seventh shot ⊗ open october log

[flamekthunder]

🧙 WHO: Eustace and anyone
⚔️️ WHAT: various quests
🕒 WHEN: throughout October
🗺️ WHERE: various
⚠️ WARNINGS: none except depictions of death for headless horseman task and any potential violence that might happen in the combat oriented prompts

⊗ a: task - pumpkin mayhem

[It's only by chance that Eustace narrowly dodges a pumpkin that just whizzes by his head, frowning as he stares at the flying gourd. At first he thought someone recklessly threw it, but then he sees it actually stop in mid-air and fling itself back towards him. Realizing it's moving on its own, he once again rolls out of the way, unholstering his gun as he does before quickly aiming and firing a bolt of lightning. It's a perfect shot, hitting it squarely in the center to cause it to explode into smaller pieces and fall to the ground below.]

...Was it cursed?

[Somehow he wouldn't be surprised if so, but hearing some shouts as more pumpkins roll and fly about disrupts his thoughts and he heads over to try and help take care of them. He doesn't necessarily want to shoot them given the mess they can make, but he sometimes doesn't have much of a choice. So hopefully no one gets too much pumpkin splatter on them.

BONUS: When not dealing with the pumpkins, if he is managed to get dragged into a patch he may be persuaded to decorate one (though he'll be wary and suspicious if he's learned that the pumpkins might come to life from there). But if he does decorate one, it'll be dog themed.]

⊗ b: task - don't lose your head

[Hearing about the Headless Horseman prompts Eustace to head back, a trip made easier thanks to having received the Celliwig totem earlier. Since it's difficult to track its movements, Eustace takes an area to help cover.

1. Helping...Paw? Although he could just stick to a perch and be ready to snipe, it leaves a bad taste in his mouth when he could also be helping. So when someone else is on guard, he drops down to do what he can, be it just clearing out rubble and debris or transporting the dead. That includes turning into a dog and try to help sniff out or dig out any remains. It's not the most pleasant work and it would be better if there weren't any, but he's fairly immune to the sad, grisly aspect of it.

2. Fighting the Horseman. When the Horseman does arrive, should he be at his perch he'll instantly fire a few shots of lightning down at it in attempts to deal damage as well as stun it, but he can't be too sure if his lightning will have that kind of effect. Regardless, he'll provide cover fire for anyone fighting on the ground.]

⊗ c: tdm - not quite puppy parade

[It's probably not too surprising to find Eustace making a small stop to look at the adoption fair. And as an animal mage, he figures he could help out if needed.

For now, he just looks over the pens with a curious eye when one he spots one of those hamsters toddling about. It doesn't take long for him to catch up to it and pick it up. But then there's another. ...And another one.

...

At some point, Eustace has an armful of hamsters including a few that managed to climb up on top of his head and shoulders.]

...Those wings won't save you if you fall, you know.

[Just a small sigh as he carefully makes his way through the crowd to try and bring them back. Anyone want to help???]

⊗ d: wildcard

[He'll also be hunting the forests to help bring in extra meat and other resources, so could have some run ins there! Considered the Forest of Fachan prompt line but might be better as dedicated with one or two people. Can do the other quests, and it's likely he might end up getting involved in the Suns out, Guns out task in the sense of trying to intervene any unnecessary violence, so that's another option. If interested in anything else not included here, just hit me up on laenavesse or discord and we can work something out!]

Comments

[flamekthunder]

[Even if she did, she would be sure they wouldn't escape.]

Let's start with the source as they're closer. If we can't find anything we can move out to the fields.

[tantailizing]

[Of course not. She's a good familiar like that.]

Sounds good. Work our way up the chain like that.

[flamekthunder]

Do you know where they're coming from?

[tantailizing]

Like the specific field? Hm...

[Give him a moment to think, there were plenty of fields and farms...]

I think I repaired their fences after the zombie attack... Yeah, they needed help for the harvest trade so a few green mages came around later!

[flamekthunder]

Then it's likely they are being decorated there as well. Let's take a look.

[tantailizing]

Yeah, let's check it out.

[So guess that meant Zidane was taking the lead, heading towards the field he mentioned. Boy, oh, boy, what would be up with them today?]

[flamekthunder]

[Indeed, Zidane gets to take the lead and Eustace will walk after him. When they reach the farm... It looks normal? Just people decorating pumpkins without really seeing anything amiss so far.

...However...

Eustace taps Zidane's shoulder and points towards near a barn where some people were gathered and seem to be discussing something.]

Let's ask over there.

