The Caravans

[ColonelFuster]

As your two respective Caravans move into the last big clearing before Redo, They spot each other and a joyous shout goes up. About once every three years, apparently, the Daggerclan and the Big Cats cross paths, and there's an impromptu party being set up, right here in the middle of the wilderness.

From the Daggerclan, you can see a non-halfling- a human, in fact, who seems to give off a slight, maybe imagined, radiance. He has a holy symbol of Ra hanging around his neck, and a longsword with a gold-leafed sheath at his hip.

From the Big Cat's caravan, you can see a human man traveling with them, though he is dressed in halfling-like finery: studded leather in earth tones, and the glint of the wild in his eye (though the surety of the city in his step.)

[Ganurath]

Breka smirks as he sees the halflings starting to form a party, probably on account of the meeting. Nomads crossing paths is always cause for celebration, at least among nomads. He was quick to spot the human in the other caravan... preachy type, from the look.

He wasn't the law, though, or at least not an enforcer of it. Breka smiled at the devotee of... Ra, apparently, and and raised his arm and flicked his wrist in a wave to get his attention. He knew there was stuff halflings didn't want nonhalflings hearing, so he figured he'd be a considerate guest and distract his fellow human while the clans caught up. "Hey, there!"

[The_JJ]

Hello there. Adwar raises a hand in greeting, and then pushes his black hair out of his eyes. I'm Adwar, what's your name?

[Ganurath]

Breka approaches, careful to stay clear of the intermingling halflings to avoid stumbling over someone or getting a pocket picked by some young halfling who wouldn't think of what an impact picking on passengers would have on the business of acquiring passengers. "Name's Breka. I guess I'm not the only one headin' for Redo?"

[The_JJ]

I guess not. Why are you heading in? Adwar glances around the party, vaguely impatient.

[Ganurath]

Breka waves a hand dismissively, glancing over the party before turning his attention back to Adwar. "Eh, you know how it goes. Step on the wrong set of toes, wear out your welcome, need to move to the next town over. You?"

[The_JJ]

Adwar smiles knowingly. Eh, traveling preist. I've heard about some... problems in Redo.

[ColonelFuster]

"Redo?" an adolescent halfling nearby pops in between you two, tearing his attention from a group of girls from the other clan. "That's where we're both headed! What kind of trouble is it?"

[ColonelFuster]

Err, hello? Is there anybody out there?

[Deathslayer7]

Liriel will stick her head out of a wagon. Asking the nearest halfing why did we stop so suddenly and where were we?

[The_JJ]

*sorry, bad week*

Adwar smiles beatifically. Don't it's just something to do with the local church to Ra. I'm not exactly sure, but I'm going to go find out what needs doing, and then I'll do it.

[ColonelFuster]

A child is nearby to answer Liriel's question. "We're at a clearing, a druidic circle clearing. Halflings have freedom to use them as resting points, as long as we clean up after ourselves. And, the Big Cats Clan is here! We haven't seen them in quite a while!"
The halfling then in conspiritorily and says, "All the grown-ups try to get married to The Big Cats. They have lots of pretty girls." The boy then runs over to the growing group of children.

"Whatbears ill for the Traveling Gods bears ill for the Halflings," says the halfling to Adwar with a grim look.

[Deathslayer7]

Did you hear that Aragar. The Big Cats are here! Let's go see one! she seems excited at the fact of a big cat.

[ColonelFuster]

Outside, the general mood is merriment; casks of wine are being rolled out, fires are being started early, and many halflings are breaking out their race's favorite insturment, the fiddle. Along the borders, well-trained big cats, including leopards and lions, are lined up with rope on peculiarly-shaped saddles. On the opposite end, riding dogs frolick with some children less than half their size. Many groups are forming, one of elders, one of dancers (near the fiddlers and singers), one of children, one of tradesmen, and one of merry-makers.

[The_JJ]

Adwar smiles again. Don't worry kid, as long as you and I keep doing good, the Traveling God travels with us. Now, which one of those girls are you going to ask to dance first?

[KingRexII]

Aragar wakes from his nap. "Big cats? Are we under attack?" He grabs his equipment, thinking that he'll need to take out some aggressive animals.

[Deathslayer7]

No she said. We arrived here at a local druid's circle, and the Big Cats are here. Let's go meet them.

She will then jump off the wagon, and wait for Aragar

[Ganurath]

Breka turns his attention to the new arrivals, who seem to be approaching the caravan he caught a ride with. "More guests of the Dagger clan, or locals?"

[KingRexII]

Aragar still brings his weaponry, but keeps his armor in the wagon. He answers, "Guests, I guess. Aragar -- here to help out the people of Redo." He reaches out his thick-fingered hand in greeting.

