Mage Tank

I was compromised.

I didn’t know how it happened. I didn’t know what kind of danger I posed. All I knew was that my mind couldn’t be trusted.

And it wasn’t just me. It was almost everyone in the party.

Three hours after handing Hysteria off to Avarice, I found a wealth of new essences in my inventory, along with a note. The essences were our reward for helping with the dramatic avatar’s capture. Fertile Soil essence, Purified Freshwater essence, Gentle Sunlight essence, and many more highly specific and low-cost essences. What they lacked in individual value was made up for with variety and quantity.

There were thousands, many of which would be used by Grotto to create mana-converters that produced their final products. Others would be used to sow new essence farms, although that would require establishing individualized environments within the Closet. Buying them in such bulk off the market would have been impossible, and hunting down such a diverse collection would have taken years. The reward wasn’t rare or unique, but it was exceptionally useful, which I thought was better.

We could now convert the Closet into a liveable–and comfortable–environment, with the capacity to continue supplying its endless expansion with all the natural resources it needed to become a valuable landmass. Grotto and I were ablaze with exciting ideas on how to use it all.

However, the buzz-killing letter that accompanied the delivery was my least-favorite flavor of cryptic bullshit. The kind that pointed out a dangerous problem in my life, while also having a good reason for not providing me with enough detail to do anything about it.

Master Xor’Drel,

You are a danger to yourself and others.

You are a threat because you have been subjected to an outside influence that will affect your decision-making for the foreseeable future.

I cannot tell you how this has happened in a way that you will understand. The knowledge will slide off your mind like a book from a tilted shelf.

This does not mean I cannot provide your allies with an explanation. Show the following to your familiar. I believe that he is untouched.

The godspawn in your party, Etja, is also affected but will be immune to most of its harmful aspects. So long as your goals align, she will be useful to you.

You will be skeptical of this counsel, and you will wonder about my motivations. You would be a fool not to, but the matter is simple.

I am providing you with this warning because I was paid to deliver it. This also serves to protect my interests in your group, so I was amenable to performing the service.

To be clear, none of the information you are being gifted originates from my client. Everything contained within is of my own making, informed by my invaluable expertise.

I will not offer you a solution, as you would rightfully view it as a conflict of interest. This is a problem you will have to solve yourself.

Do try to be cautious. I would hate for my investments to go to waste.

–Avarice

The letter contained more, but it was imperceptible to me. The message was two pages long, but when I held it, it was a single sheet. The section intended for Grotto appeared to be missing, but he assured me it was there. We also had several discussions about the specifics of the problem.

I had no recollection of those conversations. All I had was Grotto’s assurance that they occurred.

When I considered how I might have become compromised, I was convinced that we had no reason to believe what the letter said was true. I understood, intellectually, that this alone should have been enough to make me suspicious. There were very few things I was certain of in life. Something like this wouldn’t make the list. ꭆÄ𐌽ÒВËȿ

I couldn’t bring myself to care.

It was only because I trusted in my party members that I agreed to take precautions. Xim, Nuralie, and Varrin also thought it was pointless to concern ourselves with it, but Etja and Grotto argued against us. Our protocols for mental influence granted the party member with the highest resistance final authority on how we handled it.

Xim and I were best-equipped against Fear, and so long as I wasn’t Feared, the rest of the party was immune as well. I was immune to Paranoia and Xim was immune to Psychosis and Stupify. Varrin was immune to all mind-affecting abilities while Berserk, but he could only maintain that state while in combat with at least one genuine enemy. He had a good head for tactics and situational awareness while Berserk, but otherwise his critical thinking skills were less than stellar. It wasn’t practical or sustainable.

Nuralie was the weakest but had potions that gave her a boost. Grotto was a Delve Core, and invading his mind took specialized skills, though he wasn’t immune by any measure.

The party’s highest Wisdom score lay with Etja. She was immune to Mesmerize, Distraction, and Psychosis. She had perfect recall, couldn’t have her memories erased or modified, and could immediately recognize any false memories that had been implanted. We’d seen first-hand that she could resist some aspects of Dominate, even when the source was Deific.

Along with Grotto, she knew what had happened, though she could not read the missing parts of the letter. She talked it over in detail with my familiar. They had this lengthy chat right in front of the rest of us.

As far as Xim, Varrin, and I knew, that conversation never happened.

As a result, Etja had ultimate veto power over our decisions. All conversations with people outside the party ran through Etja for approval via Grotto’s psychic relay. Our Speed and Intelligence made that possible while still appearing natural to whomever we were conversing with, but man, it was fucking annoying.

