Empress watched with childlike glee as the latest group of ants returned to her ((DOMAIN)), at first, she had been nervous and fidgety when they started leaving, but it soon became apparent that the rewards outweighed the risks. The first ant appeared in the entrance with a branch in her mandibles, it was green and leaking sap with several leaves still attached at the end. The other ants soon followed her through the entrance, they carried their finds further into the entrance hallway where Gatherer was waiting. The squad of gatherers after depositing their load, returned to the outside, never taking a moment to rest as the light slowly began to fade outside.
The runners began to move the materials to where they would be needed, the branches were to be absorbed and the random plants and such were given to the gardeners, four ants that had started following Gardener and where… erm… pollinating? Yeah, pollinating, the moss. Empress wasn’t sure what they were doing, but it was making the moss grow faster, it had almost overtaken its entire hallway now and the gardeners were keeping it from spreading further than that, they had also made some nice paths on the roof and walls so that runners would stop trampling the moss. They hadn’t been able to grow any of the plants from outside yet, Empress guessed it might be because of the lack of natural light.
Gardener wasn’t the only one who had attracted followers. Guard now had a posse of fifteen ants, they where all Majors, like her, and the size of her group was only seconded to Builder, who now had thirty ants in her crew.
Empress followed the runners back into the spawner room, then watched them head back to the ((SAFE_ROOM)) to pick up another load. She glanced at Builders progress, the storage room was going well, then she turned to the Nameless One. Empress hummed softly in thought, and then she bobbed closer to the ant. The nameless leader ant was different than the others, a new ant spawned, the two touched antennae, then she doused the new ant in a specific pheromone and off she went to Gatherer. Empress ((PEERED)) into the leader ant.
BASIC LV 1 ANT
STR: 3
CON: 7
INT: 10
WIZ: 2
DEX: 1
CHAR: 1
HP: 5/5
SELL
FORCE LEVEL UP
EVOLVE
GO TO SPAWNER
Empress bobbed up and down as she read her options, she only had vague ideas of what the stats meant, and she didn’t know how good or how bad those numbers were, 10 seemed big and 1 seemed small, that was straightforward, but the details escaped her, the spawner had much lower numbers, was that why this ant was a leader? Because she had high stats? she decided not to worry about it and revisit it later. The options below the stats were much more interesting anyway. ((FORCE LEVEL UP)) was a new option that seemed to be in response to her experiment with the moss, she wasn’t sure if she unlocked the option or if the ((SYSTEM)) was enacting some kind of patch, but the only thing that mattered was that the option was there, the price to level a single ant was much lower than what she expected, but then again it was just one ant, embarrassingly, even with Gatherers efforts her ((MANA POOL)) was still nearly empty, the price to maintain her colony was only growing.
The third option was the one that was the most interesting to Empress was ((EVOLVE)), mostly because she didn’t know what it was, her ((UNDERSTANDING)) pinged, but it only gave her a foggy glimpse about affinities and upgrades. Empress did have another option, however,
“HELP ((EVOLVE))”
EVOLVE
An option to gain an increase in power that differs from your current class due to affinities. Familiars or Bound Creatures can be evolved based on the affinity of their Handler, although the cost is normally high, in Dungeons, evolution means that a Dungeon colonist would typically become either a Boss or a Retainer and has the chance to gain a random affinity based on the spawner’s affinity%
“So.” Empress said aloud, “It seems like she has something new to play with, hm?” The nameless leader ant looked up at her voice and clacked her mandibles, Empress ((UNDERSTANDING)) pinged and she realized just how strange that behavior was.
“HELP ((RETAINERS)).”
RETAINERS
Retainers are powerful Dungeon colonists that have increased stats and intelligence, they also have a level of control over the lower-level colonists as well as the ability to respawn. The number of Retainers a Dungeon has is often based on the personality of the Dungeon. A Dungeon that expands quickly but grows slowly tends to have fewer Retainers, while fast-growing Dungeons tend to have more. This is because only colonists with certain traits can become Retainers
Empress hummed, and glanced back at the status for the nameless leader ant. It didn’t show any traits, but she remembered when she had tried ((CODING)), there were traits, she prodded the box with her mind, mentally demanding that it fixes its mistake, there was an electric feeling and the bottom text fuzzed for a moment, before a sentence was added.
