While a solid block of Rioters ensure that the Naysayers can't just walk all over the Quest at will, the remainder go about business mostly as usual. There are things that need doing other than dealing with Naysayers, after all.
Some would say that finding an excuse to not be present when the Naysayers arrive is a sign of cowardice.
You prefer the term 'practical'. After all, your fellow Rioters are sure to engage in some epic fight to defend the quest against the Naysayers, and you? You'd just be in the way. Better put your presence to work doing better things like being somewhere else, doing something more productive.
And frankly, there is very much a need for resources, and you're hard pressed to get those needed resources standing around here.
With another Rioter joining you, you head off to collect wood. Lots of wood. As much wood as you can collect in however long it takes for the Naysayers to no longer be present when you get back. What
kind of wood is a matter of minor debate between the two of you, but you reason you can probably figure it out by way of just seeing what you come across.
Your wood gathering efforts yield a rather successful bounty. Not only do you find a rather nice looking fallen log that will be exactly what you need as part of the Longhouse support structure once you clean it up, you also find a lesser log that you could probably cut up for wood resources. Fortunately, the quest has the stone axe to help with that, so you'll be able to get a start on that before having to spend the time assembling other tools.
After all, what could possibly happen to the stone axe in the time it takes you to get back to the quest?
Aside from that, you gather a small bounty of sticks that should work wonders for a wide assortment of crafting projects.
Yes, it is a very good thing you weren't present when the Naysayers showed up, because if you were you wouldn't have acquired all these resources.
@Jack727 gains +2 STR! Strength upgrades to 1d5!
@Phervygbahrcaid gains +1 STR!
Jack727 has gained "Prospector +1" Skill! +1 to actions for finding and gathering resources!
1 Large Log gained! (
Sturdy, Raw, Excellent Quality)
1 Medium Log gained! (
Raw, Average Quality)
7 Long Stick gained! (
Average Quality)
3 Long Stick gained! (
Good Quality)
5 Short Stick gained! (
Thin, Average Quality)
5 Short Stick gained! (
Thick, Average Quality)
5 Short Stick gained! (
Thick, Good Quality)
While gathering resources goes well, work on the Quest Lab proceeds with lesser success. There is, unfortunately, the matter of the rain. Water likes to flow down, and dirt doesn't like to play nice when it gets wet. Oh sure, it makes it easier to dig up, but that's because it doesn't like to stay together.
You decide you might as well go about the whole 'basement' thing the old fashion way, just digging out the entire basement and building up a basement ceiling-turned-first-floor-floor after the fact, rather than trying to use the dirt as a natural floor.
Working diligently, you dig a foot down halfway across the layout, leaving you with a 15'x30' hole in the ground next to a set of dirt stairs.
Only 7 and a half more to go!
@_Plague Doctor_ gains +1 STR!
450 Lumps of Dirt gained!
Quest Lab now has 15'x30'x1' foot hole in ground!
Magic is real.
If it's not, you will
make it real.
Somehow.
That somehow is the big question - You suspect a project is the best way to unlock the secrets of magic. How to proceed with said project, that's a question in and of itself.
You theorize that perhaps surrounding yourself with all the elements in some form will allow you to immerse yourself in them and, in effect, 'become one' with the elements, and by extension unlock the secrets needed to perform magic.
As far as plans go...it is one.
One that probably needs less 'ideas' and more specific planning beyond 'gather things together', as well as better consideration of surroundings since among other things, the only place you're currently certain there is a river happens to be to the southeast where there is already an abundance of earth.
Well, technically stone.
Or hey, maybe ambiguity is the right route after all and you're just thinking about it too hard.
But what do I know, I'm not the one trying to be a wizard here.
@Dinfinity gains +1 SMT XP!
You try not to think about the Naysayer as you make yourself scarce and make some tools.
Key word: Try.
Unfortunately, you know how sometimes, trying not to think about something makes you think about it more?
Yeah. Regardless of what the Naysayers may do to the Quest, for the moment, they've already invaded your head and hold an iron grip on your thoughts.
@Shade31415 gains +1 SMT XP!
You set about with the goal of making a whittling rock.
Before you begin, you try to think of a good whistling tune. Good whittling requires good whistling.
You spend so much time on the matter of whistling that nothing related to whittling actually gets done.
@The Froggy Ninja gains +1 SMT XP!
Having tragically found your way to this quest for reasons too tragic to think about, you would be remiss to stick around if all there is to be found here is more tragedy.
You're not exactly sure what you find as you observe the ongoings, but based on what you pick up, you're pretty sure that 'Tragedy' is not what you have to worry about here.
What you pick up on instead is, summarized in a word...
"
Chaos".
@XylemAmethystone gains +1 SMT XP!
That should cover the remainder of Round 9, please stand by as I get the between-Round voting running for people to have fun with until Round 10 begins.
