NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: The Basement
Milo entered the Guild Hall and stared around. The center of the building was open all the way to the roof, with a dizzying series of stairs and open walkways at each level leading to rooms around the perimeter. There were stairs down as well, and looking over a railing, he saw they spiraled around the perimeter, going down several stories into the ground. There were tables pushed up against the railings, where people in all sorts of garb and armor sat around drinking, arguing, and gambling. It was a little disorienting. The architecture didn’t bother him, but the number of people bothered him, even knowing they weren’t real. Or were they? He knew some were players in the game, but it was hard to tell them from the NPCs.
He realized someone was talking to him. "Yo! New Guy! Ears open and get over here." He turned and saw a halfling with huge hairy feet standing on a stool and yelling at him. "You got a problem? I think you have a problem! I see you standing in my guild hall, and you aren’t a member. I don't like you already. Impressive. It usually takes me a whole minute to get sick of you people. Get your ass over here and get your paperwork filled out."
Milo went over to the shouty little man at the desk and tried to smile. "Hi, I'm Milo. Squint said to come over."
The halfling put both hands on his cheeks in surprise. "Oh, Squint sent you! Gee, Willy Gosh! That makes you special...shit, what am I doing...you look like the kind of idiot that will take me seriously. Sorry kid, you aren’t special. Just another new fish that owes me his dues. Pay up, and then you can go check out the job board. For someone of your esteemed level, it's the worldly sum of 1 copper penny. You got a penny left, kid, or did you spend it on the 'entertainment' along the way?"
Milo pulled a penny out of his pouch and handed it to the halfling. He signed the paper the halfling pushed over to him and accepted a badge made out of tin with his number on it. "There you go, kid. You are now a probationary member of the Shadowport Explorers Guild. Don't let it go to your head. I suggest you get a piece of string and tie that around your neck. That's your guild number. Most of you guys can't remember otherwise. Don't worry if you lose it; it shows up on your next tombstone. Helps you find where you died in big battles."
Milo looked around the room, holding the badge. “There’s a job board? What kind of jobs? Fixing things?”
The halfling sat down on his stool and leaned back against the wall. "Holy crap. You really are new, aren't you? How many days in the game, kid?"
"Well, not counting the tutorial, this is my first."
The halfling raised an eyebrow and whistled. "First day, and you made it alive to Light’s End, and Squint got his hooks into you? Not bad, kid. Real social climber. By the way, I hate social climbers." He was silent a moment. "But you did pay your penny with no argument, so I'll clue you in a bit. What we have here is a madhouse of player guilds, trade guilds, expeditions, and merchants. You can tell who's who by the brass plaques on the doors. Feel free to wander around up top. Down low too, but people have less patience down there. Mostly dwarves, and they get really grumpy at times. There are job boards over there. Take the ticket, head to the person offering the job, make a deal, and get to work."
"Ok, I see more clueless people walking in. Off with you, kid, and good luck. Don't let the big folk stomp you, if you know what I mean."
Milo turned to leave, walking past three new players, excited to finally make it to the Guild Hall. He heard the halfling yelling. "Yo! You three idiots honking like a gaggle of geese. Get your butts over here."
Milo walked to the job board and started looking through the cards pinned to the board.
'Crew needed for expedition. Must be at least level 3, know how to swim, and be willing to be away from home for a few months. Immunity to charm spells and sign language skills helpful. See Captain Lars.'
'Slaughtering crew needed to cull the land squid population. Cooking or Sushi preparation gets you a bonus. See Otis in the cook’s guild.'
Captain Pike, the famous monster hunter, has a need of six strong people that know which end of a harpoon goes in the Kraken. A fair share of the loot and a double share of the work is yours if you sign onto his crew for a Kraken hunt.
Many of the jobs had level recommendations or requirements for gear and skills he didn't have. He found one down low on the board that seemed to have been there awhile. The paper was stained and curled.
'Looking for brave young adventurers to venture into the caverns to procure rare mushrooms. Payment is based on performance! Set your own hours! Report to Harold Earthtongue in the basement, below the lower mines, for details. Gathering and Foraging skills needed! Bring a light or have good eyes.'
