At the sudden mention of nighttime companionship, Almah jolts in surprise, trying not to show on her face that she is shocked. She begins, "Erm-Apollo, that is your name, right? I'm sure that we will get to know one another better during this expedition, but I can't imagine what you're suggesting when-" and she is quickly interrupted by Garavel, who you hadn't noticed come up to the circle, but you swear wasn't being sneaky. His face is a picture of impassivity as he says "What My Lady means to say is that your request is improper. She is your employer, and you will act in a more professional way in the future."
Ha! I meant no offense by it, I can assure you. As for my intention, I'll talk no more of it, but know that all I meant by warm embrace...was a warming cuddle under the stars.
Apollo shrugs.
I was attempting to be romantic, but I guess it's not my strong point. I can tell you're a dignified woman and I can appreciate that. I just wished to express my interest as I live without regret, never knowing which day may be my last.
Apollo glances at Garavel and holds out his arm.
Apologies Garavel. If Almah is your woman, then speak now, otherwise... looking to Almah with a gentle smile, Apollo claims; I will protect you and those who travel with you, with my life. I have lost my entire family to Gnoll's, with my only companion being my little buddy Nom, beside me. I know how it feels to lose those you love and care for, and hold a great deal of compassion for those around me. Though I would be lying if I said I didn't wish for your affection within this lifetime.
Almah is clearly flustered by what you say, but Garavel continues to speak for her, "Am I Almah's-That you would suggest such a thing is ridiculous an..and improper! He seems to lose his trademark coolness for a moment, but then calms down and says I simply do not think it is conducive to a healthy work environment to have you making advances upon My Lady. I will not intrude on your conversation any further, however."
At the mention of your family and gnolls, and with Garavel gone, Almah leans forward in interest. "That's a tragedy, I am sorry. You will have to excuse me, I have work to do, and I'd imagine you do too. We will have to speak more later, however. I respect your convictions and you perhaps you will consent to telling me a story? That would be wonderful."
She strides away at the completion of the conversation to see to the rest of the camp.
Apollo smiles as the man refuses to lock arms with him, clearly embarrassed by his statement.
Farewell then, he says as Garavel takes leave.
Continuing conversation with Almah, Apollo responds to the lady with nothing but good intention.
You have no reason to apologise m'lady, and that I do. If I'm to find the nice and cheerful old couples prized Goat, I must leave now. It may not mean much to anyone else, but if it gives them joy, I'm happy to search for the animal.
Satisfied with the woman's last remarks, Apollo says his goodbye in response to her invitation.
As for joining you later, I'd love to share stories with you and will see you when I am done, but we both have things to do right now, so take care of yourself until then.
With that, as Almah turns around, Apollo walks off, jokingly dragging Keth by the arm.
Kori can't help but chuckle, quickly regaining her usual angry facade, "Lizard-friend, if what you called from Pain-lover is flirting, what do you call this?" She asks Apollo with barely contained humor.
I call this "speaking from the heart", he says with a cheeky laugh.
"Then I think you and your heart need to learn when it's a good time to listen instead of speaking."
Yea, yea. You should take note of your own advice, because both yours and Dmitri's feelings for one another are as clear as day. There's no sense in denying what your heart desires. You have a shot at happiness, so why not take it?
Apollo smiles, taps his chest where his heart is, and then walks away from the dark, Elven woman, pulling Keth along with him.
Keth stands up, shaking off Apollo's grip. Alright, alright, I'm coming, I'm coming.
Keth smiles and looks around a bit, following next to Apollo. So who's -did you say goat?- are we tracking, and why?
Apollo smirks as Keth shakes off his grip.
Funny story that. The woman gave her name. Hadrah, she said. Her husband or partner however, didn't. The Goat however, has a name. Rombard!
Apollo laughs a little.
The elderly couple seemed polite enough, so I stepped forward, offering my aid to find their beloved, long lost Goat. I found the tracks and they lead over here.
