Arc 1: Preparing Chapter 2 Part 1: Learning the basics (V2)
[Status]
<table>
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #00c831">
<td style="text-align: center">Infos/Titles</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Quests</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Gallery/Knowledge</td>
<td style="text-align: center">History/Log</td>
<td style="text-align: center">[Locked]</td>
<td style="text-align: center">[Locked]</td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #00c831">
<td style="text-align: center; background-color: #64c8dd">Status</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Storage</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Core Class: unchoosen</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Defense Values</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Skills</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Abilities</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Name</td>
<td colspan="2"></td>
<td>public Title:</td>
<td colspan="2"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Level (L)</td>
<td>1/120</td>
<td>Experience (XP)</td>
<td>50/100</td>
<td>Core Rank</td>
<td>mythical</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Floors (F)</td>
<td>0/1</td>
<td>free Attribute Points</td>
<td>16</td>
<td colspan="2">Needs:</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Core-Density (CD)</td>
<td>12/120</td>
<td>Health (HP)</td>
<td>46/46</td>
<td>Mana</td>
<td>46/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Core-Power (CP)</td>
<td>12/120</td>
<td>Mana</td>
<td>46/46</td>
<td>DP</td>
<td>0/0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Core-Influence (CI)</td>
<td>12/120</td>
<td>Influence Points (IP)</td>
<td>46/46</td>
<td>RankedEscapees</td>
<td>0/0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Core-Size (CS)</td>
<td>12/120</td>
<td>Dungeon Points (DP)</td>
<td>46/46</td>
<td>RankedKills</td>
<td>0/0</td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #64c8dd">
<td style="text-align: center" colspan="6">Regeneration and Gain Values</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HP (10% CD/day)</td>
<td>1,2</td>
<td>MP (10% CP/hour)</td>
<td>1,2</td>
<td>[Locked]</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IP (10% CI/day)</td>
<td>1,2</td>
<td>DP (L/Level-Up)</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>[Locked]</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #64c8dd">
<td style="text-align: center" colspan="6">Temporary Status Effects</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Name</td>
<td colspan="5">Effect</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td colspan="5"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td colspan="5"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
“There are soo many questions about this…”
“Blue Core, what is the effect of the core rank and how does [mythical] compare to other known dungeons?”
<the most important effect of the core rank is the limit it imposes over the maximum level and attributes - 120 in case of [mythical] and 50 in case of [average]. It also sets the starting values for the attributes (12 or 5 depending) and gives a bonus to the maximum point limits in the middle column of the status screen. The same bonus applies to the maximum size for each floor.>
<This bonus is very important on low levels as an average core starts with 12m there instead of your 46m, but it becomes less important on higher levels - until the lower cores hit their level max, then every level allowed by a higher rank is of course a lot of added size and power.>
<There are uncountable numbers of copper- and silver-ranked dungeons. Black-ranked dungeons are appearing even more often, but seldom survive because their nodes are of lower value and they are often destroyed to get their core crystals instead.>
<[Mythical] is the highest gold rank. While around half of the dungeon cores are black-ranked, higher ranks are much rarer. One in eleven cores is of [average] rank and one in two hundred and thirty cores is [mythical]-ranked. The highest rank [unique] is only one in two thousand cores. There are around 130-140 dungeons on Logronal, with an estimation of 300K dungeons on all lands of the sphere together.>
<There are rumors that the Zaln Theocracy only became as large as it did because the original village at its center managed to tame and control a [holy]-ranked dungeon directly as it opened, while it was still at low levels. However they do not publish proofs, even though the rumors are true according to Goddess Bareen.>
“And I’m just one rank below [holy]…”
…
“Blue core, can a conquered dungeon become a rogue one? And what would be the result of that?”
<A conquered dungeon can become rogue, but this rarely happens because it takes power to convert to rogue status, and conquered ones are kept low on power.>
<Should it happen despite that, the conquered zone can no longer be controlled and needs to be destroyed at all costs, especially if it has a high rank>
“That means I have a fallback position for negotiations – a bad one, but better than nothing. Blue core, send the acceptance to remote entry points in safe areas only. Hope that this isn’t too big a restriction.”
