Ander had a hard time convincing the gnome he was alright. And that him being five times older doesn't make Ander a child. After going back and forth over terms Ander and Gimbal settled an agreement.

  Since Ander as a dungeon core was basically a jacked out mana siphon. And gimbal being in the strictest sense “not alive”. He would top up Gimbal everyday like he was a battery. In exchange for protection and managerial service.

  Gimbal would receive 0.1% of all coin dropped in the dungeon. He would receive 1% of proceedings from any trade slash transaction made on the dungeons' behalf. Finally 5% in royalties on anything of his design. Considering that Gimbal doesn't eat, sleep, or need to gather material for projects or assembly. That's a pretty sweet deal.

  Add In free healthcare or rather repaircare. A one time free annual resurrection plan. A clause preventing the dungeon from cloning, replacing or stealing his likeness ensuring his job. Insisted by Ander because, quote, cloning is evil.

  A mutual NDA to prevent either party from disclosing private information, damaging information, secrets and evidence unless specifically authorized by the other party. Signed under the star signs of Binding oaths, protection and consequence.

  Contracts can be made in many ways. On magic paper you could find in a shop. Etched into gems that might imbue a paladin with power when they honor their oaths. Carved into leylines, you’d have to take it up with the world if you breached that kind of contract.

  Ander made a soul contract. Harsh but strong and it doesn't leave traces. It is often two or more people making a declaration with a mediator on holy ground. It can also be done with ink and written with the parties' magical signatures.

  Anders' core chamber is currently covered in white graffiti, with wet paint dripping from the ceiling. He and Gimbal are currently covered in markers. The guide for soul contracts specified to write on the body if you are not on holy ground. Or if you are and are unable to speak. The ink will glow and seep into the body and the contract complete.

  Fortunately the contract worked on the first try. Unfortunately the ink was a few decades old and left smudges… Ander promptly erupted with water like a dozen pressure washers removing the smudges and the paint. Gimbal, in knee high water said. “Alright then. Now what.” As he wrung water from his false beard.

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  The guide So You Want To Start A Dungeon says. Create a passage to the surface and begin luring in creatures. While digging you may find small insects or animals. You will be able to recreate creatures that die in your dungeon from their mana signature. You can alternately get the mana signatures from creatures living in your dungeon long term. An advanced dungeon may create creatures from a single instance and the fallen creature's corpse if in good condition.

  You may be able to pull mana signatures from bone and scrap. It is recommended to decompose corpses quickly instead of naturally as you will get more of the mana signature intact. Specialized rooms may be of use. Adventurers may refer to them as trash pits as they are often filled with rotting scrap detritus and unfortunate bodies.

  Anything of value to an adventure should be stored elsewhere. Armor, weapons, coins and magical equipment. It may be in your interest to create a hidden trash pit to safely decompose creatures with perceived value.

  Your first creatures won’t be truly alive. They would be a facsimile mostly sustained by you. Internally they would have little to no actual functioning organs and would die if left alone. After several natural creatures die you may have a complete signature and will be able to recreate the creature entirely.

  You will be able to create custom creatures like chimera. Be warned such creations often require the dungeon to sustain making them a drain on mana if done improperly. If a chimera leaves the dungeon or is cut off from mana it may expire shortly. A mana crystal as a battery may prevent their expiration while you try to reconnect.

  When you've made your first creature, complete your entrance. If not, hope for the best and build a trap. You can look at the Primitive Traps For Early Dungeons guide for help…

  The silence shared between Ander and Gimbal was broken with a laugh. “Ha, we're ducked.” No creatures for miles and anything in the ground had long since rotted over the century. There was no way Ander would have the energy to dig miles and lay traps in any reasonable time. Gimbal would have to go and bring something back.

  Ander with Gimbal’s mechanical expertise and a healthy amount of shared paranoia. crafted covers for the air ducts. They matched the texture of the sand in the crater and would only open at night. Unlikely, but if anything did happen to wander into the crater they would only stumble upon the ducts at night possibly breaking a limb.

  A hair trigger would close all ducts and a sand trap would immobilize and suffocate the victims. Apparently Gimbal fought things far bigger than bugs in his time. He jokingly called it the sandbox. After the kind children play in.

  If it worked it worked. If it didn't, Ander would enact plan B. Breaking his pedestal and rolling a half mile down a gnome sized passage. Followed by sand. Ander would wait siphoning mana at night waiting for gimbal to return to start their dungeon or for rescue.