Hollow's Last Hope [IC]

[Voadam]

Loricallior agrees with the swordwoman, "We shall help. What are the dangers your villagers fear that they do not pursue help for their fellows?"

 

[YeOldeAlbatross]

"Yes, that is what we shall do," Hakkara declares, before looking to the others for counsel. "Tell us where these roots and herbs and things may be found, and we shall retrieve them, for the good of this town. Let us be off so that we may find these roots. Am I to assume they lay in strange lands guarded by evil humanoids or creatures? Let us hope so, for my sword arm needs attention."

"Very well," Laurel answers, although she sounds as though she doubts whether this mission can possibly suceed. "Here are the three ingredients I lack. First, elderwood moss, which I’ve never heard of, but granny says the stuff only grows on the oldest tree in a forest. Second, a specially pickled root called rat’s tail...again, sounds like hoojoo to me. Third, seven ironbloom mushrooms, stunty little things that only grow in dark places thick with metal, a favorite among dwarves, or so I hear.

"So, the 'what' is the easy part...now, as for the 'where?' Well, for the elderwood moss, there’s gotta be an oldest tree in the vale. Damned if I know where it is, though. The rat’s tail and mushrooms are even longer shots. Way north, toward the mountains, people say there used to live a bunch of dwarves. They’re not there anymore, but I’d bet their forges are. If you can find ironbloom anywhere around here, that’d be your best bet. As for the rat’s tail, who knows? Well...actually... Ulizmila, the witch that lives deep in the woods might. She’s a crafty, mean thing that knows all sorts of strangeness. She might even have one. I don’t know what she might want for it, but I doubt it’d come cheap. My grandmother traded her sight to the old crone for a few pages of what she knew, and that was years and years back, and I don’t know a soul who got any nicer as they got older.”

Loricallior agrees with the swordwoman, "We shall help. What are the dangers your villagers fear that they do not pursue help for their fellows?"

Laurel turns to the wild elf. "You really aren't from around here are you? Darkmoon Vale just isn't a safe place. There's talk of monsters, wild animals, evil spirits...who knows what all? It probably doesn't help that the damn lumber barons are cutting down the darkwood trees like there's no tomorrow...that can't end well." The herbalist shakes her head sadly. "Anyway, since I do value my life, I've never been further in than the very edge of the wood. And a lot of those who do go further in never come back out."

 

[hero4hire]

Jared clucks his tongue thinking while absently fingering his holy symbol. "Dwarven stronghold..a witch..and the Eldest Tree....Hmmmmm. A dwarven stronghold shouldn't be too hard to find, but it sounds like the farthest away in the mountains. The others are in the woods. If anyone knows where NOT to be in the woods it would be those very same lumberers yes? They should at the very least know where the Eldest Tree stands, if not where the witch Ulizmila lives." he then turns to Laurel.
"Though the faithful of the Dawnflower expect little in the way of monetary gain, my allies or steeped in worldy issues and may seek worldy compensation. I am sure this Blackscour is somewhat..shall I say..Lucrative? To someone in your position?"

 

[YeOldeAlbatross]

Jared clucks his tongue thinking while absently fingering his holy symbol. "Dwarven stronghold..a witch..and the Eldest Tree....Hmmmmm. A dwarven stronghold shouldn't be too hard to find, but it sounds like the farthest away in the mountains. The others are in the woods. If anyone knows where NOT to be in the woods it would be those very same lumberers yes? They should at the very least know where the Eldest Tree stands, if not where the witch Ulizmila lives." he then turns to Laurel.
"Though the faithful of the Dawnflower expect little in the way of monetary gain, my allies or steeped in worldy issues and may seek worldy compensation. I am sure this Blackscour is somewhat..shall I say..Lucrative? To someone in your position?"

Laurel reacts initially with outrage to Jared's question. "You're asking for money? You want me to pay you!? I’ll pay you in…!" Then, she stops and gathers her thoughts. "Well, I suppose I’m not doing all this for free either. If nothing else, this whole thing’s been good for business. How about this, you come back with everything I need to brew the medicine and I’ll cut you in: thirty gold each. Fair?"

 

[Insight]

Laurel reacts initially with outrage to Jared's question. "You're asking for money? You want me to pay you!? I’ll pay you in…!" Then, she stops and gathers her thoughts. "Well, I suppose I’m not doing all this for free either. If nothing else, this whole thing’s been good for business. How about this, you come back with everything I need to brew the medicine and I’ll cut you in: thirty gold each. Fair?"

"I suppose that's about all we can expect from this backwater town," Hakkara says dejectedly. "Let's be off to this Dwarf mine then."

