Deathtrap Dungeon: Meat and Greet (IC)

[techmaster-glitch]

   For whatever reason, Glup seemed a little put-off by Zyrais' success at fixing the goggles. Nevertheless, it was Glup's response to his question that he was interested in.
   Headless though it was, the "torso" of Xephelon's exoshell nodded as best as it could. "Of course. Demonstrations and evidence are always the best things to have, although I will make the small note that this very exoshell I live in--" The four arms of the exoshell gestured to itself, "--should be a testament to my abilities. But yes, I would be delighted to hear anything you have to say about how the magic in your goggles work...

[VAE]

"Well,  they pglobably do not look much, but the lenshesh a'e  enchantsed with shome spellsh.
Figlst, they soglt of adjushth depending on whegle i look, not like noglmal glass which hash a fikshed potencsy. Makesh it eashie' to shee.
Shecond, they agle shupposhed  to be ve'y duglable - which ish why i wash double the annoyed when i thought the 'jeglkash'  *gargle*  ash deskglibed by hish own minion, bgloke them. They kosht load.
Thigld, they pglotekt againsht blinding shpellsh.
And lashtly, the lacse ish made of shome new fancsy shtuff -   it doesh not get to'n by my caglpacse"
Glup proceeded to hand him the item.
On inspection, the glass appeared to be a completely ordinary flat glass, not being able to pick up the robot's cameras' optic requirements - it was probably designed to work with  living eyes only.
The frame was made of metal, with a rel. hard polymer foam on the bottom to copy the shape of whatever they should adhere to.The frame had two layers of studs, one in front and one in back of each lens, holding it in place
The lace was made out of several layers of alternating natural rubber cords, and curled, looser threads of what appeared to be some aramide fabric - it was cut-resistant and elastic.
It was nothing that fancy, but anybody familiar with the technological "lateness" of Zinvth would immediately see that this was probably one of the most expensive parts of the whole assembly.

[techmaster-glitch]

   Xephelon listened intently at the description of the magical effects present in the goggles. "So, standard resistence enhancement, but also an active, variable transmutation, and the nonmagical frame is of exceptional craftsmanship...interesting."
   Xephelon carefully took the goggles and gave them a magic-aided examination, carefully inspecting the magic in the lenses but also looking at the remarkably complex assembly of the frame. Xephelon was a respectable mundane craftsman, but he knew he would not be able to duplicate that part at all easily, if it was even possible, and the materials themselves he was not familiar with...but the lenses weren't that difficult to one with his abilities.
   He returned the goggles, saying "Thank you for allowing me to examine them. My offer still stands about further enchanting of them, or the creation of something new. Inform me later if you decide you do want anything."
   Xephelon returned to following the tour, and watching for anything else Nadihya had to show the group.

[Drayco84]

   Now that Glup had been effectively silenced, Zyrais was waiting for Nadhiya's response and trying to hide his interest in her actions. Obviously, she had to have some kind of means to enforce order and ensure that she remained in charge of this would-be community, otherwise it would quickly devolve into chaos as everyone and their siblings began fighting each other for the sake of dominance. Of course, he would never partake of such petty bickering... Backstabbing the "winner", on the other hand...
   "Alright Dee, you can go back to doing annoying the gryphon, Kittrick." He told her.
   "Damn... I thought I was either gonna get to find out if chuul tasted like lobster, or watch you get ripped apart in a gruesomely entertaining fashion." She replied, putting her sign away and flying off. "If you weren't on your best behavior right now, you'd be challenging everyone present to a duel, wouldn't you?"
   "Yes, but you'd also be surprised at how many creatures take offense to being slapped in the face with a glove, much less a guantlet." He replied. "Besides, I have yet to see any kind of arena in this place."
   "Whatever..." She sighed, gently landing on Kittrick's back. "Just don't get yourself gruesomely killed when I'm not watching."

I'm trying to cut back on the SatAM comedy and go with something darker.

[Liatai]

This time, actually seeing the pseudodragon glide in for a landing, it was less jarring when the weight settled on her back. Kittrick had been standing at the back of the group, as far away from Glup as she could without seeming like she was distancing herself from everyone. When the chuul had resurfaced with broken goggles, she had momentarily panicked -- did her pebbles do that?! That bizarre humming sound  hadn't helped, either. Fortunately, he seemed to blame Zyrais, so she had simply retreated slowly, with her ears flattened to try to block out the sound. (It hadn't helped.) Extra-fortunately, the goggles were easily repaired. That was a relief. No harm, no foul.

