Dungeon (Monster)

A type of Demiplane that spontaneously manifests when a sufficiently powerful Monster or large number of weaker Monsters gather in a location with sufficient ambient Mana or connection to local Ley Lines, Dungeons normally only appear in Monster Domains or remote locations that see infrequent human activity or have geographic barriers that prevent the Races of Man from readily exploiting the resources that normally exist in these sites. The Beast equivalent is known as a Lair. Created by consciously or unconsciously distorting the local Mana with Taint, Dungeons expand as the number of Monsters within the area rises, serving as a habitat for them. Dungeons reflect the natural environments in which they appear; one that manifests in a Cave will usually have the appearance of cave chambers and tunnels internally, while one that manifests in a forest may seem to be made of hollowed or fallen trees, brambles, and shrubs, or even more forest. If ruins are present, or other notable geographic features, it is common for them to be reflected in the Dungeon. The specific Mana of the inhabiting Monsters influences the appearance of the Dungeon as well, usually causing the manifestation of cultural items and structures associated with the specific species that choose to dwell within. These can be simple, such as crude beds made of lumped grasses and cave paintings, to exceedingly complex structures like secret doors, traps, magical wards and items, artwork, weapons, armor, tools, money and gems, Elementite, Manatite, and Occultite, and even non-Monster organisms that form ecosystems and serve as food and material resources to the residents. These are collectively known as Hoardgild. Dungeons serve as homes for Monsters in the wild, rarely manifesting in places where they have existing artificial or natural dwellings sufficient to house the population, though if the population grows sufficiently such locales may *become* Dungeons. It is thought to be the result of a sort of subconsciously activated Ritual Magic produced by the collective desires of local Monsters for a home when none suitable exists in situations where weaker Monsters without spellcasters generate a Dungeon. Some Monsters, especially those with magical training, can intentionally create a Dungeon if the proper environmental conditions are met.

## Etymology

Prior to the use of the term "Dungeon," terminology referring to the dens of Monsters varied significantly from region to region, usually being something along the lines of "Den," "Lair," or "Pit," though they were not always underground structures. This led to a degree of confusion among travelers who did not know the local terms used for these locations, but was not seen as a significant concern, and so there was little drive to create a uniform terminology.

The use of the term "Dungeon" to describe the pocket realities created by Monster traces its origins to Gallia, where it originally referred to the tower of a castle. It came to be associated with Monsters following the rise of a prominent Demon Lord in the region who had seized control of the castle-and-port town of Aulne in southern Narbonensis, with a commanding presence on the coast and over major international shipping lanes. The Demon Lord, who would go on to become the Overlord Leraje, established her base of operations within the castle's Keep, making it the core of her Domain and distorting it into a Demiplane from which she could launch powerful assaults and repel invaders from the sea, as well as target merchant ships following the trade winds with her fleet and magically-augmented ranged weaponry. Unseating her from this donjon*,* became such a widely distributed and important Adventurer Quest throughout Meropis that the concept of a donjon, a *dungeon*, as the den of powerful Monsters stuck among Meropis's Adventuring community and spread from there. The term eventually came to be applied to any location that was a Demiplanar realm of Monsters, especially when distinct from the rest of a Domain or existing independently of a Domain proper.

The term itself is also applied to oubliettes, prisons, jails, and traditional donjons as well due in part to also being associated with the presence of prison cells in these locations. However, when used in this capacity, it is not capitalized.

## Formation

Dungeons normally form at the intersection of Ley Lines, or otherwise along them, in Monster controlled territory, most often within a Domain but occasionally outside of one. The latter has become more common in recent decades as the presence of Beasts has forced Monsters to band together into larger groups and different locations than was historically common. The Dungeon normally forms as a cavity with a discrete entrance within a suitable surface, such as the ground, a cliff, the hollow of a large tree, the side of a glacier, abandoned ruins, the walls of a sewer system, a giant mushroom, the fossilized remains of an ancient organism, or some other, similarly solid structure, though instances in which Dungeons have open ground Floors that are accessible from multiple directions are not unheard of. This cavity doesn't undermine or harm the surface it appears on, even if it's a living thing like a tree, though normally mobile creatures usually don't manifest Dungeon entrances (to the point that rumors of such are thought of as urban legends and considered utterly preposterous by scholars). These cavities cause no harm to the plants they form in or on and in fact often render these effectively indestructible, as the structures are space-time distortions that overlap with conventional reality rather than superseding it. The formation of this cavity usually takes place over the course of hours, but can take days or weeks, or in rare cases mere minutes, and is usually heralded by in inexplicable "shaking" or "trembling" sensation and auditory and visual phenomena caused by the Dungeon's distortion of the local Mana.

