1351 Campaign - Act 1: Warlock's Crypt and the Plague in BG

[DM Nephilim]

With the spread of the disease to the Palace and East district, healing supplies and cures are rapidly becoming hard to find. Those who have them, are hording and charging incredibly high prices. Those who can afford it, mainly in the palace district, are stockpiling and hording what they can get their hands on.

Stockpiles that have been brought to the temples and places of healing in the city are rapidly depleted, and more and more of the available healers are falling to the disease due to exhaustion and just being over worked.

[=Thunderbolt=]

Returning from the northern hamlet of Kheldrivver, Roric finally reaches the farmlands of Baldur's Gate. Due to high activity of the Flaming Fist at the gate he asks around and hears gossip about spreading of the plague across the whole city. He frowns and decides to continue south after a short moment of rest on the outskirts.

[PiaMango]

As Sveta took step from the Helm and Cloak on the conclusion of the Foreign Exchange Committee she paused, spending a moment appreciating the apricity as she collected her thoughts. To protect the weak, the injured, the young, and not spare them for others. By her oaths she could no longer stand in inaction as the Fist remained unresponsive to her plan.

A fervor rises seeping a hint of redness into her cheeks as she oversees the loading of carts with dry timber, perhaps suggesting the Watchknight might be planning to construct something. The carts are covered with blankets and stored alongside the temple of the Guardian in the palace districts. Within the temple she reclines within the temple, not shortly after messenger boys were seen departing from the temple, the first to the Pathfinder's Hall where a letter of credit is obtained, signed off by Endelyon of the Sword Coast Commercial Exchange before returning to the temple of Helm where a mounted courier departs northward holding in conjuncture with the letter of credit the following note intended for the Temple of Helm in Waterdeep.

Step Father,

I do hope the new of the outbreak in disease has traveled north. Provisions run direly low, I entrust in you to oversee that what supplies can make south with the letter of credit brought with this note.

I sincerely wish I had more time to write of how I have been. I promise after the resolve of this disease I will. Send Mother and Elliot my love.

Your Daughter,
Sveta Asperan

The second missive to the reception of the reception of the Duchal Palace.

Grand Dukes of Baldur's Gate,

As a servant of the Great Guardian I urgently plead of your graces to outreach to the allies of Baldur's Gate for aid. The Lord's Alliance was formed to oppose the corrupting influence of the Zhentarim and other foul orders who spread taint. We face today a taint in its callous form.

Supplies run thin, those pious have already scoured the townships neighboring Baldur's Gate near dry of any medical materials. Sustainable sources of such supplies is necessary to combat this disease. I implore the Grand Dukes to beseech the fellow members of the Lords Alliance to provide what I plead for. As prominent trade partners and common holders of humanity seeing Baldur's Gate population be decimated by this disease would be in the least of Lord's Alliance interest.

With cargo ships unloading at Ulgoths Beard to circumvent the blockade will also lower the risk of harbouring the disease, any cargoships transported should then be held in limbo in the sea with proper provisions to combat the disease should it strike the ship for a tenday before returning to home port. The disease would show its signs upon the crew within that period should it have been contracted. The disease is curable, it is the strain on supplies and restraining its rate of spread which are crippling our efforts.

I am to lead a force into the docks to tackle the latter issue, my correspondence to the Fist has been without reply. I wish to know whether I should be informing my volunteers if they will be allowed passage back through the quarantine once we cross it.

Helm's Guidance,
Sveta Asperan

The messenger boy's feet surbate as in conclusion of Sveta's barked orders her pins two notices, one upon the board in the Eastern District, the second within the Temple of Ilmater.

A call for aid of able hands

Volunteers are needed for an intrusion into the docks in attempts to suppress the spread of the disease. Those able to administer to the diseased, and those with able strength to move large weights and ensure peace is maintain are necessary for any success to be wrought.

You will be subject to conditions where you will be in contact with those inflicted with the disease, and where humanity is faced with depravity. Provisions will be ensured that volunteers do not fall victim to the disease. I ask only of those of the strong gutted, faltering in commands will undermined any success.

We gather at the Temple of Ilmater hour 21:30 on the 28th of Hammer. It is requested that volunteers dress in nothing heavier than leathers. Manual labour will be expected, and it is not war we bring to the docks.