The gryphon looked over her shoulder at Dee. She wasn't sure how mind-to-mind communication was supposed to work... should she just think a greeting? She decided to play it safe and just use a verbal one. "Well, hello again."

[Mechanisto]

Nadhiya had been surreptitiously silent throughout the entire exchange. She hadn't actually done anything... or even threatened to do anything. She had perhaps implied that she could do something, if she wanted... but so far, hadn't.

"Well then, if that's settled..." She turned to Zyrais briefly, as if preparing to pass pitiless judgment. "...then we can continue on with the tour. This way, gentils, if you please."

She turned back with a wave, and continued slithering down the spiral ramp. No punishment, nor threat... not even a hollow slap on the wrist. Either she was unwilling, or perhaps truly unable, to actually punish Zyrais, or... well... what else could it be? Intimidation? A bluff? Some convoluted mind game? Or perhaps she genuinely didn't care. None of these possibilities seemed at all likely.

-----

Nethalzar's mystical vision revealed something startlingly disturbing. There was no obvious life to sense. The undead race still possessed a soul, trapped in a rotting husk. Even a mindless, soulless zombie had spirit energy of some sort, even if only the arcane power that had animated it. But this... this was...

The realization was shocking. This was no longer an undead creature. It was just a corpse. It had once been animated... and was no longer so. A more careful examination, using aura sight, revealed that the girl's soul still remained tethered to her body. The connection was tenuous at best, though... and becoming worse.

Strangely, Nethalzar's Aura Sight revealed no arcane or divine influence. This resembled the sort of thing a priest or paladin might do to banish an undead. And yet there was no obvious evidence of such ritual magic. This was something... else. And whatever it was, the girl didn't have long; she was somehow dying... again.

-----

Their descent to the next level was longer than before; this layer of the dungeon seemed more spaced apart than the others. The updraft became warmer and stronger over time. As the next floor came into view, however, the environment changed completely; the air was swelteringly hot and dry as a bone. The stone was warm to the touch, and those who had been soaked or splashed with water were soon completely dry. The air was filled with a slight layer of dust, with occasional clouds of tiny black flakes swirling through the wind like confetti.

The next level was like a whole different world. Where before there had been aqueducts and waterfalls, these halls and corridors were decorated with searing hot magma. The glowing liquid stone flowed like the blood of a living mountain, causing the grooves in the walls and floors to glow red and orange. Instead of fountains, this area was decorated with what looked like rock gardens; fields of bone-white sand, punctuated with natural-looking chunks of volcanic glass. They were a disorderly mess, but were obviously decorative in purpose.

Nadhiya's voice was muffled slightly, as she was now holding a handkerchief to her mouth. "Sorry about the heat... we can move on to the next level quickly, if everyone prefers. And if anyone has any respiratory problems, asthma, allergies, what have you, please let me know immediately. I can affect a countermeasure."

[VAE]

"The soonegl we move, the bethegl"
Glup did not like this enviroment at all - the various algae hanging from him shrivelled and parts fell off, floating to the ground or flying to magma pools and disappearing in small puffs of smoke, and only his thick armor shell with something of an isolative property meant that he did not get cooked like a real lobster.
As he walked on, something occured to him. He turned to Xephelon's robot walker and mentioned:
"What do you think? I'am no expeglt in this, but fglom what i 'ead - i think we could ushe the heath difeglence between the cavesh to powe' pglethy much any machine"  His eyes behind the lenses seemed to glitter subtly, suggesting just what kind and scale of machinery he had in mind...

