The party's at your place, and everyone's invited

"Most reddest guyest of guys! Mean not-red yelly punchy girl and shooty shooty shorty guy come, shoot and punch, bring other unred mad guys, kill Baelzy with hissy green arrow! Guyest of reds, we need to stop meanies!" Rishukan pants for a few breaths before dashing back off the way she came.

"Ari, Sera, Mary, let's go! They're here: just one more win and we're through this!" Feeling uncharacteristically motivated for some good old fashioned ****, you charge down the corridor, champions in tow. By the time you approach the boggy entrance room you can already hear the din of battle ahead.

The room in front of you contains a veritable mass of adventurers. Amara the barbarian, Grungil the arcane archer, Selena the invoker, Sam the cleric and Kiedan the bard have already reached the centre of the room, slowly advancing under twin ruby and emerald shields channelled by Selena. Although the display is impressive, she displays a look of strained concentration on her face, and you can see flakes of crystal shedding off amidst the radiating magic. Shappazus and slimugons bombard and explode against their barrier one after another, but other than creating a few more tiny cracks in the gems they amount to nothing. Nearer to the entrance, Tashila the paladin and Orin's wolf are covered in smoking wounds as they engage the slimugons more directly, ranged support raining down from the druid and Celestina behind them. Although their coordination and experience pales in comparison to the disciplined group in front of them, the shappazus are nonetheless being slowly beaten back.

With a signal to your champions to stay put, you step around the corner and begin to channel your new magic. A hole rips its way in reality above the invoker's bubble, clouds of golden flame spinning within. You get ready to dodge as a shout from Amara makes it clear they've seen you, but instead Grungil grabs a topaz from Selena's belt and hands it to her. Your pillar of golden flame slams into the bubble just as a new, golden one surrounds the others, and after a tense moment the fire dissipates to show... no damage whatsoever. Wait, no, you see the green gem slip out of the invoker's hands and shatter on to the ground into tiny shards, and the remaining two strain as several chunks explode off of them. A stray slimugon bursts nearby, sending flecks of hissing acid through the anti-fire and holy barriers, leaving smoking burns on the adventuring party. Seeing their defences breached, the invoker drops her shields. Grungil lets loose a devastating lance of thunder from his crossbow, Amara roars and charges the nearest group of daemons, and Sam begins to cover the party in a warm light. They're soon joined by Celestina's group, and with that you signal the retreat: any further fighting in this room is only going to end in disaster. You need a plan.

A few minutes later, you're discussing your options with your champions when "booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooss!" announces the return of your most enthusiastic lieutenant.

"Sorry boss, they's caught me off guard, won't happen again! Baelzann is back and ready to scout!" He gives a little salute and whirls around in the air with boundless energy.

"Nevermind that, just watch out. They may have some sort of strange magic potions which can prevent you from respawning until the event is over. I need you in the air. We're outnumbered and need an opening: go around behind them and let us know what they're up to." With another enthusiastic salute and a twirl the imp speeds off.

"Remember, watch out. It seems like the imp and his minions can take the form of adventurers, so don't trust anyone who you haven't kept within eyesight since getting in the dungeon." Celestina's voice drifts down the dungeon. You give the signal then wheel out into the corridor and cut the group in half with a wall of flame. Mariel and Arialle step out behind you and unleash a barrage of arrows on the unprepared paladin, several striking true before she kneels behind her broad shield. The ground underneath you begins to rumble and you just barely leap out of the way as roots reach out and grasp the air, only to find yourself shoved against a wall by Sera as she engages the druid's charging wolf. You launch a fireball just as another "boooooooooooooooooss!" rings through the character. "Boss! Adventurers have gotten through the top gate, including the tough ones! The fallen are—" he flies directly into the grasping roots, and a slash from the paladin followed by a roar of blue flame summoned by Celestina's sealing flask cause him to wink out of existence. Well, there goes your recon.

