Illuminaria [LitRPG Fantasy Healer Adventure]

150 / 65 - Gathering the Guild

Puqmup found Joe still in Founders Plaza a few hours later. The number of those in need of aid had dwindled to a trickle by this point. Since Myllo was mustering the guild, Joe said his goodbyes to the kindly doctor before following the guild's rainbow-haired quartermaster. They entered the guildhouse just behind Edror, who was grinding out a foul-smelling cigar on the ground. While the scent wasn't nearly as bad as that first encounter with Vex, the pungent odor still made Joe's eyes water as he walked past the lingering acrid smoky stench.

They all convened in the main hall, where a very rumpled-looking Myllo was standing by the lectern. Right in the middle of the room, the huge green gardener was curled into a loudly snoring ball. Somehow, even as brutish as Nard was, he looked rather cute, snoozing away while everyone eased their way around him.

What was even more endearing was a small head that poked up like a prairie dog from inside the enfolding cuddle of the troll. As soon as Mojo saw Joe, the broodling screeched for joy and sprinted up into his arms. Poor Nard nearly jumped out of his skin, throwing himself up into a sit and blinking his big eyes in confusion.

"Heya, little man," Joe crooned to his companion. "I meant to grab you a while ago, but there were so many who needed healing. Were you good while I was gone?"

An interaction occurred between the wildness and the shug monkey. It wasn't words, but Joe could feel the feral spirit hover over the changeling's essence like a parent with a young child. Mojo understood the intent of the querying presence and grinned upward with bright eyes, the picture of good-natured innocence. Joe hoped the small, dog-ape was being honest and hadn't terrorized the guildhouse during the furious tempest. His dog, Ripple, would completely lose his mind during thunderstorms, so Joe wouldn't blame Mojo if he had been difficult but he really hoped that had not been the case.

"All right, bud. I'll take you at your word. I have a surprise for you, too. I have a new friend I want you to meet," he told the broodling as he headed for a seat next to Kendell.

Joe had always talked to his dogs, even though he knew they didn't really understand him; they just liked to hear his voice and tone. Now, though, he had one that understood quite a bit of what he said. Joe still hadn't figured out just how much Mojo truly comprehended, but he was positive it was far more than any pup he had ever worked with. There was also the connection between the changeling and the wildness. He could feel his feral id feeding their companion clues.

Whatever the source of knowledge was, the little guy was quivering with excitement. He clearly knew something good was coming.

"Where is Finn?" the sharp-eared archer asked, and Joe sat down.

"He and the rest of his pod are hunting crabs in the bay. I got the impression from the akhluts that a hefty chunk of the swarm booked it into the ocean. Pretty sure the ecosystem of Coral Bay is going to be in for a rude shock for a while."

"Well, we are all going to be eating crab meat for days," Kenda interjected. "This Founders Day is going to be drawing heavily on Crabfest recipes."

"How many holidays does Fort Coral celebrate?" Joe questioned bemusedly. This town seemed to love its festivals. Given that Mairree was the city's patron deity, it made sense these folks knew how to throw a party.

"At least one a month," the savant replied. "High sun has two good ones, Berryness and Long Day."

"Barebranch, too," added Tez. "It has Good Gourds to celebrate the end of autumn and Membrance to honor the start of winter."

As Joe was working out the months to align them to June/July and November on the calendar he grew up with, Myllo tapped the podium to get the group's attention.

"To start with, I want to say I am damn proud of you all. Cauldrakon was indeed a legendary beast, and you all performed valorously in the face of that threat. The council is still tabulating the number of Forters we lost today, but they have assured me that those figures so far are well below what the diviners had projected.

"First off, I'd like to give special commendation to Vexor Dr'vaza. Without your ability to keep us all connected, we would have lost the beachhead for sure, as well as the hundred people you pulled from the watchtowers to be healed and housed here.

"That leads us to my next commendation, Joe. Well done. I couldn't have asked more from a seasoned guilder, let alone a new recruit. Though I'm not sure if inviting a pack of sea predators to the battle was inspired genius or just plain lunacy. Since I've been told the akhluts turned the tide against the shellycoats, we'll give ya the benefit of the doubt," the korrigan offered with a smile. Then his face fell into a deep frown.

"We also have one of our own missing in action. During the storm phase, we lost contact with Yuk. Now, I for one am not ruling them out yet. Like the critters they are so fond of, that kid is tough to kill. We have the diviners looking, but as you all know, Yuk has a trait that makes them almost impossible to scry. When I know more, I will make sure you all do too.

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"Alright. Next steps. We've got a day before Founders Day and the city is a mess."

"Bah. That never got the Fort down before, My" gruffed the old monster hunter. "I think some of our best ones have been the raggedy Founders Days. Captain Curl and his pirate fleet hit us on Founders, and we sent them packing and kept the party going. And then there was Barlegon Blue?" Edror added. "That titan woulda made Cauldrakon look like a toddler."