[techmaster-glitch]

   As the group descended still deeper, they left the water tunnels and instead entered what seemed to be a small (relatively) magma pocket. The moisture on the surfaces of Xephelon's exoshell evaporated into light steam as they went on. More disturbingly, the metal of the exoshell itself began to warm up. Xephelon was a completely unresistent and squishy mass of flesh, and the idea of being baked alive inside his own exoshell was not appealing in the slightest. While the exoshell was marginally protected against say, sudden blasts, it was not very insulated against natural environmenal extremes. He'd have to remember to put heat-resistent wards on the exoshell later... but for now, within the exoshell's central cavity, he began diverting some of his magic into an enchantment that would cool the metal and negate the heat, although temporarily. As he did so, the exoshell seemed to shut down a little, the lights going dimmer and the exoshell itself slowing down a bit.
   When Glup asked him about using the heat as a power source, Xephelon's slightly lethargic exoshell turned to him. "Perhaps... I have heard of some great arcanists undertaking projects in the construction of eldritch machines that produce massive-scale effects built in a location of high energy concentration... a nexus of natural magical conduits, or a mundane yet powerful volcano... I have never worked on such a project myself, and while the idea of drawing energy from here is appealing, I do not yet have any ideas that would require such output..."
   He finally completed the chilling enchantment, and felt relief as the metal he was encased in suddenly turned cold, and the exoshell returned to full mobility as Xephelon redirected his magic into it. He took stock of the features of the area, notably the volcanic glass... and broke off small chunk of it as well when the group passed a cluster; it might have some useful propterties, too. He then turned to the naga. "Lady Nadihya, while I do find this area fascinating as well, I believe I would prefer to return when I am more prepared against this natural extreme. I had to construct an emergency enchantment, and it will not last long. While not speaking for anyone else, I would be satisfied in moving to the next area quickly."

[Drayco84]

   Zyrais stood there for a moment after Nadhiya's dismissal as if taken by surprise. To be truthful, he hadn't considered this possibility. Thus, several theories immediately formed in his mind... Was she too weak to enforce any of her rules? Was she so powerful that his actions didn't even concern her in the slightest? Did she just not care? Or, since the manner was resolved rather peacefully, did she not see fit to hand out any kind of punishment? Heck, was she testing him as well?
  In any case, the tour was moving on, and Zyrais was quickly getting left behind. He turned around and began following the group, still sticking close to the stairwell's wall.

<><><><><>

  I goofed. According to the Monster Manual, pseudodragons are mind readers. Well, I guess that means I don't have to explain how Zyrais can communicate with Dee after all.

  Dee yawned, and then settled herself down on the gryphon's back, ignoring her for just a moment.
  "Mmmm... You're nice and comfy..." She remarked, making a rasping, purring sound. "I was going to ask you something, but that whole mess with the giant lobster-thing got me distracted..."

<><><><><>

  Long before the group had reached the lower caverns, Zyrais had cast an "Endure Elements" spell, and a "Deep Breath" spell to not only tolerate the heat, but also to avoid inhaling the ash-filled air.
  "The obligatory lava level..." He groaned, hoping against hope that the mountain the place was in wasn't a form of volcano... Nothing said "intelligent" like basing one's lair in the direct path of a lava flow. Sure, the thermal energy output was remarkable, but a moot point for a natural magic-user...
  Zyrais waited in the stairwell, having a good enough view from such a distance and staying far, far away from the, magic or no magic, lethal magma.

[Liatai]

"Mm? And what would--" Kittrick's sentence was interrupted by a cough as she inhaled a particularly dry, dusty blast of hot air. She cleared her throat, shook her head a little, and paused for a moment to make an arcane gesture with a foreclaw in the air. The air around her cooled to a more temperate level and began to flow, as though a large invisible fan was blowing on the gryphon's front at full blast. A short muttered word created an additional buffer of calmer air around her eyes and beak. Normally, she used air-control spells to protect her eyes at high altitude and to assist flight; however, several record summers had shown her their value as a sort of personal air conditioner.

As an afterthought, she muttered the phrase again, adding another pocket of calm air for the pseudodragon between her shoulders. "There we are."

Of course, all of the air conditioning in the world wouldn't last long against volcanic heat, so she quickened her pace to a trot to keep up with the group. "What might you have wanted to ask?"

[Drayco84]

   "Well, I've completely forgotten by now, so it's a moot point." Dee explained to Kittrick, completely ignoring the impressive temperatures in the current area. "It doesn't help that I'm much of a conversation starter... So, tell me about yourself."

[WhiteFox]

     Thessaly idly regarded the coursing magma. She quickened to match pace with the group, but didn't seem overly bothered by the heat. "By any chance, Lady Nadihya, will there be a similar series of chambers involving earth and wind?" She asked aloud.



