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Group 4: Carlito

Brill sighs. "Of course you don't, gri- stranger. Tell you what, if you can help me get Veep out of there safely, I'll give you 100 Shills. I'm sure Veep will have something else to pay you with for his safety. I-is that acceptable? The camps are near the edge of the Deep Bog - I-I can take you there if you like... Unless you think you can rescue him yourself?"

[] Keep talking to Brill
[] Head to the Spree Camps
   [] Take Brill with you

Group 1:

Rasma struggles against the tendrils hopelessly, while Prevus nearly falls over from surprise. The Boggers stare at Ehto in confusion. Pock quietly asks, "W-what are you?"

Krikith stares for a second before he re-focuses. "Many of our number have been... corrupted somehow. The Bog is meant to consume and provide redemption. But..." Krikith shudders at the memory. "It's begun to consume and... leave nothing."

"W-what the Hesh do you mean, Bogger?" Rasma asks, still trying to break free.

"Exactly what I said. The Bog consumes, yet it also creates. But now... Glofriam, the high priest... he's... lost his way. Those not loyal to him started disappearing, the creatures of the Bog stopped heeding our commands... When we set out to tell you of the dangers..." The wide brim of his hat dips down, covering Krikith's eyes. "There were twelve of us."

Krikith takes a few tentative steps forward before he produces a crude map that he hands to Ehto, with markings around a certain location deep within the Deep Bog. "You possess strength we do not. Please. Travel there and rid us of this evil."

Prevus looks over at the map and shakes his head. "O-oh, no. No no no - t-that's..."

"The heart of the Bog. But his concerns are correct - this is not a journey that can be made immediately. Do everything that you can to prepare... But please... burn out this evil..."

Rasma, meanwhile continues to regard the Boggers with open hatred. "So what happens now?"

[] Decide what to do with the Boggers
[] Leave and go somewhere else

Group 2 and 3: Hibiki, Sal, Utzi, Friedhold and Nessa, Tsubasa

Imiko flinches when Nessa speaks. "H-hold on, what? You're not seriously going to bring her along? S-she's just a young girl - we can't go putting her at risk of getting sliced up or spat on! She can stay here, where the Barons will protect her.

Anyway, I don't have any preference as to how you deal with the murderer - just make sure that they're gone, okay? If you think you two can get the drop on them if you go it alone, do so. Just... be careful, all right? We've lost too many good people already."

Sal smiles. "Don't worry. I know how to get to places unseen."

Imiko turns to Utzi. "And I suppose that means you can take both guards with you to bring down that erchin. Just... try to keep them safe, all right?"

[] Head out to hunt down the murderer
[] Head out to take down the Erchinlord
[] Keep talking with Imiko
[] Leave and head somewhere else
   [] The Last Stand
   [] Wander the area

Group 5: Rory

Rug raises his hands in protest. "Hey, are you comparing seriously comparing my dishes to mold and rats? Even my most adventurous dishes had minor side effects at best! Side effects I've worked on minimizing or removing entirely!"

Gnak puts a hand on his face, seemingly too tired to argue. "I hope so. I was picking splinters out my mouth for the rest of the day after that stew..."

"That's the nature of experimentation. But trust me. This second round will go better."

And that seems to help calm down the two workers - and by extension, the rest of the crowd. In just a few moments, Rug's fired up the kitchen proper, and a smell of something good, like roasted turkey, fills the air.

Orug grins. "Wow, you really have improved."

[] Return to Grout Bog Headquarters and report to Imiko

Group 1: Ehto

Ehto hears Prevus yelp in surprise at Bludd's voice. After some hushed whispering with Rasma, both Barons step out in front of the Boggers, shock batons in hand. Rasma's eyes widen as she sees Bludd.

"You!" She brandishes her baton in one hand, drawing her thumb across her throat with the other. "You're gonna pay for what you did."

Pock steps forward, wielding an odd-looking sword. "You will do no such thing."