Apollo leads Nom and Keth forwards, following the tracks.
With the wagon fire burnt out, Sabeen watches Apollo's greeting / attempted courtship of Almah with some bemusement.
We can use Mr Shiny to find the goat, she says excitedly.
A few harsh words later and a small, roughly man shaped, figure of light appears, casting plenty of light on the trail.
Having finished her conversation with Apollo, Almah quickly gathers the members of the camp together. Everyone gathers, save Apollo and Keth and Almah paces in front of the assembly.
"Now, I know that it is late, and I know many of you must be tired. However, this fire shows a breach in the security of this camp, and I can't have that while we're on such an important mission. I need to find out what set that fire. Frankly, it could have been any of you, and considering that I need an investigation into the cause of the fire." She turns to Kori, Angmar, and Dmitri. "None of you were here when the fire began, and because of that are unlikely suspects as to the cause of the fire. Because of this, I deem you good, objective people to use as an investigative force. If you would please find out the cause of the fire, tonight, while the evidence is still fresh and the incident is fresh in everyone's mind, I would be grateful."
Almah crosses her arms and awaits a reply. The assembled members of the camp begin to mutter between themselves at having been brought under such suspicion.
Dmitri had been knealt down beside the burned woman at the time. Her bandages were apparent, and had he not been focused on her condition he would have paid the conversation just over his head more attention. He did, however, hear bits and pieces concerning him and Kori, as well as Apollo's rather... sudden interest in a woman he'd just met.
He heard Almah tell them to begin working towards the investigation, and he simply gave a laugh. He had been trying to get information from the woman in question for a while, but she simply wouldn't wake, despite Keth's healing.
He reached down and gave the woman a few quick nudges to the back of her head, attempting to wake her. He gave Apollo a moment to get out of hearing distance to reassure Kori.
Koritylija, the Drow are well-informed of darker deities, are they not? He asked, still attempting to gently wake Kallien.
Suddenly hearing a feminine voice, Apollo, noticing the small woman, raises an eyebrow.
That'll do it. Thanks for the light! says the man, with a smile on his face.
I'll invite this woman along as well. She seems friendly enough.
Looking towards the woman, Apollo speaks out to her. The name's Apollo. Nice to meet you! Would you mind accompanying us to find this Goat? It's good to have some friendly company!
At your urging, the mercenary known as Kallien slows stirs to wakefulness. "Uhh...Where am I?", she mutters. Her burns have mostly been healed by the combined efforts of the halfling cleric and Keth, but it's likely that she's still not completely lucid, having so recently gone through a near-death experience.
Underneath the blanket the halfling brought for her, she wiggles a bit, and brings up a hand to rub at her eyes.
Focusing more on Dmitri, and gaining further wakefulness, her eyes go wide and she quickly asks "Wh-who are you? Where is Almah?"
Kori just shrugs at Dmitri's question, "I guess, I never knew much about them. I was a third daughter."
She responds to the request to investigate almost in kind, "If thats what we need to do, fine. I'm better at breaking fingers than finding clues, but alright, fine."
Dmitri's smile could blot out the sun at his happiness that the woman was finally somewhat lucid. Before he questions her, however, he looks up to Kori with a bit of a grin.
Play your cards right and you might end up having to do one to do the other.
He returns to looking at Kallien.
You were pulled out of the wagon that burst into flames... One my allies and the Halfling healed you back up to standards after my attempts at stabilizing you.
This may be a bit to take in, but, we arrived just as that happened... Do you know what happened? Take your time. As he says the words he brushes a bit of hair out of his face and softens his tone, believing that her ears may still be ringing from the sudden explosion, prior. He then places his hand in a way that keeps the sun out of her eyes so she can get a better look at him and Kori. (Perhaps Angmar too, if he's not asking others.)
The woman on the ground takes a moment to compose herself, looking thoughtful as she attempts to remember.
