D&D 4e: Crisis in Shady Vale

[Larrin]

Background: Shady Vale is a human settlement of maybe 100 people built on a supply road near the base of an expansive mountain range. It was founded fairly recently (as far as towns go) as a mining town and stop for traders traveling higher into (or from) the mountains. Recently they have been ravaged by an unpleasent and always fatal disease that has so far killed perhaps 20% of the population (so 20 people), and its showing signs of continuing to spread. The sufferers apparently feel as if they're limbs are on fire, but are weakened to the point that they can barely thrash and moan in their pain. Death follows a few days later. The village elder sent out messengers to the nearby towns and temples begging aid for their plight. Being brave adventurers, You responded to the cry for help and have now arrived there....

(the players right now are Cain: Cid and Edgar and Meline: Annamolly and Spero, you can decide wether you know eachother or not, depends on how much time you want to spend on introductions )

The town has an inn, a blacksmith and a few stores, but most are closed due to "people dying" and the inn is converted into a hospital with the afflicted lying on mats in the common room and the healthy attempting to ease their pain as much as they can. The house of the village elder is near the inn, with people carrying out a heated argument in front of it, watched over by a weary, elderly man.


(results from a history skill check, ie 1d20+history (or int if history isn't trained)
anna: 13+2int=15
spero:8+8history=16
cid:17+10history=27
edgar: 10+6history=16

AnnaMolly and Spero and edgar: wether or not you know eachother, you have the basic knowledge of the town, it was founded 70 years ago, at which time it had been a know hangout of a raiding band of hobgoblins, whom the townsfolk killed off and settled in place of. They've also been at odds with raids from kobolds that migrate down from the mountains and try to steel mined minerals and goods.

Cid: You know what the others do, but you also think that this disease sounds familiar. This type of disease has floated around the country side for centeries and is most often believed to be a curse called down by followers of demon cult indiginous to the area, often followed by goblonoids and orcs.

[Meline Kana Noriuma]

((I've been sick and having trouble thinking how to start. If it's wrong let me know))

AnnaMolly is standing amongst the crowd listening to the arguing in front of the villege elder's house trying to get a better understanding of what is actually taking place (mainly just getting confused by all the arguing), wishing she had traded places with Spero.

Spero, who is in the inn, is asking around trying to find out what is happening because she, in already knowing AnnaMolly(though the two don't quite get along), drew the short stick.

[Cain]

((OOC: Well I now have PDFs of the 4th ed. books.))

Edgar had been spending what time he had in the town at the inn, attempting to lend what help he could in treating the ill, using both medicenal and divine methodes where he could. Cid had fallowed along with Edgar after a chance meeting in another town. After a confusion of identity (to put it lightly) was settled and a few bumps and bruses had been mended, Edgar had been the one to inform Cid of the disease in Shady Vale. Recalling the theories of the it being a curse he had chosen to fallow along, wanting more to investigate the rumors then the illness itself, as if he could find this suposed cult he might find leads to his particular ancestory and and a father that had left before he was born. He spent the time asking about town on how it had started though he had yet to discus his theories on it with his traveling companion. He really would rather avoid another misunderstanding.

[Larrin]

The Inn (edgar and spero): The inn is a completely unpleasant place, people are in agony, dying, and their bodies are not polite about what they do in the meantime. Edgar finds that disease is almost certainly magical, well beyond his skills to treat, healing prayers don't seem to do much either. If it truly is magical its seems like your only hope is to find the source of the disease and stop it. Spero finds from asking around the inn that what is happening is that people are dying, and the village elder is powerless to get help. Some men went off in hopes of finding the source of the disease but they've not returned (of course). Its pretty obvious all the townsfolk are resigned to dying from the plague.

around town: Cid you get the basic story that the plague started about three weeks ago, with people dying after 5 days of showing signs. at first it was only a few, but the numbers steadily increase. So far only 20 people have died, but at the going rate, 20 more will die by the end of the week.

