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Keeper of the Books ★ NBRC ★’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Potion Quests - Part 7

Summer Scrounge Getaway
(view spoiler)

The Bone-Afide Problem
(view spoiler)

Fred’s Flaming Folly
(view spoiler)

Story Quests - Price Rowan

Eighteen Candles and a Quiet Corner
(view spoiler)

The Prince and his Date-scapades
(view spoiler)[Following the surprisingly tolerable success of his eighteenth birthday celebration, Prince Rowan—bookworm, introvert, and occasional window-sneaker-outer—has decided to explore something new: romance. Not for alliances or courtly pressure (he dodged that speech from Queen Skye by pretending to be asleep), but simply because… well, he’s curious.

The challenge? Being both royal and shy makes traditional courting awkward. Fortunately, the Kingdom's scribes have recently revived an old tradition: "Heart & Heir", a scroll-circulated romantic directory where young nobles share poetic profiles, vaguely flattering self-portraits, and endearing tales of their pet swans. Rowan’s interested in a connection—be it with a princess, prince, or just someone who appreciates quiet libraries and long walks between hedgerows.

He’s asked you, the one person he trusts not to make this weird, to help him prepare. This means books, research, and possibly rhyming. There may also be an awkward tea date or two.

To help the Prince in his search for a kindred spirit:
• Read 3 books on or about courtship or dating (fiction or nonfiction—he’s open-minded).
• Read 2 books written in prose that include a quoted poem or song (minimum four lines). The Prince insists his Heart & Heir profile must include at least one sincere stanza—and no, it can’t be about potatoes again. Slightly offended by the potato comment, you decide to share the poems in the Local Tavern to gauge whether they’re romantic enough based on the patrons’ reactions. (Don’t forget to share the poems for this task to be complete.)
• Read a book where a character suffers from social anxiety but manages to befriend someone—whether the relationship turns romantic or remains platonic.
• Gather 3 Roses—take a flattering picture of the Prince while he’s scenting the flowers. It’ll make a smashing profile picture.
• Read a book that genuinely satisfied you—one that earned a 5-star rating. You won’t know beforehand, of course—but that’s the beauty (and gamble) of dating someone you’ve never met. Rowan wants examples with positive outcomes. (This book must be fresh, that means read after the quest was published)

Success! With your help, Rowan sends off his profile—tastefully illustrated, mildly poetic, and entirely sincere. Several responses arrive within a week, including one from a charming Paperville prince and another from a Kindletopia princess who’s also allergic to large crowds. Rowan is quietly thrilled. Courtship might not be so terrifying after all.

Your reward: 15 XP and the satisfaction of being such a good wingman—or wingwoman. (hide spoiler)]

Monster Starting 10/1/25

Rare Monsters - Only one of each of these monsters exist in the world. Killing them will be challenging but will reap great rewards.

Werewolf
25 Attack | 150 Health

This legendary beast embodies endurance and supernatural resilience. No matter how powerful your attack—whether by sword, spell, or even a well-aimed frying pan—its effect is halved. To determine your actual damage, simply divide your total attack power (including bonuses from pets, orbs, gems, and potions) by 2. This resistance applies to all forms of assault, magical or otherwise.

Beware the Bite! Every successful attack from the Werewolf is a bite, and its effects, apart from the usual - subtracting points from your actual health - are dire:
- Immediate Impact: Your max health decreases by 2 points per each bite.
- Lingering Effect - Infection: Once you're bitten, you're infected. At the start of each subsequent turn, your max health automatically decreases by another 2 points for the rest of the battle. You can be infected only once, i.e. only the first successful bite has this effect.
- Aftermath: After the battle ends, your max health doesn't restore to its previous level unless the infection is cured.

Curing the Werewolf’s Curse:
After battle, you can remove the infection by: Activating a White Gem in your shield or Spelling out "FULL MOON" using standard spell-it-out rules.

The only way to avoid a bite is:
If the Werewolf is paralyzed by your kitty’s shock collar (Works only in the 1st round),
If you’re protected by a Stoneskin Potion during that turn (but after using 3 Stoneskin Potions to full effect, on every subsequent use, the Werewolf's bite penetrates, dealing minimal damage of 1 HP while still infecting you).
If you wear a Protective Mask, the first bite has no effect. Subsequent bites infect you as described above.

