"Please plot yourself as direct a route as possible. The death rate is only going to go up, and I'd prefer to not give the gravedigger any more business that he's already getting. I don't know where you'll find these places in the Vale, but I do know someone who might: Milon Rhoddam is the best woodsman in the area. He works at the Consortium Lumber Camp. He's not the most pleasant of fellows--and that's quite the understatement--but his nephew is one of the sick, so if you tell him you're working on a cure, he might be willing to point you in the right direction."
"The Dwarven ruins are a good first stop. Can you tell us how to get to the lumber camp?"
”I’ll show you,” Kimi pipes up from the corner of the room.
"Okay Kimi you can show us the way to the camp, but that is as far as you can go with us. Miss Laurel am I right in assuming that the Vale is a dangerous place and no place for Kimi?"
"Bolkvar, do you have any idea of where the ruins might be? If not, we will need to see if Milon can guide us to the right spot in the Vale. I don't think we time to randomly search the entire forest."
Laurel looks shocked that Oryn suggest Kimi go that far. ”Most people consider those who live along the wall of town to be especially brave. Monsters have been known to sneak into the outskirts in broad daylight and snatch children from their yards! Darkmoon Vale is a treacherous place.”
Kimi visibly wilts at the description of life outside the town.
"Sorry Miss Laurel, I thought the way to the camp was safe. Kimi, I guess you'll just have to tell us how to get there, but I want you to know that you have been a great help to us. After this is all over I promise to tell you how brave everyone in the group was.
Thank you for sharing this information with us Miss Laurel. We will go see the woodsman in the morning."
Kali has her again describe the three ingredients they are looking for and makes notes. When she is finished, she puts away her writing materials and says "You should probably keep her here." while gesturing to Kimi. "She could be in danger for helping us, and I don't want her to get hurt."
Bolkvar shook his head. ”Came here to find them, meself. But any map I’ve seen has been from before the rending. Can’t say I’m too sure on how accurate the knowledge would be.”
Laurel nods putting a hand on her shoulder. ”I’ll take care of Kimi.”
She sketches a rough map with directions to the lumber camp and bids you goodnight.
As you approach Low Market, the sound of heavy wagons and clanking weapons in their sheathes draws your attention, giving you enough time to hide yourselves, if you wish. Four large wagons carrying large wooden barrels make their way from the town gates down the Main Street and turn left up to the Perch where the wealthy homes are. You easily hear an unmistakable sloshing sound from inside the barrels. Nobody notices you, or bothers with you if they do, other than a silent warning to stay away.
Oryn whispers to Bolkvar "Sounds like there is some kind of liquid in those barrels. Think they contain water from out of town? It seems like the wealthy folks know about the well."
"Probably. Speaking of, I can provide us with water. Please don't drink or eat anything made with the well water."
Bolkvar nodded and whispered back ”Coin works that way.” Then, louder he said ”Glad yer here, lass. While alcohol seems to be safe enough, don’t have the coin to live on that alone.”
"Good to know Kali, let's hope tonight's dinner wasn't tainted. We should probably leave some water for Miss Laurel and Lady Cirthana. They might need it until we get back with the missing ingredients."
You make your way back to your inn and tuck yourselves into your rooms (Rao sees no sign of Belinda). The beds are not the finest in the land, but they are clean and comfortable, and you awaken refreshed. Getting something from the kitchens not made with water is tricky, but fried eggs on toast and a mug of mulled cider seems relatively safe.
Do you have any purchases you’d like to make before heading out? There is Jaks’ Emporium, a general store with a good supply of adventuring wares.
Oryn was wondering if the Church had any potions of cure light wounds available for purchase. If so, Oryn is interested in purchasing one. At Jake's he would like a grappling hook.
It was hard to be certain how much her mother was comprehending what she said...but she didn't have much of a tendency to recklessness. Odds were she wouldn't much want to leave the room anyway, not without Mathine there. "All right, Mother...I'll be gone for several hours, but I should be back tonight. In the meantime, none of the water from the well, remember? That goes for the stew, too. Milk and beer should be fine to drink, and bread and cheese to eat. And here's the socks you were working on - they're turning out beautifully so far!"
