Meikyuu Kingdom: Types of Dungeons

[Part 6 of my ongoing translation of "The World" chapters from the Meikyuu Kingdom GM's Book 2nd Edition. This one is all about the different types of dungeons comprising the Endless Dungeons. This can be found on page 108. Original Japanese text is © Bouken]
Types of Dungeons

〇The Basic Dungeon

The dungeons of Ground Zero are composed primarily of straight passages and rooms. Floors, walls and ceiling are usually made of stone masonry, soil, brick or hewn stone. Doors between passages and rooms are usually made of hard wood. There stairs to ascend or descend levels which are also produced by Dungeonization.

However, in addition to this "basic" dungeon, other types of dungeon landscapes exist. The Endless Dungeons are never uniform in appearance. Terrain and the elements vary depending from place to place.


〇Dungeons of Diversity

Plant life are lush in areas with strong star light. There's dense undergrowth is dense and extends high to compete. Sometimes plants grow so huge, their roots and branches can be found on multiple dungeon levels. These roots and branches break through stone, causing a massive collapse in the dungeons. At this stage, the plant itself is usually already Dungeonized.

There are also submerged areas in the dungeon. Water level varies from being knee-deep to a flood that reaches the ceiling, but both are dangerous. Cold water saps physical strength, filthy stagnant water is a breeding ground for disease and pests. In high water levels, there might be small air pockets near the ceiling but you could end up swimming endlessly trying to look for the hidden exit or get caught by a strong current and dumped somewhere else. There are often water monsters from the Deep Floor waiting to prey on people splashing about. On the other hand, a submerged area with continuous water flow has the potential to become a valuable fishing spot. Near the Deep Floor, submerged areas become much more common and it not unusual to find hundred year old sunken ruins that have not yet been explored. Those who dive for ancient treasure in such areas run the risk of joining the countless bones at the bottom of the water, where even starlight can not reach.

Some areas are mechanical, with working pistons and moving gears. Steam often impairs visibility, and there are often elaborate traps in these places just as they are filled with resounding metallic noise. Noone has yet discovered whether these continually-growing machine areas are the effect of Dungeonization nor what purpose the moving parts serve.

Furthermore, the dungeon does not necessarily only extend horizontally. Sloping passages and steps can be found everywhere, and there is also a dungeon that primarily extends vertically through several levels. These dungeons often grow around the remnants of unused elevators. There is a frightening risk of slipping while climbing up a narrow staircase around the walls of a bottomless shaft.

Also stay away from abandoned kingdoms, that has been overrun by Dungeonization. The discarded city might keep intact but eventually, either gradually or all at once, will be incorporated into the dungeon. However, even then, features of the original town remain. In other words, the castle and houses might look the same, but their internal structure have become horribly complicated because of the Dungeonization. When secret doors and traps are found in an otherwise normal-looking house, it might seem stranger by far than other dungeons[1].

The landscape of the Endless Dungeons is a kaledoscope, and mazes of every kind and form that is remotely imaginable can and do appear. By the way, the dungeons of the Heaven and Deeps floor also have very strange characteristics, but those will be discussed later.

It is important to pay attention to changes in the dungeons. A dungeon can be made, changed, or destroyed by the act of men, nature, and of course through Dungeonization. Inhabitants of a dungeon (which aren't always human) often do reconstruction. A wooden door replaced with a more sturdy one made of iron or stone, ladders placed to access levels where there are no stairs, a Dynamite Empire dwarf drilling teams, or a Metro Khanate advance railway-laying team--these can be seen everywhere in a continuing, untiring, day-and-night effort to change the dungeon and improve day-to-day life.

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[SIDEBAR] The Tongue

The Tongue

One of the strangest monsters in the Endless Dungeons is the "tongue". The tongue is sticky, fleshy, soft and wet, and zooms through the winding corridors at a fast rate. A person rolled up in its folds is taken away and never seen again.

Originally thought to be something really long. More specifically it is assumed to be the tongue of an really, really huge anteater. Somewhere in the Endless Dungeons, an anteater the size of a dragon has his tongue inserted into the dungeon, preying on monsters and people as food.

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[1]・・・・・・Because of the remaining vestiges of daily life, these dungeons are extremely melancholic. When I am walking down the winding aisle of an abandoned castle and I am seeing the star light shining brilliantly through a window, I can not help but think about that surge of Dungeonization swallowing it all and be reminded of a sense of impermanence that whatever we build can not last.↩

Meikyuu Kingdom: Dungeon Astronomy

[Part 5 of my ongoing translation of "The World" chapters from the Meikyuu Kingdom GM's Book 2nd Edition. This one is all about Stars which play a big part in the every day life of the Endless Dungeons' inhabitants. This can be found on page 107. Original Japanese text is © Bouken]

Dungeon Astronomy

Before the Dungeon Hazard, the stars hung an unfathomable distance high up in the "Night Sky". This story is hard to believe, but evidence from various sources suggests it to be true. The expanding dungeon swallowed up the "Sky" and the stars which were all so far away are now near enough to touch.

Various Stars

There are many different kinds of stars. In common everyday life, people use Calendar Stars[1] whose light waxes and wanes over a constant period, Firefly Stars used as portable lights, and Polaris Stars which always point at a single direction. A Searchlight Star, casting a ray of light in one direction, is also useful. An white-hot Incandescent Star can boil water in a relatively short time while a moderately hot Infrared star can be carried as a portable body warmer. The dungeons are often very cold, so heat from these stars is very valuable. Such small stars are "harvested" like fruits from Star Fields near the kingdom. Generally, star hunting is a job assigned to under-aged children. Not only is this a good way for a kingdom to find good star handlers but the next generation's astrologists as well.

