Chapter 4.10 - Services Rendered

Meeting them outside was Eris, Ephraim, Bilol and Dana. Two representatives from the changeling and Demis race. There was also a crowd of waiting adventurers near the portal. It seems that the representatives felt it necessary to meet their foolish charges at the gate. None of the representatives look pleased. Serin looked at the crowd. Many were the other adventurers that had come through the gate. Some were just curious townsfolk. All of them were surprised by what came through.

Serin and his team were no worse for wear. However strewn about the supplies they garnered, there were the dead and unconscious bodies of the fallen. There was obviously body parts from a few of the fallen. Serin had no way to hide this, so he left them out. If he couldn't be reverent, he better make a point. The dungeon was dangerous, and this team ignored the safeties that had been put in place.

Serin then looked at the gathered crowd. "This team broke the rules. They were authorized for level one just like everyone else. They got greedy however. We found the surviving members fighting to keep from death from an overwhelming enemy, not on level 2, not on level 3. They were found on level 7." Serin continued, "Due to their folly, there were four deaths today. And had the recovery team not made as fast as we did, there would have been nine deaths. Had that happened, I am unsure there would have been bodies to recover, and these folks would have died permanently." Serin looked at the crowd. "You are the last of your kind. If your numbers do not grow, your peoples will cease to exist. The safeties we have put in place are not for your protection, but that of your species."

Serin looked at the crowd. "Currently I am the only one capable of safely casting the Bring to Life spell to recover these bodies. And we have only one dedicated recovery team, which I am on. I cannot be at both places at once. So until these bodies are brought back and I have recovered, The dungeon is shut down."

The crowd looked saddened but they understood. Serin then looked at the crowd. "The items recovered from this team, after the 20% payment to the town, are still theirs. Despite their folly, I will not steal from them. It is not our way." Serin could see the wheels turning in some of the greedier changelings.

"However," Serin looked at Elder Merrin, "Elder Merrin, What is the estimated credit loss the town will incur while the mine is not operational? Include the paid wages for the guards please."

Elder Merrin already knew these numbers. "The estimated credit loss from admittance and wages paid out to guard will be 2,520 credits per day."

Serin then looked at Jericho, "Jericho, roughly how much mana is used to cast Bring to Life?"

Jericho shook his head, "Estimates are roughly 25,000 mana for each casting. But those are based on the experience of the caster."

Serin looked at the council. "I am a firm believer in helping every citizen. And had this team had this occur on a level they were approved for, there would be no incurred cost. However, due to their willful neglect of the rules established, the town will be levying a charge against them. For this team, they have paid back the town 20,000 credits in lost income from the dungeon being closed, pay the recovery team 5,000 per member, and paid the the total loss of mana of 100,000 to be issued as a quest at the local adventurer's guild. Until this cost is paid, no member of this team is permitted to enter the dungeon."

The crowd was speechless. Serin continued. "Just as I do not seize the fruits of their ill-gotten labor, there is no way that i would think it fair to send a rescue team of specialists without compensating the loss of time, effort, and energy."

The representatives nodded their agreement. Serin then continued, "I am also not a fool. This group showed their ability to fight well until they hit level 7. So in recognition of their ability, when they have earned the right to enter the mine again, they will be permitted to Level 5."

Serin then looked. "For everyone else, I will be establishing a new position, which is dungeon guide. Every team that wishes to delve farther than level one will be assigned a dungeon guide. This person's responsibility will be to evaluate the team's performance, and issue out individual permissions for lower levels. During the time in which I am unconscious from bringing these fools back to life, I will leave it to the representatives to develop a list of Dungeon Guide candidates. When I awake, an expedition will be set to go down as far as safely possible. This will have to wait until I am able to accompany the trip because I am the only one who can create an escape [gate] and not die from the mana expenditure."

***

Serin knew that since it was a 'team decision' to break the rules, he imposed the penalty on the team. So the fee and the quest was assigned to the entire group. On the upside, Serin found out that he could purchase a rare power stone for 100,000 mana as a quest reward, so that is what he would spend it on. He had wanted to see what would happen if he upgraded his 'timeless body' perk.

Serin also instructed the representatives to do a status check of everyone in the protectorate. If anyone was close to 300 intelligence, they would be pulled aside and enter into a training regime with Allister and Rachel. Serin had to assume that the pitfall of high intelligence hurt other races as well.

Serin discussed a business dealing with the tamers. He would hand over the entire brood of wooly babes, in return he requested 10% of profits from them donated to the town, and 10% of raw materials sent to his home. The tamers took it as a fair deal. Additionally, Serin added the gold-dust mushrooms to his personal gardens. They seemed to thrive in the cool and moist environment, and Serin had yet to fill that area with goods.

After requesting assistance from Liza and Rufala to regenerate the bodies of the fallen, Serin prepared himself to spend the next week unconscious.

***