Dungeon’s Path

Ace turned back to the crowd, “I said I would execute them and I’m going to keep my word. The ones who promised to leave will be allowed to leave and those who didn’t agree will be exiled. I’m kind of sad that 38 idiots couldn’t even bother lying about their intentions, especially when I wasn’t having them swear to not work against us.

“Whatever. This last section will take place at the outer gate, which conveniently is straight down the road. Now, I won’t require you to all come along and watch, though I would prefer it. Those of you spying on the event for others at least should see this to the end.

“We will reconvene just outside the main gate in half an hour.”

The half hour passed quickly and honestly, Ace could have probably started after only half that time. Those who were interested followed as Ace finagled the root magic into transporting the captive. It wasn’t easy and took a lot out of him, but prevented any runners. Still, Ace waited, keeping exactly to his word. Then once the half hour was up Kelly snapped her fingers and amplified the sound to get everyone’s attention.

Ace turned towards the captured. “Under the rules of hospitality and despite our belief that you meant us harm, we accepted you and provided free food and a place to stay. However, while you ate our food and drink, invoking a guest’s rights, all of you acted against us and proved yourself undeserving of such hospitality.

“Under those rules, it is entirely within my right to decide your punishment and in doing so, I have held back.” Ace turns to the bigger group of captured. “Some of you have accepted my lighter punishment.

“While I am sure many don’t intend to keep your end of the bargain, what will be, will be. For now, you have sworn that once free, you will leave and not come back for a year and a day. May you keep your word.”

Ace sighs and focuses on the 38 defiant ones. “You all however spit in the face of my clemency. All I asked was that you not enter my town for a year and a day! Despite your attempts on my life and position, I decided to not only let you live, but allowed you freedom.

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to invoke a punishment with a deeper meaning behind it. You, the 38 before me, have broken the sacred rules of hospitality and so I pass judgment! Forever more shall you be exiled from these lands.”

As Ace finishes his proclamation, the 38 men and women are broken out of his roots spell with a loud crack. Not of their own will, but rather by way of an outside force. Without violence, yet lacking gentleness, the group are flung away from the gate.

On and on they go, reaching the top of an arc before coming down with a suddenness on any of the boats at the dock that are being used to transport people up river. One of the men, angered by this, attempts to jump back onto land. In turn, an equal force pushes him back and since he jumped at an angle, lands in the water instead of the boat. Others assist him on getting back in, but no one else tries to return.

Back at the gate, Ace releases the remaining captives from their bindings. “Well, you can leave now. Do note, I only had you swear not to enter the town. I’m not going to get on you if it takes you a little bit of time at the docks to figure out arrangements to leave.”

Shell-shocked, those now free stand there until some of the regular townspeople shoes them away. Then from the gate, Camila shows up and walks over to Ace. “And I thought I was supposed to be the crafty one. Are you telling me I got this fine fine gray fur for nothing?”

Ace snorts, “I’m sure you can still teach me a thing or two. I remember a saying about how ginger gets spicier with age.”

Camila shrugs, “Never had any ginger so I wouldn’t know. Though I have to ask, did you provide free room and board for the event so you could invoke these hospitality rights on them? Even my people have some knowledge of them, despite not particularly following them. Can’t exactly just accept anyone into our home if they show up asking for guest rights.”

Ace, “Yes and no. While that whole show of exiling them was good pageantry, at least most of them weren’t related to the Fae in any way. So while hospitality rights are easy enough to invoke, I doubt the magical expulsion will last more than a fortnight. Not that I’m going to tell them that.”

Camila nods, “The system might be kind, but it isn’t going to police people for you. What actual long-term benefits do you get for doing this?”

Ace gestures at one of the guards at the gate. “While we can’t magically tell if you’ve committed a crime or anything, by exiling them like this the town’s guards will always be able to spot them. Even if they try to disguise themselves or hide in something.

“I really hope they try to attack the town with the others. The guards on the wall will see them coming no matter how they try to hide. And speaking of the others, we sadly don’t quite get that much info.

“Exile, especially when invoking a greater power or tradition, has a lot more oomph behind it than just telling them not to come back for a year and a day. Though specifically setting it to be a year and a day connects it to the whole Fae nonsense. So there might be some extra magic behind it.

“However, when any of them do end up breaking their oath, that is when things get fun. At that point, it is a lot more serious, the same with those who were exiled. I’m not sure what I’ll be able to do, but I’m hoping to make use of that cow deity we’ve got the herd worshiping.”

