Dungeon Life

The usual result of a human taking a runaway semitruck head-on is a very fast track to the pearly gates. But for one newly noncorporeal man, there's another option: become a dungeon. Next thing he knows, he's a dungeon — admittedly a small, run-down, somewhat unimpressive one, but you have to start somewhere. Slowly but surely, Thedeim learns the ropes: building himself up, gathering mana, dealing with invaders, delvers, and annoying guild reps, and gradually becoming a local legend. The more his power and reputation grow, the more he becomes part of his new world. But how is a proper dungeon supposed to instill spine-shattering terror in questing adventurers when it's so much more fun to play along with them?

Having vanquished the truly vicious dungeon Neverrest, Thedeim is finally getting comfortable. His array of minions operate at full efficiency while he enjoys managing daring delvers and spreading his mostly beneficent influence across the land. But it hasn't been easy — guiding his own irascible scions, wrangling rogue dungeons, countering truly evil entities, and keeping things as non-nightmarish as possible for everyone keeps him very busy. And he's about to get busier. Because there are those who don't appreciate Thedeim's efforts, and somebody is about to become very, very unhappy.

It seems like a lifetime ago that Thedeim was a mortal man. He has since built his dungeon self into a force to be reckoned with, full of minions, creepy crawlies, and a hedge maze to die for — though Thedeim's is a different, friendlier kind of dungeon, which suits both him and his many allies just fine. Being a nice dungeon means taking on not-so-nice entities. Now an enemy of monstrous design is plaguing the realm and requesting Thedeim's aid — a fight that will push him to the limits of his power, his mana, and even his humanity.

Transformed from mortal man to dungeon core, Thedeim has gone from a know-nothing hovel to a do-everything force to be reckoned with. Even after vanquishing the dreaded Maw, imprisoning the enigmatic Harbinger, and freeing Silvervein, there is much still to contend with. Multiple allied dungeons need support, a meddling Crown Inspector has been dispatched to investigate, and a representative of Order is on its way to collect the Harbinger and offer Thedeim an elevated existence he never thought possible. With more and more lives in his care and new threats forming in the darkness, he must learn the difference between merely acting like a god and actually being one.