Private Story Quest Isulus Meet the Clean-Up Crew!

[Rael]

.

"Excuse me, ma'am, I was wondering if you would be able to tell me more of the events that unfolded here..."

Rael trailed after a woman taller than herself, her scholarly exterior prompting question after question from the pink-haired elf who followed with a journal at the ready for note-taking. The woman in question, an alchemist from the MIT, had initially rolled her eyes at the unwelcome interruption of her tasks, but no sooner had it occurred to her an idea to seize the opportunity at hand did she suddenly shift her tone.

"Why, yes. I'd be delighted to share, but reparations are still underway and there is much yet to do... What example would I be giving the others if I abandoned my post for some idle chit-chat?"

"I can help! Please, it would be no trouble at all!" Rael answered all too quickly, advancing a step into the alchemist's personal bubble, who hadn't the forethought to consider just how easy it'd be to involve any of the Starcalled into anything that loosely resembled a sidequest.

"Very well. Now, if you would follow me..."

---

Rael stood over broken shards of glass, mouth slightly agape as she held her grimoire closer to her chest, unable to tear her eyes away from the view that were the remnants of Camp Nisus's base of operations, reduced to little else but the destruction left in the wake of tedious amounts of research and experimentation.

The stench of alchemical infusions lingered in the air, a near-stifling mixture of slime-based medicine and unused magical components left to rot. She advanced a step, discovering all too soon with a little squelch that even some stains on the ground hadn't completely dried up.

She stared up at the alchemist, expression contorted into something that spoke for itself.

"Well, what is it? This is why you are here, correct? To help? You had even said it would be no trouble at all."

"A-Ah, yes! O-Of course! But thi-..."

"Excellent!" It was the Alchemist's turn now to invade Rael's space, plucking the grimoire from her hands and replacing it with a broom in its stead. "Oh, all of you adventurer types are so dependable. I will leave this place in your capable hands, alright? I'm counting on you!"

And so was she left to her own devices, too dumbfounded to protest, along with others who had also been similarly dragged into this mess, every Lander within sight almost all too eager to push the particularly daunting endeavor of restoring the interior of the Mushroom House onto someone else.

"So... So what do we do now?"

Spoiler: Mechanics

There is much work to be done...

In the wake of the MIT's success to create an effective cure for the Red Fever's effects, much of the mushroom's interior has fallen into a state of utter disarray and decay as leftover alchemical components, tools, and all manners of chaos (is that blood?) seem to permeate the space. If the mushroom house is to become an operational base of operations, it is in serious need of reorganization and redecoration.

Choose an Action:

• Clean Around!: Go on a cleaning frenzy! Sure, it may not be as exciting as picking fights with monsters, but not everyone is a savage. Make a Mastery or Expertise Check of your choice, and add it to the total [ Progress ] count as your efforts help to make the Mushroom House look more presentable.
  
  
• Reorganize!: Perhaps you aren't much of a cleaning freak yourself, or you don't have the eye for aesthetics that your peers possess. So, what is it that you have? That's right: Bulging muscles ready to carry furniture around! Coordinate with your fellows to move stuff around as is needed. The next person to roll after your post gets a +30 to their roll.
  
  
• Take a Break!: That's enough work for now. Who was it that brought the sandwiches? Not everything has to be work... Everyone in the group must agree to take this action. You can't make any [ Progress ] or [ Appearance ] Rolls for a round, as you sit down with your friends to relax. Afterwards, everyone receives a +20 bonus to their roll for the next two rounds.
  
  
• Redecorate!: That painting would look better over here... Maybe we could put some flowers over here... Make a Quality Check and add it to the total [ Appearance ] count as you spend your time making the Mushroom House cozier.
  
