Our story starts in a small little sleep town of Falcon's Hollow. The town is known for three things specifically; its booming lumbering harvest, it's dangerous creatures and the festival which happens once per year.

The town is mostly populated by humans with some elves, half-elves and gnomes. It's mostly a peaceful town that has an assortment of traders coming in and out of the small village. The adventure begins shortly after the festival has taken place. You have come in the village for different reasons but on the morning after the festival you are greeted with a rude awakening.

The city is rumbling with people yelling in the streets and running everywhere. There appears no direct attack or monster but yet something more sinister. The people in the streets are alive and most people have little time to talk.

However, outside one specific shop, it seems a line of people have formed all impatiently waiting to get into the shop.

OOC: Who attended the festival?

Sigrun has spent most of her time during the festival ministering to the needs to the poor, healing where she can, and cooking meals for children. At dawn each day she leads a prayer meeting convened around the local smith's forge to thank Torag for the gift of . . . everything. As the festivities have come to an end, she is starting to plan her next destination on her pilgrimage, a year long journey to visit the major shrines of Torag as part of her initiation into the dwarven cult.

She has made several friends during the festival, and some she expects to be traveling with as they all move on. She salutes them now as she makes her way to the busy shop to see what the hubbub is all about.

The atmosphere is bubbling with anticipation, or is that anxiety, but she's not sure what it is all about.

As she approaches the shop, she stands aside from the line so that no one will think she is pushing into the queue, and asks some of the folk standing in wait.

"What's going on? Do they have something special to sell?"

She looks the place over, trying to remember what this establishment sells.

Menzar grudging had to admit to himself that he liked sleeping in a bed. Granted after several days in any given town the gnome got a little stir crazy, but that first night. On a soft bed. That was the best thing about returning to town. But instead of sleeping in the quiet of the morning after the festival, Menzar was woken by the commotion in the streets.

Reluctantly he got up from his bed Menzar hurried through his morning needs and made his way out into the street.

Not sure what the commotion was about, he watched and followed the general flow of the locals to find them queueing up outside only one of the shops. As he made his way over, the gnome spotted a semi-familiar face, _{Sigom, Sigrin, what is her name...}

When he got to the shop and the line he approached the cleric, "Morning. Do you have any idea of what is going on with this town?"

---

OOC: Menzar would have been in town for the festival.

Serafina rode in on a broken down, borrowed (she was supposed to return it to the innkeeper here, some kind of exchange they had going on apparently) old horse that she dare not press too hard, but it had served her purpose.  She had a begruding respect for the old animal.  Its joints must hurt and its eyes must be getting cataracts, but it kept going.  She admired that as well as pitied it.

She'd had no idea what to expect after leaving the monastery, or even exactly where she was going.  And she had no idea what had happened in this town either.  But there sure was a lot about, and many stirring.

It sunk in then how utterly mad she must be.  How was she going to accomplish this goal?  She had no idea how.  Or with who.  Or by what means.  She had some mail and a sword and a few other bits, it wasn't anything even close to what she'd need.  If she even know what she'd need.

She could not help but notice a line of people.  Going to a shop?  Why?  What was going on here?

Even if she didn't care, and she did for this was most curious, they blocked her from returning the poor horse.  Serafina carefully approached at a slow walk and halted the animal.

She picked a friendly (she hoped) face, and called out.  "Hail friend, I have ridden into a curiosity.  I don't suppose I could inconvenience you enough to ask whether this is Falcon's Hollow?"

Responder can be anyone in line or near the store, figured that might give someone else a hook to respond to.

Having left the temple island months ago now, the young elf Camara had traveled far and wide. She traveled to an area where she has experienced something new to her, actual seasons. The climate is colder than she is used to, and her temperature tolerance has been found less than adequate, and so a cloak has been added to her usual attire.

Even with the slight discomfort, the festival is a welcome distraction which allows her to learn more of other cultures.

She notices the people lined up and just looks on curiously.

When a woman hails with a question inquiring the name of the town, she responds, "It is, yes."

Jackdaw had attended the festival though nearer the end then the beginning. He had needed a chance to relax and take his mind off of things, so it was a welcome excuse.

As he wandered the streets, he started to see and hear a bit of panic, and he wondered what might be going on. He stopped outside of a shop where some people seemed to be gathering - he wasn't even sure what kind of shop it was, what it sold or anything. It didn't matter. He wasn't there to shop.

