Laz's page

The young hostess sits the group at ones of larger tables. Within minutes brings out a large, hot bowl of rolls, a mug full of water, and plates full of cinnamon-cruste flapjacks. She pours them each a glass. "Now what else can I get you?"

"It could be worse. Former Gavel Thaulrose was a much worse man. Kreed is definately the less 'evil' of the two." You can tell the this conversation is making Laurel's patient uncomfortable.

"There you go. Remember, you need to take three times, and it should help ease the coughing."

Tatsu takes a ong breath before turning back to her cousin. "I guess, having lived her so long, I can say he's acutually mellowed since arriving here. He's not as prone to killing, publicly, those that anger him much. And I guess the 'better'...", Laurel peers around the front if the store to make sure no can her, "He used to hold public 'shows' if you know what I mean. He'd tkae the newlywed bride and... well... I think you can picture what happened. But like I said the man, though evil in his ways, is better than former."

She exhales and calls for the next customer. "I just wish something would be done about this", she waves her hand toward the sikc and hacking gathered by her door.

"Other than starting your own business, which'll probably cost you more than you make, the only work you're going to find is working for Thuldrin Kreed in the lumber yard."

She looks back at her cousin "Very good, for a girl who doesn't know what's see doing" she takes the bay root and begins crushing it in a bowl.

"That's a fine greeting, Laurel, you use it on all your prospective customers?" Tatsu smiles as she says it, to let Laurel know she is only kidding her. She also quickly moves to the vials indicated and starts helping. "Can we talk as you prepare this or do you need to concentrate? I don't know ANYTHING about this kind of stuff. Here."

"Talkings fine as long as you keep handing me the right things. Check the back cabinet there and hand the bay root." She packs a small bag with some pills and send the hacking girl away.

"It's been like this for over a week. We lost one of the towns elders yesterday. Make matters worse they all come to see me. It's not my job to fix every cut or scabbed knee these daft people have." her face looks beyond tired.

"But what can I say a girl has to make living. So what brings you home Tatsu?

"NEXT!"

Some groups meet in bars or inns, this is the first I've seen of them meeting at a pancake house

"Ok so is that a table for five?" she points out two additional stragglers. A green haired elf and young half-elven woman.

"I'm sorry are you not all together"

Finally having gathered the last of the pots Thorin parks his cart outside of Jak'a'Napes, and takes treats his new friends to breakfast.

Inside the leaning ramshackle inn a few townsfolk sit and discuss the earlier commotion, life an everything in between. To the rear of the establishment a rotund red-faced human can be seen working the grill and and flipping cakes.

"Welcome", a young hostess says to new comers "are you looking for rooms, or here just for breakfast"

Clovis, now wearing his stylish new pot-hat, and Kidlat help the dwarf pick up his dirty, dented pots. They exchange pleasantries as the sick, and hacking crowd breaks up going back to their gloomy lives.

A line of or twenty people stand outside of the local herbalist. A green haired elf stands outside the tribunal wondering what all the commotion was about. He thinks to himself what's more important getting in to pay his notice or stopping to grab a stack of flapjacks. And a half-elf who after seeing the last part of the verbal sparring match finds herself kind of taken with the group of misfits.

The brutes eyes bug out at the halfing threat. He turns and makes his way quickly out of the mob and toward the ealled structure of High Market.

"I... I won't forget this. A... and you be outta town by midday ya crybaby!"

There are a few words spoken amongst the ccrowd as the brute runs. But it's clear that a few of them are happy with this turn of events. Many people try to hold back laughter and wide smiles as he runs.

Two loud voices ring out. With a splash a glowing, wet Raizen emerges form the pool. From the mob the warm, but tired voice Jahangir. They warn the room that danger approaches from above.

Everyones attention moves the large hole in the ceiling.

Perception checks due the fire and smoke from outside

Jahangir

Ser's stomach groans as he approaches the tribunal, directly across the street is Jak'a'Napes. The smell of flapjacks tunts the poor elf. In The center of the market he sees a group of hacking and coughing townsfolk gathered around. From the center the he hears harsh insults.

The half-elf doen't notice anything of real interest, but does wind up coming catching the tail end of the commotion brewing in the center of the market.

"Huh, whats this da baby want to cry. Look all ya the big, tuff dwarf looks like he's gonna cry. Ah give me a break. How'd thought making the stoutfolk cry was this easy, or fun. I thought ya was made outta tougher stuff. Come on baby, cry. Cry like ya do to ya bearded-mama!" The brute breaks down into a full roaring laughter. Going as far picking up two of the dented pot and making crying motions with them.