  Depending on your results, the following happens...
  • 1) Terrible (Nat 1):
    
    Oh, wow, that is... That is... You know what, I wish I could say you tried, but we both know that isn't true.​
    Reduce [ Appearance ] by 100.​
  • 2) Poor (2-44):
    
    Listen to me. I know they aren't paying you much. Maybe they aren't paying you at all, but I need you to try.​
    The next person to roll after your post takes a -10 penalty to their roll.​
  • 3) Average (45-74):
    
    I... guess it could be worse. Here, have a pat on the back and go try again.​
    The next person to roll after your post gets a +10 bonus to their roll.​
  • 4) Great (75-99):
    
    Now we're talking, keep it up! Know that your work won't go unnoticed!
    Increase [ Progress ] by 50.​
  • 5) Spectacular (100+):
    
    Word of your work has started (at long last) to spread beyond these walls... No, not your work... Your art!
    The next person to roll after your posts can roll their dice twice instead of once.​
  • 6) Legendary (Nat 100):
    
    If you haven't reconsidered life as an adventurer, this is your sign to retire! Why risk your life when you could kickstart your career as a medieval home decorator?!
    You may give up to two people of your choice (including yourself) advantage on their next rolls, as well as a +20 bonus.​

Progress:
000 / 999
Appearance:
000 / ???​

 

[Lune]

"The fuck is this mess."

As always. the Adventurers Guild really likes their cryptic-ass quest description. When faced with a clause like "The Mushroom House needs some clean-up", one would of course assume that myconids or slimes are assaulting the place again as Camp Nisus is not fully operational yet.

But instead, they got... this mess. The floor is completely covered by stains that might be blood mixed with puke and unidentified chemical substance. Was MIT making the Red Fever in this god-awful, unsanitary environment?

"It might be faster to nuke this place down and rebuild it. Anybody?"

Moonsong was more of an exterminator than a cleaner, but right now she got no choice but to comply. "@Rael, right? Moonsong." She offered a handshake to the pink-haired girl who seemed familiar. "I'm not a 'cleaning' person to say, so the best I can do is move things around, if you want me to get started on that."

And then the brunette went to work, inspecting the massive Mushroom House for a spot where there's less effort required. Sighing, she lifted a big cupboard that fell in the middle of a room as papers and documents poured out from it.

"They better pay me extra for this."

Rolls

Reorganize!: The next person to roll after your post gets a +30 to their roll.

Progress:
000 / 999
Appearance:
000 / ???

 

[Hyakin Heliodoros]

Hyakin had heard that MIT and the group that was with them had a hard time making the potion that nullified the Red Fever for a while.

He heard it, he was deeply thankful for their hard work. He really was!

Yet, staring at the state of the inside of the mushroom house, he felt a little lightheaded; and not because of the mixed stench of rot and chemicals. Even though those did burn.

Apprehension tried to sink its claw into him. It tried to do with all of the… Very brave souls that accompanied him.

But they did not let it consume them, no, they were eager to work!

...Even if one of the ladies; one that was a brave soul that held fast against the queen (he remembered her shining conviction that tanked a horrifying attack with her tiny body; she inspired him) suggested to nuke the house.

"Ahaha, Brave Lady (@Moonsong ) surely there is no need to go to such lengths… Especially as I doubt anyone here could regrow the house?" He asked, glancing around to see if anyone with the high Nature magic and architecture-oriented trait would step out…

No one of course did.

After a moment longer, as if prompted by the actions of the Brave Lady and then the question of the elf (@Rael )

"Alright!" He hyped himself up and.. Unequipped his armour, leaving him only in the clothes he wore underneath it; the armour could get in the way of cleaning as he discovered before. So now he was dressed in a rather skin-tight black and white outfit.

"My name is Hyakin! 'Tis a pleasure to be working with you all! I shall take care of the large trash and open some windows to air this place out…" And as he said, so he did, walking briskly over to some of the larger furniture that was unable to be used, picking it up and taking it outside.. Then hurrying back and opening windows. All of them.

Rolls

Clean Around!
Expertise Check
1d100 (33) + 20 = 53 +30 from Moonsong = 83
Fitness | Hyakin Heliodoros | 1216C1

Progress:
083 / 999
Appearance:
000 / ???

 

[Rael]

.

Were it not for the others present, she might've as well burst into tears from how intimidating, how insurmountable house cleaning could truly be when done inside a fantasy game. She would've blamed it on the pungent stench lingering in the air and I'm sure she wouldn't have struggled to find others in her same predicament.

But she was in good company.

"I think a nuke is exactly what might have caused this in the first place..." Rael responded, her voice drifting into a quiet the more she spoke, even if giggles rolled off her tongue before long. Accepting the handshake, she circled around the woman in search of her own cleaning supplies, instead coming to stand in front of the other member of the ragtag party. "Moonsong, Hyakin, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Rael!"

