No Need for a Core?

When Traxalim and the group he was escorting arrived at the feast hall, Kazue, Mordecai, and Moriko rose to greet them, and soon had them seated at the table with the elderly elf seated at the long-side seat nearest Mordecai. It took a while for the last puzzle-path group to make its way through and join the feast, and while normally having a meal start without everyone present would be less than ideal, getting started immediately let them get kids fed as soon as they arrived as well as stagger the amount of food the rabbit folk had to bring out at a time.

While Mordecai was enjoying the happy chaos of excited children and chatting with his grandchild on innocuous topics, he was getting the feeling that not all was quite as it seemed. Moriko was trying to hide a sense of mischief, and he rather suspected that she had yet another surprise in store for them. He was not wrong, for shortly after the last group had a chance to finish their first plate of food, Moriko rose and clapped her hands once to cut through the noise and grab everyone’s attention. Mordecai and Kazue exchanged looks before turning to their wife with suspicion in their eyes.

“Alright, now that everyone is here, it is time for our dungeon to decide who the winner is for all the kids who went out scouting for gifts!” She announced with a grin, then turned towards the two dungeon avatars with false innocence painted on her face.

“Kazue, if you start dealing with the social part, I can start working on prizes. We can strangle her later.” His thoughts were sent to both of them, and Kazue replied quickly.

“Okay, do you think I can wrap my tails around her neck? I have enough of them to do a good job I think.” They both ignored Moriko’s protests, though somehow it didn’t seem that she was actually intimidated by their threats.

Kazue rose to her feet to address the crowd, starting with thanks for all the wonderful gifts and how grateful they were. While she did that, Mordecai started trying to figure out appropriate prizes quickly. They only had so much capacity left, and this was going to delay giving appropriate prizes to the adventuring party. Fortunately, an idea quickly came to him, though its execution was going to take up some of his concentration for a bit. While he was chewing on ideas, Kazue mentally consulted him for a moment, and they agreed to not have those who brought their pets and companions be ‘rewarded’, it felt like the wrong sort of note. That wasn’t an exchange, no one was selling their pets. They also agreed on the first-place winner easily enough.

“So we have prizes to give out to everyone,” she announced, “but I would like to start with our winner. I know many of you will be disappointed, but you'll all have to agree that this one was a pretty clear winner. Would the person who brought us the ‘living stone’ make themselves known?” The boy who rose after a bit of encouragement made a rough, awkward bow. He appeared to be about twelve and didn't seem to be very talkative, but Mordecai felt that this was from an overabundance of being thoughtful, rather than having nothing to say.

He rose and smiled at the boy. “And what is your name?”

“Derek, sir.” Came the reply, along with an uncomfortable shifting of his feet. He was clearly not enjoying being the center of attention. Well, Mordecai would put the kid out of his misery quickly then.

“Well Derek, based on your gift and taking a look at you, I suspect you have a talent with the elements or with spirits, so our gift to you will be a very special deck of cards,” he said, generating the pattern he’d been holding in his mind. “I don’t know what form your talent might take, so these will help you decide what feels right for you. Each card has a different minor spell enchanted into it, and can only be used once. This will help give you a feel for what seems right for you. However, I expect you to use these under supervision; even the most minor of magics could hurt you, a friend, or an innocent. Do you understand?” The boy nodded, and Mordecai walked around the table to hand the deck over personally and give Derek a handshake.

“Now, you all worked very hard, and we have enjoyed having you all here, so we also have a special gift for everyone.” Kazue continued, her tails swishing excitedly and ever so accidentally swatting Moriko in the face with one. By this time Mordecai had made it back to stand by his seat, and it was time for a little showmanship. With a dramatic sweep of his hands and some unnecessary sparkles of light, a leather bandoleer appeared in front of each guest, with five slots each holding a vial of golden liquid.

“This is a special honey, which to my knowledge is unique to our dungeon. For flavor, one should find it as sweet as any other honey, but with a bit of a sparkling sensation for the tongue. However, it is also more than a sweet treat. This honey has mild healing and curative properties and can give a slight boost of energy to a tired body. It can also sustain you for a day without the need of other food, though one still needs water and rest, and it does not make your stomach feel full.”

The honey he’d taken from the bunbee's hive in exchange for blooming even more flowers, and it already had milder versions of the properties he’d voiced; then he’d woven more magic and alchemical compounds in to strengthen it, creating the potions he’d just given out and mostly exhausting their available loot generation for the day. It was a contribution challenge, so he felt that all who contributed to the final results should receive a prize, and he wanted to make a good impression after all.

Mordecai looked towards the group that had delved through the battle path. “I can’t compete with the quality of the equipment you already own, but I have an idea for something that I think you will all like. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to finish them until tomorrow morning, but I think you will appreciate them.” He turned to Traxalim, who was the head of this little caravan. “In the morning I will also turn over to you more bandoleers with potions, to distribute to the guards and merchants who remained with the caravan, as they have supported our challengers and gift givers, so it is fair.” He emphasized that last word, trusting that the priest would understand.

He also had created a table with a small spread of fresh food and put a sign just outside the door inviting the guards to rotate in and enjoy the feast and use the washroom. Kazue and he had done their best to create a rather more civilized dungeon than most, an approach possible through the combination of his experience in creating guest quarters with facilities and the like, and the kitsune’s experience and sensibilities from growing up in civilization.