Krikith interposes himself between the Barons and Boggers, hands empty and raised above his head. "Stay your hand, both of you. We... we're here to talk." The Bogger woman nods, and sheathes her weapon.

"And that's why you brought the murderer here, is it?" Weapon still in hand, Rasma begins to approach Bludd - who, in turn, is simply standing there, watching Rasma with an unreadable expression. A few steps in, and Prevus, who'd previously been watching nervously, moves to stop her.

"W-wait! Rasma! They're unarmed!" But the senior guard just shoves him aside.

"Stay out of this, rookie. He killed Kheven."

"Please." Bludd's voice is now the nervous quaver of before. "Let us tell you what we have to... and then... you may do with us what you will."

"The gospel of some mud-crazed psychopath is the last thing I want to hear. You can close your eyes if you want." And Rasma approaches ever-closer to Bludd, ignoring Krikith's pleas to hear what they have to say first.

[] Intervene
[] Wait and see what happens

Group 5: Rory

Orug looks at Gnak, seeming to only notice the extent of his condition now. "I-I... I just..." The laborer sighs. "I think you'd better ask him. I just saw him grab another, and... I work so hard each day, I just got so mad..."

Gnak looks around nervously, then speaks up. "There's a second person at my place. I... I didn't let anyone else know because I thought that she'd get kicked out... And she doesn't have anywhere else to go. A-are you going to tell the Barons?"

[] Talk to Gnak
[] Talk to Orug
[] Talk to Rug

Group 5: Rory

"That bastard's been stealing extra helpings for himself! He's been doing it ever since this crisis started, and that poisoner -" Orug points a finger at Rug, who flinches back "- Just looks away like it's nothing!"

"Who the Hesh made you part of the goon squad? I always knew you never liked me, Orug, but this is low, even for you."

"So you're admitting to the theft? Finally!"

Whatever retort Gnak has is lost in the noise of the crowd as he charges at Orug, the two caught in a clinch for a few moments before Orug pushes the Jarackle away.

Group 1: Ehto

Prevus sighs as Ehto approaches him. "N-no, it's just... Oh, it's stupid... don't worry about it."

Rasma shakes her head. "The grifter's got a point, Prev. It's clearly hurtin' your ability to focus."

"F-fine. I'm new to..." He gestures around the area, trying to find the right words. "All this. Being a Spark Baron, even. The invention I submitted wasn't even that good..."

"Hey, it was just fine. Hell, I've heard they've got dozens of orders for it over at Pearl-On-Foam. And besides, you've got us to keep you safe. Keep a cool head, and you'll be okay."

Prevus just grumbles, clearly not comforted by Rasma's words.

[] Talk to Rasma
[] Keep talking to Rasma's partner, Prevus
[] Enter the camp and confront the Boggers
   [] Have one or both of the Barons follow you
[] Enter the camp stealthily
   [] Have one or both of the Barons follow you
[] Leave the situation for now and head to:
   [] Grout Bog Regional Headquarters
   [] The Last Stand
   [] Wander the Area

Group 2: Hibiki and Sal
Sal chuckles as Hibiki gives her explanation. "Well, then, I'd hypothetically tell you it's a lot like a regular erchin, just bigger and nastier. You'll smell it from farther away, too. Oh, and try not to get too close. It's slimy as well. Eugh." Sal grimaces.

Imiko himself sighs. "It's true danger isn't from the Erchinlord's strength or speed alone, necessarily, but due to the fact that Erchinlords - and the erchins they inevitably attract - are... septic. If I sent in what few people I could, they'd all be bedridden for the next week - and I can't afford to have anyone out of action for that long. I'll be honest - I'd rather have you dodging disease-ridden spit than any of my own people. That's why we're willing to pay extra for this."

The bounty hunter thinks for a moment. "Well, whoever our target is, we could still use some backup..." She gives Imiko a meaningful look.

Imiko sighs. "All I can spare are two guards right now. Everyone else is too valuable to risk, and we don't have the manpower to send a full team without exposing ourselves to danger." He perks up a little as he seems to spot something approaching Headquarters. "Perhaps they could help?"