"Mariel, Seramiel, get up to the surface, organize the fallen, and keep them busy! Drive them back if you can, but we need time to deal with this!" They nod and with one final slash at the wolf, Sera disengages and the two disappear around the corner. You shoot a fireball at their two frontliners and then you and Ari turn and dash off towards the mushroom room. "Don't let him get away! That's the best loot you've ever seen right there!" The enthusiastic paladin shouts as she charges directly after you. "Wait, Tashila, we haven't been that way before, be careful!" She ignores the druid's advice, and as you and Ari run through the room you hear a mixed coughing and screaming from behind you. Ari keeps running and holds her breath to avoid the poisonous spores, but you turn to see the three adventurers and their pet becoming coated by a swarm of scorpion daemons, with shrieks and cries of "get them off me!" You avoid any casting, given that your area attacks are more likely to help your opponents in this situation. Two arrows from Ari on the far side of the room strike true, and the panicked adventurers regain their senses enough to rout back down the hall. After a moment to regroup, you move forward through the crypt to safely inspect the situation.

"Ugh, why is it that you have to follow me everywhere I go? Get your own dungeon, creep." Celestina's voice echoes through the still crypt.

"Look sis, you clearly aren't even ready to handle a few icky widdle bugs, let alone the boss. Just step aside and let us deal with this. If I'm feeling generous I might even let you join us again after."

"As if I—"

"Look," Jared the warrior's voice cuts through the bickering. "Shouldn't we be focusing on—" you cross your fingers, peek around the corner, and cast Hold Person on him as stealthily as you can before ducking back into hiding.

"Shouldn't we what? Oh, you bitch, that's it," the rasp of steel and roar of magic erupts in the corridor behind you and you retreat as the argument erupts into ****. Mission accomplished, you and Ari dash as fast as you can to the throne room to join up with the angels.

Whatever you expected to find on the surface, it isn't the scene you see in front of you. Sera and Mary are engaged in a duel against a dwarven berserker and an elementalist mage, the ground littered with the bodies of several fallen ones which earned their namesake. In the back, Amara's group casually leans against the rocks, seemingly content to let their contenders and your champions tire each other out, while Zalreanne smirks and sips tea from a lawn chair at the fight in front of her. You dash in to help, but with your entrance Grungil loads his crossbow and sends a hissing bolt of acid directly at your chest. Ari unsheathes her sword and charges at the barbarian, and suddenly you hear an anguished "SISTER!" beside you.

You turn just to see the mage release a torrent of blue flame from a flask similar to Celestina's. The wounded Seramiel is consumed by the scorching cone, leaving behind several potions and a golden shield with an emblazoned cross with the berserker grabs and stows into a backpack. Mariel unleashes a blizzard on the scene, but the berserker smirks and charges while the mage launches a volley of flame at her. Is this how your streak ends? Suddenly a chilling voice overpowers all other sound on the battlefield. The enraged sorceress stands up, gesturing at the burning roof of her cottage with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "Well that just wasn't very polite, now was it?" The mage laughs and launches a blast of fire at her, but she shrugs as bones rip themselves from the ground and surround her in thick armour. Suddenly, rock and dirt rains from the sky as her house explodes, a giant bone golem bursting out and charging at the offenders.

Amara and Grungil pause, take stock of the situation, and signal their retreat. You do the same, looking over your shoulder long enough to see the bone golem grab the dwarf berserker by his leg and toss him off the cliff. You may not be on the best terms with the sorceress, but you have to admit that she has her moments. Not to mention you don't care to find out how discerning she's feeling at the moment.

The three of you head back down into the caves, passing by Rishukan in the cavern and letting her know to prepare for battle shortly. Whatever conclusion the battle between the adventuring parties came to, it seems to have ended, given the tunnels are silent as you approach them. No, not quite silent, you hear the familiar wet noises of sex. A glance around the corner shows both sides are battered but alive, with Tashila and Celestina wrapped in their druid companion's vines. Only the archer and the druid's pet are missing. Said druid is currently relaxing against a wall with his eyes closed as his recent enemy, the gorgeous elven mage, is on her knees with her head bobbing on his cock, one of his hands wrapped in her long hair.

