Jorvik’s Leaders in the Resistance

Hello there Rita. I’ve spoken to a few of my contacts, and you seem as though you’re pretty trustworthy, so I’ll help you as much as I can. You want to actually MEET Mrs X if I understood you correctly?

Do you even know who Mrs X is?

Not many people do, but Mrs X is the leader of CHILL. CHILL are Jorvik’s leaders in the resistance against G.E.D. I support them in as many ways as I can, but they’re incredibly secretive, so my contributions to their fight are only ever rather small. Whenever they need my help, I always step up.

I’ve only ever met Mrs X once before, and we only exchanged a few words. She knocked on my door in the middle of the night one time… She was being chased by G.E.D.’s guards and she needed somewhere to lay low. I offered her a bed and didn’t ask questions. When I woke up the next morning, she was on her way out of my front door. She told me that if I ever I needed CHILL’s help anytime that I should go to New Hillcrest and ask for…

Wait. What was that? Did you hear that? Someone’s coming…

Ugh, dash it! It’s Junior Buttergood. Not a single word to him about Mrs X or CHILL, Rita. Not a peep!

Hrmm.

Morning Junior! How lovely you’ve dropped by! This is my friend Rita, have you two met before?

Objectives: Talk to Junior Buttergood.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Crescent Moon Village

In stomps Mr Grumpypants, hello to you too.

Rita?! What kind of name is that?!

Listen Rita, we don’t much like outsiders here in Epona, so I reckon you’d better buzz off back to wherever you came from. And be quick about it!

Snort!

Pamela, where’s my honey? If I don’t get it today, then I’m not going to make your life easy.

Quest completed

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The Best Honey in Epona

Now, Pamela. The honey. Where is it?!

You know fine well that the only thing that makes my daddy happy is to drink tea with your honey stirred in. Your honey is the best in all Epona, and that’s the only reason I buy it from you.

That said, if you can’t deliver the honey, then I just won’t buy it from you anymore, I’ll take my money elsewhere. It doesn’t matter what daddy says, I say you’ve got to shape up and get me my honey.

I’ll expect a delivery of honey to Butter Hill today.

Snort.

Objectives: Talk to Pamela Moonriver.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Crescent Moon Village

Well then, entitled bastard much, are we?

Sigh.

That was Junior Buttergood, the head of the Buttergood family. An absolute cretin, but he’s the most powerful man in the region and he knows how to throw his weight around.

Everyone around here is scared of him, even me. He’s best buddies with all those G.E.D. types as well.

Ah well, I make my honey to make people happy, and if it can give someone a tiny bit of extra joy, then I guess I’ve done a good thing. Even if that person is Valdemar Buttergood. 

Who’s Valdemar? He’s the eldest of the Buttergoods, he must be over a hundred now… A more evil soul you couldn’t hope to find, but since he suffered a stroke ten years ago, Junior’s been running the family. It might be hard to believe, but compared to Valdemar, Junior’s a real little ray of sunshine. 

Quest completed

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Good People in a Bad Family

Rita, might you be able to help me get some honey to Junior Buttergood? I think we can use this delivery as an opportunity to get closer to Mrs X.

Let me explain.

A lot of the Buttergood family are absolutely wretched, I mean you’ve met Junior, but honestly… In comparison to the rest of his family, he’s an absolute angel. Luckily there are some good people in that bad family. Robert Buttergood is one of the best people I’ve ever met. Decent and respectable, friendly, brave, and a member of CHILL.

Exactly! Junior’s little brother is on our side. Just think if Junior found out, Rita, he’d be pretty surprised to say the least! Haha!

But of course it’s a secret. You mustn’t tell a soul, you understand that, right? Good!

You need to talk to Robert Buttergood. It was him that Mrs X told me to get in touch with if I ever needed CHILL’s help, so it’ll be perfect if you deliver the honey to Butter Hill.

Get the honey from the beehives and I’ll get some jars together in the meantime.

