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. Laurel is working with a customer. Her back is to you. She does not know you have entered.
"we have your ingredients!" , Bulgard blurts out, throwing is hands in the air in childish giddiness as he leaps into the doorway.
"Y-y-you wouldn't b-b-b..." he scrunches his face together, squints his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose to quell the stammer, then draws a deep breath to contain his excitement and continue.
"We gathered everything you asked but we went through h-hell to get it! We did it! We saved the town!"
Laurel let's out a loud scream as she was not expecting anyone to creep up from behind. She spins around. A wand points at you.
"You! Why you gotta do me that way?" Catching her breath..... "Well, well, well, whatcha got boys? Show me the goods."
Apologies for startling you, but as Bulgard says, the procurement of these reagents was no simple task.
Zevon hands her the satchel of ingredients.
The herbalist carefully inspects your findings.
"Ironbloom, seven. Elderwood Moss....Rat's Tail. You boys done good. Here. Take this apple to the sheriff and he'll give you your reward. And you, woody, (pointing at Bulgard) if you ever fright me like that again you will be joinin thems. She points to a bamboo cage with two large toads in it. They both begin to croak. "Now get outta here, I gots work to do."
As you approach the sheriff's office, you see him outside speaking with two men. Just as they finish up, you approach. He turns to you and looks each of you over. You do look a little worse than you did when he last saw you. He smiles. "Welcome back to Falcon's Hollow, gentlemen. Tell me, did you find what she needed?"
I am pleased to report the we did, albeit at great personal risk. Worry not, the dangers were nothing we could not handle and we were glad to sacrifice for these poor people in need. Laurel is now in possession of the reagents and should be fabricating a cure as we speak!
That is good news. Did she happen to give you anything while you were there?
The sheriff looks the pony over and even inspects each hoof. He smiles at Rhen. "Thank you sir, for taking good care of her. My daughter will be thrilled when she sees Anastasia. You boys look like you could use an ale or two. Did you notice The Sitting Duck as you came into town? Just past Roots and Remedies, last building on the right. And if any patrons offer to let you play any games with them, best to decline."
Rhen grumbles a bit about the pony but is a bit thankful that it allowed him to make fun of an entire lumber camp in 1 go.
"Aye I saw it, ye be pickin' up the tab?"
"Well, Rhen, I won't be picking up any bar tabs but I may see you there later tonight. I like to swing by there on a regular basis. Your reward will more than cover that. But, I am curious. Did Laurel give you anything when you dropped off the ingredients?"
Indeed, sir. She sends this apple.
He smiles when he sees the apple. "Good job, men. Let me get your rewards." He heads to the office. When he returns, he hands each of you 35 gold pieces. "And if you do visit the tavern, beware the local brew of fermented darkwood leaf. That can floor an ogre in a few tankards."
"Sounds like a challenge, Ogre's not be known for their drinkin' just their stinkin' and slobberin' and their stupidness."
Rhen smiles and heads off.
"Well i bet i can give you a run for your money, dwarf, lets see how strong your southern brews are!"
As you enter the tavern, you notice two elderly men sitting at the end of the bar, closest to the wall. They are talking and laughing and give you no notice. There are tables and an unlit fireplace as well. The barkeep is cleaning a table. He looks up at you. "Welcome to The Sitting Duck, strangers. Make yourselves at home. Bar or table, whatever you prefer. I'm Jim. Will be right with you."
"The sheriff told us o' The Fermented Darkwood Leaf, me and the large boy ere' want ta be tryin' it."
Rhen hops up on the stool.
Jim sets two mugs on the bar. The ale is black with nice head upon it. He then sets out a bowl of highly salted nuts.
"We don't prepare food here, but I do have a young man that can be sent out for whatever you want. He needs the money and I like it when people stay a while."
The Darkwood Ale is only fermented. It has a dry, bitter, unusual taste. It affects you just like an 80 proof whiskey despite no distillation. Must be something special about the darkwood.
Bulgard pulls up a barstool beside Reinar and leans up against the bar.
"I'll have what they're having."
Jim sets a black ale in front of Bulgard.
Zevon follows his companions after squaring with the sheriff. He nods to the men and pulls up to the bar. He furrows his brow at the dark liquid in the tankards.