Astrologists are also good for using small~medium-sized stars. These have uses beyond being merely light and heat sources. Spiny Shooting Stars will surely hurt even thickest-skinned multi-headed Hydra. Other known attack stars include: Pulsars that fire straight or rippling beams, Multiples that track and mimic the Astrologist's attacks, and jet-black Collapsers that swallow everything.

A large star is an important resource for the industrial development of a kingdom. It is difficult to provide food without light shining down on farmlands. Before a blazing star can be installed in the ceiling of a kingdom, the star must be rolled through the Dungeons which might claim many lives due to traps, monsters, attacks by enemy kingdoms, thieves, or burning by the star itself. Star relocation is a major engineering endeavour important to the fate of a nation.

There are also special stars: Broom Stars which tunnels and saps the structure beneath dungeon walls, causing them to collapse, Omen Stars that are used in fortune-telling, and Pseudo Stars which are not really stars.

Broom Stars follow a fixed cyclical route for decades, much in the same way comets return over hundreds of years, and may raze an unlucky kingdom unaware that it was built along the star's route. Since it is impossible to make an accurate map of the Dungeons, it is likewise impossible to tell a broom star's path until it is very near. One of the astrologist's most important duties is predicting the course of broom stars by researching ancient maps and documents. An Omen Star is an ever-changing star whose form either foretells auspice or doom. But the omens are often vague, and could be interpreted many different ways. Pseudo stars, also known as Mocking Stars, are monstrous aberrations that mimic the form of stars to bait the careless land makers which they eat.

Some stars are of sufficient size to live in. Migratory fish live in stars made of water while flying creatures resembling kites or balloons live in a stars that are like gas planets. Dungeon Masters often remodel stars into some sort of living space. Cat-like "Star Princes", thought to be the larval form of some kind, can also sometimes be found living in stars.

Massive stars whose movement cannot be controlled by man's hand form a star system in the dungeons. The passage of orbiting stars creates can permanently create large corridors. Such spaces are not suitable for habitation because the stars will eventually return periodically as they complete their orbits, with nomadic hunter-gatherer monsters following in their wake.

[1]・・・・・・Calendar Stars are the basis for the Endless Dungeons' calendar systems. Even if seasons differ by area, it is confirmed that all calendar stars wax and wane at the same time. One period of waxing and waning is called a month. A calendar stars are also called Moon Stones, and are actually fragments of an ancient celestial body called the "Moon". This moon seems to have been made of cheese, and moon stones are likewise edible. A calendar star's period of waxing and waning corresponds to approximately 30 days, for no apparent reason.

There are four seasons on the calendars, but the climate in the dungeons does not follow them. It could be the height of summer in one kingdom, while its neigboring kingdom is caught in the grip of a raging winter snowstorm.

Day and night in the dungeons is distinguished by the brightness of the star. Starlight does not completely go off even at its dimmest, but the twinkling light would not be of use much as a light source. Generally, the period when the star is cheerfully bright is called "day" and the period when it is dark is "night". A pair consisting of a day and a night is called 1 day. ↩

Meikyuu Kingdom: Dungeonization Algorithm

[Here's part 4 of my ongoing attempt to translate "The World", from the Meikyuu Kingdom GM's book. This particular piece about the Algorithm that transforms everything into dungeons, Kernels and Dungeon Masters is from page 106. Original Japanese text is © Bouken]
Dungeonization Algorithm

An introduction to Dungeonization involves talking about a lot of other processes. Walls and rooms can grow overnight and turn a great hall into a dungeon. There are also slow-growing dungeons that form several feet per year. A trap transforming the surrounding terrain is also a kind of Dungeonization. It is natural to assume that these various Dungeonizations are based on the Dungeon Hazard Algorithm.

In other words, it is thought that the Dungeon Hazard has been caused through reckless use of this algorithm. Perhaps the engine can be reduced to a simple numerical formula[1]. Maybe the magical experiment that caused the Dungeon Hazard was the casting of this numerical formula onto some substance with the intent of creating a complicated building automatically.

The Zone of Influence of the Dungeonization Algorithm

The algorithm's area of effect is not limited to just the so-called "dungeon" consisting of corridors, doors, and rooms. The fingerprint of a person who has spent a long time in the vicinity of a kernel (discussed below) changes into more complicated shape. Altered fingerprints are relatively harmless, but Dungeonized blood vessels, nerves or other life-sustaining organs would cause serious harm. In fact, miners, speculators, adventurers--the kind of Dungeon scholars who leave the safety of civilization to delve into the mysterious depths of the dungeon--are generally short-lived, even if they survive the myriad dangers lurking in the Dungeon. Dungeonization of the body clearly exacts an extreme toll on a living creature's health[2]. Another theory is that this algorithm is also deeply involved with the rise in the appearance of wandering monsters. Genetics being still an esoteric lore, it is unknown whether Dungeonization affects the birth of life and heredity, but it does promote mutation.

Involving the birth and genetics, this is still an unknown area but Dungeonization seems to promote mutation. There are many more members and types within each monster race now than those found in ancient myths and legend. This theory cannot be easily dismissed as absurd.

By exploring the true nature of the dungeon algorithm, the Dungeonization may be stopped someday. Dreaming of that future, a Dungeon scholar sets foot into the Dungeon today.