Camila raises an eyebrow, “I thought you wanted to stay out of the whole divine nonsense? Wasn’t that the point of the cattle worshiping a deity and not the farmer?”

Ace sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. “That’s not really an option. Our planet had so many religions before the system came and so many of them ended up actually existing. And that doesn’t even get into the various greater powers who want a piece of that faith pie.

“There is no way to avoid religions, cults, and those they worship. Instead, I’m going to spread it out thin. The Fae, the Divine, and so on. Of course, I would prefer to avoid more infernal sorts. Maybe something specifically to acknowledge their existence without calling on them or singling any group or being out from the rest.

“Then, through the fact that we allow all in our town as long as they follow the laws, we should get left alone. Though, as you already know, I’m not going to allow people in the inner circle to actively worship others. At this point, we have their number and know that we do not need them.”

Camila, “There will always be those looking for relief from something or a quick route to power. It is easy now, but later on? How will you maintain this among our descendants?”

Ace shrugs, “first of course is through education. Not even the heavens will trade equally with you. Any power will gouge you for their blessings, the demonic and infernal are just more open about it.

“Though when has that ever stopped a desperate teen from making promises they can’t actually afford? Which leads to the fact that we should actually be able to detect someone praying to another within the inner circle. Faith is a real power, you just can’t use that which you generate yourself.

“That just leaves those who worship something and know not to do it within the inner circle. Yeah, that’s a bit out of our hands. We’ll need to keep an eye out for the symptoms until they’re old enough for the oath. Unlike the oaths I had those fools make, our oaths have a lot more power and proper system backing.”

Camila, “Well, just one more thing to throw on the pile of troubles for future us.”

Ace sighs and agrees.

All the while, down in the dungeon Ally is not happy. ‘Why does he keep doing that?’

Doyle nods, ‘Well, it worked once and he seems to have a plan for it.’

Ally makes a fist and shakes it, ‘But he doesn’t have to yet! If he keeps pulling on the Fae mythos, they’re going to pull them in. Combined with me being here? Recipe for a bad time!’

Doyle nods again, ‘Yeah, I can see that.’

Ally throws herself on her bed, ‘And we’ve been going through all that trouble to keep the Fae away! Sure, we didn’t make a big deal about it after the first time, but we keep popping any fairy rings or what have you that form.’

Doyle tilts to the side and back, ‘Not really that much effort, but true.’

Ally sighs, ‘Sure, I guess the whole hospitality rules thing isn’t just a Fae creation. Though we do like to take it too far.’

Doyle grabs into that, ‘Speaking of the Fae. I’ve heard of the whole hospitality thing, but I’ve also heard of a few others. Stuff like not eating their food or saying thank you. How much of that is true?’

Ally frowns, ‘Thank you? What in the multiverse does that mean?’

Doyle, ‘It was one of the odder ones I can remember. Basically, if you say thank you, the fairies in the stories would take it as you owing them something. Oh, and you never want to owe a fairy a favor.’

Ally’s face lightens and she laughs. ‘Thankfully, that isn’t really a thing. I guess I can see how that might come about. However, even the Fae need to make space for culture and languages. Too many people would get mad if we started claiming that people who said thank you to us owed us a favor.

‘As for that other one? Yeah, if you end up in the Fae realm as a normal mortal, don’t eat the food. Cosmologically, Fae realms fit right between Dream and Nightmare. Depending on the place, they might even be the same place with Fae being the border between the two.

‘That means the food available will either be the sweetest of dreams or the direst of nightmares. IE, those unprepared either won’t be able to force themselves to eat normal food or die from the experience. And even if they stay, the food there won’t act as substance for regular people.

‘You have to be able to gain substance from energy instead of physical material. Not that the food isn’t real. Rather, everything is in an energy state. Of course, you can bring normal food into the Fae realm and sometimes a Fae expecting a mortal guest will prepare appropriately.

‘Most of the time? Yeah, better not chance it. Though after a certain point, you don’t have to worry about it. After all, as you just heard with the whole masterwork stuff, there is a point where something is as good as it can be without magic.

‘Even the body will hit that point. Then you become like a magic item. Well, as a dungeon core, you get treated as a natural wonder so like how your loot is automatically masterwork, you are as well. Anyway, after a certain point, even the most basic no magic fighter will be magically strong.

‘Once a person is far enough along, they will be able to eat Fae food. That doesn’t fix not being able to stomach normal food of course. That, however, doesn’t matter because if you can eat Fae food and not starve, you can already sustain yourself on energy which skips eating. Or of course you can spend a ton of money to get a high level chef to make you dreamlike food. Either or.’