[D'sP] And Plans Of Scouting - Chapter 487

Of course, if Doyle was honest with himself, getting an earth-aligned bear evolution wasn’t going to be a problem. Oh sure, there’s a number of ways it could result in odd evolutions, but he has a path for the elements and it isn’t like he can’t just keep trying. Besides, there is a reason elemental beasts are one of the most common forms of magical beasts.

The elements are literally everywhere. Even in the void of space, there are things like, well, Space. Plus a number of more esoteric things bopping about.

What Doyle wanted wasn’t just an Earth-aligned bear. He wanted something flashy. After all, an earth-aligned bear could simply be a bear with bones as tough as stone. The only visible difference being the teeth and claws. If that. Or it could be ugly, with the skin and fur replaced by a craggy, mud-like substance.

So, for the best chance at getting what he wants, Doyle begins to sculpt a section of the floor off the main path. His plan revolves around the idea that the situation will affect evolution. So, a bear that is constantly in a mud puddle? Most likely to evolve into a mud-skinned bear.

And while Ally hems and haws about it being more complex, she admits that is partly true. More to the point, a dungeon monster doesn’t have past experience to fuel a different evolution. So to get what he wants, Doyle plans to set things up so that moderately sized rocks keep falling on the bear without burying the thing.

At first, the idea of a giant tumbler tempts Doyle. Just a cylinder with a moderate number of fist to head sized rocks. Just one problem. Actually making the tumbler turn. Because that much stone? Yeah, there is quite a bit of weight behind it.

So instead, Doyle changes his plans. Although the effort needed wasn’t impossible, it still might not result in what he wanted. Or rather, Doyle was paranoid that it might not. Either way, he turns to a different way to bombard his bears with boulders.

The simplest being an avalanche. Not just any avalanche though, but rather a never-ending one! All it would take is a steep enough hill and portals at the top and bottom. Then gravity will take care of the rest.

Doyle pauses, ‘What if this causes an evolution based on the movement instead of the material?’

Indecision freezes him. He wants this to be done perfectly and his focus is complete. It will be finished in whatever way will give him the best outcome!

So, he goes back to the drawing board. Though unlike when he focused on the making of fake trees, back at the start, this doesn’t have a well-defined end goal.

There isn’t a “good” solution because so many things could do what he wants. There is even a chance that simply having a bear stay in an energy-dense cave could eventually work. Especially if the energy is forced through the rock around them instead of just appearing in the chamber.

So Doyle gets stuck in a cycle of tinkering and moving on. Which his nature as a dungeon core doesn’t exactly help. After all, there is enough time!

All while the world outside continues on. In particular, and why Ally hasn’t done anything, is the fact that she is in contact with a certain two deities and discussing terms.

{

Ally: We have the Lesser Shadow Wolves ready. Like I’ve said before, in fact, they’ve been ready for a while.

Jess: I’ve not exactly been in a position to handle them. Though Moota mentioned a new portal?

Ally: Yes, which is why I’m pushing things a bit now. As a Fae, I can feel the debt owed and that connection is fraying. While we didn’t include a clause about timely delivery and pickup. The debt is becoming unbalanced as we basically store your wolves for you.

Ally: Mind you!

Ally: I do not care about that. It is no skin off our nose to keep them. They’re currently just a part of the floor seven farm. However, we’re a dungeon and you’re a deity. Whereas with regular mortals, such an outstanding debt isn’t going to matter much. The ontological effect of keeping us in your debt like this is not small. Which, given how unstable your religion is right now? Could be disastrous.

}

Then, a day goes by before the next message. Which to be honest, is the general speed at which most of Ally’s chats with them go.

{

Moota: She isn’t wrong. Push this off too much longer and some of the more negatives prescribed traits might sneak in. While wolves generally have a noble image, there are also craven wolves and you’re sadly in that exact kind of position. The image of a “lone wolf” is that of a maverick, but also, when a wolf is seen alone, people assume either the rest are hiding nearby or the wolf is up to no good. Just look at the portrayal of the big bad wolf from Doyle’s world.

Jess: It’s just that I won’t get many chances at this.

Ally: And the longer you wait, the worse those chances get. There still aren’t that many evolved beasts kicking around. The connected town has experienced a couple, but we haven’t really seen anything worth mentioning at the second gate.

}

And from there, they go back and forth. Bringing up various plans to make the most use out of the wolves that Jess is still owed. Though in the end, there isn’t really much she can do with them. While her pool of faith isn’t drying up too quickly, she also doesn’t have a following on Doyle’s world.

In fact, if it hadn’t been for the one wolf getting lucky and evolving into a lesser shadow wolf, Jess likely wouldn’t even be able to see the world. Though can it really be said that she sees the world when her sight is limited to occasional glimpses of the town? Glimpses that might not even be possible if not for the fact that the town ended up being conceptually connected to her when they named it Wolf’s Rest.