"Well, what do you say? All you have to do is suck me off and you can join us and get a share as well," Shadowdagger the rogue waves his erect dick in front of the paladin's face, earning only a scowl in response. "And don't worry sis, I know you had the hots for Jared. I'm sure he'd be happy to make your wish come true." She spits in his direction and he shrugs. "Suit yourself." Jared silently walks up behind the elven mage, hoists up her robes, and sinks into her wet cunt, earning a cute moan as she's penetrated from both ends.

Tashila briefly makes eye contact with you, her expression unreadable. You tense up as you prepare for her to shout, but instead she turns to the rogue and says "Hmm, really? All I have to do is blow you?" The rogue smirks and nods in response. "Okay, but let's go over there with the others." The druid lazily flicks his free hand to release her from his vines, and she steps over beside the double-teamed elf and sinks to her knees. As Shadowdagger walks over she glances at you once again. Is she helping you? You channel a fireball and launch it directly into the tightly-packed and distracted group, and you see the paladin smirk just before flames engulf the unsuspecting rogue, his equally wounded comrades, and the paladin alike. A moment later, you feel the rush of experience, and when the blaze clears only the ranger remains standing. Seeing that she poses no threat in her weakened state, you step out, flanked by your angel and warlock, and walk up to the battered and defeated ranger.

"Erm... thanks?"

"I didn't do it for your benefit, but you're welcome anyways I suppose." You continue to step forwards. "So, what to do with the last survivor?" You exaggerate scratching one hand with your chin while you gather a firebolt in the other one.

"Wait, before you kill me again—what did you do with Adam? Was there even an Adam?"

You smirk in response. "I'll tell you what. Since we had so much fun in Highcastle, I'll let you go just this once. Just don't come back until the event is over."

"Oh, but please do join us some other time! I had a lot of fun, and it didn't seem like I was the only one!" Ari winks at her clone, who blushes and stands up. Leaning against the wall for support, she quaffs a potion, several cuts and bruises disappearing from her body as she staggers away from you.

The silent dungeon provides your first respite since the day began, and you and your companions take the opportunity to root through the abundant loot to collect anything of immediate value. You find several potions which you immediately down, restoring the three of you to more or less perfect condition, and have just started to sort through the other treasure when you hear Grungil's harsh voice from down the tunnel ahead.

You quickly stand and whisper to your companions. "Break's over. Let's fall back to Rishukan. I doubt the crypt is going to do anything to hold this group." Ari and Mary wordlessly stand up behind you and the three of you head off at a brisk pace, stepping as quietly as you can in your haste. Soon you've reached the main cavern, while the sounds of smashing bones echo from the crypt behind you.

"Red guy! We fight meanies now?"

"Okay, Rishu, here's the plan. I want all of our fallen ones and half of our seductrixes and imps hidden in this room, the rest in the pit. Tell your troops to focus on the bard, then the cleric, then the invoker. You'll take a few minions and help us engage the barbarian and archer. Retreat when you can if things get bad, and don't attack until I give the signal."

You stand prominently with Arialle and Mary behind you at the far end of the cavern, and soon the adventurer's chatter reaches your ears. Your voice booms with your recently-neglected trickster magicks.

"Welcome once again to my dungeon, adventurers. Don't you have someone else's home to trash? Nobody likes clingy people."

"Hah, ye know t'wouldn't be the same without us. And Amara would never shut up if I didn't let her squash ye at least once a moon."

With that, he launches a thunder arrow at your group, and you feel every hair on your body stand on end as you barely duck underneath it. Amara lets out a yell and charges you with Grungil close behind, and Selena holds up a pitch-black gem which emits a barrage of shadowy bolts. The angel and warlock split to either side, firing arrows at the barbarian as they go, and just as the bard strums the first note on his instrument you yell "NOW!"

