Keylynn smiled, a team meeting is a welcome respite from the brain rot of corporate onboarding videos. Besides, if this meeting goes long enough, she can simply go home for the weekend. If she’s clever, she can stretch her training video vacation to last the week.

  Their team meeting was in one of the smaller meeting rooms, fitting her team with little room for anyone else. The idea of a floor-wide team meeting made her skin crawl, and not in the good way. Whatever comes from this meeting, at least she gets a reprieve from the many eloquent ways corporate can talk about teamwork. It truly is impressive how they think they have perfected teamwork.

  Gwenn leaned into her and sucked in several deep breaths. With the exhale of each one, she let out a satisfied, happy sigh. “You smell like the best forest to run through. I bet if I ran my paws over you, it would smell like I’m running through a forest.” She was as cheerful as always, something Keylynn is envious of. How can one person always be so happy? Do they not feel the passage of time the same way? Maybe it was that Gwenn has never had to wait long for anything. It could be that puppies aren't capable of feeling anything short of happiness.

  She patted the canine folk’s arm gently. “That, I believe, will keep you from this meeting and earn Dauven’s ire. We can try your theory another time.”

  “You might be right on that one,” Gwenn agreed before slipping further into the meeting room and finding herself a seat in the front row.

  Keylynn walked past Dauven, his demeanour is much more stiff and solemn than normal. He has the expression of a wounded wildcat as the hunter draws near on his face. He is ready to claw the hunter and scramble to freedom. Why is he so pale? Why is he furious? What does he know that she does not? Feeling several hyphae stroke her cheek gently, she smiled. She brought her hand up the hyphae and ran her fingers gently down them, thanking them for their comfort.

  She looked out to the chairs, hoping to see concern on the others’ faces mirroring how she feels about Dauven. Gwenn claimed her seat beside Riv, their math wizard, chewing on her bright pink rubber bone. The squeaking toy reminded Keylynn of the sounds of a dying squirrel. Gwenn isn’t concerned about Dauven at all.

  Riv was focused entirely on his matrix and the illusionary chalkboard. The young gnome sees the world and magic itself as a series of mathematical equations, often needing solving. He is always working on complex equations that make Keylynn’s mind hurt. Could he be working out a formula and solution to Dauven’s mood?

  BEEG sat with Barnibus as he always does, their chairs closer to the back wall of the meeting room than the first row of chairs. BEEG is one of Barnibus’ creations, what that makes BEEG is anyone’s guess. Her current theory is that BEEG is a slime-based flesh golem. His inability to feel pain and his hulking size made him the perfect team member to test traps as Barnibus’s assistant. BEEG sat without a worry or fear clouding his mind.

  Barnibus wore the same sour look he always has on whenever he's pulled from his lab. He's an artificer that treats the word 'impossible' as a challenge. Aside from herself, he's been on the team the longest. Currently his mood is clouding his ability to read Dauven's body language.

  Keylynn brought an empty chair over beside BEEG and sat down. BEEG doesn't stew in his feelings, mumble weird numbers, or chew on a squeaky toy.

  She willed her anxiety over Dauven’s mood to ease. Regardless of the cause, she can face it. When she was an accidental adventurer, she once faced down a fury-filled frost giant. If she can do that, she can face Dauven. He lacks both the stature and noxious stench of a giant. Dauven also lacks the rage-fueled furnace that dwells in the hearts of every hootbear, the most fearsome creature that she knows of. Dragons can be negotiated with. A hootbear can enter a frenzy just by a side glance from a worm. Dauven is and always will be Dauven.

  Dauven cleared his throat, ending Gwenn’s constant squeaking. “Let’s get this meeting done and over with.” His attention was divided between his clipboard and his spellbook, both floating in front of him. “We have been assigned an emergency assessment.” He paused just in time for the chorus of groans and whining.

  Gwenn was the most vocal. “But my weekend,” she whined sorrowfully, mourning her lost weekend.

  Riv merely looked up from his matrix and muttered softly to himself while Barnibus glowered at Dauven. BEEG clapped excitedly at the prospect of fieldwork. Keylynn patted his arm light enough not to sink into his gelatinous flesh.

  “We have a Big Bad Evil Person who appeared and killed an entire team of intrepid adventurers on their first quest line,” Dauven continued with a louder voice, drowning out the complaints.