{

Jess: Okay, okay, I really should take my wolves. Would a couple weeks from now work?

Moota: Eh, I really don’t see why you have to worry so much. Aren’t we friends at this point? While a monster that can leave the dungeon isn’t cheap, it also isn’t expensive from a certain viewpoint. As long as Doyle isn’t directly spawning such a monster, he can just make some lesser shadow wolves and let them cook for a few months. It would require a new deal or simply accepting their assistance. Which we all know isn’t as simple for us as it is for mortals. There is more behind charity for beings like us than just whether you accept it or not. But still, we’re friends!

Ally: We definitely would need to make deals. Accepting charity from a dungeon core isn’t going to swing things much, one way to another. However! I’m here and accepting charity from a Fae? Even when we’re friends? Well, that is a whole ‘nother kettle of fish.

Jess: Oh, don’t you worry! I knew more than a bit about that kind of thing. My pantheon, being based on space and constellations like it was, has had more than enough contact with the Fae. Your kind love to set up entire ritualized activities based around lunar cycles and whatnot. In particular, the full moon is highly connected with my pantheon as a holy time and the Fae love to come out to play at that time as well.

Ally: Yeah, my people do tend more towards the nocturnal. Whether it is our woodland gatherings around bonfires, the Fae will-o’-the-wisp, or our Hunts. The night is when we come out to play.

Moota: Shrugs Eh, whatever you two say. Given my position while mortal, I would always sleep through the night and anything untoward was kept away from me. Very much a greenhouse flower, which is part of why I got taken in by the alchemist pantheon. I wasn’t able to socialize, even in the manner of an animal. Not really. Despite never binding me, they kept too tight a leash on me.

Ally: We need to get some more people in here who don’t have heavy backstories. It’s not our fault, but we do seem to fall into talking about our “tragic pasts” a whole lot. Not that I’m ashamed or squeamish about any of this, but we’d be better off talking to a therapist about this all instead of just spouting it in chat.

Moota: Yeah, I can see that.

Jess: Back on topic. Would, now, a week and a half be a good time to pick up my wolves?

Ally: Honestly, we could probably just kick them out of the dungeon within moments. Though with that bit of time, we can do a little groundwork for you. Send out some patrols to make sure there isn’t some apex predator waiting to swoop in and kill your wolves the second they set foot outside of the dungeon.

Jess: Yeah that would suck.

Ally: So yeah, I’ll get right on that. Well, I’ll get Doyle right on that. He probably needs a break from his current project.

}

Ally closes the chat screen and mentally pokes Doyle. Though he seems a little distracted. So she flies out of her room and over to his core. Tap Tap Tap, ‘Hey Doyle, got something for you to do.’ Tap Tap Tap

Elsewhere on the floor, a stack of carefully balanced stones fall over and Doyle “comes up for air” for the first time in a while. ‘Huh? What’s happening? I don’t feel anything wrong.’

Ally rolls her eyes, ‘We are going to have to talk about that, aren’t we? Anyway, right now I’ve got something for us to work on over the next week. Jess is just about ready to receive her lesser shadow wolves and I figure we can send out a bunch of kobold patrols to make sure something isn’t going to gank her wolves the second they’re out of the dungeon.’

While she was saying that, Doyle had turned back to his strange rock contraptions.

Ally sighs, ‘Doyle! Focus on me. You can work on that later.’

Doyle, ‘Right, kobold patrols. Yeah, that sounds alright. Should have been doing that anyway. We know nothing about the other gate.’

Ally, ‘We actually know more than we did. Your territory has saturated that side at this point and we can see a decent amount of land now. Also, haven’t you noticed the constant stream of forest critters we’ve had showing up? Sure, there haven’t been any more bears, but there’s been the occasional fox and we need to figure out a better way to handle the bugs that are getting in.

‘Not because they’re causing a problem. Just that they mess with the instancing. Maybe set it so they all show up in their own instance? Whatever, right now we have a week to poke around with our kobolds and since our territory has spread enough to see? We should have at least rudimentary control over them. Like, usually a dungeon has to be A LOT older for a core to have any control over their monsters once they leave the dungeon, but you’re awakened already so break a bunch of those rules to begin with.’

Doyle, ‘That would be cool. Let’s see what I can manage. I’ll just send out a kobold with the orders to return after a minute or so and while it is out there, I can give it some extra orders.’

Ally nods, ‘That is a good test. Though maybe I should show you around first? You don’t exactly look outside of the dungeon normally and it seems you got sucked down a rabbit hole hard as of late.’

Doyle, ‘Ah, mmm, yeah, I guess that wouldn’t be the worst idea.’

Another Scout - Chapter 486

The Difference Between Magic And Monster - Chapter 488