The Werewolf’s Pack: Rabid Wolves
Starting Turn 2, the Werewolf summons a Rabid Wolf at the beginning of every round. These savage beasts attack relentlessly unless distracted.

Rabid Wolf - 25 Attack | 50 Health
Unlike the Werewolf, Rabid Wolves take full damage from all weapons, spells, pets, and potions.
The only way to distract a Rabid Wolf from attacking you is by throwing it a Snowflake Arm. Each wolf requires one Snowflake Arm per round to remain distracted and miss its turn.

For defeating the Werewolf & all the Rabid Wolves you will be rewarded: 50 XP, 3 Stoneskin Potions, 40 Gold, 1 Werewolf Fang

Prepare wisely, adventurer - the Werewolf is not a foe to be taken lightly!

Quests Starting 10/1/25

Last Orders at the Haunted Tankard
The local inn looked as though it had been losing a slow duel with gravity and damp for decades. Patrons, who considered drinking themselves insensible a noble calling, demanded that such heroic labour deserved better surroundings.

The innkeeper, a man whose artistic sense extended only to deciding which side of the glass the beer went in, reluctantly asked for help. Unfortunately, he asked you.

And since it the scary season is approching, you may have overdone it. The shabby inn now boasts cobwebs that move of their own accord, lanterns that flicker without fire, and shadows that really ought to be paying rent. With luck, the patrons will still come inside. If not - well, ghosts don’t tip, but at least they’re quiet.

To re-decorate the inn, certain formalities must be observed. This is less about artistic skill and more about proving you know what a paintbrush is and which end of it to hold.
1. Establish credibility: read a book in which someone - preferably fictional, but we won’t be picky - attempts to paint, refurbish, or otherwise improve their living space.
2. Summon the right atmosphere: read three horror novels or collection of horror short stories. Nothing says “inspired interior design” like not being able to sleep for a week.
3. Collect thematic materials:
- One book with a pumpkin on the cover.
- One book featuring a spider or cobweb on the cover (ready-made décor, really).
- One book with a predominantly grey or black cover.
4. Finally, add the unexpected: read a non-horror book that nevertheless gave you a fright, and recount the spookiest scene in the Local Tavern thread. Nothing unsettles people quite like discovering terror lurking in the wrong genre.

The innkeeper, it must be said, is less delighted with the results than you are. However, tradition demands that he reward effort, if not taste. You receive 8 XP and 5 salts from the tavern kitchen. (The salts are not currency, but the innkeeper insists they might come in handy. Possibly against slugs.)

Fred’s Flaming Folly
Fred the Magician has finally completed his long-promised fire golem prototype. And by “completed,” we mean he’s given it legs, vague instructions, and a name it refuses to answer to. The golem, affectionately (and misleadingly) dubbed “Cinderpaws,” has now gone on an impromptu tour of the kingdom—igniting the occasional thatched roof, toasting one unfortunate bard’s lute, and stopping traffic by basking in campfires “for warmth.”

Since tracking it down with nets and water buckets has proven ineffective (and mildly flammable), Queen Skye has come up with a clever plan: send the most literate adventurers to research magical creature control, the ethics of enchanted constructs, and a few tales of animated beings finding their purpose. Fred, of course, insists this is all part of “the learning experience.”

Search for a way to contain Cinderpaws by completing these tasks:
1. Sentience and Sparks: Read 3 books with an artificial character — robot, computer (must be AI), or golem.
2. Construct Control: Read a book where the word “control” appears at least 25 times.
3. Preventative Magik: Read a book with flame on the cover.

Success!
You return with the knowledge needed to tether Cinderpaws’ wanderlust—using a combination of calming enchantments, self-reflection scrolls, and a sturdy leash woven from fire-resistant puns. Fred declares the experiment a raging success and begins sketching plans for a sequel project: “The Lava Ferret.” Your Reward: 5 XP + 2 Shield Potions.

Stage Fright and Other Unnatural Disasters
The Royal Theatre—once a glittering jewel of culture, drama, and snacks shaped like tragedy masks—has fallen into a state of dusty disrepair. These days, the only regular performance is the monthly Book Club Brawl, where Lord Wigglesby throws paperbacks at people who spoil endings.