She opens her mouth a few times to attempt beginning to speak, but seems to change her mind. When she finally begins to speak, it is halting and slow. "I...was in the wagon. I had asked the fortune-teller to tell me my fortune (Damn, I paid him in full, too...Gold's probably melted). Anyhow, alls I remember is a series of...very improbable things. Eloais reached for a card, knocked over a candle. Next thing I know the whole wagon's on fire and the world's going black. Thing is, Eloais wasn't a clumsy guy. I don't think that should have happened."
At that, Almah scoffs. "Trying to blame a mere accident on one of your far-fetched superstitions?", she says.
Angmar stands by the mercnary as Lady Almah makes acusations in her direction.
My Lady! Angmar addresses Almah respectfully. I looked into this and from what I can gather from the wagon her story rings true. As to superstition, ye never know there's many evil magics out there that can bewitch a man.
Dmitri thinks for a moment, ever inquisitive towards these types of situations. It isn't his first mystery as a result of his rather... crude career. The candle falling wouldn't cause an area like that to explode so violently, at the least it would take a moment to even begin a fire.
What was on that wagon?
Caravan Leader, Almah? What was in that wagon? A candle couldn't cause that size of transportation to explode so vividly. If nothing in particular was there, this could lean toward sabotage...
The idea of a traitor in the midst was... appealing. He hadn't tortured someone for inquisition in such a long time he almost drooled.
Almah turns to Angmar, scowl on her face. "Evil magics and bewitchment? Wizardry is one thing, but this is just plain superstition. Either it was an accident or someone set the fire, and right now I'm leaning towards the former."
At Dmitri's question, she ponders for a moment. "To be honest, he did keep an unholy amount of candles, lanterns, and oil in there. It probably wouldn't take long for the thing to go up, especially in this heat and sun." Perking up at the mention of oil, Kallien does mention "Oh, yes, that does remind me...The wagon went up so fast because the candle kind of...bounced right into a jar of oil. It fell off the table, and kinda...clattered around before coming to rest fire-first in the oil. Boom."
Curious. That seems very improbable.
"You think that was just unlucky?" a voice speaks up from near the back of the group. Dashki doesn't even need to shoulder his way through the crowd, as most people move aside for him anyway.
"Sounds like the work of pugwampis to me. Nasty little creatures, and misfortune sticks to them like a tanglefoot bag."
The tracks are fairly easy to follow with the extra light from 'Mr. Shiny' and Keth's occasional help. They lead quite a ways into the hills, however.
Making your way into a valley, errant sounds and sights constantly have you looking behind your back. Cracking twigs that you're sure are gnolls creeping up to ambush you turn out to be just small birds or rodents. Shadows that you're sure are someone lying in wait turn out to be just that...shadows.
Eventually, following the trail, you hear a short and frantic cry-not unlike the cry of a child-emerge from the darkness ahead.
The cry comes from the other side of a particularly thick copse of the cacti that you've seen along your walk. The cacti are coated in long and wickedly sharp barbs. As you draw close, a feeling you're having trouble placing settles onto your chest. Thinking about it, it feels like dread, but it most certainly isn't fearful.
Dmitri thinks for a moment on the idea of Pugwampi... he hated Pugwampi. He'd been informed of the gremlins prior to leaving... unsavory creatures that are more annoying than deadly.
Bu that was just it. The usual feeling of misfortune that came with them would have affected the lot of everyone, no? No, it wasn't as simple as Pugwampi. There'd have to be one nearby.
If it were Pugwampi, I believe that the recovering wouldn't have been as simple as it was. We wouldn't have been able to move the wagons effectively, or heal the wounded, yourself.
No, this is most certainly sabotage, even if it did just take a candle... but... Eloias is dead. Dare I ask, dear woman, what it is you were inquiring towards with the divination?
A lingering thought in Dmitri's head is that it could have been anyone, but the only one that makes sense is Kallien herself, as she's the only surviving person that was immediately in the fire...
Also, Caravan Leader Almah, if it were a Pugwampi, wouldn't that mean that one was recently nearby? I recall our caravan losing a goat, recently...
