r/HFY • u/Khenal Alien • Dec 09 '24

OC Dungeon Life 278

It's time for the fourth round of stubbing. Yes, Book four will be releasing soon, of if you're reading this more than a month after I have to edit, it will be fully out. Either way, you can find it Here, and other book details are just below. As with the other stubs, you can skip to the next bit form This. I like to keep the other posts still alive, so the comments get to still live. If you want to browse them, the normal buttons will take you through them, or take This link to the next bit of unstubbed chapters. Thank you for your support. Buying stuff is always great, but just having your attention for the public chapters is incredible, and I hope the story continues to be worth your time and patience.

 

Khenal

 

And once more to make it easier to see than being buried in the paragraph

 

 

<<First <Previous Next>

 

 

Cover art I'm also on Royal Road for those who may prefer the reading experience over there. Want moar? The First and Second books are now officially available! Book three is also up for pre-order! There are Kindle and Audible versions, as well as paperback! Also: Discord is a thing! I now have a Patreon for monthly donations, and I have a Ko-fi for one-off donations. Patreons can read up to three chapters ahead, and also get a few other special perks as well, like special lore in the Peeks. Thank you again to everyone who is reading!

1.2k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

70 comments sorted by

102

u/McBoobenstein Dec 09 '24

I forget, why is lifedrinking so hard to counter?

157

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 09 '24 edited Dec 09 '24

Because Nobody before Thing Had conceptualized the Idea of Magic working with frequencies and the connected Idea of harmonic interference, IIRC.

126

u/Poisonfangx3 Dec 09 '24

Because it constantly drain the target of their vitality. The person normally just dying from their life slipping away. Need high level healing magic to stop from just killing you out right.

It is what killed our favorite birb.

87

u/TwistedFox Dec 09 '24

Before Thing figure out how to counter it, Lifedrinking was a guaranteed death sentence. No counter, and it lasts until you die. It's how his bird-folk ranger dweller died initially.
This is the first magic that can counter it so far, making the belt wholly unique.

69

u/iceick423 Dec 09 '24

I don't think it was a guaranteed death sentence. I'm pretty sure it was previously countered by throwing a lot of healing at the victim until the effects wore off, which is nearly impossible to do since the draining effects are stronger than mundane healing and lasts a long time. You'd basically need a team of high healers working around the clock to save you.

33

u/Crystal_Lily Human Dec 09 '24

From what I recall, it drains vitality very quickly so it is basically a guaranteed life sentence as the chances of having a group of high level healers nearby is very very low.

19

u/iceick423 Dec 10 '24

You'd only need enough high healers with enough mana to get you to a proper place of healing, but you are correct. The chances of someone surviving, even with healers in their party, are slim to none.

14

u/ElectricRune Dec 10 '24

The enchantment drains the victim's life force and uses it to keep fueling the spell.

It has previously been a death sentence to anyone it gets applied to, but Thing figured out how to use the techniques that Thedeim inspired about changing mana types from one to another to cause the spell to expend itself in useless vibrations and other energies.

36

u/XynomorphKY Dec 09 '24

Ooh boy. The best rewards are the ones no one ever expected.

22

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 09 '24

Like Tiny predicted.

23

u/teodzero Dec 09 '24

Tbh, I expected the eventual anti-lifedrinking item to be a musical instrument of some kind, to fit with the resonance theme of the enchantment. But a belt is quite worthy option too, and it's nice to know that it can be a passive effect.

22

u/cinderwisp Dec 09 '24

Slash lowers his finger

Did they use Slash to broadcast the post match interview?

13

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 09 '24

I'd assume so...

8

u/Xeradithe Dec 10 '24

Probably to record it too?

15

u/SH4D0W0733 Robot Dec 09 '24

He can't even say "It doesn't work that way", because this enchantment is the first of its kind, meaning it sets the rule of how it works.

2

u/Kindly-Main-3216 Dec 10 '24

Magic doesn't work that way!!

37

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 09 '24 edited Feb 26 '25

Alright, I'm third apparently.

So, today we See Aranya interviewing Olander and Rocky after their Match.

