Landsverd Site A-06 "Prism Hollow"

[Jackie Cat]

Mystery Dungeons are found all over the world, in just about every hidden place, whether natural or not. Large ones can dominate a local microbiome or significant landform. Small onces can occupy a haunted room in an old house – some basement with dimensions that no longer match its floorplan. A 'mon could fall into one that's yet unknown and have trouble getting out. A rift could even remain undiscovered indefinitely. And sometimes, those that make use of such a secret rift are content to let their dungeon's existence go unreported.

How many Mystery Dungeons are there in the world, really? No-one knows. And maybe no-one ever will.​

---

"Fuckssake. Anyone find anythin' yet?"

"If they'd found somethin', they woulda said somethin'."​

"Maybe that's true of yerself, but folks stay their tongues all the damn time! We need clues, damnit! What's your Betel fella sayin', anyway?"

"Oh, uh, I asked if we were in the right area a few minutes ago. It should be close?"
​

"Yeah, I already got that much."

"Then I'd venture you're adequately apprised."​

​

The journey had been simpler for the Wayfarers, who were capable of using Betel's Waypoint network. They'd made their way to the nearest town well ahead of Brisa and Jesse, who'd needed to travel by more mundane means. The problem wasn't really in the threat of being waylaid by hostile forces, or getting lost, so much as the sheer distances involved in cross-continental travel, and the size of the Landsverd estate where this Covenant facility was supposedly located.

Even after rendezvousing and hiking to the property Jesse had identified, the party were faced with a considerable search to perform. Even Betel's ability to identify dungeons was of limited use, given the small number of local Wayfarers to help strengthen their 'signal'. They'd already run into a few false positives – a 'fool's dungeon' inside a hollow tree fit for a single-person hideout, and a river that looped back on itself if followed downstream off the beaten path. They had yet to rule out the possibility of a dungeon inside the grand house itself to which the general area of land belonged – but Jesse insisted that the facility was a natural dungeon and not born from a residential structure.

"...yer Betel pickin' up anythin' yet? Startin' to think this thing's fuckin' subterranean."

"Ain't that somethin' you should know already? What d'you want us to do, fuckin' dig fer— Hang fire. Think I've got somethin'..."​

​

Jesse abandoned his fruitless assaying efforts and hurried through towards Brisa's voice, stumbling across trees roots with perhaps less agility than he was used to. The forests here were mixed ones, giant broad-leafed oaks and chestnuts sharing space with spruce-fir conifers standing tall and blue-green through the deciduous canopy. The earth here was hilly and untamed, resistant to settlement and civilisation.

"You catch that scent, or is it just me?" called Brisa, as she nosed at a log-shelter built flush with an exposed, rocky hill-flank that hung over it like a hood. It was a sturdy little structure of stone and mortar, full of roughly-chopped logs and branches fit for winter firewood.

"Mid-winter and it ain't been touched," she remarked, drily. "In quite some time, I'd say. There's fuckin' moss and fungus here as has grown into the cracks. I reckon this kindling's been sittin' around fer well past a year."

Jesse peered at it, rubbing at his muzzle. "Sure, I see that. But if it's an entrance, won't they have disturbed it in their comin' and goin'?"

Brisa shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. Can't hurt to see what's 'neath all this either way."

A few effortful heaves later, and the Luxray had brought the contents of the log store tumbling out of their places, exposing... a crack in the hill-face behind the shelter. One large enough for a pokémon her size to squeeze into.

"C'mon over here!" she called to the Wayfarers, searching nearby. "Let's see if Betel can sense anythin' down this way, huh?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

Jade had been largely silent for the journey, alternating between being lost in thought and doing her best to not think too hard about what they were about to do. This was what her time on Forlas had all been leading too. Whatever they did after this, this was what'd brought her here.

And so with Virga patrolling the estate from the air, Jade set herself to the task of mechanically searching the forested grounds for any sign of a dungeon entrance.

After some time, Jade's ears flicked towards Brisa's voice as she pushed her way through the thicket and ran over to the cabin. A bunch of firewood had been shoved away from the wall, now spilled out across the dusty floor of the cabin's interior. She gingerly stepped over the logs, pulling her scarf closer to herself as she crouched down and peered through the crack in the rock face.

"Maybe they'll be able to get a better read on it if one of us goes in," Jade murmured. And then, without waiting for an answer, she slipped through the opening, paws braced against the rocky surface. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, picking up a faint something on the other side. So it wasn't just a dead end...

'How about it, Betel?'

 

[Jackie Cat]

Brisa dutifully stepped aside for Jade.

In her head, in the telepathic link, Betel's voice whirred and clicked – a little clearer, lately. If a touch distracted.

Yes... Yes, there is a Mystery Dungeon not far from you! Plausibly, its entrance could be the orifice before you. I suggest you enter, and descend towards the rift.

Once this was relayed to Brisa, she wasted no time in pushing forwards.

"Alright, this is our best lead. I ain't waitin' around to lose whatever advantages we got. You'd best follow."

The Luxray pressed herself through the gap in the earth, her eyes glinting as she peered ahead with her x-ray vision. Soon she passed the tight space and found a wider passageway, heading downward...