"Brodert! Are you up there? If so get down and let's get out of here!
Fireplace, alright. I guess that makes sense, since it cant burn. But that must get hot.
Gotcha!
I looked down the hallway and saw an open door, seemed a good enough place to check. I walked down the hallway, and looked into the room.
Brinda shakes her head He probably can't hear us she says loudly over the roar of the inferno. She hands the scrolls over to Lysa for safe keeping and gives the rope a solid tug before climbing up it.
Brinda grasps the rope and pulls her hand away it's sticky with blood. Aware now why Bodert might not be answering she pulls herself into the shaft. It takes little more effort than standing in the tight confines of the chimney to get up into the extra dimensional space.
Brinda yells back down to Lysa He's hurt and unconscious! I'm going to pull him out. Get that blanket down, we may have to pull him out. Are you ready to catch?
Brinda takes another one of her scarves and secures the wound before she attempts to move him. Then, trying not to do further harm to the elderly man, she slides him back to the rope and the opening.
In the chimney? Down here? What are you talking about?
I am thoroughly confused. Why would someone be in a fireplace? How would they fit? How do you climb up?
Lysa nervously prepares to catch Brodert if Brinda pulls him down. "We need to hurry before this whole house collapses on us."
Panting from his run Blake hurriedly explains to Sabyl why he is there. "Bordart's...house...burning....Think....he's.....in...side." Blake bends over with his hands on his knees and takes in a deep breath of fresh air then coughs out dark smoke from his lungs. "I need water scrolls, like the one you sold me a few years back. The ones you have to protect the library from spilled lanterns and toppled candles. Brodart's house is ...consumed in flame. They went in, I think...to find him. Clarence and Lysa. Her friend...Briana, I think...from the Dragon. The new Shoanti....Nornan..I...must....help...won't....let...them.....burn." Blake is choking up and tears are welling up in his eyes. He rubs his sleave across his face. "Darned smoke. Can you help?"
Sabyl looks over at the nervous crowd, They'll just have to make do for themselves and returns her gaze to Blake. "Come on! I have more of those scrolls but they're for small fires not..." her voice trails off as she watches his face. "just come on"
Lysa nervously prepares to catch Brodert if Brinda pulls him down. "We need to hurry before this whole house collapses on us."
Brinda stops and thinks for a brief second Lysa, grab Clarence and get up here. Desna willing, this rope trick and chimney will withstand the collapse of the house. Hurry, I'll help Clarence up the rope from here.
Clarence looks back at Nornan in case the Shoanti couldn't hear the exchange over the fire's roar, "We're going into the fireplace--It's safer!" Under his breath he adds, "I hope", then quickly disappears into the fireplace. Once he is inside he takes Brodert's condition into account and begins muttering under his breath. A faint glow
surrounds Clarence's hands but Brodert doesn't seem to recover much. Clarence begins to cast again as the next person entered the gray lit space.
On the "ground" in front of Clarence lays Brodert his skin is ashen but he is breathing if shallowly. The wound on his arm has stained most of his night clothes red but between Brinda's scarf and Clarence's first round of healing he has seemed to have stopped bleeding.
The air in the extradimensional space smells flat but seems clear cool and breathable a wonderful change from the inferno below.
House of Blue Stones:
Sabyl moves quickly gathering a few supplies while Blake watches with growing impatience and worry. After what feels like an eternity she says "I have what I need. Let's go."
Going into the fireplace. I didnt understand. If he was worried about the house, I decided to make an exit. I turned, and quickly left through the front door. I rounded the corner of the house, trying to keep enough distance to avoid being hurt, but also be there in case they needed help getting out through the window.
Blake offers to help Sabyl carry the collection of supplies, then hurries back to the scene of the disaster.
"Well, this ought to be interesting." Lysa climbs up the rope and joins the others. She will also cast a clw upon Brodert was in there if he still appears in need of healing, if not just ignore the roll.
Moving quickly you cross the foyer as supports beging to scream and ultimately fail a hole yawns in front of you just as your about to reach the door, you can hear splintered wood clatter into the dimly illuminated basement. Vaulting the gap you find yourself in the cool night air the steady rain is just picking up momentum becoming a heavy downpour but likely not in time to save the house.
You cross the yard to the side of the house where the sheet flutters in the wind but there is no movement in the window.
Water sizzles on shrieking wood as Brodert's home buckles one last time and folds in on itself in an instant and impressive display of pyrotechnics. Shaken by the collapse of the house the chimney torques showering stones around you before a a large section of the top of it pounds down.