With the both of them springing into action at a moment's notice, Rael stood quietly at the center of the house with her broom still in hand, cautiously eyeing the stains on the floor. "I... I think some sanitizing and air fresheners?" They would need more than just open windows to keep themselves alive in this mess the MIT had created. Something she could enchant certain items with to emit a sweet aroma as the other two put them in their rightful place.

"So, uh..." Rael wasn't particularly known for her gift of subtlety. The curiosity in her eyes was too distinctive of a spark not to notice by just looking at her. "I just logged into the game for the first time a few days ago."

"Everyone talks about it but no one really says anything specific about it, so... What was the Red Fever? Do any of you know?"

---

@Hyakin Heliodoros @Moonsong ​

Rolls

Clean Around!
1d100 (96) + 20 = 116
Presence | Rael | 1216C1

Progress:
199 / 999
Appearance:
000 / ???

 

[Lune]

Her intent to just outright destroy the house was extinguished by the other two people with her; the silver-haired man and the pink-haired elf. "Right," She exhaled in defeat, "Let's just do what we can, then."

Hyakin and Rael. She didn't remember the latter, but she remembered the white knight in the Kurungaar Fight. "Pleased to make your acquaintance." The girl bowed to them, before looking around the room for the mess to solve. The stink of whatever was still there but at least now the windows are open thanks to @Hyakin Heliodoros. "Thank you, Hyakin."

Moonsong manifested a bunch of cleaning equipment with her Arcanamancy; a couple of mops and a bucket. "We don't happen to have a hydromancer among us, do we?" Powerwashing the entire place was on her mind, but guess it wasn't possible. Exhaling once again, she went outside as the bucket hovered with her. "I'll get the water from the pond outside." Soon the brunette was back with two floating buckets filled with clean water.

She commanded the mops to clean the floor around while she stood on the edge of the room. This way of cleaning is surprisingly efficient, as Moonsong was able to precisely control the mops remotely. "I think there's a lot of ingredients in that closet, but I'm not well-versed in alchemy. Are you, Rael?" She responded to her suggestion to create sanitizers and air fresheners. Indeed, water is not enough to purge the filth from the floor (and ceiling) of the house.

While waiting for the floor to dry a little bit, she conversed with the @Rael. "You're new," Moonsong commented, "Uh, so both Hyakin and I were actually there. Pretty horrifying stuff." She conjured a stool for herself, sitting down while telling the story. "It was a joint operation between four major factions to investigate Camp Nisus as they lost contact. But when we arrived, some kind of disease was plaguing the place, codenamed 'Red Fever', it caused physical and mental pain by slowly amplifying your emotions." The scary girl paused. "As I was with Adventurers Guild, the technical details were not shared with me. But apparently, an insect queen that wanted to evolve by eating a demon corpse was the source of that?" She turned to Hyakin, who maybe has a better clue than her. "You might get a better insight by asking an MIT member that was there, actually."

Rolls

Expertise Check
1d100 (81) + 40 = 121

Presence | Moonsong | 1216C1

Progress:
320 / 999
Appearance:
000 / ???

 

[Hyakin Heliodoros]

Their trio was focusing on their tasks. "None here Lady @Moonsong!" He replied to the tank that left such lasting impression on him, telling her that he had no hydromancy.

Soon they kept working. Magical mops splashed around, air became cleaner, fresher, nicer scent spread and a talk was made.

Hyakin was leaving with what was actually a trashed cabinet – as in, the wood was eaten through by some ooze, looking like some huge worm gnawed through it. He also stacked some other broken things onto it, so he only heard the question, but could not answer it immediately.

He could barely hear reply as he ran out to put the trash outside for now.

And as he ran back – Moonsong was still replying, as the mops did things on their own. It was truly impressive. He nodded along what the gallant lady said. And it was now his time to speak.

"I was with the Lion Arms and we dealt with the enemies and some really weird predators and stuff. MIT worked on the cure, but the Red Fever… It was something unreal. It not only amplified our emotions many times over but which feeling, which emotion that was consuming us could change on drop of the hat. Truly, a most insidious illness caused by that demonic corpse thing that the boss ate… Which seemed to almost kill it at first ...Before it evolved the bug queen." Hyakin then shook his head and glanced at @Rael once more.