TRAITS: Dungeon-Born, Dungeon-Touched, Noble Blood, Hive Mind
She blinked, slightly annoyed at the lack of information, but then she realized that the words seemed to pull away from the text box a little, interested she looked closer at the list of traits, instantly they expanded to include descriptions.
Dungeon Born: A trait gained by beings born in a Dungeon, allows the creature to interact with and understand the Dungeon and other Dungeon Born regardless of species or language.
Dungeon Touched: A trait gained by beings tethered to a Dungeon. Allows the Dungeon to interact with the being’s Status while the being is tied to the Dungeon’s mana pool.
Noble Blood (MONSTER): A trait assigned at birth/spawn/emergence of ENTO class monsters that have high INT that grants them a higher level of awareness and ingenuity, along with an increased life span.
Hive Mind (ENTOPATHIC, MONSTER, TIED TO NOBLE BLOOD): A trait assigned at birth/spawn/emergence of ENTO class monsters that live in large groups. Removes individuality of weaker monsters in exchange for perfect harmony and efficiency. When in combination with Noble traits, allows high level monsters to gain the Royal title.
Royal? She thought, how would she go about acquiring one? Her mind was instantly a buzz with ideas, royalty appealed to her greatly, perhaps it was baked into her ((CORE)), she was Eli''Vera after all. Quickly she opened her ((STATUS))
STATUS:
LV 1 DUNGEON
Name: Empress
EXP 15/145021
Size: Small
Gender: Female
Gaze type: Light-based
Affinity: Ento
Class: none
Race: Dungeon
Nodes: Lummi moss LV 5
Spawners: Basic Ant LV 1
Retainers: None
Alignment: _____
System message type: Glass based
Communication type: auditory
Spawner orientation: Visual
Traits: IntrospectiveThis story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Traits (EXPANDED): Brood Mother, Ennobling Hand, Conquerors blessing
Notoriety: 0
Fame: 0
Infamy: 0
Kills: 0
A trill of excitement rushed through her; she opened the descriptions of the new traits.
Brood Mother (ENTOPATHIC, MONSTER, RULER): A trait gained by ENTOPATHIC females when they gain supreme control over a Hive Mind, the Hive cannot be lost after this trait is gained, except in the case of Brood Masters, when in control of multiple Hives this trait evolves into Brood Master.
Ennobling Hand (TIED TO BROOD MOTHER): A trait gained alongside Ruler traits, allows for offspring to gain a random Noble trait. Allows for named monsters to gain the Noble Blood trait.
Conquerors Blessing (DUNGEON): Unique trait that may be randomly assigned to Dungeons with both BENIGN and VIOLENT in their personality type, trait will be lost if either BENIGN or VIOLENT are removed from personality type. This trait saps the energy of any HOSTILE or ENEMY beings in the domain of the Dungeon, while it infuses energy into any PEACEFUL or ALLY beings.
Empress seemed to freeze for a moment, there were many new words and concepts in her expanded trait list, and her ((UNDERSTANDING)) whirled into action because of them. Information planted itself in her ((CORE)), then bloomed and sent out tendrils made of questions or idea spores that floated around her consciousness without answer, it took the soft scuttle of a new ant spawning to snap her out of her mental reverie.
She ordered her mind and chose a question that she found most interesting. Apparently, she was both ((BENIGN)), and ((VIOLENT)). She knew of ((BENIGN)) the ((ALIGNMENT)), but this was different, after all ((VIOLENT)) wasn’t quite an ((ALIGNMENT)) either. Personality type, why wasn’t that in her ((STATUS))? It seemed important, but even after searching through her memories and absorbed information, she couldn’t find another mention of it. How strange, besides Empress didn’t think of herself as particularly violent.
She wasn’t sure if ((ENNOBLING HAND)) counted as a ((NOBLE)) trait, it could give them, but did that mean she could gain the ((ROYAL)) title? What do titles even do? Other than her initial attraction toward the concept, she had no reason to pursue something like that.
“HELP ((TITLES))”
TITLES:
<ol>
<li>A verbal or written mark of rank or renown given to a being.</li>
<li>A verbal or written mark of blessing or curse that grants or takes power from its holder.</li>
</ol>
Titles can be gained through acts of great significance, assigned at birth due to blood, or they can be given by powerful beings.