Kernels and Dungeon Masters

In the Endless Dungeons, the Algorithm is run by a "Kernel"[3]. The kernel is the wide variety of items or creatures that facilitate Dungeonization. This entity can take a wide variety of forms, from small pieces of jewelry to a huge monster, with no consistency. Anything can become a kernel.

Things that have a high tendency to become a kernel include certain monsters like Minotaurs, expensive Artifacts that attracts people, and stars. In addition, some of the most powerful wizards and dragons dare to become kernel voluntarily, building their dungeons around themselves. How their bodies manage to survive harnessing the power of Dungeonization is a mystery. They can control the kernel power and build a dungeon through willpower alone as easily as they can control their own body. Thus, these "Dungeon Masters" are feared throughout the Dungeons. They aren't always evil and malevolent, but they are very territorial and often compete violently with one other.

Famous Dungeon Masters

・NECROMANCER Selim Aga

An immortal king who rules the . Neighboring small kingdoms live in dread of his undead legions.

・DARK ELF PRINCESS Squatinella Rosestorm

Queen of , a major Deep One outpost in Ground Zero. Known to command a clan of the most evil elves.

・DRAGON KING Um Al-Madarim

A great wyrm sleeping in the . He has amassed a huge hoard which he guards jealously.

・ARCHMAGE Hadrian Gregorius

Employs a wide variety of monsters. His territory is so vast, he claims an entire Dungeon level as his own.

・MAD KING Naijajan

A madman who wanders the Endless Dungeons. Everywhere he goes is Dungeonized. He seems to have been a renowned wizard once....

・LION KING Nyangwe

Blue-furred man-eating Cave Lion. Highly intelligent and leads a host of beasts. Lurks within the hellish .

[1]・・・・・・Basic dungeons can be drawn using a concentric circle, a pyramid, a spiral, and even the combination of geometric shapes such as the zigzag lightning pattern. These can all be expressed mathematically. You can think of the Dungeonization Algorithm as a magical representation of mathematics. ↩

[2]・・・・・・The effects of Dungeonization on the human body is also called Dungeon Disease. There are harmless changes, like altered fingerprint whorls or hair, but most cases of Dungeon Disease are fatal. In very rare cases, the changes to the body are beneficial. Like increased intelligence from a more wrinkly cortex or a second heart in a Dungeonized circulatory system. ↩

[3]・・・・・・The dungeon builder is called Daedalus. ↩

Meikyuu Kingdom - Structure of the Three Layers

[This is part 3 of my ongoing series about translating those parts of the Meikyuu GM's book that deals with the world background for the Endless Dungeons (a.k.a. "One Million Labyrinths").

This one is from page 105 of the Meikyuu GM's book, which discusses the three layers of the world. Original Japanese text ©Bouken]

STRUCTURE OF THE THREE LAYERS

・Ground Zero

We live on the layer of the Endless Dungeon called "Ground Zero"[1]. However, the actual structure is composed of tens, maybe hundreds of actual floors. Ground Zero is made up of familiar elements. In other words, it is a passage, a door, a room, stairs, a trap, and a monster. When the terms "labyrinth" or "dungeon" are used, they are referring to this layer.

All Ground Zero isn't filled in with dungeons. There are relatively large spaces where people might live. Land Makers often start building their kingdom in such a place. It is not difficult to find an uninhabited area, but care must be taken. It may look empty now, but something may regularly visit it. A large room with geothermal heating[2] and stars might be the roost of a gigantic monster. It is a common story that some fledgling kingdom is annihilated by intruding into the lair of a furious Dragon or Behemoth. Care must be taken when an uninhabited large cavern is found.

Ground Zero continues horizontally forever and ever. There is a growing rumor that someone has seen the end of the labyrinth with their own two eyes, but this is mostly a tall tale told in taverns. As far as everyone knows, there are no exits from the Endless Dungeon.

・The Sky Floor and the Deep Floor

If going horizontally is no use, how about vertically? It gets a bit complicated. It's because, above and below Ground Zero, two different realms exist. Above Ground Zero is the "Sky Floor". The denizens of this upper floor are called "Highrise". Priests and sorcerers call them gods and angels. Beneath Ground Zero is the "Deep Floor" where the "Deep Ones" live. They are feared by most people and worshipped as devils and demons by those who practice witchcraft.

These spirit worlds are not a product of the imagination, they no doubt clearly exist. Trade and exchange of goods through an elevator with either the Heaven Floor or the Deep Floor is an important element of the economic activity of a small kingdom. Migratory fish and Elves, Jubjub Birds and many other creatures from the Heaven and Deep Floors wander around on Ground Zero.

However, this exchange is a one-way traffic. We can not enter either the Heaven Floor nor the Deep Floor from Ground Zero. Not that there is a physical barrier. Rather, the opposite. No clear boundary exists between Ground Zero and the Sky Floor or the Deep Floor. For the ongoing Dungeonification, a boundary as a concept does not make sense. If you wander the labyrinth and continue going up stairs, it stands to reason that you would reach the Sky Floor someday. The reverse is also true.

But, as you get close to either of these two realms, the danger in the Dungeon increases proportionately. Monsters are more ferocious, traps more brutal. There would not be anyone who can survive such a journey so far from his kingdom. Some people say that maybe an elevator can be used, but residents of the Sky Floor or the Deep Floor interpret anyone arriving via an elevator to be a sacrifice with no exception, and there is noone who have tested this method and returned.

