Dungeon Life Quest (DLQ) 86 - Mourn, O Child Of Laughter Edition

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You are Brianna la Croix, necromancer, and you're learning quite a bit in the process of working with these new materials.

You decide to save the innocent soul for now; you leave it in Brigette's care, explaining to her what it is and why it's important.

"Like, don't lose it," you tell the Poet, "but if an accident happens or someone tries to steal it and it's smash it or let it go? The worst fate that befalls this is it goes back where it belongs."

"No exploding, no ethical complications until you actually /use/ it?" Brigette arches an eyebrow with an amused expression. "I'm shocked."

"Try not to die from it, I need you alive."

Vim and Vigor take well to the spider parts. You lose a lot of the corpse in fashioning the plating you graft onto them, but each receives a pair of eyes on the back of their palm and gently curving, venomous stingers that retract into their fingertips. Despite their newly sinister look, the hands remain as playful as ever. Fetch spends quite a bit of time bringing them to heel; they're excited to have gotten your attention and what is, to them, praise.

Kat is patient as you weave the essence of the ice into her. Your shadow pales, as though the light casting her is weaker, and exudes a faint, icy mist. You crouch down to look at her, and for once she mimics the motion, until she flexes her fingers and sinister claws extend from them, razor-thin and so cold they distort the air around them.

You catch her nestling with Nathan's shadow a lot. She leaves little murals of carefully sculpted frost on the walls for it, which it caresses gently. Nate himself can't stop blushing whenever he catches them at it.

Silence's remains are enough for quite a few talismans. You give one each to Nathan, Amy, River, Emily, Hatchet, Catherine, and Brigette. The rest you intend on handing out at Silence's wake. You did have one other thing made, a flute whose notes are cut from quiet that floats through the air. You haven't played a flute in a long time, but somehow, you keep finding excuses to practice.

Of Tatters' murder, Nine, Dirge, and Fourteen want to train as healers. Fourteen is sent up to Glen for it, protesting the whole way; Diving Shadow is having none of the young man's lip and only the threat of her carrying him up there like an errant chick finally persuades him. Nine and Dirge, being older, apprentice to a pair of healers from the Warehouse. Diving Shadow takes the others under her wing and keeps them close, just as she does the hatchlings.

> Ask what her intentions are for the hatchlings
> Leave it be; those mothers need to learn this lesson

* * * *

It's clear that the liberated levels of the Dungeon are by no means safe. At the same time, the upper levels are of lower priority to the Chain-Bearers...in theory. The further down you go, the longer and more difficult the journey up or down gets. It's already a matter of several days to get to the surface unless you have Amy nearly kill herself carrying you.

Glen can't volunteer forces, but they do volunteer to help coordinate the defenses and spare what weapons and ammunition they can.

> Defend all levels equally; you can't risk the people on the upper levels on cold tactics
> Prioritize the Roost and its connecting levels; these are most at risk and the Roost is a priority no matter what

* * * *

> Check in on Natalia
> Leave it be. Nate will tell you if you're needed.

> You catch her nestling with Nathan's shadow a lot. She leaves little murals of carefully sculpted frost on the walls for it, which it caresses gently. Nate himself can't stop blushing whenever he catches them at it.

HOW CAN YOU WANT TO DENY SOMETHING AS CUTE AS THIS.

> Leave it be; those mothers need to learn this lesson

> Prioritize the Roost and its connecting levels; these are most at risk and the Roost is a priority no matter what. Ensure that we are also keeping a rapid reaction force in the Roost to support any other parts of the dungeon that come under attack.

Ideally the other parts should focus on fortifying. Once we attack the Cornucopia this will be significantly less of a concern though.

> Leave it be. Nate will tell you if you're needed.

We aren't made of time here.

>Ask what her intentions are for the hatchlings

>> Prioritize the Roost and its connecting levels; these are most at risk and the Roost is a priority no matter what

Can we go into more detail with this? I have some ideas about setting up a messaging system

>Check on Natalia

>> Prioritize the Roost and its connecting levels; these are most at risk and the Roost is a priority no matter what
> Leave it be; those mothers need to learn this lesson
> Leave it be. Nate will tell you if you're needed.

>Ask her what her intentions are for the hatchlings.
Like, make it clear that while she's a friend and she did good protecting the kids, they..well, they aren't /hers/. The ones that still have parents, at least. If there's others that were orphaned, she can adopt them, but the others go back to their families. I think Lawrence will back us up on this.

Y'know, Diving Shadow should consider opening a daycare center/elementary school. Maybe she could talk to the awesome knife-fighting teacher in Glen?

