Amelia looks around nervously when they mention a princess, but doesn't say anything.
The cleric responds to Raikdar.
"Before the fire started I was sitting by the fire reading. The guards joined me while they waited for dinner but they were being loud so I retired to my wagon. I passed Eloias's wagon but did not notice anything out of the ordinary. When I got to my wagon I saw Dashki standing over by the tree watching Almah's tent. I think the boy watches her a little too closely if you know what I mean. There is something feral about him. From what I hear he was raised by gnolls and is an expert on them. That is why Almah hired him. There are gnolls living where we are going and she wants all the advice she can get."
Looking at Hadrah as she speaks, Kol-Relden will ask her "Who is this Dashki? Is there any particular reason that you can think of as to why he is in the camp? Also, do you know where we could find them?"
Almah's bodyguard responds to Iraonar.
"There was not really much to tell. When the fire started I reported it to the princess and she went running off to stop it. We all followed to make sure she was safe. I know the caravan guards we around the fire waiting for Harod and Harah to finish fixing the mean. I saw the priest head for his wagon. Dashki was loitering around by the try. I think he was was trying to get a peek into Almah's tent. The boy is always lurking around and trying to come up with a reason to see her. We are always turning him away. When she wants his advice on the gnolls she will send for him."
Lysander nods, taking notes. Aside to Iraonar, he comments "Indubitably, we should speak with this Dashki." To the bodyguard, he stammers "Err.. excuse me but... if you were to make a conjecture, whom would you speculate to be the arsonist?"
Raikdar watches the cleric of Nethys as the man speaks, trying to guess if he is lying.
"Very well. I'll have a talk with him." Raikdar tells the cleric. Raikdar turns and walks toward the tree, keeping an eye out for the feral lad, Dashki.
The guard takes a few seconds to but all the big words together and says,
"I am not sure that there is an arsonist involved. The man was always burning candles and incense in that wagon. It was very cluttered with all the strange things he had packed inside. My guess is that it was just bad luck on his part."
Lysander considers thoughtfully. "Hmmm.... Perhaps if the wagon combusted in his sleep. Would he normally be sleeping at this time of day? Did anyone hear him crying out for help?"
"The caravan guards heard him."Iraonar points out. Then asks,"Where was Almah at the time of the incident?"
Seeing that Dashki is not currently around, Amelia will go and try to find him, first by asking if anyone has seen him, then by looking around the outside of the camp for tracks leading away.
Lysander whispers aside to Iraonar "I wish to establish any discrepancies in reports either due to logistics or dishonesty."
Raikdar is also looking for Dashki.
Dashki cannot be found in the camp.
You also find that Hahrod's favorite goat is missing. His name is Rombard and the camel drive would like you to keep an eye out for it.
Things settle down in the camp for the night and around 10pm you are summoned to Almah's tent.
Inside you find Almah sitting in her chair and in front of her is Dashki flanked by two of her guards.
She spots you walking in. "I hear that you have talked to everyone about the fire but Dashki. He seemed to have convinently disappeared. My guards found him skulking around my tent. I thought I would hold him here so you could question him."
Dashki responds, "I was not skulking. I was just checking to ensure that you were safe. With the fire today I thougth you might be in danger."
"So a lot of the speculation and eyewitnesses point to you as a reasonable suspect Dashki. Even if you aren't the arsonist, you should probably do everything you can to help us catch the real one, as given the current state of things, you'll likely continue to be blamed for everything bad that happens in the caravan."
"I would prefer the guilty party be dealt with, so that we may travel in safety. Please, tell us everything you know about the fire, so that we can get to the bottom of this."
Lysander nods gravely. Then he bluntly bursts out "And please provide an adequate justification for your inordinate interest in the lady Almah! Why would you deem her standard guards insufficient?"
Raikdar silently observes Dashki, trying to tell if the lad is lying or not.
Iraonar leans over and whispers venomously at Lysander,"Dude, He can't just say that as some dumb response to an interrogation! There's a whole pageantry and ritual to telling a woman how you feel about her! You can't make him rush it like this!"
He then turns to Dashki and his face turns quick as lightning from shocked exasperation to calm and casual friendliness."I'm sorry for my friends aggressive demeanors. It's been a long day, as I'm sure you can imagine. Honestly there isn't any more evidence of foul play then of an over abundance of bad luck. The perspective of one so vigilant would really help us out. So if I may ask what did you see leading up to and during the Incident this after noon?"
The undiplomatic alchemist manages to both roll his eyes in exasperation while also looking sorry and contrite. All this socializing makes him feel full of split emotions.
Dashki seems to nonverbally run through a whole gauntlet of emotions while being peppered with question.
He finally pulls himself up and addresses Iraonar, "I too have beeen investigating the cause of the fire. My dear friend Eloais was killed and I beleive the cause of the fire was bad luck. The kind of bad luck brought on by pugwampi."
Almha looks at him as says, "A what?"
"Pugwampi. They are small cousins to the gnolls and are reported to bring bad luck to anyone near them. I found several of their tracks outside the camp and was out trying to follow them. I also found goat tracks with them so I assume that they made off with on of Hahrod's animals. I followed them as far as I could but they crossed a rocky patch of ground and in the dark I could not find where they continued."
