Projects and potential problems presented, pored over, planned for, and possibly even prevented, the meeting adjourns. Rezlar looks like he’s managed to get Coda to show him some more of his stuff in the public workshop, and I encourage my bat and Architect to do so. He doesn’t get to show off often, and Rezlar has a deep appreciation for infrastructural advancements.

While the two nerds and Miller head for the workshop, it looks like Poe is going to have more than just the Quartermaster and Nose tagging along. Tarl eyes the other two scions, and speaks up once the mayor is on his way.

“So, why the two other scions? Their dungeons must already be vaguely aware of what Thedeim is planning and doing already,” he asks my raven.

“Work. Home. How,” he answers, and both Tarl and Berdol think over what he means. I think Tarl figures it out first, but he waits for Berdol to come to a conclusion.

“What do you think he means, Berdol?”

“I… think he’s trying to teach them how he works? How he builds encounters and areas?” offers the catkin, and Poe nods as Tarl smiles.

“Looks like you’ve got it. Can we tag along, Poe? It’d give Berdol a good chance to observe and work on a report in the field.”

I don’t mind, and once Poe seems satisfied that I don’t object, he nods. Berdol looks a bit nervous about it, but dutifully levitates an iron quill and flask of ink, as well as a clipboard made of metal with some blank papers attached. Poe gives the arrangement a curious look, and Tarl answers for his apprentice.

“He doesn’t get a recording stone until he’s a full inspector, and I don’t know that he’ll use one even then.”

Berdol nods at that. “I think better with words written down, instead of trying to listen to my own voice.” Poe accepts that, while the Quartermaster doesn’t react at all. Nose tries to sniff at the quill and ink, but Fluffles isn’t levitating him close enough for him to get a very close look.

It looks like Fluffles is going to be joining, too, as he continues to levitate Nose as Poe leads the way back to the manor entrance. I steal a look at Berdol’s notes as they go. He has impressive penmanship. I bet Telar will try to steal him from Tarl and keep him behind a desk, instead of being out in the field. I doubt she’ll manage it, though.

Meeting with Dungeon adjourned, Inspector Tarl acted as an interpreter. There is a certain hostile somewhere in the Depths, and possibly one harassing the Southwood. Thedeim has plans to deal with both, and will probably require more delver activity to be able to put those plans into motion.

Currently following Scions Poe and Fluffles as they escort a scion from Violet, and the Quartermaster from Hullbreak. Thedeim apparently intends to teach them how to organize their territories as he does.

Berdol lets his quill rest as they get close to the surface, and Tarl casually takes the notes to read himself.

“I need to teach you how to condense your thoughts,” he says with a smirk to his apprentice, who scrunches his face at the idea.

“I have no idea how you can make sense of your voice notes. They’re so… sparse and clipped.”

Tarl laughs and lets the metal clip board float once more. “Years of practice, and pretty good visual memory. My voice notes are mostly to make sure I don’t forget anything that needs to go into the actual reports. Speaking of actual reports, I’m going to have you practice and write one on what you see of Thedeim today. Once we reach the surface, get to writing like it’s the first time you’ve been here, and information is sparse at best.”

Berdol nods and gives his flask of ink a shake to feel how much he has, and starts scribbling up a storm as they all exit the front door. Poe and Fluffles both point out the hanging planks with quests on them, and I make my own notes. While it’ll probably be a while before Violet maxes out any of her spawners, Hullbreak Will probably get there quicker. I doubt he’ll make another merfolk enclave, maybe not any other enclaves at all, but maxed spawners still give semi-autonomous denizens, seems like.

My ratlings and aranea both kinda do their own thing, even more than my ordinary denizens. The ratlings help make equipment for rewards, and the aranea give quests. I’m still not a hundred percent certain how the more advanced rewards work, but I’m inclined to not go rocking the boat, at least when it seems to be in tip-top ship-shape.