The Highrise like the Deep Ones are alien to us. We do not even understand how they view us. These two races hate each other, and if they have both been put together in one place in the Endless Dungeons, war would soon engulf the place. Humans caught in the middle of a battle between the Sky's Mach Penguins and the Deeps' Gun Fish will definitely be wiped out. Ground Zero acts as a buffer zone sandwiched between the two mighty camps, where only weak races like humans live.

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[SIDEBAR] The Legend of the Giant Race

Deep-rooted rumors of encounters with Giants, which should have been extinct, have been handed down through the generations. Coming into a huge passage while wandering the dungeons and fleeing in a hurry because they heard footsteps and voices like thunder coming from around the corner, or a large hall where the ceiling can not be seen and from the other side a huge foot can be seen coming past, or the ceiling of a room or corridor suddenly coming off and peeking into the gap was a huge face, and so on. There are also the fossils of giants discovered during dungeon excavations. Such bones are highly prized as building materials or as raw materials for medicine; they have about the same value as gold ore for miners.

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[1]・・・・・・Elevation zero; also, the Dungeon Hazard's vertical epicenter.↩
[2]・・・・・・Or some hot springs, which further increases the risk of a previous occupant. Because monsters may want to revisit the hot springs, a Landmaker who builds a kingdom there might suffer from periodic attacks.↩

Meikyuu Kingdom - About the Endless Dungeons

[Translated from the Meikyuu Kingdom GM Book, page 104. Original Japanese text © Bouken]
About the Endless Dungeons

The entire world has been turned into one huge dungeon of despair, the Endless Dungeons. Here we discuss its mysterious nature and denizens.

Origin of the Dungeon

How was the world formed? There are many legends, but perhaps the best known is the legend of the Hazard King recounted below.

・The Legend of the Hazard King

According to legend, the world was once divided into three realms. That is, "Heavens", "Ground", and "Underground". The "Heavens" is the interminable blue space above man's head. The "Underground" consisted of the rock, the sand and the dirt beneath man's feet.*¹ Man cannot enter either of these realms. Man was meant only to walk along the "Ground". Man was contented. The "Ground" was vast and boundless and bountiful.

It was flat, extending forever in all directions, and there was more than enough of it for one kingdom. People lived their lives in peace in this ancient kingdom. But then the "Hazard King" ascended the throne. He was a great wizard, his wisdom knew no bounds, but he was also very arrogant person.

The Hazard King thought. My power will be increased if was also ruler of the realms under the ground and above it. He called God*², and ordered "Let the three realms become one."

Then all the parts of the world were put together in an instant, and the world became one.

The Hazard King was glad at this scheme, but the God of the World who was a Trinity told the King. "The World will not be confined in one body like that of a man, may you be confined as you sought to confine the world," and at once a labyrinth sprung up and swallowed the King. The King used all his magic to try and escape the labyrinth, but it spread wherever he went, and did not let him go. Thus, the labyrinth began to fill the entire world. This was how the Dungeon Hazard began.

A long time has passed and nobody now knows how much. There are those who now laugh at stories that the world was divided, treating them as a mere myth. However, there are also those who say that the King still lives, lost and wandering somewhere in the dungeon. Because the world is still a huge dungeon even now. Noone knows the truth.

Endless Dungeons

Whatever the cause, the world is now broken. We live now in this Endless Dungeon composed of a million passages, a million doors, and a million rooms. All we know is that the Dungeon is endless. Dungeonization has completely transformed the world as told in the Hazard King's legend. The sky, the sea and the earth no longer exist. What we are left with is only this dark, endless dungeon.

The chaos that broke out when the Dungeon began covering the world was unimaginable. The disaster's magnitude could not be pieced from the few records that remain of the time. The survivors of this cataclysm adapted to their new environment. They grew accustomed to living inside a dungeon.

・The Old World and the New World

The residents of the One Million Dungeon have a strong sense of longing for the world they lost. They have many paintings and songs, as well as children's toys and games that depict scenes from the former world before the Hazard King's time. None have even seen the sea and have no idea what they are missing.

The Hazard King's destruction of the world has brought great sadness to the people. It is the tradition in the Old Kingdom to burn an effigy of the Hazard King during the winter solstice festival.

On the other hand, the Hazard King is also praised as the creator of the New World. People see the Land Makers as the Hazard King's descendants, and would gladly contribute to their kingdom's progress. Some people may object, but they are few and any insurrection always fails. Within the populace also, there is the air of high anticipation for the return of a king with powerful magic. Nonetheless, Land Makers listening to idle talk will be weak-willed, hiding behind his people instead of confronting the crisis of the Dungeon Hazard.

・Away from the Edge of the World

The constantly changing dungeon expands outwardly and is always a prison shutting us in. Innumerable attempts to escape out of the dungeon have been made, all ended only in failure. Elevators, horselizards, and level excavator magic have all been unable to find the world's edge. Countless years from the Dungeon Hazard and none have found the edge where the dungeon ends. However, the tradition of challenging the dungeon endures to this day, as can be seen in the Dynamite Empire's dungeon excavations which is that nation's primary purpose.

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[SIDEBAR] Birds and Fishes

Since some creatures, like the birds of the Sky Floor and the fishes of the Deep Floor, are usually seen everyday by common folk, they are not necessarily considered from a different realm. Landmakers embarking on an expedition away from their kingdom sometimes use a pack sparrow or carrier pigeon, a chicken or a duck, if they're lucky. Large-sized marine creatures are used as pack beasts too. These species of crab from the Sky or Sea Floors are rarely seen by common folk.

