This...is a Quest (OR..."Come Sail Away: A Council/Riot Hybrid Quest Where You're Trying to Build a Ship")

Round 17 Results (Part III) - Backyard BBQ
Determined to play the roll of doctor, you set out for the swamp in search of natural remedies. You search long and hard, carefully looking for plants with clear medical properties. You move with deft footsteps, brilliantly navigating the swamp as if there were a path cleared just for you, even as minimum attention is paid to your surroundings beyond what you're looking for.

Your journey proves quite fruitful, as you discover a variant of the Aloe Vera plant that is well-suited for growing in the very moist conditions of the swamp. You collect two plants that give you a total of 24 leaves to take back with you. You should be able to make fine use of them, especially if you can properly prepare them - while the Aloe Vera leaves have value on their own, they're all the more potent when processed in a proper medical ointment.

Unfortunately, your companion has a miserable time trying to assist you. The more your fellow quester tries to avoid tripping on roots and not crash into trees, the more roots are tripped over and the more trees are crashed into. It's as if the avoidance-to-blunder ratio is completely inverted, where the more effort made to avoid such mishaps, the more they happen.

But I'm sure that with your medical knowledge you can help fix that right up.

@N39TUN3 Smarts upgrades to 1d6!
@Random Reader gets +1 STR xp!

N39TUNE3 gains the "Medicine Man" Skill! Whenever you roll a '1' on base-level roll for a SMT or SPK Medical action, roll again at 1d(x-1) (can not crit off rerolled die)

Random Reader is now SHAKEN!
Random Reader get -1 HP! (HP now at 3/5)

24 Aloe Vera Leaves gained!




You have a tree.

Now comes the part where you turn it into useable wood.

It becomes quite the learning process as you figure out exactly what you're doing. It's one thing to cut down a tree, it's another thing to turn that tree into resources.

What you ultimately accomplish is stripping the tree of bark. While not quite what you might have hoped for, the bark isn't without its value. It's very usable as a basic source of fuel - something you will need a lot of now that you have fire - or if you're desperate you could potentially turn the pieces into very cruid shields or pieces of armor.

@Sir Plusse gains +1 STR XP!
@Dragonofelder gains +1 STR XP!

Medium Tree (Raw) is now Medium Tree (Stripped)
50 Pieces of Bark gained!




Nobody wants the Dirtworm Meat to go bad. It's a bountiful resource that will provide plenty of food for the immediate future. To say nothing of the work it took to actually acquire said meat. So it's no surprise that more attention is paid to cooking the Dirtworm Meat than any other individual activity this round.

The fire burns, the meat is held over the fire, an attempt is even made to develop some means of easily cooking both this meat and any future meat that needs cooking.

However, between the size of the first and the resources available to you, it turns out that right now, the best option for cooking the meat is actually the simplest - just stick the meat on the end of a stick and hold it over the fire. It is possible that with some more direct application of thought or more resources you could develop something better, but with the emphasis on ensuring none of the dirtworm meat goes bad, everyone focuses on that directly.

While it's a little touch-and-go, your efforts prove to be well worth it. After an extensive cooking process, you no longer have 160 slabs of raw Dirtworm meat.

Because you now instead have 160 slabs of cooked Dirtworm meat.

@Dinfinity gets +1 SMT XP! Smarts upgrades to 1d5!
@Mindris Smarts upgrades to 1d8!
@GrayGriffin gets +2 SMT XP!
@Phervygbahrcaid gets +1 SMT XP!
@rush99999 gets +2 SMT XP!

25 Pieces of Bark burned to fuel fire! (Extra fuel burned ensuring all that meat was cooked...)
160 Slabs of Dirtworm Meat have become 160 Dirtworm Steaks!

Resource MEAT discovered! You know what they say, meat is murder. Tasty, tasty murder...




You see the clay as an opportunity. While not the strongest material on its own, it can be quite versitile if you know what you're doing with it.

Taking the clay container with you, you travel out to the Clay deposit to the Southeast. Between the limited amount of space in your Small Clay Container and not wanting to bring a bunch of clay back with you only to waste it since no one has really attempted making bricks yet, you only bring back a limited amount of the substance.

