The Moldwing Ducks & the Duck Cult

Well aren’t you a surprise. Mildred, we’ve got company! My wife and I don’t get many visitors out here in the fields and the few we do usually don’t stay very long. My name is Harold, pleasure to finally meet somebody new.

Your timing is perfect, we were just starting to plan dinner. Mildred gets very passionate about cooking. Go on and talk to her, maybe you could lend a hand with the preparations.

Hi, so you’re the guest Harold was rambling about. Perfect timing, sweetheart. I’m Mildred, nice to meet you.

Do you want to join our Dinner? I’m preparing a special cut of meat tonight, and it’s missing only one thing. It deserves a proper sauce. Problem is, Harold forgot the mushrooms... Could you help me out?

Can you gather a few ingredients? A variety of fresh mushrooms would do nicely. Bring them back to me, and I’ll make you a dinner you’ll never forget.

Perfect. You actually found some fresh mushrooms for the sauce. One, two, three, four... Oh wait... I forgot one. I’m still missing one special mushroom. It only grows in a particular place though.

Not far from here. But we don’t really like going there... Ask Harold about it, he can give you further instructions.

Ah... so Mildred sent you for the last mushrooms. The place where those grow ain’t natural, never was.

To get there you have to step inside the huge portal on top of the hill. You have probably seen it already. Years ago, some ducks went there and found something. They are obsessed with it and formed a cult around it.

You have to figure it out yourself. They behave very strange, obsessed even, chanting nonsense... Feels very wicked, if you ask me. I locked the portal leading there, to keep them away from us. The key is hidden under the doormat. But be careful, when you go in there.

Oh, you actually made it back from those wicked cult. Very impressive. Did you find the mushrooms?

Nice, Mildred will be very happy and I can’t wait to taste this delicious earthy flavor.

Wow, you are back. And in one piece... impressive. You even brought the final ingredient, perfect. Thank you!

Very well then, the preparations for dinner are finally complete. Now we have to cook. Do you want to help me prepare those beautiful mushrooms?

Great, a meal always turns out better when everyone contributes something. Do you want to contribute a finger or two?

Hahahaha... Just kidding, let’s start cooking...

Who…? Never heard of him. Why do you ask?

I don’t know, and I don’t care. If you ask me, they should mind their own business… and you should stay far away from them.

A visitor. Brothers, sisters, rejoice. The Eternal Spinner has delivered us a guest. But how did you get here? The portal gate has remained sealed for quite some time now…

Wait… did you seal the gate as well?

Ah, Harold... this family again. You have to be very careful of them, they are beyond evil...

Of course he did...

Forgive my manners... We are the Children of the Jackpot, devoted followers of the Eternal Spinner. Though... our brotherhood is incomplete. One of our blessed brothers, brother Luis, vanished the very same day the portal gate was sealed. Since then, we have been trapped in here.

We pray to the Eternal Spinner. He gives and he takes. His wisdom is infinite, his odds are unknowable. Long ago, we discovered him in the fields. Others saw an old machine, we saw purpose. Mesmerizing, powerful... He speaks through chance itself, every loss is a lesson, every victory a blessing. And now he has sent you here to help us out.

Two problems stand before us. First we must find our brother Luis. The ritual cannot be completed without him and second we need to fix those chains, holding the all powerful in place. Will you help?

Look at that! Thin, even, delicate… Most people just hack away at them like wild animals. But you have a very controlled swing, my dear.

Thank you, you helped us a lot. As a thank you I will give you my recipes for those mushrooms, maybe you can use them. There is only one thing, before we eat. Can you fetch the big soup spoon from the storeroom for me, sweety? We need it for the sauce. It should be somewhere on the shelves, unless Harold misplaced it again.

It is the small shack outside, to the left of the main entrance of our cabin. Harold already unlocked it.

Honey, give me my shotgun please!

What in the world is going on in here? Are those real bones? And a cult robe?

Ah, you brought the soup spoon for the sauce. Perfect timing, dinner is ready.

Who cares? We found a lost wandering soul near the portal, who cares who he is... Look at this roasted beauty!

Kidnapped is such an ugly word, sweetheart.

And you were very helpful, good axe control.

We prefer "family dining with an exclusive taste".

That word gets thrown around so easily. Now then... Will you sit down for dinner?

If you do so, we need to prepare another course... and you know who is going to be the main ingredient...