Peek: The Dwarven Door of Doom

Ah, we can see the sun rise over the dwarven mountains, so it seems only fitting I regale you with the tale of an interesting dwarven dungeon, and its door of doom.

That's not just me being dramatic, either.  Let me explain.  Near the base of the mountains, where they transition to the nice verdant fields of wheat and other foodstuffs, there is the entrance to the Dungeon of Doors.  It's one of the strangest layouts I've ever personally encountered, as it's just an endless series of rooms and doors.  The rooms are roughly the same size, the doors roughly identical.  There are some scratches and nicks in some, maybe a discoloration from some encounter or another.  The dungeon doesn't try to fix the small tells for the different rooms, because that's not what the dungeon wants.

It's not trying to be some impossible maze, trapping delvers and turning them around in an endless stream of perfect replicas.  No, it just seems to really like doors. It even has a voice, a mimic of all things.  It's rather personable, honestly.  Whenever delvers ask why all the doors, the mimic only ever sighs and tries to change the subject.

The dungeon is listed as belligerent, so aside from the odd layout, it's the typical dungeon fare.  The Voice tends to avoid fights if it can, but it's not above making an example out of a party that is being obnoxious, or presses the issue of either a fight or the doors.

The Dungeoneers have quite the amicable relationship with the dungeon and its voice, too, and I was lucky enough to tag along for an inspection.  There are known routes through the dungeon that lead through nodes or low-danger fights, and routes for delvers to truly test their mettle.  And as delvers get deeper, the doors get more devious.

Around ten doors in, they start becoming squeaky, alerting the denizens and making it difficult for delvers who rely on stealth.  At the twentieth door, they start having traps, too.  The inspector I was with knew all the ways through the doors, and all the encounters behind them.

At thirty doors deep, they start being berserking doors, sending the denizens beyond into a rage and enhancing their strength and durability.  At forty, they start randomizing.  Some will curse whoever opens them with some debilitating effect or another.  Some would have denizens just waiting on the other side to burst through and try to surprise delvers.  Some were also ordinary doors, usually leading to a node or a chest.  The inspector seemed to know the signs to tell which was which, and so I got to enjoy the juxtaposition of such similar rooms containing such a variety of surprises.

Then we came to the sixtieth door, and I saw the inspector stop and frown as he took a careful look at it.  I was curious, too, because it actually had a sign, proclaiming it to be the Door of Doom.  I thought it was just another new type of door, so I asked the inspector what it does.

I was shocked to learn he didn't know.  He could tell it was the ultimate form of a trapped door, but he had no idea what it actually did.  I decided to spend the rest of my time in that room relaxing against the wall, definitely not fearful of a simple door.  The inspector pulled out all sorts of identifying and scrying skills and items.  Eventually, even the Voice came by to see what the hold up was.

"The Dungeon of Doors wants to know what you think of it's masterpiece," declared the mimic, sounding a bit embarrassed that its dungeon would call a door a masterpiece.

"I think I'm not going any nearer if I don't get a guarantee of safe passage," declared the inspector with all the typical dwarven bluntness and directness.

The mimic sighed once it got the reply from the dungeon.  "The Dungeon of Doors says that would ruin the fun and the surprise."

Now, inspectors are no cowards, but when one wordlessly turns and leaves, a wise orc keeps up.  The dungeon didn't seem to take it personally, at least.  Once word of the Door of Doom got out, many adventurers came to try to unravel the mystery.  Unfortunately, as far as anyone can tell, anyone who opened it has yet to return.  The Dungeoneers aren't even certain the people who opened it are dead, as there have been no bodies recovered.

I hear there are still confident adventuring groups who go to challenge the Door of Doom, but the only ones who return are ones who couldn't bring themselves to actually open it.  Still, the mystery draws a lot of delvers, and nearly everyone has a different theory of what's behind it.

I have no idea what it could be.  A deathtrap is the most popular opinion, but I personally doubt it.  The dungeon loves doors, not necessarily traps.  I don't think it'd consider a simple deathtrap to be its masterpiece.  I wonder if it's a one-way door somewhere, but that only begs the question: to where?

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Inspired by Magnadra who wanted to know what the ultimate expression of the squeaky door might be.