A whole new world

[aestrix]

There is a forest that likes to pretend that it's ordinary. It isn't, it's quite bizarre. Every night, in fact, zombies and other horrible monsters swarm this place, looking for people to kill. Not that they've found anyone, the forest itself is quite empty of residents. But they search anyway, during the night, shambling and groaning and occasionally leaving body parts lying around. Those disappear pretty quickly, but it still happens. Then the day comes, and they depart to who knows where, swearing (if mindless monsters could think, or in fact swear to anything in particular) that they'l be back the next night. Repeat ad nauseum.

It's currently in the day portion of this cycle of directionless attempts at violence. Maybe this day will be different from all of the others.

But then, probably not, it's a very boring island without anyone here.

Comments

[greatestgift]

She can step from one to the other and feel the change in air temperature, or stand back and feel it with groundsense. It's deeply bizarre.

No point standing around staring at it for an hour, though. She keeps exploring.

[aestrix]

Eventually: there is a building, ahead. It is made of stone and looks ominous.

There's an old man standing outside of it. He looks very tired.

[greatestgift]

Sable checks with groundsense. This one doesn't have a mind, either.

She sighs and starts examining the outside of the building, making no attempt to interact with the old man.

[aestrix]

The old man makes no attempt to interact with her. He's got red eyes. They glow a bit.

There is a somewhat elaborate entranceway to the building. It's a sturdy thing, almost castle-like in appearance. But it's not particularly big - at least, not on the surface. Groundsense proves that it goes deep, deep down below.

It's not like the corruption, it does not say murder murder murder. It doesn't hate her. But there is a something in there, guarding the place. It does not feel like a nice something, and it feels connected to the old man, over there.

[greatestgift]

...Sable sighs to herself. Whatever that is, she's the nearest Lakewalker and it's her responsibility to do something about it. The same with the corruption, really.

Which means she should probably talk to the mindless old man.

She approaches him, sword in hand in case he turns out to be a more hostile sort of mindless person-thing than she's used to.

[aestrix]

He doesn't look to be hostile. He looks to be - tired. Worn. More of a shell than the other mindless person-things. He looks at Sable with hollow eyes.

"My master cannot be summoned under the light of day," he says hoarsely, monotone.

[greatestgift]

"Is your master the horrible thing in the big creepy stone place?"

[aestrix]

"Please, no, stranger. You'll only get yourself killed," he murmurs.

[greatestgift]

"Do you have anything useful to say?"

[aestrix]

"I cannot let you enter until you free me of my curse." He motions to the door to the place.

[greatestgift]

"...And is your curse the horrible thing that's in there?"

[aestrix]

"Defeat my master, and I will grant you passage into the Dungeon," he informs.

[greatestgift]

"Uh-huh. Bye," she says, and she heads back home. To (ugh) ask Dylan about it.

"What's the big stone building with the red-eyed mindless old man and the horrible thing?"

[aestrix]

"There is a old dungeon not far from here. Your current equipment simply won't do. You need to make better armor."

[greatestgift]

"We've been over this. It would be a lot easier if you'd tell me what I should be making better armor out of, and how, and where to find it."

[aestrix]

"You should do some mining to find metal ore. You can craft very useful things with it."

[greatestgift]

"So is 'platinum' the answer I'm looking for, or are there more metals that are even more inexplicably superior?"

[aestrix]

"You can craft very useful things with it."

[greatestgift]

"Okay. I'll go find a lot of platinum, I guess."

[aestrix]

"Underground are crystal hearts that can be used to increase your max life. You can smash them with a pickaxe," reminds Dylan.

[greatestgift]

"I'll go find a lot of platinum and smash some crystal hearts. Where underground?"

[aestrix]

"You can find different items depending on what biome you are in."

[greatestgift]

"Biome?"

[aestrix]

"You are in a forest," he informs, brightly.

[greatestgift]

"...Okay. And instead of being in a forest I could be in a desert, or the land of mysterious winter?"