" So as you know, our job is to map, study, and explore the older tunnels under Linava," Seamus said as he pointed at the large chalk map of the tunnels behind him." Lots of monsters lurk in those tunnels. We don't quite know how they all survive down there. Some of the scientist upstairs say that the monsters feed off of the Mana leaking out the pipes. I say they just eat each other. Who really knows."
" I was apart of some of those discussions. We did end up hypothesizing that they indeed do live off the Mana," Aleister interrupted as Seamus was about to begin the next part of his speech.
"All well in good. It doesn't really matter how they survive. As long as we stay alive down there," Seamus replied as he frowned slightly at being interrupted. " That brings me to my next subject. I'll assume neither of you have ever fought any of these creatures?"
Aleister shook his head.
"Actually last week I had to face off against an earth elemental. Though I didn't really fight it, I mostly ran away." Morgan answered.
"Well down in the tunnels you can't always run back to safety. Later today, I'll have each of you pick up some equipment that will help. Until then while we are down there try to stay behind me. After all I'm the Combat Specialist," Seamus said
Morgan and Aleister simply nodded and after explaining that their team would be going into the tunnels tomorrow. Seamus handed each of them a list of things to gather for the upcoming job. Morgan read his list and was confused on why he would need a few of the things on the list but didn't question it. Aleister simply placed the list in his notebook after looking it over. After describing a few of the monsters they might run into Seamus told them to go gather their gear and they would meet back in the department the next day.
"Have a good night guys and try and be here early tomorrow. I want you each to study the map. We will be going into section seven tomorrow. Morgan be ready to repair a few pipes," Seamus said as they opened the doors to leave.
Morgan and Aleister looked at each other grimly as they walked out of the door of the Exploration Department. Both were headed to a store outside of the Gnomish Piping Company to get their supplies.
" I hope we don't die down there," Aleister said as they walked into the streets of Linava.
"Me too. I just wish they would have just let me stay in the Engineering Department," Morgan replied.
The city streets were bustling with people. Many of the different races of Koruo lived in the city of Linava. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Halfings, and many other different races traversed the city streets. The city was known for its diversity. Many people from different lands would come to Linava to start new lives in the accepting country of Valoria. Though Valoria was an accepting nation, the lords of Valoria demanded many of the secret technological advancements coming out of Linava to be kept secret. Once a person lived in Linava it was hard to leave. Though few ever wanted to leave.
" What do they even need an Alchemist for anyway?" Aleister asked as Morgan opened the door to the store for him.
"I don't know. Maybe your there to research how the subsystems work. I know I'm there to replace and repair piping to them," Morgan replied.
After spending about an hour in the shop, the two left with heavy backpacks on their backs. Both had barely managed to squeeze all the equipment they had bought into the bags.
"I hope the company is reimbursing us for all this stuff. I just spent my whole paycheck from last week," Morgan complained as he had to waddle down the street with the heavy pack.
"I don't know, but I live in the Gnomish quarter, I'll see you tomorrow," Aleister said as he turned down Tinkerer's Lane heading home.
Morgan waved a good bye and carried on heading to the lower quarter. He disliked living in the lower quarter, but it was the only quarter he could afford to live in. Besides that, his family lived nearby so he preferred to stay close to them incase something happened. As Morgan climbed the stairs leading to his small apartment, he nearly fell down the stairs as his pack caught him off balance. With a sigh of relief he made it into his apartment and set the pack on the floor.
It was barely sundown when he finished cooking a pot of rice and a nice little piece of roasted chicken for himself. He enjoyed the meal, realizing it might be the last good one before he had to go in the tunnels and live off dried meat and stale bread.
After his meal he sat down in his desk and began working on some of his schematics. Morgan had been working on a secret project at home for a long time. He dreamed of designing a vehicle that would revolutionize travel throughout Koruo. Using the designs from the hot air balloons that transported travelers and merchants to the city of Linava from the ground below the floating city, Morgan had designed a ship similar in design. Not unlike the ship's that float on the water, his would float in the air using a large balloon to keep itself in the air. He had already finished his designs on converting a normal ship to his specifications. All he needed was a way to propel the ship forward instead of relying on wind currents.
