Bill examines the leather carefully, turning it over in his hands, smelling it, tasting it, holding it up to the light, and, finally, announces, "It's from a boot."
"I hid.... hiig.. HIT!" Odd'n interjects immediately after Trom addresses the diminuitive Bill, emphasising his fighting prowess by forcefully slamming a fist down on the table. Well on his way to the bottom of his fourth mug of ale, the buffoon doesn't quite keep any strength in reserve.
"Well, that was about as helpful as a mule up a tree," Trom mutters. Finishing off his tankard, he sets it down thoughtfully. "It might be best to see about any jobs, make a name for ourselves before we start poking around. That way, if it comes down to a fight we'll have a reputation, something that gives folk a reason to look to us."
Excusing himself, Trom heads over to the bar to make just such an inquisition of the bartender, hoping to get an idea of news of the area as well.
Would any of you like to use Diplomacy, which can be used untrained, to gather information. You should specify who or what you are trying to gather information about.
"Good call, good call. Let me go and mosey about, see what I can turn up, eh?"
Gimble takes another sip from his mug before out amongst the tavern folks. If nothing of significant interest catches his attention inside, he wanders out into the village proper.
perception to eavesdrop
diplomacy to gather information (specifically, jobs for adventurers to do or potential scores to be had). hours elapse.
Excusing himself, Trom heads over to the bar to make just such an inquisition of the bartender, hoping to get an idea of news of the area as well.
"If you're getting more beer ...," says Billibinious, tagging along. "As I was saying, it's from a boot. The kind the soldiers wear. When you're my height, you get to know the boots pretty well. Is that worth a drink?"
I will see what i can find as well, gimme some time fellas Scipio wanders about, asking discreetly
Gimble learns more wandering around town than he does in the Sitting Duck. Most of the patrons in the Sitting Duck take an "If you leave me alone, I won't cut your eyes out" attitude towards inquiries. But, around town people are talking loudly, particularly lumberjacks in from the cutyard looking to share and hear news.
Gimble learns that a number of lumberjacks have gone missing over the last year, three in the last month. lumberjacks are reticent to leave the cutyard alone and even teams won't head into the woods unless they know where they are going. The highest paying work for an honest person involves heading into the woods to find older growths of darkwood so that a team can come in quickly to cut it.
He also hears that werewolves may have attacked a man on the road in broad daylight this morning. Upon further investigation Gimble becomes certain that Payden Teedum spent the afternoon telling people this over at Jak'a'napes.
He hears that Gavel Kreed ordered all the lumberjacks out of all the cutyards and inside the walls of Falcon's Hollow for three days. The town was overflowing for three days. The first cases of blackscour started just after.
A walk around town, some sharp eyes, and some pointed questions and Scipio soon finds himself interrogating a surprised gentleman wearing a pair of boots with the same red falcon. This was, indeed, the maker's mark. The man Scipio questioned won his in a game of spin-the-daggger with an Eagle Knight several months ago, but he was assured that they were made by one of the finest leather workers in Olfden.
Regarding potential scores, Gimble very quickly gets a sense of the flow of coins in town--they swim in from the lumber trade on the river; pass through the hands of everyone willing to beg, borrow, steal, work, or look pretty; pool in the general stores, bars, banks, and a handful of gambling dens; and, then, flow up the hill to the houses of a handful of dangerous men allied with or rivalling Thuldrin Kreed, the town's Gavel. Kreed's house is the biggest of these houses.
The bank and the gambling dens are decent targets. Thuldrin Kreed's house is said to be better guarded than the bank.
Gimble learns one interesting tidbit about the gambling dens: it's one of the few revenue streams that Thuldrin Kreed takes no part in. The gambling is controlled by underbosses. They say that any time Kreed has tried to profit from gambling, the house lost every hand of every game. The stories may be exaggerated, but it is clear that Kreed does not gamble.
"Are you sure you want to come to the shop? I'll probably be grinding herbs or something like that. You'd almost certainly have more fun with those people back at the tavern..."
When Hendrina arrives at Roots and Remedies, Laurel's shop, it has calmed down, but she is still busy. She thanks Hendrina for returning and puts her to work grinding herbs almost right away, but then asks for her help with something else. She passes Hendrina a few older books 'Herbs of the Darkmoon Vale' and 'Gifts from the Fey.' "My grandmother's books. I've found some information about blackscour. Can you look for more?"
She will answer any questions Hendrina has about blackscour, if she knows the answers, but she keeps getting interrupted and would need to be questioned.