When you return, you don't really get an opportunity to make the clay into anything. The fire is very occupied cooking meat, and there's not much room to squeeze in making bricks.

Perhaps it's for the best, you don't really have a good means to actually 'cook' the clay over the fire yet.

On the bright side, this provides you an opportunity to think about brickmaking. Not just developing a means of properly hardening clay over the fire, but also proper composition. Sure, you could just shape the clay into bricks and call it a day, but perhaps the bricks you're trying to make might be stronger if you had a good substance to mix in. I hear straw makes a good agent for durability. Perhaps you could put some of that massive sod pile to work? Or find some similar substance lying around.

In the meantime, however, the clay remains in the container where it awaits its fate.

@Space Murica gets +1 STR XP!

The Small Clay Container is now Filled with Clay!



So ends Part III, AKA the rest of what I originally wanted to include in Part II.
 
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Round 17 Results (Part IV) - The Deep End
You hear words in your head. You don't really understand them, but they sound pleasant. Like a sweet, sensual caress across your brain in all the right places, sparking the right brain cells.

You want a cult to seize control of the quest? You wish to consume Hatred and Edge? Oh, they can be done. They can very much be done.

But not through any means you're yet aware of.

Oh, but you want to learn how? All you need do is open your mind to a universe of possibilities.

And given how pleasant the possibilities already feel, why would you ever refuse such an offer? No, you'd have to be a fool not to open the door wide open...

@NSchwerte gets +1 SPK XP! Spunk upgrades to 1d5!

NSchwerte is now CONFUSED (High on being Possessed by Edgy Hate)!


(Given the one-two punch of NSchwerte's combined actions and the rolls for each, I combined the results for both NSchwerte's RIOT action and eating action together here rather than split it over two posts.)


Having only recently having gotten involved in the Quest, your first action is to test out the shapeshifting abilities you're certain that you have.

Nothing happens.

You certainly try to shape-shift, but nothing happens that in any way suggests you're actually capable of it at all. It's enough to pose the question of if you ever had the capacity to shapeshift at all or if you're just imagining it.

@GleamingKyler111 gets +1 SHN XP!



You desire a minion. You're not certain what kind of minion at first, and there's no obvious candidates, but then you consider your own spooky persona and think it would be both fun and appropriate if your minion was likewise something spooky.

After considering where to acquire a spooky minion, you go to the last place where one of the dead rioters were. Not the ones who 'vanished' after going to interact with the Scarepumpkin - you're not an idiot, after all - but the one who just had a bad run and then just kind of...ceased.

There, you try some attempts at various ritualistic activities that you think might form some kind of connection between you and whatever lies beyond.

The good news is that you do form some kind of connection with something.

The bad news is that you have no idea how it happens, you don't know what kind of connection it is, and you don't know what you formed a connection with.

What you know is that before you tried acquiring a spooky minion, you felt fine; after trying to acquiring a spooky minion, now you feel a shiver in your spine that refuses to go away.

You have a very bad feeling about this...

@Shade31415 gets +1 SPK XP!

Shade31415 is now HAUNTED (Details unknown, but you feel it in your bones)!

Status HAUNTED discovered! You've upset some supernatural force which now has it out for you. Hope you know who to call...




Part IV complete, estimate between two to four more parts before the round is finished.
 
Round 17 Results (Part V) - Not Nothing
As most focus turns inward, you not only recall that oh yeah, there are Naysayers to pay attention to, but also decide to not ignore that there are in fact Naysayers who say 'Nay' to your quest that should probably be addressed. Taking up a spear, you go on patrol to ensure that the quest borders are secure.

Most of your patrol goes without incident. But given your suspicions, you wonder if it might be a little too quiet.

But then, just as you're about to turn in, you hear something. It's a whisper, but you go prone, go quiet, and can just barely listen in on what's being said.