     Nethalzar stood over the inert form, mentally running through the information available. The necromancer was still pondering the situation when Carter eventually arrived.
     The youth was a tall and gaunt jackal, his fur slick and glossy black. He wore an egyptian style skirt, and a heavy gold mantle ornamented in precious stones and engraved icons. His face was concealed by a solid gold face mask, austere and unadorned. His calves and forearms were wrapped in linen bandages. Slung over one shoulder was a large satchel, and in one hand was a staff capped with an ankh.
     Carter cleared his throat, and Nethalzar snapped out of his musings.
     "Carter. You brought the Codex?" The giraffe said.
     The jackal nodded, and took a massive tome from his bag, but Nethalzar shook his head and waved it away. "I have little time. I need to perform an astral seeking immediately. I'll need the Codex afterwards."
     Carter nodded again, and took a small case of basic supplies out of the satchel.
     Nethalzar gave him a thin smile. "Practical as always. Inscribe the circle, I must begin my trance immediately."
     As Carter began drawing, Nethalzar sat cross-legged in front of the figure.
     I have her name, and the faintest tether from her body to her spirit, He thought. That may be enough to find her souls current whereabouts. Hopefully, the circle of protection will fortify the tether as well. The massive giraffe's figure slumped forward as his spirit left his corporeal frame.
     Carter finished writing. Then he rose, staff in hand, and silently stood vigil over the bodies of the dead.

I didn't think Carter's introduction would be so appropriate for the character. Wicked.

[Liatai]

What are you, a miniature psychiatrist? the gryphon thought with a wry smirk.

"Perhaps when we are in an environment that is more... conducive to conversation," she replied, trying to keep her paws moving so that they weren't in contact with the hot stone floor for long. "You name again was...?"

[Drayco84]

   "My preferred name is Death-Venom." The small creature replied. "But, most just call me Dee as it's a lot shorter and easier to spit out when angry, annoyed, or in pain from my venom." Dee thought for a moment before continuing. "The stairwell seemed a bit cooler. Although, hopefully the naga won't stick around here much longer."

[Mechanisto]

Nadhiya listened to Zyrais' comment about the "Obligatory" lava level, and Thessaly's question about Earth and Wind levels... but merely rolled her eyes.

"I would prefer to divide the various levels into districts, such as Industrial, Residential and commercial, rather than rely on the tired old cliches... but of course no matter where we put the residential area, some races will be comfortable and others will not."

At the pace everyone was moving, they reached the next level soon enough. This area was only slightly less hot, but was far more humid. This area had aqueducts and waterways like the main level, but the flowing water seemed to be piping hot. A thick mist hung in the air, and water condensation coated every visible surface.

"I suspect this area might once have been a garden or arboretum, perhaps for a jungle environment. Most of the halls have dirt floor areas; all barren now, but they may have held rich soil in the past. I don't know that we have any druids on the guest list, at this point..."

-----

Nethalzar's senses blurred as he began his out-of-body experience. His surroundings rippled and faded, like the contents of a dream, until he found himself someplace else entirely; a small country mansion, faded with neglect and time, surrounded by dark and foreboding forest on all sides. Whispers carried on the breeze, and memories hung from the windowsills like cobwebs.

A faded ghostly figure congealed on the footpath ahead of him; the pale, translucent figure of an elderly woman. The woman gestured towards him, her voice barely audible; "How can you throw your life away like this? This foolishness will be the death of you again, girl!"

The figure vanished like moonlight in a rippled pond. Another replaced it; a young man, handsome and strong. His voice sounded concerned, and he seemed to plead; "Please, Maryanne... you don't need to go like this! I can make enough for both of us... we'll be comfortable!"

The figure vanished, and the mansion's courtyard grew silent again. The features of the two apparitions were already becoming difficult to remember. The whole place was fragile and fleeting... but it was a spirit realm nonetheless, and Nethalzar's magic ran strong here.

[WhiteFox]

Thessaly shuffled restlessly. Temperature alone was hardly a bother, but humidity and heat were a bad combination for Undead concerned about bodily decay. She tried to focus on her notation.

This place is going to be hell on my figure... She thought.



