The party rematerializes in a very familiar looking place. The Guildhall, although it seems to have changed slightly. It seems more like an ancient hut, and it is built to be much smaller than normal. The taller party members have to bend over just to stand.

The HUD and various effects and weapons suddenly reappear. Both companions of Conner and Tsuki emerge from their extra dimensional holding spaces. Numerous system messages, some containing loot boxes for the entire team, appear on the HUD. Each party member gets these, including a message from Agent Gallbury. Most of the messages need to be opened on your HUD, but the physically biggest message, visible to all is:

YOU HAVE LEVELED TO 3!

You have achieved the 'Look how big you are' boon!

You have gotten 'tough guy, huh?' Sliver loot box.

There are other loot boxes to open, and can be accessed as the system AI reads this room as a saferoom and a Guildhall.

Standing before them, among books and potions, is a humanoid turtle wearing robes.

"Greetings...wanderers. Before...you...ask...I...am...Trevik." He says. Very, very slowly.

OOC-I will help anyone who requests aid for leveling their characters to 3.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:57, Fri 29 July 2022.

"What a nob," Mo says softly, still referring to Quasar.

"Y'all right Trevik?" he asks the reptile.

In reply to Mo (msg # 2):

"They...turned...me...into...a...Tortle." He sighs. "Its...better...than...a...mind...horror...but...has...some...issues." He says it what seems like half an hour, but is really more like 30 seconds of pauses and slow words.

Malcom had started to lift his amulet to the crowd when they wink out of existence and he reappears in the modified guildhall.

"Well shoot." he mutters as Trevik is speaking. "I hope you don't need to give us any small print legal speak while you are like this."

He then starts opening the boons that are in his inventory.

Chalei'nh pumped her fist in the air while facing the elves from earlier, which she took to be her fans, before she too winked out. Once in the Guildhall though, she planted her hands on her sides as she looked at the humanoid turtle in front of them. More importantly, her teammates seemed to recognize him, and she turned to them.

- "I... take it you know him?"

She also noticed her UI returned, but after reading through the messages decided it could wait, just in case they were on another timer here.

"He was the Guildmaster at our last hall. Nice enough guy, but last time he spoke telepathically to us." He says to Chalei'nh as he rolls his shoulders to settle the metal wings against he back again.

"Hello again Trevik," said Moya as she sashayed happily from the point at which she arrived. "I like the new look bit muir importantly, is it comfy? Do You like it?"

In reply to Moya (msg # 7):

"Still...not...my...real...form." Trevik complains slowly. "Time...works...against...us. As...always. We...need...to...open...messages...loot boxes...patron...rewards...while...in...the...safe...room." He says, the long sentences clearly annoying him as much as everyone else.

Tsuki walks up and puts her hand on what can possibly be Trevik's shoulder or the thing that might be it. "I plan to fix this, all of it, and burn the entire house of cards down in the process. You'll have your body back." She said softly to him.

She then withdrew her hand and went back to the others, and opened inventory to read her messages and open her loot boxes.

Look guys, it's the guild master! Hey Trevik you made it! And in a literal half-shell too!" Connor said as he walked up to the Guildmaster.

"I know this isn't your real form, but it's something better than before yes? Just keep your chin up and we'll figure something out for you. Or die trying. Literally." connor added solemnly.

He turned to the others.

"Well to all of the new members of our team...Gargoyle guy here is Malcom. He's from our original team from before and is good at protecting the front line. And the turtle guy is the Guildmaster. He's one of the few friendly non-Earth people here and he helped us quite a bit on the last stage. He's in a similar situation as we are, minus being a player, so please be nice to him. But he's very helpful and our team has a sort of alliance with him." Connor said, trying to clear the air between everyone.

And suddenly, a stream of floating jewels and gems carried on sparkling motes of energy streamed out of Connor's backpack? Pocket? Well...somehow from somewhere in his HUD. But it streamed out from Connor's hammerspace and enlarged into a swirl of floating jewels. If a cluster of floating stones could appear...dazed and confused, then that would describe the sluggishly floating stones. Although they were quickly picking up vim and vitality as they orbited around Connor.

"Oh brother. I knew this moment would come. Everyone, meet Cabochon. He's basically something of a mascot for the team, but also my familiar." Connor said with a roll of the eyes as his familiar appeared suddenly.

"Huh? What happened? Why'd the lights go out? Wait we're on level two now? The HUD says you're level 3! And mascot? Why I never. You were on the confessional weren't you? And without me gracing the ignorant masses there with py refined presence? Why this is too much. Just too much!  What the fuc....." an androgynously although slightly male tinted voice echoed ethereally from the cluster of floating jewels. It was agitated and slowly becoming more dramatic, before stopping itself suddenly.

"...ahem. Poise and dignity, Cabochon. Poise and dignity. You will NOT chip a facet or something in front of these new recruits! It is up to me to set an example for those less elegant than me, which is basically everyone. AHEM!" he said, talking to himself a bit.

"I mean, oh look...new members have joined the team. Greetings, I am Master Cabochon. Young Connor there jests. Mascot...oh my I'm far to magnificent for that. oh hohoho..." the stone cluster said, trying to politely laugh off what was said before.

"I am actually the mentor and counselor of the team. If you have any questions about the game or the team, feel free to assist you. You may address me as Master, Sensei, or simply teacher although Mister Cabochon is satisfactory as well."


This message was undeleted by the GM at 03:54, Sat 30 July 2022.

And at that moment, Cabochon would begin to see the failure of his whim's as Keyla begins chasing him around again!