Alexander sat in his throne his bone fingers stroking the onyx face of Ingrid, the raw bone screeching noisily as it scraped over the twisted face that did everything it could to avoid the skeletal touch, The head butlers face looked from the opposite side, horror etched on its stoney face. As much as Ale ander hated the latter for his fathers death, it was the former who had murdered his mother before his eyes. In truth though, the provocation was subconscious, he was busy looking at the windows trying his best to swallow back the bile that threatened to rush up his throat.
The captives from the town had made it here, the guards to a man, were slain. Each were worth five hundred merits after all, no matter their strength, sex or influence, if they were trained to fight they were executed to feed the dungeon. The townsfolk were only worth two hundred and fifty each, but still there was a good two score commoners herded into the depths of the labrynth. What had made the bile risenin his throat was the goblins and orcs had pulled several of the women aside to breed with, the orgy of savageness was like watching a ball of snakes mate, it was disturbing at base sanity.
Many of the men had been dragged off under the whips of kobolds, forced to assist the dark dwarves digging out their own slave lairs. As for the old and young... they were put to work as well. Still, it was the mother's and daughters who fared the worst, he would have to remember for next time to order their deaths even before the guards, watching goblinkin breed was foul and not even these cattle deserved...this. Shaking his head he swiped the windows closed and focused on his management screen watching as each death fed his merits.
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Dungeon One
Owner: Alexander Cowens, Deaths Chosen
Guide: Jansea, Tier 5 Demon (Succubus)
Levels: One
Terrain: Extended Cavern Labrynth, Demonic Core, Royal Bedchamber
Population: 76 + 25
Special Features: Starter Copper Mine, Hero Core
Available Dungeon Merits: 11,250
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Eying the dungeon screen, Alexander sat in contemplation, he could spend as quickly as he achieved but his forces were rather sizable, seventy four minions, himself and his succubus with another twenty five slaves... the labrynth actually needed one wing fenced off to house the captives, the unfortunate women who were hauled off by the goblins were living in those foul warrens, though living was an exaggerated term, from peeking through a screen over half of them had lost all sanity, little better than beasts that laid there limply beneath their captors.
Alexander shook his head, definitely more merciful to harvest the women than let that continue. Still the ones that had survived the pile on were already swelling up, goblin pregnancies seemed obscenely fast, which he realized would only increase the horror on these poor souls. From his estimates it took about an hour for a woman to go from seeded to late term, birth would likely occur in about half an hour... only for them to try again, and again. Still shaking his head Alexander focused on another window...
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Name: Alexander Caven ; Alex Maybell
Title: Dungeon Lord Alexander, The Demon Caven
Path: Death
Physical: 5 Charm: 4
Mental: 8 Luck: 6
Mystical: 8 Talent: 5
Path Abilities: Deaths Gaze (Basic), Reaper Tenacity (Basic), Death Magic (Initiate)
Dungeon Abilities: Rallying Call (Basic), Leadership (Novice), Dungeon Recall (Basic)
Equipment: Dungeon Lords Robes, Light Leather Gloves, 500 gold rulers, 200 silver knights, 50 copper squires, patent of nobility (House Caven), Genealogy of House Caven
Allies: Jansea (Intermeadiate Succubus) - 30
Thersea (Novice Hero) - Dead*
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Alexander blinked reading his own window. At some time his mystical rating had jumped, likely when he acquired Death Magic, but as far as he knew he had no spells. Looking down at his skeletal hand he pondered if his transformed hand had power itself, other than the path orb he had touching nothing with it since its transformation. But that could wait. Touching the ally section he sighed seeing Thersea's low rating shifted over to dead, touching it expanded a different window that currently explained her current condition, the core was slowly knitting her flesh but it would take time.
Shaking his head he dismissed this window and sat back, motioning Jansea close, "How do I use Death Magic?"
Jansea thought a moment before shrugging, "You just do. Magic is all about intent and visualization, spells are merely an easy to remember description of a visualization. Say you were a pyromancer, visualizing a ball of explosive flame would get you a [Fireball] spell, where as visualizing a spear of ice as a hydromancer would see you use [Ice Lance]. Death magic is much the same, picture an aspect of death and visualize the spell through your ability."
Visualize death? For a gamer or science person such visualizations would be easy, visualizing a fireball after seeing it would be easy but what could death do? Sitting in though he reached beside where he sat picking up a strange looking fruit the dryads had sent over that should be consumable. Eying the strange silvery orange thing that looked like a somewhat fuzzy apple. Staring at the thing in his hand he tried picturing what happened to fruit in his old world, the crispness giving way as it became soft, fuzzy mold growing on its flesh as the interior rotted into a slime. The fruit in his hand shivered and seemed to liquify, literally melting between his fingers and over his palm making him shiver at the uncomfortable feeling.
Death spell [Rot] learned!
The notification popped up before his eyes and he chuckled, that had been rather easy. Looking to the remaining morsels he waved his hand over the trio of remaining fruits willing [Rot] to activate. As his hand passed over the three morsels of food joined the first in becoming a smelly liquid goo.
Death spell [Rot] increased by 10% proficiency.
Studying the new message he nodded to himself, perhaps with practice the effect of a spell either increased or became faster. [Rot] itself was not instantaneous, rather like rotting fruit it shifted from ripe to spoiled over a rather natural process rather than going quickly from healthy to decayed. Nodding to himself he looked at the mess sizzling on the ground before reaching out fingers hovering over the mess picturing the ooze become more solid, in his mind he pictured it slowly slithering around the dungeon eating things that decayed, the more it ate the more it grew.
Death Spell [Create Slime] learned!