"If I recall," the guild leader exaggeratedly pondered, stroking his beard. "Didn't you end up married after the Barlegon Blue celebration?"

"Gaah. Old history these young snips don't need ta hear about," the slayer huffed, popping an unlit cigar into his mouth to chew on.

"Ed's right, though. Fort Coral has a long history of forging on regardless of what the world throws at us. I've spoken to the city council, and you are free tomorrow to rest or help with the cleanup. I'm not handing out any assignments except for one. Joe and Earcellwen, I would like you two to make a sweep of the west fields to see if you find anything vastly different than your last visit. I also want you to plant a guidepost so Vex can open a gate by the valley.

"Another bit of good news is the Hellions found a safe harbor not too far along the inner coast. They should be docked and heading this way as we speak. Knowing them, after being cooped up on a ship these last few weeks, they'll be spoiling for a fight. I'm gonna turn them loose on the western woods. That should give us time to celebrate the holiday before we tackle the valley."

"I know most everyone leveled today, so Kendell and I will have office hours midday tomorrow to help anyone with their options. We are facing an unknown threat regarding the undead, and the Valley we believe is the actual Margen's Mourn, just beside Mount Serabuck. I'd like to see folks make their upgrades soon and spend a bit of time leveling them before we go. Yes, I know we have clean-up and festival Founders Day upon us, but please allot some time for training."

"Other than that, this meeting is dismissed … You know what, I have one more assignment," Myllo exclaimed, hopping off his stool behind the podium. "Tonight, I want you all to go out and find someplace to celebrate. The guild will pick up your tabs. You all earned it."

A whoop ran around the room, and everyone stood to leave, but before they made it to the exit, a fearsome group entered into the Guildhouse. The reaction to these warriors was oddly varied. Many grinned and waved, like Kendell standing beside him. But on Joe's other side was Wen, who looked nervously upon the team. Even before Joe began to assess the members, he was certain these were the infamous Hellions.

Joe's nose immediately picked up an infernal odor pouring off the towering woman leading the squad into the hall. Much like Vex, she stank of the Abyss, though not of sulfur and tar but an icy, vile putrescence instead. The pale blue-skinned woman had to duck under the lintel of the door. Not only did she stand seven feet high, but she had a pair of tall, curved horns sprouting from her forehead. Unlike Vex's classic devil tail, this fiendish lady had one that would be right at home trailing off a dragon's back.. Black barbs covered her forearms, and in her hands she bore a massive, jagged bone axe.

The man beside her sent a dreadful shiver down Joe's spine as it … he felt much like the undead Groven had. They looked very different, as the ex-knight had been shadelike, whereas this being was a walking corpse, but to Joe's various senses, they felt very similar. Grey cracked skin was peeled back, revealing weeping necrotic muscle. Corpse-white hair hung lankly down his back. The desiccated man's armor was made from black leather reinforced with ribs of bone. Across his shoulders was a coiled patchwork of a skeletal serpent, made entirely from bones. Not snake bones, though. The head looked like it belonged to a gnome or a human child. The body was formed from dense spinal bones that might have belonged to a jotun or large animal. The construct creature ended in a spiky tail comprised of barbs and spines. Joe took one look at the man's aura and stepped closer to Wen, holding Mojo tight to his chest. Even more so than the returned Sir Groven, wrapped around this man was a black writhing miasma, reeking of death.

Behind this dire pair entered three more figures, each as fearful as the next. Looking over the group, Joe immediately understood why they were given the jobs outside the town limits. This was not the band you expected to be rescued by. In fact, these were exactly the sort of ruffians that most sane folks would flee from on sight. Had they entered somewhere new bearing a large sign announcing, 'Yeah, we're actually the good guys,' Joe doubted anyone would believe it.

While Joe knew he should probably stay and greet one of Fort Coral's varsity teams, he was too wrung out to deal with the hellish reek of the icy blue cambion. He bumped Wen and nodded his head towards the door, brushing the back of his arm against his nose. She understood him right away. Giving him a shooing gesture, she mouthed, 'Wait for us,' before turning to Tez and Kenda.

Outside, Joe kicked a broken branch out of the way of the door. He was about to have Mojo help him gather up some of the ripped-up vegetation and make a pile when his friends bounded out to join him.

"Holy Sutt, are they in a foul mood," Tez huffed.

Kendell pulled a grimacing face before adding, "That must have been a rough voyage. If their healer was puking, I can't imagine how harsh it was for the rest of them."

"Those guys always have a reason to be surly," the elven archer scoffed before her voice perked up. "But we don't! DRINKS!" she hollered, which everyone soundly agreed with.

Divine names translated
God Name: Translated Word (definition)

Sutt, Soot (Goddess of smoke, incense, ash, and burnable things)