Ascaede, though first to arrive, is last to catch on. She squints glarily for good measure.
Sébastien begins flexing!
Ustemir didn't make an effort to be intimidating. He was just nearby scratching Kolek's ear. Seeing the entire group puff up forces a small chuckle out of him. "Well, now I'm invested and curious."
*playful growling*
Oona brightens as she sees some familiar, and a couple unfamiliar faces show up in her defense, "Shemar! Sebastien! I'm happy to see you, as I was just explaining..."
But the other, female, halfling whips around and interrupts, "Hey! I'm doing the talking here!" She is a rough and tough looking halfling, wearing studded leather and armed with a hatchet on her belt. She has short choppy hair and a patch over her left eye. With her good eye, she stares down the newcomers, and seems to look through Stepnik's deception, although is taken aback by Waedin's countenance, backed by the increasing numbers of the group.
"Well, who are you folks? New around here, eh? Well, I'll tell you what, this here High Market is under control of Boss Kreed, and if you don't have permits then you don't have no business bein' here. Now, as I was sayin', Miss Oona here hasn't passed inspection, and..."
"But I've already checked in with Ayda... Oona starts, but the tough looking halfling interjects, "...AND, all goods must go through me, Kilarin Salk, before hittin' the floor of this here High Market!"
Kilarin picks up one of the longswords taken from Silverpine Watch and eyes it suspiciously, "You don't normally trade in weaponry, Miss Oona. It ain't your style. Where'd you come across such a fine blade as this? I wonder how Ayda would feel about you oversteppin' your bounds. I think I might have to confiscate a few of these items as contraband, perhaps even revoke your permit! Ha Ha!"
Oona sweats nervously, knowing she promised you to sell these goods for you at a fair price. Kilarin smiles proudly, although she seems nervous about your encroaching presence. As more and more people start to gather round, she backs down and turns her attention to the group, "Eheh, like I said, you lot have shopping permits?"
Ascaede remains completely unfazed by the one-eyed approach of Kilarin.
”I have a mind to relay intelligence of your obstreperous manner to both your hierarch and the overall controller of this financial institution. Do you have a licence to act with such abominable social malfeasance?”
Sébastien smiles at the halfling.
She is a rough and tough looking halfling, wearing studded leather and armed with a hatchet on her belt. She has short choppy hair and a patch over her left eye. With her good eye, she stares down the newcomers, and seems to look through Stepnik's deception, although is taken aback by Waedin's countenance, backed by the increasing numbers of the group.
The Bard clears his throat. He whispers to her
You don't mind a Narrative format do you? I find that it lends an air of suspension.
Listening in, the whole situation seems like a shakedown to Ustemir. However, this is Hearth, after all. He gives the thing sone thought.
Shemar will wander off to the side, not in direct vision of Kilarin Salk, and offer a couple of gold coins to the proprietor of the neighboring booth. "Is what she's saying true? Do you need permits to sell? Permits to shop? That seems silly. Do all goods have to be inspected by Kilarin there?"
Kilarin seems stunned at both Ascaede's sesquipedalian loquaciousness as well as Sebastien's in real time narration of the scene, "Who are you people?" she asks, bewildered.
Meanwhile, Ustemir thinks about the legality of the whole thing. It sounds like this halfling believes herself to have some authority, and the way Oona is sweating nervously, there may be some truth to it. In his time spent in Hearth so far, Ustemir has seen a clear class division and high amounts of corruption, and plenty of fines and taxes and permits to go around. The Gate Tax, for example, so it's not too far out of the picture. The best thing to do might be to check in with this 'Ayda', or even Boss Kreed himself.
The next booth over, the merchant happily pockets Shemar's gold and nods and whispers, "Yep. Ayda Vorshin is head merchant of High Market, and one of Kreed's people. Kilarin there is her enforcer. Only the well-to-do are allowed to shop here, and Ayda only allows the highest quality goods. You don't want to get on their bad sides. Boss Kreed holds a monthly lottery to allow a few 'common' folk a shopping permit, else they can only shop in the Low Market out in the Lumberyards."
"Wow. That's truly awful. Thank you for your information."
Returning to the rest of the group, Shemar speaks up.
