Finding the right set of conditions to move around the world hasn't been easy for the Beanies; not without abandoning their huge wagon, that is. Still, by renting out their wagon space in place of getting animals to help pull them, they've successfully made their way to Moonglade, and Star is mighty proud of that achievement.

The Beanies had caught wind in their travels that various agricultural associations were recruiting adventurers to help with their harvest, and the Beanies were most definitely up for helping people (of course it helped that they would be compensated for their efforts, can't pretend that isn't a factor). So they traipsed their way to the farming lands... And then it dawned on them that they were rice paddy fields. Or whatever other crop that needed flooded fields to grow. Oh dear. The Beanies can't step into water - they'd immediately float and trip and end up lying flat on the water surface. The Beanies wondered if there was some other way they could provide assistance -- not being able to actually perform harvests absolutely sucked for their paycheck, but the Beanies were sure they could do something.

Demony followed closely behind them, enjoying the turn of events leading to the Beanies feeling down in the dumps. Ah, if only this would last. Of course, there were always other tasks available and it turned out that the fields needed to be drained to harvest rice anyway, so the Beanies could actually help with the harvesting! ...Except the taskmaster decided the Beanies would be infinitely more useful in threshing with their small little paws. It's still work that needs to be done though, so the Beanies pounced on it like bored children being entertained at the prospect of being able to do anything at all.

SPOILER: Click to show

Quest Name: Reap what we sow
Participants: Two or more
Location: Anywhere
Post Requirements: 5 post per person, 200 words per post
Reward: +1 Renown
Description: The Black Harvest is upon us, the time of year where the crops are harvested and families prepare for Winter's Crown. The recent events in Charon has made it hard to dedicate time and people to the harvest, as many are still recovering from the events in King's Valley. Local cities are asking for outside help to come in and help collect the harvest. This includes harvesting the crop, cleaning up debris and helping move it to a safe storage facility. While the task may seem easy, pesky creatures may have claimed the crop as home and may be a tad grumpy to find you disturbing them. 

    Nothing was so beloved than a harvest in Baird's eyes! The glut of ingredients, often a pouch-full being offered as payment, was reward enough. Getting paid in Solars was an especially decadent cherry nestled on top! Manual labor such as this was also just the kind of work for him. [Truly, no other task would have such a Baird shaped vacancy!] he thought to himself. Someday, that thought could be seen as a poignant bit of foreshadowing. Thankfully not for awhile in the future.

    Meeting up with the foreman, the titanic boar made an immediate impression. Indeed she was glad to put him to task cutting down the stalks. The other workers already on the job were mixed, either glad or upset to think the whole thing would go faster.

    As Baird looked to the rustling sea of grain, a recognizable pattern of motion caught his eye out at the edge of the fields. Tiny dots, pale as snow, bounding over a pile of chaff. The familiar figures brought a smirk of jovial surprise to his cheek. A thought then popped in his mind. Turning back to talk with the head of the operation once more, Baird discussed an idea that began to form into a plan. With a quizzical response, he was told to ask and see what the keys to this plot had to say.

    Baird sauntered his way over to meet his newest friends. With a hand raised high, he spoke in his bellowing raspy voice, "Beanies! Chili, Star, Goody! Demony! It is good to see you all again so soon!" As he drew near, he knelt to level closer to them. He spoke once they had exchanged greetings, still upbeat, "I've asked the leader-gal back there, and she's humoring this wild idea that came to me. Hear me out-"

    [From here Baird explained how they could work together to clear out the field and separate out the grain better than either alone. The Beanies could come with him while he cuts down the straw, riding on his back. All he needed was a few minutes to cut a hole in a barrel lid and to affix it over the biggest basket they could get their hands on. He already had a mesh he used to strain for his cooking. Put it together and the group can become the ultimate processing beast of burden! Baird cuts the stalks, passes them to one of the Beanies, and the other two parse the good stuff into the basket.]

    "So, whattya think? This team-up got legs?" Baird peered across the quartet, seemingly genuine in his question.

"""Mr. Baird!""" The Beanies halted what they were doing and greeted in unison. Demony was already groaning internally from all the happy vibes that would undoubtedly flood its senses as a direct result of this spontaneous reunion.