  The energy of their team went from irritated to concerned instantly. An entire party termination doesn't happen in this day and age thanks to the hard work of everyone at RADAWC. They ensure prospective heroes have a safe path to follow in order for their dreams to come true. They provide ample quests to not only lead them towards the path of hero but also to keep them too busy to descend down the paths of villainy, becoming the next Big Bad Evil Person.

  They all started talking all at once, creating a cacophony of locusts buzzing at Dauven. He sighed, running his hand down his face.

  “One at a time!” He shouted over everyone, bringing an end to the locust storm. He gestured at her, "Keylynn, you first."

  “Dauven I am not understanding how something like this could have happened, let alone being given to us,” she said with a frown. Initial quests were highly regulated and are typically assigned to teams on higher floors.

  “I know,” he answered, sounding exhausted. “From what I can ascertain, the assignment for us came from the higher-ups. As to the how, I don’t know.” That doesn’t add up at all. Who thinks having the BBEP make an appearance in the first quest is a good idea?

  "How does that get approved?" Riv asked in a huff. Most of his irritation likely comes from missing his weekend. Riv always has plans to work on his research or time travel in his spare time.

  “Maybe it was a script error? Everyone thinks they are the improv star and took it too far, as BBEPs are prone to do?" Gwenn squeaked out as she retrieved her pink bone from under a chair.

  Dauven’s jaw was clenched tight enough that she was sure he cracked at least one tooth. This is the sort of job he normally prides himself in doing, one of the reasons he took the job in the first place. Why does he appear as if this job is the last thing he wishes to do?

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “I presume we have complete documentation and all necessary files in order to be prepared upon our arrival?” She asked, hoping to redirect the meeting for Dauven. His perpetually flared nostrils and clenched jaw tell her there is something much worse lurking in the woods.

  “I have been assured of such,” Dauven read from his clipboard. Keylynn frowned. Since when is he assured of having all the appropriate paperwork? “I have a copy of everything already on your desk.” He finished giving her a grateful nod. He cleared his throat again as Barnibus was standing up from his chair. “We will be taking the train to Neverburrow this evening. It’s a sleeper.”

  “I’ll have to reduce his mass. I don’t know if that’s enough time,” Barnibus explained with a frown.

  BEEG slowly stood up, extracting the chair from his body as he did so. “BEEG don’t fit in train,” he groaned out mournfully. He didn’t like taking trains because they are constantly in motion, the seats are hard for him to stay seated on, and he hates crouching. All his discomfort comes after he has had his mass reduced.

  “If you don’t have enough time, I’ll reschedule your tickets. 8 tolls past the midday hour. I’ll drop by shortly to brief you.” Dauven gestured for them to leave. Barnibus nodded and gestured for BEEG to leave the meeting room.

  Keylynn gave Dauven a questioning look. He rarely lets anyone leave their team meetings early. Once Gwenn tried to leave a meeting early because her cookies were burning, and still he made her stay until the end of the meeting. Keylynn attempted to help by sending Rizae, her fungoid familiar, to the break room. Unfortunately, Rizae ended up burning with the cookies.

  “During the assessment we will be audited by Lark Skyhart of floor 28. We didn’t do anything wrong. I'm told he's here as a result of corporate restructuring and an entirely new managerial team. I’ve been informed that every team on every floor is in the process of being audited, and it’s simply our turn. Please cooperate with Lark.” Dauven explained, reading from his clipboard without either looking up to see their faces or pausing for reactions. Not that anyone had any reactions, as they were all dumbstruck. Shocked into silence.

  “My apologies for that department-wide message on how an accountant isn’t a real job, as everyone can count.” Keylynn blurted out, bowing her head. She didn’t mean to include the entirety of the Royal Assessment Department and Adventurer Welfare Council. She meant to send it only to Dauven when he suggested she attempt to get her accountant qualifications. It was simply the selection of the wrong option.

  Dauven shook his head once. A small smile flickered across his face. “No, this has nothing to do with your views on accountants, even though Riv is an accountant.”

  She frowned at that. Riv has a real job and is capable of much more than counting. “No, he’s a wizard who happens to see the world as numbers.”

  “Thank you, I prefer that over accountant. No one likes an accountant,” Riv spoke up. They have never been assessed or audited as a team. As far as Keylynn is aware, teams aren't audited unless they are suspected of doing something deceitful, like willfully filing incorrect paperwork.