Objectives: Collect honey from the beehives next to Pamela Moonriver’s house.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Crescent Moon Village

Dismount your horse to use the jar. Return to Pamela when you have collected honey from each of the beehives.

You got some honey, Rita? 

Ah, perfect! The bees didn’t sting you, did they?

Quest completed

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A Meeting on Butter Hill

There we are, here are some honey jars. Now you have a good reason to visit Butter Hill, where the whole Buttergood family lives. Do you know Butter Hill, by the way?

You don’t? It’s probably best I tell you a little bit about it before you go.

Here’s how it is: Butter Hill is the actual estate on which the Buttergood family lives. It’s built around the ruins of an ancient fort known as Old Ridgecaster. Nobody knows who built the old fort but from what I’ve heard, the latest theory is that the Romans settled there around two thousand years ago.

The big fort behind Old Ridgecaster? You certainly seem to be interested in history, Rita! I’m not the right person to talk to, really, but you can certainly find someone who knows more about Epona’s history in New Hillcrest. Anyway, I can tell you what little I do know about the fort.

It’s called Fort Maria. It’s quite a lot like Fort Pinta, did you think about that? They were both built at the same time, but Fort Maria’s been closed off to the public for as long as anyone can remember. It’s probably just an old wive’s tale, but apparently nobody who ever made it over the wall has ever come back… Haha! Standard stories that parents tell their children to stop them doing stupid stuff.

Anyway, while I’m telling you about Epona, I might as well tell you about The Great Thunder. It’s a huge ravine right in between Old Ridgecaster and New Hillcrest, that splits Epona in two. The Great Thunder was created when a gunpowder factory in that spot exploded a couple of hundred years ago.

Now I think we’ve had enough history chat, because you’ve got an important task to get done!

Take these jars of honey and give them to Junior up on Butter Hill. He knows where Robert will be, but you have to come up with a crafty reason as to why you’d need to meet him.

Hmm… I have an idea, actually. Tell Junior that I need help to repair one of the beehives. Let him know that there’ll be no more honey until it’s fixed, and he’ll definitely need Robert’s help to do it.

Good luck, and say hello to Robert from me.

Objectives: Take the jars of honey to Junior Buttergood on Butter Hill.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 20 with Crescent Moon Village

Junior can be found angrily pacing in front of the Buttergood mansion, located at the top of Butter Hill.

You again? Didn’t I tell you to get lost?

You’ve got daddy’s honey with you? Pamela too afraid to face me, or could she just not be bothered coming up here? Haha, oh well at least I don’t have to look at her which is always something.

Quest completed

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Report from The Great Thunder

Why are you still here? If you want a tip, you can forget it!

You need to meet my brother Robert? One of Pamela’s beehives is broken and she needs Robert’s help to fix it, you say?

Snort.

Yeah, well, it’s not a big job and daddy certainly needs a steady supply of his honey. You can do me a favor first though, otherwise I shan’t tell you where you’ll find Robert. Ha.

Hehe, you think that the honey is more important than running around on errands for me? Well, yes, you’d be right but I can see that you’re in a hurry and I’ve got time to wait but you don’t, am I right?

So there we go. It’s just a small favor, and it’ll be done in no time on that horse of yours. Hehe.

Ride over to The Great Thunder and see how it’s going with the bridge repairs. My brother Scott is taking care of it, and he should have a report to give me about how it’s progressing. I should’ve had the report this morning, but he hasn’t been here yet. Scott didn’t exactly inherit daddy’s intelligence, so you can ride over there and fetch the report for me. If he hasn’t written it, you can tell him from me that he’ll be sleeping in the tool shed tonight.

Hahaha!

Snort.

Now get going. Now.

Objectives: Ride to The Great Thunder and ask Scott Buttergood for a report for Junior.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 25 with Crescent Moon Village

Ride along the road on the hill below the mansion and you will get to a broken bridge (which you can easily jump over to get across to New Hillcrest). Scott can be found supervising work on the bridge, while he walks around like he thinks he’s a badass cowboy but just looks like he might have a wedgie….