Livlena dutifully accompanies her twin to Laurel's place. When the woman starts passing out books, however, Liv's eyes go rather vacant and she tells Hennie she'll keep watch outside (rather than deal with books)!
Livlena dutifully accompanies her twin to Laurel's place. When the woman starts passing out books, however, Liv's eyes go rather vacant and she tells Hennie she'll keep watch outside (rather than deal with books)!
[dice=Perception Check to pass the time]1d20
Livlena sees something unusual--she sees a man follow a man following a man.
The bald tattooed man from from the Sitting Duck and his companion pass by Livlena as she waits near Roots and Remedies. The men embrace and separate. The bald one heads back the way he came, but the hairier of the two walks past Livlena. He makes his way down the street, but she notices someone following him and clearly not wanting to be seen. She makes him out to be one of the riders from earlier--Payden's backup. Before Livlena could react to this, a third man joins the hunt and begins trailing Payden's man.
Is he gret.. getting mur ail..? Odd'n asks himself as his eyes follow Trom and Bill stalk off towards the bar. Deeply lost in his shallow thoughts, he fails to notice the rest of the group down their ale and head off to mingle with other patrons or out the door to parts unknown. Realizing he has been left alone, by both his new found friends and the wait-staff, boredom begins to quickly settle in as the alcohol tightens its grip on his good senses.
Hehh... hrmm, mahbe uddor table can shur wit' me. Buh'.. shoulder halp dem... maybe some knew why rock.
Pushing himself up from the table, Odd'n reaches into his pocket and pulls out the stone that he had earlier found wrapped in the bloodied flag. Stumbling to the nearest table with several tree fellers, he drunkenly leans on the back of one's chair before tossing the stone onto the table.
"WHY?!? Emmy-wan missin' dis? Er him?" His voice rising and fallig at irregular intervals, Odd'n stares intently at the faces around the table and the jugs of ale planted before them.
Hennie is so busy preparing herbs, and tired enough from a day of mostly traveling, that she can't do much with the books. She does ask a few questions as she works.
"What are the symptoms of blackscour?"
"Is it common here? I've never heard of it."
"How do people get blackscour?"
Trom stops and looks down at Billibinious. "If ye can tell me who would be wearing a boot with a red falcon on it, then I'll by you drinks for the rest of the night." The dwarf pulls out a coin and sets it on the counter. "We'll start with the one, and if ye can give me information by the time ye finish it, I'll get ye another one."
Billibinious said, "I accept your proffer of alcohol in exchange for information about footwear. I've seen boots with that mark before, but, just recently there's been a man around asking questions. He was wearing those boots. In fact, the last person I saw him talking to was that fellow over ..."
Bill points to the table where the hirsute hunter had been talking with the tattooed bald man. "Okay, well, they left. But, I'm pretty sure I saw that Mr. Pretty Boots talking with those guys yesterday."
At this point, the bartender directs Trom's attention to Odd'n who appears to be showing two riverworkers his rock collection angrily. "I think it's time your friend got some sunshine."
Hennie is so busy preparing herbs, and tired enough from a day of mostly traveling, that she can't do much with the books. She does ask a few questions as she works.
"What are the symptoms of blackscour?"
"Is it common here? I've never heard of it."
"How do people get blackscour?"
"How do people get blackscour?"
“It's a fungus that’s not good for anything. Hard, bitter, and sharp, it likes the water and gets you sick if you drink it down.”
"Is it common here? I've never heard of it."
"Never heard of it growing around these parts, though, until now.”
"What are the symptoms of blackscour?"
"At first, it just gets into the lungs and holds on there. You can stop it for a long time, but it doesn't let go easily. A lot of people die in the end. ... Of course, half the town has a harmless cough but think they're dying. It's hard to tell how many really have blackscour. I'll probably be able to tell better tomorrow."
Looking in the books of Laurel's grandmother's notes you see why she asked for help. They're a mess. You do find this absolutely unhelpful piece of information: "Blackscour grows in the devil's footsteps: 4640 AR--Westcrown"
"WHY?!? Emmy-wan missin' dis? Er him?" His voice rising and fallig at irregular intervals, Odd'n stares intently at the faces around the table and the jugs of ale planted before them.
[Dice=Perception; Sense Motive; Diplomacy]1d20+1; 1d20+1; 1d20-1
The men Odd'n's accosting wear the waterproof gear of dockworkers. "It's clay, isn't it? What of it? There's enough of it in the river, now push off!"