"Sssh! You hear that?"
"What?"
"I think someone's coming."
"I don't hear anything."
"I know I heard something."
"I think you're imagining things."
"Let's not take any chances. I'm pulling back."
"But we're supposed to keep an eye on them."
"Won't do us any good to keep an eye on them if they catch us."
"Please, they don't suspect a thing. We are looking at the same picture, aren't we? They're completely disorganized, have no idea what they're doing, and haven't done a thing to prepare. They have no idea what's coming."
"Shh! You want to give us away?"
"Pft. Wouldn't matter at this point anyway."
"I can not believe you. I just can not believe you..."

And then the voices fade as you hear the source wander away.

You're not quite sure what you just heard, but you're pretty sure it's not good...

@Robot # 207 gets +1 SMT XP!



It's been a while since anyone went exploring, so you decide to take up that task. You even hope to make an extended trip of the matter, and try to pack multiple mushrooms to bring along to make it an extended trip.

This turns out to set the tone for your efforts because you realize you don't really have a good way to carry those mushrooms other than holding them in your hands. You do that anyway, setting out across the open plains to the East to see what lies out in that direction.

What lies out in that direction is...plains. Lots of wide open space. You even get lost, just a wee little bit. Eventually you do find your way again, and are pretty certain you get mostly in the direction you were going. As was suspected, there is indeed a forest out there.

One that is missing no small number of trees. Which is probably the result of someone cutting them down. Probably the Naysayers, based on what you see.

They have indeed been a busy bunch.

You decide that all things considered, it is probably better if you pull back for the moment rather than try to continue your particular exploratory mission for the moment.

@Starman gets +1 SMT XP!



The Rioters collectively decide that what needs their joint attention is the longhouse that has long sat neglected.

Among the most pressing issues is the need for resources. Sure, you still need to dig out the Longhouse, but you're also going to need to build it, and that is going to require construction materials. And, of course, the construction materials that can be used to build the Longhouse can also be used for other things as well.

Together, you set out en masse for the Forest, and using your collective might, you find three very promising trees on the edge of the woods. Together, you topple the trees, then haul them back to the Quest, where they await processing to produce a bounty of wood to work with.

@N39TUN3 , @Jack727 , @Dinfinity , @Sir Plusse , @thatguy99998 , @Dragonofelder , @Random Reader , @GrayGriffin , @Shade31415 , @Robot # 207 , @Starman , and @Space Murica each get +1 STR XP!

Dragonofelder STRONG upgrades to 1d5!
Random Reader STRONG upgrades to 1d6! (Health is now at 4/6!)

3 Large Tree (Raw) gained!


That completes everything but the Eat Actions. I'm going to plan to update the quest stats for everything up to this point, then do the Eat actions and update for that, and then we'll be on to Round 18.
 
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Round 17 Results (Part VI) - Dinnertime
Spurred on by inspirational Council motivation, most of the quest dedicates time to actively eating and making the most of their meal. While some small amount of chaos ensues, it mostly happens off to the side while everyone else enjoys their food.

The worst anyone can say is that nobody is negatively affected by this 'time out', as it were, at least nobody except for the chicken who went off to do something really crazy. And a few individuals even find themselves benefitting quite nicely. The people who choose to enjoy the newly cooked Dirtworm steaks particularly enjoy their meals.

Some small conflict occurs when it turns out there are two people who want to eat an apple but only one apple is left, but it is an easily solved matter.

One individual tries eating one of the recently acquired Aloe Vera leaves. You feel just a little bit better physically after eating it, but it's not exactly a filling meal. Very chewy, not very pleasant to actually get down. You suspect that while it could serve as food in a pinch, it probably would more delay the effects of starvation rather than improve your situation at all.

4 Ponata Eaten!
4 Mushroom Eaten!
4 Dirtworm Steaks Eaten!
1 Apple Eaten! 1 Set of Apple Seeds gained!
1 Tomato Eaten!
1 Aloe Vera Leaf Eaten!


@Random Reader gains +1 Health (Health is now 5/6)!
@Sir Plusse SHOWOFF upgrades to 1d5!
@Mindris STRONG upgrades to 1d6!
@rush99999 STRONG upgrades to 1d6! For the next three rounds, Rush99999 will receive double XP from all actions!



That will finally conclude Round 17. All that is left to do now is update for this final action, and then I can get Round 18 started.
 