Uh?

Who are you? This is a forbidden area, don’t you get that?

Quest completed

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Bridge-Building Has Its Problems

You’d like a report to take to Junior?

Grr… He knows exactly how much trouble I’m having with the bridge. Of course I haven’t had time to write a report for him. Bah!

Do you have any idea how hard it is to build a bridge over The Great Thunder? People have been trying to build something here for generations, but it always collapses…

Why it always collapses? Don’t ask me, it’s probably some kind of werewolf or vampire or other ghoulish goblin that makes all the trouble. 

If there are vampires and werewolves here? Well yeah, of course!

If I’ve ever seen any? Of course not, nobody has. Do you think you’d have read about it in the papers if somebody had? Think about it. Everyone knows there are monsters here in Epona, though. At least the people with half a brain know they exist, but you don’t seem to be one of those kinds of people… Hehe.

Anyway, enough joking, time for you to get started on writing a report for Junior, because I’ve got to get one with building this bridge.

Why should you write the report? Easy. If you want a report to take to Junior then you can write it yourself. I haven’t got time to waste and I’d rather sleep in the tool shed than let Junior boss me around like he does.

Sigh. Right, I’ll help you. You’ll have to excuse me if I sound a bit mean, this is stressful work and it seems Junior’s bad mood is contagious. 

Don’t worry though, this kind of report is easy. Here’s a form you can fill out, it’s already printed out what you should do. Just ride round to the places on the form, and check off whether they look like they’re in good shape or bad shape. Not so advanced.

Come back when you’re done so I can take a look at it before you ride back to Junior.

Objectives: Ride round to the spots around the bridge and fill in the form to say whether it looks good or bad, then return to Scott Buttergood when you’re done.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 20 with Crescent Moon Village

Inspect the three areas on the bridge to complete your report, then speak to Scott.

You’ve written the report? Let me see.

Looks okay. Junior will probably be satisfied.

Quest completed

______________

The Short Straw

I suppose I should thank you. What’s your name, by the way?

My name’s Scott Buttergood, it’s nice to meet you Rita. I suppose I can take a little break to chat to you, especially since this job is going to go on forever anyway!

So you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Junior. What do you think of him?

Haha! No need to answer Rita, he’s not very nice, I know.

It runs in the family, sadly. Our dad Valdemar is the least pleasant man you could ever hope to meet. Luckily, we didn’t have to see him much as kids since it was our mother who raised us for the most part. When she died, I thought our family was going to fall apart, but the brothers have kept it all together in spite of everything.

Didn’t our father take over our upbringing, you ask? Haha, no chance. He just expected us to take care of ourselves, he’s only ever been interested in Junior and never had time for me and Robert. Haha, don’t look so sad, it was Junior who drew the short straw; if you want to feel sorry for someone, it should be him.

Meh, enough now with the mushy family stuff, I need to get on with this thankless task. It’s not finished and I can’t guarantee it won’t collapse. But yeah, you get up to whatever you want now. 

Seeya!

Objectives: Ride back to Junior Buttergood with the report from Scott Buttergood.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 25 with Crescent Moon Village

Now Junior can know how the bridge is coming along.

You’ve got the report?

Good. I need to be able to light the fire this evening, I’m fresh out of paper.

You think I should read it?

Haha! I’d never read it, I just like bossing Scott around. He needs reminding every now and then that it’s me who’s in charge around here.

Quest completed

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A Brother You Can Never Rely On

You shouldn’t be hanging around someone like Pamela, she’s bad news, don’t you know. She hasn’t got a clue about the three most important things in life: money, money, and MONEY!

It’s only G.E.D. who’ve got half an idea on this island, but everyone else is gonna see! I’ve got BIG plans!

You’re looking for Robert? My brother Robert? Why would you be looking for that moron? Pamela needs help to repair a beehive? Nah, forget it, listen I don’t like uninvited guests on my land, so GET LOST.