Queen Skye has had enough. She has been forced to spend her Friday nights staring at the Royal Tapestries and wondering why great-great-aunt Hilda is depicted fighting a goose. She craves entertainment—drama! music! wigs! exploding chandeliers!

You, brave adventurer, have been summoned to save the day (and the box office). Your task is to put together a weekly programme so dazzling, so soul-stirring, so moderately coherent, that it brings audiences back in droves—or at least gets Lord Wigglesby to stop chucking books at pensioners.

Your Theatrical To-Do List:
1. The Play’s the Thing – Read a play. Yes, an actual play. Script format. Stage directions. Overly dramatic monologues. (The 100-page limit is waived; Shakespeare thanks you.)
2. The Fat Lady Sings – Read a book that’s been adapted into an opera. Bonus + 1 XP if the main character dies tragically in the final act.
3. Jazz Hands Required – Read a book that’s been adapted into a musical. If it involves dancing street urchins or people singing at lampposts, you're on the right track.
4. Plié and Prejudice – Read a story that’s either been turned into a ballet (100-page limit doesn't apply here.) or a book that features a character who either performs on stage in an actual ballet or watches an actual ballet performance (the ballet must be named in the book).
5. Lights, Camera, Adaptation! – Read a book that’s been made into a movie, or the actual screenplay if you're feeling fancy and want to casually name-drop screenwriting terms at parties. (100-page limit doesn't apply for the screenplay.)
6. Weekend Drama – Complete your programme by repeating two of the prompts above (i.e. 1-5).
7. Curtain Call – Announce your glittering programme in the Theatre thread. Extra flair encouraged. Bonus applause for visuals.

After you're done, don't forget to collect your reward: 10 XP + 1 Mercenary Coupon.

Now, break a leg—but not literally. The theatre has very strict liability rules ever since the chandelier incident.

October update is ready. :)

I hope you'll enjoy a new spooky monster and 3 new quests.

Quests Starting 9/1/25

The Prince and his Date-scapades
Following the surprisingly tolerable success of his eighteenth birthday celebration, Prince Rowan—bookworm, introvert, and occasional window-sneaker-outer—has decided to explore something new: romance. Not for alliances or courtly pressure (he dodged that speech from Queen Skye by pretending to be asleep), but simply because… well, he’s curious.

The challenge? Being both royal and shy makes traditional courting awkward. Fortunately, the Kingdom's scribes have recently revived an old tradition: "Heart & Heir", a scroll-circulated romantic directory where young nobles share poetic profiles, vaguely flattering self-portraits, and endearing tales of their pet swans. Rowan’s interested in a connection—be it with a princess, prince, or just someone who appreciates quiet libraries and long walks between hedgerows.

He’s asked you, the one person he trusts not to make this weird, to help him prepare. This means books, research, and possibly rhyming. There may also be an awkward tea date or two.

To help the Prince in his search for a kindred spirit:
• Read 3 books on or about courtship or dating (fiction or nonfiction—he’s open-minded).
• Read 2 books written in prose that include a quoted poem or song (minimum four lines). The Prince insists his Heart & Heir profile must include at least one sincere stanza—and no, it can’t be about potatoes again. Slightly offended by the potato comment, you decide to share the poems in the Local Tavern to gauge whether they’re romantic enough based on the patrons’ reactions. (Don’t forget to share the poems for this task to be complete.)
• Read a book where a character suffers from social anxiety but manages to befriend someone—whether the relationship turns romantic or remains platonic.
• Gather 3 Roses—take a flattering picture of the Prince while he’s scenting the flowers. It’ll make a smashing profile picture.
• Read a book that genuinely satisfied you—one that earned a 5-star rating. You won’t know beforehand, of course—but that’s the beauty (and gamble) of dating someone you’ve never met. Rowan wants examples with positive outcomes. (This book must be fresh, that means read after the quest was published)

Success! With your help, Rowan sends off his profile—tastefully illustrated, mildly poetic, and entirely sincere. Several responses arrive within a week, including one from a charming Paperville prince and another from a Kindletopia princess who’s also allergic to large crowds. Rowan is quietly thrilled. Courtship might not be so terrifying after all.

