Core of Knowledge

It has only been two days since the debriefing, but Pos could see several clearly marked traps near the entrance, and the beginning of a wooden wall. The craftsmen the Guild Master sent were humans and they were a lot more competent than Pos had believed.

Pos took another drink as he looked at the entrance of the dungeon. The wall did not block his view of it and Pos could see that there had not been any changes to it since the last time he was here. However, the dwarf could feel the pull of it. A pull that promises both glory and death.

Pos knew what the pull means. Having survived it twice, Pos could not wait to go back in again. He wanted the glory of another successful delve, and although he would never admit it, Pos was worried about that. The chase for levels and treasures was how a lot of delvers die.

Pos looked at the assembled adventurers around him once more. Young and old, the new and the experienced, almost every adventurer in the surrounding area was here. Some of the adventurers looked excited, some were nervous, some were standing, some were seated on the ground, but all were eager. Like Pos, they had all heard the lure of the dungeon. Pos sighed.

He wonders how many of them would still be alive by the end of the year.

Trying to turn away from the morbid thought, Pos looked at the small makeshift stage that had been hastily built in the clearing. To his dwarven eyes, it was shoddily made but Pos did not blame the craftsmen too much. A dungeon opening may be a big deal, but there was only so much the craftsmen could do in two days.

Claudio, Fabiana and Father Raul were standing on the stage along with a line of ceremonial guards in fancy finery. Pos guessed the town wanted to look good for the opening, but he just found them pretentious. The guards were even carrying drums instead of swords!

Pos wish they would get on with it already.

The more prominent adventurers in town, like Pos, sat near the stage while the newer and less respected adventurers stood further back. On the stage, Claudio and Fabiana were looking down at a scroll with Father Raul standing a step behind them. The Guild Master and [Sage] were exchanging words and Pos saw Fabiana nodding with what the Guild Master was saying.

Once their discussion was over, the [Sage] stood up straight, a scroll in her hand and looked at the assembled adventurers. Pos felt his heart lifting. The ceremony was about to begin.

As the Guild Master of the Adventurer Guild, Claudio took central stage. He stepped towards the front of the stage and the line of guards begun beating on their drums. A simple beat that caused all conversations to cease as everyone looked up at the stage. If he was nervous, Claudio did not look it, his [Commanding Presence] drawing the attention of everyone in the clearing. When the guards stopped the beat, the Guild Master began.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and all of you who are neither, I am Claudio of House Campisi, better known as the babysitter of you miserable lot.” Claudio paused and a small smile appeared on his face as low laughter came from the assembled adventurers, “As the Guild Master of the Adventurer Guild of Viaggia, it is with great pleasure that I announced the presence of a new dungeon; The Tomb of Ten Thousand Techniques!”

A great cheer erupted from the adventurers and Pos found himself shouting alongside everyone. This was what they were all here for. The Guild Master let the cheers go on for several moments before lifting his hand to quiet everyone.

“Now, before you charge into the dungeon, let us be clear. This is a very dangerous dungeon! Adventurers have died in this dungeon already, and even a high-leveled team failed to reach the last floor. Like all dungeons, there is glory and treasure to be gained inside, but glory and treasure are no good to the dead. So, do not enter it if you are unwilling to risk your life and do not enter if you have not made peace with your gods. This is a dungeon, it will try to kill you, and some of you will die to it.”

Silence greeted Claudio’s pronouncement, the truth of his words sinking in. The Guild Master looked at the assembled adventurers. He nodded, seemingly satisfied with what he saw.

“Before you enter the dungeon, there are a few simple rules to follow. Some of you who had entered dungeons before would know of them, but for all of you who are new, listen up!”

“First, do not break the core! I know the act of killing a dungeon will gain you a few levels, but dungeons are important to the kingdom, the local population, and your follow adventurers. So, do NOT kill it! If you kill the dungeon, we will know. No matter where you run to, the Adventurer Guild will find you and then, we will kill you. There will be nowhere for you to hide, nowhere for you to run, and no one will be able to protect you from our wrath. That is an adventurer’s promise!”

Another silence greeted Claudio’s words, this time the air was heavier and far more serious. Everyone knew the stories and knew that the Guild Master was serious. When an adventurer picked up a quest from the Guild, the adventurer would promise to fulfil it to the best of his ability. However, he does not need sign a contract stating he will complete it. His word and promise was good enough.

So, an adventurer was only as good as his word. To an adventurer, his word and promise was everything. When the Adventurer Guild promise they would do everything in their power to kill you, they mean it.

Pos remembered the story of a wilful human [Prince] who was escorted through a dungeon on his birthday. He reached the core room, but instead of leaving, he destroyed the core for levels. He thought he could get away with it, that the Adventurer Guild would not risk their operations in his father’s kingdom just to avenge a core.

He was dead before his next birthday.

No one could prove that the [Assassin] who killed the [Prince] was hired by the Adventurer Guild, but the guild never denied it and the [King], father of the dead [Prince], outlawed the Guild from his kingdom for the rest of his reign. The Adventurer Guild was only allowed back when the [King] died, and his successor rescinded the royal decree. The ban was considered an acceptable outcome for the guild.

That was how important the Adventurer Guild viewed dungeons.

“Second, anyone who enter the dungeon need to sign a waiver. Yes, groan all you like but all of you know the rules. Everyone who enters a dungeon under the protection of the Adventurer Guild need to sign the waiver exempting the guild from all responsibilities in the event of your death or injuries. The waiver also state that you are entering the dungeon of your own free will. This is not Estodius, there will be no slaves being thrown in to be meat-shield for their masters. No one is allowed to force or coerce anyone else to enter the dungeon. Father Raul there will be the one handling the waivers, so they will be enforced by holy writ. I strongly advise all of you NOT to risk eternal damnation just for some extra protection.”

When he was certain everyone had taken in what he said, Claudio turned to face Fabiana and gave her a nod. The [Sage] cast a spell at the signal, the scroll in her hand lit up, and an image appeared above her. Pos recognized it as a diagram of what looked like the first floor of the Tomb of Ten Thousand Techniques. A large room, with a highlighted area at the top of the image, and several small lights throughout the room. With everyone’s attention on the image, Claudio continued his speech.