Baird's plan sounded a lot more enjoyable than what they were doing right now so the Beanies agreed without a second thought and got on with the program, with Chili handling the stalk holding, and Star and Goody handling the actual threshing work.

The impromptu team effort was smooth sailing at first, then Star and Goody started finding little bugs on the kernels. Which wasn't necessary a big deal, since the two could easily just discard them together with the kernels but they weren't sure if the kernels themselves would be recycled in some way, or if the bugs themselves were perhaps some kind of delicacy. The latter was unlikely, given that if pests were delicious they'd probably be regularly hunted to the point they stop being classified as pests barring other inhibiting conditions, but it certainly made the two wonder.

"Um, Mr. Baird, do people have use for kernels and bugs around here?" Goody inquired meekly, but loud enough to ensure Baird could hear them.

It was then that a voice could be heard crying from afar. "Poisonous toad swarm. Run!" Chili turned towards the direction of the voice and heard rhythmic splashes plonking from flooded plots containing different crops. That certainly can't be good.

    The question had a simple answer to many, but Baird just might be the type to ponder it a moment. He paused and replied back, "I say just worry about the husks for now. I might want to find out-"

    "Poisonous toad swarm. Run!" 
   
    A majority of the workforce straighten up from their tasks like prairie dogs. From the direction of the voice was someone dashing right toward Baird and company. Behind them was a swath of hopping devastation! Seeming like fleas infesting the grassy hide of the earth, they were slowly encroaching closer. A chill shot through Baird's spine at the sight.

    "Uuuh how poisonous are we talkin' here!?"

    The crier barely slowed down to explain to everyone who could hear, "You touch those little bastards just a few times and you'll be stuck in bed living a nightmare for days! Now move!"

    From the familiar voice of the boss who coordinated the field, "You gotta be kidding! The bugs are already in the stems! If we wait for them to blow through here, we'll lose a ton of the yield!" She lets out an exasperated sigh, "Alright, if anyone can fix this problem so we can keep harvesting, go for it! Everyone else, clear the field!"

    Baird steeled himself. Surely there was something they could do, right? "Little buddies, there is something we can do, right?"

The Beanies considered what they knew about toads. Toads eat insects and need water to hydrate themselves. Chili noted that the swarm of toads were keeping to the flooded plots of land in their rampage thus far, so the Beanies and Baird had time to figure out something in the meantime. Demony was half-tempted to claw one for fun, then remembered it was so very susceptible to physical ailments and pouted internally.

Goody wasn't sure the toads would actually eat the little bugs on the rice they've been discarding, but it couldn't hurt to ask, could it?
"Um, do you think we could use the bugs as bait?" Goody inquired.
"Hmm... But which ones would the toads eat? And where would we lure them to?" Star pondered loudly.
"Chili thinks we could booby trap one of the flooded plots to trap them. Looking at where the toads are hopping, maybe that one over there?" Chili pointed at the flooded plot two squares in front of them.
"And how does Chili-plush propose we booby trap the plot?" Star questioned.
"Uh... Magic?" Chili answered awkwardly. "Someone has to know the kind of magic we need, right?" Chili looked away, whistling. Star put on an unimpressed look, and sighed.
"We're all ears if anyone has better ideas!" Star shouted.

    Baird was sweating beneath his pale auburn locks, eyes wide while taking in the tide of toads steadily encroaching. Thinking fast, he reached for the baskets which held the unrefined rice stems. Pests crawled and jumped all around inside, but today they'd be an enemy of the enemy. "Okay, we are gonna work off an assumption then. We need to get these bugs for bait!" 

    He let the Beanies down onto the ground and dumped all the partially filled containers into one. Looking to his friends he had a pleading brow, "We collect as many of the insects as we can. Sort this basket out into these ones." Baird pulls over a few more, places his hand inside each one, and freezes over the inside. "We entice them to catch the bait, they won't be able to hop out of a slippery basket and might go into torpor from the cold. Then we drop the baskets into the flooded plot where I coat the surface with an opening out to the other side!" The feverish tone changing from a hint of fear into a proud delight as the plan was formed as he spoke. Without skipping a beat, he gets to flushing out the bugs into each basket.