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1・・・・・・In variants of this legend, "heavens" is also referred to as the "sky" and the "underground" as the "sea". Monsters from the Heaven Floor definitely have the features of a creature from the "Sky", just as those from the Deep Floor have features of a creature from the "Sea". Because of this, this legend tends to get the support of dungeon biologists.^↩
2・・・・・・There is little description of "God" in the legend, but an ancient document has been found where "God" has been drawn in the form of a trinity: a dragon with three necks, countering the popular assumption that "God" was three dragons. Figurines depicting the God as Chimerae, Manticores and even Minotaurs, with three heads have also been found, but archaeological studies dates them as too recent.^↩

Meikyuu Kingdom world/setting info translation

Meikyuu Kingdom ("Make You Kingdom") is a wonderful Japanese TRPG that combines kingdom building with dungeon delving. There's been a fan translation of the essential stuff of the rules floating around the 'net for a few years now. There's also plans for releasing them in English but they're taking a very long time.

I've started a game of Mayokin, and I wanted to draw on the game's extensive background as well as flavor texts. The draft fan translation only vaguely alluded to the background and none of the various cards' flavor text has been translated into English.

I can't read Japanese but since I've got no choice, I'm translating the relevant world background information, starting with the Meikyuu Kingdom GM's book's world info section starting on page 103.

I will be using a combination of OCR (thanks to Adobe Acrobat Japanese OCR as well as i2ocr) and automatic translation (thanks to google translate, reverso, and excite.co.jp) and rephrasing the translated sentences into whatever makes sense. So not only will it be painstakingly slow, I'd probably also get the meaning wrong most of the time. But at least after all this, there'd be a semi-useable resource for non-Japanese reading Meikyuu Kingdom GMs and players to tide them until the official translations arrive.

So without further ado, here we go:

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[Translated from the Meikyuu Kingdom GM's Book, pp.102-103. Original Japanese text is © Bouken]

The World

An introduction to the Endless Dungeons, the stage where the game is set. Useful for scenario making and role-playing.

First Edition Preface

We live in this world, called the Endless Dungeons among other things. These notes are based on the "Footsteps Reader" that my teacher, Dr. Theodofireras Hapavurahaburosu, has compiled.

The Doctor was born in a south kingdom of the Millenial Dynasty, a savant who lived all his life without ever leaving his kingdom. However, he had a very extensive knowledge of the dungeons. The "Footsteps Reader" compiled useful knowledge from the doctor's enormous collection of books.

Most of the contents of this book has been extracted from the "Footstep Reader", updated with modern lore. There are always new discoveries and changes in the Endless Dungeons (it is, after all, a dungeon of many dungeons), so things might be a bit different from what is written here.

A General Guide to Dungeon Careers, A lucky day in 2004
Takara-Markokias

Second Edition Preface

Though it has not been long since the publication of the first edition, which had a very good reputation, I am sure that this new version, which was a pleasure to write, will also be received with the same gratitude.

A booklet of this small size bearing the name of "The World" was initially mostly written as a handbook for beginning land makers. Being a hot topic, it got a lot of circulation. The first edition "The World" was not only a good reference for the active land maker but for the common people of those kingdoms as well, and there were those who were inspired to become land makers themselves. This is an unexpected pleasure for both the writer and his editor. We now live in the height of the Small Kingdoms Era, more than 170 years since the First Dungeon War. Since the previous Rise and Fall of the Empire Era ended when the massive dungeon tsunami, "Rolling Island Whale" plowed a path of destruction throughout the Endless Dungeons, countless small kingdoms have risen. This unprecedented foundation boom still continues as of today, with no indication of stopping. On the negative side, of course, innumerable small kingdoms have also been wiped out in the background, but the Small Kingdom Era is the era of the Land Makers.

As you avid readers already know, a tumultuous situation that threatens to further throw the world into chaos has erupted.

Two years ago, we cleared a dungeon called Chamber Land where we discovered a large number of artifacts and relics related to the Hazard King. When news spread of this to the Great Powers, each of them immediately dispatched their forces. A bloody battle threatened to break out over the Hazard King's relics which contained great magical power.

This conflict happened right next to an unaligned small kingdom. Even such a remote place is not assured of peace. Everyone knows that a nation's geographical features can be easily changed by Dungeon Storms or Dungeon Tsunamis. But a small kingdom with a population of dozens will be easily destroyed if it misunderstands the international dynamics. On the other hand, this is also an opportunity. With tact in diplomacy and the military strength to back it up, it is not a dream to progress one's kingdom to greatness. This is how the Dynamite Empire suddenly became one of the Great Powers.

People are already starting to call this war as the Second Great Dungeon War. In this confusing situation with many powerful regional lords, a small kingdom with a great Land Maker leader can make a huge difference. It is important to know all the rules of this Great Game played upon the gameboard that is the Endless Dungeons.

There is another reason why I wrote this book. I may as well be pulling the eyes out of a Bandersnatch, but it is frustrating that even the youngest Dungeon scholars that form the ranks of our Land Makers have shut their eyes from the wonders of the Dungeons.

When I hear conversations between Land Makers, it is often all about weapons and magic use and efficient tactics. Certainly, the Dungeon is a terrible place where you can not afford to be careless. But it never is a dull place with only monsters and traps. I highly recommended to sometimes lower your weapons, look around and savor the flavor of the world. The Dungeon is full of wonders. In the Endless Dungeons, exactly what lies ahead, whether it is around that crooked corner or behind that door, is unpredictable to anyone.