[ColonelFuster]

Adwar
The halfling blushes, and hurries off with a polite, "Blessings of Ra upon you," before he joins the circle of dancers.

[The_JJ]

And on you. Adwar watches him for a few moments more and then turns to the newcomers. What kind of help?

[Ganurath]

Breka tilts his head toward Adwar with a mischievious smile. "Help with problems, perhaps?"

[The_JJ]

Adwar smiles back, a bit sheepishly, but with a slight tilt to his head. Well, I heard about it from the clan elders, but if they feel like hidding stuff from the kids I'm going to assume they have a reason.

[ColonelFuster]

Almost as soon as the word "elder" escaped his lips, Adwar and company were approached by the small circle of elders. One with long moustaches steps forward and bows.
"Adventurers, my name is Rute. Pleased to meet you." Rute looks into Breka's eyes for a spell, and smiles for some reason. "Every one of you are exceptional specimens. You have performed admirably your job to guard us, and shall each receive a small reward when we reach Redo. For now, just enjoy yourselves. I will tell you what is happening within the city walls once the party has dimmed down."

Feel free to get to know one another/link backstories/become a party now. (Too straightforward?:smallbiggrin:)

[Deathslayer7]

Liriel looks at the odd group assmbeled with Aragar.

Are these friends of yours? she asks him questioningly.

[Ganurath]

Breka smiles warmly at Liriel and reaches out for a handshake. "We are now. I'm Breka, and the preacher here is Adwar. There's trouble in the next town, and it looks like the halfling elders are interested in seeing us deal with it."

[Deathslayer7]

Liriel takes his hand and winces as he has a firm grip. She smiles and tells him I am Liriel. Pleased to meet you.

[The_JJ]

Hello. Yeah, they've told me it has something to do with the temple of Ra in Redo. You said something about helping people in Redo?

[ColonelFuster]

"The situation is most grave." The long-moustached halfling replies, bowing his head. "Though I wanted you to stay away from the details until you had a chance to have the emotional impact of seeing it, I know that forewarned is forearmed." He takes a deep breath, but the next phrase is interrupted by a shout among the young halflings throwing rocks at a target. As you all turn, you see a man stumble into the camp. He seems to be covered in oozing sores, and is wearing tattered yellow and gray robes- apparently a priest of Ra. He stares into the sun constantly, stumbling around and shouting like a madman.
Boss Rute swiftly calls all the halflings away from the man, and the music fades from the air. Happiness itself seems to be sucked out of the atmosphere as the man falls down, his shouting turning into gasping.
"Ra! Ra! Ra The Shining One! Save me! Save me! ... save... me... my... my lord...." he starts to cry and stammer incoherently, as Boss Rute walks closer.
"This is it, Adventurers." Boss Rute looks at you all with a piercing stare, as the man twitches in the background. "I don't know the details, but it seems as if a disease totally resistant to magic has fallen upon the fair Walled City of Redo."
The man continues to convulse in tears in the background. "...my my my my lord! Ra! ... save me, or cut me down with your shining blade... Ra...."

[Ganurath]

Breka breaths deep and shudders at the sight, loading his crossbow and grunting as he draws the string by hand to save time as he takes a knee among the halflings to try to blend in to the crowd, or at least use the people his size standing around him as a distraction of contrast. "So the standard disease removal spell doesn't work... What about more potent magic? Or is that not available in Redo?"

((Trying to blend into the crowd: [roll0]))

[ColonelFuster]

"No, Breka. This seems to be the first disease completely lacking in magical properties, and magic does not seem to react to it at all. Even the assistance of Saint Janna and Saint Reginald could not heal the first sufferers."

[Deathslayer7]

Liriel's smile dissapears as she sees the man. Hearing that magic has had no effect upon curing the disease, she asks the halfling if magic won't cure it, then how are we supposed to help?

[ColonelFuster]

"Adventurers are, at their core, dungeon delvers, are they not? This is the service they require. A large hill of unknown origin appeared, and strange foreign plants and animals have taken up residence there. The priests and Clerics of Ra went to explore it, and when they returned, became stricken with the disease."

[Deathslayer7]

So we have to find this disease and stop it then she says finishing the thought for him. and if we get diseased in the process?

[The_JJ]

Adwar is silent for a long time. Then his jaw clenches, and his eyes seem to burn. I'm going into that mountain. Is... there anything we can do to save him? Make him suffer less? How soon until he dies?