<sending data>
<waiting>
Hmm – what is that reference to [Xenotic] and xenotic planets? There was something like it in the first windows as well…
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; background-color: #64c8dd">Xenotic Ability
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Not much is known about the Xenotics, only that they come from far below, even farther below than the abyss of the demons. And it is suspected that their morale and behavious standards are even lower than those of the demons as well...
This ability has the following effects:
<ul>
<li>Xenotic Conversion required and processed</li>
<li>can manifest knowledge from Xenotic Sources</li>
<li>can use xenotic room structures and effects
</li>
<li> gain 15 extra free points on conversion</li>
<li> if revealed as xenotic, automatic distrust or hate from all beings on the sphere</li>
<li> Xenotic abilities can only be detected by [legendary]-rank analysis</li>
<li> Xenotics have no inborn understanding of Kuor''Tel (which is automatic to all of the sphere)</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Since the sphere is a hollow world, “Below” means from the outside for them. So no wonder, and it gives some additional help as long as no one identifies where my soul comes from. But it’s not nice to be considered lower than demons just for coming from outside the Sphere. And if anyone learns of this, they would probably treat me the same as rogue - so most probably I can''t use the xenotic sturctures anyway.
<[Heroic Ability] conformed and imprinted>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Quest Completed
+60 XP, [Remote Entry Rooms] ability and room structure gained</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; background-color: #64c8dd">Level UP
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Level 1 Experience Cap 100/100 reached.
Excess Experience stored for next level.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cost for Level-up to Level 2: 1 MP (46 MP available)
Do you wish to level up [yes]/[no]?
Warning: If you do not level up, Excess XP will cause a reduction in Regeneration</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
"OK, [yes]"
"Why is the level cost so low? I would have expected it to be much higher with the mana available to me or even to an [average] core."
<That is an assumption only because of higher ranks. The lowest [Limited] cores start with only 2/2 Mana and still need to be able to level. Leveling needs will increase greatly for every ten levels passed.>
"Let''s see [Remote Entry Room]"
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; background-color: #64c8dd" colspan="2">Room: Remote Entry Room
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Room Rank</td>
<td>[Heroic]</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Availability</td>
<td>only available to dungeons with the ability [Remote Entry Rooms]
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Requirements & Limits</td>
<td>
<ul>
<li>Room needs to have a size of 36 m2 at minimum before room structure can be placed. </li>
<li>Room can only be placed on a floor with a [safe] environment.</li>
<li>Up to four [Remote Entry Room]s can be placed in the entire dungeon.</li>
<li>The remote teleport positions have to be within 100 km from the dungeons real position on the land.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Placement Cost</td>
<td>20 MP
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Description</td>
<td>If this structure is placed in a dungeon room, one wall will gain a magic transfer structure that will create a fixed, open and unlimited transfer portal to a place outside of the dungeon but on the same land.
The placement of the target position outside the dungeon can’t be changed after it has been placed. Placement can be random or requires a map for specific positions
The position can be selected while the room/dungeon is still closed, but all rules for opening the dungeon apply. The Portal cannot be closed again after opening, but will vanish if the room itself is destroyed.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Options</td>
<td>
<ul>
<li>Place an [Average] Illusion to make the teleport portal look like a regular non-magic gate of the floor environment (10 MP, no uphold cost)</li>
<li>Create a name sign with the dungeon name over the portal frame outside (1 DP)</li>
<li>Create a signpost with a message (up to 50 letters) inside the room (1 DP)</li>
<li>Update the message on the signpost above if it is placed (10 Mana)</li>
<li>Enable either [Party System] (20 DP) or [Horde System] (10 DP)
</li>
<li>Create a ranking board for top explorers (20 Mana)</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
“OK, that seems usable for my admittedly still vague plans, so back to the status. Blue Core, what are those free attribute points and how much are they worth?”