Nethalzar regarded the astral realm breifly, but shook his head. He didn't have time for study.

Holding his hands aloft, he wove one of the most fundamental spells of a Necromancer: summoning the dead.

"Roxanne," he said. His voice resonated with depth and power.

"Come to me."

[Liatai]

"I'll... keep that in mind, Miss Death-Venom." Better to be too formal than too familiar, she thought, especially with a creature who was resting on your back and could very easily turn that venom on you with a flick of the tail. She slowed her pace once they entered the slightly cooler, more humid caverns, but kept the air-conditioning spell active. Humidity was the arch-rival of smooth fur and feathers, after all. "And I am Kittrick, courier by trade, archaeologist by education, and dabbler in the arcane arts. There, now we are introduced."

She twisted her head to look over her shoulder at her. "If I may ask, how is it that you are speaking so? Is it a spell of some kind?"

[Drayco84]

   Zyrais felt slightly more at ease in the steaming, waterlogged air. He cancelled the 'Deep Breath' spell as it was no longer needed but kept the "Endure Elements' active. If only there were a few areas that were kept dry, then this level would make an excellent hot springs or sauna... However, he was quickly drawn out of his musings because the water was condensing on his clothes, his armor, and most importantly, his wings. Despite that, he wondered how well his electric spells would work here...
   His thoughts were derailed yet again when Nadhiya mentioned that she suspected this place was once an arboretum or jungle area. He looked around, searching for any means for natural sunlight to enter, or anything that produced enough light for plants to grow. The other thing that concerned him was the soil conditions, so he took a close look at the ground/cave floor he was standing on...

<><><><><>

   "A spell? Heh... No, my kind naturally uses telepathy." Dee explained, slightly amused at the gryphon's use of formality. "We can easily pick up passing thoughts if we choose, but we can also ignore most creatures at will. As such, we make excellent messengers and spies for any creature we deem worthy of our companionship."

[Mechanisto]

Zyrais' search for a light source was in vain. There were obviously no sunroofs, magical or otherwise, and no current source of light. it was hard to imagine real, natural sunlight ever having touched this place. The "soil" was barely even that; it was more like crunchy, flaky dirt. If it had been soil once, that had been a very long time ago.

-----

The forest seemed to close in on Nethalzar, and the cloudy night sky slowly vanished. An inky darkness crept in from al directions, but the astral realm did not disappear; as Nethalzar's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw that he was now inside of the Mansion itself. He had not entered it, of course; this place had come to him.

The entire building was an empty, ruined shell; the inner floors and walls were gone, exposing the lower basement level. Instead of a wooden or earthen floor, though, the entire basement was filled with debris; most was ruined furniture or garbage, but some looked like personal belongings that had once been held dear. The detrius of an entire lifetime.

In the far corner, a tiny figure huddled, hugging her knees. Her dress was the same, but gray and faded... her body, though, was whole and healthy (looking, at least). She lifted her head slightly, her voice barely a whisper.

"Who... who's there? How do you know my name?"

[WhiteFox]

"I am Nethalzar, a master of necromancy. Your body was found dormant, at Lady Nadihya's gathering, and I was asked to assist if possible." He said. "Your ties to your physical form are tenuous at the moment, and fading... how did this happen?"

As he spoke he, glanced about the surroundings.

I believe the aura-sight spell is still active. Checking; the plane itself for any kind of imprisonment or sealing magics; if there are any lingering auras of other magic users, who may have erected said seals; if any spells have been recently cast on, or are currently active, on Roxanne herself; and what Roxannes condition in general is. In that order, if it matters.

Actually, scratch that. First thing I'm going to check is if this actually is Roxanne. Then the rest.

[Mechanisto]

The girl's spirit was almost incoherent, but it did seem to be Roxanne. Perhaps only her spirit, though... the emotional aspect. There was no telling how much of her intellect or memory remained active. A brief look around also revealed that there were no seals or prisons... at least, no artificial ones. This place was itself a prison of the girl's own making; a sort of self-inflicted Purgatory.

"Body? Gathering?" The cowering figure stared up at Nethalzar with terrified eyes. "There was... something... I had to do. How do you know that? And how do you know my new name? I never told anybody here about that..."