Empress briefly wondered if she counted as a powerful being. What would count as a powerful being? She hesitated before speaking again.
“HELP ((BOSS))”
BOSSES
Bosses are powerful monsters that can be found naturally or in Dungeons, Boss Monsters are typically huge and guard powerful treasures. In the wild, bosses gain their title from defeating powerful foes. In Dungeons, bosses are bought and normally stay in a boss room or on a specific floor, they are powerful tests of combat skill and unlike natural bosses, respawn after a day or so.
Empress bobbed her ((GAZE)), she didn’t think she had space for something considered huge, at least not yet, she figured that she would get one eventually, but right now she needed something more multipurpose. ((RETAINERS)) perhaps? she hovered over the ((EVOLVE)) option to see the requirements.
EVOLVE LV 1 BASIC ANT
BOSS REQUIREMENTS:
LV 5+ (NOT MET)
AT LEAST (1) STAT ABOVE (10) (NOT MET)
BOSS ROOM SMALL (NOT MET)
1X UNCOMMON LOOT (NOT MET)
RETAINER REQUIREMENTS:
LV 3+ (NOT MET)
AT LEAST (3) STATS ABOVE (5) (NOT MET)
1X AFFINITY
Empress whistled, lv 3 and stats would be easy enough with the ((FORCE LEVEL UP)) as long as skill points stayed consistent, but an affinity? How would she get this ant an affinity? She knew that the spawner had a tab for affinities, but how did she get EXP for it? Her ((UNDERSTANDING)) pinged and she shook her ((GAZE)). She groaned aloud and the unnamed leader ant looked at her with confusion.
“It’s fine, she says!” Empress encouraged and the ant went back to her work of assigning new ants to their jobs.
She floated over to the ((BASIC ANT SPAWNER LV 1)) just as another group of gatherers returned, they clacked to her in greeting and she grunted in response. She opened the spawner menu and flicked to the affinities tab.
AFFINITIES:
Affinities determine what kind of abilities a being can gain. To gain affinities, a being could have a deep understanding of the affinity, and gain the affinity due to species, location, or magical items and plants.
((LV 1 BASIC ANT SPAWNER)) can gain the affinities
ENTO: 59% (+50% due to Dungeon-Touched trait)
HEAL: 12%
PSY: 3%
FIRE: 0%
NATURE: 0%
WATER: 0%
ELEC: 0%
LIFE: 0%
DEATH: 0%
((EXPAND?))
Empress bobbed thoughtfully; the percentages had gone up since last time, she wasn’t sure what had made them rise, but she supposed that there was nothing else she could do for now. Her ((MANA)) shot up slightly as she absorbed some brambles and she suddenly had an idea. Empress’s ((CORE)) pulsed as she stared at the round hole doorway, she reached into herself and found… wood. A dark collection of branches that she had absorbed and converted into pure ((MANA)), she focused on the doorway trying to force the ((MANA)) to return to its original shape, then the ((SYSTEM)) chimed.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CREATE “ROUGH MIXED WOOD DOORFRAME”?
YES NO
Sighing thankfully, and pressing “YES” ((MANA)) drained from her pool and a doorframe began to form out of thin air, the result was two thick knotted logs of a pale and dark wood blend wedged into the doorway, which now seemed slightly bigger, and atop them, was a similar but smaller log that was cut to link with the others, it was slightly crooked, but it was sturdy and gave the ((SAFEROOM)) the feel of a real room. She was out of wood now; however, she would like to add doorways to the entrances and exits of each room, then maybe some support beams. She paused her bobbing movement and turned to Gatherer,
“Gather wood, she says.” Empress said,
Gatherer clacked in response and scuttled away.
YOUR STOREROOM LV 1 HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THE ROOMS TAB HAS BEEN UNLOCKED
Empress’s ((GAZE)) shot half a HA in the air as the box appeared, she sighed in relief as she read it, then she floated with barely contained excitement over to the spawner room, then to the hallway that attached the new storeroom to the rest of her ((DOMAIN)).