    "I'll be honest, I don't think that'll work." the boss said plainly. She then shrugged and moved to the baskets to help, "I'm not gonna stick around for the rest of your master plan, but I can do this before I skedaddle out of the way. Just in case you actually pull this off."

The Beanies feel the baskets filled with bugs might not be enough to lure the toads proper. What else could they use that was in ready supply? Chili looked around and saw the rice stalks that were left abandoned. Rice stalks!
"Chili says we make rice stalk ball coated with bugs to guarantee they go into baskets!" The trapper in Chili spoke excitedly.
Star and Goody looked at each other, and then at Chili, and replied "Okay!" with their arms raised. They were excited too.

The Beanies quickly got together to weave some pretty tight balls made of rice stalks with one little opening at the top - so synchronized were their moves that you'd think they shared a mind rather than being three individual creatures - and went ahead and stuffed it with bugs, then sealing the opening, leaving just enough space for the bugs to breathe.

Following that, the Beanies assisted Baird with the rest of the plan, and soon enough they were ready to go! There was just one issue though - who will carry the bait?
"Pleaseeeeeeeee?" Goody looked at Demony pleadingly.
Oh no. Absolutely not. Demony wasn't about to risk its skin over some childish plans that sure as hell wasn't going to work. But then it remembered something. It found itself gradually growing bigger and bigger as time passed, or so it thought at first. Then it noticed that it expanded mainly when the Beanies successfully helped someone. This might be the time to confirm that hypothesis. But ugh. Why did it have to be this situation?

Demony begrudgingly nodded, and the plan was a go!
"(Thanks Demony!)" Goody gave Demony the biggest hug they could and nuzzled their shadowy friend, and Star and Chili rejoiced as well raising their arms.
So now Demony was carrying the ball on its head and slowly sauntering over to the poisonous toad swarm. Keeping a sharp eye on them toads, Demony played with the ball and tossed it around just outside the toads' leaping distance, which had the desired effect when the toads croaked loudly and began hopping towards the ball specifically. That's part one down. Now for part two.

Keeping a steady pace where they are not too close to danger but at the same time not too far that the toads lose interest was tricky, but for some reason the idea itself came relatively naturally to it. As though it was a regular enough occurrence... to someone else?

Anyway, the trapped plot was now seconds away from Demony. With a twirl, Demony bounced the ball up then made it spin towards the basket with its forearms before hightailing out of there.

    The fantastic display had Baird's heart soar! Not often do brazen plans like these work out for him, but almost always when in good company. Though now we were in the final stretch of cleansing this blight so that work can continue unimpeded. Time to close out this menace.

    Baird moved to stand at a fair distance from the basket's location. He follows the ball's trajectory as it bounces at the rim of the basket, handily rebounding in. Now there was a veritable beacon of moths slowly trickling from a small distance into the water. The poisonous plague plopped across the field ever closer. Baird readied himself to do more with this simple tool than he had ever in the past. Both hands just at the surface of the pool, mind clear. Amazing how helpful this spell has been, considering the humble purpose he learned it for.

    Once it looked like all the toads made it into the water, charging toward the feast, Baird let out a smooth exhale. Quickly, a sturdy sheet of frost spread like a flame over oil. Those elements having this one similarity by their voraciousness to spread. A cold sweat, freezing really, started to coat Baird. The ice grew fast, the toads little heads peaking from under the water being forced down as the crystal would wrap over them. Although exhausting, it was quite feasible. The flooded plot became a rink with only the edge at the far side open to escape. Knowing plenty of these types of creatures from back home, Baird was sure they'd get out unharmed.

    But no plan goes perfectly. Just as the boar-man let out a huge sigh of relief, he looked back to celebrate with his friends at a job well done! Only something caught his eye as he turned. A straw hat popped up from beneath a neighboring plot, worn by a yawning elf holding bushels of rice in his basket. He seemed totally unaware of the toads that narrowly avoided him. He looked around and caught sight of the frozen plot, Baird, and a single toad. A toad! It lagged behind the swarm and hadn't made it into the water in time!

