Shroud's Last Hope
From Loranon
PC Info
While grabbing a bite to eat in the bar, the Party noticed an older man begin to cough terribly. After a moment, he coughed up a large amount of blood, as well as what looked like pieces of his innards, and fell over dead. The room began to panic, and a patron ran to get the town sheriff. Malic investigated the corpse, and noted that there was a good amount of fungus in the man's blood.
The sheriff recognized the man as a miner and had his deputies take him to Payday for identification. After grilling the Party and Jak on what happened, he concluded that this must just be some random illness that was not his problem.
When the group went out, they were shocked to see a large number of townsfolk also coughing a small amount of blood. Malic sprang into action, gathering what people he could and trying to stave off the disease in an alleyway by the Jak'n'Apes. Lars and Fagan traveled to the Shrine of Heironeous and sought Lady Sarthana's aid. She was less than pleased to be thought of as a mere healer, but after Lars plead on the townspeoples behalf, she agreed to allow some of the victims to stay in her shrine. The Party transported the sick, and Lady Sarthana mentioned there was an herbalist named Laurel Langedon outside of town that might help. Lars and Fagan pushed their way past the crowds outside the Apothecary, and asked her for aid. She was frantically searching for a cure at that time, and Lars happily paid for one of her first batches.
The potions had no effect on the disease (Which Laurel was able to identify as Blackscour Taint), and Lars and Fagan returned the next day. She informed them that there was a bit of Voodoo in a book her mother acquired that spoke of a cure, but the ingredients were quite difficult to come by. Laurel had all but three of the required ingredients on-hand. Lars and Fagan volunteered to try and locate the rest of the required ingredients for her. The list included Elderwood moss, pickled Rat's Tail, and Ironbloom mushrooms. All three ingredients were most likely to be found in the Darkmoon Vale. She also suggested they hire a guide to take them there, Milan Rodham.
Lars and Fagan rejoined the party, and they all set out to talk to Milan. The mine guards didn't want to let them through initially, but some fast talking from Lars convinced them to take the party to see Milan. While he did not wish to accompany the party, Milan was willing to draw them a map of the forest and mark the likely locations of the three ingredients.
The party then left town and headed to the Darkmoon Vale. Their first stop was the oldest tree in the forest, where they were able to acquire the Elderwood moss. They noted that this was a darkwood tree, but did not feel it wise to attempt to harvest this rare wood in the middle of an unfriendly forest. They next headed to some dwarven ruins, hoping to collect Ironbloom mushrooms. The ruins turned out to be a monastery dedicated to Moradin (The party returns here in Crown of the Kobold King). After clearing various baddies from the monastery, including a worg, a giant spider, and some wolves, the party was able to collect the Ironbloom mushrooms and head on for their third destination: the hut of a witch named Ules Melia. They find the witch dead, but get attacked by an enchanted cooking pot. After defeating the pot, the party is able to quickly find some pickled Rat's Tail.
All three ingredients in hand, the party rushes back to Shroudbase as quickly as they can. Laurel creates a new potion, which manages to cure the town of the Blackscour Taint. The only question that remains is just how such a fungus made it to Shroudbase in the first place, as Blackscour Taint prefers moist areas. Perhaps the marsh to the south holds the answer.
