Everyone heads off to grab supper, discuss the morrow and then turn in. At sometime between 3 in the morning and 6, Camil, Forest, Kizzy, and Zherxikas awake in significant pain. Each's skin is red and scaly, itchy, and they have large weeping lesions all over. Each lesion is painful and everyone seems to have at least one among their toes or on the bottom of the feet making it painful to walk.
Those coming down from their room at the Rusty Dragon, Ameiko is shocked and dismayed. While she wants to help she lets you know you cannot be in the Dragon in your condition. She helps you (Forest, Kizzy, and Zherxikas) to the temple. Camil finds himself struggling out of his small cottage and runs into the others slowly making their way down the road. The other members of the team either see this happen or hear about it soon after they rise or arrive at the Rusty Dragon.
(STAT DMG: Camil 4 CHA 2 CON, Forest 4 CHA 1 CON, Kizzy 3 CHA 3 CON, Zherxikas 1 CHA 1 CON)
Hey guys, I don't feel so good. Something's wrong definitely. Camil stumbles into the temple with the others.
Isabella's awakened early when it becomes clear that her friends have been infected with some horrible malady. She throws on her robe and comes quickly to see how she can help.
She immediately takes on her stern caregiver delivery as she says, "No doubt about it, you all have a plague. These boils are just going to get worse if they aren't treated. Bed rest for you all!"
She scurries to make the arrangements so that everyone has a sickbed to rest in, where she can give treatment.
"In a way, you're lucky that the disease progressed enough to awaken you before sunrise," she says. "At dawn I will pray to Reymenda for her sacred blessings and I will ask her for a boon to try to remove diseases. In the meantime, I will need fresh water in basins, clean bandages, and a candle and some needles. I need to lance those boils, wrap the afflicted areas in poultices, and keep any fever under control."
"STRICT. BED. REST."
Then she goes about providing long-term care for her companions.
Isabella spends the day making broth, changing bandages, checking foreheads, and puttering about, caring for her companions as best she can. It's almost like this kind of caregiving is what she was made for.
"It is more urgent than ever that we burn the place down. The taint has followed us and it may be the only way."
Runt hurries to the sheriff and explains the situation to him, asking if anyone has been sent to torch the place yet.
Those with healing determine the disease is supernatural in nature and not related to normal diseases. The way it has progressed and based on the way the rat looked that Kizzy smacked around, you guess it is the same thing and would eventually cover their bodies in large weeping pustules. It does not appear to be contagious.
"I have not sent anyone yet. I thought you were going to go yourselves. The sheriff says a bit terse after being awakened. After hearing the condition of half of the party he says, "I understand your concern. I can send Larry and brothers back out there. Any of you up for joining them?"
Runt along with Lavanor join Larry and his two brothers Darryl (I labeled them moe larry and curly but they were originally Larry and his brothers Darryl. They head out at first light, arrive by 1030, set the place on fire, and watch it burn for several hours. Although it could have been the creaking of wood when the house collapsed they are most positive the place gave a great moan as it collapsed in on itself. The militiamen, still feeling uneasy in the area, seem satisfied with the collapse but Runt holds everyone there to wait for the last ember to die out. By about four o'clock that afternoon the fire burns itself out and merely sends tendrils of smoke into the air from various locations as the ash heap smolders. The trip back is thankfully uneventful.
The next two days the team gets progressively better thanks to Isabella's ministrations. Lavanor and Runt find themselves being used to run errands for the other four or for Isabella. Father Zantus hovers around like a concerned grandfather throughout and helps where he can. Thanks to the divine intervention the disease is easily contained and soon a mere memory.
Camil looks just tired from his experience, Thank you Isabella, I'm not sure we all would have pulled through that without your prayers and healer's arts. Truly you are a credit to your faith and yourself. Our group of loveable misfits is blessed to have your support and we're all here to rely on each other. he smiles at the cleric.
