The Caravans

[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

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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.

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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.

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Diplomacy: (1d20+9)[17]

[ColonelFuster]

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