“Alright, we’ll get right on it,” Micaela said.
“Question,” Olaf said before Duke could leave. “That City cost. Are you able to issue quests on behalf of the city?”
“Aye, I can,” Duke answered.
“Can you help us out with our construction issues? More specifically, we need more stone blocks, a lot more,” Olaf said.
Duke frowned. “I suppose I can,” he said. “It will not be much. I need to be careful with Hurligville’s experience allotment.”
Olaf spoke quickly before Duke could issue the request. “Then, could I ask you to split it into two requests? One to gather the stone blocks and one to protect the caravans of stone from the quarry to the city?”
Duke took a deep breath. “You make sense. I will not be able to issue any other quests from the city for the next week if I do this. So be sure this is what you want.”
“It is,” Olaf confirmed.
Service Request: Stone Cutters Wanted
Mayor Duke Johnson needs raw stone gathered from the nearby quarry to help build up Hurligville’s defenses. This quest is recommended for level 1-15
Request Requirements: 10000-Raw Stone Blocks
City Cost: 20000-Experience, 2250-Copper
Order Reward: 250-Copper, +50-Order Renown
Will the Order of Epic Grinders agree to fulfill this request?
Yes
No
Olaf happily accepted.
Service Request: Stone Guardians
Mayor Duke Johnson has requested help protecting the wagons meant to carry stone blocks as they travel to and from the nearby Stone Quarry. This quest is recommended for level 15-25
Request Requirements: All Caravan’s safely escorted to and from the Stone Quarry
City Cost: 50000-Experience, 55-Silver
Order Reward: 5-Silver, +100-Order Renown
Will the Order of Epic Grinders agree to fulfill this request?
Yes
No
Olaf again accepted. This one worried him a little though. It wouldn’t be much experience even if the pay was better than most. Still, it fit with his plans.
“That should be good for 20 people to gather raw stone and 10 people to guard the caravans. I wish I could offer more but that is the limit of Hurligville’s available experience,” Duke said apologetically. “Currently, we would need to increase the population of Hurligville by at least 109 adults to increase the available experience pool. Sorry we cannot do more.”
“You’ve done more than enough,” Olaf said. He was glad to know what the limitations of Hurligville were as well as gleaning a little knowledge as to how the city can give out quests. He was gladder to know what it would take to increase that pool. Growing the town would be an interesting endeavor. Assuming the Citizens even wanted to increase the size of the town.
“If there is nothing else for me, I will be in my new office, seeing what, is what,” Duke said, looking toward Homer’s old office. “Mary, you coming?”
“I’ll be along in a minute,” Mary said, motioning for her husband to go ahead.
“Can we help you with something, Mary?” Micaela asked as soon as Duke’s office door closed.
“My husband is sacrificing much for that request,” Mary said. “It would be wrong if I did not try to help as well.”
Service Request: Undead Critters in the Field
Mary Johnson has requested you aid in exterminating the undead critters that infest their farm’s fields. This quest is recommended for level 5-10
Request Requirements: 200-Undead Rats, 200-Undead Squirrels, 200-Undead Moles, 200-Undead Giant Locusts, and 200-Undead Field Mice
Citizen Cost: 50000-Experience, 45-Silver
Order Reward: 5-Silver, +100-Order Renown
Will the Order of Epic Grinders agree to fulfill this request?
Yes
No
Olaf looked at Mary’s level. She was just level 7. If they took the quest, she could lose as many as 3 levels.
“Are you sure?” Micaela asked, apparently thinking the same thing as Olaf.
“I would not have offered if I was not sure,” Mary insisted. “I will regain the lost experience in time. Getting our farm back will help with that.”
Micaela frowned but accepted the quest before Olaf could refuse. And just like that, Mary dropped down to level 5. Not as bad as Olaf feared, but still not good. He wished Micaela had talked to him first before accepting the request.
“Right, now I best go tell my husband. He will not be happy about it,” Mary said, mustering her will for the discussion, possibly argument, ahead of her.
“Alright, Olaf, you go see Dogson and Doc B, see what they need,” Micaela said. “I’ll go meet with everyone else for the interviews. It sounds like we’re in for a busy day.”
“Why am I always the one running all over the place? ‘Olaf, run to Root City and find us a healer,’ or ‘Olaf, go knock on doors and tell people about the emergency election.’ We’re supposed to be partners, you know?” Olaf complained.
“Remind me, who built the Order House and who got to go out adventuring?” Micaela replied, giving Olaf a look that all women seem to know from birth.
“Right, I’ll just be going then,” Olaf said, resigned to his fate.
Micaela smiled, and called after him, “Thanks, love, I appreciate you!”
Olaf grumbled under his breath, “Yeah, yeah, love you too.”