So, do we have anything we want to unload from Aldern's estate? He picks through the strange collection of items looted from the haunted estate. Or should we just sell all this strange stuff. I mean, the magic rings would probably be really helpful to one of us? But really, who'd want a war razor?!? I guess our next step is Magnimar and follow up on the leads we learned at Foxglove estate? Unless someone's got a better plan? he holds up the Stalker's Mask and examines it curiously with a mixture of interest and mostly disgust.
Bows his head, "Thank you Isabella for your healing"
Nods to Camil, "Well, Magnimar has a great many people of variety of interesting... a merchant more than likely would be interested in a war razor to sell to a rich collector."
"And we are going to need more healing. The wand I got is almost out of charges. We need to go shopping before we go."
"I'm glad that I could help," says Isabella after the few harrowing days of treatment. With her divine gifts, it's a simple matter to bring everyone back up to fighting trim.
"I still have a healing wand as well. In the meantime, we should figure out what we want or need to get done in town, and then... whatever is next. The house is destroyed, so... what's the next lead?"
Kizzy thanks Isabella, Father Zantus, and Runt and Lavanor for their efforts in tending to her, impressed with Isabella's skill.
Once she is better, Kizzy will go to see the Sandpoint Theater; as it was her desire to perform here that had led her to the fateful meeting with the band of adventurers on the highway. That seemed like an eternity ago, and as she looks upon the theater, she realizes that she would rather continue on with her new friends. Somehow, the theater seems... smaller and less important. It was something that could wait.
Upon hearing Camil mention the trip to Magnimar and Isabella's questioning leads, Kizzy interrupts...
Excuse me, but it would seem that my introductions at the theater, have, if you will pardon the pun, taken a ghastly turn for the worse. As such, I was hoping that... with your consent... I may continue with you... in your efforts... as a member of your group. Rather than that lady you met on the roadside that has been tagging along...
You believe you could offload the war razor here in town but the stalker's mask would take a very special vendor to buy though you would likely find such a person in Magnimar. Note, it is Moonday and market square is alive with deals (see Market Bargains in the spoiler at the top of the page).
Comments to Kizzy, "The road is less dreary with a bard!"
Third time in a row she got that result. Looks like another tunnel creeper for her.
Runt does some shopping and visits her favorite alchemy vender to see if she has more tunnel creepers and sure enough, she does. Runt is beginning to wonder if they are stolen. Not that she minds. While she is there she snags 4 alkali flasks and a touch of the sea potion in a potion sponge.
she also grabs some loot from the parties group fund to get another wand of infernal healing since the one she has has only 4 charges left.
Surely, I'll pick up this off-colored antiplague, would have come in handy last week! Thanks!
Antiplauge 5 gp
The people of the market are friendly as usual and the group finds various interesting things some valuable. They meet with the sheriff later and he is in agreement that Foxglove's connections in Magnimar should be followed up on. He mentions requesting to meet with Minister of Security Faust should they need assistance, he provides a letter with his (Sheriff Hemlock's) seal to hopefully get you seen. Zherxikas is of course familiar with Minister Faust from whom he recently claimed a bounty.
Runt decides to make some additional purchases and get some scrolls. He picks up
scroll of expeditious retreat
scroll of magic weapon
2x scroll of bless
scroll of Funeral Weapon
scroll of Handy Grapnel
scroll of heightened awareness
scroll of remove fear
2x scroll of identify
225 gold with 10% discount. She is ready to go.
Unless... do we want to get mounts or pack animals to carry travelling gear like tents and such?
Forrest and Lavnar only have two legs, so aren't as suitable for pack animals! :)
Are there any goblin dogs for sale? That would be more Runt's area of expertise, if anything. If so, she will be buying a mount.
and goblin dogs are nasty!
hell hounds and nightmares are so much hotter :)
Runt has no mount and certainly has not paid for one yet. I think Forest has one.
Forest and Zherxikas are the only two with mounts I think. Lavanor may have one.
There are no goblin dogs, people are allergic to their dander where goblins are not. She can find a good riding dog though. There is a dog farm just outside of town that provides guard dogs and mounts. There are not many trained as mounts since halflings don't come through much but they do have a couple.
Excellent, adding mount and related gear to inventory and purchases.
Magnimar is my vote.
Lavanor joins the others wandering the market looking for bargins.
