20 Eleasias, 1368: A Friend in Need

2:30pm
The company approaches the gates of Dagger Falls, a town which has become a walled fort. Sharpened timbers sunk into the earth and tethered with leather ties surround the town, and standing on platforms at the top of these walls are many soldiers.

Routunious nudges Elessaria and nods toward the soldiers. He says, "Notice the uniforms of the city guard...The yellow of the Zhentarim."

As they approach the gates they see a wanted poster tacked to the wall with a drawing of Randal Morn on it. The poster, in the common tongue, informs all who enter the town that "Anyone aiding or abetting this rebel will be executed."

A member of the guard at the gate holds up his hand and shouts down to the adventurers, "Hold!"

Routunious removes his hat and calls up to the soldier, "Yes?"

"State your business in Dagger Falls."

"We are...tourists," Routuionius responds.

"Don't you know that this town is under quarentine? Haven't you heard of the Sleeping Sickness?"

The companions act ignorant. Stago says, "No, Sir... what's that?"

"The sleeping sickness is a disease that is--"

Elessaria interrupts, "My friend here is a priest of Gond, and we are accompanying him on a pilgrimage to the major temples of the Dalelands. We understand that there was a temple to Lathander in this city."

"Not for years," the soldier calls down. Another steps up next to him and joins the conversation, "It burned down ages ago. They're trying to repair it, but when they do it will be a temple of Cyric."

Routunious tries to appear elated at the news, "Well, then! That is certainly something worth seeing!"

"Open the gates," the leader of the guard detail says, "but unless you have someone in the city who will sponsor you, you need to be outside the gates by sundown."

"Understood, officer! Understood! And my thanks!" Routunious effuses.

Inside the walls of Dagger Falls, they walk to ruined Temple of Lathander. Along the way they pass a couple of blocks of warehouses for the caravans that pass through the dale. The gate seems to open on what passes for a warehouse district.

Stago points, and shouts, "Tavern!"

Following his pointed finger, they note the presence of a very disreputable looking tavern, the shingle of which names it The Broken Dagger.

Elessaria prods the gnome forward, "After the temple."

The company walks another block, with the feel of the area improving. They pass a few shops and people going in and out of them. It isn't long before they are standing in front of the temple ruins. From where they are looking, they see the cellar stairs that have recently been excavated from under blackened timbers. Low stone walls stand on every side, but the temple's beautiful glass windows and fine sculptures have been destroyed. Half a dozen guardsmen are watching them from a distance, smoking pipes, playing cards, and only half alert.

Stago walks forward and gets too close.

"Back off!" yells a guard.

Stago asks, indignantly, "Says who?"

"Says me, says my friends here, and says Constable Tren," says the guard.

Where the guards were loafing before, now they are all touchy and very alert. Their jobs and possibly even their lives are on the line here.

Stago turns around and returns to his companions. Directly behind them, he now sees, is a townhouse into which a familiar young woman is entering.

He shouts, "Ada!"

The young woman stops, and turns toward him. All the company are now looking at her, and they realize that she is indeed Ada Janko, Alzador's apprentice from Bugtussle.

She shouts with a smile, "Stago! What are you doing here?"

This question brings concern to the face of all the members of the party and increased interest from the men guarding the temple ruins. Routunious says loud enough for the guards to hear, "My child, the street is no place to renew old aquaintences...if this is your home, perhaps you could invite us in?"

"It is my brother's home, but I am here assisting in his care...he has fallen victim to the sleeping sickness."

Routunious, shoving the girl forward with the party following him, says, "What a glorious God it is who has sent his humble servant to you in your time of need. Come, let me look upon your ill brother...what is his name?

"Costa," she says as they enter the house.

Inside she takes them to a room where a feverish man with an eyepatch and beard as red as the hair on his head tosses and turns in bed. Watching over him is the silent Dwarf with No Name. Ada sits in the empty chair next to him, and from a bucket with cool water she wipe her brother's brow with a wet cloth.

"Three nights ago I recieved word that my brother had fallen ill. At first it was just a fever and sweats...but with the sleeping sickness in Dagger Falls, he thought it prudent to send me a message when the symptoms first appeared. Alzador teleported my companion and myself here. After another two days, he fell into this fiful sleep and won't wake up. I brought several healing potions but they dont' seem to help very much. If I get him to swallow some, he comes around in a kind of daze and recites verses of poetry, then he falls back into sleeping again. Nothing we can do brings him fully awake."

Elessaria asks, "What has happened to other people who have fallen sick like this?"

Before Ada can answer, Stago also asks, "How many are sick?"

Ada replies, "About 190 victims have been claimed in Dagger Falls and nearby 11 farms, 60 of them from the garrison. Most victims have been asleep for several weeks, a few have disappeared, and several are dead. Everyone is puzzled by what is going on. We were going to look into finding the cause, but I've been too afraid to stop treating the symptons in my brother."

"Let me see what I can do for him," Routunious says, and begins making a healing potion and a poultice from herbs he carries with him.

4:00pm
When Routunious applies his healing proficiency to the young man, Costa awakens and recites: "When morning comes
to mourning we go, back to our master in
caverns below."

Stago shouts, "A clue!"

After the curious burst of poetry, Costa falls back into his fitful slumber.

Ada says, "You see? Nothing works for longer than a few moments."

Routunious turns and questions Ada, "We think that the temple might have something to do with this. What can you tell us about it?"

Ada pauses, to collect her thoughts, "Some things I know from growing up here with my brother, other things I know from what little investigations I've been able to conduct since I got here this trip. The temple burned down 8 years ago. It was a terrible fire. A dozen priests of the Morninglord were burnt in their beds. The ones who survived were persecuted and ridiculed by the Cyricists...mostly by Eragyn, the new High Priestes of the Dark Sun. She wanted them gone so that she could rebuild the temple and dedicate it to her own god. Two years ago, she got Tren to endorse the plan and they started excavating the foundations before reconstruction."

Elessaria asks, "Where is this Eragyn now? Perhaps we should question her."

Ada replise, "No one knows. Six months ago she disappeared. It could be that she was the first victim of the Dream Fever, or it could be that she is behind it."

Stago asks, "Are the ruins always guarded?"

"They weren't always. The excavations continued even after Eragyn disappeared. Not long ago, there was some kind of accident down there. I think they broke into a hidden room or something. Tren sent soldiers into the temple. They never came out, and rumor is they died. Since then, the work has stopped and nobody is allowed down in the ruins. There are always at least six guards on duty, day and night."

Elessaria asks, "How often do they change the guard?"

"Every 4 hours."

Routunious says, "It is getting late, and there is still much to discuss. We have to leave the town before sunset unless we have a local sponsor who will vouch for us. Would you be willing to let us spend the night?"

"Of course, it is good to have more help."

Ada shows them to another room where they can put down improvised beds. Once they have their sleeping area prepared, they come back down and continue their discussion.

6:00pm
Their conversation is interrupted by a loud banging on the door. Ada motions for her visitors to remain seated, and she goes to the door. When she opens it she is surprised to see a black orc with a shield and mace standing in front of two burly thugs. One of the thugs, the party recognizes as the man who was watching them from the door of the Teshford Arms.