If this place truly was a sort of... self inflicted purgatory, then Nethalzar was witnessing something extremely rare. He and the girl were on the doorstep to the afterlife... whatever that might be.

[techmaster-glitch]

   As the group passed though the magma chamber, with the metal-cooling infusion wearing off as they left, Xephelon listened carefully when Nadihya spoke of divinding the dungeon into districts based on function. Space allocation was yet another task he believed he could aid in, especially once he made his first planned device.
  However, the next area the entered didn't interest Xephelon much. While the mist didn't bother him (although his metal exoshell started making squealching noises, and it was fortunate the metal was enchanted to never rust), he couldn't see much fuctional use of this area unless someone could indeed cause vegetation to take root here (as Nadihya mentioned druids), something Xephelon was -certainly- incapable of. Xephelon then began thinking; how were the denizens of the dungeon going to be fed? Especially with such diversity, every different creature must have nutritional requirements as varied as their shapes. There was quite a feast at the reception area, but where did it come from? Was it all produced here in the dungeon, or acquired from an outside source? And if it did come from an outside source, would it be able to provide with all the needs of the inhabitants? If such a basic necessity had to be procured from many sources and distributed among the denizens, why, they would need someone who was a sharp economist, negotiator, scrounger, and...he glanced back at Kittrick.
  ...Postmaster.
  Xephelon caught up with Nadihya again.
  "Lady Nadihya?" He asked as he came up to her side, metal joints squeaking with moisture. "Something has just occurred to me. While this area is barren of vegetation and life, are there any other sections of the dungeon that are being used as crop production? If not, then where did the feast at the dungeon's portal hub come from, and is such a supply going to continue, or was it a single event? And if it was a single event, then is providing food yet another currently nonexistant and yet-to-be-insituted infrastructure?"

[Mechanisto]

She pointed her finger towards Xephelon with a shooting gesture. "Excellent observation. The bulk of the food was purchased via a catering service, and transported through the main portal chamber... an extremely inefficient use of portal bandwidth, I assure you, but unavoidable. Most of the rest was was conjured by myself... though I suspect the Kobolds added a few of their local delicacies when I wasn't paying attention. They've apparently managed to start a few fungus farms here and there, so it seems small-scale agriculture may not be out of the question. Though of course, Kobolds are not particularly choosey about their diet."

"Obviously, the food supply will need to be guaranteed before we allow a large population to settle here. As always, I'm open to suggestions. Ah... here we are." As they reached the next level, the sounds of roaring fires and hushed conversation wafted from below. "This would conclude the cursory tour of the facilities. Do let me know if you have any further questions or concerns, or would like to take a closer look at any of the levels. Otherwise, do please enjoy yourselves."

[techmaster-glitch]

   "Thank you, Lady Nadihya." Xephelon said. He thought of something for a moment, glanced at Kittrick, then decided otheriwse and looked back at Nadihya. "I do have a small request. Could you have some spare metal sheets, glass, and a workbench delivered to an empty room? I shall need a temporary workshop. The type, shape, and quality of the metal and glass does not matter either, I am only doing a rough proof-of-concept, though the amount of materials should be enough to fill, say... a cabinet drawer. After that, I shall seek you out in several hours, perhaps when the reception is ending, and demonstrate the device to you."
  Xephelon thought over what Nadihya said about the food, and what she said wasn't very reassuring. He vaugely remembered some mention that the portals were the only way in or out of the dungeon, as there were no paths to the surface... which meant that if food couldn't be grown in bulk locally or transported in bulk from elsewhere, it would indeed be quite impossible to sustain any permanent populations at all. One or both of those root problems would have to be solved or circumvented. There was certainly nothing Xephelon could do about getting food to grow locally, and unless a "druid" appeared or was recruited, food would certainly have to be imported from elsewhere. Either the portals must undergo extensive expansions, something Xephelon might be able to do; when he was in the chamber, he could tell there was a local magic field that seemed linked to the portals. Still, it wasn't a sure thing, adding many new portals or expanding the field could be very simple or very hard depending on the magic itself, which meant that the only truly reliable option was to establish some direct access to the surface...
  He glanced at Kittrick again. Until he had more information, he couldn't bother her with his ideas yet, as it might not even be necessary... oh well. Time to get to work on his most urgent task.
  He walked back in the group, towards Zyrais. "I am ready for you to demonstrate the spell I requested earlier. Let us move to the room I have requested to be prepared as a temporary workspace..."