>Prioritize the Roost and its connecting levels; these are the most at rist and the Roost is a priority no matter what.
Lets be honest; the only threats to the people (not the Hero Squad, just the populations) of the higher levels is the Lush and the Librarian. And between the Labyrinth Tribe, the Keepers of Arcadia, the Rose Cultists, the Miners, and whatever assistance can be called from Glen, they should be able to take care of themselves.

>Check in on Natalia.
Straight up? We need to make sure she's not going to do anything..well, crazy. Especially considering her feelings over what she did, and now that Jack is an angry, overprotective specter.

Now if only Amy had a Shadow of her own..

Think of the possibilities!

Are we going to hold another meeting of the Parliament? Or is that happening off-screen?

> Ask what her intentions are for the hatchlings

The last thing wen eed is a bunch of angry harpy parents trying to kill our prospective mother in law

> Prioritize the Roost and its connecting levels; these are most at risk and the Roost is a priority no matter what

> Check in on Natalia

Yeah. If Glen can't spare fighting men, we have to ask the labyrinth clan.

> Ask what her intentions are for the hatchlings
> Defend all levels equally; you can't risk the people on the upper levels on cold tactics
teleportation is a thing
> Check in on Natalia

Fell asleep at my desk. Awake just long enough to tell you that. Will call and write when I get up.

Bedtime bump.

Who wants to bet that Lush or the Librarian have an Athenaeum book that would allow a strike force to enter from there?

So let's mcfucken trap the Athenaeum. And besides, their firearm advantage won't save them there, since there's no fire allowed in the Athenaeum.
How fast can we build trapdoors and hidden hidey-holes for the goblins from the Labyrinth to wage guerilla war on the Athenaeum?

>> Defend all levels equally; you can't risk the people on the upper levels on cold tactics

Also, less points of failure. If the breakthrough the first line there's a bunch more to get through, they don't break all your eggs in one basket.
... which, considering the kind of forces they can amass, it a good idea.

> Leave it be; those mothers need to learn this lesson

I think Diving Shadow's got this covered.

> Defend all levels equally; you can't risk the people on the upper levels on cold tactics
> But maybe look into putting some nasty traps at the boundaries between cleared and un-cleared levels?

> Check in on Natalia

It occurs to me we have tons - literally tons - of cannon and shot that was reduced to component parts. We have New Hell's forges.

We can literally makes portcullises and maze-gates at entrances. Within reason, we don't want to trap ourselves in, either.

We could also start equipping the Goblins and our other soldiers.

Or the Harpies who have lost their wings. Give them oversized weapons like giant halberds and claymores and armor that they can lighten and then tell them here's their chance to get revenge.

Also that we can make wraithsteel prosthetics, so afterwards they can hunt down wraithsteel beasts.

I imagine the rose cultists could also be asked to help as long as they get the chance to Proselytize

Get them to train the wingless harpies?

Up. Coffee. Then will call and write. I don't suppose anyone has a count?

hatchlings
leave 'em be
Defend all
Defend Roost
Note: several requests for trapping various places

Natalia
Nope

Huh. I had five votes counted for leaving the hatchling situation be, but that still means our winners are:

> ASK Diving Shadow
> PRIORITIZE the Roost & its connecting levels
> CHECK IN on Natalia

Called, writing.

The war meetings to arrange for the defense of the Dungeon take a few days - not counting the travel time for everyone to get to the Athenaeum by normal routes because /some people/ seem to think stealing from a library on the surface is wrong - but eventually everyone hits on a plan they feel is sound.

"Lakehallow can defend itself, especially if Glen's willing to reinforce us," Slaughter says firmly. "The Eastern Dwellers send their regrets that you haven't spent much time with them and hope you'll reconsider it at a future point. The orc girl I brought with me is a healer, and the others her assistants. They've volunteered to help."

You wince and grin, guiltily. "...They do run a good tavern on the east side of the Basement..."

The Labyrinth Tribe commits the soldiers it has to the cause. Mrs. Applegrove is heartbroken to see her students go, and you can't help but notice that the goblins have a new fashion for short knives with an apple-shaped crest on the crossguard. They bring a /lot/ of books with them - every soldier of the Labyrinth seems to have four or five they refuse to do without - and as they settle in you notice them reading aloud a lot. The harpies of the Roost listen in with fascinated expressions.

The Warehouse posts scouts in the Broken Jaw to keep an eye out for attacks from below, aided by the proliferation of communication bells from Glen. Isoldt's been working on them in her spare time; you won't be caught by surprise again. New Hell, "can defend herself, thankee," but provides quite a few engineers and smiths to the Roost, bitter men and women who are often missing hands or eyes. They all seem to have suffered greatly at Natalia's hands, and set to work installing traps and fail-safes in the Roost.