Brinda, Clarence and Lysa crowd around Brodert who is slowly recovering thanks to the much needed healing magic. As the elderly man sits up the sounds of destruction can be heard from below. The explosive cracking and whooshing of flames followed by the tumbling clatter of roof and floor could only mean the total collapse of Brodert Qink's home. You see through the window tumbling chimney stones as a portion the shaft collapses above you.
Bodert's is house gone but you and the old sage are safe. You can only hope that Nornan made it out.
Blake:
As you and Sabyl begin the run from the House of Blue Stones the god's favor Sandpoint with a shift in the weather. The light rain becomes a downpour. As you both come up the small rise that comes up on the back of tower street Sabyl slips. The usually sure footed aesthetic stops and points in mute horror as Brodert's home folds in on itself and collapses like a jostled house of cards.
There was a scattering of applause and cheers when the heavier rain began, but then there was the cracking sound of the Sage's house collapsing. The same structure where a few brave citizens tried to perform a search and rescue.
Hemlock stares for a moment in horror at the wreckage, I should have never let them in there he thinks.
"You two, with me!" The sheriff barks and the three quickly head towards the wreckage in a vain hope that someone might still be alive.
Brinda takes a peek down the exit hole while the others attend to Brodert's wounds, smiles broadly and says with no small amazement, Well, praise Desna. It would seem her luck has been with us. We have saved your friend, Clarence, and he has saved us.
I watched in horror as the house collapsed, knowing who was inside. They said they had gone into the fireplace, so I ran, trying to get there as quickly as I could. The bottom bit of it still stood, but the top had collapsed just after the house itself. The opening of the second floor fireplace was there, and I tried to see if anyone was in it. Didnt seem like it.
As Blake and Sabyl round the street corner, rushing towards Brodert's burning home the structure sways and drops. The rain starts to shower as if poured from buckets and Blake pushes on towards the horror of the crumbling structure. The cloud of smoke and debris blows past him forcing him to cough as often as the downpour forces him to wipe his brow to keep the water out of his eyes. Shaken, wet, and covered in soot and dust Blake cries out,
Nornan you can hear Blake's frantic cries as he approaches followed closely by an attractive woman with dusky skin. She is dressed in an outfit resembling a sari of sky blue except rather than being a long dress she wears a flowing ankle length divided skirt.
From the street side Nornan can also hear the sheriff arrive.
"Nornan!" Relief seems to fill Belor's deep voice when he see's you then as he sees that you are alone his gaze turns back to the wreckage and concern edges it's way back in. "Where are the others?"
Dont know. They mentioned going into the fireplace. I dont know what that means, but you can see the upstairs fireplace right there, and there's nothing there. I dont see them, err, in the house, either.
The sheriff listens to your words and looks back at the wreckage. His shoulders slump and he heaves a sigh of frustration. Pinching his nose Sheriff Hemlock shakes his head. "Such a waste."
Nornan and Hemlock look up as Blake Deverin runs up to join them near the wreckage of Brodert's home.
When he makes brief eye contact with Blake the sheriff says to himself"At least I won't have to tell the mayor another Deverin died in a fire."
Brodert finally seems to have regained some of his wits, "Clarence, what happened?" then he seems to remember something and he becomes excited, "I was right! wasn't I? The Old Light! It's a weapon! Or it was. I need my books, paper, I must record this!" The old sage slumps as he remembers the rest. A lifetime of research and centuries of collected lore...gone. The newly restored health and vitality seems to fade from Brodert's lined face a dimness enter's his eyes. "I'm tired," he declares softly "I should lay down."
With that Brodert lays back on the grey floor his fingers playing with the gold tassel ties of the bag on his belt as his eyes close.
Lysa looks over to where Brinda is peeking through the hole. "Does it look safe enough to climb back down yet?
Above:
The rope is still coiled in the ashes just a few feet below you. Beyond the fireplace opening it appears that Brodert's house has completely collapsed tearing away from the chimney. From up here you can't see much but embers, rain, and smokey sky. From below you can hear voices, faint with the sound of the rain and the dying fires.
Lysa looks over to where Brinda is peeking through the hole. "Does it look safe enough to climb back down yet?
It's hard to tell...I think the building collapsed. The only real way to tell is to try. Hold on and I'll take a look. Brinda shimmies down the hole and the rope cautiously.
Watching from below, there appears to be some movement in the ruins of the second story fireplace a rope slithers down among the remains of the kitchen. The high debris is sill hot but is being quenched by the heavy downpour so that the rope smokes faintly but doesn't burn. Above in the fireplace legs appear then Brinda carefully lowers herself out of the chimney.
When he sees the length of rope, and then the card reader start to appear in the fireplace Blake excitedly shouts, "Everyone look! Up there in the stonework...someone is moving. Get a ladder!"