Group 3: Utzi, Friedhold and Nessa, Tsubasa, Shel

Shel grins. "Really? All right! Those creatures won't see us coming!" She draws her dagger and waves it about briefly. While the maneuver isn't very impressive for anyone who knows how to handle a blade, she at least doesn't drop her weapon. "Don't worry, I know the way to the Headquarters. Come on."

"So, uh, I don't know much about what coal or oil are - so I guess that surprise is gonna have to be mutual! But you're right in that Spark's pulled out of the ground. Then the Barons take it and use it to make all sorts of stuff. Power cells, grenades, charge packs for blasters...

Mallowi, huh? No clue who that is. You know who he's working for? 'Cause if he's with the Rise, we might not want to talk about them too loud. Or if he's with any faction that's not the Spark Barons, really. People have been twitchy lately. Oh, hey, we're here."

The bustling Headquarters comes into view. A bunch of Barons and laborers are moving about, carrying equipment, preparing to depart, or just resting for the time being. One Baron, who's talking to Sal and Hibiki, turns to the group. "I'm Imiko. You're with these two, right? I already gave Ehto and Rory their assignments - but I've still got plenty for you."

Sal's smile seems to widen at least a little. "Okay, now I think our odds are a little better."

Groups 2 and 3 are temporarily consolidated! They may split up into more groups if people choose different jobs.

[] The storehouse attack: "We've been analyzing the intel our network's given us, and we believe an attack is imminent, though we don't know who exactly we'll be fighting. I'd like to have someone to support the forces there, since we've been spread pretty thin these past few days."
[] The Spree Scouts: "A lot of folks see the chaos as an opportunity to take what they want from us. So far that's included the Rise, civilians, the Admiralty... and now the Spree. Those raiders have sent some scouting parties out into Grout Bog - and we need to be rid of them."
[] The Hostage Situation: "One of our high-ranking Barons, Myrkot, has been captured. We got a message demanding that we bring the Acting Manager in order to discuss ransoms." Imiko frowns. "That's a game Arint doesn't want to play. We need you to get our man out of there."
   - "Myrkot was working with some Heshian contacts when he was captured. If you can get those contacts out safely as well, there'll be a bonus in it for you."
[] The Baron Murders: "Several Spark Barons have been found dead over the past few days. The victims were all in small groups or alone, and the wounds on each corpse are consistent with lumin blasters. But some of the injuries suggest the use of non-standard ammo. Oh, and the bodies were all left out in the open." Imiko grumbles under his breath for a moment. "It's a message. Or perhaps they're mocking us with their impunity. And at the rate they're going..." Imiko looks upon the other Barons at the Headquarters for a moment, then turns back to Hibiki and Sal. "We've got a good idea of where their hideout is, but if we send what meager forces we have... we'll just be adding to the bodycount. But if you were to reinforce them... That might give us the edge we need."
   - Heading to the hideout will start a mini-mini boss fight that will be handled through the Trespassers Discord channel. The rewards for fighting this boss are great, but so is the risk...
[] The Erchinlord: "This one..." Imiko grimaces as he re-reads the reports he's holding. "These reports all suggest that an Erchinlord has showed up in one of the worksites. Now, no-one will hold it against you if you can't do this, but... If you can bring it down, you'll have some new friends here."
   - Heading to the worksite will start a mini-mini boss fight that will be handled through the Trespassers Discord channel. The rewards for fighting this boss are great, but so is the risk...

Group 4: Carlito

"W-what? But aren't you-" Brill's confusion fades to hope as Carlito inquires about the job. "Y-yes, my friend Veep! He was moving supplies from one of the storehouses when the Spree hit it. They got fended off pretty quick, but... Veep went missing. I was gonna go to one of their camps to see if they would ransom him, b-but maybe you could... negotiate a cheaper price, or scare them off, or..." Brill trails off, her hope from before fading away, too. "Oh, Hesh... J-just... please. I'll give you whatever I have left, but... I just want you to try..."