You're there for the demonstration of explosively-launched, barbed nets, so simple to use that they have a hatchling do it. You hadn't been drinking at the war council before, but that's when you start.

>Mrs. Applegrove is heartbroken to see her students go, and you can't help but notice that the goblins have a new fashion for short knives with an apple-shaped crest on the crossguard.

That is just cute.

Your cousins in the Rose Cult take up fortified positions at the Roost and New Hell entrances of the Mine; with them are militia from Split and soldiers from a few other shrines, as well as the most nervous little demonologist you've ever seen. The small halfling keeps insisting he's mainly responsible for maintaining the altar to Hell in the Lichyard and that he was instructed, firmly, to see to your assistance. Amy grins at him a lot.

On the balance, it's agreed that this plan is the most tactically sound. The remaining levels still put themselves on higher alert, and what sorcerers are available keep a weather eye out for the magical surges and distortions associated with teleportation.

You've done all you can, including turning over information on the enemies you're fighting and their capabilities, and Brigette and Natalia fill in more details as they can. You'll have to hope it's enough, but you know one thing for sure - the citizens of the Dungeon are with you on this. It's a little flattering, and a little terrifying, but they're looking to /you/ now. Even Aria, the little shit.

* * * *

"Hey Amy, Korl's reading a book of fairy tales here in about five minutes. Think you could take the kids to go listen?"

Amy takes your innocent question for what it is and ushers the hatchlings away from her mother while Diving Shadow gives you a piercing look. The harpy woman ruffles her wings from where she's perched and holds them half-folded, looking decidedly irritated.

"Out with it," she says, flatly.

"I want to know what you intend on doing with those hatchlings, Diving Shadow," you tell her. "They're not yours."

"/Spare/ me," Amy's mother spits, venomously. "Their mothers left them for Death to adopt. I dare say that Larry and I are better parents than the Arcadian. You still don't know what it's like. You think you do, and you're wrong." Diving Shadow's voice dips low, pain coloring her anger. "When my husband told me about his family, about /human/ families, I wept like a babe. I went to the Raven Shrine to curse the gods for making us such faithless scum. I went to Amy in her crib and I begged her to forgive me for ever giving her a number instead of a name, and let Larry name her that night. Never again. Do you hear me? Their so-called /mothers/ lost any right to them, any right at all. I am never going to let someone treat a child as...as /replaceable/, not while I draw breath. I've kept track of who was hatched by whom. There will be no worry of blood siblings mating, if that's your concern. But they are mine now. I will raise them as my own, and love them, and they will know what it's like to raise and love children in their turn."

Diving Shadow looks on the verge of angry tears.

> Support her claim
> Argue against it

>> Support her claim

>> Support her claim
>>"Don't be afraid to ask for help when things start becoming too hectic."

>Support her claim
>Couldn't it be a joint effort though? Tell them of human families, make them understand.

>> Support her claim

Why did we get involved in this anyway? We don't need to meddle in every little thing.

That will happen on its own now, with the harpies on the surface and eventually the whole roost when their roof comes crashing down.

I need to get ready for work. Had a fucked sleep schedule last night, I'm sure you noticed. Votes remain open. I'm very sorry anons please don't hurt me.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

We got involved because we know about how Diving Shadow's previous attempts at being a mom ended. With hungry snakes.

>Support her claim.
I had just thought that she took over as Momma Bird while the other harpies fought back the invaders. If they /abandoned/ their kids, their have no say in how they should be raised.

Bah, you're good Vox. I'mma be leaving for Gainful Employment in like five minutes too.

Seriously, fuck night shifts. I am NOT the goddamn Batman. I would like to see my friends and family, dammit.

I'll be available via phone once I get there, incidentally.

When were these hatchlings abandoned? The warehouse took the hit, not the roost.

The roost was also attacked.

During the battle for the Roost, where Silence died. Flitter mentioned it when you talked to her.

We're so slow here that I'm seriously considering phone updates. Thread's open for Q&A in the meantime.

Is the Sunless Sea freshwater or saltwater?

How do boats navigate in the Sunless Sea? Normal boats follow the stars or hug the coast.
Actually, what the means of propulsion there? Magic wind?

Yes. Port Atrium is on the saltwater side; the Bar divides the two.

They use the witchlights over the water as their reference points, and the waters are, by now, well-charted.

As for propulsion, you may recall that Bri saw a storm down there. Lora wanted her model sea to be authentic.

Yeah, fuck it. Called, writing shortly.