I guess this wasn't going to be easy! The goat's inside this thick growth of Cactus. I'd rather not go in, but a promise is a promise and I'm not going to let a tiny bush prevent me from my keeping my word!
Apollo moves into the thick of it, following the cries of the animal.
How the hell did the Goat get so deep within this patch of Cactus? I guess something spooked it.
Careful you two. I gave a feeling something bigger may have spooked this goat. Keep a watchful eye out! Apollo says, as you can hear the sharp pains of each thorn through Apollo's voice.
Dashki speaks up to respond to Dmitri, saying "The pugwampi would have had plenty of time to get away, what with all of the chaos with us trying to put it out and all..."
"Actually, says Kallien, I was just trying to get a glimpse of my future. Eloais had always said he could tell people that."
Upon reaching the heart of the bramble forest, there is a small clearing, perhaps 15 feet in radius, with a cliff face (leading into a 15-foot wide ravine) on the opposite end of the clearing. A large rock stands near the cliff face, with Rombard the goat tied to it with a length of thick, knotted twine. Rombard is nearly mad with fear, braying and struggling vainly against the rope in all directions.
Keeping his distance, cautiously trying to calm the animal, Apollo's initial reaction has no change on the animal's distress, but after calmly talking to Rombard, it seemed that Apollo had a hidden natural affinity with the animal.
Kori just stands and watches the conversation, mostly unconcerned about what is said. She is about to tell Almah that she can't ask them to investigate without bias, and then come and enter her bias on what the witness says. It's probably best that the red-dwarf said it first, though, she wouldn't have been as nice about it.
She does perk up, however, when she hears that some creature may be responsible. "So these, Pungrampis, they can be killed? Alright, where do we find them?"
Almah, looking between Kori and Dmitri, speaks up. "If our gnoll expert believes in a threat in gnoll lands, I think we ought to take him at his word. Though I have never heard of these 'pugwampis', if they dare to set fire to our caravan, and murder our men, I am very secure in giving you, indicating Kori, permission to kill as many as you might like."
At Kori's question on whether they can be killed, Dashki has input. "Of course they can be killed. They're tiny, pathetic jackal-headed creatures. Unluck follows them wherever they go, and they follow gnolls everywhere. Gnolls, of course, hate having the unluck everywhere they go, and so they kill pugwampis whenever they see one."
Kori nods with the kill command, one of very few orders she doesn't mind being given. She thinks about the the pungrampis for a bit, "So, if they spend more time with the gnolls, wouldn't it help us for them to cause problems for them a little longer?" She corrects soon after, "Not that I don't want to cut up the little bastards, just thought it would be fun if the gnolls suffered first."
While being attentive to the man's information on Pugwampi, Dmitri is still deep in though as to what caused the explosion in the wagon.
Has anyone inspected the wagon, despite it being a charred image of it's former self?
He rummages through the wagon, not finding anything relevant at all to the current situation save for dust and charred remains... He looks back at Kallien, who's still burned. It couldn't have been her because of her relativity to the explosion... but...
Dear Kallien, I did see to it that you survived the burning, so you may humor me with this, if you please. What, pray tell, did Elois say about your future...?
Keth looks around the cactusy area. Well i guess ill try to get through the rough way. I'm coming with you.
Keth stumbles through the sharp cactus forest. Several times, it looks as if he would avoid the painful brambles, but each time misfortune works against him. The first time, ducking under one particularly large thorn, a stray breeze presses another into his side. The second time, he manages to walk down a completely clear passage, but a 'branch' of the cactus gets caught on his scythe, and as he moves past and the scythe gets unstuck, the cactus branch snaps forward and pricks Keth on the back of the head. The third time, he takes an extremely careful step, but loses his balance mid-step and falls right into one. Keth emerges from the bramble forest on the other side to see Apollo attempting to calm the animal, soothing words and open body gestures at work.
Dashki replies to Kori while Dmitri and Kallien continue their conversation.