As far as what we were going to do about the situation, we had a few options.

1. Sit on our hands and wait for Grotto to find a way to eliminate whatever was affecting our judgment.
2. Abandon our current priorities and immediately search for a solution as a group.
3. Carry on as normal, while being super duper careful.

In all scenarios, Etja was calling the shots.

Nobody wanted us to sit around since continuing to advance might naturally present a skill or evolution that helped. Altering our behavior in response to an unknown influence that sought to alter our behavior seemed–to put it simply–dumb as shit.

Thus, we continued onward with our plans, while Etja held supreme executive authority.

It was unfortunate that our immediate task was to meet with the Littan empress and her highest-ranking general. Engaging in delicate political negotiations seemed like the sort of thing one would want to avoid while being brain-plowed by an uncomfortably large psychic member. Alas, it seemed to be our most logical option, so that’s what happened.

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We’d planned on Etja taking the lead here before we’d received Avarice’s letter, so having her speak for us wasn’t a divergence from our original approach. This helped us feel more comfortable about moving forward. I should have probably been nervous about the whole situation, but one benefit of being forced not to care–or even believe–that I was under the influence was that I could thoughtlessly ignore the matter.

I just had to follow Etja’s rules, which I hated for their inconvenience but understood to be a reasonable strategy.

And so it was that I sat across from Empress Rona Littana and General Tyvus Thaddacleus Connatis, cursing my rational mind for every frustrating second of it.

The table between us was set with tea and a variety of Littan breakfast foods. Some were familiar–pastries and classic carb-rich snacks–while others were more exotic on my palate.

There were dried grains that dissolved on my tongue like savory cotton candy, artfully arranged piles of a semi-sweet fruit that sliced into figure-eights, with the texture of rare steak. My favorite was a slightly sweetened nugget set out in neat pyramids that had an extraordinarily high protein content for how tasty they were.

I was on my third bowl, snacking away and trying to enjoy myself while Etja spoke. The tea paired well, and I noted that the empress also favored the nuggets. I found myself appreciating her taste in cuisine, then psychically asked Etja whether that was a reasonable thought. She politely requested that I stop running my food opinions by her unless they related to poisons or other hazards. I added it to my list of rules and tried to pay close attention to the conversation.

“May I speak candidly?” asked Empress Littana. It wasn’t a request, so much as a statement about what she was going to do.

“We’d be pleased if you would,” said Etja, giving the empress an honest smile.

When we’d first sat down, I noted that the empress and the general had souls of similar strength, and assumed the empress was another high-Charisma, high-Wisdom Delver like Etja. It seemed to be a necessity as a politician, both for being compelling and resisting the allure of others. Even absent any skills, Charisma could have a profound effect on the unprepared.

However, I was confused when I noted that while the general was Level 34–all platinum–the empress did not have a Level when I inspected her. Taking a closer look at her soul, it didn’t appear to be like a normal Delver’s, despite my first impression. Either she had a powerful deception skill, or the strength of her soul came from another source, like Zenithar Zura’s. While the empress’ soul did have a divine flavor, it wasn’t overwhelming like the Zenithar’s. I couldn’t quite place it.

These observations, and many others, all went to Etja, of course.

“The misunderstanding between our groups was unfortunate,” said the empress. “But as far as we are concerned, it is wholly in the past. However, you should understand that there will be some ill will harbored by a minority of our military personnel.”

“That’s perfectly understandable, Empress Littana,” said Etja. “We all regret that the situation resulted in the loss of lives and genuinely feel sorrow for what transpired. We would extend our condolences, but I doubt the friends and relatives of those who perished would be consoled by our words.”

“It’s part of the risk they sign up for,” said General Connatis. His last name, like that of the empress, originated from the Imperial nation he called home. Connas was a central territory within the Littan empire; a conservative, religious nation and home to the main Temple of Yara. “No one believes you to be at fault, nor do we believe our own actions merit a formal apology. Everything occurred during sanctioned military actions, and your group–while composed of irregulars–was justified in actively pursuing your objective.”

“If that’s your official position, I believe we are comfortable accepting that the Littan military was also justified in defending the locations it had secured,” said Etja.

Nuralie wasn’t happy with that opinion, but she accepted it as necessary to improve relations with the empire. We’d been acting with the tacit approval of the Eschen government but had not been formally recognized as an Eschen asset. It made our activities while spearing through the Littan military to get to Deijin’s Descent legally murky. Settling that ambiguity was important if we didn’t want to be outlaws in the Empire.

“Excellent,” said the empress. “I’m happy that you’re amenable to that understanding. Now, let’s move on to the reason we’re here.”