>SUPPORT BUT

>I'm all for you taking care of these children but...you said it yourself. You didn't know there was any other way to be a mother until your husband told you about how humans raised their children

>Give the other mothers a chance to learn. Give them a chance to be the mothers their children deserve. Don't punish them, teach them to be better

Aw crap I'm too late...

Also forgot to link to the original post, but it's okay, user. We all crit fail our actions eventually.

They can learn to be better on the next clutch.

You look at the hurt and anger on Diving Shadow's face and nod, solemnly, to her. "I can't say fairer than that," you agree. "Just... remember that you had to learn too. If those mothers come looking for your wisdom..."

"They'll get it," Shadow says curtly. "I watch them when they think I'm not looking. I have my eye on the ones that grieve. I may go to them, if they don't come to me. I may not. Cowards have no place here."

You open your mouth to protest and think better of it. One problem at a time.

* * * *

You meet Natalia at the edge of the Mine, overlooking the Roost. The two of you sit, your legs dangling over the edge, and are quiet for awhile. She brought coffee; you've provided a small meal. She has a distant, lost expression.

> I'm sorry about Jack
> I heard you helped, in the battle
> How're you holding up? You're moving better.
> Write-in?

>You're there for the demonstration of explosively-launched, barbed nets, so simple to use that they have a hatchling do it. You hadn't been drinking at the war council before, but that's when you start.
ah, almost-war-crimes. Classy.

>Have you had a chance to talk to Flitter?

>How are you holding up? You're moving better.

>Have you had a chance to talk to Flitter?

> I heard you helped, in the battle
Doesn't need the sight to protect her people, now does she?

I'll be home to call and write at about midnight.

>> How're you holding up? You're moving better.
> I heard you helped, in the battle

I wonder what the quest's epilogue will be like.

>> How're you holding up? You're moving better.
Draw her out; she's an introvert.

Home, called, tallying, writing.

Kat and Fetch finally achieve sentience/freedom and go about years after everyone else has passed on, solving crimes and fighting villains as the royal investigators Cock and Puss.

You keep the silence for a bit before you raise your mug in her peripheral to get Natalia's attention. She turns her gaze to you. Her shadow quivers and flickers, trying to unmoor itself from her will.

She's nervous. But, then, she often is.

"I've noticed you've been moving around more, going more places," you tell her. "It's nice to see. How're you holding up?"

"The Caretaker's servants spit in my shadow whenever I pass by. I dare not show my face near New Hell for fear of their vengeance upon me. The home I expected to be my tomb is filled with the reek of death and grief and the accusing stares of everyone I didn't save in that forsaken battle. Your friend is dead and I yet live, with this little piece of her you gave me as though I am worthy to even speak her name, and when none of these things trouble me I must endure the shame and disgrace of Victoria's kindness and my son's forgiveness." Natalia throws the roll she's eating out into the Roost. "You?"

You stare out into the Roost for awhile before you decide to tell the truth. "I think I might still be fucked up from the Broken Jaw, Natalia. I haven't talked to Nate or Amy about it. I don't even know what to say. The Diviner found every awful thing I've ever done, everything I'm ashamed of, every moment of disgrace and hypocrisy and she ground my face into it. And she wasn't completely wrong, and that's what hurts the most. I defied her, in the end. I know I'm a better person today than I ever have been before. But it hurts."

"Gabrielle was good at that," Natalia murmurs. "Jack defended me to her. To everyone. It's hard, with him gone."

"He's still here," you point out.

"No. His echo is here, but it does not belong here. Jack should have remained in death, and that pixie is being selfish."

> Agree
> Disagree
> Change the topic (to what?)

> Agree

> Change the topic (to what?)

"You know, you weren't saved so you could continue to wallow in misery. Not to say there aren't miserable things to be dealt with, but I came here to thank you. Maybe you could try to focus a little more on the positive things instead of falling back into old habits?"

Seriously fuck this whiny bitch.

>> Agree
Life is for the living, death is for the dead.

> Change the topic (to what?)

The Cornucopia and the Lush. This is war, something that Natalia has a fair bit of experience in. I'd like her take on what we're about to dive in to.

> Agree
> It's understandable. Flitter was (is?) very close to Jack and wants him to still be around. Jack wouldn't have stayed if he didn't want to; he must feel that he needs to protect her, or that he left on bad terms with her and would like to make it up.

I don't know if this is metagaming or not. How much do we know about Flitter and Jack?

>agree
BUT
>It wasn't the pixie, it was Jack. And eventually he'll have to move on, you're right.

