Chapter 2.1 - A Request for Aid

[pringerbeam]

Breechill - 12:00 pm

[info]Everyone gets a full night's rest and gains 1 Hero Point[/info]
     After a good night of rest you are all feeling quite refreshed and are able to get preparations for your return to the citadel completed with ease. The townsfolk are especially helpful and just like Greta promised all give you a small discount. As you're finishing your shopping a messenger comes for you.  "Ah heroes! I work for Ms Howerdell of Breech Creek Lumber. Ms Howerdell needs your help. If you could spare the time, please meet her at the mill's office in the southern end of town."

[info]Please state any purchases you make during the morning[/info]

[Asta]

[info]No purchases.

Advanced Alchemy:
2 Alchemist Fire
2 Frost Vial
2 Bottled Lightning[/info]

"Ah, I suppose it is worth asking about..." Spira turned to her compatriots, "Shall we?"

[Throndir]

[info]Cleric's Class Kit (forgot to purchase this on char creation)
50 bolts[/info]

"Of course we will help!" Melody said cheerfully as she started to weigh her newly bought backpack with various 'adventuring' gear in it. Melody wasn't the strongest of halflings, so without further adue she turned towards who she decided was the strongest.

"Mister Riven! Can you take these torches from me?" The halfling asked. "They came with the set, but I don't really need torches as I can cast the Light spell."

[info]Handing Riven 5 torches.[/info]

[Mysticsage]

"Um, Yeah, I'd be happy to carry anything you need, Miss Melody," Riven said with a  large yawn. He seemed to have a deep night sleep and he was still rubbing sand from his eyes. While the others had gone shopping he had stumbled around looking for a place to train in a hopes to get his body moving. While he had done his usual morning routine as a matter of habit it had done little to help. As they had gathered he ordered something light to eat to try and regain his energy, instead of being both sore and sleepy.

"I don't carry much at all, even armor gets in my way, since I was never even allowed to touch any until a few years ago, so I have plenty of room in my bag to load up anything you need," Riven grinned childishly. He hadn't even remembered to put his shirt back on as he loomed bare chested over the other patrons. His light green skin taught over large muscles that made him look like he could easily strangle someone. Yet despite his wild intimidating aura, the way he smiled with such child like abandon and had such open body language softened his edges.

"Man, I am struggling this morning, must be the last of that poison from yesterday finally wearing off," he said absentmindedly scratching his chest and flexing the muscles in his back to work out the kinks.

[pringerbeam]

[info]Alak will sell Silver Dagger x1, Shortbow x1, Arrows x20 for 3 gp 7 sp[/info]

     Your morning preparations done, you make your way to the southern end of town to find the mill. It is not difficult to find as following the sound of wood chopping and beasts of burden finds you there no problem. A fine layer of sawdust covers the streets almost like snow as you near the mill. With a few questions to the mill workers going about their business you find your way to the Foreman's office. There you find a well built woman, covered in sawdust, and wearing the heavy leather aprons and work  gloves of a carpenter. "Ah! The heroes! You answered my own little call. Thank Abadar. I am Narine Howerdell and I run the mill here in Breechill." She says as she tries to wipe her desk clear of some of the pervasive sawdust that is everywhere in the sparse office.
     "We here at Breach Creek Lumber harvest wood from the Crimson Tide Wood to the south of town. It's good honest work but I won't lie it's hard labor and the forest can be a dangerous place. We all know this here but our timber is good quality wood and brings decent money to the town when we float it downriver. Because of that we don't just clear cut our way through the nearest trees, we set out on expeditions to find a good healthy bit of the forest that we can harvest from. Now like I said, the forest can be dangerous. Wolves, owlbears, cougars, even wargs are pretty common in the deep woods. We often place a request at the Call for help clearing some of the wildlife when we find a good spot for a camp, but this time is a little different." Narine takes a moment to sit down and drink from a canteen she uplls from one of her apron pockets.
     "Couple weeks ago we moved in to a new camp. It actually wasn't too bad a location. Just needed to clear out some aggressive boars. Got a small lodge built and started getting to work. Now we try to bring back the lumber every few days or so to drop off their lumber and take back supplies, depends on how big the camp is and how much the oxen can haul. This camp hasn't sent anything back in almost a week though and we're starting to get worried. Could you go check it out? We can pay you ten gold pieces for the trouble."