“Please do,” said Etja.

“Where to begin?” The empress tapped her chin. She was striking to look at, her fur lustrous, her features precise and symmetrical. Her whiskers glinted like they’d been conditioned and polished. I expected she would be considered exceptionally attractive by other Littans. “Our Delvers are all required to participate as part of the military,” she said. “Our approach is rigorous, structured, and based on a century of gathered data and proven strategy. We have a robust industry supporting our Delvers, and each one has the full weight of the Littan Empire behind them to assure their growth and realize their potential.”

“And yet, you did what they couldn’t,” said the general.

Thaddacleus Connatis had a more down-to-earth appearance. His uniform was neat and well-kept, but simple. The outfit's core was snug around his center, but loose and flowy in the shoulders, sleeves, and legs. It was like a hybrid between a turn-of-the-century military officer’s uniform and a martial artist’s robe. The man was also slightly smaller than the average male Littan soldier I’d encountered. Despite his low-key and slightly underwhelming appearance, the general was easily the most powerful Littan fighter I’d met.

If the man decided we needed to be dead, I didn’t think we’d stand a chance. His platinum levels were filled with the violet striations of Special Delves.

From what Varrin had told me, running wouldn’t be an option either.

“Despite our best efforts, our lands are not suited to the wide-scale production of magical materials,” said the empress. “We have no significant deposits of Madrin or dark iron. Our access to rarer metals and alloys is even more restricted. Our climate and soil–while exceptional for the cultivation of mundane crops–does not have the proper composition to grow most common alchemical ingredients.”

“Which is why you’re in Eschendur,” said Etja.

The empress leaned in and placed her elbows on the table. She folded her hands and rested her chin atop them. “Formally, Litta placed sanctions on Eschendur as part of an ongoing campaign to bring war criminals to justice. This escalated when half of our blockading naval fleet was destroyed, leading to the deployment of a legion to pacify this aggression.” She made eye contact with each of us, wearing a conspiratorial smile. “We have since been disabused of the notion that any Eschen was responsible for the massacres that occurred within Littan borders along the Eschen Gap. This is why we now have an armistice and have made significant progress in peace talks with the Zenithars.”

“Informally,” said the general, “yes, we were here to get better access to resources. Eschendur would not agree to a reasonable trade agreement, so we brought a big stick to the negotiations.”

I was surprised by the admission. I’d been fully prepared to endure an hour of talking around the subject.

“But your priorities have shifted,” said Etja.

“They have,” said the empress. “We diverted another legion to secure the location of our new Creation Delve. Commanding officers throughout our forces have doubled their workload in evaluating and recommending soldiers for Creation. Existing Delvers are taking on additional training responsibilities.”

“Having more than twice as many Delvers will grant us more than twice as many resources harvested from within the Delves themselves,” said the general. “While we could maintain our presence in Eschendur, advancing our front line would place an additional burden on our service members which we would like to avoid.”

“Our priority is taking advantage of the Creation Delve,” the empress finished.

“I doubt you have any need for us to assist with that,” said Etja. “Nor would we be inclined to do so. Our party endeavors towards neutrality amongst nations, so long as they do not threaten world stability.”

“Lofty,” said the general. “I hope that’s a guiding principle, and you’re not seriously trying to police the world.”

“We’re not under any delusions about our capabilities, General,” said Etja. “Our position reflects our desire to share relevant information equally with those who would use it productively. Destructive forces, such as the Davahns, are not included.”

“I think we can all agree that the recent activities of the Davahns are condemnable,” said Empress Littana. “The mass execution of an entire city is genocide and an act of pure atrocity.”

“Regardless,” said the general, “we don’t need any help exploiting our Creation Delve. Telling you about our disposition toward and reasoning for withdrawing from Eschendur is context for our–” he paused. “–proposition.”

“I see,” said Etja. “We’re eager to hear it.”

“The recent emergence of Dungeons has redefined the pace at which Delvers can progress,” said the Empress. “Although it has only been a week, we have found that Delvers can acquire a month’s worth of intrinsic skill advancement in a single day within these new zones. Of course, this rapid pace is accompanied by a commensurate amount of risk. We have also discovered that Dungeons can emerge nearly anywhere, including within population centers. Some are obvious, but many more are scattered and hidden.”

“We’ve uncovered one dungeon that is vastly larger than any other we’ve found,” said the general. “We believe that within it, there are–at a minimum–dozens of zones that can each advance a different skill. It may encompass all known intrinsics, and we’ve already found one skill that we have no records of. It’s completely novel.”

Empress Littana sat up straight. “We’d like your help exploring it.”

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