Draconic Karma Dungeon

Chapter 12: Morale Schemes and Elven Enemies

"The Dungeon changed again, Chief Nerok." The Tribe's youngest Party had just returned from the Dungeon. The meeting had revealed that most of the Tribe didn't want to ever enter a Dungeon again unless needed for a tier up. Nerok couldn't blame them for feeling that way after how the elves forced them to mine for BO's. Fortunately, between Morghar's cubs begging him to keep entering the Dungeon so he could return with stories, Zaktak's fascination with the shapeshifting dragon and Begdar's natural curiosity, ‘First Party’ had decided to volunteer. Maybe they'll be renamed and will simply be known as 'the Party' now that they're the only regular one.

"Of course it did." Nerok responded. "The Dungeon wants to grow but doesn't want us to be surprised each time it changes something. In compromise it only changes the 1st Floor during the night. Then we'll only be surprised in the morning, but we'll know something will have changed. That's part of the reason why the Dungeon is closed at night." Nerok explained to the youngsters. The Chief had decided to keep the morale high by making the Dungeon seem both intelligent and kind. It wasn't hard to do with how unusual the Dungeon was. "I imagine the Dungeon is working on its second Floor during the day. After all: Only rude people sneak a peek at a Dungeon's unfinished Floor." While 'rude' might not have been the right word for it, it was true that people didn't tend to visit a Dungeon's unfinished Floor. The reason why, however, was actually because killing creatures and solving puzzles didn't give EXP or loot in unfinished Floors.

As a part of his morale scheme Nerok had taken to correcting anyone calling the Dungeon creatures 'monsters'. He would either argue that these creatures only attack in self-defense, so how are they monsters? Or he would point out that the System itself called them creatures every time someone got loot and EXP from the 'Experiencing Peace' Rule.

At this point everyone had agreed with him that this Dungeon had creatures not monsters. Still. People often slipped up.

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It took the 2nd Party of the day an additional 2 hours after the timer had run out and the Dungeon had opened again. This gave me time to finish digging the 2nd Floor but left me a bit worried they might leave me completely alone. Not only did I need them for EXP I also needed them for entertainment. While the Parties weren't overly interesting to watch - likely due to the peacefulness of my Dungeon - they would sometimes say or do something interesting.

Before they arrived, I received this message:

Achievement tier up: Careful Preparation (IV): You have decided to prepare your Dungeon some more before going to the next step. Condition: Wait at least 1 day before opening your Dungeon after the option has appeared or wait at least 1 day after getting access to a new Floor before making it. Do some combination of this 4 times. Reward: An extra 20% mana regeneration and the Ability to use the next mana payment for level ups as a Mana Bank.

You have gotten an Achievement tier up while having 1 passive Achievement. Do you wish to change which Achievement is passive?

No. Status.

Personal Status Level: 9 EXP needed for level up: 2,058/2,400 Mana payment needed for level up: 0/500 Mana: 0/500 Mana regeneration: 150 per hour Floors: 1/5 Allowed number of sapients in each Floor: 6 Floor Details Achievements Mission Dungeon Rules

I was pleased.

And finally the 2nd Party of the day arrived.

I recognize them! That's the very first Party to visit me! Does that mean they'll send every Party in here again but with more breaks in between them? I had no way of knowing.

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"Karmic dragonet level 1." Begdar read out loud. "Karma… That must be why they only attack in self-defense!" The lupinekin was relieved to finally know the answer to that question. But then a new question hit her. "According to Vanek and Duzcax the… creatures suddenly started attacking one or all three who had gone into the swamp itself. And it wasn't simply because they entered the swamp. They had been there sometime before it happened after all… So why…?" Begdar pondered this as the Party walked through the Dungeon and picked up their loot.

While trying to find an answer she looked at the other creatures' species.

Fledgling karmic elemental sea serpent - Lightning Level 1

"Fledgling?" The lupinekin questioned. "But Dungeons don't have young creatures! Their creatures are made so they have no use for anything not in its prime age! Why would this one…?"

"Well…" Morghar began. "You know how my daughter Birax loves dragons? Even before we found this Dungeon?" His Party nodded. "Well… Apparently dragons don't grow old. Instead they grow more powerful. They still grow up, sure! But instead of growing old they just get bigger and more powerful! Maybe the Dungeon decided to apply this to its creatures?"

"Or…" Zaktak took over but did so with an eye roll. "Maybe it's easier for it to make them young rather than old? Maybe it's just to make it easier for us like Chief Nerok says? Or maybe an adult was simply too big? Who knows? And does it matter?"

Her Party nodded. Begdar still wanted the answer but decided to table the thought for now.

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While gathering loot after the pond room Begdar had a solution to her first question. “Of course! Karma’s a bitch!”

Her Party looked at her confused. “Excuse me?” Her mate asked.

“Who did the Dungeon attack and kill?”

“Vakhix, Talgrag and Khaogthoc.” The answer came from Zaktak.

“And can any of you mention a single good thing any of them have ever done?”

Her Party shook their heads. “I’m sure there’s something…” Taozcec started. “But no. I can’t say I ever witnessed any.”

“You know I’m convinced this Dungeon is smarter than other Dungeons and that it wants to be kind while still being a Dungeon?” Nods came from all around. They had all heard her analyze the data from both their own trip through the Dungeon and others’ and come to this conclusion. With how unusual this Dungeon was, they couldn't help but believe the theory had some merit. Zaktak and Thenac had even abandoned the idea that the Dungeon was trying to lure them into a false sense of security. If the Dungeon wanted to kill them, the recent deaths where it spared half the Party, both showed that it could kill and that it wasn’t going to.

