The four of them rested for a little while at the entrance of the 2nd floor. Cooking some of the raptor meat Brindan brought with him. He uses his newly acquired wok to cook the meat with some of the edible flowers.
Thornfoot looks a bit skeptical at the flowery meat. “Are you sure this is safe to eat Brindan?”
“Hmm? Yes. It should be, I tasted all flowers before going down the stairs So unless it makes me sick the next day these flower petals you can eat.” Brindan says as he masterfully woks the colorful meat in his wok.
They rest for a few hours before setting off into the jungle. The jungle that is surrounded by what seems to be mountains. Above them is a giant crystal complex, that perhaps is kilometers big to provide light.
“Do you think there is something beyond those mountains Valeria?” Luis says while squinting his eyes to get a better view of a mountain.
“No, behind the mountains it just turns into walls. The walls are just colored blue, like the sky.”
The mountains had less to no trees and a decent amount of was covered by big grass. Some of those grass seemed to grow more to the abyss, creating sporadic patches of big grass in the normal glowing grass or moss.
Trees in the jungle grew up to 400 meters tall, but some stayed small and only got to around one tenth of the big trees. The leaves of the big trees are so big that some of the smaller sapients can use it as a boat. 2,5 by 1 meter big were the leaves. Most of those leaves that had fallen were being eaten by fungi.
The party carefully walked trough this jungle, trough the glowing vines of moss. Undergrowth where it didn’t get compressed by the falling leaves, was very tall. Up to 1,5 meters tall. Crossing the jungle different fungi and bug were seen. All of them big, but not really huge.
While Brindan was admiring a fungus that he thought was edible, he was surprised by a jungle cat. The big cat tried to jump the Dwarf, but Brindan quickly smacked the cat with his iron wok. Giving the opportunity to Thornfoot and Valeria to stab and blast the cat. Killing the cat near instantly.
“It seems that this floor is a bit easier than the last. No other creature that will attack other than this one?” Luis said scratching his chin.
The were attack a few times by the cats, all attacks came from lone attacks never more than one cat. On one occasion were Thornfoot scouted ahead he got a really itchy skin. His skin turned red and even started to irritate his eyes. The rouge quickly looked around for enemies, until he looked up and saw that the tree he was standing below was different. Walking away from the tree, the itching stopped getting worse.
Whispering “Evil trees, this tree is only barely different from the others.” Thornfoot walked back to his party.
Luis and Valeria Laughed at the now very red, but fine halfling. Brindan grabbed some crème and started smearing it across the halfling. Thornfoot begrudgingly let the dwarf help him. He told the party that some trees were poisonous, and that they almost look the same as the other smaller trees.
While being attacked by one of the cats a second cat joined in. Seeing the opportunity the cat lunged at the wizard. Veleria quickly jumped away, with some help of a spell. Unfortunately she got too close to some electrical bugs. Getting electrocuted by the bugs made her stunned. The party quickly dealt with the 2 cats before helping Valeria.
Valeria while being stunned fell into a patch of swordgrass. She got stabbed 23 times, luckily for her, her armor blocked the most of the damage. And het now very tight muscles also blocked some. The party quickly helped her of the swordgrass. After some healing spells and some bandages they continued. Thornfoot saw a space with less trees and some mysterious glowing mist.
Seeing that there may be some open space they went there. Some minutes later they arrived at the ‘clearing’. What they saw instead was a giant pit a circular hole. The hole was wider than the part they just walked through. In the pit a white but glowing mist or steam was floating, giving light around it. In the mist and in the pit some flying snakes floated. The snakes were long and wide with blades near the tail. They were big, but how big the party didn’t know.
Title unlocked
Pit explorer l (First discovered)
+10% Climbing (first discovered 2x) = +20% climbing
“That.. is a good title to get seeing this monstrosity of a pit!” Lius said happily to climb easier.
They stayed for a little while looking into the pit. Those snakes just move around a bit. The part they stared in was covered in glowing grass. Some rock formations created some covered part or created tunnels for cover. Barely visible was all the way down were the clovers. They couldn’t really tell what plant it was.
And after a little while a bit of the mist drifted away letting them see a little bit of the next layer. They saw big crystals, white crystals to be precise. After seeing that the grass area wasn’t the end, they decided to head back up and out of the dungeon.