Finally, I will repeat what I have written in my book, "Endless Dungeons Encyclopedia".

The Dungeon Hazard is still ongoing, ever changing the world's appearance. New facts may be discovered by scholars, or the description we've written in this book might be overturned by what you, the reader, have seen or experienced. A book is just a book afterall, and can not compare to direct experience. In such cases, feel free to overwrite the description with your own. It would make this author very happy when young teachers impart the new knowledge they have discovered.

To my readers: if you ever encounter a wonder of the Dungeon that has not been written down in this book, and if you ever managed to return to tell such a tale, I would love to add your tale in exchange for an Acknowledgement.

A General Guide to Dungeon Careers, New Year's Day, 2007
Takara, Markokiasu

Origin of the Dungeons (p.104)

Covers the genesis of this terrible world, the Endless Dungeons. Not recorded in any history book, this ancient tale is veiled in the fog of folklore, but some established theories have been handed down orally through the generations. The legend of the Hazard King, that everyone knows so well, is again introduced here.

Structure of the Dungeons (p.105)

The Endless Dungeons is known to be divided into three separate regions. We live in "Ground Zero", with the "Sky Floor" above us, and the "Deep Floor" beneath us. This outline is discussed here. This is essential information for Landmakers who challenge unexplored levels.

The Dungeon Hazard and related matters (p.106)

This chapter explains the Dungeonification, a major factor characterizing our world. It also explains the Dungeon Algorithm and Kernels, presents a primer on the dreaded Dungeon Disease, and introduces the Dungeon Masters, villains who gain power by embracing the Dungeonification.

Stars (p.107)

Stars are necessities of life in the Dungeons, but before the Dungeon Hazard, they shone from a very high place where it was impossible to take them in your hand. What would a star be like on earth? Here we discuss the lore of the stars as known by Dungeon scholars.

Classification of Dungeons (p.108)

A Dungeon is not just a monotonous pile of masonry or hewn stone. The Endless Dungeons are rich in variety and ever-changing, beyond even your wildest imagination. We discuss the dungeonized landscape of our world in this chapter.

Traps and Monsters (p.109)

There are untold dangers lurking in the Endless Dungeons. However noone ever overcame hardship by being afraid. Here, we introduce the classifications of monsters based on the latest research, as well as the traps found in the Dungeons.

The Sky Floor (p.110)

A description of the world above "Ground Zero": the Sky Floor and its "Angel" inhabitants.

The Deeps Floor (p.111)

A description of the world beneath "Ground Zero": the Deeps Floor and its "Deep One" inhabitants.

History of the Endless Dungeons (p.112)

Starting with the Dungeon Hazard, this covers 2000 years of the history of the Endless Dungeons, the first part of which is based on the book "Millenial Dynasty Historical Research".

The Kingdom: Introduction & The Court (p.114)

The court of a million kingdoms struggle every day so humans can survive. Here, we discuss those who listen to the people living in the kingdom. Even a non-Landmaker would learn a lot about their lifestyle.

The Kingdom: Industry & Transportation (p.115)

Even though Landmakers leave on quests, delve in dungeons and generally wander around, they must be kept aware of their kingdom's industry. A Land Maker should not be fond of their deed of arms alone, but also fulfill their role as statesman and administrator. In relation to this, the various means of transportation in the Dungeons, both inside and outside the surrounding environment of the kingdom, are also discussed.

The Kingdom: Religion & Knowledge (p.116)

Man shall not live by riceball alone, a spiritual element is also important. Here, I will explain spiritual culture in the Kingdom, including magic, using a story with a moral lession. At the same time, I will call attention to several dangerous ideologies and evil cults.

Landmakers and the People (p.117)

In a kingdom with a small population ranging in the dozens range, the court will be near to the people. We also discuss quite a mouthful of facts about the people. This chapter discusses the Land Makers' role in the kingdom and their relations with its people 

A Typical Small Kingdom (p.118)

We take a look at an example kingdom, representative of the innumerable nations within the Endless Dungeons. Probably you who are reading this live in such a kingdom.

War (p.120)

Sadly, the Endless Dungeons is not a peaceful world. Being prepared for war is not an assurance of peace in the kingdom. Whether you attack another kingdom or defend from an invasion, you must know how to lead the country.

Diplomacy (p.121)

Just are people living in a society are tied together, their country also has relationships with other countries. Between countries, utility is the standard rather than faith. Still, a negotiations table should always be prepared. Because diplomacy usually provides better profit than a war with a great sacrifice.

About the Great Powers (p.122)

I comment on the four Great Powers that are influential in the Endless Dungeons. The fledgling Land Maker's kingdom can not even begin to these huge nations. He'll realize this the moment they attack. As a precaution, it would be better to study them now.

---

[SIDEBAR] Human Mutations

When humans come under the influence of Dungeonification, they began to exhibit various mutations. These changes run the gamut between small like pointed ears, being taller, having colorful hair or skin, elongated limbs, and skeletal and shape deformation, to more extreme changes like conversion of gender via dietary habits. Humans crossbreed dogs, cats, and horselizards to make various kinds of new breeds, and it seems that the Dungeon Disease is doing the same thing to human breeding.