Your reward: 15 XP and the satisfaction of being such a good wingman—or wingwoman.

Sir Bargainbeak's Rare Finds
Just as you’re basking in the glory of completing the “Cheep-skate” quest, you hear a loud squawk followed by the clink of coins. Turning around, you see Sir Bargainbeak, the legendary book-dealing magpie knight, skating toward you in his tiny chainmail tunic and a gaudy feathered hat.

“Ah, my favorite treasure hunter!” he chirps. “Your impeccable taste in acquiring books for next to nothing has caught my eye—or, well, my beak! I’m in search of rare tomes to stock my shop, The Feathered Tome Emporium. But not just any books, mind you. I need the special ones: stories that whisper secrets, legends with gilded edges, and, er, a cookbook or two for my lunch breaks.”

He leans in conspiratorially. “Help me track these down, and I’ll reward you handsomely. But remember—these books must be as rare and unique as my noble feathers!”

Sir Bargainbeak has a list of rare books he’s searching for. All books must have fewer than 1,000 ratings on Goodreads at the time you started reading them.

Find these treasures:
1. Books Bound in History – Read a book featuring a hidden treasure, or an ancient or historical artifact.
2. Secrets of the Lost – Read a book about a lost civilization or forgotten place.
3. The Fabled Tome – Read a book that prominently features a particular book.
4. Epicurean Adventures – Read a book with food or cooking as an important theme. (“Even knights need to eat!” Sir Bargainbeak squawks.)
5. Feathered Friends – Read a book with a bird on the cover or a bird featured prominently in the story. Bargainbeak insists this is a personal favorite.
6. The Discount Diamond – Read a book you acquired for under $5 that feels like a rare and priceless treasure to you.

For completing the quest, you will be rewarded with 6 XP, and 2 of Sir Bargainbeak’s Lucky Feathers (Sir Bargainbeak’s Lucky Feather guarantees a 50% discount on your next item purchase from Jack’s Store)

The Bone-Afide Problem
“The skeleton in the ballroom closet is dancing again,” whispers the footman. “And now it’s brought friends.”

It started with a single rogue skeleton doing the waltz at midnight. Now the entire east wing of the castle is overrun with jubilant bones—jigging in the hallways, clacking through the kitchen, and using the throne room as a conga line.

Nick the Necromancer is absolutely certain he didn’t summon them (this time), which means someone else is tampering with bone-magic. It’s up to you to get to the bottom of this rattle-happy invasion.

To banish the ballroom bone brigade, complete these tasks:
1. The Skeleton Key – Read a book where hidden doors or a secret room are involved.
2. Brittle Bones – Read a book where a main character is recovering from injury.
3. Bone to Pick – Read a book featuring a long-standing feud.
4. Dance Macabre – Read a book with people dancing on the cover.
5. Cursed Marrow – Read a book with a curse word in the text. Quote the sentence containing the curse word.
6. Bag of Bones – Gather 25 Bat Wings and 10 Balls of Wool to stitch together a sack big enough to corral the reveling skeletons.

You did it! The castle is once again skeleton-free. Nick the Necromancer is grateful for your help in containing the bony bedlam, and rewards you with 5 XP and 3 Potion Tokens.

September update incoming *dun, dun, dun*

Minor spoiler: The Prince and his Date-scapades is the first part (or second if you count the birthday quest from last month) of a multi-part quest - so keep it in mind when selecting which quests to tackle.

Hello, fellow adventurers! Check out the Notice Board for a new summer-related scrounger quest.

Quest Starting 8/10/25

Summer Scrounge Getaway
Queen Skye needs a break. Two whole weeks away from queenly duties sounded heavenly—until the packing began, an arcane ritual involving trunks, lists, and a baby who believed sleep was a conspiracy. Princess Lyra, at three months old, already has more luggage than most invading armies.

Your mission: gather items from Her Majesty’s Vacation Must-Have List before departure. Queen Skye is offering reward potions to those who help her pack.