Morgan sighed as he stared at the schematic for the engine. He had yet to figure out how to properly harness the Mana engine he had designed, as well as keep it stable. Morgan had spent years researching various magical runic symbols searching for his magical answer. After a few hours of pouring over multiple runic magic textbooks, he gave up for the night and went to bed.
That night, Aleister eyed his special flask's he had in the little box sitting on his table. Each was specifically labeled. He had been experimenting with mutagens. Highly unstable, he had concocted the elixirs for enhancing worker performance in the company. Some of them could also give the drinker resistances to extreme conditions. He hadn't told any of his lab partners what he had made. He feared they were still too unstable to release to the company. After accidentally killing a test subject with a bad batch he shelved the project. He wondered if the company already knew of his experiments and sent him to the Exploration Department to test them. After all he had developed them specifically in mind to further the Exploration Department's goal.
Aleister shook his head, clearing his paranoid thoughts from his mind and began going over his equipment. He had a miniature lab packed in his backpack. Along with the various beakers and test kits, he had bought essential survival tools and a few odd items, such as a small crossbow. He had found room for a few of his inventions and packed them as well. He assumed they might come in handy. It was getting late and he was sure tomorrow would be challenging. He went to bed but the thoughts of his experimental mutagens kept him up for a while longer.
As the two slept peacefully in there beds, a Halfling by the name of Newt Wolfgang began his own experiment. The Halfling had until recently worked for the Gnomish Piping Company. After they shut his experiments down, labeling them too extreme and hazardous, Newt quit his job and setup his own laboratory. He disliked working in his subterranean lab. The smell of the sewers disgusted him, the tunnels below the city were dark, cold and most of all the chilling sounds of the creatures that inhabited said tunnels terrified him.
Newt had found a large sized room in the deeper tunnels below Linava after searching for a place to continue his experiments in secret. It had taken him months to gather all the necessary equipment for his work. Luckily he had found a secret passage that allowed him easy access to his laboratory, this keeping him safe from the monsters lurking in the dark. He had created a few autonomous clockwork guards to stand guard for him incase he was discovered, by either the monsters or someone from the Exploration Department.
Newt Wolfgang despised the Gnomish Piping Company for shutting him down. He cursed his lab partners names as he checked that the Mana vats were at optimal levels. He thought back to his days in the laboratory when he was berated for his experiments.
"What's the point of trying to control the elementals. They're beings of chaos. They're uncontrollably, They said. We shall see who was the fool when I control the tunnels below Linava!" He shouted to himself as he inserted a electric blue orb into the Elemental Containment unit.
His invention, The Elemental Containment unit, was designed like a suit of armor. The core of an elemental was placed inside the helmet. After he ran Mana through the limbs and body, the elemental core would awaken and he could control it using the runes he had devised after years of study.
"Everything I have ever worked for has been leading to this moment. I, Newt Wolfgang will be master of the elementals. Once I have control of the tunnels. I will be in control of Linava." Newt stated as his hand reached for a lever attached to the Mana vats.
Newt Wolfgang pulled the lever and watched as the Mana began flowing through the hoses to his Elemental Containment unit. Flowing with arcane power, the Mana entered the suit from the various ports along the suits body. Newt gleefully let out a laugh as he watched his invention fill with Mana. As the Mana reached the helmet of the suit, sparks ran along the suit.
"Yes! The Mana is being converted into electrical energy as I hypothesized!" Newt exclaimed.
The suit began glowing with energy safely contained inside the suit. Newt had used the core of an air elemental for his test. He thought it most suitable for his designs.
A pair of glowing electric blue eyes made entirely out of plasma appeared in the helmet visor.
"I've done it!" Newt exclaimed with a slight jump as he reached for the command rune on his table.
The command rune was etched on a steel plate, with this Newt could speak to the rune and give orders to the elemental inside his containment device.
"I am Newt Wolfgang, your master. You will obey me. Now let us begin," Newt said has he grasped the steel plate.
The elemental inside the containment unit bent the a knee of the suit and bowed to Newt.
Newt let a smile spread across his face and began laughing maniacally.