[] Keep talking to Brill
[] Leave and head to:
   [] Grout Bog Regional Headquarters
   [] The Last Stand
   [] Wander the Area

Group 5: Rory

The chef, Rug, shakes his head. "N-no, not really. Orug over there-" He points to one of the two workers at the front, a Human who's shoving back a Jarackle "- claims Gnak was stealing extra food. He'd taken a little extra, but I thought that was okay - he looked like he wasn't getting full meals for some reason. I just... I didn't expect Orug to get so aggressive about it. I tried suggesting that I whip up something extra, but... No-one's willing to touch any of my recipes. Just the stuff that's already prepackaged." Some of the other workers are holding back Orug and Gnak, but others seem willing to sit by and watch - or even look like they want to join in.

[] Keep talking to Rug
[] Talk to Orug
[] Talk to Gnak
[] Beat up the entire crowd
   [] This will trigger a special fight that will be handled through the Trespassers Discord channel.

Lyra

"Hm... Well, I guess when we're in town, one thing we should ask about is this 'F.C.S.' person. As for the mysterious figure..." Lyra shook her head. "I'm pretty sure I've seen someone wearing a coat like that before. In the meantime... well, it can't hurt to look around a little more."

Unless anyone decides they should go to the town, Lyra decides to poke her head into the tiny bathroom to see if there's anything unusual in there.

Group 1: Ehto and Rory

Imiko puts a hand to his chin in thought, then shakes his head. "Nothing really. Just know that you don't exactly need your whole team to handle each job - if anything, that can scare people unduly, or reveal yourselves too soon. Once you find your colleagues, just direct them to me if they need work. Plenty of problems are in need of solving here in Grout Bog, that's for sure." Imiko gives the two directions to their respective destinations and wishes them luck before turning to another Baron to discuss lost personnel.

Ehto and Rory split up to perform their jobs! Rory is now in Group 5!

Ehto doesn't encounter much of anything until she nears the Bogger Camp - that's when she spots the pair of Barons that have been stationed nearby. They nod to her as she approaches. One Baron - the ringleader of the group, it seems - steps forward. "So, you're to be our interrogation specialist, right? The Bogger Camp is just up ahead. Only three Boggers - scouts, I believe. We'll be here in case any of them try to escape. Unless you think we should come with?" The Security Guard, Rasma, looks to her partner, a nervous-looking Kra'deshi. "Well... I don't know if leaving Prevus by himself is a good idea."

[] Talk to Rasma
[] Talk to Rasma's partner, Prevus
[] Enter the camp and confront the Boggers
   [] Have one or both of the Barons follow you
[] Enter the camp stealthily
   [] Have one or both of the Barons follow you
[] Leave the situation for now and head to:
   [] Grout Bog Regional Headquarters
   [] The Last Stand
   [] Wander the Area

Group 2: Sal, Hibiki

The Shroke woman sighs, then nods. "As you like. I'll be needing some time to prepare anyway, so I'll be here in case you change your mind. But I don't know how long I'll be able to wait."

Worrik just sighs. Sal gives the two one last concerned look, then leaves. "Come on. I can't stay here..."

The trip to the Regional Headquarters is short and uneventful. After a few minutes of waving and shouting, the factory manager, Imiko, manages to fend off the waves of people coming to him for orders and equipment long enough to finally approach the two. "Hey. One of your colleagues told me you'd be heading here. I don't know if you've met with them yet, but long story short, we're drowning in problems. Got a few more for you to take care of."

