Chapter Three-Hundred Thirty-Six

As much fun as I have designing deathtraps, I think the actual security measures will be pretty simple.  Convoluted puzzles, tight timers, and the like are fun, but at the end of the day, a door that only unlocks from the inside is still one of the most secure places out there.  The only real problem with a panic room is getting there when the panic hits.

I think it’ll be a lot easier for me, though.  I don’t need to go running down the halls and slip through the secret compartment in the closet.  In fact, I’m not supposed to even be able to run down any halls, and I wouldn’t fit inside most closets.  So how do I plan to be able to retreat to safety?

Well, it’ll start with my public Sanctum.  I feel a little bad about the underground cathedral the ratkin are working on in their enclave, but I bet they’ll be more than happy to turn their attention to the Sanctum once it’s open.  My plan is to keep it pretty simple, though Coda is still pretty into gothic architecture.  He’s less into gargoyles and flying buttresses aren’t really a thing underground, but the wide open areas are still doable with the same principles.

I just need to figure out what to do with displaying my core.  I could potentially put it in the ceiling, but I don’t really want to make people have to look up to see it.  It feels kinda pompous like that.  Some kind of raised dais to display it also rubs me the wrong way.  I could just be set into the wall, but then I worry about security.  I’m pretty sure nobody can really do much to my core, but someone might be able to sneak in an invader to try to weaken me like that.  I think it’s a longshot, but with the Earl around, I should probably try to design away any weakness like that.

Which is why I think I’ll be in the floor.  Not just resting in a little divot, but rather make the entire floor transparent, with my core safely beneath.  My dwellers will probably decorate the core chamber with all sorts of fancy carvings and whatnot, too.  They don’t need to, but there’s not much point in trying to pretend they won’t.  Then it just needs a nice secure entrance up into the cathedral space, and the entire thing should count as a Sanctum.

But what about that panic room I was designing?  Well, the observation room isn’t the panic room.  No, I’ll have Coda and Jello work together to make a switch that will allow my core to drop into a tunnel or shortcut and roll to the Secret Sanctum.  I might need to try to keep a scion in the secret area, or maybe a denizen or something, but I think I’ll be able to get the best of both worlds like this.  I’ll get the boosted mana income from a public Sanctum, while still being able to retreat to a Secret one in case of emergency.

Of course, all of that is easier said than done.  My core is still steadily growing in volume, even if it doesn’t show much with the diameter.  Any planned escape hatch and tunnel will need to keep up with that.  Mathematically, the radius is already stabilizing, with even an inch of growth resulting in a lot more volume.  Still, it makes me wonder if I can make the structure denser somehow.  I’ve been pretty reluctant to mess with it, but I might need to if I don’t want to outgrow even this new planned Sanctum.

The other major hurdle is in making the floor.  Glass would be my natural choice, but security makes me pause.  I don’t know if anyone can even make glass thick enough that can still be easily seen through.  I know tempered glass is a thing, but I don’t know if it involves more than just careful heating, or if it needs special materials.  Magic can surely help a lot with that, but glass isn’t very good at taking enchantments.

Crystals, however, are great for enchanting.  Thing and Queen are already eagerly working on expanding the little crystal growing experiments they were playing with to make Slash’s Axe.  I know glass is harder than quartz, but I have no idea how strong or durable quartz is.  But if they can grow nice clear quartz, and enchant it to be durable and strong, we’ll have our see-through floor that will make the whole Sanctum look cool enough for people to possibly want to come visit.

And keep things secure enough that those visitors will stay polite.  Coda’s working on the adjustments to the plans for the two Sanctums, as well as the expanded labs for the nerd squad.  We’re even going to work on a secret lab for Poppy, too, though I think we’ll need to get the Southwoods’ Stag to help with the development.  I don’t think anyone here has even tried to make lamps that mimic sunlight, but with the Stag’s light affinity to go off of, I think Thing and Queen can manage something. In the meanwhile, she can use her affinity to keep any secret plants healthy.

Coda is also getting a nice little lab for his engineering projects, and even Jello expressed interest in a little secret workshop for her own experiments that maybe the delvers shouldn’t be aware of.  I’m pretty sure she wants to be able to surprise people with a gift or something, but there’s also certain projects that should stay in house, without anyone snooping.  The composite armor is a great example.  While I’d love to be able to make everyone safer, my dwellers and my friends will be the safest if the details of its construction are carefully guarded.  Similar with the bows, though the cat’s pretty much out of that particular bag.

Still, with the Earl snooping around, I’d rather take things slowly and carefully.  He seems exactly the type to use even armor to nefarious ends.  And speaking of the Earl and his plans: they’re not going well.  The Earl’s plans, that is.  Our plans to hinder him seem to be going pretty well.

While he has a lot of strong delvers with him, he’s having a hard time recruiting here.  Karn has been pretty aggressive in recruiting any serious delvers he can find, and with his friendly attitude and business acumen, he’s practically captured the market on recruiting delvers.  He’s even started recruiting the casual delvers as reserve members, only further reinforcing the idea that, if you want to delve in Fourdock, the Slim Chance guild is the best way to do it.

Honestly, I’m wondering when he’ll start poaching people from the Calm Seas, the Earl’s guild.  I bet he wants to get a few spy groups into Karn’s guild, but I’d also bet there’s at least a few groups who wouldn’t mind a legitimate transfer.  If anyone can sort the poison from the sugar, it’s Karn.  It does make me wonder about the shady contact the Earl made with the Thieves Guild.  After thinking it over, there’s only a couple things he could want from them.

Information is an easy one.  Even with the Dungeoneers, there’s probably questions he’ll have that they can’t or won’t answer, but a shady information broker would be happy to… for a price.  He might also be trying to get some muscle that isn’t attached to him.  If members of his guild start causing trouble, it’s easy to blame him.  But if the local criminals start a ruckus, he not only throws a wrench into my machinery, but could even try to argue that Rezlar isn’t doing his duties to keep the streets safe.

Hmm… come to think of it, if he is trying to be subtle with twisting peoples’ arms, he’ll probably try to do it where he thinks I can’t see.  I’ve made it pretty clear I’m watching him and his while they’re in my territory.  I could try to pull back and be subtle about it on the home front, but that’d probably be a mistake.  I’ll let him think I’m not subtle with my spying while the foxes keep an eye on his activities outside.

I poke Teemo to go check with Zorro.  If I was going to try to lean on people where I don’t think I’d be seen, I’d do it at their homes.  I don’t know how established the fox network is, but we should try to keep one outside of the houses of the casual and crafter delvers.  Actual adventurers probably wouldn’t be intimidated by most criminals, but the civilians easily could be.

I don’t want to see anyone having to take irrefusable offers.  And if they do try to lean on the civilian delvers, I have my ways of showing my displeasure.  I won’t be putting any horse heads in people’s beds, but Poe planting himself and every last raven I have on top of their secret HQ would send a pretty clear message, too.