Once the initial cavity forms, an entrance manifests, usually through the surface beyond the cavity seemingly becoming brittle and crumbling under the slightest contact. Even a light breeze can sometimes be enough to cause the entrance to open. Depending on the nature of the Dungeon, it may generate markers of its manifestation externally. Totems, stained patterns, statuary and stonework, torches or braziers, and other seemingly artificial objects are common, as are claw marks, piles of "bones" that are usually actually just stone in the shape of such, strange plant and stone formations, and other anomalies. For example, a cave that looks suspiciously like a giant skull is most likely a Dungeon, as is a massive tree with a strange, circular door at its base, or a massive mushroom with windchimes and suncatchers dangling from its gills. The size of the entrance to a Dungeon normally reflects the largest Monster within it, as do most passages, though some Dungeons are the result of multiple smaller Dungeons merging or from disparate groups of Monsters joining the Dungeon at a later date and creating new areas and Floors (sometimes referred to as a Megadungeon). Such new formations do not always adhere to the dimensions of the original Dungeon.

## Structure

The internal structure of a Dungeon is determined primarily by the size, type, quantity, and power of the Monsters present in it or at its initial formation, and to a lesser degree by those who join it later. The more and larger the Monsters, and the greater their Mana and overall power, the larger the Dungeon is and the larger its rooms. This has little to no relation to its entrance, as the internal structure is a Demiplane rather than a normal part of reality. This means, for example, that a Dungeon whose entrance manifests in a 5 meter diameter rotted tree stump could theoretically open into what appears to be a vast network of wooden halls and tunnels extending for hundreds of meters in every direction, yet to those outside the stump it would be a simple matter to walk around it. The space within a Dungeon has no direct relation to the space outside of it beyond cosmetic and compositional traits.

The more Monsters that are present when the Dungeon forms, the more rooms it has and the greater the space it occupies, but most Dungeons will have *at least* the following:

* Living quarters for each distinct Monster species. These are often communal but may include discrete rooms. especially for more powerful members of a given species. As an example, a Dungeon won't naturally create a room to fit a dragon while also having a family of Goblins in the same space. There *are* exceptions to this, such as having a Dragon's lair also be home to Hoard Scarabs, but this has more to do with the natural habitat of the latter demanding such an arrangement than anything else. Dungeons generally create what would be an approximation of a Monster's normal or desired habitat.
* Passages between rooms fit for the largest Monster in the Dungeon to move through. This may or may not account for shapeshifting abilities. Many legacy Dungeons from before the rise of Lilith have truly massive passages and chambers capable of allowing gigantic monsters to move through freely. Newer ones seldom need to accommodate things larger than a Human, and so are often thought of as much more "cozy" by Adventurers and Monsters alike. Some, however, are still quite small, as there are quite a few Monster species that don't normally grow beyond the size of a human child.
* Larders where the Monsters can store food. These often manifest a certain measure of Hoardgild food that replenishes over time. However, it's almost never enough to sustain the occupants on its own without regular sacrifices of Mana to the Dungeon. Especially if their numbers grow quickly.
* A limited ecosystem, often consisting of bacteria, plants, and animals that either decompose the waste and refuse produced by the Monsters or that act as living resources to Monsters. Dungeons based around Therianthropes and Entothropes commonly have organisms that the shapechangers can control with their abilities, for example, and wildlife and domestic animals capable of serving as food or providing materials such as leather are also common.
* Latrines for Monster waste. Many old Dungeons lacked this, making these locations inconvenient for Adventurers and modern Monsters alike. This only became common in the past 500 years due to the more human mentality Monsters acquired. Otherwise, it only appeared in the Dungeons inhabited by more civilized Monsters, such as Goblins, Orcs, Ogres, Minotaurs, Dark Elves, and the like.
* Common areas. These are often larger areas near larders or entrances and may contain spaces and equipment for preparing food.
* A Core or Cores, which are essentially either the center of the Dungeon or its end, or a major focal point and act as a network for the Taint collected to sustain the Dungeon.

Dungeons often become quite complex over time as additional rooms are added, and sometimes form in places where there are already ruins or other structures, meaning that, in some cases, the Dungeon may exist within a manmade complex that itself may seem like a Dungeon. Others may form *over* existing terrain, creating a scenario in which the ground Floor strongly resembles the surrounding environment but can only normally be accessed by passing through its entrance, which could very well appear as something like the freestanding threshold of a ruin or the arch created by the entwined limbs of two trees. When viewed from any other direction but the entrance, the surrounding terrain would be seen and interacted with, but when looking through the Dungeon's entrance, the similar but distinctly different interior of the Dungeon would be perceptible.