Sveta Asperan


Finally a wagon is sent east along the Chointhar towards Elturel

(( 21:30 GMT Wednesday the 28th of January if you wish to help out. 35k To be removed from Sveta's inventory, 30k in the letter of credit, 5k with the wagon headed to Elturel ))

[DM Pun Pun]

A commotion stirred in the East Gate District of Baldur's Gate today as there was a grisly sight in the bushes. A limb, perhaps a whole body was sighted by the Flaming Fist. After much discussion, they wrap the remains up and carry it away. Rumors spread that it was a murder victim; others that it was a plague victim. The only thing known for sure is that the Flaming Fist seemed very concerned over the matter.

[SeedsOfDoubt]

*As Nai was going with Rai to the dress shop to shop for a dress like Rai's, being that Mendel paid her to do it, she noticed the over abundance of cats in the strange city of Baldur's Gate. Remembering they spoke about it at the Elder Circle meeting, she stopped to ask the cats about the plague sickness going around in the City.*

Hidden: show

[Touri]

A commotion stirred in the East Gate District of Baldur's Gate today as there was a grisly sight in the bushes. A limb, perhaps a whole body was sighted by the Flaming Fist. After much discussion, they wrap the remains up and carry it away. Rumors spread that it was a murder victim; others that it was a plague victim. The only thing known for sure is that the Flaming Fist seemed very concerned over the matter.

After Vendor Xon, the High Ranger of the Elder Circle, left the town of Baldurs Gate he cleaned himself with some water. He also cooked one of the special teas (with Godsherb) his mom teached him. The wise herb woman told him to do so just to get sure to not become sick. So he drank the tea....and to get sure he also used one of his potions of cure disease. He now was sure the sickness had spread to the East Gate District. It would only be a matter of time until all districts are infested. "Hopefully", he thought ,"we find a way to stop it soon"....so he continued his way down the road. "It is time to inform the Circle and gather the rangers"

[kleomenes]

A call for aid of able hands

Volunteers are needed for an intrusion into the docks in attempts to suppress the spread of the disease. Those able to administer to the diseased, and those with able strength to move large weights and ensure peace is maintain are necessary for any success to be wrought.

You will be subject to conditions where you will be in contact with those inflicted with the disease, and where humanity is faced with depravity. Provisions will be ensured that volunteers do not fall victim to the disease. I ask only of those of the strong gutted, faltering in commands will undermined any success.

We gather at the Temple of Ilmater hour 21:30 on the 28th of Hammer. It is requested that volunteers dress in nothing heavier than leathers. Manual labour will be expected, and it is not war we bring to the docks.

Sveta Asperan



(( 21:30 GMT Wednesday the 28th of January if you wish to help out. ))

Rumours abound that another attempt to aid the sick in the docks is planned for tonight.

(( Unforseen circumstances mean the event is moved to tonight! 21:30 GMT Thursday the 29th of January if you wish to help out. ))

[XyrisMourn]

* a number of figures are seen moving around the Docks District shortly after the posters are placed, speaking with Dock district residents, both plagued and healthy.

They seem better fed, perhaps more muscled, or more lithe on their feet than the ususal Dock rabble. They are seen talking to groups of residents and the conversations are quite animated.

In many cases, they appear to be holding a poster, or similar and using it to illustrate their conversations.

The words "depravity" and "war" are heard as often as any others...*

[DM Boo]

Citizens from all over the city hearing of the outbreak into the other districts started raiding food stores, stocking up on essential provisions. The food merchants from the East Gate district and Jorn's stall outside the Gate quickly run out of the supplies necessary to fill the demand. Some civilians started looting the merchant's stalls until the mob was broken up by adventurers and the Fist. Most of the rowdy mob followed an individual claiming to have food stores while others from the Church of Lathander went hunting.

Later on, the same adventurers were seen returning with parcels of meat distributed among themselves, which they promptly delivered to the Shrine of Ilmater.

[Carski]

The by-now-somewhat-known-because-he-has-been-walking-the-districts-of-Baldur's-Gate-for-weeks Bard of the Undulating Beat of the Water Queen...[breath...]...again walks the districts of the Gate, relentlessly drumming a rhythm into the minds of those with open ears, with a body that vibrates from the bass that crashes against then like a wave.