[] The Hostage Situation: "One of our high-ranking Barons, Myrkot, has been captured. We got a message demanding that we bring the Acting Manager in order to discuss ransoms." Imiko frowns. "That's a game Arint doesn't want to play. We need you to get our man out of there."
   - "Myrkot was working with some Heshian contacts when he was captured. If you can get those contacts out safely as well, there'll be a bonus in it for you."
[] The storehouse attack: "We've been analyzing the intel our network's given us, and we believe an attack is imminent, though we don't know who exactly we'll be fighting. I'd like to have someone to support the forces there, since we've been spread pretty thin these past few days."
[] The Spree Scouts: "A lot of folks see the chaos as an opportunity to take what they want from us. So far that's included the Rise, civilians, the Admiralty... and now the Spree. Those raiders have sent some scouting parties out into Grout Bog - and we need to be rid of them."
[] The Baron Murders: "Several Spark Barons have been found dead over the past few days. The victims were all in small groups or alone, and the wounds on each corpse are consistent with lumin blasters. But some of the injuries suggest the use of non-standard ammo. Oh, and the bodies were all left out in the open." Imiko grumbles under his breath for a moment. "It's a message. Or perhaps they're mocking us with their impunity. And at the rate they're going..." Imiko looks upon the other Barons at the Headquarters for a moment, then turns back to Hibiki and Sal. "We've got a good idea of where their hideout is, but if we send what meager forces we have... we'll just be adding to the body count. But if you were to reinforce them... That might give us the edge we need."
   - Heading to the hideout will start a mini-mini boss fight that will be handled through the Trespassers Discord channel. The rewards for fighting this boss are great, but so is the risk...
[] The Erchinlord: "This one..." Imiko grimaces as he re-reads the reports he's holding. "These reports all suggest that an Erchinlord has showed up in one of the worksites. Now, no-one will hold it against you if you can't do this, but... If you can bring it down, you'll have some new friends here."
   - Heading to the worksite will start a mini-mini boss fight that will be handled through the Trespassers Discord channel. The rewards for fighting this boss are great, but so is the risk...
[] Talk to Imiko (Before or after choosing one or more of the jobs)
[] Leave the Headquarters and go to:
   [] The Last Stand
   [] Wander the area

Group 3: Utzi, Friedhold and Nessa, Tsubasa

Shel raises an eyebrow at Utzi's question. "You... really don't know? Spark's what the Spark Barons are all about! It's why they built this place! Extracting and selling it is why they're so rich and powerful! Well, that and the artifacts they find... You've really never heard of this until now?"

Shel sighs, shaking her head. "Oh, yeah..." Without someone to rail against, Shel seems to deflate. Any illusion of her being a dangerous fighter dissipates entirely as she slouches over. "I'm... I'm not really... I'm only out here because I thought I could keep my debt-broker at bay by working here. Now, even if I somehow make it back to Murder Bay, I'm just gonna get sold to the lumin derricks." She glances over at Utzi, then clarifies, "Hard labor until I keel over. Or worse."
[] Head to:
   [] Grout Bog Regional Headquarters
   [] The Last Stand
   [] Keep wandering the area

Group 4: Carlito

The people living in the shanties - some humans, like Carlito, some with fur, others with horns - give the new arrival odd glances, but don't otherwise respond to his wanderings.

At least, until one of the laborers makes a beeline to him. "Hey, you're a grifter, right? I-I've got a job for you, please! My friend - Veep - Human, about my height, always wearing a visor - he's gone missing! Get him back and I'll pay, okay?"

Carlito overhears a bystander talking to a friend. "Ah, Hesh. Brill's at it again..."

"Why's she even worried about him at a time like this?"

[] Talk to Brill
[] Leave Brill and head to:
   [] Grout Bog Regional Headquarters
   [] The Last Stand
   [] Wander the area

Group 5: Rory

Rory manages to find the Caffy easily enough. He enters to see overturned tables, a scared chef, and a crowd of workers that seem to be arguing with everyone, including one another. At the forefront seem to be two workers - easily the most rowdiest of the lot - arguing with one another.

[] Talk to the chef
[] Approach the arguing workers and try to talk to one of them
[] Beat up the entire crowd
   [] This will trigger a special fight that will be handled through the Trespassers Discord channel.

I've had my computer occasionally stutter or freeze for a moment when doing stuff like watching videos. It seems to happen a lot more often when I play games, though. My laptop's relatively high end, is only a few months old, and I've made sure it stays cool.

What might be wrong, and what can I do to solve the issue?