The Doghouse Inn was closest to the town hall, though it may as well have been miles away. Just outside of the town hall were players. Hundreds of players. They seemed to be mostly broken up into groups as small as two or three or as large as five or six. However, he did see one large group that must have been fifteen to twenty members large. As Olaf tried to navigate his way through the crowd, he heard more than a little boasting.
“I’m a Dragonslayer, they absolutely must make me a member,”
Olaf snorted back a laugh when the girl gave the boy a disinterested look and asked, “But have you ever seen a dragon? Let alone, slain one?”
The boy blustered for a moment then moved on.
When Olaf saw a young half-Elf named
After making his way through the crowd and stepping on more than one foot in the process, Olaf finally made his way into the Doghouse Inn, which was just as busy with players as it was outside. Maybe even busier.
Another five minutes of dodging players as he made his way toward a harried looking Dogson, and Olaf was ready to give up on his plan to offer assistance.
“Crushhammer,” Dogson howled. “This is your fault, you and your wife’s.”
Olaf winced and quickly apologized, “Yeah, sorry. We didn’t know it was going to be like this.”
“Then do something about it,” Dogson howled.
Service Request: Overpopulation
Dogson, the owner and proprietor of the Doghouse Inn is in need of an expansion. This quest is recommended for any level
Request Requirements: Build two additional floors for the Doghouse Inn
Citizen Cost: 10000-Experience, 5-Gold for Materials, 15-Silver
Order Reward: 5-Silver, +100-Order Renown
Will the Order of Epic Grinders agree to fulfill this request?
Yes
No
Olaf accepted. Happily, accepted. It was a crafting quest. It was good for the Order in general.
“Do you need anything else?” Olaf asked. “Food? Drink? Anything?”
Dogson barked back, “Booze!”
Service Request: Not a Sober Soul to Remain
The Doghouse in is going to quickly run out of alcohol if something isn�
��t done soon. Form a caravan and travel to Root City to pick up Dogson’s order from D. Distillers and return with the goods. This quest is recommended for level 1-5
Request Requirements: Safely deliver 10-Barrels Whiskey, 5-Barrels Rum, 1-Barrel Tequila, & 25-Barrels Beer
Citizen Cost: 500-Experience, 150-Copper
Order Reward: 50-Copper, +10-Order Renown
Will the Order of Epic Grinders agree to fulfill this request?
Yes
No
Olaf took on the quest knowing it wouldn’t work for more than five adventurers, but for a level 1-5 quest, that was just about perfect.
“You can check with Rita in the kitchen, see if she needs any ingredients,” Dogson said, before the demands of another player derailed him.
Olaf entered the kitchen only to duck as a very sharp knife sailed through the air where his head used to be. “I swear, if one more of you ruddy adventurers enter my kitchen and ask for cooking lessons . . . I will cut you up and serve you for dinner.”
“Hello Rita, it’s just me, Olaf Crushhammer,” Olaf said.
Rita was a Dogman like her husband . . . erm, Dogwoman? Anyway, where Dogson was some kind of half-Hound, Rita looked like she was half-Sheepdog. With her very shaggy hair it was amazing that she could see Olaf in order to throw the knife with such accuracy. It was probably only due to the level difference that Olaf was able to dodge. She puffed air from her lips to blow her hair out of her eyes, “Oh, Olaf, it is you. Why did you not say so? Come, come, I will fix you up a plate right quick if you like.”
“No, no thank you. Dogson suggested I come back and see if you need anything ingredient wise. I’m trying to put together some requests for the Order,” Olaf explained.
Rita blew her shaggy hair back again to look him in the eyes. She answered, “Berries are always welcome. Sirius knows, we always need more berries for my pies.”
Service Request: Pie Times
Rita Dogson is in need of blackberries to make pies to feed the multitude of adventurers that infest the Doghouse Inn. This quest is recommended for level 5-10
Request Requirements: 50-Bushels of Blackberries
Citizen Cost: 5000-Experience, 100-Blackberry Pie, 125-Copper
Order Reward: 25-Copper, +10-Order Renown
Will the Order of Epic Grinders agree to fulfill this request?
Yes
No
“We’ll take care of it,” Olaf said, looking over his shoulder toward the main room of the inn. He was not looking forward to trying to wade through the mob to get back outside.
“You can use the back door,” Rita offered, thumbing over her shoulder.
Olaf thanked her and used the alternate escape to get out of the inn, not that the streets were much better. It was still extremely overcrowded with adventurers.
Dog B’s Saloon was quite different from the Doghouse Inn. It was a large square building. All the rooms were on the second and third floor looking down on the open barroom below. It was like something out of an old western, including the scantily clad women standing outside some of the rooms just waiting for a little company. Less expected were the scantily clad men doing the same thing, though there were fewer of them than there were of the women.
