Dungeons and Dalliances

“Perhaps I’m overthinking it,” Ana eventually said. “Because I don’t see a deeper meaning.”

“It’s just asking which are waking first?” Natalie said.

“All of the Passions are elevated, but only three are stirring,” Ana said. “Perhaps it’s seeking the ordering? From most to least? Even so, I would have figured the solution to be more difficult.”

“We are pretty close to the entry,” Jordan said. “And only on the first floor. Not likely to get anything crazy.”

“I suppose it was more of a hope,” Ana said. “Such an intriguing piece of artwork inspired something grander, don’t you think?”

“Er,” Jordan said. “Yeah. I guess so.”

“The ordering, then. Or perhaps it’s a single answer.” Ana looked around, seeking input.

Natalie surveyed the mural one more time. When it came to solving puzzle rooms, she knew she was one of the least valuable resources here, but that didn’t mean she’d turn off her brain and refuse to try.

“Think there’s a reason those three are waking faster than the rest?” Maybe they could work backward.

“Not that I can think of,” Ana said.

Ana would know better than her. Natalie herself certainly didn’t have any clues. “Well, if it comes down to a vote, I say we press Lust first.”

“Lust?”

“Seems she’s the most awake. Though it’s pretty close.” Three of the figures were in roughly the same states. The other four were in a markedly deeper sleep than the three Passions, and beneath them, the rest of the gods didn’t stir at all.

The reasoning she gave Ana was somewhat honest, if not entirely. Lust didn’t seem especially more of a candidate than the other two figures, but they didn’t know if the puzzle only wanted them to press one button, or a sequence. If the former—one choice only—then Natalie had a strong suspicion it should be Lust, considering her class. Though maybe the dungeon was trying to trick her, there?

But it was a first-floor puzzle. Like Jordan had pointed out, it shouldn’t be that difficult. In fact, the solution really might be as simple as studying the figures and organizing them from ‘most sleepy to least’.

Maybe, even, the puzzle wasn’t there to challenge them, but to subtly provide information. That thought creeped her out. She pushed it away.

“Mm,” Ana said. “Is that what we agree?”

“Seems our best guess,” Jordan said. “I’ll throw my vote in with Nat.”

Whether Jordan truly believed it, or was simply supporting her, Natalie didn’t know.

“At worst,” Sofia added, “it’s a one-in-three. And we should get going. We’ve lingered longer than I’d prefer, even if there’s rewards for getting it right. I’d rather be fighting and earning experience, not crowded around a mural.”

Natalie agreed. She would’ve pointed it out herself if she hadn’t been distracted by the puzzle’s possible relation to her class.

Ana looked around, waiting for any further opinions, but the group seemed to be in accord. She didn’t seem entirely pleased at not having deduced a greater meaning behind the mural, but didn’t continue to state her annoyance. Without ceremony, she stepped up to the pillar aligned with the Passion of Lust, then pressed the button down.

The group held their breath.

A grinding mechanism sounded somewhere beneath them, but otherwise, nothing happened.

“A sequence, then,” Ana said. “That noise meant ‘correct’, possibly?”

“Something’s definitely happening,” Sofia said. “Feel free to take the lead. Sounds like you’re the most suited. Make your best guesses, and let’s be on.”

Nobody disagreed, so Ana took over. With as little fanfare as the first button press, Ana walked between pillars, pressing buttons without even waiting to see the result. She’d already organized her full answer, apparently, however unsatisfied she’d been.

Beneath them, mechanisms ground loudly, overlapping as Ana rapidly progressed through the puzzle.

The last button hit, and with a few more scraping noises, the room fell silent.

A moment after, something rose from the center of the room.

A squat wooden chest revealed itself.

“You got it right?” Liz asked, surprised.

“Possibly,” Ana said. “Or perhaps ‘right enough’. Maybe a close sequence would have sufficed. Maybe there were tiers of rewards, and this is what we got for a partial answer.” A hint of a frown. “I would have preferred feedback.”

Jordan and Sofia inspected the chest for traps, then, satisfied, cracked it open. The five of them crowded around. This level of loot chest wouldn’t have much to write home about, but still, it was their first loot ever. A landmark, however mundane and irrelevant their rewards would likely be.

The wooden top opened up, revealing …

A single silver ring. It sat in the center of the chest’s bottom, seeming smaller than it was because of its spacious container.

Sofia leaned forward and plucked the piece of jewelry between thumb and forefinger. She held it out, presenting it for the rest of the group to [Inspect].

***

Ring of Vulnerability

Common

Lv. 1

Effects

- Moderate increase to physical Furor.

- Moderate increase to physical Prowess.

- Moderate decrease to Tenacity.

Description

For the risk-taking physical class-bearer who seeks to maximize offense at the cost of defense.

***

“Seems … fine,” Liz said.

It was, apparent to all of them, an item with a severe downside. Granting moderate increases to both the user’s physical Furor and Prowess stats was nothing to sneeze at, and even much better than the typical level-one common-rarity loot, but the kind of class who’d want to use it—Sofia or Jordan—couldn’t afford to drop their defenses so much. The two damage dealers were already unfortunately easy to take down, should they take a stray hit or if a monster focused on them, and amplifying that weakness could easily outweigh the benefits.

At the same time, there was an argument to be made for extreme specialization. Pumping up role-specific stats and disregarding others.

Natalie, of course, wouldn’t want it. As the team’s tank, dropping her Tenacity by even a minor amount would be idiotic, even for the moderate boosts to maneuverability and damage output. The ring only affected the physical portion of their stats, so Ana and Liz likewise wouldn’t need it, being mages. Natalie looked at Jordan and Sofia, who were each considering the item.

“Let’s see what the rest is,” Natalie suggested. They’d figure out who’d use the item—if anyone—afterward.

Sofia nodded, then tucked the ring away in a pouch. She returned to the chest, closing the lid. Waiting a few seconds, she popped it back open, and the five of them leaned in to see what, if anything, the dungeon had presented as their next reward.

A pair of white gloves sat at the bottom, materialized into the previously emptied space. Sofia lifted them for the team to [Inspect].