"Kilarin, Ayda Vorshinis the head merchant of this High Market. What she says goes here, and you back her up. You don't get to change the rules. It sounds like if you have a problem with this wagon of goods, you need to take it up with her. I think that we'd be happy to accompany you , so that she can hear how you've been undermining her rulings. And we don't need a shopping permit because we are only passing through the high market, not shopping. So shall we go see your boss?"
The little brass dragon stands rigidly at Shemar's feet and silently growls menacingly.
Stepnik watches the scene unfold around him. It seems as though his attempt at defusing the situation was lacking, but his companions strength of character has opened a line of communication.
He decides to wait to see how it plays out.
Ustemir walks and leans over to Stepnik. "You, uh... Know this seller?" he whispers.
Smiling primly, Ascaede nods at Shemar’s estimation of the situation.
”An assiduous summation Shemar. I concur. Let us accompany you, Kilarin…” Ascaede’s fingers edge ever so slightly from belt to pommel…
Sebastien winks at Ascaede.
This is wasting our time. We've got to go meet Boss Teedum. This better not make us late. Waedin growls with her arms crossed, deciding to drop another name into the mix.
Kilarin bucks up to Shemar, "I'd be glad to!". She picks up the longsword, "For evidence," and walks off across the plaza with her two goons to a small building at the entrance of the market.
Inside is a small, cramped office, even more so with everyone filing in. At a desk reviewing papers is a middle-aged human woman, strong looking, who looks like she's been through a battle or two. She wears her brown hair in a long braid, simple clothes, but a short sword sheathed on her hip. Behind her is an armor stand holding scale mail, a steel shield, and various adventuring gear. As you all walk in, she seems to be finalizing a transaction with a merchant who quickly shuffles out when they see Kilarin.
The woman looks up as you enter, but addresses Kilarin, "Is there a problem, Kilarin?"
"Yeah Ayda, I'd say so," answers the halfling. "Miss Tealeaf must be sneaking one under your nose. Look at this here!" she plops the longsword down on the desk, "Did you know she was peddling arms these days?"
The woman nods as she ruffles through a stack of papers, "Yes I met with Miss Tealeaf earlier this morning, let's see this is her inventory here..."
She pulls out a parchment and reads it over.
"Hmm, it does seem Oona has some peculiar items listed here, including this sword, some jewelry, a silver chalice... It is unlike her... Let me take a look at that."
She unsheathes the longsword and examines the blade with an expert eye, "Very fine steel here... It looks like an officer's sword... did she say where she came across this?"
As she re-sheathes the longsword she looks up and seems to notice the group standing there for the first time, "...and who are you people?"
"Uh..." Ustemir steps up to give a brief summary. "We're under the employ of Darkwater Adventurer's Guild, and the Civic House. We were passing by and noticed a commotion. One thing led to another... And here we are."
He shrugs, understanding it's a meager explanation, but best he has.
Shemar steps forward. "My companion and I,". He extends his hand toward Sebastian "Accompanied Oona from Darkwater. Along the way, we were attacked by undead. One of the undead wielded that sword."
Waedin nods We helped with the undead. A lot of the unusual items are from the loot we got off of them.
"Adventurer's hmm?" Ayda studies each of you for a moment, then lays the sword back on the desk. "Well, plenty of monsters in these woods. If you come across anything else valuable, speak to me first before selling it."
She returns to adjusting the pile of papers on her desk and adds without looking up again, "Everything here seems in order. Anything else?"
"Hrmph," Kilarin growls beneath her breath as she pushes her way past the group and back outside, giving a few of you in particular a scowl.
Returning the sword back to Oona, she expresses her gratitude for getting Kilarin off her back, "That was a close one!"
Getting back to the task at hand, you make your way out of Old Hearth and back out the gates to Honey Alley You find Roots and Remedies further down the street from the Compass Rose, and it is notably covered in climbing ivy . As you approach the storefront, you notice a handful of figures huddled around outside the door. Draped in blankets, they shiver and cough as you approach. Ascaede realizes they appear to be sick with the same ailment which struck her abbey.
