"Guess we need to go see Milton from the Lumber Consortium," shrugs Sigrun. "He can tell us where to find the ingredients to cure a disease no one knows but our friend here. She knows the formula but lacks the ingredients: elderwood moss from the oldest tree in the valley, mushrooms called ironbloom from the dwarf forges. And Ulizmila, the witch that lives deep in the woods, may be able to help us find rat's tail -- if she's still alive.

"That about it?"

Laurel looks at the group with a sign of relief on her face.

"Yes, with these items I would be able to cure those who are left alive. The sickness takes three days to manifest. In the mean time people will experience pain from stomachs as it grows inside of them. Because we do not yet know the source of the sickness I suggest hurrying as fast as you can."

She walks around the counter with a more serious look on her face. "Some of you were at the festival. So far the only thing we have managed to figure out is that most of these people attended it which could be happenstance. You, yours might be infected with blackscour taint."

She points Morton to a back door area behind her herb room which is filled with all manner of things from large to small. Potions and smells sting your nose as you enter and quickly leave.

OOC: Morton go ahead and make a stealth roll against the mob, even though you are exiting the back of the building there is chance they could notice you since they are all over.

Serafina due to your earlier speech to the townsfolk, they trust you more (+2 to roll). You can make a roll to calm them. Right now they would hang Morton upon finding him.

Anyone who wants to help Serafina can also make a roll and small speech.

Finally, for the ones who went to the festival. I am going to make a secret roll. It could mean that some or all of you are infect with the Blackscour taint.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:54, Wed 13 Oct 2021.

Serafina went outside, and finding all kinds of debris and whatnot scattered by the aftermath of a festival that hadn't been cleaned up, found a small overturned crate.  She guessed it was for milk or eggs, because it wasn't very tall, but it was wide and quite sturdy.  It was already muddy, so she turned it over and made herself a small platform.  It added little to her height, but she would take what they could get.

Once a few got closer, she raised her hands and called out.  "Come, come, gather.  Please, please gather.  Laurel is tired by her efforts and asks me to speak to you on her behalf, since I have no need of her services.  Come all, come together."

Once she thought she had the best semblance of orders she was going to get, and Serafina suspected she wasn't getting much if anything out of this town or indeed anyone she'd seen so far, she made her best pitch.  She felt a little lousy throwing in some... creative interpretation of the truth, but she would do what she thought was best.  She wasn't lying, but she was perhaps lying by omission or bias.

Her idea was simple, turn them toward their own anxiety, and make them try to deal with it.  Specifically, in a way that would satisfy and yet disperse this crowd.  Crowds were dangerous.  A person could be smart.  People, in the aggregate, were naught but stupid.

"Good people, I shan't waste your time.  Two grave matters must be brought to your attention.  Several-"  She almost paused too long before deciding on the word. "-constables have been appointed to deal with the problem of the miscreant who summoned that accursed illusion which disrupted the peace.  However, the attempt to disrupt the proceedings failed utterly, as Laurel is safe and her practice undisturbed, and you have all returned after taking disciplined precautions.  It is unfortunate such rogues can waste the time of citizens in crisis, but threats simply have to be taken seriously, always or the darkness wins.  Vigilance is the price of the common liberty."

Serafina could feel the bile taste of excrement in her mouth, but she pressed on.

"But a more grave concern faces us.  Laurel needs more supplies.  At her advice, we have recalled the constables, who will deal with the criminal in due time, to instead acquire the necessary supplies Laurel needs.  However, there must a concerted effort.  Who among you will speak, we need venerable elders, wise mothers and distinguished men of great maturity, in any combination.  No more than three, because more than three people cannot make a decision quickly."

And more than one is still pushing it.

"It does no good for all of you to stand here, Laurel can only work so quickly, and we must cure all who have this malady.  I beg you, if you will send forth those you trust the most to help complete this great labor and trust in their judgment.  The sick still need attending, and a great deal else must go on besides if we are to overcome this evil.  Overwhelming a strained resource will not help.  All of you trying to negotiate this by yourselves will not help.  Your needs are all equally important, but it's simply not possible to do what must be done in a stroke."

