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"We're looking for disappeared family!" several of the men pipe up at Vistra and Kortin.
"But you want to tell us all about your woes, we'll listen while we work." another adds with a hint of sarcasm.
It becomes quickly apparent that the men are preoccupied with their own task and they're not willing to stop and help anyone else.
You notice that aside from the shovels and picks they wield, several of the men are armed with an assortment of hacksaws, hatchets, cleavers and large knives.
"I understand. You think whatever you're doing is more important than helping children not die. Have fun sleeping at night."
Kortin moves back to where people are starting to gather and starts checking for injuries.
"Gah! Fine! Who in our group can see if they can save whoever that timber fell on? I'll round up that other kid" Vistra heads over to the suspicious man and child.
Cade quietly walks toward where the others are gathered, "I think those men are looking to do some grave robbing, or something they have more tools than just shovels."
[ooc]Shannaira has seen the 'extra tools' and will keep an eye on the men. She's not gathered with the others though, so won't have heard Cade telling them.
I wouldn't worry about food just yet. We've all got plenty, and I'm able to use a little of what nature gave me produce a small amount more. Not enough for all these folk though."
Shannaira will return to the boy. "So do you have any parents or family around I can take you to? Or any friends who might be just as hungry as you are? She talks a bit quiter now - "or any idea who any of those men doing the digging are, and what they might be looking for?
Kortin will continue to gather survivors and start treating the wounded.
Vistra walks over toward the suspicious man as he walks off with the child, away from the gathering crowd of survivors.
You notice the man has a machete and other sharp tools hanging off a leather belt, similar to the crew digging in the ground.
--
Meanwhile, Shannaira has noticed the other men are armed with the various sharp implements, and grills the young boy.
”I don’t know nothin’ about what they’re up to, mum! Seen ‘em around, but they looked scary enough that I stayed away from them. No good by the looks of it though. By the way, my name’s Wit Tamdoun. What’s yours? And have your really got more food with you? My folks are gone a while now, so it’s just me. But I get by! I’m real clever, see?”
He pulls out a small pouch that Shannaira recognizes as hers, containing most of her money.
”How about that? I can work for the lot of you! I’m quick with me hands, and know lots of tricks, and I can get in and out of tight spaces real easy. I’ll trade me skills for more food.”
”You look like you’re looking for something, heading up this way. Nobody comes around here unless they’re looking for something. And I can help you out! Whaddaya say?”
He’s now grinning ear to ear, trying to convince the druid of his usefulness the best he can.
--
The crowd of survivors grows increasingly chaotic as Kortin tries to clumsily tend to the injured, while Carric grows restless waiting.
As Cade joins them and shares his observations, he notices the digging me looking at him with increasing hostility as they keep at their work. They slowly start to disperse from the unwanted attention and make their way closer to the other strange man walking with the child.
At least two of the men split off from the group and try to do so discretely, heading toward a run-down building that’s on a dry section of land and looks abandoned.
--
A woman farther away has a spyglass and appears engrossed in a column of cloud rising up far upriver. A skinny child appears to be raiding her satchel.
--
Suddenly, from the crowd of survivors a shout rings out.
”THIEF! THIEF! THIS MAN STOLE MY PACK!”
This leads to rabble and more unrest amongst the crowd as others join in yelling ”THIEF! THIEF! LYNCH THE THIEF!”
A man who appears to be a sailor is getting cornered against a tree by the angry crowd as someone produces a length of rope.
"This is getting out of hand we need to take charge or get the children out of here."
"These men with the tools . . . I think they are up to something, profiteering if nothing else."
"I'll get the children and elderly safe. You all calm them down."
Kortin will gather up the elderly (including the body of the woman whose husband he had saved) and lead them away from what will surely be a fight.
"Will this ever stop being a ridiculous s$&$ show! Where's the law?
You there, you can't walk off with a random kid! And there'll be no lynching!
Vistra places her hand on her battleaxe, but resists the urge to draw it.
"Piss off and mind yer own business!" the man with the child grunts at Vistra as he picks up his pace. He puts his hand against the child's back to nudge him along faster.
The other men wandering away begin to slow down and flank Vistra, forming a human wall.
One of the now angry mob tosses their rope over a tree branch and another helps them thread a noose on one end.
Cade casts mage armor sensing things going out of control.
Cade steps forward and in his most commanding calls out, "Have you not seen enough death. Let the fool return the bag and all of you look to your own get yourself and your neighbors to safety."
On seeing her pouch, Shannaira laughs softly. Very clever. Hand it over and you've got a deal. ON ONE CONDITION: If me or any of my friends ever tell you to run, or hide, you do it. No questions. No sneaking back to us. Just run. We'll find you again. Deal?
Assuming he agrees, Shannaira tells him to go to Kortin. You must know some of these people. If you could help my friend there get them somewhere safe, and keep them calm, I'd be very grateful.
Shannaira spots the suspicious men wandering off and decides to follow them at a distance.
