Fufufu~ this reminds me of the Dungeon role play game we had here on NUF. I never played the second version, but in the first version, we (the Dungeon masters) were able to gain DP (good old dungeon points) from not only killing the assailants, but keeping them there as well. It was turn based, so basically after every certain turn, a small percentage of DP would be accumulated based on the amount of Mana the player had. Of course, non magic users were a pain to deal with. You used your points to purchase each unit or save up to buy the spawners and get unlimited versions of those monsters. Rather than having a crystal or core, the whole Tower was the Dungeon, and each of us controlled a portion. Thus, the actual dungeon was the core that bestowed upon us our powers. So if we want a rule laden Dungeon story, it would make more sense for the Dungeons to all fall under a certain creator or ruler. Such as the Earth being the one giving us this chance. Or a God of Dungeons. But that is boring. I like the concept of a different realm better. Our own little slice of paradise
I like the concept of the place, but I'm not sure how cohesive the unifying theme is. You mentioned both Labyrinth and Atrophy as the theme, but I feel like it could be summarized better. Perhaps it should be call the Stamina Dungeon. With Stamina as its magical theme it will test the endurance of its challengers both physically and mentally. Its Master is a Vampire a never tiring undead that could endure prolonged fights and trials. The Phoenix as well is a creature that regenerates health, therefore it fits with the prolonging theme. The rewards of such a place for those rare few survivors would probably have the effects of strengthening constitution and physique.
I was thinking since I created a Fire theme dungeon in the first post, I might as well create an Ice one as well. Theme: Ice Dungeon Master: Has dominion over ice and low temperatures Dungeon Master Unique Skill: Ice Age (can freeze anything within a certain radius) Location: Blue Lagoon, Iceland (a famous tourist spot in one of the Northern countries) Ambient: Forests and Glaciers Major Boss: Snow Queen Minor Bosses: Kuraokami (Snow Dragon), Jack Frost, and Skadi (Ice Giant) Common Monsters: Yuki Onna, snow wolves, yeti, wendigo, and snow bunnies Traps: Blizzards, thin ice sheets, and heavy hail If I was the Fire Dungeon Master, I would probably seek out the Ice Dungeon and try to conquer it. That way I would have control over both hot and cold.