The Burning Plague (Ayanna)
From Toosigma
| Title | The Burning Plague |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip Mann - Ayanna |
| Campaign | Shattered Prisons |
| Session | The Burning Plague |
| Posted | |
| Game Date |
Hmm, the settlement has whispers of a “plague” and the children all stay indoors, very odd indeed. I bet that wretched army has something to do with it, so I must go see. Long way around, I think though, or that scout party may be yet in the area...
Nothing, though their line seems to be stable if far too near for my taste. It is going to be a long summer with those vile beings so close as they slowly eat up the forest around them for their war...Hopefully that fellow Keradin has around from time to time will share his disdain for the Aundarians and will use his experience in war to drive them away. “Last War”, sounds as a joke with an army now camped in my home. I suppose if the war was all I hear tell it was, I would remember...
Found a silly lost dwarf on my way home. He seems uneasy in the wood, but not dangerously so. Good thing I was following him though as he might not have made it across Laylim's Creek where he intended. The water is very fast there and even I dare not cross it unless I have all day. Still, he seems smart enough as he knew the direction to go to get to Silvervale, just not how to best arrive. So, headed that way as I was, I let him follow me.
He speaks of strange things, of prepared food stuffs and odd drinks as if they are necessary to his survival! Says he is a brother, but we are clearly not related. Son of a son of a son of a son of a ditto-long-chain-of-smiths. Has a father that lives in Silvervale, but not his father, someone related to his mentor or such. However, seems he is looking for the cure to some illness from his homeland and that does endear him somewhat for he seems as fond of his home as I am of mine. Though I do worry that he seems to want to war with others...
Marius greeted us with the news of a death. Father Natale, the leader of the compound outside of the town. This was the Father that was not Malidin's father but was the father that his mentor sent him to find. Sad. But all that are born will eventually return to the land. Still, I felt compelled to search about with the two men to try to aid Malidin and speed his return home. We found, however, that more had fallen ill with this strange “plague” that they feared. We happened across two from the compound that also wished to resolve the illness, so our troupe grew again by two. Ioth I met in the wood but he never returned. The odd girl at his side, angry and adrift she is, I find disturbing...
Clues and such led us to Lakril. I could not imagine him at fault of anything. He is not so agreeable with some who would bother him, but he has never been mean to me or any of the wood. I suspected instead that we may find he has joined those taken by the sickness and was relieved to find him yet walking. I would miss him, I think, should his time pass...
After a stop at the compound place that others seem to hold in reverence, it was determined that the water in poor Lakril's well was the source of the sickness. When we returned, it was obvious that he too was falling ill in spite of his posturing to the contrary. He knew some very valuable information, however, in that Silvervale had more than one water supply and only one fed his well. I should have known.
Why did it have to be underground? No, a natural cave with natural creatures was not in the stars; it had to be an abandoned mine with tiny passages and stale air. And the roof, I'm sure it kept moving down but nobody else could see it. Poor construction obviously since every space seemed to get tinier and tighter the whole way. And the swords and cursing and blood on the tiny little walls. Couldn't everyone just talk it over? At least they were making their war on creatures that could fight back, and not those most close to Nature.
We left the wretched place and I thought it was over. Fresh air, open sky, and lots and lots of green! However, as those I traveled with returned to the little boxes in the town, they mentioned something about going back in the morning. So I spent some of my evening in the wilderness and the rest peeking through the windows of their rooms. I was curious to see what was inside, and of renewed stance that I will remain to the wood. In the morning, I sat in the road across from the place they collected to eat burned flesh, drink the juice of spoiled apples, and sleep without the sky over them...
Back to the mine and I could hardly believe that these people actually wanted to go deeper! Truly they have no appreciation for open air. Everything there seemed so tight, so compressed, as if the whole mountain could fall in at any time. Surely it would, just when I was the only one with sense enough to stay up top, that shrinking ceiling would crush me. I followed; I hated it.
I found the only thing I could do was hold a torch for Marius. Still, I did not feel so useless doing it. So separated was I from the wood by all of the stone that I could not sense my own direction. I just followed and tried to help...and failed to help. Still, even the creepy girl did not advocate leaving me behind.
We found a horrid rat, I have never seen one before but I have heard of them. He was just scared, defending its home. He let everyone pass as he wanted no more to disturb us on our travels than we wanted to disturb him...
Finally, I could go no farther. I would not stuff myself into a blackened tunnel that we did not know where it went. I kept the torch as it would not work under water, and waited for the others to return...and waited...and waited...and the torch finally extinguished. I had no choice but to brace against my fear and the current, and force my way through...one step at a time...faster...faster...then I found the opening where everyone was. I would like to think they waited for me, but they were simply stuck. Bats were flitting about because they had been disturbed by us, but they soon left when they realized we meant them no harm. Then we climbed...or mostly...Malidin fell and I dove after him into the inky black water. The rest had to haul the two of us to the top, but he was safe and that was good...
Spiders and a Child of Winter directing them...that certainly explains the illness coming from the waters of his den. But the warriors made war and were nearly stuck down. I tried to help Marius, I remember that, but I do not recall what happened after I was hit until Malidin stood over me. Strange.
Outside and under the stars I felt better. I mended my wounds as I had discovered how. I felt badly for not being able to help Marius as I wanted to, so I left him tokens of assistance on his window sill every morning until I saw him up and around. I don't suppose it matters if he knows where they came from so long as he gets them...