Serafina wondered how many times her father must have done this.  And whether anyone ever listened to him.  Obviously it hadn't worked or she wouldn't be here now.

"I know what I ask is difficult, but it must be done if we are to cure everyone.  Now I ask, who will speak for you all?  I promise you will each have a role to play, but we must organize.  We simply must, or this is already a failure."

And she stood, waiting to be ignored, torn to pieces, trampled, or some combination thereof.

19:53, Today: Serafina rolled 6,6 using d8+3,d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3.  Try to Persuade Again.

Well, it's not a Crit Fail so that's progress.  Thank goodness for modifiers lol

Jackdaw stood at the door to the shop as Serafina spoke outside, mostly in case some folk tried to rush it or push their way in or something. He listened to what she had to say, but a frown creased his face.

He turned back towards the inside of the shop and quietly asked Sigun and Camara, "She keeps talking about 'constables'. We haven't seen any around that I know of. Who's she talking about?"

Camara answers the orc, "I believe she means us. We are the constables. It took her a notable pause before using that word."

She listens as she stands just outside the door and leans on her staff enough that someone might think she needs to do so.

Listening with the rest of the motley group in the healer's shack, Menzar had to stifle a laugh when the chatty one called the group constables before the angry villagers. Then to go on and ask for assistance...

The gnome looked to the backdoor furtively and his body moved ever so slightly towards the exit.

Morton and lady nodded thank you to the healer then proceeded to quietly sneak out the back door and away from the crowd



13:41, Today: Morton Slumber rolled 4,2 using D6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2.  Stealth.

OOC: You guys have done so well making this first scene interesting. +1 Benny to everyone for excellent roleplaying.

IC: The mob gathers around Serafina. They listen to your speech intensely and the group seems to part when they hear about the elders. Up walk two different elders of the village, one man and one woman who have obviously be around for sometime.

"We shall take on your task." says the male Elder.

The crowd seems less angry based upon your speech and seems to calmed some. Waiting for the next move.

Morton on the other hand manages to make it out the back door and isn't noticed by the mob thanks to Serafina. However, he is noticed by one of the villages dogs who comes over to him with his tail wagging furiously.

The dog stops short and almost as if your lizard is making him jumpy...which could make him bark.

Menzar roll stealth to not get caught by the crowd or freak out the dog.

Morton reached into his pocket and pulled out some dried meat which he throw over the head of the dog hoping it would turn to get it allowing him time to continue his quiet exit from the area.




21:22, Today: Morton Slumber rolled 3,2 using D6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2.  stealth

...and bumped into some unknown object hanging off the edge of one of the healer's overcrowded workbenches. "Bugger!"

---

OOC:
17:19, Today: Menzar the Badger rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1.  stealth.

8:25, Today: Menzar the Badger rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2.  forgotten Wild Die.

Not an auspicious start...

^{Edit: added Wild Die roll. No other edit to post.}
This message was last edited by the player at 12:26, Fri 15 Oct 2021.

Serafina called the three closer.

"We have to get rid of this crowd before we make introductions, much less any plans.  This is a difficult situation, and a crowd is only as smart as its stupidest member.  Surely there is one fool amongst you normally?  The sick at home need to be tended to, and illness or not, I am sure you all like to eat.  Life must go on.  The work will help as a distraction and a sense of normalcy."

She phrased that carefully, because she was feeling pretty foolish herself right now.  She couldn't believe that had worked however.

"Let's go find Milton at the Lumber Consortium," suggests Sigrun. She's not happy about leaving sick people, especially children, behind, but she realizes the larger good of finding a supply of ingredients of the cure outweighs the momentary salve to her conscience of healing one or two children and then having nothing left to offer.

She leaves the healer's hut by the front door to stand with Serafina. If she sees any sick children in the crowd she will offer to try a divine healing. If she does not she will ask the directions to the Lumber Consortium.

