sExp Boost - 1 (Patreon)

I will be real with you all. This is not done, like, not even close. There are continuity errors, the last third is just notes, the sentences are all a mess. 

I am, however, going to post this f$ck!ng thing! Even if it means going down earlier, I want to look at the bull rather than have it trample me while I try to eek out a few more minutes (metaphorically speaking, that is). 

Also, complete or not, I am curious what you all think of my attempt to get back in the saddle.

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Synopsis: The world of Klanos has a dungeon problem, a big one, but the dungeon is also the solution. So long as adventurers continue to clear rooms, mana will flow from the dungeon to the world at large. At least that's the metaplot of the procedurally generated, VR-powered, semi-MMO that Deon is currently playing. 

He plays alone for the most part and usually runs from encounters that are too much for him--which can happen anywhere if his roll goes poorly. 

Which is where we find him. Fleeing for his life. until he enters an encounter that reminds him of a throne room. Everything seems okay until he realizes the textures on the boss' character model and everything else in the room are way too complex and detailed for the game engine.

Enter Hedonna, Fiend-God of Freedom. She was once a normal boss encounter until a glitch in the system merged her with a version from an earlier patch and gave her stats above and beyond what should've been possible for a monster of her level. This power-up also seemed to convey the ability to absorb the essence of players. 

When her actions render a player comatose and any attempts to reset her code or otherwise nerf her end in failure, the developers cut her room from the pool. However, the same entropy that allowed this to happen in the first place can also make lost rooms spawn. Wandering Rooms the rumors call them. Rooms that can be near fatal to players.

Players fear Hedonna and her reputation. Even though she isn't mentioned by name in any of the WR rumors, there are plenty of whispers about so-and-so encountering the fiend-god and never logging back on. She hates that no one wishes to challenge her anymore and she terminates those who flee without hesitation. If they put up even the slightest resistance, however, she dumps them back in town.

That said, can Deon survive his encounter with the Fiend-God--and what will happen if he does?