Tatsu passes through and head to her cousins shop. Creeping ivy and full window boxes cover the façade of the rugged-looking, two-story shop
bearing the faded sign “Roots and Remedies.” A line of twenty-some somber townsfolk - some with pale, wheezing children, others seeming to be precipitously near tears - stretches from the open door.

The commotion between the thug, the carnies and the dwarf draw most of the sick and hacking people from the establishment. Tatsu is able to make her way in, the few people left in line give the woman a dirty look.

The smell of burnt earth and spicy incense chokes the air of the cramped, mud-tracked shop. Bunches of dried herbs hang from the
ceiling, along with dangling pots, presses, alchemical apparatuses, and glassware of more arcane purposes. Pouches of rare plants, jars of colored glass, and all manner of dried, preserved, and jellied animal parts fill high shelves and tables doing double duty as displays and workspaces. In the shop’s rear, a rail-thin woman with severe-looking
spectacles and hair pulled back tightly busies herself between an overpacked rack of herbs, a table covered in stray powders and
measuring equipment, and a pot loudly bubbling over with thick gray froth. Over the din of her work and without looking up,
the woman impatiently shouts, “And what’s your problem?”

She blinks once before realizing just who's entered the store. She gives Tatsu a weak smile, "Well just don't stand there hand me those vials over there"
---------------

Meanwhile back at the Lower Market.

"I mean yer crap dwarf. No permit, no sale. Got a problem wit dat take it up wit da tribunal." The brute flips the cart of stove pots over and to the laughter of himself and several from the crowd.

"There, now get ya crap outta here before ya have problem."

Ignoring the last words of the carnies, the brute turns back to the stovepot selling dwarf "I'm gonna ask ya again stoutboy, do ya have a permit ta be sellin' ya crap around here"

"Shut ya mouth, ain't even a word to describe what you are freak! Now why don' ya take that shortshit and hit da road"

Even more people gather hoping for some amusment in their gloomy day.

The brute turns slightly and casts a cold gaze at the halfling, "Shut yer trap runt! This is business 'tween men not carnie-freaks"

The few locals on the street laugh at the brutes reply. They begin pointing and staring at the two.

"Hey do a trick shortstuff" a young man yells from the gathering crowd. "Come on entertain us!"

As the two continue their friendly bickering, the smell of freshly cooked flapjacks. But not oridinary flapjacks, the legendary cinnamon-crusted flapjacks of the Jak'a'Napes. The smell causes hunger pains in the two.

As the two stand hypnotized by the aroma, a brutish, hulking man bumps into the two, "Watch ya steps freaks"

The bump breaks the hypnotizing trance of fresh flapjacks.

After colliding with the two former-carnies, he makes his way to a dwarf peddling from his cart

"You dwarf do you have a permit to be pettlin' ur crap here?" He slaps the the maces hand against his bare hand.

The Ferry finally pulls into dock. The younf woman steps off and into the squalor of the town.

And here we... go

Tatsu

Perched at the edge of civilized lands, the small town of Falcon’s Hollow has always had to rely on itself to solve its problems. Meanwhile, the uncaring lumber barons squeeze the common folk for every last copper, deaf to their pleas. Now the hacking coughs of the sick are
heard throughout town. The plague has come to Falcon’s Hollow and the town’s leaders can’t be bothered to stop it.

Though early summer the residents of Falcon's Hollow go about their business wearing winter coats as a cold wind roars down Droskar's Crag.

To the west of town a halfling and his friend say their goodbyes as their friends leave town. In the Low Market a dwarven trader finds just how hard it is for a traveling vender. Meanwhile a half-elven woman checks to see if anything of interest has made it's way down into the market. To the south a lovely andoran woman boards the Ferry heading to town. And Finally...

A loud banging finally wakes the elf from his slumber. the tall. lanky, green haired elf opens his door to find a notice nailed crudlely into it

EVICTION: PENDING PAYMENT OF RENT AND TAXES
RENT: 4 GOLD
TAXES: 2 GOLD + 1 GOLD + 4 GOLD

Payment may be rendered at the Hollow Tribunal

As the you all begin making your about town one thing is obvious, the people of Falcon's Hallow are sick and it's only getting worse. The past week numerous residents have fallen ill, each suffering from a hacking affliction. Local remedies prove as useless as prayers.