The small, mud-tracked shop’s interior smells of burned earth and spicy incense. Bunches of dried herbs hang from the ceiling, along with dangling pots, presses, alchemical equipment, and arcane glassware. Pouches of rare plants, jars of colored powders, and a collection of dried, preserved, and jellied animal parts fill high shelves and tables that serve as both displays and workspace.
A rail-thin, dark skinned woman with hair loosely arranged in dreadlocks works busily compounding medicinal ingredients at a work bench. She raises her eyes over a pair of glasses balanced on the tip of her nose as bells announce your entrance into her pharmacy, and she greets you while still working away, Oh, hello! Please come in, is there something I can help you with?"
Ascaede’s eyes boggle to take in the array of wonders within the space. She nevertheless moves forward, and brandishes a Yolanite symbol by way of introduction.
”I am Ascaede Voheque, well met milady. [Ascaede performs a perfunctory bow.] I travel from a remote monastery in search of information pertaining to the sickness which appears to flourish at your very doorstep and which lately imperils my own temple. Have you particular medicines which ameliorate or otherwise aid in the cessation or abatement of the illness?” Acaede pauses briefly, eyes flitting from jars to shelves to dried….somethings….
”Or any understanding of the source of this…plague…” she finishes rather sombrely.
Laurel returns Ascaede's somber expression, "Tsk. I'm sorry to hear this malady has spread far across the land. Where it comes from? Well I don't know but it seems to have started after that strange green light in the sky early this winter. It started with a few lumberjacks working out in the camps falling ill, but has since spread across town. Cure? Well, I've been experimenting with various forms of Antiplague which can, what did you say? Ameliorate? Well, I'm no scholar, nor a physician. But, I seem to have come across one key ingredient that has helped people kick what ails them. Ironbloom Mushrooms. They are usually fairly common this time of year, but, I've only been able to find very few. In fact, this is all I have left," she holds up a small glass vial with about two or three dried caps and stems of a purplish-reddish mushroom.
She gestures towards the door, "Those poor folks outside are barely able to scrape enough together for my last dose. If you are able to, there's a place deep in the woods that's known as a good spot for harvesting Ironblooms. If you can gather some for me, I'll give you my recipe, and some other gifts as well."
She dumps the dried mushrooms into a mortar and begins grinding them down, "You look like a motivated bunch, what do you say?"
Running across town from some obscure book store that may, or may not have had a 1st printing of his favorite poems, Sébastien arrives late to the party, but just in time to pay his coppers.
We should open a Gate. Make money just letting folks through it. Get triple if they forgot something.
Ascaede has a little trouble composing herself as the bells jangle and Sebastien rushes in.
”I am sure…other gifts….would be welcome in these trying times. Personally, I will make it my duty to ensure the ironbloom mushrooms are located and retrieved.”
Ascaede takes note of the purply-reddish mushrooms and their habit, scratching a sketch into a well-worn booklet, and then pesters Laurel for more exact “cartographic co-ordinates” and “extant landmarks” to pin down the likely location, again scritch-scratching the information into her book.
I think that's a good thing to be doing. Just let us know how to find this spot. Ustemir, would you be able to find this place? Being local and everything.
Shemar does his best to avoid contact with handful of individuals outside the shop. He moves his hand to cover his face, stops, and fakes a cough to cover his nose with the back of his sleeve. Inside, he regains his composure, and nods along with what is said. "Yes, I'm sure we can find these plants, mushrooms, for you."
"We can try to find some, for sure."
Ustemir looks at the mushrooms before they are ground down to know what they look like. "Do they prefer to grow any under particular trees, or something?"
Laurel smiles gratefully, "Good! The exact place is known as Hag-Haunted Hollow. Not many people are willing to venture out there, as is said the hag Ulizmila once laired there. I can assure you that Ulizmila is long gone, but that doesn't mean the forest is without dangers." She sketches out a rough map with a few landmarks to guide your way.
Ustemir raises an eyebrow. "Sounds cozy. Alright, we'll give it a looksie."
The city-raised halfling bard smiles weakly.
Ya Nature....ya.
Ascaede thanks Laurel and turns to her companions.
”Unless any of us have further requirements they need to obtain here is it correct to say we are finished here, and now head to the lumber camps?”
