Chapter 1: The Road to Dagger Falls

[NoTrammeling]

Olavia makes her face into a sickeningly-sweet mask of empathy. "The prices are high, dears, because of the cost of maintaining this establishment in the... quaint backwater of Daggerdale. I'd love to lower them, but we have standards to maintain and you should see the bills from my kitchen alone! No other inn has been able to stay in business hereabouts, can't compete with quality I always say." She sniffs, full of self-satisfaction. "Lucky to get any custom now what with the fever running loose."

The Daleish boy from earlier pops out of the kitchen door with a flagon and several cups, depositing them in front of the party before he rushes off on some other task. Maria watches him go, smiling a little self-superior smile that takes the sting out of her previous error. "Oh, right. Of course we can share, sleeping alone is too chilly anyway."

(The prices at this establishment are well known to be exorbitant, most locals drink at the Red Rock, but this is the only inn with rooms)

Meanwhile Traern slips out of the inn to trail the man who left at the party's arrival. He's slim and sinewy human, obviously a sellsword, with a mane of grey hair. The journey is a short one as the man comes to a halt by Daggerdale's main gate and its attached guardhouse. He speaks a few soft words to the Zhentarim soldier on duty and a young boy carrying a messenger's satchel and dressed like a runner appears out of the door. The grey-haired sellsword speaks again, this time to the boy who nods and turns to run further into the city.

[JadedDM]

"Ah, I see," Gimak says, reading between the lines. "Must be difficult to make a living in such a...remote local as this." He hands Olavia two gold coins for a room. "You mentioned the fever. I heard about it on our way up here. Sounds quite nasty. Know much about it?"

[Jenara]

"Of course. I hope you don't fidget!" Elianna says with a giggle, "Basically, unless we wish to sleep in the street..." she trails off... "Indeed" She says curiously, "We heard rumors on the road."

[NoTrammeling]

Olavia's face lights up at the chance to gossip over so morbid a topic, but she tries her best to look concerned instead of fascinated. "Strange happenings hereabouts. Rumors flying every which way." She takes the coin offered by the group for their stay and beverages. "Of course as owner here at the Arms, not much happens in Dagger Falls without me hearing of it." She smiles smugly.

Olavia drops her voice conspiratorially, "I have it on good authority it's some manner of spirits come down from the Eagle's Eyrie. They say they'll only be appeased by blood. They say the Constable's already sent for a priest."

[JadedDM]

"Eagle's Eyrie?" Gimak asks. "I've heard of that. Used to be a dwarven settlement, long ago, right?" He can only wonder what kind of priest the constable might send for.

[Jenara]

"Eagles' Eyrie was used as a watchpost over dwarven trading routes from the Mines of Tethyamar wasnt it?" She asks with a frown, "How could that make people sick?" she rubs her chin.

(She has ancient history..)

[NoTrammeling]

Olavia seems surprised by Elianna's show of knowledge, and the groups overall familiarity with the subject. Quickly she turns surprise into a knowing nod, pressing a plump finger into the bar to emphasize her next point. "Yes my dear you have it right. Until the Mage Lord drove the dwarves from Daggerdale. It's a curse I say! They've got long memories and seldom forgive, dwarves." She sniffs. "Present company excluded of course."

[Jenara]

"Hardly like the dwarves, but yes they do hold grudges." she says through pursed lips. "We heard the stories of those getting sick, the usual stories you hear in Taverns. So they are true?"

[Breila]

"The constable has sent for a priest?" Eringard asks with a frown. "The temple of Lathander is right in town, he can simply ask any of us."

[HorizonsDream]

Raina pays her two gold for a room as she lets the innkeeper tell her story. She doesn't believe the curse idea for a second, so she slips off from the rest of the group, and sits within the main room to sort of eavesdrop on any conversations that might be going on.

[JadedDM]

"If that's the case--angry spirits from Eagle's Eyrie, I suppose the question is why now?" Gimak asks. "The place was deserted a long time ago, wasn't it?"

[NoTrammeling]

The matronly innkeeper pauses, drawing out the conversation and building dramatic tension for her answers. Clearly she is relishing the attention and gossip. "Not a proper priest of Lathander, begging your pardon miss. Something always seems to go wrong for them once they start poking about the old burnt-out temple. That Cyric-worshipping cow's gone missing as well, turned her back on the people when we've most need of her." She sniffs disapprovingly.

"Can't speak as to why now, p'raps its some living dwarf back to life who's unlocked the curse on us." She eyes Gimak suspiciously but that doesn't stop her from her gossip, "Sickness is as real as this bar." She thumps the wood to accentuate her words.

"Started some weeks back, folks thought a cold was going 'round but then comes the fever... and one night? One night you never wake up. Oh it's terrible alright, my friend Belladonna her husband's fallen to it poor girl. Now he just lies in bed, muttering and thrashing, looking paler every day!" Her eyes glimmer with excitement. "Tragic, really. Some have been put to the grave already."

Maria shivers next to Elianna, grabbing at her hand for support. Seraphina is nowhere to be seen.

Raina moves to a table alone, getting some hopeful glances from the sellswords and Zhents. Conversation is settling back to normal now that the curiosity of the new group is fading. The group next to her is a table of three sellswords, two humans and a burly orc, muttering angrily about their horses dying last night outside this very establishment. They're louder than they might otherwise have been, taking Olavia's distraction for a chance to vent their frustration. Apparently they were not the only ones to lose mounts, indeed all of the horses tied to the lines for the night were found dead in the morning.

[Jenara]

"That indeed sounds awful, utter hell." She says quietly, squeezing Maria's hand she looks intently at the Innkeeper. "We should be cautious while we are here then." Sipping on the Elderflower Wine she watches Raina for a moment.

She could merge in, disappear in the group.. but this was more important.

[HorizonsDream]

"Excuse me," Raina says, turning towards the sellswords. "I didn't meant to eavesdrop," she says with a pleasant smile. "But what is this about your horses dying?" she asks.

[Stik]

Traern returns to the taproom and makes his way toward the group's table, dropping into an unused chair as if unaccustomed to them. He sizes up the room as he sits quietly, not speaking, then stacks a few silver coins on the table and waits for Olavia to notice them, at which point he says simply: "Mead?"