The huge woman goes flying to the side as your massive fallen one lieutenant smashes into her, several fallen ones and seductrixes pursuing her and the dwarf as well. The black bolts redirect themselves to your minions, killing several instantly, and the cleric begins to chant as soothing light wraps around the barbarian. As your first fireball flies into the fray, you hear a scream as half a dozen seductrixes careen into the bard from the upper levels. You don't let up, launching fireball after fireball to add to the utter chaos that's been unleashed. Selena the invoker rummages in her bag and pulls an unusually large, bluish-white gem. The room crackles with electricity, but just as the gem explodes and lightning streaks away from her fingers the bard gives one final yell and vanishes, the seductrixes momentarily hooting in triumph before being vaporized by the powerful spell.

Another wall of fire cuts across the room, dangerously draining your mana reserves but cutting the barbarian off from her teammates. You switch to launching small firebolts while Ari and Mariel fire arrow after magic arrow at the barbarian, but even without the bard's song she crushes your underlings one by one with her huge weapon. Although Ari manages a few hits, your fire spells and Mariel's ice arrows are absorbed by flashes of red, yellow, and blue, seemingly not causing any damage at all. Although the berserker finally begins to slow from the onslaught, you call for the retreat when your last underling vanishes in a puff of smoke, leaving only Rishukan alongside your champions. She's just turned to run when the archer and invoker burst through the wall of flame, scorching themselves in the process, and unleash a barrage of magic on the massive lieutenant. She collapses, and Amara draws and uses another sealing flask, the blue fire erasing any trace of her existence. A large staff materializes in her place and you use the distraction to retreat into the chasm room.

A few minutes later, you stand at the far side of the rickety bridge over the chasm, both women beside you with bows drawn. Ari stands still, her eyes showing her determination, but Mary gently vibrates from the stress: you reach out an arm and squeeze her side into yours, and feel a bit of the tension leave her body in response. Soon after, the remaining four adventurers enter the room. Most look slightly healthier than before, only the cleric betraying utter exhaustion at the healing he recently performed. You and your companions launch a barrage of arrows and fire which are just barely deflected in time by another shield by the invoker, the gem exploding in response and the shield collapsing into into sheets of glass which shatter on the floor. Unfortunately, the shield bought just enough time for the party, and they now stand at the other end of the bridge. With a roar, they charge over, and just as most of them have reached the middle of the bridge you use the last of your mana reserves to launch a fireball directly in the middle of their group. Amara jumps clear, her maul sending Ari flying into a wall, but the rest of them are not so lucky and grasp at the rickety planks as they swing in the chasm. Selena the invoker rummages through her bag but seemingly finds no more useful gems, and moments later the burning bridge splits entirely, sending the three adventurers careening into the pit of daemons below.

Mariel's ice arrows and your firebolts once again soak harmlessly into Amara's skin. Ari stands, draws her sword, and charges into melee, but another hit from the maul sends her crashing backwards again, and there's little you can do to prevent the barbarian from using a sealing flask to banish your warlock. You charge at the warrior woman and slash at her with your claws, and when she dodges out of the way you catch her off guard with your sharp, bony wings. However, the long spikes only barely pierce her thick skin, and several more frost arrows from Mariel fare no better. Hoping to stay too close for her to use her maul, you jump on top of her, but she grabs you and tosses you into a wall, half your health disappearing as the huge weapon nearly flattens you. You leap up again and slash, but another hit in your stomach sends you flying into the ceiling before collapsing to the ground. It's all you can do to stand up when suddenly there's a flash of blue from the barbarian, and the next frost arrow which hits her tints her slightly blue. She charges at you, somewhat more sluggish than before, and you find yourself able to dodge out of her way despite your state. Arrow after arrow strikes her, and finally the barbarian sinks to her knees and gives one final shout of rage before vanishing. You slide down the wall, enjoying a well-earned rest after the battle.

After a few moments to catch a breather you stand up and limp over to the chasm edge. A few imps are all that remain of your forces, but three loot bags belie the fates of the adventurers who fell. "Yes!" You can't help but let out a booming roar of triumph after the ordeal, and hobble over to Mariel, supporting yourself on your shoulder. The walk back to your room is agonizingly slow despite its proximity.

"Now that we're all alone, how about we take some time to cele—" with that, you collapse on the bed and are asleep before you know it.