I wonder if any of Hullbreaks advanced denizens could make bottled messages to function as quests? I note that down for later as everyone moves on to the herbalism nodes in the yard, with Poe and Fluffles pointing out how the encounters there are probably the weakest I have. It’s not like most gatherers are expert combatants. Still, I’m not giving this stuff away for free, even if I get a decent profit from them just picking the herbs. Might as well give them an encounter to get more out of them.

Ew, I sound like the people who organize stores to deliberately encourage people buying on impulse. I swear I’m using it for good! We both benefit! Yeah, sure, I bet that’s what those organizers say, too! At least I’m not trying to drain wallets. The delvers get more experience and I get more mana, so it’s actually a win/win.

I give myself one last squinty look, making sure I don’t fall to the dark side, before turning my attention to the Quartermaster and Nose, to try to see if they’re learning anything. The albatros is quietly listening and looking, but through the bond I can feel Hullbreak analyzing every speck of information he gets. I can have Teemo talk to the First Mate about stuff all day long, but actually seeing how it works can make more sense.

Nose looks a bit distracted, more curious about the surface in general, rather than what Poe is trying to teach him. I get the feeling Violet is the same, but I’m not exactly surprised. She’s still a young dungeon, she has time to learn the details as she grows. Hullbreak is more established, so he has a bit more context, and can compare how things work for me with how they worked for him in the past.

I think, once the lighthouse is complete, I’ll let him try his hand at designing the encounters and stuff there, instead of the heavier hand I had to take with most of the rest of his territory. It’ll be a good way to build his confidence. He’s following my lead with the upgrades and spawns so far, and seeing more mana as a result, but I need to show him he can accomplish something similar, now he knows what to do.

Once the group gets to the hedge maze, I can feel ideas percolating through the bonds with both Hullbreak and Violet. My little protege sees it as a game, and seems to be trying to think of ways to either copy it, or do something on her own with the idea of an encounter that’s not just about fighting or gathering. I don’t think she’ll have the room to make a maze yet, but maybe she can think of something else.

Hullbreak, on the other hand, is fascinated by the unorthodox approach to the entire encounter. While he certainly has the room for a maze if he wants one, I think he’s also looking for something to put his own spin on. A scavenger hunt of some kind could be cool, maybe hide keys around that delvers would need to get at some treasure.

He could practically copy the Gauntlet wholecloth, come to think of it. He’d probably need to upgrade his crabs to pull it off properly. The Gauntlet is a bit more ninja warrior, so the only real interaction I need is to reset the obstacles. Hullbreak would probably be more like wipeout, and would need someone to man the various traps that knock people off.

Oh yeah, traps. He could probably automate that stuff fully as traps. In fact… that gives me a good idea for what I’ll do with the lava tubes. I can use the tunnelbore ants to make the entire area into a 3D labyrinth, and strew traps all over the place. Pitfalls to land people in other parts and get lost, dousing traps, stink traps, slow traps, itch traps… there’s a lot of stuff that can be done with them that isn’t just an instant loss for the delvers. I could even put in a few knockout gas traps that would be an instant loss.

While I like the gauntlet, I think I kinda failed with the initial purpose for it, in wanting to get people more used to dealing with traps. The tubes could be perfect for it! Heh, Teemo’s going to have his hands full with shortcuts in there once he gets back, too.

I scribble plans as I continue to watch the scions of my vassal and protege learn how I do things. It makes me remember something I heard a lot in college, with study groups: one of the best ways to learn is to teach. I might not technically be teaching them directly, but I’m still analyzing what I’ve done and trying to apply it to what they could do, and in turn getting inspired for what I can do!

Which could then inspire them, and… I smile at the idea of that kind of vicious cycle, especially since we’ll also be helping the delvers and people of Fourdock and probably even beyond. Working together, we can deal with things like whatever is bothering the Southwood, and even that dungeon in the depths. It’d be a good idea to not get too cocky, though. I can’t forget that it sounded like it had its own vicious cycle with the locals sacrificing stuff to it.

The biggest difference, I think, is that my style of cycle is a lot more sustainable.