Strolling back trough the dungeon reaching the staircase.
“I really don’t like that we have to climb all the way back up the staircase, the cliff already is so difficult.” Thornfoot said with sadness in his voice.
Brindan nodded when Thornfoot talked about the staircase. Up they went climbing for hour on end. They even got tired enough to rest on the stairs. Valeria used some magic to create platforms big enough to barely lay on. Hoping that no one would fall off and tumble down the stairs.
After the terrible sleeping spot they climbed the stair again. Exiting it and going back to koboldsrest. The walk back on the 1st floor was noting special. Brindan cooked his special leech roast and the party brought some gems for some extra money.
They arrived at the outpost.
“Now what are we going to do after we told this knowledge? I will be resting for at least a week.” Luis said while stretching his arms upwards.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“I will start making a book on what you can eat and cook in this dungeon!” The dwarf said thinking off all the things to eat.
“I will be trying to get some elven scholars here for more info on giant trees. Those scholars would love to get more information on big trees.” Valeria said.
“I, uhhh, will be here in koboldsrest just resting as well. Just laying in bed and drinking some beer.” Thornfoot said a bit suspiciously.
So the party entered the outpost and told everyone at the guild-tavern what they encountered and discovered. Minus the achievements of course. Causing many to go train climbing.
{The dungeon core, at the altar}
There is a big row of people with many cages, boxes and bags. Wow so many lifeforms for me to get. I put on the big slab of rock “Open”, and the first one came with their boxes. Everyone put their containers on the altar. Many brought creatures and plant I didn’t put on the list, thinking maybe they get a reward or they are just being nice. I did gave them gold depending on how much I value them. Making their worries of not getting a reward subside, for others it was a welcome surprise as they didn’t expect a reward.
The most surprising one was one old human. He brought so many fish like creatures. It seems that he is famous in this region for catching big fish. Unfortunately he caught all big fish in a really big radius, so he thought I can make more monstrous and big fish. He even brought a baby whale, from the pattern this creature grows to around 30 meters big. I will not question it how he got one here.
Plant patterns
- Shadefern; [lesser natural stealth], [photosynthesis], [Lesser moisture draw]
- Stingerwort; [minor irritant hairs], [lesser resilience], [photosynthesis]
- Cavemouth; [photosynthesis], [minor resilience], [lesser root creep]
- Faintbloom; [photosynthesis], [minor camouflage], [lesser pollen drift]
- Hookroot Crawler; [lesser terrain cling], [minor trip hazard], [lesser nutrient draw]
- Snapcurl Vine; [lesser reflex curl], [photosynthesis], [minor mana sensitivity]
- Gildpetal Tree; [photosynthesis], [minor mana bloom], [goldvein bark]
- Bonebark Tree; ; [photosynthesis], [bone bark], [lesser ‘walking’ roots]
- Moonshade Ash; [minor night affinity], [lunarsynthesys], [lesser twilight nectar]
- Knucklenut Tree; [lesser gravity fruit], [dense wood], [photosynthesis]
- Whisperpine; [photosynthesis], [minor cold resistance], [lesser leaf wind voice]
Fish patterns
- Ironjaw Pike; [minor resilience], [lesser hydro sense], [iron scales]
- Cloudfin Titan; [minor cold resistance], [lesser reflexes], [sky fins]
- Mirejaw Lungfish; [amphibian], [lesser paralyzing saliva], [plated scales]
- Thundertrout; [lesser electro-synthesis], [lesser lightning skin], [minor agility]
- Silverbranch Mirrorfish; [lesser mirrorflare scales], [minor mirage slip], [cold resistance]
- Snaptooth Paddlejaw; [lesser paralytic bite], [minor burst-coil], [arc-jaw]
- Deepspike Sucker; [sediment siphon], [lesser compression hide], [minor burrow stealth]
- Misttail Darter; [minor shimmering scales], [lesser blur-mist], [minor sound-dampening]