Mead, cider? The Darkwood Leaf seems a bit more than I wish to tackle at the moment.
"We have no cider, sir, but the mead is excellent." He hands you a clear glass with golden mead that glows like the nectar of the gods. It smells that way as well.
"So gentlemen what are ye going to be doin' with yer share o' the reward?"
"B-b-b.... Buying this round!"
"Reward? Are you gentlemen some kind of heroes? We don't get many heroes at The Sitting Duck."
Reinar downs his pint. "Another barkeep." The empty mug hits the bar. He smiles at Rhen.
Jim refills the mug and places it before Reinar.
"We managed to find the ingredients for the cure for that sickness that was affecin' yer town." Rhen takes a long drink from his mug.
Well heroes is a strong title. As Rhen said, we have provided your herbalist with rare ingredients that were particularly difficult to obtain. It is my sincerest hope that they provide a respite to this plague. As far as the reward money, I have not thought that far ahead. I assume it will go to finance further travels. For the moment, however, it will allow me to sleep in a bed and keep a fully belly. What are your plans, dwarf?
As it gets closer to rush hour, a lovely barmaid enters the tavern. She steps behind the bar and pours herself an ale. "Hey Jim." She approaches you from the other side of the bar. "Hi, I'm Jalene. Haven't seen you here before. What brings you boys to Falcon's Hollow?"
"We be here and rescuin' the town. From a plague? Was it a plague or what?'
"How noble of you! Yes, I have heard it called a plague. I am no healer, though."
Reinar sets his mug down, stands up and looks down on the barkeep. "Food".
Bulgard replies "Y-y-y-yes f-f-food."
Jim looks up at the huge animal man. "Hollin!"
A boy comes running out from the back room. Hollin is a freckly faced ten year old boy missing his two front teeth. He has short curly red hair and well, looks kind of goofy.
"Hollin, bring me beef stew for 8 and two loaves of bread."
The boy replies "Yes sir" and runs out the of the building.
Reinar sits down and plants his face on the bar.
The bar begins to fill with patrons. The consortium must have reached end of day.
A man positions himself in a corner. He says "My name is Tharfynn and I hope to entertain you this evening. I will be joined off and on by others throughout the night. Our only pay is your tips, so please be generous and enjoy. Hit it Jerry." They begin with Whiskey in the Jar
"So now that you have saved our town, what do you plan to do next?"
The Sheriff walks in and heads to the bar. Jim hands him an ale. Baleson then moves about the establishment speaking to just about everyone.
"Mightin' be headin' back ta the Five Kin's Moutain's." Rhen then takes more to drink, eagerly awaiting the food.
Reinar snores loudly for a while, before waking up like nothing happened and beginning to eat like a wild boar.
"Another drink."
Zevon walks over and drops form change in the band's jar. He returns to his seat and waits for the food.
Something that has been bothering me about our last adventure, Rhen, is that we uncovered the tale of Glintaxe but saw no signs. There is a part of me that wishes to put that bit of mystery to rest... along with any possible troubled soul. The complete desecration of the monastery weighs heavily on me in fact, such a historical loss.
Hollin returns with a large pot of beef stew and two large loaves of bread. Jim serves it to you at the bar. The stew is really very good. Having had nothing but trail rations for days, it tastes like the best you have ever had.
"that's been nagging me too, Z. Hey, J-Jim, what can you tell me about the old monastery? Know anyone that might know somethin about it?"
"The Crucible is some sort of dwarf ruin. I have heard that hosts of monsters plague its darkened halls, and they say ghosts of the dwarves skulk there too. It was a monastery long ago, where they worshiped some dark joyless god of toil. Druingar the Glintaxe, the great dwarven hero, quested there to find relics of his people’s ancient empire. He never returned, and now those who venture close to the place at night claim his ghost glides through its gloomy halls, preying on anyone foolish enough to trespass there. And then then there is the ballad of Glintaxe that every child in these parts heard about just before bedtime. I bet Hollin knows it by heart if you do not.”
Jalene is scurrying about the tavern delivering drinks and enjoying short conversations when she can. The crowd continues to grow.
"Aye so what are ye sayin' there pointy ears? Ye want ta go searchin' for a dwarven legen?"
Rhen orders 2 more.
Two mugs slide down the bar and stop in front of Rhen.