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Round 18 Start - "...They'll Be Watching You."
An ominous atmosphere fills the air. No one can quite put a finger on why, but the best guess is that it might have something to do with the conversation the robot overheard from what were presumably a couple of the Naysayers.

Oh, and there's also the fact that the clouds have grown thick in the sky. That probably doesn't help either.

Weather is now Overcast!

On the bright side, at least you have a significant surplus of food for now.



Food Currently Needed for This Round: 36
Current Food Stored: 199



Signup Votes (Which half of this quest do you want to be a part of?):
[ ] [Signup] Council
-[ ] Password?

Those who Sign up as 'Council' usually get two three votes below; Including 1 [Council] Vote, 1 [Riot Boost] Vote, and 1 [Direct Action] Vote.

[ ][Signup] Rioter
-[ ] Password?
-[ ] Nifty Identifying Quest Name, quippy phrase, or brief distinguishing feature for flavor purposes (Keep it short!) (Optional)

Those who Sign up as 'Rioter' get a single vote below; They can vote for 1 [Riot!] action.

Change Roles (Swap from 'Council' to 'Rioter' or Vice Versa):
[ ][Change Role]
-[ ] Council to Rioter
--[ ] Password?
--[ ] New Nifty Identifying Quest Name, quippy phrase, or brief distinguishing feature for flavor purposes (Keep it short!) (Optional)
-[ ] Rioter to Council
--[ ] Password?

Those who Change Role may not include a vote for any other action alongside it.



Council Votes (What does the Council want to do this turn?):
- Council may choose One (1) Council Vote; Majority Wins

[ ][Council] Make or Change a Rule
(Try to add, remove, or modify a quest rule)
-[ ] What Rule? (Write-In)
--[ ] Change Food Requirements (How?)
---[ ] Do Not Require Food for Inactive Players

[ ][Council] Implement a Policy
(For example, implement an official quest policy towards the Naysayers)
-[ ] What Policy? (Write-In)
--[ ] Declare War on Naysayers

[ ][Council] Designate Project Parameters
(Give input to help determine the intended final results of a Quest Project.)
-[ ][Council] The Flying Ship
-[ ][Council] Quest Lab
-[ ][Council] Longhouse
-[ ][Council] Farm
-[ ][Council] Chicken Coop

[ ][Council] Diplomacy
-[ ] Frontier Bug Town
--[ ] What?

[ ][Council] Change Win Condition
(Note that changing the Win Condition will be more difficult than establishing the original Win Condition, and will grow increasingly difficult the closer you get to completing your current Win Condition. But if you really, really want to try, you're free to do so.)
-[ ] What?

[ ][Council] Write In

Council's Riot Support Vote
(Which action does the Council want to encourage Rioters to do by giving that action a +1 and helping give Equipment priority to?):
- Council may choose One (1) Riot Boost Vote; Majority Wins

[ ][Riot Boost] What?

Council Direct Action Vote
(What action does the Council want to get its hands dirty with by contributing to directly?):
- Council may chose One (1) Direct Action vote, Majority Wins; must take place within the confines of The Quest

[ ][Direct Action] Develop Ship Design
-[ ] Details?

[ ][Direct Action] Crafting
-[ ] What
--[ ] Using What?

[ ][Direct Action] Work on Project
-[ ] Flying Ship
-[ ] Quest Lab
-[ ] Longhouse
-[ ] Farm
-[ ] Other (What?)

[ ][Direct Action] Address Problem
-[ ] Negative Rioter Status (How?)

[ ][Direct Action] Address Entity
-[ ] Reality (Seriously...how?)

[ ][Direct Action] Write In!



Food
(You don't need to cast a vote for this, but if you want to make sure you're not at risk of going hungry this turn or have some sway in what is actually eaten, you can take this as a free action regardless of your role.)

[ ][Eat] What?



Riot Vote:
- Rioters get One (1) Riot Vote; Riot rules apply

Note: Remember, in order to use a Banked Die, include a sub-vote with as part of an action that the chosen Banked Die is valid for.

[ ][Riot!] Propose Ship Design
-[ ] Details?

[ ][Riot!] Explore
-[ ] Where?