Intense mutations that you can recognize and diagnose at first sight but everyone has some minute sign of Dungeon Disease if examined closely (men and women who have of age, for example, would have dungeonified fingerprints). Mutation is not a special phenomenon by any means.

---

[That's it for now. I'll be posting the next sections as I finish them. I'd probably compile these in a single PDF file later on.]

Review: Deadpool Classic, Vol. 1

Deadpool Classic, Vol. 1 by Fabian Nicieza

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is an awesome introduction to anyone who wants to read Deadpool. You get DP's first appearance in the pages of New Mutants #98, his first four-issue miniseries (The Circle Chase), his second four-issue miniseries, and finally issue #1 of his regular series that started in 1997 (the rest of which are collected in succeeding volumes of Deadpool Classic trades.

Note that the New Mutants was drawn by the universally-panned Rob Liefeld (well, maybe not universally; he still has fans, Stockholm-syndrome and all that), who is also co-credited for creating DP.



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Review: Deadpool Killustrated

Deadpool Killustrated by Cullen Bunn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



After having killed the Marvel Universe in the last volume (and finding out in this volume that they don't stay dead because, hello, infinite realities), Deadpool now thinks he should stop all these heroes at the source: classic literature. With his teleporter attuned to travel to the classic ideaverse, he starts of on a killing spree that claims the lives of Moby Dick and Ahab, Dr. Frankenstein, Count Dracula, Tom Sawyer, and even Sherlock Holmes, among many others. It's the same loony Merc-With-A-Mouth, and I can't wait to crack open the third and final installment of the Deadpool Killogy.



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Review: Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe by Cullen Bunn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



That was fast and awesome. I love DP massacring the entire Marvel Universe, from the Fantastic Four to the Avengers to the X-Men. Even the Watcher got pwned. Those annoying Power Pack kids got killed offscreen somehow. And finally Wolverine, whose mutant power of popularity was finally revealed. On to the next volume in the Deadpool Killogy! :D



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Review: Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe by Cullen Bunn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



That was fast and awesome. I love DP massacring the entire Marvel Universe, from the Fantastic Four to the Avengers to the X-Men. Even the Watcher got pwned. Oh, it was also nice that he took care of those annoying Power Pack kids. On to the next volume in the Deadpool Killogy! :D



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Review: Red Seas Under Red Skies

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Once again, the Gentleman Bastards collect their dues in this, their second adventure. They've relocated to a new city (Tal Verar) and has got a new con going, one that actually took two years to set up. They also get a taste of how the other half of "Right People" live: pirates! Yet another awesome, recommended read.





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Review: Redshirts

Redshirts by John Scalzi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



My ereader tells me I completed this in 7.4 hours at 189 words per minute, which might not be that impressive compared to anyone else but myself. That was fast. My attention span is severely limited these days, and I think it's getting shorter but whenever I start reading where I left off in this book, I end up reading through for more than two hours at a time: TWO!

And I'm not even that big of a Trekkie, mind. I only like the Next Generation (and their films), the Original Series (and their films), and both the new Abrams reboot films.

The writing is fast and entertaining and, even though Scalzi moves things along at a crisp pace, you still want to see what happens next.

I am really looking forward to the upcoming miniseries... I hope SyFy doesn't drop the ball on that one.



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Review: Designers & Dragons: The '70s

Designers & Dragons: The '70s by Shannon Appelcline

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The decade that gave RPGs its birth has never been covered in much greater detail and scope elsewhere. About a third of the volume details TSR, which is understandable as the company published the Dungeons & Dragons and created an entirely new industry. As a fan, I went through an emotional rollercoaster as I read the book: my heart soared as I shared in the victories and many firsts of the era, as RPGs are starting to rise to prominence, while I almost wept (with or without much gnashing of teeth as accompaniment) as companies floundered in the many upheavals of the industry and failed. Having been introduced to RPGs around 1989 or so, and having grown up in a small backwater South-east Asian country, it is nice to know about the people (and games) that have all come before in this industry I will always be a part of. On the the '80s!



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Review: The Broken Sword

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Fantastic story. Furious action scenes and a fast-developing plot, along with Poul Anderson's prose make this a fantasy epic worth reading. Read this because of the AD&D (1st Edition) Dungeon Master's Guide's Appendix N (Inspirational and Educational Reading). Elves, trolls, demi-gods, cursed swords--this is one of Gary Gygax's many literary inspirations from which pages the now-classic D&D tropes would evolve.



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Review: Starship Troopers

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

My rating: 5 of 5 stars







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Review: ソードアート・オンライン Sword Art Online - Fairy Dance

ソードアート・オンライン Sword Art Online - Fairy Dance by Reki Kawahara

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is a great continuation to Sword Art Online, the killer VRMMO which was cleared in volume 1 by Kirito the Black Swordsman and Asuna the Flash. However, two months after the servers of SAO went down, Asuna still has not revived. Kirito wallows in despair until he is contacted by Egil, who showed him a screenshot of a girl uncannily resembling Asuna except her avatar looks like that of a winged fairy. Furthermore, Asuna-fairy is held in a cage hanging from the lower branches of the World Tree, the ultimate objective of the new Full-Dive VRMMO, ALfheim Online.

So off Kirito went to create a character in this new world, where he meets Yui, his and Asuna's "offspring" from volume 2 and the Sylph swordswoman, Lyfa, who is much closer to Kirito in the real world than either of them realize.

The first few chapters of this new volume almost felt like they dragged on a bit too much, but that's understandable as the author lays in the foundations--characters, settings, new rules, and all--of this new game called ALO. Soon, however, the pace quickens as Kirito logs into ALO and begins his journey towards the massive World Tree that dominates the center of the world.