He took the card and returned to the helpful halfling, who was answering the many questions that the three adventurers were throwing at him.
“No, I don’t know about any ‘sweet spots to gain a level quick,’ and if you knew what that meant to a halfling, you never say that in public.”
“Cash advance? Do I look like a gnomish banker? No! Do the job, then get paid.”
“That was a joke; the gnomes don’t loan money to people like you. Or people like me. Hell, or to anyone.”
“High pay and high risk? Sure! There’s a ticket from the Imperial Menagerie asking for a dragon egg. Take some fire resistance with you; they get hot.”
“How many stupid questions will I answer? Let’s say you just ran out. Beat it.”
Milo walked up and placed a copper piece on the counter. “What is the best way to get to this place?” The halfling had a moment of surprise, then the coin disappeared, and he smiled. “Sure, kid, you restored my faith in humanity. Not that I had much faith in humans, to begin with. I’m Bernard, by the way.”
“You need to go pretty deep to find old Harry. Two ways to do it. The Assay office is right above the mines and ore processors. You can go over there and take the lift down to the mines. Of course, they’ll try to charge you for that and take your money. Or, you can take the stairs in the lovely building all the way down. Ask one of the grumpy guys for directions if you get lost. Just keep going down until you get to the mines. From there, go to your right a few hundred feet and look for a tunnel slanting down. Should have a sign on it that says ‘Shrooms’. Harry is at the bottom of those caves. Take a lunch; it’s quite a climb.” Milo memorized the directions as he said them. This was getting interesting; the mines must be nearly as big as a section of the habitat.
The stairs led down to a lower level. There were several doors, with plaques proclaiming them to be the offices of different businesses. More stairs went down a second level. An old dwarf who was darning socks pointed to a way to levels further down. Instead of stairs, it was just a ladder that went down into the darkness. Milo was thankful for his night vision. He descended down the shaft, hearing noises coming from below. After nearly 300 feet of ladder, his arms and legs aching, he dropped into a small room that was adjacent to a large mineshaft. Several horizontal shafts all terminated in a large room several acres in size. Stone pillars held up the roof some 20' above the heads of the people working there.
Three dwarves were drinking ale, using a crate for a table. One of them looked up. "You're too scrawny for the mines. Get lost. Don't need weaklings down here, especially humans who can’t see the rock they’re hitting."
Milo ignored the comment. "I'm looking for Harold Earthtongue for a job. It's in the basement here somewhere."
All three dwarves laughed. "Oh, shit. This is rich. Harry found another sucker. This isn't the basement kid. This is the top of the mine. Take that tunnel to the right if you want to go hunt fungus." He was at least helpful in pointing out the tunnel.
Milo saw immediately that this wasn't a mine tunnel, more like a series of cave tubes that slanted down, with ladders here and there to help with the descent. It took another two hours to get to the bottom. It would take more to get back up. As he traveled down the last stretch of the cave, he came to an open area partially lit by fluorescent mushrooms growing everywhere. This large cavern was filled with large, low wooden boxes from which foul odors came. Milo looked over the rim of one and saw it was filled with greenish-looking mushrooms the size of dinner plates. Some of them quivered a bit.
"Stay away from those! They're nearly ready to harvest, and the spores can do terrible things to your lungs!"
Milo moved three steps back and turned to see who was yelling. A squat, fat person was shambling towards him. Unwashed masses of hair were sprouting from the top of his head and his chin. Not much beyond a bulbous red nose was visible, his eyes covered by goggles, and a cloth mask was pulled over his mouth. Layer upon layer of dirty clothing covered his body. Milo had thought the mushroom farms smelled bad. This person was far worse.
"Um...I may have the wrong place?" ...please let it be the wrong place! "I was coming about a job. Milo held up the card.
"Oh, frabjous day!!!! An apprentice! It's been so long since I lost the last one! Come right this way, lad."
Shrooms in the Dark
Dr. Harold Earthtongue has offered you a quest: Harvest 20 pounds of wild Black Bristle cap Mushrooms.
Reward: Better favor with Harry Earthtongue. Honest wages for an honest day’s work. A boring lecture on mycology.
Accept his generous offer? Y/N
Milo accepted the offer.