Scrounger List (20 items)
• Sunscreen
• Beach towel
• Swimsuit
• Flip-flops
• Sun hat
• Cooler (Must be an actual item; don't try to be cool and sneak in an adjective!)
• Beach umbrella
• Snorkel set
• Backpack
• Bug spray
• Hiking shoes
• First-aid kit
• E-reader
• Portable speaker
• Travel pillow
• Map or travel guide
• Lightweight stroller
• Diaper Bag
• Baby wipes
• Travel Cot / Travel Crib

Each scrounger list item may only be found once. Items are found in the text or title of a book. Only one item may be found per book. The word may be plural. Each potion is listed with the number of scrounger items needed to win it. You may trade in items for potions at any time.

• Minor Heal Potion - 1 Item
• Heal Potion - 2 Items
• Major Heal Potion - 3 Items
• Minor Poison Potion - 2 Items
• Enhanced Weapon Potion - 3 Items
• Damage Potion - 4 Items
• Find Items Potion - 2 Items
• Time Walking Potion - 3 Items
• Duplication Potion - 4 Items
• Weakening Potion - 2 Items (must be unlocked through Alchemy That! quest)
• Transmogrification Potion - 1 Item (must be unlocked through Alchemy That! quest)
• Pet Plus Potion - 4 Items (must be unlocked through Alchemy That! quest)

Ray (user2637) wrote: "I think a Mod still needs to chime in here, but my take is the Whirlwind attack is a turn and summons the 2nd squirrel, AND damages 1 squirrel OR both if you use the horse blanket."

Sorry, I missed this post. Ray is right. You can kill both squirrels in one blow if you cast Whirlwind provided you have a horse and a horse blanket. The additional squirrel is summoned before the spell does damage - hence you can kill both at once.

Hello, fellow adventurers! Check out new quests on the Notice Board.

I tried to come up with something for everyone. I hope you'll be able to find a quest in the mix that you'll enjoy. :)

Quests starting in August 2025

Magical Field Trip
The Geography Department of the Novel Kingdom Academy has decided to embark on an ambitious field trip beyond the borders of our Kingdom! However, being the dreamers they are, the professors have no idea how to plan such a journey. Will you step in and help them craft an itinerary?

1. Choose a Starting Point: Read a book with the name of a city or town from your home country (or the country you currently live in) in its title.

2. Set Your Destination: Read a book featuring the name of a city where you’d like to end your trip in its title. This city must be on a different continent and at least 3,000 miles (4,830 km) from your starting point.

3. Plan Your Stops: Read 4 books with the names of cities in their titles, representing the places you'd like to visit on your journey. Each stop must be in a different country, distinct from both your starting point and final destination. (So it's 6 cities altogether: a starting point, a destination and 4 stops along the way.)

4. Pick Your Transportation: Select how you'll get there! Read 3 books featuring different means of transport on the cover or in the title. Make sure your choices match your journey—for example, traveling from New York to London requires something to get you safely across the ocean, i.e. a plane, ship, submarine, or dirigible. (Be realistic—no spaceships or unicorn rides! Choose something that exists and is capable of making the trip, e.g. a carriage pulled by horses would be fine for a trip over land but not across the ocean.)

5. Share your itinerary in the Local Tavern thread so the patrons can admire your planning skills—and who knows, you might even earn yourself a free tankard of beer as a token of their appreciation!

Example: You currently live in the UK.
Itinerary: 1. The Last Bookshop in London-2. The Paris Wife-3. A Gentleman in Moscow-4. The Man from Beijing-5. Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan-6. Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between
distance: over 11,000 miles (over 18,000 km)
means of transport: train: The Girl on the Train, plane: , ship:

As a thank-you for planning their grand adventure, the professors will reward you with 12 XP and 2 Shield Potions. Safe travels!

The Teapot Conspiracy
“It’s just tea,” said the Duchess. “Perfectly ordinary tea.”
Which would have been convincing if the spoon hadn’t just tried to strangle the maid.

Rumours are steeping across the land—someone’s enchanted the royal teapot, and now every pot of tea brewed within the castle walls has... effects. Sleepwalking guards, dancing cutlery, highly opinionated biscuits. Her Majesty suspects sabotage. Or possibly a prank gone very, very wrong.

You have been summoned to the High Kitchen as the Kingdom’s most reliable disaster-containment specialist (you read one book on herbology once and haven't exploded anything important in weeks). Investigate the source of the chaos and restore order to teatime.