[ColonelFuster]

The elder turned the priest's head carefully, revealing several bluish-purple growths on the neck.
"Maybe a week. Maybe a day. The priests usually go blind first, since they seem to look into the sun with human eyes." Indeed, the man's eyes had a reddish quality to them, though priests of Ra were thought to be able to looks straight into the sun with no ill effects.
"As to helping him, sorry, lad, but there's just no way. It's a legend that drinking human blood can help sufferers, but I think that's just because locals are mixing up the symptoms- sensitive to light and red eyes- with Vampiricy." Rute shakes his head, and motions for some halflings wearing leather armor and gloves to take the man into a covered wagon, after laying a cloth over his face to shield his eyes and mouth. This only made the man look like a corpse, his bony frame showing through rends in his robe.
Turning to Liriel, he smiles ironically. "If you can get rid of the source, you won't have to worry about that, will you? It's acting more like a curse than anything. Not to say it isn't dangerous, though." He twirls his moustaches. "If I recall correctly, the disease isn't magical, but something about the mountain is."

[KingRexII]

Aragar's heart is moved at the sight of the halfling, and he becomes indignant that flora and fauna could be the cause of this. "How unnatural. This is certainly an affront to everything I believe in. I will go to the source of this atrocity at once and strike it down."

His more dwarven side shines through as he looks resolved to go there as soon as possible.

[Ganurath]

Breka nudges Adwar in the side, nodding his head toward his weapon of choice. "I have a way to see to it his suffering stops, but I don't know where Ra stands on that. Boss Rute, is he infectious?"

[The_JJ]

Adwar nods at Breka, grateful. If we might have a week to save him, I say we take our chances. If anyone is going to... well, end the suffering, then let it be me. He looks at the ground for a moment, before turning to the elder. Can I get directions to the tower?

[ColonelFuster]

To Adwar, he says, "Sorry, lad. I don't know the location of the mountain. You'd have to ask your remaining fellows at the temple." He then turns to Breka.
"Well, as a matter of fact, he is. But it's against my code to let anyone kill another, no matter the reason. Not in my home, Mister Breka." Boss Rute looks at you with no twinkle remaining in his eye.

[The_JJ]

I'll... I'll do it, if you think we won't be able to make it to the mountain in a week. Adwar gives the elder a pleading look. But if there is the slightest chance...?

[ColonelFuster]

"All I know is that it's within a day's march of the town. The town itself is about a day from here."

[Deathslayer7]

Well then, let's not waste any more time she says to the group. She herself couldn't understand the feelings these halfings, let alone the others had for the cleric, but if Aragar felt so strongly about it, she would follow him.

[KingRexII]

Liriel's answer elicits a smile from the dwarf, who couldn't help but feel he had some pull in her decision. He says to her, "You won't regret it, Liriel."

[The_JJ]

Adwar nods. Then we make for the mountain as fast as we can. He stands up, and starts checking his weapons, places them on top of the saddlebags of his mule. Sorry I can't stay for the party Boss Rute, but the Sun is still early in its travels. He stops and leans closer. Somebody mentioned Anubis in this context awhile back, I do believe.

[The_JJ]

*poke*

I'm back.

Seriously, I was worried about this running away while I was gone, and now nobody else posted?

Eh, good luck for me I guess. C'mon, let's go hit the town.

[ColonelFuster]

As you approach the walled city of Redo, a sense of majesty and might imposes down of you. A turret set with a ballista at every corner, an armed guardsmen walking the perimeter, and gates that appear to be made of worked stone. The many spear-carrying guardsmen walking on the walltop seem to point down in your direction, and the halflings wave jovially at them. The gates open, and you are permitted into the city. The halflings walk off, past the high-class buildings on either side, and towards a gold-roofed keep situated at the east corner. This is the temple of Ra- Decorated with flaming sword motifs, and locked up tight.
Entry into the temple is granted to the party and several halflings, leading supply crate-toting Bernese. The priests lead you all to the sick bay, where several humans are writhing and groaning, waifish and covered in dark sores. Most of the priests are wearing long, trailing masks, making them look like grotesque hummingbirds.
The supplies are opened, and poitons of every color and shape of bottle atart spilling out, labelled in Celestial speak.

[The_JJ]

Adwar slips off to find the ranking priest in the area. As soon as he finds him he says From what I've heard from the Clan elders, there might be a cure in the mountain. I want to go and find it.

[Ganurath]

Breka makes a point of keeping a safe distance from the diseased, quickly getting a good idea of the situation. He glances the potion bottles over, then gestures for the attention of a nearby priest. "You know what these labels say?"

[KingRexII]

Aragar feels a great deal of compassion for the suffering, but is frightened by the thought of catching the disease. He flags down a passing priests and asks with a little bit of reluctance in his voice, "Is there anything we can do to help?"

[ColonelFuster]

A nearby priests turns to Aragar and shakes his head, gesturing over to the ranking priest talking to Adwar.
The adept turns the corners of his mouth up in what might be a smile on anyone else, and says, "That mountian is where they caught this. I can only hope that with the source of this disease, we can use magic to find a cure."

