The tiny village of Falcon’s Hollow is a small hamlet surround by wild frontier. The village sits quietly in the shadow Droskar’s Crag, and the people there are as hard -edged as that mountain. Tough of body and mind. They toil endlessly to eek out an existence in the face of constant adversity from the wilds and from within town itself. A few seasonal festivals and a rare merchant caravan arriving are the only breaks in their daily grind.
Uncaring Lumber Barons own the whole of the town and form The Lumber Consortium, charging rent to all the businesses they allow to be run in the town. The rent always seems to be just enough that the business ‘owners’ just manage to make enough to live on and, if very careful save a small amount for the future or some sort of luxury. No one gets wealthy here except the Lumber Barons.
The Barons employ most of the town and are constantly looking for more loggers to work the forests. The loggers pay is small and all the businesses in town seem to be designed to milk that pay from them to re-line the Barons’ pockets while also milking the general populace also.
When problems arise the townfolk always need to rely on themselves to solve them, while the Lumber Barons turn a deaf ear to their pleas.
Now the harsh and hacking cough of disease is spreading through the town, echoing in the streets. The plague is nigh in Falcon’s Hollow and the town’s leaders can’t be bothered to stop it.
A local herbalist named Laurel has been attempting to help the sick and even the local clerics are recommending that the victims’ families go to her to seek a remedy.
Hozs and Jaden, desperate for a cure for poor Vicki, head over to Laurel the Herbalist’s shop. Surely she can help clear up this cough before its too late.
Effan enlisted the aid of his friend Faldor and headed to the Shrine of Imodea, searching for a means to help alleviate the hacking, blood-speckled cough of Mary, the cobbler‘s wife. After speaking with Lady Cirthana at the shrine, the two of you are directed to seek aid from Laurel the Herbalist at her shop ‘Roots and Remedies’.
Creeping ivy and full, aromatic window boxes grace this rugged-looking two-story shop which bears a fading sign. Roots and Remedies. This must be the place. Looking under the sign, a line of approximately two dozen somber-faced townfolk---some with pale, wheezing children in tow, others seeming on the verge of tears---forms from the open front door. A hand pulls away a cloth from one woman’s mouth and the bright red of blood can be seen mixed in with the thick phlem on the cloth before she covers it up.
The disease is getting worst by the day, we need a cure, and i will go to the ends of the pits to get it. Runs his hand over the gloves Vicki gave him
Faldor seeing the crowded line begins playing a pleasant tune and making up nonsensical words to go along with it pulling a few bits of laughter from the sick people. Granted some of the laughing is rewarded with a phlegm filled cough but they seem to enjoy the distraction none the less.
Faldor instead of taking his place in line continues to walk along it making sure all can hear him.
gives the bard a look I like that tune, but even the gods would not get a smile from me today. Looks to Hors Are you sure she can help?
Ayupp. Shes the best I knows. She taught me the poultice I use when the horses eat them goblin burr berries. Hozs calmy enters the end of the line. Hmm could be a while though.
The line moves slowly, but steadily toward the doorway of the shop, people are entering in small groups of four to six at a time. Each group takes several minutes inside before exiting, usually with some cloth wrapped bundle in thier arms, and going their separate ways.
Jaden plays a lite, airy tune that seems to help, even if only a bit, to lift the spirits and brighten the hopes of the afflicted.
Effan stands in line, trying to make himself as large as possible. It's just too easy for men to overlook or ignore the small, wiry gnome in his plain clothes and workman's apron.
He listens to Faldor's tune with a wistful expression. Music always reminds him of his family.
He also frets about the wait. He has shoes to finish by noon for one of the foremen, a bad man to cross.
As Faldor continues to play his fox friend Jahn begins to dance on her hind legs as goes through the tune and even doing a few flips.
The time seems to pass more quickly as you focus on the fox's antics in response to the Bard's music and soon enough you find yourselves positioned next to the doorway (which could use a fresh coat of paint) awaiting entry.