Dashki scoffs at that, and says "Not killing the pugwampis is hardly guaranteeing their interfering with gnollkind. As I mentioned, gnolls kill pugwampis whenever they can. They don't make it easy to pugwampis to skulk around them. No, I certainly cannot advise against killing pugwampis, especially if they helped to set that fire."
Kallien beams up at you. "Yes, you did, and I will be eternally grateful for that. Again, thank you.
About Eloais...I do not believe that he was done, and now that I really think about it...I'm not sure how much what he was saying really meant anything. He said something about great risk, and then something about great reward, and then BOOM. No more Eloais." Kallien offers a smile and a shrug. It was the kind of expression that conveys "what are ya gonna do?".
Great job Dashki. Just such a great job.
keth leaves the bramble with a very annoyed face and walks over to Apollo.That was really stupid.
as keth looks around...
he sees a goat and Apollo helping the goat and goes to assist him
Angmar has never heard of Pugwampi and does not believe this shady Dakshi fellow one bit.
So where can we find the Pugamuppis's to ask em if they set a fire?
Looking to Keth, Apollo grins. Nice of you to join me. Let's hope Nom and Sabeen remain safe the other side, while they wait for us.
Apollo has a few deep cuts across his face and unarmoured limbs, that can be seen as starting points for the blood that trickles downward. Though, he doesn't seem bothered by this.
Dmitri lightly chuckled at the shrug. This woman's blatant disregard for the burned man's life was amusing. He, in fact, didn't care about who killed him, but instead, who caused the injury of Kallian. Surely if he found out concretely who it was he'd make sure to savor every strike on their body he could land.
He licked his lips, eager for that kind of idea. That's when he decided that he couldn't really piece anything together with what he'd known. He had a hunch that foul play was at hand, but he couldn't figure it out.
Looking at the wagon again, he found that nothing in particular was going to jump out at him, so this time, carefully, he looked through the wreckage shortly after nodding and saying, [/b]Excuse me a moment, I need to check on something.[/b]
Also, Keth and Apollo, your Handle Animal, Perception, and Wild Empathy checks are also subject to the unluck of rolling twice and taking the lower result.
The pair slowly advance towards Rombard, who seems to be calmed down significantly by their gentle ministrations. Apollo and Keth reach the goat, and right as they reach towards it a screech sounds out from nearby.
A tiny creature leaps atop a nearby rock and shrieks in impotent rage at the pair of them. The tiny creature is clad in filthy rags, and looks as if an incredibly revolting lapdog had learned to walk on its hind legs. It is lightly furred, although a patch of the fur on its right ribs is missing. It carries a tiny bow, and nocks the bow to prepare to defend its prize.
Initiative:
Pugwampi 20
Apollo 12
Sabeen 10
Keth 7
The tiny creature dashes into the center of the clearing, nocks an arrow to its bow, and lets fly at Keth. The small arrow pierces his sandpapery skin, but weakly.
To Angmar, Dashki says "Honestly, these hills should be crawlin' with em. And the one that interfered couldn't have gotten that far. They've got pitiful little legs and it hasn't been very long."
Dmitri, inside the burned wagon, you find broken glass, melted wax, and the charred body of Eloais. His leg is caught on some of his furniture, somewhere where it doesn't really make sense for his leg to have been, between two pieces of furniture in a corner. His body, or what remains of it, is unmarred, so he wasn't killed by anything other than the fire, or perhaps the smoke.
You do discover something of note, however. In a corner, hidden underneath a dresser coated in melted candle wax, there is a small patch of seared fur stuck to a wall, and some frantic scratch marks on the floor beneath it, deepest at the point where the fur is, but you can see them leading out of the wagon, tracks that continue as long as there is wood for them to be on.
Seriously....
Apollo laughs at the ridiculously weak foe he faces.
Have it your way then. IT'S HAMMER TIME!, he says as he charges the dog like creature.
Not much left of it's head.....