[ ][Riot!] Gather Resources
-[ ] What from Where?

[ ][Riot!] Crafting
-[ ] What
--[ ] Using What?

[ ][Riot!] Work on Project
-[ ] Flying Ship
-[ ] Quest Lab
-[ ] Longhouse
-[ ] Farm
-[ ] Chicken Coop
-[ ] Other (What?)

[ ][Riot!] Address Problem
-[ ] Negative Rioter Status (How?)

[ ][Riot!] Address Entity
-[ ] Naysayers (How?)
-[ ] Frontier Bug Town (How?)
-[ ] The Forest (How?)
-[ ] Reality (Seriously...how?)

[ ] [Riot!] Write In!

Cooperation Vote
- Rioters get a collective [Cooperation] action, determined by simple majority vote. Each Rioter gets a single (1) Cooperation vote per Round. Can not be used to negatively target any specific individual or group who is part of the quest.

[ ][Cooperation] What?



As usual, vote to remain open for a minimum of one week; there will be a minimum 24-hour last call period, and the vote will close at any point after that one-week and 24-hour last call period without further warning.
 
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Round 18 Results (Part I) - Border Patrol
The Quest is on high alert for Naysayer funny business.

The Rioters collectively patrol the quest borders in shifts. The council shifts policy towards actively driving off any Naysayers caught sneaking around.

As far as you can tell, it works pretty well. A few Naysayers are spotting either sneaking about or sneaking up, though with the amount of activity going on dedicated to putting a stop to their snooping, they quickly turn around and sneak off again.

As far as you can tell, the Naysayers really don't learn anything new that they didn't know already.

And yet...an ominous feeling lurks in the air.

Are they merely scouting to keep an eye on what you're up to? Or are they trying to gather intelligence for their own plans?

And if so, just what might those plans be...?

As far as you can tell, you've put a stop to the Naysayer snooping for now.

But if the Naysayers really are plotting something, how long might you have to prepare for it?

Or might it be too late already...?
 
Round 18 Results (Part II) - Work Continues
While the ominous atmosphere regarding the Naysayers casts a long shadow, the quest attempts to overcome it by continuing with business as normal. Among the most normal of this business is to refine your resources in order to have what you need for your major projects.

Among the biggest of these is harvesting one of the cut trees for wood that can be used for making stuff.

The robot helps indirectly, assembling the ax pieces. While it isn't completed quickly enough to make immediate use of, it still ensures that your quest now has a second stone hatchet it can use.

The rest of the wood crew focuses on the tree directly. Unfortunately, their work is significantly hindered. While they try their best to help, the Council proves to be a hindrance to the work, as the three individuals over-supervise. They stand too close, they give unnecessary advice, and their 'help' mostly consists of telling the actual questers how to do their jobs that they already know how to do.

While the rioters do clear off a heavy portion of the sticks attached to the log - which provides a significant bounty of comparatively minor resources - they make little real progress in actually turning the log into wooden boards.

@Robot # 207 gets +1 SMT XP!
@Dragonofelder gets +1 STR XP! Strong upgrades to 1d5!
@Sir Plusse gets +1 STR XP!

1 Stone Hatchet Assembly Package has become 1 Stone Hatchet (Average Quality)!
50 Assorted Short Sticks gained (10 Thin Average, 10 Small Average, 10 Good, 10 Thick Average, 10 Thick Good)!
25 Medium Sticks gained (20 Average Quality, 5 Good Quality)!
Medium Tree (Stripped) has been harvested of Medium and Small Sticks!




There continues an effort to make bricks, especially now that there is a fire to actually bake said bricks.

Alas, work does not go as planned. The biggest obstacle becomes that while there is a desire to use grass to make said bricks, you don't actually have any grass to use. There is an effort to acquire such grass, but the chef who goes to collect it gets hung up on not actually locating any grass that match the desired standards.

Nothing much is accomplished as result, but at least you keep the fire going.

@Crawkid gets +1 SMT XP! Smarts upgrades to 1d6!
@Space Murica gets +1 SMT XP!

1 Average Quality Medium Stick spent on Fire!



War is in the air. You can feel it.