After a couple moments the group that was ahead of yours steps out of the shop, desperately clutching small rough-spun wool packages, tied closed with course twine, that are eminating a particularly pungent aroma which reminds you of the smell of old dirt from beneath a campfire mixed with harsh spices.
"NEXT!" you hear from beyond the doorway, a call that you realize is meant for you.
As you step into the shop you hold back a strong desire to sneeze.
The smells of herbs, spices and incense clings to the air of the cluttered and mud-tracked shop. Herbs hang in bunches from a twine network that runs along the entire ceiling, along with pots, presses, glassware and alchemical apparatuses. Pouches of rare plants, jars of colored glass, and all manner of preserved, powdered and jellied animal parts fill shelves and other surfaces around the cramped room.
Toward the rear of the shop a thin woman with severe-looking glasses and hair pulled away from her face in a ponytail busies herself by scurrying from an over packed rack of herbs, a table covered in various powders and measuring equipment, and a pot that is bubbling over with a thick gray froth. Over the din of clinking jars, hissing froth in the fire and her loud steps, she shouts without looking up, “What do you need!?”
She seems to be looking frantically for something to stir the bubbling pot with.
A large wooden ladle sits on a bookshelf not 3 feet from her.
Looks around the room, getting the many smells with the earthy flowers and hearbs as if a Hors forgot to bath for a month... much like normal really Hors tell her what is happening, and see what she wants for it. He feels his money bag to his side, all of his saveings made this past 4 months, almost 25 gold. He was planing to buy suppies to build a house after the following spring harvest.
Hozs steps up to Laurel and hands her the nearby ladel. "Hi Laurel. Vicki is sick. She needs... uhhmm." Headache? gut wrench? goblin berry burrs? "What does Vicki need Jaden? Uhmm. I mean what kind of sick?" Hozs takes a deep breath. It tickles, it tickles, it... no....He sighs instead of sneezes.
She seems to be getting a deep cough that brings up alot of phlemmy and does not seem to be getting better.
Faldor slips his lute to his back and examines the room they are entered into deciding it is best for him to keep quite and let the others speak afraid his last song will make his voice sound to cheery.
She seems to be getting a deep cough that brings up alot of phlemmy and does not seem to be getting better.
Seems like she probably has...Oh, Hozs. Good to see you again....Oh gods, not your father too. Please tell me he hasn't gotten the Blackscour Taint also. Seems like all I do these last few days is try to alleviate the symptoms of Blackscour slightly before the victims die.
Raphael only-
You can hear the entire conversation that occurs within the Shop between the PCs and Laurel.
Blackscour? Can you heal it?How much will it cost?
Tell us what you need healer.Grabs his money bag, opens it with almost shakeing hands, Jaden seems very on edge, which is a very big change from his normal quite temperment.
Raphael's eyebrow rises slightly as he sits in the shadows of the alley, his head resting on the side of the building a few inches below the shuttered window. Blackscour Taint, eh?
I...I can't seem to cure it.....
It is just like any other sickness, but you get the mold growin' in you.
Eats away at the belly and tears up the chest from the inside...
Body damn near goes inside out tryin' to hack it out...thats how it gets you.....
I have no cure.....'ceptin my gramma's book....
She has a brew in here for this kind o' thing, but it has wierd and rare items in it. I have most of the item but I am missin' a few or I would've tried it.
...Oh, Hozs. Good to see you again....Oh gods, not your father too. Please tell me he hasn't gotten the Blackscour Taint also. Seems like all I do these last few days is try to alleviate the symptoms of Blackscour slightly before the victims die.
Pa? Nope I am just helping Jaden find something for Vicki. What is blackscour?... and what do you mean 'before'...? Oh no is Vicki going to die?!
I...I can't seem to cure it.....
It is just like any other sickness, but you get the mold growin' in you.