The books ends abruptly though, so make sure you have volume 4 ready to read as soon as you finish!

A must-read for fans of SAO, fantasy and massively multiplayer online roleplaying games.



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Review: Sword Art Online - Aincrad

Sword Art Online - Aincrad by Reki Kawahara

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Volume 2 of Sword Art Online is set before the end of Volume 1 (which had Kirito clearing the game). This volume featured four short stories, each one pairing Kirito with a different girl he met during his two years in SAO.

The first story, The Black Swordsman (Aincrad 35th floor, February 2024), features the beast tamer Scilica, and how Kirito helped her restore life to her dragon pet, as well as hunting down some player-killers.

The second story, Warmth of the Heart (Aincrad 48th floor, June 2024), features the blacksmith Lizbeth who forged Kirito's white blade, Dark Repulser.

The third story, Morning Dew Girl (Aincrad 22nd floor, October 2024), features Yui, a strange "girl" who becomes Kirito and Asuna's "offspring" in SAO.

Finally, the last story, Red-nosed Reindeer (Aincrad 46th floor, December 2023), expounds on Kirito's first ill-fated guild, The Black Cats of the Full Moon, and his quest for redemption after the TPK of the said guild.

The stories are top-notch, so if you liked Volume 1, this volume is a must-read. A couple of the stories, particularly the ending of Warmth of the Heart as well as the Rudolph song sequence in Red-nosed Reindeer, are definite tear-jerkers, underlining just how much sadness there can be in this life and death VMMORPG.



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Review: Sword Art Online - Aincrad

Sword Art Online - Aincrad by Reki Kawahara

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Finished this during traffic on the bus. It's a very quick read.

This first volume covers the launch of the first Virtual Reality MMO where players use NervGear helmets to achieve "deep dive," a state that allows full immersion in the game. About two hours into the launch, the creator of Sword World Online announces that everyone is now trapped in the game with no way to logout. This taking of the players hostage is achieved via the specifics of the NervGear interface which basically cuts off all of the brain's signals so that they translate to actions in game rather than as instructions to one's body. Death in the game also results in the NervGear electrocuting (or microwaving; the translation is hazy) the player's brain, killing the in the real world as well.

Sword Art Online is set on the huge floating "castle" called Aincrad which is itself divided into 100 floors. Players start on Floor 1 and negotiate the maze there until they come upon and defeat the floor's boss, in which case access to the next floor is granted.

As I've said, this novel is a very quick read, not just because it is relatively short at less than 400 pages. The pacing is fast, often jumping months, and years to follow the main character. By the time the game is cleared at the end of this volume, two years have already passed in the story, and the main characters are at a supposedly high level, and the frontier of exploration has moved to the 75th floor.

Those who have played MMORPGs before (and have been hooked) will definitely find something to like in this action-adventure/love story. Even without NervGear, the experience we players had with the current MMOs are comparable: sometimes, the difference between the real and the virtual worlds blur, get confused. And you're left with the feeling that one is better than the other.

I'm looking forward to reading through Volume 2 which are side-stories set parallel to the main storyline of Volume 1. In the anime adaptation, these stories have been inserted into the episode order, mainly as padding to complete at least 13, or maybe 26 episodes (a season length to which some anime should definitely adhere).



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Review: Dungeon World Red Book

Dungeon World Red Book by Sage LaTorra

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Old-school dungeon delving with a shiny new ruleset! I've just stumbled into this gem fairly recently and loving what I'm reading. I've taken a look at Apocalypse World before, but my eyes glazed over before I could grok the rules. Dungeon World grounded Apocalypse World's rules for me. Who doesn't like a dungeon crawl?

This one's different though, enough to make me feel like that time I got my grubby little hands on the 1e Dungeon Master's Guide.

Can't wait to unleash this on my players.



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Bob Ong's Ang Mga Kaibigan Ni Mama Susan

Or, What Not To Do When Facing Pretentious Powers From Beyond

This is my second Bob Ong book right after Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin, and while that other book was fun while it lasted, Ang Mga Kaibigan Ni Mama Susan was a thoroughly shitty experience. Bob Ong, last horror mo na 'to, ha?

The man should just stick to pop culture comedy instead of wasting his time, and more importantly, my time with this annoying sorry-excuse-for-a-novel that highlights what can only be called the cliched backward and barbaric mentality of remotely rural Filipinos: trusting in faith healing instead of modern medical science, listening to the inane ramblings of elder pieces of excrement, and believing in weird and outdated occult phenomenon.

All the complications in this book could have been avoided if the hero was man enough to hack his way through the members of the Kapatiran (Ooh, I'm soo scared--NOT!). Seriously, the moral lesson of this story is that you should not be a wimp when confronting the supernatural. That undead abomination that he calls his grandmother, a.k.a. Mama Susan? I would have smashed her with the gas lamp, laughing through the smoke as she and her so-called "friends" burned to oblivion. Oh yeah, I would have set that backward subhuman lost town right. Freaky supernatural shit? Show 'em who's the goddamn boss.

Maybe Bob Ong wasn't really trying to write horror with this one. With something this annoying, the man was definitely trolling. And, obviously, selling off bullshit to make his rent.

The only good thing about this book is that, thankfully, it is short: only a hundred and twenty odd pages. Because apparently that's the limit of his attention span, his intelligence, and his talent.