The priest next to Breka, wearing a mouth-cover, starts reading off labels in a muffled voice. "Cure Disease heigtened to 9th level, Cure Disease brewed from a cleric devoted to curing diseases instead of a god, Cure Disease brewed with a scale from Saint Reginald, Remove Curse heightened to 9th level, Remove Curse alchemically combined with Remove Disease, Remove Curse cast by an archivist that has studied diseases his whole life...."
The list seems to go on and on, and the priests seem to rank the potions from most likely to work from least likely to work, seperating patients by curtains and placing botles on thier nightstands.

[Ganurath]

Breka decides to interrupt after the priest finishes mentioning the alchemically combined potion. "So you have access to alchemists? Why not brew a nonmagical treatment, like a disease's antitoxin vial?"

((Ra, being shining, apparently favors the 'more dakka' philosophy. Skade prefers wandering away from ideas that don't work to those that might, at least according to Breka.))

[KingRexII]

Aragar nods in respectful thanks and goes to Adwar and the priest. He stands quietly and listens to him


Time of day? As in do we have time to go out to the mountain today?

[ColonelFuster]

"We hope to brew a treatment alchemically, using the source." He answers back, still muffled.

The sun is going to set in about three hours... it's about a seven hour journey to the hill. I guess you could get there by two in the morning (to wake up around 10) if you wanted to.

[Ganurath]

Breka nods, deciding not to try to beat it into the priests skull that nonmagical means may work where magic failed, turns his attention to the victims of the disease. "Are any of them healthy eno- Healthy and lucid enough to speak?"

[The_JJ]

Adwar drums his fingers on the hilt of his sword, and the mutters under his breath. I am the fire in the night, I bring the sword against the darkness. I am the hope of dawn light and the sunset's defiant fire. Then he sighs. No use pushing our selves past Ra's depature and staggering into the cave half-asleep.

[ColonelFuster]

"You are free to bunk here, Master Cleric," A priest nods to Adwar.
"The rest of you may find more suitable rooms along the Gold Strip, or the Red Strip, if you're feeling lucky. He points in two general directions, reffering to streets in the city.
The gold strip runs between the temples of Bhakrit and Ra; the Red Strip runs between the temples of Anubis and Surt. The Gold Strip is pricey (twice the PHB price) but high class and safe; the Red Strip is cheap (half the PHB price) but you might be killed or preyed upon during the night.

[Deathslayer7]

Liriel looks around her, sadness on her face. She looked back to the mountain from where the disease had come from. She really wanted to go now, but there was no point if she was going to break an ankle or worse during the night.

Sighing regretfully, she thanked the priest for his hospitality.

[The_JJ]

Will you be coming to the mountain with me? Maybe it's best if we bunk in the same building, no need to search for each other on the streets. Adwar glances at the the preist, questioningly.

Diplomacy: [roll0]

[ColonelFuster]

The High Priest smiles and nods a bit.
"If you say so, Sir Cleric.
"Take the west wing for yourselves."

[The_JJ]

Adwar nods. Thank you, sir. Then he turns to the halfling elders. And thank you. May you wander under the Sun. Then he turns to his companions. This way. As the leads them through the halls he talks. So what are your stories? What do you do? How did you get here?

[ColonelFuster]

*cue Backstory Sharing!*

[Deathslayer7]

Liriel sat sttod around the group. Well then, shall we go to our rooms? she asked.

[The_JJ]

Yeah, their, uh, this way. Adwar shrugs and tries again. So what's your story? I know you've volenteered, and I'm very thankful, but what do you do? How'd you get out to the caravans?

[Deathslayer7]

Liriel smiled at him, but her heart pained. I tried to get into the wizardry school of enchantment, but was denied. she said. I have nowhere else to go, and I met Aragar, here many times, so we just stuck together, she said, smiling at Aragar. Now I just travel here and there. Doing oddjobs.

[Ganurath]

Breka follows along, pulling out his crossbow once the group was clear of the local priests. "My story has the same ending. My tribe was scattered in an orc raid when I was a kid. Wound up in some orphanage, got street smart at the school of hard knocks... And here I am today."

[KingRexII]

The dwarf says, "The forest was -- and still is -- my school. I go where it and my heart" -- he smiles genuinely at Liriel -- "lead me." He pauses before explaining, "Well, those things and work. Need to eat, y'know."


Sorry guys! I've been sick. I'm back, though, if we're still on.

[The_JJ]

I haven't seen menchi in a while...

Adwar nods. Well, it's off to bed, and tomorrow, we put our skills to good use. I'll be up at dawn.