Eats away at the belly and tears up the chest from the inside...
Body damn near goes inside out tryin' to hack it out...thats how it gets you.....
I have no cure.....'ceptin my gramma's book....
Concerned by this news, Effan pipes up, "Lady LAurel, MAry, the old cobbler's wife has this sickness too. Is there really no hope?
She has a brew in here for this kind o' thing, but it has wierd and rare items in it. I have most of the item but I am missin' a few or I would've tried it.
"What kind of things? I have a little gold. Perhaps if we pool our resources we can buy what you need?"
"I've got some gold stashed as well. And I'm pretty sure we can get more if need be. Where is the nearest town with the ingredients?"
Blackscour? It's a fungus that gets into water some times, if you drink it down you get sick. Then the Taint starts to growing in you, eatin' away at your belly and chest. The body near turns itself insideout trying to hack out the stuff, but all that does is cut up your guts real bad like.
I got no cure but my grandmother's book list a brew that says it works for this type of stuff. It's a weird concoction....Rare roots and concentrates, which I mostly got excepting for three---Elderwood moss, which granny lists as only growing on the oldest tree in a forest. A naturally pickled root called Rat's Tail, of which I have no knowledge, but maybe Ulizmila the woodwitch would know of it or even have some. She's a mean old cuss. Lastly then there are the seven Ironbloom Mushrooms that are needed, they only grow in dark places where metal is close.....a favorite with dwarves or so I hear.
More then 30 in town here have Blackscour Taint, though many more are thinking they got it. Just in the last day or so I lost a few..... Nothing I did could help... This may be the only hope for those afflicted with the rot.
Dwarfs, well... could so ask some, as to be a few miners around here i think. I have heard of few places where great trees stand,Hors you know where i speak of? I do not know this witch, where does she live healer?
Effan, Faldor, i want to ask for you aid, i am not one with words, but you two seem to have a way with words that i never had. Would you helps us? It would be better then only the two of us.
Dwarfs, well... could so ask some, as to be a few miners around here i think. I have heard of few places where great trees stand,Hors you know where i speak of? I do not know this witch, where does she live healer?
Effan, Faldor, i want to ask for you aid, i am not one with words, but you two seem to have a way with words that i never had. Would you helps us? It would be better then only the two of us.
"If I can, I shall help. Mary and her husband have been very good to me. I want to see her healed."
Spoiler for Fakey:
Know (Local and geog) (1d20+3=23, 1d20+3=17)
Spoiler for Fakey: ** spoiler omitted **
Laurel speaks up, "You are volunteering to go?! Great and not a moment too soon, folks are dieing every day! All we can hope for is to treat who we can to save the gravedigger some labor."
"I remember there being a dwarven ruin of some sort to the north, near the mountains. That'd be your best bet for Ironblooms. I will mark a rough map with the approximate location of the ruins and also mark where Ulizmila's hut is located for the Rat's Tail root. The Tree I have no knowledge of...but every forest has an oldest tree..."SPOILER FOR EFFAN-
At the mention of 'oldest tree', Effan recalls a story he heard when he first came to town....a story told by an old elf who came into town from the wilds. The elf told of an enormous darkwood tree, standing proud in the forest. It's canopy full of buckler-sized leaves. The elf gave the location but you shrugged it off as drunken senile ramblings. You can probably mark the general location on the map if you wished to.
Raphael grins and stands up. Dusting himself off, he begins briskly (and unobtrusively) walking away from the shop towards the Darkmoon Lumber headquarters to the southwest. The Boss will want to know of this...
"So no gold then? Well I'm sure I can try and help the others with this task... Now Oldest tree and dwarven mines? Sounds like we may get our own story." With a chuckle Faldor looks out the door, "Though we must make speed if we are to have an audience."
I have heard of few places where great trees stand,Hors you know where i speak of? ...