Hmm? I promised to help you if you brought me the report? I promised, did I?

Snort.

I don’t think I promised at all, I’m sure I’d remember. But I feel rather friendly today so I suppose I’ll help. Robert’s down working in the cotton fields.

NOW DISAPPEAR!!

Objectives: Talk to Bobby Buttergood.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 10 with Crescent Moon Village

How rude?! He is the one that demanded the honey and wanted the report, how dare he say I was uninvited. Let alone not help me after. Jerk…

Robert can be found by following the road to the bottom of the hill.

Hi there, I’m Bobby Buttergood! Who might you be?

Rita, nice to meet you. How can I help?

Pamela said I could help you meet Mrs X?

Umm… That’s not a very small favor! I suppose if you want to meet Mrs X, then you must also want to stop G.E.D. here in the Harvest Counties…

Maybe you could help me with something first if you wouldn’t mind?

Quest completed

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A Little Bit of Sabotage in Old Ridgecaster

If I’m a member of CHILL? Well yeah, but I’m not in their inner circle. I don’t know anything more than is absolutely necessary about the organization — safety first as Mrs X usually says! I know almost nothing about who else is a member or what plans they might have on the go.

How come I joined CHILL?

Well, Rita, it’s a long story. I can try and give you the short version though, we’ve got time for that…

Behind me is the bridge to Bear Point. The gate on the bridge has been locked up so that you can’t get past it, and as you can see, it’s a wasteland with nothing growing there. The land was destroyed when Junior started drilling for oil there, and then G.E.D. really finished it off when they started looking for… Whatever it is they’re looking for here in the Harvest Counties.

That G.E.D. left Bear Point behind is CHILL’s doing. It’s a really exciting story, but we can go over it another time when we’re not in such a hurry. It was at that time that I realized what G.E.D. and my brother had done to Bear Point and I decided to join CHILL.

Now we’ve got to get to work, Rita. We’re going to start off a little bit of sabotage in Old Ridgecaster. Nothing dangerous, but every little helps when it comes to stopping G.E.D.

They keep a bunch of their materials here on our estate. There’s barrels with dangerous chemicals and a whole range of machinery. Machinery that we’re going to sabotage! Sand in the gas tank — a classic! Haha!

I’ve messed up G.E.D.’s machines before, but JR started suspecting that it was me behind all the broken equipment. He’s had his eye on me for ages now so I never get the chance to sabotage anything. The plan is for me to go up to see Junior so that he sees it can’t be me that breaking the machines while you fill up the gas tanks of every machine you can find with sand. A perfect alibi for me which is definitely going to be a bit of a head-scratcher for Junior. Haha!

If you do this, I’ll tell you how you can get hold of Mrs X.

Objectives: Pour sand into the petrol tanks of G.E.D.’s machines around Old Ridgecaster.

Rewards: 35 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 40 with Crescent Moon Village

You can find several machines scattered up and down the hill. Dismount your horse and use the sand from your inventory to wreck the machines. When you are finished with your sabotage, return to Robert.

Haha! Nice work Rita!

This’ll give G.E.D. something to think about, and Junior’s going to go crazy over how this could’ve happened. It’s probably not the worst thing that’s happened to G.E.D., but every little bit helps.

Quest completed

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Epona’s Getting Colder

I promised I’d help you find Mrs X, and that’s exactly what I’ll do.

I don’t know who she is, but maybe you already guessed that…? Even if I did know who she is, I probably wouldn’t say anything because — even though you seem trustworthy — Mrs X herself would always say ‘safety first!’…

I can tell you how to get hold of my contact in New Hillcrest, a person who’s very much in the inner circle of CHILL. If anyone can arrange a meeting with Mrs X, it’s this person.