He drums, and while walking, calls out, repeatedly: "Pay tribute to the Water Queen...to bring a storm of cleansing to this city...pay tribute to the Water Queen...before it is too late...."

In his well worn and often repeated path, no edifice is spared: the Elfsong open plaza, the Wide, the Merchant's League building, even his drumming can be heard near the Duchal Palace itself.

And yet...the bodies pile higher...and a wall of Flaming Fist now stands protectively outside the Duchal Palace...and the harbor port remains closed...

And at moments, the Bard can be seen grinning, as he continues upon his course...as does the City.

[DM Theophanies]

Dusk crept over Baldur's Gate as Selûne made it's long journey through the sky. Yet another day had passed in the city. Conditions in the docks seemed to be improving. The quarantine was working and in effect, isolating the disease ridden lower class. The efforts of both individuals and the various temples within the Gate to bring healing and comfort to those afflicted was working as they moved their way through the District.

Sighs of relief within the temples to Umberlee and Ilmater especially could be heard as the abundance of supplies when the coughing sickness was first detected was starting to wear thin. From within the temple of Umberlee, the sick and recovering alike are often comforted by the lullaby of a young mother to her son echoing hauntingly through the temple:

Hush, child
The darkness will rise from the deep
And carry you down into sleep
Child, the darkness will rise from the deep
And carry you down into sleep

Unfortunately in the East Gate and Palace Districts, reports started to circulate of outbreaks and instances where whole families perishing in their houses from the coughing sickness. Panic continue to penetrate into the minds and emotions of the citizens as both healing supplies and available food both grow thin to nil. It has been weeks since steady caravans made their way to Baldur's Gate. The fields surrounding Baldur's Gate are picked clean and go unworked.

The presence of the Flaming Fist increases significantly in the Palace District in attempt to keep order and protect the nobility and wealthy alike. Their presence around the Palace itself is increased heavily with no visitors permitted entry.

In close proximity to the palace from time to time, though for not any significant length of time due to the heavy Fist presence, a few protesters can be spotted. They vocalize their dismay with the Dukes, how they handled the plague and that the Dukes care not for the common folk of Baldur's Gate.

---

///I was away for the majority of last week so if anything fell through the cracks please feel free to PM again.

[Layla0340]

((((OOC Any news on when the adventure in the north will resume?

[DM Theophanies]

/// This Saturday starting at 16:00 GMT I will be online to run a series of smaller events and expeditions out of Kheldrivver. The village will be prepped so you will be able to go and RP there as well. This will be an open style event though we'll be breaking into smaller groups (6 or so PC's).

[Morphix90]

Yesterday the monk Mogrant left the Temple for several hours. He has been seen carring a small bag maybe filled with a hand full of coins.

After several hours he returned to Baldurs Gate. His ragged clothing seem to be a bit more ragged than before and at his clothes is also some dirt at some places the shape of handprints like he was invoved in some brawl. Sweaty and obviously exerted from running he arrived at the temple of Ilmater.

He brings a bag full of healing supplys to the Ilmatari and also:
-a small amount of food: Bread, apples, strawberrys.
-several different medicines and analgesics made out of herbs (appearently they do not reach the quality of a druids medicine but nevertheless will help a little)
-Some potions of cure disease which he carefully took out of his back with a huge smile.

He also forwarded a donation of 250 gold pieces to the temple which was made to him on his way. He states that it was given to him from a tall man in red clothes with a tattood head who gave it to him as a charity from Thayan Enclave.

[Tsidkenu]

A blue-robed woman may have been seen leaving the the city through the Eastern Gate and heading for the Order of the Radiant Heart Chapter House, where she had a lengthy conversation with one of the resident paladins about the planned excursion out of Kheldrivver to the so-called Warlock's Crypt.

She is then seen re-entering the city and making her way to the Temple of Mystra where she begins to make various preparations for another journey to the north. In this regard she may have been seen purchasing several pounds' worth of high-quality incense from Halbazzer Drin in Sorcerous Sundries as well as four long strips of ivory.

She is not seen leaving the Temple for the remainder of the day.