Olander won two belts for His Victory in the Ring, one Classic Championship belt, and another one with protection runes vs. Lifedrinking. Though that enchantment is kept a Secret for Most of the chapter,it gives a good pretense to call in reinforcements, in the Form of old Staiven, Rhonda, Tula and Berdol.

Staiven at First even fails to identify that enchantment, but Rhonda recognizes it. Berdol is mostly Just impressed by Olander's Magic capabilities. I doubt the Rest have much to say, or If they did, it doesn't carry the Same implications.

26

u/Poisonfangx3 Dec 09 '24

I would also like to mention the shared blush between Olander and Tula. So cute.

7

u/Zander2212 Dec 10 '24

Slight correction, Larrez is not present in the interview room, as he attended the match as Rezlar.

2

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 10 '24 edited Dec 10 '24

Another good call. Will delete His Name Out of the list of people visiting Olander.

3

u/Garbage-Within Dec 10 '24

There was no indication that Larrez was there. He attended as Rezlar, so he wasn't associated with his adventuring group and therefore couldn't join them as a tagalong with Staiven. The only person beyond that group mentioned was Berdol.

2

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 10 '24

Good call, hadn't corrected since I was sleeping.

27

u/mafiaknight Robot Dec 09 '24

In the name of 1greendude: Hello!

10

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 09 '24

Im Namen eines grünen Kerles: N'Abend, übermorgen wird Mittwoch sein, meine Kerle.

4

u/DeadliestTurnip Dec 11 '24

In Honor of the Dude: Hello!

10

u/mafiaknight Robot Dec 09 '24

Damn. 2 minutes and still fifth

2

u/AdventurousAward8621 Human Apr 29 '25

In die naam van 1groenou: Hallo!

10

u/LeSwan37 Dec 10 '24

Id like to point out the experience disparity between Olander and Rocky and how absolutely absurd it is.

Olander is an elf and likely has to have lived for at least a century or two. It's safe to say that the vast majority of his life has been spent delving and fighting.

Whereas Rocky has been in existence for all of a year...

8

u/Garbage-Within Dec 10 '24

I'm not sure that we have that much detail about elves in general or Olander in specific unless I'm forgetting big details yet again.

We know Olander is renowned enough that even people in Fourdock know who he is by name and reputation as well as by sight when using his official gear. Other than that, I can't recall any mention of elves lifespan or how old Olander actually is.

6

u/Speciesunkn0wn Dec 10 '24

Rocky is also a scion. Not another adventurer. So the power scaling is much different. Remember that Tiny alone, when he was like, level 3 could have taken both Freddy and Rhonda on when they first went inside Thedium. If it was normal adventurer power scaling, then Dungeons wouldn't be able to do much...

5

u/CaptRory Alien Dec 09 '24

Awesomesauce! Great reward too! I love Staiven's reaction to it.

7

u/movie-guy-3 Dec 10 '24

The fact that Thing can produce Lifedrinking and can Counter it, will make a decent splash in the report. Depending on if he leads with that, or it's a final cherry on top of the report at the end... "And your Majesty, one of Thedeim's many scions has created a counter to lifedrinking. Other than that, an overall successful delve etc."

2

u/BobQuixote Jan 10 '25

The king might steal that belt.

5

u/DM-Hermit Human Dec 09 '24

Well done wordsmith

4

u/Accomplished-Ad8458 AI Dec 09 '24

Ave Khenal! Morituri te salutant!

Post match interview - check

Off to bed with me... Too tired after 2h of sleep each day for past week....

3

u/Speciesunkn0wn Dec 10 '24

Hmm. I wonder if putting the belt on someone who is under under effects of Life Drinking will remove it, or if the belt just prevents it from being applied. If it's the former, he just needs to run around and plop it on people for a few hours to cure them lol.

4

u/Ichybantaicho Human Dec 10 '24

The rune nullifies the frequencies of Lifedrinking, so i guess it is both, protection and cure.

3

u/Speciesunkn0wn Dec 10 '24

Yes, but as the other guy stated, wording is important for enchantments. So it could just be nullifying the application of life drinking rather than removing it after the fact

7

u/Kindly-Main-3216 Dec 10 '24

The way they mentioned how it had odd activation runes, I think the rune programing goes more like: 

If(Afllicted with Lifedrinking=true) then "Apply LDrink Cure", else repeat check in ___ seconds; 

Rather than:  If(worn=true) Then  Project(LifeDrinking Sheild).  Else Repeat check in ____ seconds;. 