Complete the following tasks to get to the bottom of the conspiracy:

1. The Cursed Cup – Read a book with a teacup or teapot on the cover.
2. Kitchen Confidential – Read a book featuring chef or baker as the main character.
3. Earl Grey Enigma – Read a whodunnit involving an inheritance and/or poisoning.
4. Sip Happens – Read a humorous or absurd book that leans into the ridiculous.
5. Spell-It-Out: T-E-A-P-O-T – Use standard spell-it-out rules.
6. Crumble the Conspiracy – Read a book where the main character is part of a secret society or works for an intelligence agency.

The investigation is a success. The culprit turns out to be the castle butler, who mistakenly spiked the royal tea with one of Bill the Alchemist’s experimental concoctions, having confused it for lemon juice which Queen Skye loves to be added into her afternoon tea. He has since been reassigned to polishing helmets well away from anything remotely herbal, alchemical, or liquid.

Reward: 12 XP + 10 Herbs (for your next tea).

Eighteen Candles and a Quiet Corner
It’s a momentous occasion in the Kingdom: Prince Rowan—Queen Skye’s only son and noted introvert—is turning eighteen. A celebration of royal proportions is underway, complete with feasts, fireworks, and far too many speeches. The only person less excited than the Prince is the royal historian, who’s just discovered that no proper record of royal coming-of-age ceremonies exists. None. Not even a doodle.

Queen Skye, determined that her son's birthday go down in history, tasks you with researching legendary rites of passage and birthday traditions. The Prince, meanwhile, just wants to disappear into the library. Conveniently, so do you.

To ensure the Prince’s birthday is properly celebrated—and documented:
1. Read 5 books with a primary genre of “Coming of Age” (first 7 genres listed on GR) and/or are on the first page of this GR list: Best Coming of Age Stories
2. Read a book in which a character celebrates their birthday.
3. Since the Prince is a devoted bookworm, read a book that features a book or books on the cover—as the perfect gift.

Success! The celebration proceeds with only minor firework-related incidents. The Prince smiles (an actual, visible smile) upon receiving your bookish gift. Turns out, literature really is the way to his heart. For organizing a historic and heartfelt event, you earn 10 XP and 3 Roses.

Beware of the Equine Gourmets
Wild horses have recently discovered the village's vegetables and developed quite a taste for them, leaving the farmers in a state of frantic vegetable defense. To stop these hungry critters, you’ll need to outsmart them with a bit of reading:

1. To catch one: Read a book with a horse on the cover. It's a simple start—nothing too extravagant.
2. To catch two: Read the second book in a series where someone, presumably a character with a fondness for saddles, is seen riding a horse.
3. To catch three: Read a book that mentions the word “unicorn”—which, for some reason, these particular horses seem to be very keen on.

Once you’re done, the grateful farmers, though still slightly bewildered by the events, will reward you with 3 XP and 5 carrots. Let’s hope these carrots are better behaved than the horses!

Note: This quest was inspired by the brilliant suggestion of Lady Saar. Many thanks for the wonderful idea!

A plague has past through Novel Kingdom, on the edge of Lake Lexicon. The heroes who were previously keeping the kingdom safe from monsters have been particularly badly hit and Queen Skye has put out a call for new heroes to come and maintain the safety of the kingdom.

In recognition of the fact that the kingdom is in a perilous state with all the new monsters, she is planning to pair experienced adventurers with the newcomers to help them find their way around the kingdom while they settle in.

How to take part
Post below saying whether you are a newcomer to the kingdom or an experienced hero. We will pair you up to complete the tasks together. Both of you will receive the same rewards from completions.

Tasks
1. Say hello in the buddy thread set up for you
2. Introduce yourself in the Tavern (the experienced player does not need to do this again!)
3. Newcomer reaches level 2 experience
4. Newcomer levels up a weapon
5. Newcomer levels up both weapons
6. Newcomer defeats their first monster
7. Together spell out one of NOVEL, ROLE, PLAY, GAME using standard spell out rules
8. Visit the melting pot and suggest a quest idea that you have worked on together
9. The experienced player gives a gift to the newcomer to help with a quest (e.g. potion/egg/magic item)
10. Both partners read a book that involves a teacher or student, or that has a link to a video game (i.e. Ready Player One or The Last Wish). It does not have to be the same book. The mentor can also read a book with the letters AS in the title.

