History PlayingWith / DugTooDeep

** The dwarves dig too deep... [[Webcomic/{{XKCD}} and then can’t get out of the hole they dug themselves into.]]

* '''Exploited''': The dwarves, overrun by orcs, deliberately dig randomly into the earth, figuring they’ll eventually unleash SOMETHING that will kill everything in the surrounding area.

** The Balor digs out the rock to get at the dwarves, rather than the other way round.

Back to DugTooDeep. [[TvTropesWillRuinYourLife Just don’t go too far…]]

** An organization of fantasy EcoTerrorists finds or creates unspeakable horrors and hides them under rich veins or valuable ores and minerals to prevent ecological damage from mining.

* '''Straight''': [[Literature/LordOfTheRings A dwarven mining operation unleashes the]] [[CaptainErsatz Dalor]].

** The dwarves dig too deep… [[Webcomic/{{XKCD}} and then can’t get out of the hole they dug themselves into.]]

** Dwarves - as a race -[[ReligionOfEvil worship the evil gods]], and they deliberately trying to dig them up

** The dwarves started deep underground, and it's when the breach the surface world that everything goes horribly wrong.

* '''Straight''': [[Literature/LordOfTheRings A dwarven mining operation unleashes the]] [[CaptainErsatz Balor]].

** The dwarves somehow manager to relase an ancient evil…[[EpicFail from a sandpit. Not even a DEEP sandpit.]]
* '''Zig Zagged''': While legends speak of an ancient burning evil unleashed by the dwaves in their mines, it turns out it’s not an actual demon, but “merely” the destructive force that is magma. Then it turns out the [[MagmaMan ‘magama’ is animate,]] but is [[HolyIsNotSafe good-natured… If destructive.]] It also turns out the dwarves were [[TheCorruption corrupted into murderous madness by their greed, ]] and they were burnt to a crisp when they refused to repent… but even then, they weren’t acting [[ValuesDissonance THAT evil by their own standards.]]

* '''Straight''': [[Literature/LordOfTheRings A dwarven mining operation unleashes the]] [[CaptainErsatz Balorg]].

* '''Straight''': [[Literature/LordOfTheRings A dwarven mining operation unleashes the]] [[CaptainErsatz Balor]]

'''Basic Trope''': A mining operation unleashes SealedEvilInACan
* '''Straight''': [[Literature/LordOfTheRings A dwarves mining operation unleashes the]] [[CaptainErsatz Balor]]

** They hear dark whispers underground, and dig up a seeming evil temple… but it’s long abandoned and untimely harmless. The dwarves shrug and go about their business.

** The dwarves somehow manager to relase an anchient evil…[[EpicFail from a sandpit. Not even a DEEP sandpit.]]

* '''Enforced''': Its part of an Aesop about greed and [[GreenAesop ecology]]

* '''Implied''': The fortress is empty and scorch-marked, and the last records of the dig-site mentions uncovering a strange blood-soaked ore…
* '''Deconstructed''': All mining operations worldwide stop, in terror of unleashing ancient evils. The remaining metals in the world become hideously expensive, due to supply being cut.

** They accidentally open Pandora’s box, and [[SealedArmyInACan unleash the thousand and one demons inside.]]

'''DugTooDeep''': A mining operation unleashes SealedEvilInACan
* '''Straight''': [[LordOfTheRings A dwarves mining operation unleashes the]] [[CaptainErsatz Balor]]
* '''Exaggerated''': Every time dwarves try to mine something, they unleash a horrendous evil.
** They accidently open Pandora’s box, and [[SealedArmyInACan unleash the thousand and one demons inside.]]
* '''Downplayed''': The demon is in a weakened state, and wasn’t buried that deep anyway.
* '''Justified''': Mirthril was the only thing that could contain the balor… and as it’s a valuable metal, the dwarves couldn’t resist digging it up.
* '''Inverted''': Dug too shallow: The dwarves thought they were safe inside their mountain fortresses, but if they had just dug a little deeper they would be safe from [[LightIsNotGood Krull, the Muder Sun. ]]

* '''Subverted''': They hear dark whispers unegorund, and dig up a seeming evil temple… but it’s long abandoned and untimely harmless. The dwarves shrug and go about their business.

* '''Double Subverted''': It’s a double bluff: the demons are sealed into the rock AROUND the temple.

* '''Parodied''': The dwarves dig too deep… {{{XKCD and then can’t get out of the hole they dug themselves into.}}}

* '''Invoked''': A group of cultists deliberately digs too deep, in order to release their dark masters.
** The lord of evil buried one of his trusted lieutenants in the ground, in [[TheLongGame order to set up an ambush on the dwarven fortress that would dig there thousands of years in the future.]]
* '''Exploited''': The dwarves, overrun by orcs, deliberately dig randomly into the earth, figuring they’ll eventually unleash SOMETHING that will kill everything in the surrounding area.
* '''Defied''': “Nothing but rock in these lands, lad. Demons an’t nothing but fairy tales.”
** “Don’t dig too far into these lands. Might awaken something that should stay asleep.”
* '''Discussed''': “Many an ancient evil has been unleashed by digging in just the wrong direction. I theories they call the miners to their own destruction, rather than just waiting for the hapless one who’ll chip them out.

* '''Deconstructed''': All mining operations worldwide stop, in terror of unleashing ancient evils. The reamaining metals in the world become hideously expensive, due to supply being cut.

* '''Played For Drama''': Boris the dwarf survived digging too deep, and has major SurvivorsGuilt from unleashing such monsters due purely to his own greed and stubborness.

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'''DugTooDeep’'': A mining operation unleashes SealedEvilInACan

* '''Straight''': [[LordOfTheRings A dwarves mining operation unleashes the]] {{{Expy Balor}}}

* '''Inverted''': Dug too shallow: The dwarves thought they were safe inside their mountain fortresses, but if they had just dug a little deeper they would be safe from [[LightIsNotGood krull, the muder sun. ]]
** They find [[SealedGoodInACan a sealed angel instead, who blesses them with prosperity for their diligence. ]]

* '''Straight''': [[LordOfTheRings A dwarves mining operation unleashes the]] [[Expy Balor]]

* '''Parodied''': The dwarves dig too deep… [[XKCD and then can’t get out of the hole they dug themselves into.]]

** The dwarves somehow manager to relase an anchient evil…[[Epicfail from a sandpit. Not even a DEEP sandpit.]]