I had to rewrite this post several times. Sorry Liatai, I really tried to initiate a conversation or just interaction, but the first idea was abut setting up food-transport-supply infrastructure from the surface, and it turns out there are no paths to the surface (yet). Was then going to ask her to scroung up the materials he asked Nadihya for, but considering was scarecly-existing supplies and command therof is all though the kobolds and Nadihya, it didn't seem right to ask Kittrick to go find it when Nadihya could just tell a few kobolds (and Nadihya is prepared to handle such trivial requests, whereas Kittrick only just arrived and hasn't even settled into anything yet, like everyone else).

[Liatai]

"Interesting... I suppose I should feel honored, then." Kittrick glanced at the sandy soil as they passed it. Her claws itched with the desire to dig, to see if any tools, any seeds, any signs of prior habitation might be buried just under the surface. With plenty of water around, it would be quite easy to set up vessels and screens for seed recovery via filtration and flotation; they wouldn't likely be viable seeds, but having an idea of what was grown in the area before, if anything, would allow for a clearer glimpse into the dungeon's past, and perhaps clues as to what may grow there in the future. The only trouble would be finding the screens... perhaps Xephelon could help with that. She made a mental note to ask the Mythos about it later.

While Nadhiya described the food situation, Kittrick listened closely. No existing infrastructure, again. That would have to be a priority. Nations and armies alike ran on their stomachs.

While she knew little about the agricultural side of the issue, she began to think of what she did know; transportation and storage. What sorts of food storage facilities did the dungeon have? At least the humid area was fairly close to what she supposed would be a residential area... Now, what would be the most efficient way to distribute food through the dungeon? She would need a map to plan the routes... fortunately, it seemed that those would be made available shortly. Carts would be the most convenient vehicles for transportation, but what should their dimensions be? Could the walkways in the shafts even support the weight of laden carts?

"Yes, thank you, Lady Nadhiya." She nodded her head in thanks, noticing Xephelon glancing at her. He looked like he had something to say... then he seemed to think better of it. Well, there would be plenty of opportunity for communication later. After all, she would need to consult with him on the carts once she had a more solid idea of what would be needed. "I do have a few questions, if you would not mind answering them. First, would you mind terribly explaining this 'portal bandwidth' concept in some greater depth? I must confess that my knowledge of portal magics is somewhat... shaky at best. Afterwards, I think I should like to investigate the spiral shaft a little more closely, if I may."

[VAE]

Unsurprisingly , Glup did not favour this area at all. It was somewhat cooler than the previous one, and the lack of sweating due to humidity was not a problem for him, but still, the wet air conducted heat far better than dry, not to mention the droplets of volcanic materal enriched water condensating on his armor as it was cooler than the air, and objects around.
As the droplets fell down , now also mixed with previously dried algae bits, he noticed the soil is completely dry.
The two events connected in his mind - the soil must be heated from below, which makes sense because of the magma pockets, which is why it isn't wet, and why nothing grows there!
Glup turned at digging Kittrick
"Do noth bothe' youglshelf Kif - the eaglth sheemsh to be on top of shomething hots -  i do noth think even a .. a dgluid" Glup pronounced with utmost disgust and contempt "would be able to gglow anything , even with hish fancsy plantmagick"

He continued to walk around, when he heard Nadhiya speak about the fact the dungeon is physically closed from the outside, except for the portals...
"Mishtglesh Nadhiya,  you shay the pogltalsh agle the only way outh? What about thoshe of ush who need to make ... shupply tglipsh to the suglface? "

[Drayco84]