She floated, bobbing up and down erratically, the storeroom was much like the other rooms in the Dungeon, a small room carved out of a dirt hole in the ground, the ceiling was a bit lower than the other rooms, but the room was wider and had divots carved in the walls that could be used as shelving, on the floor there were three shallow collection pits. Some builders milled around the new room, evening out parts of the wall. Empress reached out with her mind, feeling for Builder, then she ((COMMANDED)) a new hallway be built parallel to the moss hallway. She felt Builder begin to rally her crew then she opened her ((MENU)) and selected ((ROOMS))
MENU
STATUS SKILLS HELP ROOMS REPUTATION OVERVIEW
ROOMS
SANCTUM LV 1 – a small room containing the ((CORE)) of a Dungeon without much grandeur or protection.
Spawning chamber LV 1 – A small room for spawning colonists inside a Dungeon.
Safe room LV 1 – A medium-sized room near the beginning of a Dungeon so that adventurers may catch their bearings before taking on the Dungeon.
Storeroom LV 1 – a small room for holding food, weapons, and other supplies in a Dungeon.
Room limit 3/5 (+1)
Available rooms:
LV 1 Moss Garden
LV 1 Boss room (empty)
LV 1 Graveyard
LV 1 Nursery
LV 1 Sleeping chamber
LV 2 Safe room
LV 1 Empty room
LOCKED (unlocked by gaining knowledge)
LOCKED (unlocked by gaining knowledge)
LOCKED (unlocked by gaining knowledge)
LOCKED (unlocked by gaining knowledge)
EXPAND?
Before she could investigate further, something else grabbed her attention. A soft cool feeling, something new has found its way into her domain. Empress closed the text box and floatd over to the entrance, curiosity propelling her. A clear liquid driped over the edge of the white forcefield, slowly at first, but constantly picking up speed. Water slid off the ledge and over the small cliff, dropping into the entrance hallway proper. Gatherers began to rush into the cave, most of them not laden with any resources, the water continues to leach forward.
Empress hums thoughtfully, she pinged the ants to evacuate the entrance hallway, which was quickly turning into a river, as more water filled the dungeon, the farther back the ants crept. The water filled the pit in the saferoom, it seemed to slow down for a moment, then water erupted from the entrance. Empress screamed, the entire colony ran for their lives.
The ants all began to dash for the ((SANCTUM)) crawling on the floors, ceilings, and walls, the water wasn’t clear anymore as it eroded the soft earthen walls of the cave, and it only came faster, the flood slowed as it reached the spawner room and had to split it’s between the way to the storeroom and the way to the ((SANCTUM)). Empress flinched as many of the builder ants who had been working on the newest hallway began to drown. She felt them die. The water uprooted the moss and the muddy waves flashed green and cast bulbous shadows on the walls, it swept up the slowest of the ants in its unrelenting downpour, and it reached out to the ((SANCTUM)) with infinite greedy hands and ravenous hunger.
The water rushed through the doorway; the ants began to swarm the pedestal hoping to protect the ((CORE)) with their water-logged corpses. Empress didn’t quite breathe, but there is no other word for it, and that breath enveloped the ((SANCTUM)) then she inhaled, and the water began to be absorbed into the ((CORE)). it started off slow at first, barely stopping the water from overtaking the pedestal, but as time went on the waves were pushed back farther and farther until it hardly seemed like any water was entering the ((SANCTUM)).
((MANA)) saturated the air of the ((SANCTUM)), power pulsed through ever molecule as the water was absorbed, the ants wriggled and began to change, not by much, a slightly longer antenna, or a darker color, the leaders grew a little larger, not by much, but they changed, the ((CORE)) began to change as well, it grew larger and more gemlike, inside the depths of the crystal swirling dots formed, it sat upright like a golden tear drop instead of the thin oval it had been before; it thickened and gained depth and it seemed like it would grow too large for the pedestal that it sat upon.
The water continually tried to push its way into the ((SANCTUM)) the water pressure growing with the torrential rains’ intensity; however, it made no leeway, and Empress could not block its flow so they sat at a stalemate. Empress focused solely on absorbing the water as she felt her ((DOMAIN)) being torn apart, she felt each ant life that winked out of existence, she did her best to ignore the feeling of being ripped apart as the water eroded her walls. The moss node was swept up and almost seemed to be thrown into the ((SANCTUM)), where the gardeners quickly swarmed it.