- Sludgecoil Devourer; [toxic affinity], [rot metabolism], [lesser rot resistance]
- Thornback Grouper; [lesser toxin barbs], [lesser stone stealth], [minor stone skin]
- Wraithscale Paria; [greater spectral drain fang], [incorporeal shimmer], [nulllight bloom]
- Lurklight mesmerfish; [superior bio-light deception], [greater sound mesmer], [minor telepathy]
- Mawreed Daggerfish; [greater kinetic impale], [minor blood frenzy], [fin-blade edge]
- Cryveil Abyssfin; [greater cold aura], [ice burrowing], [dream-glaze hide]
- Glassen Pike; [greater refraction skin], [minor precision strike], [superior glass blade]
Land creatures patterns
- Ember-Tail Muckbeast; [fire core], [lesser ash digestion], [lesser burning tail]
- Iron-Tooth Molebeast; [iron infused teeth], [lesser tremor sense], [lesser earth burrowing]
- Crested Vinemouth; [lesser grasping tendrils], [minor chloromorph], [leaf-bound]
- Thornhide Crawler; [spike burst], [minor regeneration], [lesser pain suppression]
Bird patterns
- Stormbrush Kite; [minor wind current sense], [lesser static build-up], [storm resistance]
- Glimmercrest Wispjay; [lesser mimic call], [iridescent plumage], [minor curiosity (shiny)]
- Frostplume Jackdove; [lesser cold resistance], [ice-chipping beak], [ice core]
- Cloudcaller Raven; [strom resistance], [superior storm creation], [lesser lightning resistance]
- Storm-raven; [lesser storm resistance], [lightning core], [lesser lighting affinity]
- Raptor mimicius; [voice mimic], [minor sound affinity], [lesser resilient feathers]
Draconic patterns
- Tidecrest Reef Drake; [lesser water affinity], [lesser water jet], [water dragon scales]
- Gladecrawler Wyrm; [spore breath], [lesser rot affinity], [lesser rot dragon scales]
- Frost Wyveling; [lesser cold resistance], [minor ice breath], [minor Ice affinity]
Insect patterns
- Ironjaw Ant; [lesser iron-jaw], [minor co-operation], [lesser iron-infusion]
- Velvet Fang Spider; [lesser velvet poison], [paralyzing web], [lesser cheerleading]
- Millipede; [lesser neurotoxin], [minor carapace], [improved leg co-ordination]
- Stone beetle; [lesser stone-infusion], [stone carapace], [minor stone affinity]
- Gravity beetle; [lesser gravity-infusion], [gravity carapace], [minor gravity core]
- Heavy beetle; [heavy], [heavy carapace], [extreme musculature]
- Sun beetle; [lesser sun-infusion], [sun carapace], [lesser flash]
- Moon beetle; [lesser moon-infusion], [moon carapace], [minor lunar healing aura]
- Silver beetle; [lesser silver-infusion], [silver carapace], [minor silver synthesis (tier 1)]
- Copper beetle; [lesser copper-infusion], [copper carapace], [minor copper synthesis (tier 1)]
- Pyrite beetle; [lesser pyrite-infusion], [pyrite carapace], [minor pyrite synthesis (tier 1)]
- Mana beetle; [lesser mana-infusion], [mana carapace], [minor mana crystallization]
- Blood beetle; [lesser blood-infusion], [blood carapace], [minor blood core]
Magical plants
- Vinelea magnetica; [greater magnetic core], [magnetic affinity], [lesser magnetic bond]
- Pyro bush; [greater fire affinity], [fire body], [lesser heat aura]
- Puppets weed; [parasite], [body takeover], [lesser mental manipulation]
- Redwood electrus;
Magical creatures
- Water bird elemental; [greater water affinity], [water core], [lesser water body]
- Reptil vulcanus; [lesser volcano affinity], [magma core], [walking volcano]
- Petrifici terriblis; [petrificating poison], [greater camouflage], [superior mental stealth]
Well that took a while to get through. Everyone got the rewards the stone wall said, and the ones who brought stuff got a lesser reward except for a few who brought exceptional species.
All of these patterns of course get added to the HYPER MUTATION CHAMBER. In the chamber I added a bit more water to create a bit deeper sea. The sea is consists of 80% blood, 10% water and 10% other bodily fluids. How the blood doesn’t coagulate interests me, but I will check when it is time to create the boss.
How bad do you guys think the HYPER MUTATION CHAMBER is?