”If you’re going to the Lumberyards, there’s a path at the end of the road here that will get you there without having to go through town," Laurel informs you.
Honey Alley is a relatively peaceful village just south of the walls of Hearth. Like most of Hearth, the main material for building construction is timber and lumber, but most of the buildings are smaller than those found within the walls. Still, they are well crafted and many are ornately decorated with detailed carvings in the timber frames. Honey alley is really no more than a Main Street with a few small side street offshoots. Barefoot children play in the streets, kicking leather balls against walls or chasing packs of stray dogs. Some notable locales in Honey Alley:
The Hearth Meadery: at the heart of Honey Alley is the Meadery. Honey is collected from the numerous hives in the ample South Meadow and brought here for processing. Mead is a secondary export from Hearth, and merchants travel from near and abroad to trade for it. Also available at the Meadery are raw honey, candles, and other crafts. Brewmaster Ervin Tock founded the Meadery and keeps his recipes a prized secret.
The Compass Rose: next to the Meadery sits The Compass Rose, an inn, tavern, temple of Veiloaria, and Adventurer’s Guild headquarters. Here, travelers are welcome to a cup of mead, hot meal, and a warm bed, and, perhaps, a job. Innkeeper Danyl Konan is friendly but runs a tight ship.
Roots n’ Remedies: green ivy and hanging flowers decorate the outside of this quaint building, and the inside is full of aromatic herbs and other medicinal reagents. Laurel Gabre serves as town healer, as few seek spiritual healing in these parts, preferring natural folk medicine.
The Low Market: for those merchants who can’t afford the High Market’s permits nor can’t pass Kilarin’s inspections, there is the Low Market. Mostly fruit and vegetable stands dot the square, but occasionally other vendors sell basic wares.
Woodwil: The workshop of outspoken artisan Deveera Gadsel also serves as a haven for a clique of semi-artistic locals. The yard out front serves as a sculpture garden with fantastical woodcarvings for the public to enjoy.
Ustermir nods at Ascaede. "I'm ready to go."
"We'll be back... Hopefully in one piece." he shouts back at Laurel as he moves for the door.
"Let's cut through the woods. No need to waste copper just to walk through something".
Sébastien puts his coin purse away, mumbling something about tracking mud all over....
Ascaede agrees with the consensus. She hitches her belt a little higher and wraps her coat around her, temple sword in hand.
It is agreed to take Laurel's suggestion and try out the path around town through the woods.
It remains a pleasant day, sunny but with a chill wind. The footpath winds its way around the western wall of town, cutting through sparse pine woods.
But, the pleasantness of the short hike is disrupted when the sounds of screaming, crying, and shouting are heard up ahead.
Avoiding the gate because it would cost us a few copper. I'm doing a great job of bringing wealth back to the family. They would be so proud of me. Shemar thinks to himself sarcastically.
"Yes, the path seems nice. It sounds as if we don't need to support this corrupt government, anyway."
"Oh. We haven't even made it out of town yet. Could you fly up ahead and see what that is? Stay up high, though.". He asks his dragon familiar.
The tiny shiny dragon flies up into the treetops up ahead. Below, it spots a few figures along the path. A brutish man holds back a young woman while two other brutes beat a young man. The young woman cries for them to stop, while the brute holding her back laughs.
The dragon quickly flies back and reports this to shemar.
Ascaede tries to hide a sneer.
”Bullies. Easily my second least-favorite type of villain.”
She grips her blade tight, and recognising her status as latecomer, gets ready for someone from the original group to make a plan.
”We outnumber them greatly, but speed does seem to be of the essence.”
With that Ascaede swears an epithet and moves toward the struggle.
Hearing the commotion, Ustemir looks towards the noise. "Well, that doesn't sound good."
He pulls out his blades. "Kolek, come!" he beckons his fuzzy friend to follow as he charges forward towards the screaming.
Waedin mutters to herself about how chaotic humans are. Always something terrible happening. and then yells Grah! Wait for me! as she plods along behind the charging human and half-orc as she retrieves her shield and warhammer.
Stepnik hurries forward as well carefully considering which bomb would be most useful.
Shemar will sigh and then trot along behind Waedin.
Why does this situation seem uglier than an undead infested tower?