Shannaira looks over to the commotion about the lynching, but she trusts Vistra and Cade to keep a lid on that.
Carric stares at the man nudging the child along.
Carric stands with Vistra and draws an arrow to his longbow. He aims at the man with the child and shouts.
Take another step with that child, and I will skewer you from here. Prove to us that the child belongs to you and have this wall of meat back off before some of you start to die.
When Cade casts mage armor the crowd recoils at the sight of the magical shimmering across his body and they step back and grow quiet.
The accused sailor pipes up, “I didn’t take any bloody pack! It’s probably getting trampled in the mud!”
He raises his arms up and pats down his clothing to try and show he's not concealing anything. Most of the mob just looks at the ground and grumbles.
“He looked like he took it, he did!”
“Everything’s gone crazy! Maybe the Optical God is angry with us.”
“Shut up, Tic! You say that about everything!”
“Does this mean we're not gonna have a hangin'?”
“Help look for Throng's pack on the ground. That idiot always loses things.”
--
Wit stands at attention with a mock salute at the druid.
“Deal! I'm good at disappearin', you'll see!” He then turns and wanders to assist Kortin.
Shannaira then conceals herself to observe the two men who've broken off from their group. They make their way to the abandoned building, stop to look around when they reach the door, fumble with a padlock, then disappear inside.
She then female voice yell nearby and sees a woman in soldier's clothing surrounded by five mercenaries -- three men and two women, all armed with longswords. She brandishes her own sword at them.
“I will not give in to your demands! We need to unify to help the townsfolk in this disaster!”
One of the men replies, “It seems this town needs protection! And we're going to handle it now!”
--
Carric confronts the man with the child and draws his longbow on him.
In response to his threat, three of the other men step forward and draw weapons -- one a longsword, another a pair of hatchets and the third a machete .
“Stay back, elf! Bad enough they let you freaks around here, but you ain't gonna get in our business!” the man with the longsword snarls as he points his blade at the ranger. The remaining men step forward and draw an assortment of long and short swords, knives, hatchets and machetes.
Total 102 / 6 Avg ⇒ 17
Avg ⇒ 11
--
In the distance, atop the church, an old man wearing ceremonial garb and a mitre waves his arms from the roof and yells to anyone in earshot.
“I've lost the relic that can save us! I've disgraced myself in the eyes of the Optical God!”
--
There's noise from another crowd of survivors rushing at a ship banked farther up the river.
The crew draw swords and prepare to defend themselves against the advancing mob.
"I'll help you look."
Cade begins to help the crowd but his eyes are in the distance at the other growing confrontations. "Do you people have a place that you rally in a crisis. A town hall, a church, something still standing that you can gather for safety? Go there now. Shelter is first priority.
Cade then moves closer to Carric.
"...boys, you just made a complicated situation real simple, and that's something you'll live to regret...if you're lucky. Didn't your mommas ever tell you to do what the officer says?"
Vistra casts burning hands on as many of them as possible, without hitting the child.
Carric fires at the man with the child.
You were warned.
⇒ 7
⇒ 14
⇒ 7
⇒ 14
⇒ 14
⇒ 7
⇒ 14
⇒ 14
⇒ 7
⇒ 7
⇒ 7
Jets of magical flame shoot from Vistra's hands, causing several onlookers to gasp and scream, and several whispers of "Witchcraft!" and "Sorcery!"
Five of the men are immediately engulfed in flames and drop to the ground dead.
The remaining six duck the brunt of the flames but their clothes and gear ignite. Two of them run off to douse themselves in the flood water.
The air is thick and heavy with the semisweet metallic smell of charred flesh.
The man with the child tries to run during this chaos, but Carric's arrow finds its target, piercing the back of his head and lodging in his mouth. He instantly falls forward, dead. A large knife caked in dried blood falls from his clothes as he hits the ground.
The child screams in terror and runs off toward the now calmed lynch mob.
One of the remaining burned men screams loudly, "Kill the witch!" and hurls a hatchet at Vistra.
The hatchet widely misses her.
"Kill them all!" another shouts, drawing a machete and charging at Carric.
He puts his full weight into the charge and stumbles just shy of hitting the ranger.
Another of the men throws a dagger at Vistra.
The blade catches Vistra in the shoulder and goes in deep.
The last of the remaining men swings at Carric with his sword.
The pain of the magical fire throws off his aim and he also misses the Ranger.
Cade continues to move toward the battle. Stopping a short way out to cast a spell.
Cade moves throw a few motions and speaks the tips of his fingers glow and he runs his finger horizontally over his eyes which take on the same glow.
Kortin is continuing to manage the survivors.
Vistra's eyes sparkle with the light of battle. She pulls out the dagger and hexes the man who hit her before rushing him with her battleaxe.
"You should have run.
Carric fires at the man who swung at him.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Is this one dead?
If so, GM, please make it inactivd and remove from boards.