He listened as others began talking but it didn't answer his question so he piped up in his lightly accented Common, "Hail. Something seems to be amiss. Does anyone know what's going on?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:04, Wed 06 Oct 2021.

One of the men in line turn to the group, "A plague has come to our town. Last nit' me own wife is bed ridden with horrible gut pain. Other's sons and daughters are suffering. Only Laurel from Root's and Remedies has any idea what this is. The res' o the clerics are snuff."

The man points towards the street of people and you can see a number of people leaning against things and obviously are seriously ill.

"Are you infected with the plague also?"

The line to Root's and Remedies is packed with about an hours worth of people waiting to get in. The line is moving but it's going to take sometime to get inside and find out what is happening.

A slightly thin, tall but athletic looking man could be seen walking down the street. People looked his way then moved to one side to let him pass. It wasn't his appearance, though the long jet black hair, piercing blue eyes, dark clothes and scarf wrapped about the lower half of his face made them move. Not not that at all, it was his companion that walked along side him.

The grey black scaled monitor lizard, sleek and graceful, moved purposefully next to him her tail swishing from side to side, her tongue tasting the air as they moved.
There was a presence about her that was both captivating but also menacing.

Whenever the man stopped to look in a shop or at items on a stall. The lizard pressed against his leg her tail wrapped slightly round it. while he looked forward her head was forever moving from side to side. If you looked carefully if someone approached too close the tail flexed slightly to warn her master. He never looked up still viewing this item or that but under his fringe his eyes took in the person, assessing if they were dangerous or not.
If he body relaxed so did the lizard. Eventually he came level with the line of people on one side and the small gathering of individuals on the other. He decided the small group were more interesting than the line as he overheard the comment about the plague. Interested peaked he turned to the group " so I arrive in town and into a supposed plague to boot....this day seems to be getting more interesting by the minute"

The lizard studied each person in turn tongue flicking out tasting their scent. She then reared up on her back legs and placed her front paws on his thigh he looked down and stroked her head "its ok lady I agree if there is a plague will will move on after all we've nearly got all the supplies we need"

Sigrun looks over at the sick people and moves towards the youngest of them. Her intention is to use her Healer skill to determine what is wrong with them. If she thinks she can help with skill alone, she will do so. If it seems worse than that she will attempt a Healing spell by calling on the power of her god. But looking around the many sick folks in the village, she does not think she will be able to heal all of them that way.

"Find out what is going on inside the shop," she suggests to Serafina and Camara, the two women closest to her. "How are they treating this sickness? Why is it called a plague?"

Shifting her weapons to the back of her belt, she holds up her holy symbol of Torag and whispers a quick prayer for His guidance.

"I am a healer," she calls out loud. "Let me pass."

Morton watched the healer move forward and suddenly saw a very big problem turning to the half orc "my friend the healer means well but as soon as these poor people see her work she could be mobbed even torn apart in their rush to be cured. I think she might need a protector while she does her business....what say you me and my lady here" he points to the lizard at his feet " go see that she is not harmed."

With that he moved off to follow the healer

The elf woman says, "We may have to wait. These people are waiting for a cure to this plague. With patience, we can learn more about it."

"Thank you-"

Before Serafina could say more, the news came in a hurry and Serafina saw a great crisis afoot.  She ignored the man's question about her infection out of sheer necessity.  Though she had her own difficulties with the gods, for what gods worthy of her praise could allow what had happened, she did not project her problem into others, and still recognized a holy symbol as something of considerable morale improvement, even if the wielder was somehow incompetent.

"You there."  She pointed to the self-appointed healer.  "On me, that man is quite correct.  Keep on the opposite side of the horse, let it shield you, I will move slowly.  Come, there's no time."

Then she alighted her eyes on the man who had given the warning.  "You who recognize the danger, come as well, we push up.  And you fair elf, if you wish to learn, while patience is a virtue something bold must be tried."

Why on earth any of these people should listen to her, she had no idea, but Serafina felt like she had to try something.

Serafina gently moved the horse up and called out as loudly as she could manage.

"Good people of Falcon's Hollow."  She called out.  Her pitch was clear and her manner stiff and regal and standoffish.  "I beg your attention.  I know I am a stranger, but I feel I must help you as I am able.  I am called Serafina.  Your character is made clear to me by your willingness to organize and queue in a time of dire crisis.  But your hearts must be heavy, for they must be at such a time as this.  I shall be brief with my points.