Rewards
These are additive (i.e when you complete hard, in total you will have 23 XP, 10 gold and a major heal potion).

Tutorial: Complete 2 tasks for 2XP
Easy: Complete 4 tasks for 4XP
Intermediate: Complete 7 tasks for 7XP and 10 gold
Hard: Complete 10 tasks for 10 XP and a major heal potion

Welcome to the game, Elizabeth. Happy questing! Thanks Natasha for volunteering as a mentor.

Elizabeth and Natasha, I set up an apprenticeship thread for you, it's here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Elizabeth wrote: "Hi! I'm Elizabeth and I'm 28. I live in northern wisconsin. I'm married and have 2 littles and a cat. I've been eyeing up this challenge for a couple months but it's always seemed pretty daunting (..."

Welcome, Elizabeth! I hope you'll enjoy the game. If you have any questions, ask here in the Tavern. Fellow adventurers are cool folks always ready to help.

⚔️ Hear ye, brave adventurers! The final hour approaches! ⚔️

The dreaded cut-off for old books is nearly here! Tomorrow is your last chance to use any books read before 2025.

If they aren’t submitted as part of a completed quest by July 1st, they’ll vanish into the mists of forgotten tales—poof! In their place, you’ll receive 1 XP per book as a small consolation from the Magik Council.

Make haste! The archive bell tolls…

Note: The cut-off will not affect books included in the Welcome Basket for new adventurers who joined the game after January 1, 2025.

The Evil Godmother's base stats are 60 AP, 250 HP.

There was a typo in the Notice Board thread. Sorry about that-it was caused by sloppiness on my part when copying various versions of the update.

All should be fixed now. (I hope.)

Story Quests - Part 3

The Curse of the Crystal
(view spoiler)

Sir Bargainbeak's Rare Finds
(view spoiler)

Stage Fright and Other Unnatural Disasters
(view spoiler)[The Royal Theatre—once a glittering jewel of culture, drama, and snacks shaped like tragedy masks—has fallen into a state of dusty disrepair. These days, the only regular performance is the monthly Book Club Brawl, where Lord Wigglesby throws paperbacks at people who spoil endings.

Queen Skye has had enough. She has been forced to spend her Friday nights staring at the Royal Tapestries and wondering why great-great-aunt Hilda is depicted fighting a goose. She craves entertainment—drama! music! wigs! exploding chandeliers!

You, brave adventurer, have been summoned to save the day (and the box office). Your task is to put together a weekly programme so dazzling, so soul-stirring, so moderately coherent, that it brings audiences back in droves—or at least gets Lord Wigglesby to stop chucking books at pensioners.

Your Theatrical To-Do List:
1. The Play’s the Thing – Read a play. Yes, an actual play. Script format. Stage directions. Overly dramatic monologues. (The 100-page limit is waived; Shakespeare thanks you.)
2. The Fat Lady Sings – Read a book that’s been adapted into an opera. Bonus + 1 XP if the main character dies tragically in the final act.
3. Jazz Hands Required – Read a book that’s been adapted into a musical. If it involves dancing street urchins or people singing at lampposts, you're on the right track.
4. Plié and Prejudice – Read a story that’s either been turned into a ballet (100-page limit doesn't apply here.) or a book that features a character who either performs on stage in an actual ballet or watches an actual ballet performance (the ballet must be named in the book).
5. Lights, Camera, Adaptation! – Read a book that’s been made into a movie, or the actual screenplay if you're feeling fancy and want to casually name-drop screenwriting terms at parties. (100-page limit doesn't apply for the screenplay.)
6. Weekend Drama – Complete your programme by repeating two of the prompts above (i.e. 1-5).
7. Curtain Call – Announce your glittering programme in the Theatre thread. Extra flair encouraged. Bonus applause for visuals.

After you're done, don't forget to collect your reward: 10 XP + 1 Mercenary Coupon.