Lysander nods enthusiastically. "A fascinating possibility!"
"Thank you Dashki. I'm glad we found out what happened. I will go alert the guard right away so they can deal with this mater.",Iraonar says as if that will solve everything.
Raikdar thinks back, trying to remember if Pugwampi are magical in nature, and what he's ever read about them, if so.
"So you thought you would just lurk around Almah's tent, instead of telling anyone what you'd found?" Raikdar's gaze is stern as he looks at the young man. "You are not strengthening your credibility here."
Turning to Raikdar,"I was trying to get to my employer. I answer to no one in camp but her and that includes you." He then turns back to Almah.
"If you wish I can lead these people out to where I lost the trail. Maybe they can find out where it goes."
Almah replies, "Thank you Dashki. You are a true and trusted servant. Take the now so that we can put this matter to rest and be off in the morning." She then dismisses all of you and goes back into her private area of the tent.
"Yes, please lead us to the tracks of these pwmupi things."
Lysander turns to Iraonar "Perhaps that I'd an adequate and satisfactory solution for yourself but personally I would not miss the chance to observe these rare and interesting creature's!"
He turns to Amelia and Almah. "I heartily second the motion. Let us embark!!" The curious young fellow is positively trembling with interest.
"I agree. Let us be off soon, as we wish to be able to catch this beast."
"Digging yourself in deeper, and deeper." Raikdar tells the young fool. Or at least so Raikdar judges Dashki to be.
"If you wish to serve Almah, you need to work with the people who serve her. You have wasted precious time, trying to sneak into M' Lady's tent; when you could have just told one of her guards, and had this meeting with her much sooner." Raikdar's eyes flash with cold anger.
Iraonar starts giggling,"Considering the discussion this morning over breakfast, how is such distrust in the workplace would not status quo for you Raikdar?"
"Trust no one, and keep a dagger handy." Raikdar tells Iraonar. The tall northerner almost smiles, he's not annoyed with Iraonar.
"But without trust, how can there be true justice?" asked Amelia, passion clear in her voice as she grasps Raikdar's hand with both of hers.
"That's philosophy right?" Raikdar asks Amelia. "I haven't really had much opportunity to dwell on philosophical things. Weapon training to survive. The cards to pay my way. Those have been my interests." To Raikdar's mind his spells are weapons, so when he says weapon training he means: Also magic study.
as Iraonar heads to the door he says,"My point is made then Raikdar. You really have no need to make such a sour face at Dashki for adhering to your own apparently un-dwelt on philosophy."
He then addresses the group with warm cheer,"And now that we're all friends again we really should be off to catch those nasty goat wranglers!"
Lysander raises an eyebrow at the odd interaction. "Hooray." He then checks his pack and stands at the exit of the tent, ready to go.
Without a word, Dashki turns and head out of the tent. He stops only to grab a torch as he marches off into the moonless desert.
About a hundred yards outside of camp and holds his torch near the ground. "This is the spot where I first found that tracks." You see a pair of paw prints from what looks like a small dog. The strange thing is that this dog walks on two legs.
You follow the tracks and he points out several spots where the other tracks cross the ones you are following. The tracks lead to a spot of rocky ground. "This is as far as I was able to follow the Pugwampi."
Lysander examines the ground and picks out a few clues. "I am not proficient in such matters but I believe we could follow these tracks if one of you were to supply the primary expertise."
Kol-Relden will crouch down to the ground, examining the rocky area for any small tell-tale traces that would show that something came through here recently. Any small tufts of fur, tiny nicks on the rock, or even any particularly unique odors all catch his attention.
As they left the camp, Kol-Relden will have made a slight detour over to their tent area in order to bring along Nippy. He will currently have Nippy stand slightly back, not wanting the small crocodile to disturb any of the tracks around the area.
Raikdar stands back, he's not a tracker, but he knows enough to not stomp through where others are looking for prints.
The magus does look around taking in the lay of the land as best he can in the light of a torch.
Amelia moves down the trail, not really bothering to try and track. It was not her area of expertise, and the just thing to do would be to allow every member of her team the time to shine.
Murmuring a few words in an ancient tongue, Kol-Relden will cause his scimitar to glow with a steady bluish-green light.
Seeing the light from the scimitar Iraonar asks Dashki,"Will Pugwampi investigate that light or run from it?"
As he listens to Dashkis response he pulls out his harp to play a song of light. When he does so he notices anew the tattoo on his arm and taps it to see how far the darkvision goes.
Kol-Relden sees many tracks on the rocky ground. It seems to have been a meeting place for several of the creatures.
As the group discussed their options a cry not unlike a human child comes out of the darkness to the north.
Dashki responds to Iraonar with a shrug.
"I conclude with reasonable certainty that that is a missing unit of livestock for which we have been searching. I move that we pursue this information post haste."
Lysander creeps off to the north to try to get a better view.
Iraonar bolts after the sound.
"Quick we've got to save it."