After his time spent learning the town, Gimble heads back towards the Sitting Duck to meet up with the others and relay his information. If he fails to find anyone, he walks back to the less disreputable inn and gets a room (or closet, hes small) for the night.
Trom drops two gold coins on the bar. "Let the wee lad drink whatever this will get him," he says, motioning to the barfly. Thanking Billibinious, Trom hurries over to Odd'n and grabs him by the wrist. "Come on lad, time to take a walk and get some of that ale repositioned in ye. Need a clear head to swing that ax."
Once outside, Trom will give Odd'n a chance to clear his head before redirecting the large man's attention. "Well, we know who our mystery man was last seen talking to. I'm thinking we should head to that Laurel lass, see if she can get you back on your feet and help us find the two men we're seeking."
Odd'n looks quizically down at his feet, back to Trom, then back to his feet. Lost for words at how someone needs to help him get back onto his feet when they seem to be in fine working order, his mind quickly forgets his plan to investigate river mud as he follows Trom through the town. Sadly, Trom, whilst describing the people they are looking for, is repeatedly interrupted by Odd'n about his rock and its apparent value in this investigation. The only real moments of quiet occur when the hulking brute scuttles off to the side of the roads to peer around corners and into alley-ways.
By the end of her time volunteering at Laurel's shop, Hennie has only the single cryptic reference to blackscour to show Laurel.
"The books aren't very clear about a lot of things, and it's hard to put stuff from them together. I could try again tomorrow morning if you'd like, when my head isn't so tired and cloudy."
Scipio returns from his information gathering trip and takes a seat good news fellas, found a lead, the mark and maker. He smirks looking quite pleased with himself, Olfden, a leather worker there, one of the best makes those boots. Eagle knight wear them, i found a guy wearing them who won them in a bet with one
Livlena's waiting outside when Hendrina emerges; the second twin is looking as bored as is humanly possible, but takes a moment to apprise her twin of the strange game of (secretly) follow-the-leader she witnessed.
"Let's hit the inn, get a room, and get some rest," she suggests, stifling a yawn. "Maybe we can meet up with the others there or seek them out in the morning."
As Hendrina exits Laurel's shop, she finds Odd'n and Trom heading towards her, clearly having had a few drinks, Livlena is waiting outside. Scipio and Gimble manage to join them at Jak'a'napes. The six travellers, thrown together when they came across a body on the road, have now found each other again.
Entering Jak'a'napes, you find it a much livlier place than the Sitting Duck. There's a crowd, mostly lumberjacks and river workers. There's a lot of buzz in the air and any newcomers are eyed over as they walk in.
There's a large central room with high ceilings. Stairs lead up to the walkway that is open to the central room on one side but to smaller guest rooms on the other. By the signs painted on these rooms, you get the impression that one can get a haircut, have their fortunes told, or get companionship in these rooms. Other stairways branch off from there; these lead up to different rooms, further away from the first floor and all the bustle.
Gimble has a room on the third floor already and you can book other rooms there. Will you gather in the main room or somewhere else here?
Gimble spots the others as they come in and waves them over to his corner. Sitting behind a lower than normal table, he is fairly easy to overlook if he didnt want attention called.
"Hoy, new friends. This town is a lot more lively than its size would suggest. Would you all care to sit and perhaps have a meal, maybe discuss our days as noon companions often do?"
His wide smile and effusive language never stop, slinging a line for the marks and obvious eavesdroppers.
"It would seem our recent acquaintance from the road really is quite the important man about town. His patron allegedly has more coin than the bank, and is quite fastidious about its protection."
He relays what he learned earlier, in general terms and without mentioning any specific names or places.
Odd'n nods along to the conversation, making both no effort to follow the details or the appearance that he is. "Emmy-un elsh wan' a drunk? Tram pay!" he finally adds to the conversation, hanging his meaty arm around Trom and giving him a friendly shake. While not quite on topic, Odd'n is proud of himself for helping his new friends realize they all need some more ale. His companions, though still strangers to him, are yet to take advantage of him and, in truth, haven't treated him any worse than the crew he used to work for-- Odd'n might even say they have been treating him better!
Content in the moment, Odd'n lets his arm fall from Trom's shoulder as he slouches down in his chair to get somewhat more comfortable. Letting his head fall back he begins to gaze about the room as best he can from an upside down perspective; his eyes observing those around them, looking for anyone who is giving his new friends a little to much attention..