The Sheriff looks at the young men who followed him over wonder in his eyes. "You heard him. Go find a ladder." the sheriff pauses as though considering something else, "Send down several buckets of water and some shovels, we'll clear some of this flagstone."
They came from inside the fireplace.
Jump down. Or climb. We're here. If you need help just let me know.
I hoped they were OK. Although to be honest, if they were somehow escaping from being inside the fireplace then I had a feeling they could take care of themselves.
The work proceeded quickly with Sabyl dousing patches of hot smoldering debris with magic in addition to the several buckets of water Hemlock's me carried over and the steady rain. Nornan, Blake and The sheriff all joined several of the guards in shoveling heavy debris across the remnants of Brodert's kitchen clearing a small space for the ladder.
It wasn't long before everyone was reunited safely on the ground.
"Brodert, You're the expert on this thing." Hemlock motions at the towering Old Light. "What in Desna's name happened? Good people, including yourself, almost died. One or two might yet. What I mean to say is: Can we expect something like this again?"
Brodert begins to answer, but Sabyl interupts, "Sheriff, I know you mean well but this is not the time to be interrogating Brodert. We can all resume this tomorrow in more comfortable surroundings in the meantime I'd like to make sure Brodert has a bed to sleep in and--"
Sabyl is cut off by the arrival of another guardsman. "Sir we've found a body." The sheriff looks downcast but unsurprised, more were bound to turn up in this mess.
The guard shakes his head, "Sir. We didn't find it here in the fires."
The sheriff exchanges looks with everyone and with the newly arrived guard. "Okay let's meet tomorrow at town hall we'll talk to the Mayor...I'd also like it if the rest of you would show up as well."
Belor waits for a moment before turning his attention to this other guard and the pair walk away. Belor asks in a hushed tone "Who was it?"
"Lonjiku Kaijitsu, Sir. Looks like he went over the cliff near the glassworks."
"Suicide?"
The rest of the conversation trails off
Lysa climbs down the rope after Brinda and helps to hold it steady for the two older gentlemen. After seeing those two down she turns to Nornan. "I'm glad you made it out of the house, though you look a bit hurt."
Making sure that Nornan is within range, Lysa channels healing energy for the group. "Well, that's a little better."
Lysa then turns around, trying to look all around and see what damage has been down by the fires.
Peering through the smoke and rain you can see all of the structures that had been burning are essentially beyond repair as Hemlock obviously spent priority efforts on keeping the fire from spreading and rescuing as many townsfolk as was possible.
Other than Brodert's the two worst damaged buildings are Gorvi's shack and the Locksmith's. It appears that since Lysa did her healing on the survivors outside the garrison building those folks have been moved--probably to the Cathedral.
Turning to Sabyl as the sheriff walks away, "Are there any more badly wounded who are need of healing?"
Clarence slowly climbs down the ladder that has been placed for him, his leg giving him only a little trouble. He's been quiet, shocked by the sudden devastation that has been caused. But now that things are finally over with, Clarence starts to recover. Brodert is okay, his friends and acquaintances are all okay, and it sounds as if there is only one death, though Clarence couldn't hear who it was.
Clarence murmurs his thanks to all those who have helped, especially Brinda and Lysa for entering a burning building with him to help someone they barely know. Clarence also thanks Nornan and pats him on the shoulder for doing everything he could to help as well.
Finally, Clarence walks over to Blake. "Blake, are you okay? You were really shaken back there. This must have been tough on you, but you did well. I'm proud you, my boy."
[ooc]Perception:
Brinda smiles at Lysa and Clarence Good job everyone.
She takes in the street and shakes her head sadly There is still a lot of work ahead of us though, it would seem.
It was hard work, but they eventually cleared the area enough to allow Brodert and his rescuers a safe place to climb down from the wreckage of his fireplace. Blake takes a moment to survey the ruins around, this was much worse than when the church burned, so many more buildings destroyed this time, but no lives were lost. Blake was thinking of Father Tobyn and his daughter Nualia who had perished in that fire so many years ago. Blake's thoughts of life and death are cut short when a guard arrives to summon the Sheriff away, someone had died..but who? Blake tried not to think about it instead focusing on his living friend. "Bordert, please come stay with me. I have room in my apartments at the brewery, you can stay in my Da's room."
Clarence walks over to Blake asking, "Blake, are you okay? You were really shaken back there. This must have been tough on you, but you did well. I'm proud you, my boy."
Blake looks at his old teacher and smiles, "Thank you, yes I will be okay..it's just fire and I are not good friends" Blake tries to chuckle away his awkwardness with a nervous laugh.
"I'm afraid I wouldn't know. Blake came to me while I was calming a panicked group of townsfolk. I've seen only about as much as you all I'm afraid. My guess is any folk in need of healing would have been taken to the cathedral."