"I imagine some do not enjoy remembering the tide of emotions that seemed to overwhelm them. It was truly very.. Intense. As the Fever progressed, the intensity increased, the scope of it…" Hyakin trailed off, looking lost in his own memories, in remembering those intense feelings, but also remembering the way it wrecked their bodies. His voice was softer now, more serious as he continued. "You could say that we were out of our minds and it was only thanks to the antidote… The thing that stopped the amplification of emotions and damages it caused our bodies, that we could fight the boss at all… That we did not implode on our group. Like our predecessors there. ..And which also explains the state of this place. I'm pretty sure some broke things out of anger. That table I took out had fist imprints..."

"But!" Hyakin spoke louder now his morose expression vanishing. "I will now go back to cleaning!" And so he turned around and went to get more of the destroyed parts and heavy lifting.

Rolls

Clean Around!

Expertise Check
1d100 (59) + 20 = 79
Fitness | Hyakin Heliodoros | 1216

Progress:
399 / 999
Appearance:
000 / ???

 

[Rael]

.

"I thought everyone would be fanning over the elemental masteries, so I didn't pick one because I was sure I'd run into lots of people who would take them instead. Doesn't seem to be the case so far, huh?" Rael responded to Moonsong's first inquiry, drumming her fingers against the fabric of her garments to subdue the smallest pang of embarrassment that took over her lack of tools to assist with the task at hand. To the second question regarding alchemy, she simply shook her head and continued on.

By way of respecting the knight's handiwork - or rather, that of the tools she summoned with magic of her own - Rael leaned against the cleanest spot on the wall that she could find, hands clasped behind her back as she listened through the retelling of what had transpired during those first few moments in the game's history she had missed.

"Join operation between the factions? Is that something that happens often?"

"A demon's corpse originated a curse to employ others' emotions as a way to destruct them?"

Excited musings fell from her lips, firing question after question with nary a thought for what it would entail for the comfort of the two who had actually been a part of the fight. All the summoner knew in that moment was that someone held the truths to rumors whispered by others throughout her travels, and that emotion took the reins from there.

"And the MIT produced the cure... Oh, now I feel bad criticizing what became of their improvised lab."

Pulled back to the present as her eyes slid from Hyakin's retreating form to their unfinished work, her features took on a color that would've easily matched that of her hair. To try and shield herself from further embarrassment, she pushed herself off of the wall in search of something in specific: a book without an owner, possibly left behind by the researchers who had worked on the miraculous cure.

Though not her own grimoire, repeated exposure to her own spells saw her remember a familiar incantation by which to temporarily summon a being into existence. A method she now employed by ripping blank pages off of the abandoned books, willing magic into them as they changed shape before the eyes of those present. They grew in size and multiplied, adopting the form of three miniature versions of the three of them - assistants meant to help in their efforts.

"You two were there, so... I'm su-sure it was a-alright!"

---

@Moonsong @Hyakin Heliodoros​

• Action: Reorganize! - The next person to roll after your post gets a +30 to their roll.

 

[Lune]

"What can I say?" She joked at Rael's presumed elemental mastery. "I love singing. And there's a lot of other interesting masteries."

Moonsong tried to walk across the room, only to slip and almost fall from the wet floor. "Whoops!" She stumbled, struggling to find her footing before managing to balance herself. "Okay, I'll just wait in the corner until the floor dries out."

She joined the pink-haired elf, leaning toward a wall while waiting. "No clue, I haven't played for that long, actually. But Red Fever was the first recorded collaboration between all four major factions." The brunette watched as three miniature assistants came to life. She called out to the knight currently lifting the heavy furniture, "Do you need help with lifting, Hyakin?"

The Red Fever incident took many lives, some of which were travelers. It was a terrifying sight; but at the end of the day, it's an end-of-the-world scenario of the game, which the gamers defeated. "Yeah, we all came together at the end. Took everyone's collective effort to put an end to the rampage, and to settle the fever itself."

It's rather interesting that a player that just logged in a few days ago wanted to know more about Red Fever. Perhaps she's invested in the game lore? "So, Rael, why are you interested in the Red Fever?"

Rolls

Mastery Check
1d100 (7) + 25 = 32

Astramancy | Moonsong | 1216
+30 from @Rael's Reorganize

Progress:
382 / 999
Appearance:
000 / ???

@Hyakin Heliodoros @Rael