You can also feel that if you were forced to go to war soon, you would be woefully underprepared.

You try to rectify that by constructing weapons. Alas, the looming shadow of war occupies your thoughts and clouds your judgement.

You're not completely unsuccessful in your efforts, but you'd probably rate your work as 'mostly unsuccessful'.

But one additional spear is probably better than nothing, regardless of its quality.

@Jack727 gets +1 SMT XP!

1 Average Quality Long Stick has become 1 Wooden Spear (Average Quality)



There is always a need for more tools, and you try to fill that need.

Alas, the shadow that looms over the quest prevents your work from living up to the usual high standards that you and the quest are accustomed to.

But you do produce something, and something is usually better than nothing.

@Mindris gets +1 SMT XP!

1 Short Stick (Good Quality), 4 Short Sticks (Thick, Good Quality), and 1 Medium Ropevine have become 1 Wooden Mallet (Poor Quality)!



I expect one or two more updates to complete the turn, hopefully it won't take another week and a half each to get them completed.
 
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Round 18 Results (Part III) - It Instead Took the QM Roughly Two and a Half Weeks to Get the Next Update Completed...
An overlooked problem facing the quest is a matter of injuries. While only a couple of rioters currently carry injuries, there exist rioters with injuries none the less. There also exists a list of dead rioters, confirming that rioters are absolutely not immortal.

With a threat of conflict looming in the air, addressing wounds is at least as important as ever, if not more so.

You attempt to find a reliable means to address this concern by turning to the recently acquired leaves of aloe vera.

Working as a team, you cut several of the leaves into small pieces, then use a hammer that is hilariously oversized for the job to then crush the leave slices into a rudimentary gel.

You waste no time putting the gel to the test by applying it to the wounds of one of your fellow injured rioters. While there is an expected initial sting, it gradually gives way to a soothing feeling with a hint of a chill.

You feel pretty confident that while not fully automatic, the application of this natural, rudimentary medicine will allow for the wounds to fully heal, if perhaps with a scar left behind to show for it.

@Half Moon is no longer Uncomfortable! Half Moon is no longer Shaken! Half Moon is HEALING +1! Half Moon HP is now 4/5!

@N39TUN3 gets +1 SMT XP!
@Dinfinity gets +1 SMT XP!

6 Aloe Vera Leaves have become 2 Aloe Vera Gel (1 Spent)!

"Medicine" Discovered! It does the body right when the body has suffered wrongs.



An atmosphere of exploration remains in the air, either in spite of or because of the recent failure to accomplish much with recent ventures.

But with that less than stellar performance, foresight leads to seeking advice and mentoring first. For that, you go to the one rioter who has verified knowledge and experience with such things.

Your fellow feather rioter is all too happy to share said knowledge, though you get the impression that teaching it is not something this person is prepared for. Fortunately, your eagerness to learn more than makes up for it, and by the time the basic lessons are finished, you feel better equipped to take on the wilderness. Not on the same level of expertise as the person you just learned from, but better prepared none the less.

However, with the time it took to learn these lessons, you're not left with much time to actually do any of said exploring.

This time, at least.

@Random Reader gets +2 SMT XP! Smarts upgrades to 1d5!
@GrayGriffin gets +1 SMT XP!

Random Reader gains "Apprentice Forest Ranger" Skill! Gain a Reroll the first time you roll a '1' on an action that involves forest knowledge, or roll with Advantage when taking an action that involves Forest knowledge when in Teamwork with a Rioter who has a higher level of 'Forest Ranger' skill!



In contrast to the stranded rioter who takes interest in getting a basic education, you set out gung-ho for the woods to build yourself a nifty secret hideout crafted from the natural resources around you.

And you amaze even yourself with what a magnificent secret hideout you construct! You would swear that never before and never again will there ever be so magnificent a secret forest hideout such as yours.

Alas, you quickly realized you may have outdone yourself too much. As after you've completed your hideout, the moment you turn your back on it, you quickly discover you have absolutely no idea how to find it again, and probably never will.

It's just that big a secret.

@WallFlower gets +1 SMT XP!



