Story Update

Observer: As you travel the streets of Haven, you notice activity around the building that guards the teleporters to the Crystal Isles.
Observer: Heading over, you see Queen Diana with another dextroluma pinned to the wall by her arm.
Queen Diana: “That’s quite an interesting bag you’re carrying.”
Queen Diana: “It’s a style from the Emerald Ocean, used for transporting mushroom cuttings, isn’t it?”
Observer: The dextroluma has their eyes downcast, but they look resigned.
Queen Diana: “And you’re quite clearly… Galactica origins, if I had to guess? You’re too tall and weigh too little to have been born planetside.”
Observer: A squad of Verdant Kingdom guards in their hazard gear arrive as you are watching the scene, and soon have the bag contained in some sort of container.
Observer: Then, they head off with it for a ship landing nearby, which is emblazoned with the Morgue Station logo.
Queen Diana: “Thank you all. Now… you’re stage one, unless I miss my guess?”
Observer: Slowly, seemingly confused, the dextroluma starts to nod, before realizing they can’t. Instead, they manage an affirmative answer.
Observer: Queen Diana removes her arm to let them fall to the ground. One of her guards moves quickly to cuff them, though you’d never realized they carried cuffs.
Queen Diana: “Well, if you’re cooperative with us… we can be a lot more merciful than Morgana. You’ll be cured, of course, but if you cooperate, you can be returned to Galactica.”
Observer: She beckons to her own guard, who have seemed uncomfortable standing around - likely they didn’t move as quickly as she did.
Queen Diana: “We need to get to the castle with our new friend. I need one of you to go message running for the Verdant Kingdom guard-posts, let them know what we found just now.”
Observer: One guard volunteers and heads off, while the rest - and the corrupted dextroluma, who walks with the hand of one guard on their shoulder - make for the Verdant Castle.
Observer: Well, so much for Morgana’s plan to sneak blighted mushrooms into Haven, you think. You just wonder what she’ll do next…

Attack on the verdant kingdom (Daily)

Observer: Passing through the corrupt army’s camp, you spy Muramasa sitting before a fire, drinking a glass of what you suspect is mushroom spirits.
Observer: He notes your presence, and beckons you over. As you approach, you notice he no longer has his vest, and feel a strange chill.
Muramasa: “What do you think our odds are, now?”
Observer: You blink in confusion to the question, before demurring that you really wouldn’t know.
Muramasa: “Caution will get you far…”
Muramasa: “…we would have done better if we had exercised caution in this endeavor.”
Observer: You stare at him, wondering if he is admitting to defeat, if he’s planning to announce a retreat…
Muramasa: “Fortunately, my goal here was never truly conquest.”
Muramasa: “It may be disappointing to see our efforts bearing so little fruit… but I believe I will see success in the long run in what I had sought.”
Muramasa: “My wife may be stubborn, but she handles rejection poorly. When she comes to her senses about our son… then we will truly be ready for conquest.”
Observer: He leans back on the log he sits on, taking another swig of his drink.
Muramasa: “I’ve the information I need, we’ve made some of the topographical changes we needed, we’ve frightened them…”
Muramasa: “The only question is how much longer we should push…”
Observer: You don’t understand, but you just nod, and wait until he takes his eyes off you before you leave him.
Observer: You wonder what information he needed, exactly…

Verdant Castle

Observer: You stop short as you enter the room you usually find Queen Iola in, staring at Queen Diana and King Nero.
Observer: The pair of them are seated on the couch and are surrounded by at least fifty stewies.
Observer: Queen Diana waves at you, grinning.
Queen Diana: “We’ve been taken prisoner by the stew.”
King Nero: “We were going to have dinner once we’d finished our meeting, but…”
Queen Diana: “Iola got a call from Syndra.”
Observer: Despite their attempts at smiles, you notice both of them seem… uneasy.
King Nero: “There haven’t been any movements of the army towards the Swamplands… I don’t know what could have happened that she needed to call Iola…”
Queen Diana: “Well… nobody’s been to the castle since Amalia became… what she is now.”
King Nero: “I hope to the moons nothing like that’s happened to Anja from being there…”
Queen Diana: “…oh why did you have to put that thought in my head?”
King Nero: “I- It couldn’t happen, right? Or else we’d be hearing about tons of people in the swamp turning into goo…? …right…?”
Queen Diana: “Yeah… I mean we heard about Amalia sort of quickly, we’d have heard if there were more…”
Queen Diana: “I just hate having to wait to find out…”
Observer: You really wish you could stick around to find out what Queen Syndra called Queen Iola about, but you have a sinking suspicion already that you won’t get to find out about it for a while…