>Change the topic
>you're still helping, still fighting. that's as much as anyone can ask of you, and thanks or it. Have you talked to Nate much?

this
assuming we've talked to him about his death

Rolled 83, 47, 15 = 145 (3d100)

Rolling for a thing elsewhere, don't mind me.

When we first saw his ghost we noticed he was angry, defiant, and everything that turns into a specter down the line.

Glad we didn't repeat that mistake with Silence.

>> Disagree

>Sometimes the dead have their own reasons for coming back. There's a saying 'We may be through with the past, but the past is never through with us.'
>Sometimes that means ghosts and the undead, rising to correct a wrong or finish business they've left undone. Sometimes it means old hate and crimes lingering over people, turning generations towards goals and causes even when they can't remember what they are
>Flicker is what keeps Jack here, but it's not her fault Jack came back. Jack came back because...that's who he is.

Nah, man, Jack just couldn't stop running away even at the end. And once again it's just making shit worse.

Hey, user chose that doom for him. Because they just can't let go of a character they're in control of.

When he fucks shit up and forces Brianna to banish him, that's on us. And by us, i mean the fucktards that can't accept a character dying.

Is it possible to just, I don't know, talk with Jack and maybe possibly try to stop him from turning into a wraith/specter/malevolent-dead-thing?

True. True.

You did this, user. You made this bed of "angry fucking spectre bullshit" for us to deal with.

I hope it was worth it.

You failures.

Nigga we're going to have to send Cherry on pretty fucking quick if we don't want Jewel messed up for life. Dead people move on. That's what they do. Our own family with their special relation to being dead and aware of how it fuck people up, are still all fucked up from it.

Remember, you can only bring back the very freshly dead and even then it's a risk if they'll appreciate it or not. It's not something to be done lightly or "at all costs" because those costs run pretty fucking high and you aren't necessarily the one who pays them.

Seriously, I was disappointed in the player base for just want to keep Jack around and not even framing it in character.

Now he's something worse.

exorcisms take time. At least, the ones that don't involve extreme violence.

Why do y'all keep calling her Flicker?

it's 3 am and names are hard to remember

Which timezone are you in?

EST.

It's 3:47 AM. Please get some sleep.

Eh, maybe I should, at that. Votes remain open.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>Sir Fetch goes on to achieve international fame as a Demon Slayer and Knight of impeccable honour, attended by his squires Vim & Vigor.
>After decades of high adventure, he retires to a humble estate, where he could enjoy the accolades of his many fans (mortal or otherwise) and write his autobiography.

>Disagree
now isn't the time to send him back. Besides, just as we still lack understanding of the Fae, Flitter needs to learn the part about firstborn after death.

>Agree.
Eh, she's Fae. Even if she was (what did you call it, bean sidhe?) a 'friend of death', she might not /quite/ understand the finality of what's happened. It takes time to say goodbye (plus, I'm pretty sure that Natalia's own feelings are coloring her response - Is she jealous that Jack came /back/ for Flitter, and not her? Or something like that).

She'll learn, but we can take some time to ease them through it. Hell, if we make some kind of Pact with Jack (no matter how hypocritical to get out of one deal only to make another), such as telling him about Henrietta's School of Sorcery & Magic idea, we could possibly sign on Flitter as a teacher or Fae consultant.

that rests on the assumption that Flitter is actively keeping jack here

Well, it's a little bit of both, I think. Jack loves - or at least /loved while he was still alive/ - Flitter, and the little qt loves him. It's not surprising they wouldn't want to let go.

Two things, O Lich;

Would it be possible for one of the Dead, or relatively recent dead, like Jack, to return to Life, if the damage to their body were repaired/healed with Wraithsteel? Or maybe a Lich could create an artificial shell, similar to a inactive Geargrinder, that they could possess as a means of enjoying true life while not actually being alive.

This might lean towards the 'Zombie Army' end of the spectrum, but then again, we never expected Jewel to learn how to reverse possess Cherry, or to actually treat with Royalty. So, fuck it, why not?

Also, I had the weirdest thought at work. I was picturing the Caretaker and the Lich of the Warehouse like a couple of old grumpy men, throwing insults and waving their canes at each other from across the street, then smiling while the other isn't looking.

it's been said before:

Putting a soul back into a body doesn't......work. Not quite completely. Not everything makes it back in, so to speak.

Necromancy+wraithsteel=bad end. Elemental materials, maybe, but it's still horrible. And no one is going to like it except Jack, who is already running headlong down the path of angry ghost.

Hmm, I wasn't sure if a ghost possession qualified for 'Death energies', since they were essentially taking charge of a living body, not killing something. But I can wait on Word of Lich.