Perched at the edge of civilized lands, the small town of Falcon’s Hollow has always had to rely on itself to solve its problems. Meanwhile, the uncaring lumber barons squeeze the common folk for every last copper, deaf to their pleas. Now the hacking coughs of the sick are heard throughout town. The plague has come to Falcon’s Hollow and the town’s leaders can’t be bothered to stop it.
Omen
As you arrive in town, you see a line of townsfolk pouring out of a building down the street. The violent sound of hacking and coughing can be heard coming directly from the small crowd of about twenty people. A woman dressed in clerical robes spots you at the corner of her eye as she steps out of the tavern on your left.
"Hey! You there! You might as well turn back 'round and depart this place. A wretched disease has struck the town, and that line of folks over there are looking to seek cures from plants rather than prayers."
She points over to the crowd lined up outside the building down the dirt road.
"Then again, it appears that you are woodsmen so perhaps you are more knowledgeable about the use of plant medicine than I. You might want to speak with Laurel, the owner of the shop whose business is booming ever since the taint arrived."
"My name is Lady Cirthana, cleric of Iomedae. If you have need of prayer or blessing, I will be at the church down the road."
She begins to depart and as she does so, she looks toward the small crowd down the road and slowly shakes her head.
Omen strides into town slowly and purposefully, his eyes taking in the town and its folk with long, slow gazes as he takes several deep breaths through his nose, smelling a staleness in the air. He turns his yellow eyes to Lady Cirthana, a low, rumbling, rolling "Hrmmmm" escaping his lips before he speaks.
"This place, hrmmm, there is a Rot in this place. How long, Lady, has this Rot been killing you and the people here?"