Crystal Casino

Observer: The casino seems to have more life to it than it has for weeks now as you enter. Spirits seem to be rising as the Verdant Kingdom secures another recent victory.
Observer: Even your own sense of normalcy is starting to return as you spot Queen Diana and Queen Ashe at one of the poker tables.
Queen Diana: "Ah shit, I fold."
Observer: Diana chuckles as she drops her hand of cards.
Observer: You notice that Queen Ashe isn't playing and is instead just watching her wife play, looking too tired to join in herself.
Observer: You recall that Queen Diana has been busy with the war efforts, but you've heard and witnessed very little of Queen Ashe's contributions. It makes you wonder why she's the one who looks exhausted between the two.
Observer: Queen Diana notices your approach and signals to you.
Queen Diana: "Perfect timing. Come take my spot, will you? It's about time that Sugar and I headed to bed."
Observer: Queen Ashe, who had previously been staring distantly, snaps to reality and glares playfully at Queen Diana due to the pet name.
Queen Ashe: "Agreed. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow; the Verdant Kingdom will be happy for your presence."
Queen Diana: "I'll be back to annoy you before you know it."
Observer: Queen Diana offers her hand to Queen Ashe to help her up, and the two soon make their way to the exit.
Observer: You wonder if it's just concern for her wife that's keeping Queen Ashe from sleeping properly, or if there's more to it...
Observer: You don't have the opportunity to think too much about it as the current round of poker ends and you are being dealt into the next.
Observer: ...What's suddenly even more concerning is that you realize you should have asked how much the chips are worth in this game before agreeing to play.
Observer: You decide it's best to focus on winning for now so you don't have to find out the hard way.

Enchanted Elixirs

Observer: Mirrani stands at the counter of the shop as you enter, rubbing her forehead.
Violet: “I think I’m starting to see what the problem is…”
Mirrani: “Well that’s… good I guess…”
Mirrani: “I wish there wasn’t any problem…”
Violet: “Of course, but denial and wishing get you nowhere.”
Observer: You look between them, confused, but they don’t elaborate. Violet simply waves to you.
Violet: “Glad to see you again. We haven’t needed to shelter any civilians here, fortunately.”
Violet: “I expected things to be worse than they are.”
Mirrani: “Turns out lockettes bomb each other and I guess… don’t know we don’t do that?”
Violet: “Well even if normal dextroluma don’t, why wouldn’t the ones with necrosis use bombs?”
Mirrani: “Well… I can’t say I have the best understanding of necrosis, but… It’s like, passed on by spores and I think it’s classified as a parasitic fungus?”
Mirrani: “So like… if they bombed us all, they wouldn’t be able to infect us to spread the necrosis.”
Violet: “…I thought it was more like how some possessions behave, and would seek death at all costs.”
Violet: “Hmm… I’m going to talk to Symphony about this, whenever the Archives gets out of their lockdown.”
Mirrani: “Possession sounds scary if it’s like that…”
Violet: “It can be, but it’s not always. Symphony wouldn’t approve anyone to enter Aerius if they’re a danger to others, so if you ever meet any possessed, they’ll have it under control.”
Violet: “My girlfriend is possessed, but I helped her through the worst of it and she’s in control now.”
Mirrani: “…you have a girlfriend?”
Violet: “…yes?”
Mirrani: “Huh… I kind of assumed if you moved to another place, you’d like… have to have been single to do it…”
Violet: “Oh, no, Signe was fine to come with me. You know, being connected closely to another person isn’t a trap that keeps you stuck somewhere, Mirrani.”
Violet: “Relationships and connections can open new things and freedom to you too.”
Observer: Mirrani looks away, head down, and the conversation seems to dry up for the moment.
Observer: Time to browse… You hope you’ll get the chance to see Violet’s girlfriend at some point - and maybe find out some more about Mirrani’s past…

Rodeo Ruff Pets

Observer: You stop mid-step as you walk towards Rodeo Ruff, staring at Boone.
Observer: He stands just off the path, arms folded, staring at a building frame. The scavenger you saw on one of your prior visits sits on his shoulder (which you note is covered by extra layers of leather), a muzzle over her beak.
Boone: “Think this is enough space, girl? Your flock’s getting too big for Milk’s place.”
Observer: He steps into the frame, encouraging her to stretch her wings.
Observer: She takes a brief glide through it, before circling back to him. Once landed on his shoulder, she gives his head an affectionate headbutt.
Boone: “Alright, alright… We’ll get everything screened in properly so the flock of you can move in soon, and I’ll make sure anyone trying to adopt you all is more experienced…”
Observer: You express surprise that he would adopt them out at all, and he sighs deeply.
Boone: “There’s already a substantial population in the Verdant Kingdom now, thanks to that idiot selling them… Can’t turn it back, but I can make sure that I’m the only seller in the future.”
Boone: “I’m well-known enough that if people can get them from me if they meet my standards…”
Boone: “Then they’ll try to meet my standards sooner than they look for a different seller.”
Boone: “It’s the best option to try to keep idiots safe and to keep the poor critters from irresponsible owners.”
Observer: You nod, it makes sense enough with how Boone seems to think.
Observer: When he turns to head back to the store, you follow, figuring it’s a good opportunity to quiz him about his standards for scavenger owners…