A Rot Eater Slime has been added to your dungeon!
The two notices made him smile, though it quickly flipped as he watched his initial creation slither off the island and drop itself into the moat of lava. Alexander face palmed as another notice popped up.
Rot Eater Slime has died, location: Core Room, cause of death: Terrain Hazard.
Alexander sighed rubbing his face, creating a garbage collection slime had been novel but apparently it was blind, stupid and suicidal. He'd have to be more careful in future, or create it out where it wouldn't slither off into molten magma. Glancing to the lava that still sizzled, sending a stench of burnt rot into the air, Alexander reached out activating the [Create Slime] spell again, this time he focused on the lava. He felt a wave of tiredness assault his mind slumping into his seat and breathing hard, his eyes on the next message to pop up.
[Create Slime] failed! Proficiency gain, 5%.
Frowning he looked to Jansea, "When I used the rotted fruit creating a slime was easy, why was it like pulling teeth to create a lava slime with the same spell?"
Jansea chuckled softly behind her hand, "Elements Master. Turning death and decay to your whim will always be easier than making something purely of the fire element. It won't be impossible, but after three spells and your low level you likely lack strength to even decay another meal Master. You should rest."
Alexander shook his head, "Too much to do, while I feel drained I can still give orders. Speaking of, when the goblins are born have a space in the keep sectioned off for their growth, waiting for them to mature in here would be a waste." Pushing slowly off his throne he gave a look to Thersea in the core before walking back out into his dungeon, the dark eyes of Jansea watching his movements as she set to her own simple tasks.
Alexander, meanwhile, was out inspecting the troops and slaves. Those townsfolk that saw his passing looked upon him in terror and revulsion, many had heard the women's screams echoing off the stone corridors when they had been lead away by the Goblin Commander, husbands, brothers, sons. All knew likely what awaited their wives, mothers, sisters under the watch of goblins, some had tried to amount a resistance but were beaten down by the ready beastial minions. As Alexander passed they cursed him, swore at him, vowed that in this life or the next their families would be avenged.
Alexander listened to these with a sneer, where were the cries of mercy for his family that had just sought to protect their son? Where was the righteous defenders that kept these hypocrites from tearing his father apart and stabbing his mother to death? Mewlings of animals, beasts that thought themselves so virtuous were these cries against his ears. His home town was not innocent, they had rallied to execute him and now in his clutches they were feeling they were victims without sin?
Striding past he left the warren tunnels and headed for the keep exit, he wanted to see what his bastion outside the dungeon would look like. While it was surely not habitable at the moment, he could at least glean what sort of structure it would become and how best to setup his rise to lure adventurers in. Exiting through the ghostly bone door he found himself not outside but rather in a long, worked stone hall. His boots sounded against the stillness of the stone floor, flickering torch scones lined the walls as he found a rounded stair that went upwards.
Smiling at the fine workmanship Alexander walked upwards into a spacious hall, at one point it had likely been the entry hall for the keep and had been restored completely. The waning light of an early evening flooded in through simple high windows close to an angled roof above. Looking around get noted a pair of double doors that should be the exit and walked over to push them open. Stepping out onto an open air staircase he gazed around impressed.
Dark dwarves were rushing about, carrying either rubble or worked materials as they swarmed the courtyard like busy ants. Alexander watched them for a moment admiring their efficiency. At no point did any of the rushing dwarves impede each other, there were plenty of near misses but yet for their stout sturdiness there were no ballet dancers any more adept at twisting out of a collision course with another and always in balance at that, no e staggered or wobbled, every movement was like a well practiced dance.
Looking over the keep the dark dwarves were busy putting finishing touches on the outer wall, the gate house with a wooden portcullis was in fine state but some of the walls still looked a little rough with damaged sections. Turning his head to the tower behind the hall, lighter stone mined from the dungeon could be seen in the patch work but much of the higher floors still needed enclosing, by the time it was finished it would be about five stories tall.
Nodding in satisfaction he looked into the distance, in the falling sun light the distant lights of a town winked into existence banishing the growing darkness that draped itself across the land, before the sun fully set Alexander looked across the landscape noting how different it was from his homeland, the second entrance wasn't just on another side of the mountain, rather it seemed it was in a different mountain range altogether. He had to smile at the convenience, if he wanted to become a merchant he could have served as ready transport between the two distant towns.
Yet such a though had held to sway on him. Whatever that distant town was it's only goal was to feed his dungeon. It needed to grow, to hold more monsters then he would unleash the flames of hell upon the Empire. Smiling to himself he walked back to the bone gate slipping back into the dungeon with a practiced ease. He paid little mind as slaves and dwarves hurried to and from the work site, the keep was almost ready for him to reveal himself, still he stopped as a message flashed before his eyes...
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WARNING!
Intruders have entered your dungeon.
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Rather than be concerned he sent out his wolf riders to handle the incursion, with the attack on his hometown he was rather surprised the Empire took so long to reply in kind, outside at least two months had passed since he strode into the small town, kidnapped its populace and guards and left a wound official to pass his threat on to the higher ups. Alexander was almost disappointed in the slothful approach his former countrymen were taking with dealing with this 'threat'.
Shaking his head he walked through the tunnels towards the central hub to personally inspect the battle. Exiting a side passage the sight of a vattle was on in full. The kobolds and wolf riders were pressuring the group of ten. Seven knights, two mages and a cleric squared off against his minions. Spell and blade lashing out as his creatures. One of the more observant mages saw him and quickly chanted a spell, his gnarled staff raised as a lance of energy erupted from the crystal at its head to shoot towards Alexander like an angry hornet...