“We also have accommodations for you all, which any of our laganthros here will be happy to show you to.” He and Kazue had been pondering a proper racial name for their rabbit folk for a while and had finally settled on this hybrid of lagomorph–anthro during dinner. “Though I have to admit we will be slightly playing favorites, as we have separate accommodations for Moriko’s family and Traxalim. In the meantime, however, feel free to eat to your heart’s content and enjoy some entertainment. In the morning, when you feel like leaving, you will find that the large alcove with the glowing arch will take you instantly to the entrance, but does not have a way back so do not use it until you are ready to leave.”

Kazue clapped her hands with a smile, and several of the laganthros rushed in to set up some props to form an impromptu stage, upon which they began rotating several small performances such as juggling and tumbling, skills that were part of their ability to perform on stage for Kazue’s challenge. After making sure everyone was settled, Moriko showed her family where their guest room was going to be, while Mordecai and Kazue led Traxalim to the office space they’d created but not yet had a chance to use. There they waited until Moriko was able to catch up with them, keeping to some small talk so as to not need to repeat anything. The chairs were rearranged into a small circle so everyone was facing each other.

After a moment of silence, Mordecai began. “So, to be upfront, a lot of my memories are not accessible until our core has grown a lot larger. Until then, I probably don’t have any specific memories of your grandmother.”

Traxalim nodded. “I understand. I have to admit I was wondering how you were functional. We creatures of flesh and blood tend to have our memories fade and grow fuzzy over time, but dungeons tend to remember everything. However, based on the depth of the dungeon, your core should be too small to hold everything at this point. The story Moriko told made it clear that your old core was gone, and by her description, that core was possibly already smaller than it had been before you were sealed.”

Mordecai nodded. “I do have a guess about that. When I awoke, none of my previous inhabitants were with me; I could not find the pattern of their souls. I have since learned that some were able to escape on their own, and Ozuran collected the souls of others when the dungeon could no longer support them. So that portion of my core’s capacity was alleviated, and I may have instinctively sacrificed a portion of my core in order to sustain myself for longer. Speaking of, do you know exactly how long I was sealed for? Enough has changed that I have no sense of time, though I feel certain it has been over a thousand years.”

Traxalim smiled. “2,146 years to be exact. I am the youngest, and last, of my siblings. I have children and niblings alike, so this legacy does carry on.” Mordecai was stunned, he had no idea how he’d lasted that long, even with the burden of supporting more souls lifted. All of his best estimates still put him at well less than 2,000.

“Ah, before I forget, I have something else for you.” Traxalim reached into a pocket to pull out a book that did not look like it should quite fit. “All of your lineages that I know of are recorded here. Mind, not all know of this heritage. The royal family of Kuiccihan does not know, and only the direct matriarchal line of the Azeria clan knows, passing it only to their successors. My family has taken a different approach, and we all know. But elves have fewer children over time, and more time to ensure that all know the importance of a secret before letting a descendant know the secret. We’ve also established ourselves as scholars and collectors of esoteric knowledge, enabling research into almost anything without arousing suspicion. Which is how we know as much as we do about the Purity Cult. Not their name by the way, there are several such groups, and most don’t even realize their common background. This is just what we have taken to calling them as a collective.”

Mordecai took the book gently; for him it was a treasure whose price was hard to measure. “Thank you.” He held on to it for now, instead of analyzing it. He wanted to read it properly first, though as a practical matter he would make sure it was copied completely in time. “What can you tell me about the cult as it is now?”

“Hmm, well, there is a lot to tell. Most of their history I will be sending to you over time as books, but I can give you a summary. While you eliminated all those responsible for the atrocity, there were many who had simply been indoctrinated but had never been part of the attack. In addition to this, there are always those who find an excuse to look down upon those who are different than them, so the whispers and ideas of the cult also took root with them. It has entwined itself most deeply in the Trionean Empire, to the north of both Kuiccihan and Danuana. Mm, I need to remember to send you updated maps of the continent as well.”

He paused for a moment to consider what to tell next. “The cult has almost no sway at all over Kuiccihan, given how the royal and noble families take a certain amount of pride in their mixed heritages. This is in part because people from across the world resettled the region; many of the heroes and military forces who had come to defeat you chose to stay. After all, by then there was nothing that could be recognized as a regional government, many were weary after finally eliminating the last of the monsters you’d unleashed, and there was a lot of unoccupied land.”

Traxalim frowned at his ancestor. “We know the truth of why you acted as you did, and Grandmother made sure we all knew that while you had good cause and justified goals, your methodology was ill-chosen. And it has consequences still, that story has been twisted by the cult to create a ‘secret truth’ that all dungeons are in fact demonic entities, and you as a demon prince who tried to destroy the world, and that despite being defeated someday you would return to try and finish the job. When they realize you are actually back, they will do what they can to attack you. Fortunately, military might is out of the question unless they wish to do war with Kuiccihan and Danuana alike, so it may take time for them to infiltrate with a strong team to attack you here. But attack you they will.”

Then the ancient elf shook his head ruefully, "Of course, there are other groups with interesting beliefs that have arisen as well, glorifying your war. They tend to be much more harmless as they are more about idolization than ideology, but such strong beliefs can still lead to rash actions."