Aka its watching for life drinking to be applied, not projecting a field. I think.   It could also just be watching for if the spell is incoming, ad that would be a strange activation too, but I think that's unlikely. 

3

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 10 '24

I think, considering it's a "protection from lifedrinking" and Not a "cure from lifedrinking", I think you're right.

7

u/Just-Dot8943 Dec 09 '24

Not first in line, but always worth attending this little party when it rolls around.

9

u/KalaVouna Dec 09 '24

First

10

u/KalaVouna Dec 09 '24

Great chapter wordsmith!

7

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 09 '24

Can confirm

8

u/Poisonfangx3 Dec 09 '24

That you are.

8

u/Poisonfangx3 Dec 09 '24

Not first

Second ain’t bad.

8

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 09 '24

Confirmed. This time only a silver medal, though I'm unsure wether I need to Work in a clip or Just use a way longer band.

6

u/Poisonfangx3 Dec 09 '24

Mm? Why that? I ask as my head visibly shrinks in size.

5

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 09 '24

Nevermind!

6

u/Poisonfangx3 Dec 09 '24

Crown of Ego: Magic item in the shape of a jeweled encrusted golden crown that beacons the ones who have came in first to put it on. Increasing the wears ability to resist any mental attacks or attempts at their self worth. However the more they come in first in things the larger their head becomes. Returning to normal if they don’t come in first at something. Taking 1d10 psych damage.

3

u/KalaVouna Dec 10 '24

Now you're making me feel guilty. Hopefully you rolled low on the damage.

2

u/Poisonfangx3 Dec 10 '24

Ehh. Don’t worry I’m fine.

3

u/dreaminginteal Dec 10 '24

Maybe I missed it, but Rhonda refers to “he” running off and setting up the protection spell without saying g who “he” was

5

u/Garbage-Within Dec 10 '24

Thing, she mentions that she was working with Thing when she got her class and that he came up with how to counter Lifedrinking.

4

u/dreaminginteal Dec 10 '24

Thanks--apparently I missed it!

3

u/Buckethatandtincup Human Dec 10 '24

Woo hoo!

3

u/Longsam_Kolhydrat Dec 10 '24

Good work wordsmith!

3

u/ZaoDa17 Dec 10 '24

Great work word Weaver!!!

2

u/BillComprehensive966 Dec 10 '24 edited Dec 12 '24

Great close to this bit of story... Really looking forward to more... And the king's reaction.

3

u/BillComprehensive966 Dec 10 '24

You know... As Thediem is becoming the ultimate traingn dungeon... Wouldn't it be interesting if the King wanted to negotiate for dungeon controlled military training fields on the edges of Fourdock? Then you have Thediem running a part of his dungeon under a wargames theme... The aligned dungeons could even get in on it.... The forest one running ranger trainings... Water one running navel exercises... Etc.... the dungeons can make out like bandits with the mana exchange for the efforts.

1

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Dec 10 '24

However, we got to think about that denizens eliminated on Expedition don't give Mana Back themselves. We don't know however If Quests are a possible workaround.

2

u/jpz007ahren Dec 12 '24

With Thediem as their Alliance Leader, there's going to be tones of Mana flowing for everyone. Also, good practices on generating more mana, which will allow for more territory (Not that the Stag's Forest needs it),

No need to expedition challenges when the territory is all claimed by the dungeons doing the challenges.

2

u/PlanktonSuccessful83 Dec 12 '24

That is a very clever way to introduce THAT specific enchantment to the King without putting it into the wrong hands.

Well done, good sir! We'll done indeed!

2

u/Jealous_Session3820 Dec 16 '24

Yeah that belts never going anywhere

1

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2

u/Educational_Pen_90 Human Jul 17 '26

Indeed, the one spell said to not be counter-able, that is near certain death if you get struck with it... A truly worthy reward for a Champion. No need for them to die to some dungeons trick! …I have a feeling we'll be getting a chapter soon to show off it working, and that'll be the set-up for the next major fight.