[Asta]

"I cannot see the harm in taking a look" Spira answered. "What about the rest of you?"

[pringerbeam]

     "I thank you for your help. Here." Narine pulls open one of the drawers of her desk to pull out a rolled up piece of heavy paper. "A map of our logging camps. We only have two in use right now, camp Clearglade where you're headed, and camp Deeplake further south. The logging trail is decently traveled close to town but can get overgrown in bits sometimes. There's also plenty of trails that people have branched off for their own use so I'd recommend you try and find someone that knows their way around a forest if you're not familiar with the hazards of getting lost. Around here even well traveled roads can get hard to follow if you're not careful and don't know the area." Narine takes a drink from a canteen after handing off the map. "If you have any questions, I can try to answer them."

[Asta]

"What sort of threats lurk in the areas? Wolves I imagine, but is there anything else?"

[pringerbeam]

     "Well there were the boars we had to clear out to make the camp but there couldn't be too many left after we hunted most of them... Could be something bigger, worgs maybe... But there isn't much I can think of that would also stop any of our loggers from coming back to town to ask for help." Muses Narine.

[Throndir]

"Do you have anyone you'd recommend to help guide us through the forest?" Melody asked.

[pringerbeam]

     "Maybe, I'd check Cayden's Keg. It's one of the taverns in town. We sometimes get rangers that pass through and that is usually where they like to stop. Brynn is the innkeeper there and could probably tell you if anyone has been in town that might be able to help."

[Asta]

"Sounds like a start."

[pringerbeam]

     As you leave the mill Alak speaks up. "Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt but I would actually like to head back to the keep. There was still another wing of the main floor that I wanted to search for my family's ring. So for now this is where we part ways I guess. Though, since we're going to need each other's help to take on the cult, I don't want to just leave you all in the lurch. I have an idea though... While you go find a guide, I'll find a replacement to help you with this quest. I already have someone in mind so it shouldn't take long. I'll have them find you here in town." At that, Alak takes his sudden leave with a wave of his hand and heads off before anyone has a chance to respond.

     After Alak leaves, it's not long before you make it to Kayden's Keg. You find the Inn with little effort, it's sign is large and emblazoned with a foaming mug of beer being filled from a keg. Inside you find a warmly lit dining room full of travelers and townsfolk. The bar is tended by a woman unremarkable from any other bartender except for a wine red stole draping from her shoulders and tucked into her apron. Off to the side of the bar is a large plaque, below which is a small shelf adorned with loose change clustered around a silver tankard with a rapier balanced across its mouth.

[info]Religion Check for those that want to identify the purpose of the shelf.[/info]

[Throndir]

[info]Lore on shelf
[blockquote]Religion 1d20+7 : 18 + 7, total 25[/blockquote][/info]

[pringerbeam]

[info] Religion: 25
     The shelf is a shrine to Cayden Cailean, the drunken hero. The loose change is from a custom where those looking for a little favor from the god of bravery take a drink of hard alcohol and try to land a coin in the tankard without knocking the rapier off.

Cayden Cailean
Alignment: CG
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Good, Strength, Travel
     Cayden Cailean was a simple adventuring mercenary until one drunken night in Absalom when he somehow managed to, on a bet, succeed in challenging the mythical  tests of the Starstone and obtain godhood. He's commonly worshiped by adventurers and freedom fighters. He has very few actual temples dedicated to his worship, usually a simple shrine in an inn or tavern is all his faithful erect in his honor, but this is all the drunken hero asks for in his text which is little more than a plaque bearing a collection of his sayings. In depictions and appearance he is in godhood as in life: a well tanned man with a tankard of style in one hand and a rapier either in the other or at his hip. His priests tends to wear whatever clothes suit their primary profession with a simple red stole as the only indication of their role as one of his faithful. [/info]