"We'll have t'compare notes when we have some more privacy," after helping Odd'n to his seat. Trom heads over to the bar and orders whatever the daily special is for himself and Odd'n, then comes back to his seat. "Our new friend is apparently a soldier, or somewhat associated with that sort."
Trom shares the information he learned from Bill. "I'd say if we find those two, then we can figure out who this lad is and what he's doing around town."
Once she and her sister reach the inn, Liv asks for a room for the evening. Once that task's been taken care of, she spots the other travelers from the road and heads over to check in with them. She quietly reports what she saw while Hennie spoke with Laurel: Baldy's hairy friend being tailed by Payden's backup being followed by an as-yet-unknown third man.
Odd'n doesn't see anyone watching the party specifically; he sees people watching the crowd, but they seem to be watching to see who is coughing and hacking and potentially infected with blackscour. Either that, or looking out for werewolves. They don't seem to be specifically watching the party.
You arrived shortly afternoon, drank a bit, and spent up to four hours gathering information, so it is early evening.
Unless you specifically go looking for trouble, nothing more is going to happen during this first day of your visit to Falcon's Hollow.
You can retire to your rooms and discuss your findings and plans with more privacy as Trom has suggested if you wish.
Hennie throws her arm over Livlena's shoulders as they walk to Jak'a'napes.
"Whew! Those books Laurel gave me were a real mess to figure out! I don't know if she's even tried herself. I couldn't get much out of them, so I told her I'd go back tomorrow morning and give them another look."
At dinner Hennie chats some with the others but isn't very engaged. She picks at her food even though she hasn't eaten for a while. She thinks she may have an idea about the blackscour outbreak that could be helpful, and keeps running it through her head to present to Laurel the next day.
"I think I'll arrange for sleeping quarters," Trom says. "One of the larger ones, perhaps. Enough to have companions join for a nightcap, if they so wish." With a pleasant smile to all about, bidding goodnight but leaving the invitation hanging in the air, Trom heads over to talk to whomever is in charge of rooms so that he can have a place to sleep.
Trom easily arranges for a place to sleep. Rooms are on the third floor. Some of the others have also booked rooms already.
If the muffled sounds of hacking coughs coming through the walls are any indication, the walls are thick enough to give you some degree of quiet should you wish to make any plans or compare notes, as Trom had suggested they only do once they have privacy.
Still! Are these neighbours of yours going to cough all night?
Gimble comes out of his rather small room and joins the others.
"What's this about one of the goons from the roadway getting followed twice over? I bet we're gonna wanna talk to at least one of those fellas. As far as earning, there's plenty of targets, but most folks are just scraping by. Payden and his boss, now those are the real paydays, but they're locked up tighter than Abadar's purse."
The sound of occasional dry coughs punctuate the growing quiet as dark descends early on the vale. People return to homes that theyhave rented from the Lumber Consortium at rates so high they would make a landlord in Almas blush. The men and women of Falcon's Hollow call it an early night and lock their doors both to each other and to the dark things that prowl the vale at night, the things that sniff at the town walls in the dark.
Fear of blackscour drives the guests of the hotel out of the common room and up to their private rooms. Although you've heard that the illness spreads through water, people seem unwilling to risk it and glare at the infected, who are easily revealed by their red eyes and constant coughs.
Trom leaves his door unlocked so that those who wish to meet in his room can easily enter. Once everyone that wishes to talk is assembled and the discussion begins, Trom adds his comments. "I think it would be prudent to find these two men who were last seen talking to the poor lad we found on the road. Though, what we do when we find them remains to be seen. Perhaps some digging can help us feel out who they're connected to, if it's them that feel they own the town, or if they be operating independent or for some other operation." Trom sits on his bed with a thoughtful look on his face. "There's no doubt about it, sooner or later we're going to kick the hornet's nest. We'll need to keep a close watch on each other to make sure we do nae get taken advantage of or ambushed."
The walk to the inn having cleared the cotton from his head, Odd'n managed to quickly undo any improvement in his condition with a couple of Troms nightcaps. His eyelids heavy, Odd'n wasted no time curling up under a blanket beside Trom's bed like some kind've adopted dog; the sound of the groups ongoing discussions flirting on the edge of his attention.
The last thing Odd'n hears before sleep takes him is Trom's suggestion the group watches out for one another whilst figuring out the hornet nest; not entirely certain why they want a hornet nest, Odd'n falls asleep feeling secure and happy for a change.