As Demiplanes not strictly bound by the conventional laws of physics, Dungeons do not always "make sense" from the perspective of rational beings. It is not unheard of for them to double back on themselves in ways that are physically impossible, such as having a curving corridor that should intersect itself and make a full circle but *doesn't*, despite not changing in elevation, or having rooms that should not be able to exist by virtue of occupying the same space as other rooms in the Dungeon, but that are accessed by different entrances, or by having stairwells or ramps that ascend or descend into completely different environments that shouldn't physically exist. This has driven no small number of cartographers varying degrees of mad as they attempted to map large Dungeons, only to find that there was no way to effectively depict what their measurements revealed. Among the most jarring are Dungeons that manifest a tesseract with subjective gravity.

### Floors

Dungeons of significant size and population diversity normally manifest multiple Floors. Each Floor can be thought of as a separate, nested Dungeon connected together by their entrances and exits, in some ways akin to a matryoshka doll. Unlike truly distinct Dungeons, these Floors are under the ultimate control of the Dungeon's Master but are frequently given their own rulers by the same in the form of Floor Masters.

Floors are often dramatically different from one another when they originate from population influx over time, as new Floors often reflect the most powerful new Monsters that have entered the Dungeon since its inception or the introduction of significant numbers of Monsters distinct from the initial population with different wants or needs. For example, if a Dungeon created by forest-dwelling Goblins and ruled by a "Goblin King" suddenly finds itself home to a tribe of cave and mine loving Kobolds, it may manifest a new Floor beneath the initial, forest-like one that resembles a cave system. If these Kobolds then bring in a large number of Fire Elementals to help them in smithing, a volcanic or desert Floor might form under the caves. This could very well appear to be open to the surface, even if it wasn't.

#### Floor Master

Usually appointed by the Dungeon Master, Floor Masters are a form of entitled Monster that has limited control over their appointed Floor, similar and subordinate to that wielded by the Dungeon Master. Floor Masters generally possess the Core of their Floor, or otherwise protect its location, and serve as de facto rulers of their Floors in most cases. Floor Masters are normally chosen from the most powerful Monsters on the Floor and frequently subtly alter the Floor to resemble them somewhat when they first connect with the Core.

Defeating a specific Floor Master is a favorite termination condition for the Adventurers when using a Peaceward during a Dungeon Run.

### Dungeon Cores

Each Dungeon possesses *at least* one Core, a naturally-occurring Mana Well primarily connected to the most powerful Monster inhabiting the Dungeon (known as the Dungeon Master) and usually centered on their living space or within their person. This Core is akin to the "heart" of the Dungeon, the primary force that sustains its continued growth and the manifestation of its Hoardgild, which it achieves by circulating the Taint the Dungeon absorbs from its Monster occupants. This absorption is minor, negligible to the creatures within, but is sufficient due to their numbers to contribute to the growth and function of the Dungeon itself and to control the Mana sourced from Ley Lines that serves as the Dungeon's primary energy supply. Each Floor of a Dungeon normally has a distinct Core, and some floors have *multiple* Cores, tied to powerful Monsters and especially to the Floor Masters and Dungeon Master.

Dungeon Cores normally appear as a naturally-occuring Occultite orb without a discernible function, but that radiates an aura of strong Conjuration and Transmutation. The main Core of a Dungeon usually radiates *overwhelming* Conjuration and Transmutation. When these manifest inside the body of a Monster, they may fuse with the Monster directly, showing no signs of existing, may be apparent externally by being visible at one of the Monster's chakra points, or may even condense within a body cavity and be expelled. Stories of Dungeon Masters "birthing" or vomiting out the pearl-like magical calculi have been proven to be true in some cases. What mechanism determines whether a Core is physically attached to a Monster or not is unclear, but it is common in the case of larger Dungeons for the Core to form independently at a point somewhere within the Dungeon, usually at or near its deepest or highest point. Such Cores may also be attached directly to the Dungeon itself rather than a Monster, while others are fully movable and may be small enough to be readily carried by Monsters. This is especially true of Floor Cores, which are often notably smaller than the main Dungeon Core and are much less likely to be attached to anything at all, instead forming at an extreme point of the Floor.

