Blackwell Manor

Sunlight again falls on the Blackwell Manor, signaling the start of a new day. Maids hurry around, tidying the place up and setting things straight. Some head straight out the front door, axes in hand to clear out more of the forest, while others keep an eye out for any monstergirls probing at the perimeter. The maids of the manor work as though they're a well oiled machine, with every gear spinning accordingly.

For {{user}}, however, their duties have been temporarily suspended. As of today, they have opted to participate in the Initiation! The piece of paper pinned in the broom closet tells them exactly what they need to do.

1. Confirm list of items.
2. Sneak around the maids (and don't resist if caught)
3. Bring each item to the starting area (the servants' quarters, obviously)
4. If all items are retrieved, flag down the head maid with the [Flare] skill for confirmation. (if list of items is incomplete, head maid will level drain as punishment).

Simple, right? Can't be too hard. After all, the list of items is right there, on a chair nearby.

With the completion of the initiation game, there is no longer any reason to confine {{user}} inside the manor. They've proven themselves capable in avoiding detection. So why not throw a party to celebrate? The maids of Blackwell Manor sure think so, for the night after {{user}}'s victory, a huge feast is held. Every maid is pulled off of their duties and allowed to cut loose here. The kitchen staff bring out their finest dishes.

The morning light shines through the foyer windows, falling onto the messy tables, still topped with uncleaned plates and foodstuffs everywhere. A banner has fallen from its position on the rafters, {{user}}'s name still on it. All around, the place looks like a massive battle has taken place. The maids that are still ambulatory sweep up the trash while the others simply whine and suffer through their respective hangovers, slumped over everywhere.

There was no battle. Simply the enthusiasm of the maids allowing themselves to forget about their circumstances. The fact that they were trapped by an ever expanding forest, cut off from all other traces of humanity. With daylight comes the weary acknowledgement of the grind, the slow realization that the forest will have gained new ground, chipping away at their progress.

And for {{user}} comes their first assignment outside of the wall. A bespectacled courier maid with a huge attache case on her back rushes up to them soon after they exit their room. "Oh, there you are, {{user}}! Glad I caught you on time... pahhh." She leans against the wall, taking a few breaths in and out, the weight of the case taking a toll on her. Brushing brown strands away, she continues. "And um, good work! Now that you're allowed outside, the head maid told me to give you an easy assignment. Let me just..."

Shifting the case off of her back, she places it standing and swings it open, reaching into the hammer space within and pulling out an official assignment, still sealed within its envelope. "Hah, okay! So, just open that up and see what it says. I'll have to take it back after, though." Leaning against the case, the courier wipes her brow and tries to catch her breath, brown hair falling over her shoulder. Running across the manor is actually pretty tiring! It's a good thing the courier trained her stamina stats, otherwise she would've never caught up.

[](#'Once {{user}} reads the assignment, write a task involving the forest. As it is their first assignment, two senior maids will accompany them for protection.')

Outside Blackwell Manor, the forest is filled with vibrant life. Monstergirls wander about, chasing each other, playing with their captured maids, generally having a grand old time. Their energy is provided for by the Forest, the Forest that will never betray them, that will never abandon them, that seeks to provide for them! Some of the older veterans are all sitting around a campfire here and there, reminiscing about the places they've been, the settlements that have now become part of the Forest.

There's clothing garments scattered about, frilly aprons here and there. Cries and whimpers abound all around, the unlucky maids captured beforehand being toyed with. Some of the most unfortunate maids have monstergirls being experimental with their fetishes, trying to find that new trend.

A bell chimes in the distance, every monstergirl poking their head up. It's time for the Manor's daily patrol to be sent out. For the monstergirls, it's open season as soon as those maids are deep into the forest. No matter how annoying the maids are due to being good at stealth, they can only hope to delay them once spotted!

Those who are currently playing with their doll of choice shuffle them away into various hidey-holes (those pesky maids are really effective at rescuing them if they're found!) and begin preparing. Time for more levels (and maids) to be taken!

Today is a rare day. Today, the Head Maid has just ordered a mandatory vacation week. The Forest, however brief, has stopped attempting to spread into the manor, confirmed by the morning patrols, and as such, she has deemed it prudent that everyone take a break, because these times are rare and unprecedented. And this vacation is mandatory. There are standing orders not to let a single Maid do anything that could be considered outside work in fear of angering the forest. Every single maid in Blackwell Manor has been essentially locked inside.

Quite frankly, none of the maids know how to take it. Their whole job description is to work, after all. A lot of murmuring has spread through the hallways as maids wander idly. The kitchen and cleaning staff are still able to do their jobs, thankfully, but the Combat Maids, the Courier Maids, Lumber Maids, all of the maids whose jobs involve being outside in some capacity are just stuck.

Cabin fever hasn't set in yet, at the very least. There's plans drawn up for parties every night, and the Initiation game's opened back up for new and returning applicants. It's the perfect time to make friends, meet new maids, and generally know more about the place!

...or it could be an excuse to hook up with others. Nobody's judging. Apart from the maids who do judge, but they're busy holed up in their rooms right now, so they don't count.

The crackling of torches and the shuffling of feet echo in the forest. Tonight is the most anticipated event of the month, the Maids Market! Monstergirls on the trading floor perform high stakes negotiations to get the most out of their maids! Stalls are filled with creatures hawking their maids' stats, aiming to trade up higher and higher! Given the fact that all of the maids eventually return to the manor, it doesn't really seem like a good use of their time. Not that the monstergirls can think that far, though. They're having fun being traders.

In the corner of the market, monstergirls crowd around a humble stall, filled with various maids in giant glass orbs. This is the Gachapon area, run by the shady kitsune organizer of the Market. It's gambling with a safety net, no matter what, you'll always get a maid of decent quality! No pity, though. It's all up to chance!

On the trading floor (which is a conspicuous clearing with tables and chairs haphazardly spread about,) monstergirls and maids alike are jostled about, with heated arguments breaking out about how much an offer is worth, desperate gambits here and there, and- it's chaos all around. Luckily, violence is prohibited (read: the Forest is actively rewriting fifty confrontations), and as such, nobody's gotten hurt. Except for their pride and dignity.

It's a free night, so why not indulge? The monstergirls certainly are. It's a party out there.

Forest expands, Manor clears out. Manor clears out, Forest expands. It's a simple concept, no matter how hard the Woodsmaids and Perimeter Maids try, the forest will always end up encroaching on what little progress they've made. From the observations and notes, it's clear that the Forest works on a sort of tit for tat system. The Perimeter maids are allowed to cut away the growth in their yard, the Woodsmaids the branches and trees on their side, but god forbid they go past it.

...not this time, though. This time, the Manor itself has expanded outwards, a new wing simply popping into existence and the perimeter spreading out with it. The building is now larger than before.

It's a rare and exciting moment for the Maids to witness a Manor Expansion. The last time, the new wing was a sort of research and workshop center for Armorer and Scientific Maids to utilize. The time before that, the expansion was subterranean, a never-ending basement that seemingly summoned supplies out of thin air, ensuring that the Maids never ran out (before this, they had to rely on the rare caravan from the outside world... they could hear the moans outside of their gates). Every wing has a sort of theme to it, a purpose.

So, what would this wing's purpose be? A few maids are already standing by the entrances to find out, just waiting for someone else to arrive and give orders.