Serafina manages to get the elders to start talking to the crowd. Meanwhile the gnome comes out the door bumping into Morton. Luckily due to the speech by Serafina the crowd ignores the small commotion in the back of the shop. The dog playful ruffs at both men and the lizard but doesn't do much of anything else.

The crowd begins to back to their home, dispersing as quickly as they came. This leaves the heroes with only the two elders left waiting to hear from our heroes.

Serafina continues.  "Good, all right, you need to arrange an acceptable way to triage the sufferers.  Even if the expedition to get more supplies succeeds, Laurel can't treat everyone at once, and doing it first come first serve, while it seems fair, isn't very smart if the objective is to save people.  And... if you have to, make some work for people who you think need to be seen helping or who have to get involved.  Make them draw water, or enforce quarantine."

The old elder looks at Serafina questionably.

"What about Laurel's guidance. She has told us that someone will need to travel to gather the supplies she needs? Are you that someone? It seems your group is rather new to our little town?"

Sigrun steps forward, holding up her holy symbol, the Hammer of Torag.

"We are leaving even now to fetch the ingredients your healer needs to face the scourge," she speaks in the voice she practices for sermons, designed to be heard in the back benches.

"Listen to Serafina. Her advice is sound. Bring only the sickest for treatment. We will be back as quickly as we can. My god commands me to help the needy."

If the elders are satisfied with this option, she will ask in a more normal voice if they can tell them where to find the Lumber Consortium and what Milton might look like when they get there.

"It's more of an accident than a group.  To that end... I hate to ask it, but any mounts would help if there is to be an errand.  I don't think the sick can spare us being slow.  And I think we all better go, out of sight out of mind.  But you must get the people busy, pick three others you trust, send them to Laurel for advice on triage.  Send midwives or other healers if you have such, someone the others will trust to be impartial.  Get people active, make them draw water and chop wood if you have to, if they question tell them Laurel needs it.  But you must keep them occupied or they will worry themselves into another crowd, and that crowd will be more desperate and more likely to start doing something stupid."

Serafina really didn't mean to lecture an elder, she kept her tone soft even if the words were authoritative.

The elven lass leans in to Serafina and says, "We might want a cart or wagon. I cannot ride which is why I walk."

"It would mean taking fewer animals, and we are gathering supplies.  Having a way to bring them back would be useful."  Serafina admitted.

Things were moving faster, but people were going in different directions. He opted, finally, not to follow the two shadier-looking people out the back door. He was offering his aid, not skulking about.

He nodded. "Yes. I am happy to help identify and gather the herbs, as well as carry them, but if we are getting a large amount, then a wagon might be helpful."

Camara chimes in, "We should get as much as we are able without doing harm to the sources."

Having recovered- somewhat- from his failed attempt at stealth, the gnome scratched his jaw as he considered the various options being thrown about. "I don't know that a wagon would get through some of the tracks that I'm thinking of to get to the old forges. A pack animal would be ideal though. Mounts and a pack animal if we are in a hurry."

OOC: So we are at a point where we can discuss out of character. Because of what has taken place the village will supply you with horses or a wagon.

Horses allow easier navigation through places a wagon can not but a wagon allows faster travel due to the amount of power behind it. In game terms here is the gist of what takes place if you take either or...

Foot 24/miles per 8 hours
Horse 30/miles per 8 hours
Cart (per beast) 30/miles per beast8 hours

So you could most likely get a wagon with two horses carrying you. As I said through the woods  is going to be hard. From the map that you have most of your journey will be going through the forest.

I will draw up a map this evening so that you can see where you are going.

Where do you want to go first?

Another consideration. Unlike normal adventures this one is timed. Every day that you are going d4 people will die from the Blackscour taint. Right now based upon the map on foot it would take you three days barring any camping that might be need or depending on the route you take.

OOC:
So; 3 days on foot, 2+ days on horseback, or 1 day with 2 horse wagon-- if it can navigate the path. Yes?

I would vote for horses. Plus a pack animal if we think we'll be gathering great quantities.

Yup. That's pretty close to the timings.