"I've an assemblage with me who may be able to render aid to this cleric Laurel, who must surely be exhausted if not supported and helped.  I have no plague, they have no plague, and may I be cursed if I lie in the matter.  I've no interest in consuming precious healing that I do not need, and neither do they.  My business here cannot conclude until this crisis is managed, so my interests are your interests, though I am a stranger to you.

"Also, though I commend you all for assembling here and attending to the crisis, surely you recognize a better system must be made, for there is a chokepoint here.  Your suffering loved ones need your hands and attention in so many ways, much time of such prominent and hard working citizens is wasted when more than ever, you are needed.  I can arrange a fair alternative that preserves the order you have established without your having to remain here, but I must speak to Laurel.  A few minutes may save you needless hours of remaining here idle.  The aid will come as soon as it can, there is no need for you to waste your precious time until then.

"Let us pass, I beg you.  We wish to help, and the situation is dire.  I realize I ask very much, but you are good people and deserve what succor may be found in this trying time.  Please, we need but a moment with Laurel and a chance to fetch a bit of ink and parchment."

It was pompous, a bit inflated perhaps, but earnestly said.

Jackdaw shook his head in response to the question about being sick, pointing a thumb at himself. "Not me!" He then thumped his chest with one fist. "Healthier than an ox!"

One of the men asked for his help in getting a healer safely inside the shop. He gave a shrug and nodded. "No problem." He strode forward past Sigrun to help gently but firmly clear a path. "Healer coming through!"

Menzar saw the group of obvious visitors to the hollow forming up and organizing around the proclaimed healer. Seeing a murmur of another healer in town ripple its way through the line, the gnome shook his head slightly and wormed his way between the villagers to join the priest and her protectors.

Once at the clustered group, Menzar made his way to the cleric. "How can I be of assistance? I may not have a divine gift for treating the sick and injured, but I have a woodsman's sense of herbs and healing."

The group of town's people seem to block the door. Some heavy set men stand in the way.

"Healer o' not your not getting in here! We've all waiting to Ms. Laurel. The healers have done us a lot of good in this region." says the man snidely.

A lady from in front of him chimes up, "Wait your turn! I got youngins wit dis."

OOC: The crowd seems to hold their stance even at the sight of the half-orc. If you would like to make a roll based upon what some of you said. Go ahead and roll the skill you want to use. If someone wants to support someone else they can also add to a person's roll if they wish.

If you want to physically move into the crowd there is a chance they will turn on you.

Sigrun is more interested in helping any child she can who has the disease than she is in forcing her way in to see what Ms. Laurel is doing differently than other healers. She doesn't know what the sickness is, but even if her skills at healing are not up to the challenge, she is certain that her god will grant relief through her -- though not for very many. This is why she is focusing on children who seem most at risk.

When the lady speaks of her young ones, she replies to her.

"I am a cleric of Torag. Will you let me give my god's blessings to your children?"

She does not react in any way to man's snide tone about healers.

Morton stayed back slightly, lady once again at his side. He tapped her gently onthe head with his fingers to most people it looked like he was stroking her head but the fingers were tapping in an exact pattern. The lizard looked at him as if to say you will get us into trouble but he just smiled and continued.

After a moment he clicked his fingers and looked off into the distance.



19:02, Today: Morton Slumber rolled 4,3 using D8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3.  illusion spell.

Illusion 3 points.

area 1 point

movement 24" 2 points

sound 1 point




From the north s small speck appeared growing bigger and bigger as it flew forward. soon a roaring noise could be heard and Morton looked up wit a look of horror on his face " my god a dragon!!" he cried out pointing up as the creature headed over the town  "everybody find shelter it might pass if it doesn't see a meal to have"

Looking down at the lizard he mentally connected with her" ok a little dramatic maybe"
but only shrugged his shoulders with a slight twinkle in his eyes
This message was last edited by the player at 16:17, Fri 08 Oct 2021.

The people see the where Morton is pointing too with wide eyes.

"Is that...?"

The man covers his vision but hears the creature getting closer. "By the gods. He's right, it is a dragon...RRRRRUNNN!"

The crowd scatters as the beast gets closer to the town.

You have temporarily cleared the crowd from the doors but I can't think you have too much time until they realize that this is a hoax.