“I believe one of the three - probably Khaogthoc - did something to get bad karma.” The lupinekin started. “Whether it was one particularly evil act or if the Dungeon could see his… bad karma or something and something tipped it over the breaking point I don’t know. The essence of my theory is simply that being evil will make the Dungeon turn on you.” Taking that thought in for a bit, her Party couldn’t help but agree on it being a possibility. It was only those three out of the whole Tribe they would call bad people at all. Not that the whole Tribe was good. They all had their faults and flaws. It was just that Vakhix, Talgrag and Khaogthoc were the only ones who were mean bullies.

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This is my favorite Party! They understand me so well! Especially this Begdar girl! The Identify Identity had… done as advertised… and I now knew the names of those in my favorite Party.

The traps not activating anymore confirmed the Party’s belief in my kindness towards the good and average person. Which in turn made me like them more.

Thenac successfully located all my new traps before anyone got near them, but as they wouldn’t activate the Party simply walked past them after that. Thenac sure gets happy each time she finds a new trap… Does she like traps, my traps or locating traps before they can get triggered? Nonetheless the Party’s happiness was contagious, and I couldn't help but be happy with them.

When the Party encountered the bìxié in The Orchard Begdar quickly noted that 1: it wasn’t called a karmic bìxié and 2: that Vanek and Duzcax had seen the three bad guys be repulsed by the winged lion-dragon. I think Vanek and Duzcaxare likely the rhinogirl and mouseboy the bad guys came with. The wolfgirl then sort of correctly concluded that the bìxié was so into karma that it had become almost synonymous with the creature. Sort of yes. But you seem to assume there’s only one creature like that…

Soon the Party left again, and I went back to working on my 2nd Floor. What should I add first? Creatures, traps, or puzzles?

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Achievement tier up: Careful Preparation (V): You have decided to prepare your Dungeon some more before going to the next step. Condition: Wait at least 1 day before opening your Dungeon after the option has appeared or wait at least 1 day after getting access to a new Floor before making it. Do some combination of this 5 times. Reward: An extra 25% mana regeneration and the Ability to use the next mana payment for level ups as a Mana Bank.

You have gotten an Achievement tier up while having 1 passive Achievement. Do you wish to change which Achievement is passive?

No.

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Three days had passed, and my favorite Party was now my only Party. They visited about twice a day and I liked the routine. Making the World a Better Place has stopped giving me EXP though. But that was to be expected.

The first of these days I leveled up as the Party was halfway through the Dungeon.

You have leveled up! You are now level 9+! Your EXP gain will be halved until you tier up. Kirin pattern obtained. You can now create creatures of level 10. You can now create the 1st tier Boss.

Status.

Personal Status Level: 9+ Needed number of killed sapients with karma levels of 25% or lower: 3/10 EXP: 0 Next mana payment for level up: 0/1,200 Mana: 0/500 Mana regeneration: 175 per hour Floors: 1/5 Allowed number of sapients in each Floor: 6 Floor Details Achievements Mission Dungeon Rules

'Needed number of killed sapients'? Please explain.

In order to tier up, sapients need to break a Breakthrough Orb bound to them and of the right tier. Dungeons need to have killed a certain number of sapients with karma levels of 25% or lower in order to tier up.

Huh… Okay, then… I might be stuck at level 9+ for a while...

Being level 9+ also meant all the EXP I gained got halved.

Well... I had no way of encouraging bad people to come so I simply focused on my second Floor.

I finished the 2nd Floor early on the night of the third day, so no one had seen it yet. While making it I had gotten an Achievement tier up.

Achievement tier up: Creature Designer (II): All Dungeon Cores design traps and puzzles. Some design their own creatures as well. You are now one of them. Condition: Design 5 creatures and spawn them. It does not matter if the designed creatures already existed or if it's completely new designs. Reward: Creatures have a 7.5% discount on their base cost. Creatures earn you 112.5% EXP.

You have gotten an Achievement tier up while having 1 passive Achievement. Do you wish to change which Achievement is passive?

No, thank you.

I used the rest of the night to dig the 3rd Floor.

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A week had passed since the Tribe had found the Dungeon and settled down. And a couple hours after dawn disaster struck.

“Chief! Chief! Zoorrar is a spy for the elves!” Tuzzik shouted while dragging said 4-year-old muskin after him.

“Really? How so?” Nerok asked, not truly worried. Children and their games.

“No I’m not!” Zoorrar tried to deny, only to be drowned out by Tuzzik.

“She used this-” The young lupinekin handed the Chief a Communication Orb. “-to talk to the elves! I overheard her tell them ‘we’re still here’! She likely told them our position as soon as we found the Dungeon!” Tuzzik only became more panicked the more he spoke. “Recapturing us is one thing but with a young Dungeon here too there is no way they won’t come!”

Nerok considered asking more questions to confirm the accusation but decided not to. Tuzzik wouldn't have gone this far to make a joke about something this serious. And he wouldn't have been able to hand Nerok a Communication Orb if his story wasn't true. To make a Communication Orb you had to at least be a 5th tier with a Class capable of enchantments, so Communication Orbs weren't super common. And lastly. Zoorrar's pale, scared and guilty looking face told the Chief that the story had been true.

Additionally, for the Communication Orb to still have energy - as could be seen by its slight glow - after more than a month and a half meant that it had been based on a BO of at least the 4th tier. As such it was likely a minor noble elf who wanted Zoorrar as a spy.

Chief Nerok rose to his full height. “Zoorrar! What exactly have you told the elves?!” Zoorrar was a 4-year-old muskin and thus much smaller than the angry old ursakin. She told everything.