Warm Elixirs Ch. 00

Prologue

Gods, magic, monsters. They are not only challenges for would-be heroes, but also a source of problems for common folk.

At first, communities were completely destroyed when a violent creature grew hungry, or some bandit--of any Kin--decided that they wanted to be royalty. As a natural response, those with a good or brave heart rose to oppose them; they would come to be known as adventurers. If they managed to defeat a cataclysmic threat, they would sincerely receive the title of "hero" or "savior".

However, not many reach those heights. Some can only deal with base monsters, and others, despite what innate abilities they may have, are simply too afraid to face the horrors of their world. Similarly, some may wish to be heroes, but find they lack any useful talent for that life. And, of course, that is without counting the many that die searching for glory. Teams are formed to balance weaknesses and abilities, and people of all walks of life come together to try and change their world. No one can do it alone. Well, almost no one.

The truth is that, apart from the heroes, there are those in the background whose role is important for the success of adventurers: shopkeepers. They were the first to notice just how profitable it was to help heroes on their quests to save realms. Shops for potions and magical objects, found or created in-house, have popped up and are one of the most secure investments one can have.

Usually.

The town of Nuovoun was a simple one. Life was lived calmly. It was a mere stepping stone on an adventurer's journey for greater heights. In it, the potioneer Eryn and her partner, the tinkerer Fennel, decided they would open a small shop. They made a decent fortune on healing potions alone; they were doing so well that the pair decided to invest heavily and create an arcane forge for them to develop their own magic items. It all seemed to be going great, until the dungeon appeared.

Dungeons are natural formations. Seen as a punishment from the gods, they are understood as natural disasters. The earth shakes as a structure forms and climbs out of it. They are their own divine ecosystems, a pocket world, so to speak. Of course, adventurers flock to them as they can get glory by defeating the lord of the dungeon, a great beast hiding on the lowest or top floor. Similarly, the gods are not just cruel; they hide riches and powerful relics inside of them. Temptation.

Greed is the downfall of many. On every floor, different challenges await those brave or dumb enough to face the dungeon. Traps are the most basic obstacle; they erode the strength of a party, especially if they cannot disable them. However, arrows, bombs, and oils are not the only way to halt advances. Some have said that as one goes deeper, traps that attack the mind grow more common. As an impossible space, dungeons ignore the typical laws of reality. The environment on each floor can change drastically; adventurers never know if they should prepare for the humidity of the jungle, the frozen wastes of a glacier, or even the blistering heat of the desert.

Of course, those elements can be overcome if one prepares or adapts enough. However, there is a more deadly and almost inescapable challenge: monsters. Yes, the gods do not make exploring a dungeon easy. Great beasts roam the insides of the structure. They all have an innate desire to protect their master. Their sheer variety makes them a variable that one cannot always prepare for. An amorphous creature cannot be dealt with in the same way as a humanoid one, much less in the way that a humongous beast has to be approached. Especially when research into these creatures has been so limited by both Monarchy and Church.

And yet, with all those arguments against them, people of all Kins rush to these deadly edifices. There is an allure to dungeons, to the possibilities they offer, the prospect of life-changing fame and fortune; and that is without taking into account the innermost individual wishes of adventurers...

So, with a beacon of possibility, it is no surprise that when they appear near a town, it is most likely that there will be an economic boom; soon, some small settlements even manage to grow into cities. However, the free market and high demand create a great problem for smaller shop owners: competition. Sadly, a pair of shopkeepers from a small town cannot compete against the monumental economic power of the industry tycoons of the capital. The possibility of bankruptcy rears its ugly head; the stress of no sales close behind it. Faced with such a challenge, Eryn and Fennel's only hope appears to be a change to their business model, something risky but whose allure must be undeniable. A strategy not too dissimilar to the dungeon's, ironically.

Adventurers deal with monsters. Shop owners deal with debts. Is it possible to fight the latter as one does the beasts of a dungeon?

.....

Author's Notes:

Welcome to Warm Elixirs & Other stories! My first big erotic project; I have done a few short stories and fics, but nothing on the scale I am planning for this. I hope you'll stay for the journey.

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to my friends and beta readers, Ai (a nickname, not Artificial Intelligence) and AlnitakTheStellarRain (check her out on AO3) their input was more than invaluable for this story.

Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated!