Tunnel Rat

Chapter 8: The Basement

Milo entered the Guild Hall and stared around. The building was open all the way to the roof, with a dizzying series of stairs and open walkways at each level leading to rooms around the perimeter. The stairs down just disappeared into a hole in the floor. People in all sorts of garb and armor sat around drinking, arguing, and gambling. It was a little disorienting. He realized someone was talking to him.

"Yo! New Guy! Ears open and get over here." He turned and saw a halfling with huge hairy feet standing on a stool and yelling at him. "You got a problem? I think you have a problem! I see you standing in my guild hall and you ain't a member. I don't like you already. Impressive. It usually takes me a whole minute to get sick of you people. Get your ass over here and get your paperwork filled out."

Milo went over to the shouty little man at the desk and tried to smile. "Hi, I'm Milo. Squint said to come over."

The halfling put both hands on his cheeks in surprise. "Oh, Squint sent you! Gee Willy Gosh! That makes you special...shit, what am I doing...you look like the kind of idiot that will take me seriously. Sorry kid, you ain't special. Just another new fish that owes me his dues. Pay up and then you can go check out the job board. For someone of your esteemed level it's the worldly sum of 1 copper penny. You got a penny left kid, or did you spend it on the 'entertainment' along the way?"

Milo pulled a penny out of his pouch and handed it to the halfling. He signed the paper the halfling pushed over to him, and accepted a badge made out of tin with his number on it. "Get a piece of string, and tie that around your neck. That's your guild number. Most of you guys can't remember otherwise. Don't worry if you lose it, it shows up on your tombstones. Helps you find where you died in big battles."

"There you go kid. You are now a probationary member of the Shadowport Explorers Guild. Don't let it go to your head."

Milo looked at the badge, and put it into his pouch. "Now what?"

The halfling sat down on his stool and leaned back against the wall. "Holy crap. You really are new, aren't you? How many days in the game kid?"

"Well, not counting the tutorial, this is my first."

The halfling raised an eyebrow and whistled. "First day and you made it alive to Lights End and Squint got his hooks into you? Not bad kid. Real social climber. By the way, I hate social climbers." He was silent a moment. "But you did pay your penny with no argument, so I'll clue you in a bit. What we have here is a madhouse of player guilds, trade guilds, expeditions, and merchants. You can tell who's who by the brass plaques on the doors. Feel free to wonder around up top. Down low too, but people have less patience. There are job boards over there. Take the ticket, head to the person offering the job, make a deal and get to work."

"Ok, I see more clueless people walking in. Off with you kid, and good luck. Don't let the big folk stomp you, if you know what I mean."

Milo turned to leave, walking past three new players, excited to finally make it to the Guild Hall. He heard the halfling yelling. "Yo! You three idiots honking like a gaggle of geese. Get you butts over here."

Milo walked to the job board and started looking through them cards pinned to the board.

'Crew needed for expedition. Must be at least level 3, know how to swim, and willing to be away from home for a few months. Immunity to charm spells and sign language skills helpful. See Captain Lars.'

'Slaughtering crew needed to cull the land squid population. Cooking or Sushi preparation gets you a bonus. See Otis in the cook’s guild.'

Many of the jobs had level recommendations or requirements for gear and skills he didn't have. He found one down low on the board that seemed to have been there awhile. The paper was stained and curled.

'Looking for brave young adventurers to venture into the caverns to procure rare mushrooms. Payment based on performance! Set your own hours! Report to Harold Earthtongue in the basement for details. Gathering and Foraging skills needed!'

The basement stairs led down to a lower level. There were several doors, but none of them for Harold Earthtongue. Another set of stairs went down a second level. But again, he didn't find the person offering the job. An old dwarf who was darning socks pointed to a way to levels further down. Instead of stairs, it was just a ladder that went down into the darkness. Milo was thankful for his night vision. He descended down the shaft, hearing noises coming from below. After nearly 300 feet of ladder, he arms and legs aching, he dropped into a small room that was adjacent to large mineshaft. Several horizontal shafts all terminated in a large room several acres in size. Stone pillars held up the roof some 20' above the heads of the people working here.

Three dwarves were drinking ale, using a crate for a table. One of them looked up. "You're too scrawny for the mines. Get lost. Don't need weaklings."

Milo ignored the comment. "I'm looking for Harold Earthtongue about a job. It's in the basement here somewhere."

All three dwarves laughed. "Oh, shit. This is rich. Hairy found another sucker. This isn't the basement kid. This is the top of the mine. Take that tunnel to the left if you want to go hunt fungus." He was at least helpful in pointing out the tunnel.

This wasn't a mine tunnel, more like a series of cave tubes that slanted down, with ladders here and there to help with the descent. It took another two hours to get to the bottom. It would take more to get back up. This large cavern was filled with large wooden boxes from which foul odors came. Milo looked over the rim of one and saw it was filled with greenish looking mushrooms the size of dinner plates. Some of them quivered a bit.

"Stay away from those! They're nearly ready to harvest and the spores can do terrible things to your lungs!"

Milo moved three steps back and turned to see who was yelling. A squat, fat human was shambling towards him. Unwashed masses of hair were sprouting from the top of his head and his chin. Not much beyond a bulbous red nose was visible, his eyes covered by goggles. Layer upon layer of dirty clothing covered his body. Milo had thought the mushroom farms smelled bad. This person was far worse.

"Um...I may have the wrong place?" ...please let it be the wrong place! "I was coming about a job. Milo held up the card.

"Oh, frabjous day!!!! An apprentice! It's been so long since I lost the last one! Come right this way lad."

Shrooms in the Dark

Dr. Harold Earthtongue has offered you a quest: Harvest 20 pounds of wild Blackbristlecap Mushrooms.

Reward: Better favor with Hairy Earthtongue. Honest wages for an honest day’s work. A boring lecture on mycology.

Accept his generous offer? Y/N

Milo accepted the offer.