 

[Nazhkandrias]

"You really aren't from around here are you? Darkmoon Vale just isn't a safe place. There's talk of monsters, wild animals, evil spirits...who knows what all? It probably doesn't help that the damn lumber barons are cutting down the darkwood trees like there's no tomorrow...that can't end well." The herbalist shakes her head sadly. "Anyway, since I do value my life, I've never been further in than the very edge of the wood. And a lot of those who do go further in never come back out."

Jebbo gives a wide grin. "Monsters 'n spirits, y'say? Perfect! Ah can always be usin' new tales t'tell, 'n this'n sounds like jest the ticket! Have no fear, ma'am, ah assure ya that y'all'll be hearin' from us again!"

"Well, I suppose I’m not doing all this for free either. If nothing else, this whole thing’s been good for business. How about this, you come back with everything I need to brew the medicine and I’ll cut you in: thirty gold each. Fair?"

Jebbo gives an approving nod to Laurel and the others. "Seems reasonable. More'n m'sister got f'killin' that giant rat that went 'n got isself into m'mother's shop! Thirty gold n' an opportunity for an adventure like this'n seems more than fair!"

"Let's be off to this Dwarf mine then."

"Well, if we be goin' off on some wild-like journey t'some sorta mine, we'd best stock up on supplies while we're here. M'belly don't like long trips wi' short vittles!" Jebbo gives a chuckle and pats his stomach.

 

[Insight]

"Well, if we be goin' off on some wild-like journey t'some sorta mine, we'd best stock up on supplies while we're here. M'belly don't like long trips wi' short vittles!" Jebbo gives a chuckle and pats his stomach.

"If you must," Hakkara shortly replies. "I'm a hunter, so we'll not go hungry on the road. If you prefer town-swill, then so be it."

The barbarian looks directly at Jebbo, then generally to the others. "I leave at dawn. Best you be ready if you're coming along." Then, she leaves the herbalist's abode.

 

[hero4hire]

"If you must," Hakkara shortly replies. "I'm a hunter, so we'll not go hungry on the road. If you prefer town-swill, then so be it."

The barbarian looks directly at Jebbo, then generally to the others. "I leave at dawn. Best you be ready if you're coming along." Then, she leaves the herbalist's abode.

Jared was the son of a smith. He was savvy enough to know in dealing with money, you never take the first offer. There was a fine art to negotiation. An art he had not mastered. If his companions were happy enough, he was happy. He wasn't doing it for coin.

"So be it." he nods. He cocked his head an appraised his new ally Jebbo. "Tell me Jebbo, you are a collector of tales. Have you heard anything about these places. The eldest tree, the witch, dwarves of the mountain? For that matter has anyone heard of these things?"

OOC: Who has what for Knowledge skills? Jebbo has Bardic knowledge at the very least, that may help, otherwise we have to seek out someone who knows something.

 

[YeOldeAlbatross]

"So be it." he nods. He cocked his head an appraised his new ally Jebbo. "Tell me Jebbo, you are a collector of tales. Have you heard anything about these places. The eldest tree, the witch, dwarves of the mountain? For that matter has anyone heard of these things?"

OOC: Who has what for Knowledge skills? Jebbo has Bardic knowledge at the very least, that may help, otherwise we have to seek out someone who knows something.

Laurel interjects with an unbidden response to Jared's question. "If I may offer some advice, I know a man named Milon Rhoddam...he's the most experienced woodsman in the Lumber Consortium that I know of. He usually works out of the eastern Consortium lumber camp. He might be able to help you find the locations you need to find. Now, if you're serious about helping, be off with you. I've got sick people lined up outside."

OOC: Jebbo's Bardic Knowledge won't really help here, because Falcon's Hollow is kind of a backwater place, and its local tales haven't exactly circulated far and wide. However, relevant knowledge skills to the situation at hand are Geography, Nature, and Local. Mmm, of the group the only one with any of these is Cyryn with Knowledge: Local. Let's toss some dice and see how he does...

[sblock=Knowledge Local Checks, Cyryn]
Roll #1 17+3=20; Roll #2 18+3=21. WOW, both successful! Okay, in his time slumming about town between boring guard jobs, Cyryn tends to find himself hanging around in The Sitting Duck and Jak'a'Napes, listening to the idle chatter of the locals. As it turns out, some of that chatter is not so idle, because he's heard people talk about both the ruined dwarven monastery north of Darkmoon Vale, and the clearing where the hut of Ulizmila the witch is supposed to be. He's pretty confident he could lead the party to both of those locations without too much trouble. He hasn't heard anything about the oldest tree in the forest, however, so the group will probably need the aid of someone who knows the forest well to find that.[/sblock]
OOC: Ah, very nice! Now we just need Azgulor to return from his trip so he can reveal what Cyryn knows!

 

[Voadam]

Loricallior ponders, thinking if any of his adept lore applies to such mystic ingredients

ooc knowledge arcane +5 trained.