Khenal

Chapter One-Hundred Twenty-Three

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**The First Mate**

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The great white scion of Hullbreak Harbor looks across the seabed to the forces of the other dungeon.  Thedeim, or Neverrest, or whatever it is, she’s given the Captain’s decision: The invaders leave, or everyone dies.  She can feel the Captain’s confidence through the bond.  He’s certain the other dungeon will back down.

She’s pretty sure he’s just killed th...

Chapter One-Hundred Twenty-Two

I don’t know what I was expecting from the fight with Hullbreak, but this awkward standoff wasn’t it.  I was expecting to have a big battle under the waves, but my ‘assault’ force is staring at only a fraction of the sharks I was expecting, and those sharks don’t exactly look enthusiastic about a fight right now anyway.

So while everyone underwater is trying to figure out what they should actually be doing, I’m staring at a blob on the map that’s only getting closer a...

Peek: Slash

The Composer is close to finishing the Axe.  Ever since his creation, Slash had at least a vague idea of what the Axe would look like, would sound like.  He has longed to be able to actually bring some of that music to reality.

He quietly watches as Thing and Queen put the finishing touches on the Axe and hat, wondering for a moment if that's the last thing he'll ever do quietly.  He chuckles at himself and discards that idea.  While a lot of the music is loud and en...

Chapter One-Hundred Twenty-One

I watch through Teemo’s eyes as he talks with Yendo.  I’d be holding my breath if I could, and releasing it in a sigh of relief when he accepts helping us.  After just a little more explanation, my Voice makes a messy shortcut out of there, and the two book it.

Those are the shoddiest shortcuts I’ve ever seen him make, but they’re definitely good for getting Hullbreak’s attention.  Teemo keeps as aware of his surroundings as he can as the two flee.  It look...

Chapter One-Hundred Twenty

Thanks to Teemo, I’m feeling a lot better about the whole thing.  It also helps that everyone is doing the last bit of prep, which helps solidify what we’re going to be doing.  Something about knowing this is it helps me focus.  Having time to second guess makes it too easy to get lost in my own head.

Queen’s ants deliver a bottle of the electrolysis potion to the enchanting lab, where Thing is putting the finishing touches on Rocky’s disguise.  I think he wa...

Peek: The White Stag

The Voice of the Southwood bounds through his lord's domain.  While he's in no particular hurry to get anywhere in specific, his lord's demesne is vast enough that he needs to be quick if he wishes to get anywhere at all.  Thankfully, he has been blessed with fleetness that the winds should envy, and even an easy jog for him lets him traverse leagues in mere minutes, rather than days.

His lord has been calmer, of late, after giving the Inspector the quest, and even more satisf...

Chapter One-Hundred Nineteen

This is feeling like the longest week of my life, and it’s only just started.  Sure, I haven’t had all that many weeks since becoming a dungeon, but the point still stands.  Everyone has been brought up to speed on the plan, too, but nobody has been able to come up with anything better.

Larx and the ratkin are taking a philosophical approach to what to do, and I’m just glad they’re not being yes men about it.  They love a good debate, and while I usually ...

Chapter One-Hundred Eightteen

With night comes the latest reports from the spies in Hullbreak, and Leo dutifully works through them.  There’s definitely an increase in sharks inside, and it looks like their expeditions have finally discovered the beachhead.  They’ve even tried a fly over with some gulls, but Poe’s patrols quickly convinced them it’s a bad idea.  While I’d prefer they hadn’t discovered the beachhead, I’ll settle for them not having much information about it.

There doesn�...

Peek: Dungeon Subclasses

While most are familiar with the four main classifications of dungeons, there are many sub-classifications to go along with them.  Experienced adventurers will recognize at least a handful of these, and will often specialize in, if not a specific single dungeon, a subclass of dungeons.  Here are a few of the more common or interesting ones.

Deep is perhaps the most common subclass of dungeon, as it is for dungeons that have access to the vast range of tunnels, caverns...

Chapter One-Hundred Seventeen

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Tarl

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The Inspector of the Fourdock branch of the Dungeoneer’s Guild grins as he finishes his foe with one final slash.  It was a long and arduous battle, but it joins its brethren in the pile of the defeated, and he cleans his weapon, not letting it drip, before putting it away.