Still fretting, Mathine takes the time to go over to Jaks' store and buy two spare waterskins, which she discreetly asks Kali to fill to leave behind. She also leaves a hunk of cheese, a bag of dried fruits, and a loaf of berry-studded bread on the side table next to where her mother sits listlessly, occasionally mustering herself to knit a few stitches. Maybe my completing a quest will help, Mathine worries to herself as she pulls the door shut. She'll see the Inheritor's favor still resides with me. That hope remains.
Everybody’s purchases are fine. If anybody else wants to purchase something, retcon it in.
You finish you preparations and head out into the wilds of Darkmoon Vale. Despite the dire warnings of a hostile environment, the scenery is really quite beautiful, the foliage lush with the freshness of spring. Your rough map has you basically following a main track, well worn by heavy wagons, presumably carrying lumber to market. After a journey of around 8 miles, you reach Darkmoon Wood itself.
The majestic old-growth forest rises above you in a cathedral of lush greenery supported by arching branches. The thick trunks are widely spaced, the canopy shading out any competing saplings, leaving a sea of fiddleheads as the only undergrowth. Travelling through Darkmoon Wood won’t be difficult, even if you have to go off trail. Another ten minutes of walking brings the sounds of saws, axes, and lots of profanity.
The Lumber Consortium Camp cuts an ugly scar of stumps into a dense stand of proud dark- wood trees. Five sturdy-looking log buildings— seemingly a bunkhouse, meal hall, office, barn, and smithy—stand with numerous wide carts and sleds amid the sawdust-covered clearing. Rough-looking men mill about working while guarded by even rougher-looking men, two of whom approach you.
”You got no business here, adventurers. Piss off!”
"As it happens, we do have some business, with Milon Rhoddam," Mathine answers, standing up to her full height. "Where can I find him? Show us the way, and I'll make it worth your while." As she speaks, she twiddles a couple of silver coins in one hand and sets the other hand on her sword.
The two toughs look back and forth at each other, shrug, then snatch the silver. ”If ya got business, then hop to it. This way. Keep your eyes to yourselves and your ha day to yourselves.”
They lead you through the camp to the bunkhouse, telling you to wait outside while one of them goes inside, returning a few moments later with a grizzled though not unkind-looking man in his thirties in tow.
”I’m Milon. What do you want with me?”
Since Mathine started the conversations, Oryn whispers to her "I think he may be able to help us find the oldest tree in the Vale. It should either be the tallest or have the largest trunk. The moss should be the easiest ingredient to find, wouldn't you agree?"
"Your experience," Mathine answers Milon, acknowledging Oryn's comment with a nod. "We are looking for a couple of different locations in the Wood, and with you spending so much time here we are hoping that you will be able to help us. First, do you have any idea how we would be able to find the oldest tree in this wood?"
Milon turns to Rao to say, ”Do you have any idea how much a shipment of darkwood can fetch at market, or how many monsters lurk in these woods intent into stopping and eating us?”
Turning back to Mathine, his voice darkens. ”Why would you want to know about the oldest tree? Hoping to score a big payday with one tree?”
"We're hoping to help with a cure for the Blackscour," Mathine answers truthfully. "Elderwood moss is one of the ingredients, but it is supposed to grow only on the wood's oldest tree. I am no woods-woman, and I would not even know where to begin to look."
At the mention of curing Blackscour, his visage visibly softens. ”You have a cure for the Taint, and you need Elderwood Moss? I suppose that would be a pretty strange thing for a priestess of Iomedae to lie about. Can I see you map?”
He adds a few geographical details to the map and then indicates a spot deep in the forest.
”Anything else I can do to help? My nephew has the Taint, so if you’re really looking for a cure...”
”Also looking for dwarven ruins. There’s fungus we may find in there which could help with a cure. I know there are ruins around, but not where exactly. If ye could mark any on the map, it could save us much time.” Bolkvar added.
Another whisper to Mathine "Ask him about Ulizmila the witch. If he knows anything, it may help us find this Rat tail ingredient."