Now, break a leg—but not literally. The theatre has very strict liability rules ever since the chandelier incident. (hide spoiler)]

Cooking Quests - Part 2

Kindlecorn Soup for the Spiritually Knackered
(view spoiler)

The Teapot Conspiracy
(view spoiler)

Last Orders at the Haunted Tankard
(view spoiler)[The local inn looked as though it had been losing a slow duel with gravity and damp for decades. Patrons, who considered drinking themselves insensible a noble calling, demanded that such heroic labour deserved better surroundings.

The innkeeper, a man whose artistic sense extended only to deciding which side of the glass the beer went in, reluctantly asked for help. Unfortunately, he asked you.

And since it the scary season is approching, you may have overdone it. The shabby inn now boasts cobwebs that move of their own accord, lanterns that flicker without fire, and shadows that really ought to be paying rent. With luck, the patrons will still come inside. If not - well, ghosts don’t tip, but at least they’re quiet.

To re-decorate the inn, certain formalities must be observed. This is less about artistic skill and more about proving you know what a paintbrush is and which end of it to hold.
1. Establish credibility: read a book in which someone - preferably fictional, but we won’t be picky - attempts to paint, refurbish, or otherwise improve their living space.
2. Summon the right atmosphere: read three horror novels or collection of horror short stories. Nothing says “inspired interior design” like not being able to sleep for a week.
3. Collect thematic materials:
- One book with a pumpkin on the cover.
- One book featuring a spider or cobweb on the cover (ready-made décor, really).
- One book with a predominantly grey or black cover.
4. Finally, add the unexpected: read a non-horror book that nevertheless gave you a fright, and recount the spookiest scene in the Local Tavern thread. Nothing unsettles people quite like discovering terror lurking in the wrong genre.

The innkeeper, it must be said, is less delighted with the results than you are. However, tradition demands that he reward effort, if not taste. You receive 8 XP and 5 salts from the tavern kitchen. (The salts are not currency, but the innkeeper insists they might come in handy. Possibly against slugs.) (hide spoiler)]

Potion Quests - Part 6

A Royal Flush
(view spoiler)

Alchemy That! Part II: The Spectral Brew
(view spoiler)

Threads of the Rainbow Tapestry
(view spoiler)

Magical Field Trip
(view spoiler)[The Geography Department of the Novel Kingdom Academy has decided to embark on an ambitious field trip beyond the borders of our Kingdom! However, being the dreamers they are, the professors have no idea how to plan such a journey. Will you step in and help them craft an itinerary?

1. Choose a Starting Point: Read a book with the name of a city or town from your home country (or the country you currently live in) in its title.

2. Set Your Destination: Read a book featuring the name of a city where you’d like to end your trip in its title. This city must be on a different continent and at least 3,000 miles (4,830 km) from your starting point.

3. Plan Your Stops: Read 4 books with the names of cities in their titles, representing the places you'd like to visit on your journey. Each stop must be in a different country, distinct from both your starting point and final destination. (So it's 6 cities altogether: a starting point, a destination and 4 stops along the way.)

4. Pick Your Transportation: Select how you'll get there! Read 3 books featuring different means of transport on the cover or in the title. Make sure your choices match your journey—for example, traveling from New York to London requires something to get you safely across the ocean, i.e. a plane, ship, submarine, or dirigible. (Be realistic—no spaceships or unicorn rides! Choose something that exists and is capable of making the trip, e.g. a carriage pulled by horses would be fine for a trip over land but not across the ocean.)

5. Share your itinerary in the Local Tavern thread so the patrons can admire your planning skills—and who knows, you might even earn yourself a free tankard of beer as a token of their appreciation!

Example: You currently live in the UK.
Itinerary: 1. The Last Bookshop in London-2. The Paris Wife-3. A Gentleman in Moscow-4. The Man from Beijing-5. Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan-6. Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between
distance: over 11,000 miles (over 18,000 km)
means of transport: train: The Girl on the Train, plane: , ship:

As a thank-you for planning their grand adventure, the professors will reward you with 12 XP and 2 Shield Potions. Safe travels! (hide spoiler)]

Check out the Notice Board thread for the latest (and last) June Update.

A new rare monster and two quests. Enjoy!

Keeper of the Books ★ NBRC ★’s Comments (group member since May 19, 2018)

Nothing But Reading Challenges