Village elders house: Annamolly, you see that the crowd is getting ugly, people have been dying and everyone is powerless to do anything about it. You get the impression some miners went off to "Do something about it" and haven't been seen, and the elder won't send more people to look for them. No ones doing anything drastic yet, but you sense a building tension that could erupt unpleasantly soon. The elder keeps reminding them that he sent out messengers for help "People will come soon to help us." he keeps saying, but the look in his eyes says he doesn't believe anyone is coming. Apparently he doesn't know your here.....

[Meline Kana Noriuma]

Spero, who is trying her best to help ease the people as she searches for information decides to take a break. She nottices Edgar whom she had a few brief encounters with in the past and walks up to him. "Do you have any more idea what is going on than I do?"

Hearing the doubt in his voice and seeing how the crowd is reacting AnnaMolly pushes her way, despite any objetions, through the people to get closer to the elder so he can hear her. When she is close enough she shouts over the crowd. "I'm here to help! And I'm not the only one!"

[Cain]

Edgar:
"Its a disease, magical in origen, it seems to resist both traditional medicen and what divine treatment I can provide. In order to stop it we would have to stop it at the source. Come I would like to find Cid and see what his investigations have found."

Cid in the mean time was heading back to the in and elders house as his questioning was getting him little usefull information.

[Larrin]

Cid, you arrive more or less as AnnaMolly makes her way to the front of the crowd and makes her announcement...

AnnaMolly: The crowd quiets and catches the end of your cry, they stand in silence for a moment and then all begen talking at once at you, you manage to glean the general idea of what everyone is saying. Most are pleading for help in general against the plague, you pick out a couple people asking for you to look for family memebers who went somewhere and haven't been seen, and here and there are questions of why weren't you here sooner or where are these others you speek of.

The Elder begs to them to be silent and eventually gets them to quiet down and stop crowding around you. He invites you forward. "Now then child, tell us who you are, and who has come with you to aid us" he asks, a glimmer of hope begining to rise in his forlorne eyes.

(the people at the inn are in conversation, so until you take specific action, i have nothing more to add to that scene at the moment)

[Meline Kana Noriuma]

Spero:
"oh, Cid's here to? In that case I agree. PLus I have a feeling AnnaMolly has started something again." And with that Spero begins to follow Edgar(when he starts moving obviously) in the search for Cid.

AnnaMolly walks up to the Elder and looks at him trying to take in all that had just happened. "Um, My name Is AnnaMolly and I know my friend Spero is here. She was at the Inn last i knew trying to help and get a better udnerstanding of what was going on."

[Cain]

Edgar: "Yeah, he's here, he went to ask around on how this all started. With any luck he found clues to the source."
*While speaking he leads the way out.*

Cid: "Her and her companion are not the only ones to have journied here. You may call me Cid. I came here with a cleric of Amuntar, who has a decent right hook, though last I saw of him he was seeing to your ill the best he could. I however have been looking into where this illness may have origenated from. Some of my earlier information sugested that it may have been a foul work of a cult that resides near here. *he frowned and swished his tail* A rather rather distasteful rumor I might add. If you have any info or even rumors onto the cause of this plight I very much would like to hear them. Uh you are the head of this village, am I correct?"

[Larrin]

(edgar and spero): as you leave the inn, a small child comes running past you into the innn shouting "People came, people came to help!!" and you end up being the head of a small herd of townsfolk heading towards the village elders home, where you see your companions in the mindst of this.....


(Cid and Anna): "Yes" he replies in response to Cid "I am Elder Gortah, of the founding family of this town. I know of no cults, we only worship the established gods here, and have no tolerence for demon worshippers." the crowd mumers agreement, obviously shocked at the thought of a cult in their town. "No one has followed cults since my grandfather and his fellows exterminated the foul beasts that had laired here before we came. My grandfather told me of the dreadful shrines that they had to tear down and consecrate. they were made from childrens bones and painted with blood. But they are gone, every last one killed. " The elder spreads his hands. The crowd mumers, mostly in agreement, but you do here a few arguments over what those "pesky kobolds" worship. The crowd has grown, and you see Edgar and Spero approaching with people from the inn.

"Please, if you can help us, do so." begs the Elder (with agreement and further pleas from the crowd, again you hear people mention a group of men that they would like you search for)