NOVEL FROG Chapter 2 - Casting Call
Animated Object (Lesser) selected!
First Monster Template Generated:
Animated Mannequin
Summoning now available.
Status now available.
Room Claim now available.
Excavation now available.
Next Monster Template available: Level 5
Well, that's rather a lot of information at once… I think I feel a headache coming on, and I don’t even have a head.
Each of these new options is now somehow in my head, as if I always knew how to do it. It leaves me reeling for a bit, and I slam down on the scrolls less than dignified. Ahem. Ah, the period of pain, and yes, I now know what pain is, has passed. I only rolled around for a little while, but it’s time to get to work. My Dungeon Core instincts are telling me to Claim the room currently housing my Illustrious self, and who am I but a creature of instinct?
Claim! Go forth, my essence, and conquer!
After a short and anticlimactic waiting period, I feel how my being suddenly swells. A rather disorientating lurch later, I am now not only a Pen, but also a room, and I have to say, this is the weirdest feeling, even for me. Except it really isn't, in fact it feels quite natural, but still disorienting at the same time.
I can see everything inside my domain at once, am aware of the moss, the fungi, the rubble and wood inside, all at the same time. I also become aware of what seems like a gaping hole in my side, until I realize that is where a Door is situated, tucked away behind rubble and not visible from the stage I am still situated on.
I wait a short while to acclimate myself to this strange new feeling, which seems to be a recurring trend in my short existence so far, before setting about the next task on my mental checklist: the Status option.
This one is less of an intrusive pop up than the selection window I saw earlier, I am just dimly aware of its existence. Consciously moving it to the forefront of my vision, I am once again greeted with a small screen in my vision.
Status
Name: -
Level: 1
Creature Type: Dungeon Core
Affinities:
Inherent: Dual(Transmutation/Illusion)
Acquired: -
Rooms: 1/1
Monster Capacity: 0/5
Unlocked Templates:
Animated Mannequin
Along comes the knowledge that, once I have summoned my first monster, the Status also features a “Monster Roster”, which is hidden by default.
My head hurts from all this new information. Or rather… my nib? I am a pen after all.
Well, some of that is easy, a name just is what I should be referred to. …I should have one of those, but not just anything will do, so I will hold off on choosing something for now. At least I know I could change this part whenever, I have absolutely no control over the rest of this Status.
The fact that my Affinities are listed as Inherent, while there is also an Acquired section suggests that one can… acquire additional affinities, I suppose, in the future. Pretty self evident actually. Now what those actually DO, that is information that yet eludes me. Are they only for Template Selections? I’ll get to choose another template at level 5, so I should see if i can acquire one before then?
Right, on with the show, Rooms is easy, I claimed one, I can have one, so 1/1.
Monster Capacity is also very simple, I can have 5, I have none. I should really change that. Right after I finish this review. This Category also comes with the Knowledge that higher level monsters take up more capacity, though it doesn't explain how much more.
Only Monster Templates comes after, and that is simply the Monsters I can summon right now.
Right, well, nothing for it, time to turn that 0 into a one.
Summon: Animated Mannequin!
A gust of wind starts howling through the vast room as a vast amount of energy condenses in the center of the room, just in front of the stage.
A rift is torn into reality itself, and out comes a shapeless mass that starts to float upwards and slowly coalesces into a humanoid shape. I can feel the energy seeping away as the mass greedily drinks it all in, becoming more solid and more real with every second that passes, forming a rough wooden frame with human proportions. It is a little taller than the elevation of the stage it is currently hovering in front of, and after a short time of further solidifying, it drops onto the floor, landing on its wooden feet somewhat stiffly.
It rights itself quickly, swiveling its wooden head as if to get its bearings. After a short while, it homes in on me, climbs onto the stage, and takes a knee in front of me.
With one hand to support itself, it raises the other towards its chest, as if swearing a vow, and I can feel its eagerness. It wants to serve and obey, to heed my every direction!
As I am left to ruminate on what order I should give the being I have just brought into existence, I feel a disturbance. The Door! It swings open and something enters my hall!