  “Should I pack extra cookies? What about cupcakes?” Gwenn asked with genuine concern before gasping loudly, “What if Lark is allergic like Barnibus!”

  “Gwendolyn, dear, I will always accept your baked goods. My colonies adore your baking prowess.” Keylynn said with a gentle smile. Barnibus is known for not having a sweet tooth. Luckily she doesn’t have to consume the sugar-filled creations that Gwenn gives her because her colonies thrive on high levels of sugar.

  “Pack what you need. Don’t miss the train.” Dauven dismissed everyone as Gwenn descended into cookie madness.

  Keylynn waited until both Gwenn and Riv left before she joined Dauven. They have been working together since they met in the FrostMaiden Mountains and have survived the changeover from the Royal Inquisition’s Office to the Royal Assessment Department and Adventurer Welfare Council. She had a bad feeling about their audit and the assessment they were assigned.

  “How calamitous is this?” She asked, ignoring the collection of words that all mean the same thing. This ended up being a meeting filled with terror, making her long for the hootbear rampage of her home.

  “Hard to say, I have been on a strict need-to-know basis.”

  She let out a deep breath, chewing on her lip. She's the reason he's in this position. She's known to bend the rules or outright disagree with them. Even as a child, she broke every rule that she didn’t agree with. It’s a well-known rumour that she's the reason why they were unable to ascend beyond floor five. Dauven refused to ascend without her. He said it wouldn’t be right to leave her behind because others are uncomfortable with her mushrooms.

  “Will it help if I ask if anyone has a bee allergy before I release them?” She will not make the same mistake twice. It was one thing to feed an ignoramus to a mimic, it’s entirely different to accidentally use an allergy to end a life.

  Dauven let out a small smile and nodded. “That will be appreciated, thank you.”

  “I am not in the word team, but I am in your team. Teams only succeed if we all agree on when to release the bees,” she said, smiling.

  At her desk she saw the stack of files, thinner than she expected. Either the information is not available, or they could only pull so much in an emergency. She sat down and got to work reading about her newest project.

  Town Name: NeverBurrow

  Size Designation: Small, Village

  Median Age of Citizens: Middle Age

  Largest Age Group: Elderly

  Location: Northeast of NoWhere (see attached map a)

  Adventure Level: 1-3

  Heroic Level: Local

  Keylynn blinked at the location name, that can't be right. She flipped to the attached map and saw that in the northeastern region of the NowWhere Forest was a small dot labelled ‘N.’ The location name will need to be revised in the future if the quest is to be successful. Adventurers don't like careless, meaningless names. They like names such as the Forbidden Forest.

  Sites of Interest: Neverfull Tavern, Neverburrow Estate, the Shadowveil Keep, Neverempty Crypt and Cemetery, Murkle Durkle’s Mercantile Emporium, Wizard’s Tower, Goblin Den, and Skeletal Remains (Trap)

  She looked for the adventurer’s files and couldn’t find them. That’s strange. The last time she conducted a quest line assessment, there was always a stack of adventurer files that passed through the quest in the past year. Now with the death of adventurers, she would expect to have those files so she can properly and thoroughly complete her assessment. Perhaps they didn’t name their group yet. Without that, she will need to file a requisition for each party member.

  Questline Hook: Cultists worshipping Morkus

  Questline Summary: Several goblin attacks on the road leading the party to seek out the mayor (NeverBurrow Estates). Neverburrow has a goblin problem and will pay the party for eradicating it. The party is given free room and board for undertaking the goblin side quest. There is no time limit. A red herring in town will keep an eye on the party. They will act and appear when the party enters the keep. On their way to the keep, they stumble upon the trap's skeletal remains. Once inside the keep, the party will be directed to the crypt and cemetery by the red herring, acting to distract the group. A darkness settles over the town, giving the party the sense of tension and a pressing time limit, without the stakes of one. Once they proceed past the point of no return in the keep (see attached map b), Kavrel will start the summoning ritual to summon Morkus through the portal to the Shadowveil. The party will stop the ritual by fighting Kavrel. Upon his defeat, Morkus will envelop his body as a penance for his failure, starting them (the party) on the Rise of Morkus quest line series. See Rise of Morkus quest logs for more information.