"Ayup ...well no but I know some squirrels that might. Squirrels like trees so they probably know about old trees, but maybe not unless a squirrel was really old, becuase they do not live very long and to them the tree would be there for their whole life but maybe they do and maybe you two Effan Faldor can ask the squirrels too oh wait squirrels don't live in burrows unless they are a burrowing squirrels but I do not know any burrowing squirrels but even if I did they would probably not know about old trees on account of them being in burrows and all that."
"Oh yeah, I think we can find that Laurel. Just tell me what they look like" Hozs gathers the info and makes ready to leave for the oldest trees. unless we want to find the dwarves first or the witch, but the witch does not sound very good
Effan stroke his jaw. "When I came to town, I met a drunken elf. He had a story about a huge old darkwood tree in a stand with other large trees. I'd guess its about here
[ooc] Fakey, can you give us an idea about how the three locations are laid out?
"Makes sense to me to start with the closest."
Well i agree, we start with the tree, then we will find the witch and ask for her help. Anyone good with maps?
Raphael grins and stands up. Dusting himself off, he begins briskly (and unobtrusively) walking away from the shop towards the Darkmoon Lumber headquarters to the southwest. The Boss will want to know of this...
Raphael and Keegan only.
You report your findings to 'Pay Day', who listens with mild interest to the report. "Hmmmm. Largest tree in the forest, eh? Seems like a good thing to be knowin'. Alright. Raph, yer job ain't done yet here. Find that group. You are gonna be joinin' up with 'em. I wanna know about the deep woods and all that nonsense, you know, write up anything interesting and bring it back to me. Oh, and take Mr. Cawley here too. Keegan can be mappin' the way and jotting down some details of the land in those areas. Folks ain't been that way for quite some time around here. Now move! You don't wanna be losing them.
It is getting into the late afternoon now, you would barely get out of town before darkness fell if you left now.
DM and Raphael only:
"Righto, sirrah, I'll be doing ye job. Just go raound, have a butcher's, eh?"
DM and Raphael only:** spoiler omitted **
Raph and Keeg
.
.
You guys still here?! GIT!! Don't make me dock yer pay!
For DM and Keegan:
"Indeed. Let us find that group of lowlifes. They were still lollygagging around the herb shop when I left."
For DM and Keegan:
** spoiler omitted **
Raph and Keegan, give me some Gather Info and Knowledge:Local rolls as you go.....
Jaden, Hozs, Effan, and Faldor....-It is getting into the late afternoon now, you would barely get out of town before darkness fell if you left now.
Jaden walks just to Hors side, keeping he hand just resting on his crossbow. He listens to Hors talk, as he looks around the growing darkness. Did anyone bring torches?
Effan looks outside. "Since its getting so late, I suggest we meet here early tomorrow morning. I have to gather supplies for a trip like this and make sure that Mary is taken care of while I'm gone."
It is getting into the late afternoon now, you would barely get out of town before darkness fell if you left now.
"Laurel, how quickly does the disease progress?"
"Some take days, some weeks. Hard to tell exactly. I guess it depends on the strength of the person afflicted. Mary the cobbler's wife? That Mary? Hmm. I've know her in the past, she's tough as the leather her husband used to work. I'd venture she's got a couple weeks anyhow, dependin' on how long she been sick already. Those just hittin' adulthood usually last a while also. Like mos' diseases this one hits the too old and too young first and hardest."
Jaden, Hozs, Effan, and Keegan- What are you doing tonight? If you want to buy supplies there is an outfitter, Hookbill Outfitters, that sits right next door to the Wing and Talon Bar. You can buy most adventuring gear and some weaponry/armor there if you need any. They may even have a few cure potions and such. And the owner, Hookbill Marley, is usually there late.
Are you gonna gather somewhere to formulate a plan before heading home? Where?
Raph and Keegan-
Tonight we will try get some supplies from the trader and some sleep. We will meet here at frist light and sit down to a hot meal. Does anyone have anything they need or want before we break for the day?