[Status(P)quo(d)]

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"Moth?"

"Yes Father?"

"Remember those Beetles you asked me to help you crossbreed?"

"Yes?"

"Remember how you asked me to modify their bodies in such a way to live longer, heighten their aggression, and change their diet to rotten meat?"

"Yes, Father. Of course I know this. I have been very careful with Junior."

"I know dear, and- You said you were using Vitae to sustain him, and summon copies from Junior's base template?"

"I don't see where you are going with this, dear Father. Is there something I've overlooked in my procedure?"

"Yeah. Where's Junior?"

"..."
"..."

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This is a public service announcement from the desk of the Arcadian Clinic Head's Desk, Izmael Aubreen.

Please be on the look out for a large, palm-sized beetle in the vicinity of Arcadia, the Realm, or possibly anywhere in Meranthe. The beetle possesses qualities that are ferocious and terrifying in appearance, but it has been designed to only feast on rotten meat and should pose no harm to any mortal being so long as you do not provoke it or threaten it. If you see this beetle, please do not damage it in any way, shape or form. It is a research project of one Rafflesia Aubreen, whom is very sorry for accidentally letting it out of her sight. It responds positively to signs of Vitae, and should you offer it a source it should harmlessly approach you for easy collection.

We would like to assuage any concerns for public safety as this is a solitary beetle that should not have any reason to attack civilians. No it is not a product from the Void. No we did not breed it with a demon. No we did not utilize sorcery or witchcraft in its creation. No we did not intentionally release it. Any other questions can be brought to Rafflesia Aubreen, as she will be taking responsibility of capturing this creature.

Thank you.

...

A week passes.

This is a second public service announcement from the desk of the Arcadian Clinic Head's Desk, Izmael Aubreen.

We would like to thank the people of the Realm and beyond for retrieving so many beetles fitting the exact description of our uniquely bred Beetle that has gone missing last week. We would like to ask that you continue to do so and provide a detailed summary of where you had found the beetle, where it was flying from, and what it was doing at the time of its retrieval going forward.

There is still no need to panic. Thank you for your continued assistance in retrieving our project materials.

Thank you.

...

Another week passes.

This is a public service announcement from the desk of the Arcadian Clinic Head's Desk, Izmael Aubreen.

So, yes. The roiling swarm of 'murderbeetles' is a cause for concern. It seems to be attracted to large sources of Vitae in order to sustain its propagation. It appears to be leaving people unharmed if they do not attack the main body of the swarm, but it has been noticed trying to devour even slightly ripened crops. We ask that civilians keep their ears open for loud buzzing in the air, and to please seal up your windows at the first sign of danger.

Thank you.

...

Finally...

A missive goes out to ALL those interested in some public service work within territories that are on decent enough terms with the Duchy of Arcadia,

Hey this is Izmael,

Yeah, sorry, before you ask- The beetles are Rafflesia's. We thought they'd die out relatively quickly because of how we engineered them, but Junior seems to have found out a way to keep itself alive. Yeah. It's living off the Vitae from the leylines in the area - Yeah, we've been tracking their flight patterns. Other than brief layovers to feed off rotten meat and plant matter, they're all gathering and flying in circles around the leyline disturbance.

Getting Junior back should cause the rest to die off. They're all copies of the original. We just weren't expecting Junior to figure that out and Rafflesia is deeply sorry.

We need help cordoning off the most recent leyline and boxing the swarm in. Once Rafflesia can retrieve Junior we should be safe.

It really shouldn't be too bad. Hopefully.

And yes, if there's anything worth salvaging that you're free to take it.

Before you ask, yes- I've already told my wife. She is unhappy with me. We're fixing it.

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Attendees: Public / Anyone who isn't negatively aligned with Arcadia!
Risk: High Chance of Injury
Reward: The Fleshcrafted, Vitae-Fed Beetle Ferrumelion Junior!
Theme: THE SWARM THE SWARM THE SWARM THE SWARM
DM: Anyone who wants to help us have a bit of fun? Please contact statuspequod on discord if interested
WHEN: Gosh I don't know when we're able to find a good time!