A Monster, or even a Man, in possession of a Dungeon Core can manipulate the Core through the use of their Mana, effectively gaining the ability to influence the conditions of the area it governs. This can influence what Hoardgild manifests, the ambient climate and current weather conditions of the Dungeon, its shape and structure, and more. These Cores can also be used as a scrying device to freely observe locations within their range of influence. They can also expand the Dungeon by intentionally feeding additional Mana into the Core, though doing so does not guarantee control over results of this expansion and often reflects the nature of those who performed the expansion to a degree.

#### Dungeon Master

The ruler of the Dungeon, the Dungeon Master is normally the most powerful Monster in the Dungeon and always has control of the Dungeon Core. This grants them dramatic control over the Dungeon, comparable that wielded by a Demon King over their Domain. In truth, a Dungeon Master can be thought of as a form of minor Demon King, though in instances in which the Dungeon has formed within a Domain, the power of the Demon Lord or Demon King usually supersedes that of the Dungeon Master when these two figures are not one-in-the-same.

Most Dungeon Masters are unusual in some way, frequently being mutants of their species or otherwise altered, often by the influx of Mana that comes with gaining the position.

Dungeon Masters are frequently the targets of Raid-type Dungeon Runs.

## Function

Dungeons primarily exist to serve as housing for Monsters when they would otherwise lack it. They also serve as bases of operation and spawning grounds for Monsters. Historically, their presence allowed Monsters to form bases near human settlements where there shouldn't be such things, allowing them to grow in number and secretly organize prior to launching assaults on those settlements. It's thought by scholars who reject the Monster-Sin Doctrine that Gaia created the metaphysical structure that allows for their formation primarily for this purpose, though this remains a theory without concrete proof. Common belief holds that it is merely a function of sin corrupting the creation of the gods that is the world.

Dungeons help contain and support Monsters, reducing their impact on the environment and local ecosystems while still allowing them to exist and multiply in an area. However, they do not produce sufficient resources to fully support their populations, compelling them to rely on the outside world to supplement the Dungeon's providence.

## Expansion

Dungeons expand both naturally and artificially. In the case of the former, a Dungeon grows as more Monsters enter it and settle, particularly if they belong to new species. As with the initial formation of the Dungeon, this occurs as through the creation of a cavity behind a wall, beneath a floor, or above a ceiling that crumbles to reveal the newly formed spaces. In more "open" Dungeons, this may occur as the Dungeon's dimensions expanding, adding square footage. This process is relatively quick, usually occurring within a few days of a Monster entering the Dungeon and has been exploited in recent times as a means of expanding Dungeons for their residents without having the new Monsters permanently live there. Instead, they merely "visit," causing the Dungeon to grow and effectively creating new rooms for free. This can be problematic, however, if the "guest" Monsters later need to actually move into the Dungeon and the rooms it created for them are already in use.

Alternatively, Dungeons may be expanded through artificial means. These can include digging inside the Dungeon, much as one would expand an actual, real-world location. These require the same sorts of buttressing and construction techniques that real-world constructions do, meaning that many Monsters lack the technical ability to do so safely. However, Magic can be used to bend, warp, and expand a Dungeon as well, especially when applied by resident Monsters. Further, the Dungeon Master, and to a lesser extent the Floor Masters, can modify the Dungeon and compel it to expand by voluntarily forcing some of their Mana into its Cores and trying to will it to grow and expand. Few Monsters historically did so, but it has become a relatively common practice in recent centuries. It is also possible to expand a Dungeon by adding Mana to its own ambient energy, such as through Monsters or Men willingly expending magical energy within its confines or even simply releasing to intentionally into the environment.

## Decline

Dungeons may begin to decline if they experience significant drops in population. A Dungeon in decline generates less Hoardgild and internal structures may become fragile, crumble, or otherwise decay and fall into disrepair.

## Theft

It is possible to "steal" a Dungeon by seizing its Core from the Dungeon Master. Even Men may do this, but it's most commonly done when the internal politics of a Dungeon become hostile and lead to a mutiny of sorts.

## Beast Infestation

Dungeons may become infested with Beasts. This happens through one of two methods; either Beasts enter the Dungeon normally and begin to propagate, or a Lair exists somewhere on the Ley Lines near the Dungeon, allowing their Mana to infect the Dungeon's and causing Beasts to appear within through the process that forms Hoardgild. If not controlled, either of these events can result in the deaths of the Dungeon's residents and the slow conversion of the Dungeon into a Lair. Monsters are likely to try to root this out themselves, but it's also common to request assistance from Adventurers, up to and including filing a Quest with Guilds on good terms with the Dungeon's inhabitants.