You actively panic as you contemplate your lack of shapeshifting powers. You certainly don't have to panic, but you decide to anyway; it makes you feel strangely better for some paradox of a reason.

You contemplate your memories - the memories you think you have - and question if those memories are truly real at all. You're certain you can shapeshift! Or at least that you should be able to shapeshift!

But you can't shapeshift, and you don't know why. Could your memories be false? Are you not actually who you think you are?

What even brought you here? What is your story? If you have memories of a life from before your arrival, then certainly there must be a story behind it all. Perhaps that could explain it?

Or perhaps it doesn't actually matter. Perhaps all that really matters is that you are here now, that as far as you can tell you don't have any special powers, and that rather than focusing on the past and what you can't do you should instead focus on the future and what you can do to help these fellow Rioters you find yourself in the company in and who you shouldn't know nearly as much about as you do.

But hey, sometimes panicking is more fun that way.

@GleamingKyler111 gets +1 SPK XP!

GlamingKyler111 is now Shaken (Identity Crisis)!



So despite the fact that it has taken far, far longer to complete this part than I hoped or intended, I'm going to end Part III here; in part to actually get it out after far too long and in part because I kind of need to figure out what I'm actually doing with that spooky minion action.

But Part IV will for certain be the final part of Round 18 before updating stats and such so I can finally move the game forward to Round 19.
 
Round 18 Results (Part IV) - Powers Beyond
You've formed some kind of connection with an otherworldly force. The spooky feeling that runs down your spine is proof of that.

Whether from foolishness or bravery, you attempt to build on that.

You try to will the connection to produce some kind of result. Alas, after extensive efforts attempting to yield some kind of result, no result is yielded.

That is, until you have a dream. When or why you start dreaming, you're not quite sure, but that's beside the point.

The point is that in your dream, you find yourself in a field. It's a rather generic field, which keeps you from realizing that you're dreaming at first. But there's a haunting atmosphere in the sky. The land around you is largely devoid of features.

Except...that guy.

Yes, that guy. That guy way over there in the distance. That guy who's kind of nondescript, but he's staring at you.

Just standing there and staring at you. Menacingly.

You blink, and when you open your eyes again, he's suddenly closer.

You look around, and when you look back at him, he's suddenly closer.

You're at a loss as to what to do. You blink again. He's suddenly closer.

And before you know it, he's right in front of you. A haunting, otherworldly figure, who looks down upon you and stirs up primal feelings of terror from within your deepest subconscious.

And then...

...you open your eyes, and find yourself lying on the ground in the middle of the quest. The color has drained from your body, you're breathing heavily, and you feel a cold sweat on your body.

But you are still alive.

And other than the overriding sense of fear, you're unharmed.

Mostly.

You're also left with a certain clarity - your initial attempts to summon an otherworldly minion attracted the attention of some kind of otherworldly, supernatural force that now has you directly in its sights.

Such powers are not lightly messed with. They're probably better off not messed with at all. But if you do insist on messing with them, you should probably make certain you know exactly what you're doing.

The most reliable feeling of clarity you feel tells you that you have absolutely no idea what you are doing in so much as the slightest.

@Shade31415 gets +1 SPK XP!

Shade 31415 is now SHAKEN (Haunted)!



If there's one thing the Quest currently has in abundance, it is food. Enough that for the time being, nobody has to worry about it running out.

Of course, that can only last for so long, but for the time being, food is not an issue. And so you eat in a state of contentment knowing that your stores are secure for the moment.

As most people enjoy the supply of Dirtworm steaks, it is indeed a very enjoyable meal that leaves you feeling full and even a little restored.

Well, for most of you, at least, as one outlier insists on not eating anything. Maybe it has something to do with that Identity Crisis problem? Someone might want to look into that.

@GleamingKyler111 is now HUNGRY!

1 Mushroom Eaten!
34 Dirtworm Steaks Eaten!


@Crawkid regains 1 Health! Crawkid Health is now Full!
@Half Moon regains 1 Health! Half Moon Health is now Full!



With that, Round 18 is finally - finally - finished.

After I get the quest stats updated, we can finally - finally - move on to Round 19, which should be a really fun time.
 