However, just like the Doghouse Inn, Doc B’s was bustling with activity. Adventurers regularly came in and out of the rooms above, many of them grinning like idiots. It wasn’t hard to figure out what the deal was there.
Olaf spotted the proprietor arguing with an adventurer, one that was thankfully no threat to Doc B.
Doc B was old with shockingly white hair that he kept slicked back close to his balding scalp. He wore thick lensed glasses that made his eyes appear much larger than they actually were. His looked was finished with a tweed suit and a polka dot bowtie.
Olaf watched for a moment while the adventurer yelled at Doc B. The man just kept looking at his pocket watch. “Alright, that’s quite enough of that,” the old man said, closing the faceplate of his watch. At the same time, the adventurer suddenly froze.
Doc B turned his back to the adventurer and yelled, “Martin, please take this young man outside. You have 30-seconds.”
A large burly Ogre stepped out from the corner of the room. How Olaf missed the Ogre’s presence, he would never know.
“Neat trick,” Olaf complimented Doc B.
“Thank you, Mr. Crushhammer, it is a decent trick,” Doc B replied. “Now, do not tell me what you are here for. I am going to use my powers to attempt to see into the future.”
“You can do that?” Olaf asked.
“Anything is possible if you put your mind to it,” Doc B replied, putting his fingers to his temple. “You are here because you and your wife had a big fight, and you need to let off some pent-up frustrations.”
“Uh . . . no,” Olaf replied.
“Do not tell me, do not say anything,” Doc said, moving to put two fingers to Olaf’s temple. “You have come here to tell me that the new mayor has finally approved my request to build a second location near the town hall or next door to the temple.”
Olaf chuckled at the last one.
“Do not tell me,” Doc B tried again.
“Sorry Doc B, but time is short,” Olaf said, gently removing the man’s hand from Olaf’s temple. “I’m here to see if you need help with anything. Anything the Order can do. Requests, that kind of thing.”
“Ha, I knew it,” Doc B said. “I saw a glimpse of the future. You and I were shaking hands, as though I had fulfilled some great need, or you had fulfilled one of mine. I was so close.”
“Right,” Olaf drawled. “Anyway, do you need something?”
“As you know by now, I am an Alchemist. One of the best, in fact. However, time is always a factor. I do not have the time I need. You and your Order could save me a tremendous amount of time. I need potions. Specifically, I need Potions of Disease Cleansing. My stock is quickly running out and if I must brew them myself, I will lose so much time to it. My Chronal experiments will suffer major setbacks. As you know, I cannot let this be. So, will you put the power of your great Order into helping me brew these potions?”
Service Request: Potent Potions for Personnel
Doc B needs to restock on his Potions of Disease Cleansing, or he risks his Chronal experiments going awry. This quest is recommended for any level
Request Requirements: 500-Potion of Disease Cleansing
Citizen Cost: 25000-Experience, 50-Formula: Potion of Disease Cleansing, 3000-Copper
Order Reward: 500-Copper, +50-Order Renown
Will the Order of Epic Grinders agree to fulfill this request?
Yes
No
Olaf was slightly nauseated by the request, more so when he nodded and accepted the quest. Another crafting quest was nothing to sniff at, even if it was for less than sanitary reasons.
“Thank you, good sir, Olaf,” Doc B said, shaking Olaf’s hand. “Ah, and there it is. The moment I foresaw. I need to write this down. G. W. Hells will be eating crow when he hears about this.” And just that quickly, Doc B was gone.
Olaf briefly looked around again for the Ogre, but he was gone, or at least Olaf thought he was. He wasn’t listed in the city register either. He made a mental note to look into the Ogre later, but for the mome
nt, he had what he needed.
Finally, Olaf could join his friends in the Order House and start with the recruiting process. Seeing the crowd of players that seemed to have grown by almost double since he was there less than an hour ago made him consider leaving it all to his wife and friends. A quick check of the City Management tab showed the adventurer count had grown by another hundred and fifty-three. That meant there were four hundred and twenty-seven players, all of whom were looking to join the Order of Epic Grinders.
It took almost thirty minutes for Olaf to navigate the players just to make his way inside, ignoring the shouts of protest and indignation because it appeared that he was ‘cutting’ the line. Thankfully, he out leveled all but a few of them and those with higher levels than his own either recognized him or didn’t care enough to get upset by it. Of course, there was always that one.
“And just where do you think you’re going?”
“My office,” Olaf said, pointing toward the back of the main floor where the office Micaela had built for the both of them sat.
Jazzy eyed him up and down cautiously before asking, “Are you really one of the officers here? You’re not just saying that?”
“It’s true,” Olaf answered.
World Tree Online: The Order of Epic Grinders: 4th Dive Page 40