"I doubt I'm imaginative enough to come up with such a lie even if I was given over to dishonesty," Mathine answers with a grin and not a small amount of pride. "We are looking for three things. The moss, as I've already said; a mushroom that grows on incredibly old metal, as Bolkvar's mentioned; and a pickled root that we've been told a woman named Ulizmila may have. Any of that sound familiar at all?"
Milon checks those spots off on the map, too. ”I’ve never met Ulizmila myself, but I’ve heard stories. Her hut is there, though I’ve never gone close. There are lots of dwarven ruins around these parts, but the old Torag monastery is the closest and should have what you need.”
Kali remains quiet as the others talk to Milon.
"I can't thank you enough for all your help. I just hope that our search bears fruit." Mathine gives a small bow to the woodsman, then turns to the others, inviting any other questions.
Oryn steps over to Milon and offers his hand saying "We really appreciate your help. We will stop back by once our search is over to let you know how things went.
Oryn hands him a small pouch "You got kids? A few hard candy sweets. Just my way of saying thank you."
Oryn walks over to whoever has the map and asks "May I take a look? Where do you think we should go first?"
You can look at the first map under the maps link. You’re at location A. The tree is C, the witch D and the dwarven monastery is labelled as such.
Oryn looks over the map "I have no experience in climbing mountains, and going through the forest seems like the most direct route." Handing the map to Bolkvar "I think we should go to the spot where the oldest tree is located. It looks to be the closest to this camp. What do you think Bolkvar?"
"I know very little about survival, and most of my knowledge is related to medicinal items one can find in nature."
Bolkvar took the map, grateful that Oryn had considered him. ”Huh. Seems like it would be simplest to just walk until we hit the water. Find us the tree, and from there see if we can talk to the witch. Finally, hit up me people’s old lands. And if we can’t find one of the first two on the way, we do it on the way back.” As to everyone’s concerns he added ”If the tree is famous enough, it can’t be too hard to find. And for the witch, I reckon she will find us first.”
"I would say that we should start with the furthest one out and then make our way back, that way we're not walking multiple miles unnecessarily."
"Iomedae will guide our steps, and provide for us in our need," Mathine replies to Rao's question, sounding much less certain than her words suggest. "It doesn't much bother me whether we begin with the closest or the furthest - it's likely to mean the same amount of walking either way. Regardless, it sounds like some camping is in our future, most likely." Great. More camping. Just once, couldn't looking out for others lead to a good feather bed? It did for Mother, much of the time.
"Unless we want to cross the river, the path to the Dwarven Monastery via the forest should go past the tree and witch's hut. If we are lucky we should find the tree and hut on our way. If not, we can look for them on the way back to the lumber camp. How does that sound with everyone?"
”Perfectly fine to me. Can’t wait to be off.” Bolkvar said, with feeling.
Milon wishes you luck as you head out, calling out a final warning, ”Don’t swim in the lake! There are big snakes!”
You head out into the forest, quickly running out of path and entering the wilds of Darkmoon Wood. The large spacing of the trees and little undergrowth makes for relatively easy travel and as the sound of saws fades away, you are left with the singing of birds and chittering of squirrels to accompany you.
After three hours of walking, as you start to think about making camp, you come to a little clearing, made clear by the death of three trees. Their wizened trunks, streaked with dried, multi-coloured blood, each bear a curious deformity, which, upon closer inspection, look like small winged creatures, pinned to the tree trunks, then turned to wood themselves.
"What is this?" Mathine wonders, examining the strange display. "It looks like there's little faeries pinned to the trunks...or carved into the trunks...and what is this weird stuff that's all over the place?"
Oryn looks around to see if he can spot any source of danger.
"Never seen anything like this before, but that is going to be the case for most things - being on the farm for almost all of my life."
”Bloody weird it is indeed. Can’t say I fookin’ like it. We’d best be on our guard. If the locals be abusing nature spirits, then the ones deeper in won’t be happy to see us. Makes me wish for some cold iron, it does. Me da always said that spirits hate cold iron...or was it silver? Anyways, this ain’t good.”