Strawberry Gardens

Observer: Blossom is back at work at Strawberry Gardens when you enter. She seems to have quite a few of her pets with her today.
Observer: Petal floats near her, Sakura is sprawled across her shoulders, Poppy is sniffing the logs for cultivating arboreal mushrooms, and the new suldra is curled up on the counter, watching everything carefully.
Observer: Petal beelines to you when she spies you, as does Poppy, and you struggle to try to pet both of them while trying to make it to the counter.
Observer: Blossom giggles as you greet her by asking the suldra’s name and ask how she is doing.
Blossom: “Her name’s Pansy.”
Blossom: “She’s been handling Petal alright so far, though I haven’t left them alone together. So far she mostly ignores Petal, but she’s snapped at her once, when Petal tried stealing her food.”
Observer: Interesting…
Observer: You were going to browse but… There are three pets demanding attention from you now, and it’s kind of hard to focus on anything else.
Observer: Hopefully Blossom will rescue you with treats eventually…
Observer: How does she manage having so many pets at once?

Trash Kingdom

Observer: You recognize your surroundings with weary dread.
Observer: What fresh hell will you hear this time?
Observer: …munching sounds.
Observer: Nothing but munching.
Observer: You hope it is just the reverbration of sound against countless trashcans, dumpsters, and who knows what else that causes it to be so loud.
Observer: Surely it’s only the two voices you’ve heard before… right?
Observer: Surely it isn’t thousands… even though it sounds like that…
Angelic Voice: “I think he changed the fabric for his vests, they didn’t used to have such a gamey taste to them…”
Observer: You almost jump when you hear the voice, though it is a relief from the ceaseless sounds of chewing.
Chill Voice: “At least her stockings are succulent.”
Angelic Voice: “Mmm yes they are… I wish she had more legs for more stockings.”
Observer: They… want her to… have more legs because they… want more stockings to eat…?
Observer: Seriously, why do you keep coming here?
Observer: You wish you knew how to quit it…
Observer: And yet, barely a few sentences have been spoken before you flee back from whence you came…
Observer: Don’t worry, you’ll be back before you know it, won’t you?

Nevermore Bookstore

Observer: It is strangely… peaceful in Nevermore Bookstore as you enter it.
Observer: Vincent waves from the counter. You notice his summon is present, but he has a book open to read and seems relatively unbothered.
Observer: Keir is tidying one of the shelves, putting some books back onto the shelf that someone seems to have decided not to purchase.
Observer: When you approach, they incline their head in greeting.
Keir: “Our ‘visitor’ hasn’t been here for the entire duration of the war, have you realized?”
Keir: “I do not trust their absence will last… but it has been restful.”
Vincent: “It would be nice if it would last… but I do concur it is unlikely to, unless the warding spell they consumed is helping us…”
Keir: “I could wish to be so fortunate.”
Vincent: “It’s fortunate that Verdant Kingdom has been winning. No need to become kipitins.”
Keir: “Indeed.”
Observer: They become quiet again, and so you browse. You suspect you know exactly why they have been left alone by the denizens of Trash Kingdom, but you do not think they would be comforted to hear it…

Attack on the Verdant Kingdom (Shop)

Observer: The store is calm at first, when you step inside.
Observer: It’s a relief after what you heard last time, with Morgana looking for her missing gloves.
Observer: Since no one seems to be around at the moment, you decide to pet one of the scavengers. As it happily bumps your hand for pets, there is a loud and piercing shriek.
Morgana: “NOT THIS BULLSHIT AGAIN!”
Observer: She stalks out of the storeroom, eyes wild, followed by a trio of guards who exchange worried looks.
Morgana: “My stockings are missing, and what do I find but scraps of them with teethmarks all over the storeroom! Does that sound familiar?”
Observer: It does, in fact, and you are very glad she can’t see your face right now…
Morgana: “And Muramasa’s vest! It’s vanished too! Those accursed beasts are here!”
Observer: Beasts…? …is that what the voices you hear in the… ‘Trash Kingdom’… are…?
Observer: Though what kind of beast would have such normal sounding voices…?
Observer: …somehow, you don’t think you want to ask Morgana for details.
Observer: It seems safest to simply slip out of the store as she rages.