Chapter 12

Carl and his party arrive at the Princess Posse base camp to find it bustling with construction and preparation for the upcoming war. The camp is heavily fortified with hundreds of workers building walls, towers, and defenses, while the new saferoom rules create strategic complications for the guild. The chapter ends with an unexpected escape: Tina, the giant allosaurus in a pink tutu, has broken out of containment.

Carl, Donut, Tipid, and Florin exit into the base camp while Imani trains with Mistress Tiatha. The landscape is chaotic with construction—workers are building protective structures around the bait shop saferoom, testing fortified walls with fireballs, erecting watchtowers, and digging trenches. Hundreds of diverse creatures and humanoids are at work. Penn, a level 62 Fortification Engineer, enthusiastically greets Carl with a crushing hug, and the gathered crowd begins a rhythmic war chant that swells to thousands, shaking the ground with their collective voice before returning to work. Florin demonstrates his summoned giant caiman card helping with construction. Tipid explains the new saferoom rules: a blood bar system will prevent hiding during combat, mercenaries cannot remain inside guildhalls during the final two phases (except nine staff members), and only active crawlers retain some saferoom access. The other teams have built their own strongholds, with the naga and Operatics teams most vulnerable to the new restrictions. Carl decides the naga team should be their first target. As they approach the large metal door to the stronghold, Mongo makes strange noises; when Carl and Tipid open the massive cumbersome door (which bears enchantments for battering resistance, force reflection, and heat absorption), it suddenly flies open and Tina—a giant allosaurus wearing a pink tutu—escapes into the clearing, hopping and waving her wand while Mongo hops excitedly to greet her.