Round 19 Prelude - "War Were Declared"
Despite the quests many setbacks, progress continues, albeit at an unreliable pace. Even so, progress is progress, and you've made such great sides in figuring out how things work and how to make said progress.

All things considered, it would seem that the only thing really stand in your way right now is time and your own determination to continue the quest.



Everyone hears as a horn blows in the distance. It is an ominous noise, the likes of which usually doesn't mean anything good.

Turning to the sound of the noise, there can be seen approaching in the distance a relative army of Naysayers. Some you recognize, many you don't, and all of them are armed in some fashion. You estimate about two dozen of them are coming, with a single goal in mind - to say the ultimate 'NAY!' to your quest.

While the situation certainly looks grim, there are a few things in your favor. First, that the Naysayers have so brazenly announced their approach so far out - there's not enough time to prepare more defenses or 'real' equipment to fight them off with, but you might just have enough time to get your act together and form a defense strategy using the stuff you already have.

Second, the manner of their attack says that they don't think very highly of you on a quality level, which means they're ripe for getting caught off-guard by underestimating what you're capable of.

Third, that you have the power of TEAMWORK on your side - if you can rally together and work as a united front, then things might actually be more in your favor than they might appear.

One thing is all but certain, though - that there will be no peaceful solution out of things this time...



The Naysayers have officially declared war.

There was even a military trumpet blast and a meme making it official and everything.

So now comes the part where you have to - at minimum - defend yourselves.

What you have to work with is what you already have - while you could try performing emergency preparation actions, odds are slim to none that they will not be ready in time, so they won't actually provide any benefit to defending the quest from the Naysayer attack.

The good news is that due to the very serious nature of what's happening and the implications involved, I'm not going to thrust you headlong into the fight right away.

Instead, in order to help you maximize your chances of winning - or at least survive - what you're getting first is a discussion round.

During this Prelude discussion round, you will have an opportunity to plan your battle strategy and otherwise coordinate with your fellow questers in order to maximize the effectiveness of your defense using what you already have available to you.

You can also use this time to ask me for any details on specifics about the battle, so you can get a better understanding about the situation and get as clear a picture of it as possible in order to make the most informed decisions possible.

This doesn't mean you can ask things like "What is the most effective strategy?" and expect me to just tell you "Here's how you win", but I will clarify things like "What kinds of weapons do they have?" or "Can the Council actually do X to defend the quest from the Naysayers?"

This discussion period will end either in about 1 week, or else when a number players equal to over half the current total player count votes to effectively say "I'm tired of talking, let's get to the action" which will officially send to the 'real' start of the turn, that is the part where most turns normally start. Given that the current total player count is listed as '36', that means that 19 players will have to vote to skip whatever's left of the pre-battle discussion round.

And because there is technically a kind of voting involved, I will also open the game up to new player signups at this time if anyone is interested in getting in right when you might be most likely to die.




Begin Round 19 Now (Don't wait for the end of the one-week battle planning discussion period, let's get to voting for battle actions now!)
[ ] [Battle] Start! (You don't have to vote for this and probably shouldn't vote for this unless you really are impatient to get the battle started ASAP)



Signup Votes (Which half of this quest do you want to be a part of?):
[ ] [Signup] Council
-[ ] Password?

Those who Sign up as 'Council' usually get two three votes below; Including 1 [Council] Vote, 1 [Riot Boost] Vote, and 1 [Direct Action] Vote.

[ ][Signup] Rioter
-[ ] Password?
-[ ] Nifty Identifying Quest Name, quippy phrase, or brief distinguishing feature for flavor purposes (Keep it short!) (Optional)

Those who Sign up as 'Rioter' get a single vote below; They can vote for 1 [Riot!] action.

Change Roles (Swap from 'Council' to 'Rioter' or Vice Versa):
[ ][Change Role]
-[ ] Council to Rioter
--[ ] Password?
--[ ] New Nifty Identifying Quest Name, quippy phrase, or brief distinguishing feature for flavor purposes (Keep it short!) (Optional)
-[ ] Rioter to Council
--[ ] Password?

Those who Change Role may not include a vote for any other action alongside it.
 
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