<Every level you gain one free point to distribute between the four attributes as you see fit. Your numbers indicate that you gained additional points from somewhere else. Usually dungeons can gain around half as many points from other sources as they gain from leveling, but these additional points and the added quests indicate you can probably gain a bit more than that.>
<However it is very unlikely that you gain enough to max even two of the attributes without neglecting the other two. Most dungeons can only max one attribute and get another to half max value, or keep everything around a third of the max if they improve every attribute. So you''ll have to decide how to distribute between the attributes.>
<Density affects the health of your core – how long you can survive direct attacks. A high value here allows you to survive assaults longer, and there are several defensive rooms and effects that are only available with high density values.>
<Influence and influence points determine how much you can change from basic templates. This starts with a few points for giving commands that go contrary to a spawns true nature, over a medium number of points for modifying a template of anything with new options, up to a lot of points for creating new templates to use. Most dungeons start to modify the basic templates early because most defenses are too weak in their basic forms.>
<Size is important because it increases the available size for dungeon floors as well as the maximum storage capacity for the important Dungeon Points. Dungeon points are the currency for purchasing templates and a few other effects and do not regenerate, but they are slowly gained through leveling and from adventurers inside your floors. A low limit on DP means that you cannot purchase high-cost templates, can only store limited DP-gains from adventurers and of course the larger your floors is the better your chances are.>
“Sounds like a plan. I need Mana for constructions, but also Influence and Size. If I ever end up needing health, I would have already failed. I got another point from the second level, which also increased the maximum energy values a bit. So 8 points to Power, 4 points to influence and 5 points to size. I''ll decide which to max when I get a better handle on the numbers.”
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Core-Power (CP)</td>
<td>20/120</td>
<td>Mana</td>
<td>45/78</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Core-Influence (CI)</td>
<td>16/120</td>
<td>Influence Points (IP)</td>
<td>46/70</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Core-Size (CS)</td>
<td>17/120</td>
<td>Dungeon Points (DP)</td>
<td>46/72</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
So the points and leveling only increase the maximum values and everything needs to be filled up with regeneration – which is slow or non-existent.
I need more info about this, and one of the quests gives the additional resources for reading some knowledge entries.
[Knowledge]
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; background-color: #64c8dd">The Mana Cycle
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
There are three different forms of power in the mana cycle.
The dungeons use Mana to create things inside them, but that process creates Lifeforce from that energy. If there are adventurers inside the dungeon when that happens, this Lifeforce will recharge them (effectively transforming itself into either Health, Endurance or Astral power).
If an adventurer uses his energies with skills or spells, that turns the energy back into dungeon-mana, recharging the dungeon itself.
The key to success for everyone is timing the process so that the other side has only limited use from the recharging.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; background-color: #64c8dd">Dungeon Points and Soul Energy
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Soul Energy and Dungeon Points are basically the same form of energy - an energy that exists outside the mana cycle and is used by the system to stabilise constructions in the sphere.
It is only slowly generated by living beings - dungeons cannot generate it, but they gain all remaining soul energy as dungeon points if that living being is killed on one of their floors.
Adventurers can use their soul energy at nodes (which only exists in dungeons) to create matter or items depending on the type of node. Dungeons can''t use them directly, but the system accepts this energy as payments to gain new templates, new abilities or for creating effects that go outside the dungeons and a few other options.
To start the entire process, dungeons get 10% of the energy used at a regular node (only 90% goes into creation) and they are given a few points each level-up from the system. On the other hand if an adventurer reaches the core node on the deepest level, the creation power will be at 120% with the 20% missing being drained from the core itself - one more incentive for adventurers to go deeper and for cores to prevent that.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; background-color: #64c8dd">How Dungeons are Tamed
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Most countries wish to tame their dungeons so that they spawn only monsters that their people can easily kill and increase the loot that is created in addition to the node effects. Getting a dungeon to this condition is a time-consuming process that is usually considered worth the results.
To reach that point, the adventurers and soldiers that can access the dungeon first try to limit the energy and templates available to it by barring the opening (preventing the dungeon from sending out spawns to scout for templates) and controlling who goes into the dungeon (no easy kill rookies).
The second part of the taming process are several option to force the dungeon into trades and decisions like bringing only carefully selected animals to be sacrificed as template-givers to the dungeon, and invoking the system, gods and other higher powers to force a selected trade or behaviour into it.
Bareen''s Comment: This was especially successfull with programmed cores due to several glitches in their programming and we hope that the souled cores (which are not yet discovered by the people) fare better here.
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Quest Completed
+100 XP, two additional Scout Charges, two additional floor crystals, one [mythical] core with a soul anchor installed.
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Why would a god help to tame dungeons? Didn''t Bareen tell me that they are frantically trying to prevent that to save the sphere?
There was something mentioning that God Favors are listed on the [Infos/Titles] screen, perhaps that has more info...