  Zyrais sighed in frustration as he stood up. The 'soil' could barely be called such and was highly unfit for almost any kind of agriculture. Plus, with the highly hot and humid conditions, trying to get standard foodstuff crops to grow here would be hard. As would the jungle plants that Nadhiya claimed the place was designed for...  When he heard that there wasn't any means of food production, he barely managed to avoid groaning aloud.
   He just shook his head in frustration and followed the group as they reentered the main portal chamber and Nadhiya dismissed them. Then, he stood there for a moment, stunned...
   That was it? He mentally asked himself.
   "Oh, don't act so surprised..." Dee informed him. "If this place was decently established, that naga would've kicked your ass just because your offered a criminal record instead of an actual list of accomplishments."
   "Yes, but that list was only the stuff I was charged with. The really serious 'crimes' were black-and-white legal. He replied.
   "Regardless, I'm sticking with this gryphon for a while." Dee stated. "She's nice, soft, and comfy... Oh, don't glare at me like that! I'll report back anything interesting like I always do, maybe raid the buffet I smell..."
   "Still, this is bordering on outright chaos! No residential zones! No means of food production! No guilds! Hell, at this point, I'd be willing to wager that there aren't any bathrooms! He complained.
   "Not to compound the situation, but didn't you notice a distinct lack of physical entrances?" Dee asked.
   "What?! You mean there's no AIR either?!" He snapped, almost losing it. "Just what the hell is this naga trying to do, kill us all?
   "What are you complaining about? You have magic that resolves that issue!" Dee exclaimed.
   "Yeah, but I may need the mana to kill other creatures..." Zyrais replied. "Especially that chuul... Or the necromancer... Aw, hell... Chuul first, then the necromancer, but only if he starts going on about how great being undead is... Naga trumps all if the air suddenly runs out, though..."
   "How nice to know that you have priorities..." Dee sighed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, that mechanical thing, Xephelon, wants your assistance now."
   "Wha-? Oh! Yes, of course." Zyrais replied to Xephelon, turning and following him.

Ugh, I hate it when these things are forced... Anyway, murder priorities! Zyrais has them!

[Mechanisto]

Nadhiya managed to rotate her upper body at the hips, and continued to slither down the spiral ramp as she addressed Xephelon. "Much as I appreciate the gesture, there is something you must grasp. That everyone must grasp, in fact."

"I have not hired anyone yet. None of you are guaranteed employees or citizens at this time. I'm happy to discuss ideas for the future... eager to, in fact. But it would be improper of me to allow any of you to begin any major projects until the articles of incorporation are signed."

"I do hope I have not offended. I can appreciate your desire to begin. Ah... here we are!" With that, the group reached the main level once again. The occasional bonfires provided flickering light, and the banquet tables were already being restocked as quickly as the crowd could deplete them.

"If anyone wishes, I can give a quick tour of the portal chamber and answer some basic questions. It's very interesting, actually... if you can cut through the arcano-babble."

[techmaster-glitch]

   As Xephelon returned to Nadihya with Zyrais in tow, he was somewhat taken aback by what she was saying. To his credit, he recovered quickly. "This doesn't have anything to do with being hired. This is merely one small device I want to make for the benefit of all of us, including myself. It's hardly a 'major project'; that would be the shaft-elevators. This device will be significantly helpful, but it's hardly of any gravity, only somewhat urgent. As I said, all it will do is eliminate the need to hand-make maps of this dungeon. If you have any spare metal and glass lying around, and if you have a vacant room (which I'm sure you do), that is all I need; I can even do without the workbench, maybe even without the vacant room if I can put up with distractions. In fact, if I was willing to forgo all structural support and significantly extend the time to craft the magic-" He held up the crystal chunk he procured earlier "-I could get started right now, without even any additional materials. And besides, I thought I saw...no, I know I saw the Chuul working on a small device of his own earlier. Even if it was entirely for his own benefit, which I don't think it was, I cannot do the same?"
   They arrived at the portal room again, and Nadihya offered to explain it. "But...I suppose it can wait, for a few minutes at least. Unusually enough, my first query is not about the portals themselves..." The exoshell tilted to face upwards. "Exactly how far below the surface are we?"

[Mechanisto]

"For the record, I don't like repeating myself." Nadhiya pursed her lips slightly. "Nobody is working on anything here until they are a naturalized citizen, or a certified employee. Anything the guests make before then, I expect them to take with them after they leave. Nothing personal, of course... but certain people would very much like to learn things about this dungeon... possibly with conspiracy or sabotage in mind. And if I allow you to perform insecure work here, I must allow everyone to perform insecure work here."

She seemed to compose herself again. "As for our current depth, I cannot say. Scrying magic doesn't allow us to compare with known locations, of course. The Kobolds assure me, though, that we are.. 'really, really really' deep."