The Dramatic Dungeon - A Dungeon Core Story

Oh damn, oh snap!

There is a moment of panic here, for sure. I would love to say that I handled the situation calmly, with dignity and grace.

Instead, I did the dungeon core equivalent of a panicked screech as I tried to frantically prevent them from going the direct route to the stage.

I pour on more mass to the stone, give it spikes that dig into the floor, make it grow in the direction they are pushing it away from.

I struggle to do so, a lot even, as my powers seem to work poorly in the presence of these intruders, but they do work, and somehow, miraculously, the advance is halted.

It was under a second of exertion for the golem, and I can tell it is rearing back for another push, intent on obliterating the obstacle altogether, the threads of its flesh tensing, like rippling muscles as it gets into a ready stance. I continue to exert what powers I may, to no avail.

With the second push, more of a slam really, the stone is obliterated, and the entrance to my inner sanctum, the grand stage hall, is laid bare. The golem casually saunters through the rubble of a stone block that is about twice its volume, its eyeless face giving an eerie quality to the sharp-toothed grin it displays.

The leader is huffing and puffing now, and I think I can see a trickle of blood running out from under the mask.

“Everybody, in there. Seekers, find the core. Go and destroy it with all haste. We might not have the Blessing of Eternity like Blessed Marcus, but Master Vardock will revive us should we perish here. I will maintain the golem and hold off any enemies coming in from behind us.” he orders, and swiftly, the cultists run into the hall.

Obviously, that is a problem because that's where my body is located, along with most of my unclassed monsters and the MA-Team.

My monsters had prepared to hole up in the Costume shop and fight a retreating battle to this room, and just like that they managed to flip our plan on its head. The stage hall is a less than ideal battlefield, other than being large, spacious and pretty it does not gain any benefits from its room theme either, unlike most of my other rooms.

Alright everyone, retreat down the hallway to the dressing rooms, we can buy time for the rest of our monsters to reach there and organize a proper defense. Their room theme might come in handy as well, but it's very situational.

My monsters react immediately, some already in the process of running away as the bone beasts, the hound, and the 5 cultists begin to run towards the stage.

Marie grabs my body and the rest of the MA-Team form up around her with Matt being in the rear guard as they begin to bolt. Unfortunately it seems I have been spotted as they come under fire from the lead snarl-mask, who produced a handheld crossbow, and the radiance mage at the rear, who is throwing spears of light at the squad.

Thankfully we make it behind the stage curtain, breaking line of sight, and continue down to the hallway entrance that leads down the backstage area.

Of the other monsters in the stage hall, most are fleeing, though some have chosen to fight in order for their brethren to get away. A piece of animated clothing has wrapped itself around the hounds face, trying its best to strangle it before it can tear the offending cloth to shreds, while a mannequin is doing his best to hold off one of the bone beasts, and being surprisingly effective at it, using some of the chairs in the seating area to batter away the creatures fearsome spikes. The sprites followed the intruders in here, invisibly slipping past the fearsome golem at the entrance, and are now swarming one of the remaining skull-masks, their diminutive size effectively causing their scratches and bites to be little more than distractions, though they try to make up for it with numbers and ferocity.

Several more of my monsters are lying on the floor unmoving already, however. A mannequin took the bone beast’s charge to the side and was impaled on it by multiple spikes, its animating force overwhelmed almost immediately. Another got too close to one of the cultists, the second snarl-mask, and got several stab-wounds to the chest for his trouble. One is still alive, though barely, a large portion of the wood of his torso rotting after he got hit by a bolt of foul energy from one of the skull masks.

At the main entrance, Larissa has taken it upon herself to harass the terrifying golem and its controller, but that means she won't be capable of helping with the rest of this situation.

The invaders are closing in on us as we make it to the dressing rooms, but in the distance I can see a glimmer of hope. The adventurers are rushing down the hallway to meet us, accompanied by Siegfried, Juliette and Alouette, as well as Siegfrieds new companions in their shiny armors.