I’m not going to say a word about who it is, you never know who might be listening, but I’ll teach you a secret phrase that I use to be able to find my contact. Talk to the residents of New Hillcrest and say the phrase “Epona’s getting colder.” If someone responds by saying “but it’ll soon be warm again,” you’ll know you’re talking to the right person.

To be able to get to New Hillcrest, you’ll have to ride round The Great Thunder, the ravine that splits Epona in two. You’ll maybe find a spot where you could get over the ravine, but I wouldn’t hold out much hope…

Ride back to Crescent Moon Village, then head east through the Mirror Marshes. Stay on the roads and you’ll eventually find a road that takes you south. Once you’re on that road, it won’t be long until you’re at New Hillcrest.

I’m sure I’ll see you again soon Rita. Good luck!

Objectives: Find Robert Buttergood’s contact in CHILL at New Hillcrest.

Rewards: 40 Jorvik Shillings, 80 XP

Reputation: 10 with New Hillcrest

You can return to Crescent Moon Village and ride through Mirror Marshes. The quicker route is back up Butter Hill and jump over the gap in the broken bridge, the road will take you directly to New Hillcrest.

Enter the old looking town square part of the town, and speak your secret phrase to the citizens until you find someone who replies with the correct response.

La la la…

What?

You said Epona’s getting colder?

La la la, but it’ll soon be warm again…

La dee da dee da…

Quest completed

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Beautiful Flowers in New Hillcrest

Hmm… You seem to know our secret phrase, but I don’t recognize you. Odd. I thought it was Robert that was coming… Very odd indeed.

La dee la dee da… Who are you?

La dee daa, la la la… Did you say your name was Rita?

Heehee! What do you want anyway?

La la…

Meet Mrs X? Heehee!

Hmm…

Dum dee dum dee dah…

If you’ve never been to New Hillcrest before, you won’t have seen the beautiful flowers we grow here!

What do you mean you’re not interested in flowers? Heehee! Come one, don’t be a bore. Follow me and I’ll show you some really lovely flowers! I love flowers…

Objectives: Follow Sunshine Joytree.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP, Sunshine’s Dress

Reputation: 15 with New Hillcrest

An interesting character, for sure. Humor her for a minute and follow her around the corner of the building.

La la la…

Aren’t these flowers just wonderful?

Dum dee dum…

It’s so lovely here… Peaceful… Nobody listening… Heehee!

Quest completed

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Seems It’ll Be a Damp Summer

La la la… What was your name again?

Rita… Sounds like the name of a lovely flower! Heehee!

You’d like to meet Mrs X? Well that’s hard. La la la… She doesn’t like new people… Why do you want to meet her?

La dee da…

Herman’s been kidnapped by G.E.D.? You want to save him and talk to Mrs X about how G.E.D. can be stopped?

…

La… Dee… Da…

…

CHILL can help you save Herman if it’s at all possible, but we need to give it a try. And fast. Before they’ve got time to move him from the area near Old Hillcrest.

La la…

One of my friends — Jupiter Peacebloom — is near Old Hillcrest and keeps an eye on G.E.D. He watches them from a cliff over Stormgarden… Ride to Jupiter and tell him you need his help to free Herman from G.E.D.’s clutches. Dum dee dum…

Greet him with the phrase “seems it’ll be a damp summer” and then tell him that the situation is Code Snowdrop. Hum dee dum…

La la la…

Come back to me when you’ve seen him, since I probably don’t have time to show you the flowers right this minute… Heehee!

Objectives: Ride to the cliff over Stormgarden and talk to Jupiter Peacebloom.

Rewards: 35 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 25 with Epona

Ride back to Stormgarden, and at the gate between Stormgarden and Crescent Moon Village, turn right and ride up the hill towards the G.E.D. site. Jupiter can be found behind some trees, surveying the site.

Seems it’ll be a damp summer…

That means you’re a friend, even if I’ve never seen you before.

What? Code Snowdrop? That means I’ve got to drop whatever I’m doing and help you immediately in every way that I can.

This must be important. What’s happened?

Quest completed

To be continued…