He takes a moment to relish in his victory, glad to have the horde beaten back, even if only for another year.  He glances over...

Chapter One-Hundred Sixteen

Around sunrise, Yvonne, Teemo, and Aranya go to meet up with Aelara and Ragnar to take a look at the forest and the planned shortcut, so I take a chance to talk with the dwarf through Teemo and see what he thinks about making a move soon.

It takes Teemo most of the walk out to the treeline to explain the basics of the situation, and the dwarf looks contemplative as he takes it all in.

“I dinnae envy ya for this one, but I’d try t’ get more info a’fore attackin’.  So...

Peek: Cobble Bread

A proper baker keeps rather strange hours.  People love to have fresh baked things for breakfast, but fresh baked things take a considerable amount of time to create.  They need to be mixed, cut, risen, deflated, risen again, portioned, baked, then often topped, too!  All that doesn't just happen in a few minutes!

Freida snorts at her thoughts, recalling a potential competitor, once.  Magic breads just don't taste right, no matter how fancy someone's affinity is! &nb...

Chapter One-Hundred Fifteen

With the scythemaws pretty much done with their fun, and the surprise fun of helping Rhonda and Freddie getting their classes finished, I return my attention to the problem of Hullbreak Harbor.  I’m still trying to get more info, and set up a few safeguards, but I think I’m getting close to needing to make a move.

I think.  Maybe?  I was never terrible at strategy games, but I also would tend to just turtle up until I had enough troops to steamroll.  But steamrol...

Chapter One-Hundred Fourteen

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Torlon

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Last night was a strange experience for the Head Priest.  He might not have as close of a connection to the Shield as the High Priest in the Citadel, but he is the closest of anyone in Fourdock.  So it came as a surprise to him that he could feel someone with a strong connection even before they entered the church.

It was even more of a surprise to see it was Freddie!  He knew the lad had t...

Merry Christmas

There will not be a peek tomorrow, because I'll be spending time with the family for Christmas.  Thank you all for reading and for your support.  This is how I make my living now, and I never thought that could be a thing my writing could do.  I hope you all have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and I hope I can keep my writing interesting for years to come.

Chapter One-Hundred Thirteen

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Staiven

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The aged ratkin steals a few seconds as he and Rhonda work to simply observe his apprentice.  While he couldn’t be more proud of her for gaining her class, they still have a business to run.  These healing potions won't brew themselves, after all.  She came in last night, looking equal parts exhausted and elated, and barely managed to say she got her class before stumbling off to her bed.

He h...

Chapter One-Hundred Twelve

With the challenge done and settled, and Aranya relaxing, I can take some time to go over what else has been happening.  It’s not like everything else stops just because I’m distracted with something else.

It’s looking like the scythemaws are finally starting to pack it up and head home.  Poe says the expeditions down there have been seeing them laying and burying the eggs.  I’m pretty sure I saw a documentary once that alligators (crocodiles?) do basically the sa...

Christmas Nudge!

I hope everyone is having a good month!  Just a quick nudge for more suggestions for either full peeks, or questions to go into another Q&A, feel free to put whatever comments you have right here!  And feel free to repeat, if you feel I've managed to miss a burning question.  I wouldn't put it past me.

Khenal

Peek: The Dungeoneer's Guild

Jarsto frowns to himself as he looks at the dossier on his desk.  Unlike many in the guild, he doesn't mind the bureaucratic upkeep required for the guild to run smoothly.  He's actually quite good at it, if he does say so himself, and it makes him happy to be able to look over the numbers and ensure they add up

His frown is from what the numbers are already implying, and he hasn't even opened the report yet.  While he doesn't doubt that it will have numbers to explain th...

Chapter One-Hundred Eleven

Freddie smiles in triumph as he holds Aranya by the forearm, the challenge done.  If I could, I’d be smiling with him.  I don’t know how I was expecting the kids to beat Aranya and Rocky, but I wasn’t expecting them to split up and face the two individually!  The young orc’s look of victory soon turns to one of uncertainty, even as Rocky drags himself to his feet without any hint of wishing to continue the challenge.