[tantailizing]

[It's pretty weird. The field looked... normal. Like, freshly picked of pumpkins and not at all messed up from it. And nothing weird from the pumpkins being decorated...]

[Blinking when his shoulder's tapped, he looks the way Eustace's points and nods.]

Yeah. Seems like something's up...

[Time to heads towards that group then.]

[flamekthunder]

[As they approach, they can hear the people hurriedly speaking and asking each other questions:

"Did you se it??"

"No, I don't know how it happened!"

"It's not all of them, then what is it!?"

"I'm telling you someone put a curse."

"Don't say that!"

"Well what else could it be!? We have to figure it out or we'll lose our jobs!!"

Eustace glances at Zidane before clearing his throat, letting Zidane to follow up since he's the more talkative one.]

[tantailizing]

[Alright, so they knew something was up already. That would save a lot of discussion so they could get to the bones of it. When Eustace clears his throat, Zidane raises a hand.]

Yo, no one's gotta lose their job over this. Let's keep calm and start at step one to figure out what's going on.

Okay, so we all know some of the pumpkins are acting up. Which field and was their anything funny before or during the harvest?

[flamekthunder]

[The group jump at the voices and stare at them pale faced. It's clear they're hesitant in saying anything, but eventually one finally pipes up.

"Not that we noticed, all the pumpkins look the same as normal."

"It's only after they're decorated, but it's not all of them, either."]

Are the pumpkins mixed together or were they divided in batches from the field they came from?

[They muse for a moment before someone snaps their fingers.

"Come to think of it, that one table...weren't those pumpkins all from the southern field?"

"Eh, really?"]

Worth checking out.

[tantailizing]

[Zidane gives a reassuring smile.]

See? We're off to a start! You guys, get the pumpkins from the Southern Field set aside while we look into this and make sure people decorate the other pumpkins, okay? We'll finish looking into this.

[That would help stop any more from popping to life hopefully. Looking over at Eustace, shall they be on their way?]

[flamekthunder]

[He just nods in agreement to this plan and after some guidance they make their way to the field.]

Any guesses?

[tantailizing]

It's gotta be some kind of curse on the field, right? Since it's just on one batch and not them all.

[It makes the most sense.]

[flamekthunder]

That's what I suspect as well, but if it is it'll be difficult to find the culprit.

[tantailizing]

Yeah, it probably will be. Oh well, we wanna make sure this field isn't enchanting everything that grows from now on.

[flamekthunder]

As well as make sure none of the others show sign of a similar enchantment.

[But will they be able to tell...? Well only one way to find out.

As they near the field, however, the pumpkins all seem ordinary and nothing seems out of place. No sign of any strange intrusion, only the tools leftover from tending and harvesting it.]

[tantailizing]

... You know, thinking about it, a Green Mage might be able to figure this out.

[Because they might not be able to solve this. Still...]

[Looking over the field, it looks... well, normal. Kneeling down, turning over the dirt with a hand, nothing about it seems off.]

I mean, aside from the pumpkins, it looks like dirt and fertilizer... oh, and a few bugs.

[flamekthunder]

...You make a fair point. Nothing here seems off at all.

[Could the equipment have been tampered? He looks over at the tools and doesn't see anything out of the ordinary...

...

...Hm?]

...Zidane, come over here.

[There are bags of fertilizer leaning against the fence with the tools, but there are three different brands. At first glance it doesn't seem unusual, however a closer look will reveal the answer.]

[tantailizing]

Huh?

[Getting up and dusting off his hands with a few claps, he walks over to Eustace, and notices the fertilizer too. Nothing about it seems weird... but then he double takes and reads a little closer on one in particular.]

... What the hell?

[Why would they do that??]

[flamekthunder]

Seems like a decent way to prank someone... We should ask them if they have anymore or if this was a deliberate sabotage from someone outside of the form.

[tantailizing]

Yeah. Could've been a 'deal' too good to pass up.

[And some people need to make gold and other people are trying to get extra out of the situations around. Yeesh... Well, Zidane'll pick up the suspect fertilizer. No point in leaving it with the others.]

[flamekthunder]

[Eustace checks around to make sure there isn't anything more or anything else before they head out of the field to find the staff.]

[tantailizing]

[This better have been worth it because there were some frozen pumpkins that still needed to be sorted out. And it looks like the staff they spoke to hadn't left the previous spot they'd spoke at.]

Heeey, we found your problem!

[flamekthunder]

[The staff look at them surprised and Eustace will let Zidane show the fertilizer before pointing out the problem.]

Is this something you normally have?

[They of course deny, but...one of them looks a little more nervous than the others.]