Kizzy buys a light horse, combat trained, the tack and feed and prepares for their journey. She assumes Magnimar is the destination; based on her brief history with the group, she does not know where else they would go.
Magnimar it is then!
The group takes advantage of the market and manages to sell off unneeded items to split the proceeds amongst themselves. Savah, of Savah's armory, will purchase the magical War Razor, she trades with Magnimar and will offload when the opportunity presents itself. The mask, the group finds, will require them to find an interested party in Magnimar. Savah is extremely grateful for the work your team is doing. She increases the discount you get to 20%. She has masterwork items of most sorts the group may be looking for (don't forget a masterwork weapon gets +1 to hit and dmg). She also has a +1 repeating crossbow, a +1 falchion, +1 dagger, and a +1 morningstar. Most any standard weapons or armor can be found among her shelves. She can order stuff for you but will need to do that from Magnimar so it would take a couple of weeks to come in. Obviously you would be better off just picking it up there though there would be no discount.
Arriving in Magnimar, Zherxikas takes you to an inn he has used on many occasions, the Sojourner's Rest. You get rooms (5sp per night per room, you may double up if you wish). Meals are typically 3 silver. From here you hope to begin your investigation of the city.
Runt would be happy to share a room. Having a room all to herself just feels odd. In the morning she asks, "I don't know the town myself. Where do we go first? Find the manor?"
Isabella tells Runt that she's fine with sharing a room.
"Well, Magnimar is the big city," she says. "We could always ask around, see if there's any 'local stories' about the manor and the Foxglove family. As wealthy socialites they probably occupied some society echelons for a time. Their name may well be known."
GM I don't think I had ongoing with the Pathfinder once the warrant for Lyrie was served right?
Kizzy would be happy to share a room, and would also look for an opportunity to perform at the inn, or a local tavern for the evening.
If Zherxikas knows where the Foxglove Manor is located, perhaps seeing if it occupied and by whom would be a good start.
I can find a card game and casually see what I can learn? Heck I might just find a card game for fun.... the gambler winks at his companions, and begins working the gambling scene to determine what they can learn from the locals.
Camil manages to earn twelve silver in his games of chance. Information he may find more valuable still. What sort of questions is he seeking information on? Kizzy wows the crowd and brings in a nice haul of 14 silver for the evening.
Zherxikas is a member of the Pathfinders Guild. They have a lodge on the west side of town. He had no more business to conduct for the guild but is still a member. His badge of office is his wayfinder which came with a gray ioun stone. He can get rooms at a common rate there but at good quality if he so chooses. The Sojourner's Rest is on the east side of Magnimar where he and his team entered the city. it is an upstanding blue collar level establishment.
Camil's going to be looking for information about Foxglove Manor, Aldren Foxglove, and the family as a whole.
The elder Foxglove was a piece of work. No one minded when he stopped coming around. He was mean to his family and anyone around him. Camil gets the manor's location which Zherxikas already had. Aldern was a nice enough chap but he was hanging out with a bad lot. He hasn't been around in a month or so and it's likely they did him in for his money. No one is taking care of the place and it is starting to look a little run down.
Runt is relieved to find out that they know where the manor is, but she makes a suggestion.
"Perhaps we should sell all this magic we lugged here and see if we can buy something useful before we confront whatever is in there."
If haggling you may use diplomacy appraise profession Merchant or similar; Bluff or intimidate but there could be consequences if you fail. You may also use craft skills if it is a related item.
DC 17 for items under 10,000 gold; +1% to sell price for every point you beat the DC by. Lead negotiator must be chisen before the roll. One person may assist.
"Say, Kizzy. You seem the personable type. Think you could lead the negotiations?
Kizzy is pleased to be able to help, and gladly helps barter the sale of the items.
With a +13; taking ten is 23/+6% (+8 with a good Aid Another roll) I am good with this unless you want me to roll it on the chance it is higher.
Sounds good to me. With a +6 Runt can successfully aid 85% of the time.
@Ironperenti
how would you like to do this?
it should be rolled, the DC is based on the counter by the merchant so it is an opposed roll.