The basics of dungeon management are dead simple. Pretty much anything you do in a dungeon – killing monsters, completing Quests, grabbing loot – all of it drains the dungeon’s mana and its Level. Completing the main dungeon Quest will drain a shitload of both, scientifically speaking.

  When a dungeon’s Level falls too far below the ambient Level, it destabilizes non-destructively, which is the fancy way of saying it doesn’t screw anything up when it disappears back to wherever it came from. So, if you need to get rid of a dungeon, you get in there and you fuck it up. Kill everything you can, pillage until your Inventories are bursting, and knock off some Quests. Have a good fucking time, basically, but don’t get killed in the process. That’s the part that really trips people up.

  - Delver’s Guild Handbook, Section 10.3 – “Basics of dungeon management”

  Mason turned and looked at me. he said.

  

   Mason clarified.

   Raylan said smoothly.

   Vale put in unexpectedly.

  Mason turned to Zaire and Elin.

   Zaire’s voice was firm. Elin just nodded, still smiling.

   I added.

  I wanted to go on adventures, get stronger – here’s a fucking adventure right in front of me, one that matters. I almost died at least twice in the Tutorial, but I survived. I can do this. We can do this.

  Mason nodded slowly. he told us seriously.
  
  

  We all nodded soberly.

   he said. A bag appeared in his hand, clinking softly as he handed it to Hassan.

  

  Mason took a moment to shake each of our hands firmly. he said, and then he was gone in a blur, racing silently off into the night.

  Everyone started moving at once. Vale and Block started pulling things out of their Inventories, speaking softly to each other. Hassan pulled us into a group around him and started talking.

   he ordered us,
  
  

  I nodded along with the others, feeling even more tense now that I’d been put in charge. I assumed it would be Raylan or even Zaire… though Zaire seems like he might be too quiet to make a good leader. Still, I didn’t think about what it would feel like to make decisions for the group, not just myself…

  

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   Raylan asked.

   Hassan instructed,

  We made a pile of our packs on the ground nearby, then Vale interrupted briefly.

   she asked.

  Hassan appeared surprised. he asked.

   Vale responded.

  Hassan considered for a long moment before nodding, then turned back to us.

  
  
  

  He opened the bag and pulled out several smaller bags, looking inside each one briefly. From the first, he pulled out five unattuned mods, three of them having a silvery sheen I hadn’t seen before. He handed two of the silvery ones to me along with one of the white ones, the other silvery one to Raylan, and the last to Zaire. Elin started to object but he talked over her.

  

  There were a half-dozen Level 2 mods, so Elin, Zaire, and Raylan each took two. The single Level 1 mod went to Elin. Then from the last bag he pulled out four Level 3 mods. To my surprise, he handed them all to me.

  

  With that, he turned and walked over to where Vale and Block were still working on the potions, pouring things from small vials into a canteen and so on. I looked at the bounty of mods in my hands.

  I have an open slot on both my armor and my weapon. Actually, my armor mods aren’t very exciting, I’m sure these would be better! But I can’t use them all… That doesn’t seem right. If I fill my empty spots, I can give, let’s see, the armor mod to Raylan since he’s our only melee fighter. The weapon mod can go to Zaire.

  But then Elin will be even more pissed at me than she already is… These mods are worth four eagles each according to Mr. Billings’ prices. Four eagles… hm. I already owe Block ten, what’s a few more?

  Coming to a decision, I handed one of the marked mods to Raylan and one of the unmarked ones to Zaire, then took a deep breath and turned to Elin.

  “Elin, one of these should be yours, but as Hassan pointed out, you can’t use it yet, and we have no idea what’s going to happen in the dungeon.” I could see her starting to get angrier as I talked. I held up a hand.

  “Let me finish! My proposal is that you loan me your mod for this dungeon, and when we make it out, I’ll remove it and give it to you. Or, if the effect is really good for me – I’ll owe you four eagles so you can buy your own. What do you think?”

  She crossed her arms and stared at me, considering for a moment.

  “I want first pick of whatever we find in the dungeon,” she said finally.

  “Not going to happen,” I replied immediately. “Whatever we find goes to whoever needs it the most and who can use it right away. Everything else, we deal with after we get out and we get Mason to help make it fair.”

  “Fine, then give me my mod.” She held out a hand.

  Raylan looked like he was about to say something, but surprisingly Zaire beat him to it. The tall Mage put a hand gently on her shoulder.

  “Healer Elin, please, I ask that you agree to Gunner Az’s proposal. Her duty is to see the team succeed, and if I were in charge, I would have her use all of the Level 3 mods now. No mod will help us sitting in anyone’s Inventory. Besides, Gunner Az didn’t receive any of the Level 2 mods.”

  With that, he tried to return the Level 3 mod I’d given him to me, but I pushed his hand away.

  “No, Mage Zaire,” – I almost forgot to use his Class – “I appreciate the thought but we shouldn’t concentrate all of our equipment on one person. I feel bad using even two of the Level 3s – I’m only considering both because I have an open slot on both my weapon and armor.”

  “You just got handed three Level 4 mods and you still want my Level 3 on top of it?!” Elin wasn’t ready to let it go, despite Zaire’s plea.

  “We don’t even know if I’ll be able to use those! Hell, we don’t even know if we’re going to be able to keep these afterwards, Mason might ask us to return them. If he lets us keep them, I’ll ask him to give you one too, OK? Honestly, we should consider them all to be on loan for this dungeon.”

  “How about we also give her a bonus out of whatever we end up selling?” Raylan chimed in.

  I wanted to object that I was already being very generous to her, but I stopped myself. If she refuses to go into the dungeon, Hassan would probably call this whole thing off. I can’t let that happen! I forced myself to take a deep breath, and nodded.

  “OK, but Mason decides what the bonus is. And Elin needs to agree to follow orders while we’re in the dungeon.”

  She finally relented. “Fine,” she said, holding out her hand, and we shook on it.

  Mason, preparing for the run to East Bank

  Hey everyone, if you're into the guns + magic angle and want to try a very different take on the concept (based on the first couple chapters I read), check out Lord of Powder!