I Agree Trom. we need to stick together to figure this out, it would be smart to only speak about our plans in private as well. to avoid arousing suspicion
With Scipio and Trom's warnings fresh in mind, the weary travellers spend their first night in the tiny lumber town, after a day which started with a dead body. It is, as I have said, a quiet night other than the continual dry coughing. Despite the coughs, eventually you find sleep if you want it.
---Day 2---
As you make your way out of your rooms the next morning, and down to the Jak'a'napes common room in hope of some breakfast, you hear hushed and cautious voices everywhere.
When you reach the second floor balcony that looks over the common room you see why. Four men are carrying out a mattress upon which lies a fifth person, also a man judging by the build. Although the bed sheet has been pulled over his face, you do not sense this is some juvenile prank on a late sleeping guest. Someone died during the night.
There's no mystery surrounding this body though; urgent whispers from all around name the culprit, 'blackscour!'
Waking up to an unexpected lack of a headache, Odd'n rolls his blanket up while still sitting on the ground and peering about the room. Remanants of their previous evenings planning could still be found scattered around a nearby table, but all Odd'n could see on the beds as evidence of his new friends were masses covered by quilts. Fastening the blanket to his pack, Odd'n quickly finds himself out the door and falling over himself to get down to the common room.
Masses of commoners, some he recognizes (he thinks) from the previous evening, line the balcony along the second floor. Hushed murmers put Odd'n a little on edge but a rumbling belly urge him forward, his nose drawing him to the closest table by the kitchen.
"G'Morn'! Kitchen open for breakfast this day..? I got not as much coin as my companions, but surely a few silver could suffice!" Odd'n shouts towards the kitchen, not so much oblivious to the body but rather just accustomed to the occassional corpse and hungry to boot! Reaching into a side pocket on his pack Odd'n fumbles amongst a small collection of coin he has to find a few of the larger ones ( )
Livlena checks to see if there are any bloodstains on the sheet the body's under.
Trom comes out of his room, taking in the event going on. Coming up next to Livlena, Trom asks "Anyone that we know, or were hopin' to get to know?"
Looking out across the room, Trom looks for any sign of Payden or the men he was traveling with.
In the morning Hennie leaves the room she shares with her sister a mite later than Livlena. When she catches up with her downstairs, her sister is already with the other people they had met the day before. Hennie also hears the whispers citing disease as the cause of death.
As they all look at the body, Hennie gestures toward it. "I know that you were taking last night about the murder of the man found on the road yesterday and what you might do to find the killer. I wish you the best in that, but I can't go along with you."
"The man's killing is a sad affair, but blackscour is killing more people, and it will continue to do so. I have to help Laurel at the apothecary find a way to stop it, or at least keep the people who catch it alive."
She grabs a bun or something of the sort to take as a quick breakfast, and leaves straightaway for the shop.
[Dice=Perception, for anything unusual]1d20+1
Odd'n eventually succeeds at getting some hard bread and honeyed goat milk. He doesn't notice anything unusual other than the body being removed.
Livlena checks to see if there are any bloodstains on the sheet the body's under.
Livlena doesn't see any bloodstains. If she wants to push right in there, she can. Many people are staying back, just in case blackscour can transmit through the air, which, according to Laurel, it cannot.
"The man's killing is a sad affair, but blackscour is killing more people, and it will continue to do so. I have to help Laurel at the apothecary find a way to stop it, or at least keep the people who catch it alive."
Whn Hendrina heads towards Roots and Remedies, she sees Laurel on the way. Although there is nothing in particular for a herbalist to do about it, she has come out of her shop to look at them carrying the body down the street.
A woman in a red robe emblazoned with the Iomedaean sword of valor symbol looks on. Although death may flee from some of the goddesses followers, Lady Cirthana seems as helpless now as the herbalist.
When Laurel sees Hendrina, she walks hurriedly over. "This isn't the only one. There were two others last night. I was hoping this wasn't ..." She doesn't finish that sentence but leaves off. She pauses for a long while and then looks at Hendrina and says, "I don't know what to do!"
Trom comes out of his room, taking in the event going on. Coming up next to Livlena, Trom asks "Anyone that we know, or were hopin' to get to know?"
Looking out across the room, Trom looks for any sign of Payden or the men he was traveling with.
[dice=Perception]1d20+2
Trom doesn't see Payden or any of the men. He does notice a man in a grey cloak watching the crowd as the body is removed. He looks directly at Trom with sharp searching eyes. By the looks of his clothes under the cloak, he is some sort of law enforcement.