    The reaper had a surprised look on his face. Baird called out to him, "Hey! HEY! Didn't you hear! Poisonous toads, get out of the rice fields! Don't touch that one!" The massive beastman pointed and waved with both hands, doing whatever he could to get the attention of the worker, yet the urgency didn't catch on. The man just looked at Baird, smiled warmly, and waved back. Noticing the pointing, the man looked at the toad hopping towards him and nodded while reaching for it. "No! Get away from that, it's coated in toxins!" Baird started to move forward as the realization struck. The man was deaf!
    
    The elf must be thinking that they need to catch the toad, not run away! Without any time to waste, Baird began a sprint. The harvester, thinking this must be important, tried to corner the animal between them. Baird wouldn't get to him before the toad, but he could just barely reach the toad before the man. Seems like there would be no other option. The toad hopped up as the man held open his shirt to catch it. With an adrenalin fueled motion, Baird snatched the varmint with an outstretched hand, right out of the air. Immediately his hand began to sting as he carefully slung the creature like a puck across the frozen plot, sliding it to the other side.

Ahhhhhhh Baird got poisoned! Goody was running around frantically in a panic as they were prone to do when things went wrong and someone got injured, then Star, ever the leader, stepped in to give Goody direction.
"Goody-plush! Medical kit[1]! That way!" Star shouted and pointed at the general direction Goody should run towards.
Goody paused for a brief moment for the order to register, and immediately looked in the direction Star pointed at. Their cart-bag of goodies! Goody dashed over in record time and fetched the medical kit over to Baird. Um um, they should have antivenom in here somewhere, but oh Goody can't read! Just as Goody was panicking to high hell and back, the taskmaster stepped in to help administer the antivenom onto Baird.
"Thank you very much, Ms. Taskmaster!" Goody bowed profusely as they gave their thanks.
"Eh, don't mention it. The least I could do after you folks dealt with our poisonous toad problem. Come now, time's a-wasting! Take five and get back to work!" The taskmaster went from nice to snappy in an instant.
"Yes ma'am!" Goody straightened their back and put their arms to their sides in response, and rushed off to reunite with their fellow Beanies (and Demony).

The Beanies got together and hugged each other in a triple hug, then went ahead and administered bear hugs onto Demony. Ugh. Why do they always do this, and how do they never get bored of all this hugging? Demony did manage to verify its hypothesis though, so it begrudgingly let the Beanies hug them. Not like they knew anything anyway, so it was content to play with their ignorance even as it internally recoiled at the hugs. Then the Beanies hopped onto the threshing they were doing previously since Baird was likely in no condition to continue work.

Nightfall was soon upon the farm, and it was time to celebrate yet another successful day of harvest! The Beanies sat in one corner of the common area, Star and Goody enjoying some freshly baked baguettes while Chili helped themselves to harvest stew. They wondered if Baird was doing okay after that.

---

[1]Medical Kit (Item)

    Goody's fearful desperation immediately made Baird want to play off the searing pain shooting up his arm. "Ah, c-c'mon, it aagh-in't too bad!" Fortunately he could drop it once the head of the operation came to help. With the Beanies blissfully moving on, the boar's face let out quiet whimpers through a coiled expression. 

    "Jeez, you're alright, big baby." The woman cleaned his open palm as thoroughly as possible and applied an ointment meant to sooth topical irritation.  "We would need something specialized to cleanse this, but nothing will linger once you get through it. I'm taking you off the job, you'll get half pay for the remaining hours for your help. Thank you for the save."

    Baird's face relaxed into a dumbfounded gawk, as if he had forgotten the poison. Without really looking at him, the taskmaster turned back to the work and darted off. The unwitting elf picked up on what happened and bowed in appreciation to Baird before heading off himself. Looks like it is going to have to be a night of strong drink to ride this one out. At least the harvest can be completed. Keeping the people fed is the important thing. Though he still was struggling just as much with the indignity.

    Everyone seemed to continue on in peace. Baird strolled by the Beanies on his way out. Taking a deep breath, he said his farewell, "Thanks for all the help with today, guys. Especially you, Demony, couldn't have done it without you. I hope to meet again someday." With a wave, he left in search of spirits to quell his soured own. Onward to hopefully recover soon enough, then it is back to living the dream!