizens are some kind of sea slug.
-Inspector Listor
Fifth Inspection
Dungeon has started accepting ordinary bait to capture its denizens. With this method of delving established, Hullbreak Harbor should be open to general delvers, especially fishermen. Recommend against net fishing, as it could leave the dungeon undefended against invaders. Have spotted clusters of oysters, so pearl diving may be an option as well. Ordinary delving is theoretically possible, but only recommended for those actually able to stay beneath the waves without outside magical assistance. Tentative designation as a toybox. Dungeon appears non-hostile, but environment still presents potential risks.
-Inspector Listor
Eleventh Inspection
Dungeon expansions have given it a wide variety of sea life as its denizens, and it also now has a small speck of an island, which has given it access to seagulls. Below the waves, it has gotten access to sharks, which are the first actual offensive denizen for the toybox. They are still small and appear to be entirely focused on dealing with invaders. Will update guild guidelines to advice delvers against engaging with the sharks in any way, if at all possible. First scion observed: shark. Expect dungeon will soon make a war room to send expeditions, either with sharks or with gulls.
-Inspector Listor
Twenty-First Inspection
Dungeon has maxed out one of the various fish spawners and has obtained tritons. Tritons appear to enjoy pranking delvers, most often attempting to capsize the small fishing boats to 'defeat' the delvers. Tritons then right the vessels and let the delvers continue on their way. Only danger is if someone doesn't know how to swim, but who would come out here without being able to swim?
Shark scion has become a Marshal, war room location unknown. Shark scion is upgraded to tigershark. It watches me as I inspect, but makes no move to hinder inspection. Dungoen is still a toybox, if a mischievous one.
-Inspector Listor
Thirty-Fourth Inspection
Dungeon has established a merfolk Enclave. Journeyman Tarl is performing other inspection duties as I make contact with the merfolk. Merfolk are friendly and wish to trade with delvers. Appear able to harvest parts of the coral for various crafts.
Journeyman Tarl indicates more changes than expected. Not only has the shark scion been upgraded to a great white, but it is also the Voice now. Voice indicates dungeon is satisfied with current situation, though it does say the merfolk are not to be harmed. Assurances are given, as dwellers are fully aware and intelligent, and do not respawn.
-Inspector Listor
Fifty-Seventh Inspection
Disaster has struck. Details sparse, as few delver survivors remain. According to witness accounts, a large merchant vessel had anchored itself near the established trading hall, atop one of the higher coral outcroppings. While trading, a freak wave hit, and somehow the anchor failed. Precise failure unknown, but ship was swept up in the wave and crushed the trading hall, along with unknown number of merfolk.
Dungeon went beserk. Inspector Listor was delving at the time, and if he tried to calm the dungeon, it appears to have been unsuccessful. When attempting to get details, Voice ordered me to anchor outside the borders, and to not enter. Delvers are no longer welcome. Inspector Listor's badge was returned.
Dungeon is to be reclassified as belligerent, delving highly recommended against.
-Journeyman Inspector Tarl
Sixty-Third Inspection
Status unchanged.
-Inspector Tarl
Eighty-Sixth Inspection
Status unchanged.
-Inspector Tarl
Nintey-Seventh Inspection
Status unchanged.
Inspector Tarl
______________
The worst part of inspecting Hullbreak is the boatride out there. The small boat with a self-propulsion enchantment makes it fairly easy, but even having to row would help take Tarl's mind off of the memories.
Thinking about the new dungeon helps some, but there's also the lingering worry that it could suffer some similar accident. With it so centrally located in Fourdock, that could be a serious problem.
He's actually relieved when the head of the great white breaks the surface. He's already hefting the anchor over the side before she can start speaking.
"That's close enough. The Captain says I should eat you if you come any closer."
Tarl sighs and nods, before donning his official demeanor. "The Dungeoneer's Guild would ask the Voice if delvers will be able to delve in peace."
"Delvers are dangers. Any that come in will be killed. We'll keep in our waters, you keep in yours," replies the scion immediately.
Tarl manages to not deflate too visibly at that, but nods. "Then the Dungeoneer's Guild will endeavor to keep them out." With that, he turns the boat, pulls up the anchor, and sets course back to Fourdock. Once securely on his way, he pulls out his recording stone.
"One-Hundred-and-Ninth Inspection. Status unchanged."
Comments
Ainz
a reaction like that tells me hullbreak was kinda sensitive. broken like that is a dark place to try to crawl back out off, the pit it has in its soul must be deep :*(
JollyRodger
It would be quite the information gain if the old inspector, as undead, was there. I don't know why hull breaker dungeon is attacking thediem though. Clearly the dirty gulls are from him. Maybe before neverrest was defeated I could understand, no need letting neverrest get stronger, but after? Why isn't elf guy bring up the gulls? I think teemo and Poe need to fly out to the island for a chat with that shark.
Travis Birdsong
I do hope that hullbreak harbor can be consoled one day and go back to maybe not being a toy box but a corporative dungeon more wiser and mature that it once was and hay maybe the old inspector will show up (tho I doubt that last one).
Jimbo
:)
IV08004
Thank you
Maestro
and some of the anxieties of Tarl for Fourdock are revealed to be very real and justified. The big saving grace being that being in the town TheDiem has pretty good control of what is going on, with the scion muscle to back it up. I wonder if he can make friendly contact again at some point.
Kindred
maybe Thedeim will meet hullbreak at some point? it would be difficult I could see though... maybe he would expand and meet hullbreak that way? I couldn't see either being able to subsume the other (other then Thedeim expending a massive amount of Mana on underwater stuff for that specific purpose, he'd even be able to allow delvers use nets since he wouldn't have to worry about protecting his core as its not underwater) but it is almost garunteed that hullbreak knows of Thedeim.
Lee Smith
Oof... Why do i have a feeling that there were some not so pleasant delvers on that merchant ship?... Edit: there may be more to this than I first thought. I gave it another read through. Hulbreak returned Listor's inspector token... possibly another undead inteligent? Hmmm...
Centuri
This is actually quite tragic. I came here expecting a very different story to play out and instead got something much better than I could have imagined. Good job khenal!