“Did… did we win?” asks the orc, and Aran...

Chapter One-Hundred Ten

Ok, well… that went a lot better than I thought.  Not only does Freddie seem to be on a path to understanding what a paladin actually does, but Rhonda helped Thing to get a breakthrough with the lifedrinking problem!  I’m a little nervous about her getting hints about the deeper ways things work, but I don’t think she’ll be making any disasters with it.

But now she and Freddie have finished their second challenge, it’s time for the third and final one.  ...

Peek: The Rise of Neverrest

Death.  The little purple gem shard is surrounded by it.  Neat and orderly and quiet, the mana flowing steadily, as it should.  It has two small spawners: rats and wasps, and it orders its denizens to ensure the mana flows smoothly, and to maintain the peace of the small room of death.

It's not long before the first test of that order comes, as roaches and flies squeeze into the secluded space, seeking what is changing the mana flow.  The denizens do as ordered and d...

Chapter One-Hundred Nine

While Thing and Rhonda get ready to work on the quartz pickups, I pay more attention to Larx and Freddie.  I always find it interesting to listen to philosophy and how people think, but I’m also curious about how paladins actually work here.

In the games I’ve played and run, paladins are lawful good, meaning they have honor for agreements, and are good.  The problem is that a lot of people don’t understand how that actually works, and end up playing lawful stupid instead...

Chapter One-Hundred Eight

Freddie and Rhonda elect to take the streets over to the cemetery and crypt complex, rather than try to slip through the tunnels, and I can hardly blame them.  The scythemaws are mostly settled in now, but why take the risk?

I look in on Thing and Larx to see what they’re up to.  I didn’t have Teemo tell them too much, other than their challenge should be something that doesn’t involve fighting, and should be something to help the kids with their classes.  Thing loo...

Peek: Tiny's Part

Today will be  interesting for the large spider scion.  Something big is coming, and even Weaver Thedeim has noticed.  Not that he's bad at sensing the threads of fate, but it's more like he works them without even realizing it, so it's always interesting when he does notice.

Tiny, of course, refused to give him much detail, lest he influence the Weaver's work.  He did at least concede to tell him it's nothing bad, though Thedeim still checked the v...

Chapter One-Hundred Seven

I laugh to myself as I watch Tiny untangle the group from the web, and manage to ask Teemo to be there once they’re free so he can tell them about the next challenge.  It looks like he’ll have plenty of time, too.  They’ve made a proper hash of the webbing.

“I count it as you catching me, even if the Weaver doesn’t,” says Vernew as she has to suffer the indignity of admitting defeat.

“You would?” asks Freddie with a mix of hope and surprise.  “I ge...

Chapter One-Hundred Six

Is bemused the right word?  Knowing you’ve been had, but not particularly minding it?  Whatever it’s called, I’d say that describes Tiny’s feelings on having been defeated by the kids’ puppydog eyes.  They’re pretty good at it, and shameless in using it, too, heh.

I split my attention between the kids and Vernew, with the former refining their plan for how to catch the latter, and the latter obviously getting more excited by the idea of killing some time with ...

Peek: Slash

Simple notes drift through the tunnels as the earth elemental gets familiar with the lute Tiny gifted him.  It sounds completely different from the snippets of music he sometimes hears through the bond with the Composer.  He's known from shortly after his creation that the Composer had a special role to give him.

The Composer was uncertain if Slash would be up to the task, and if he's honest, Slash wasn't sure either.  He was allowed to simply explore Composer Thedeim's t...

Thursday's Update

Thursdays update will be cancelled as I'll be spending Thanksgiving doing Thanksgiving things.  The Sunday Peek should still happen on schedule.  Thank you for your support again, and I hope you have a good week.

Khenal

Chapter One-Hundred Five

The kids exchange glances after Teemo finishes talking, and Freddie is the first to break the silence.

“I think we’re going to need more than a bucket of mice to capture this one,” he says with a sideways look to Rhona, who can’t help but giggle.

“Yeah, we’re going to need to dig deep if we’re going to have any hope of capturing a Mistress of the Hunt,” she agrees, and tries to think of what to do.  “I don’t suppose you know anything about her?”

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