"Oh, so it's master Dashki now is it, eh?" He glares at Nasir, "I told you I didn't see nothin, and that's that." he stabs his knife into the tree branch and levers himself up, using the crutch. "All this fuss because some fool got hisself all burnt up in his wagon. If'n you ask me it was just a matter of time. Danged fool was always burning candles and incense in there. Hell's bells we're way deep into Gnoll country here maybe it was a Pugwampi, damned things are cursed."
"I'm sorry, a what?" Sonja replies incredulously.
Shifting uncomfortably from his left to his right foot, Badharkan realizes that he is not much of a help here. True, Dashki was a prime suspect, but none of the clues were pointing to him, and after hearing his responses to Sonja, Badharkan was under the impression that he was not lying.
I could ask him of his gnoll hunting...probably he will not want to share his expertise with me, but you never know...let's try something else
While waiting for his comrades to finish conversing with Dashki, Badharkan rummages through his backpack, finally finding what he has sought. He takes out a small tin canteen, uncorks it and sharp smell of local made cactus brandy fills the air. He raises his small flask toasting all present and takes a sip from it. Wiping the tip of the flask with his left hand he proffers it to Dashki, still not speaking a word.
Dashki looks at Sonja, then cocks his head to one side "Pugwampis eh, you never heard of them? Vile little creatures from the Darklands themselves. When they first poked their heads up from down below they encountered a tribe of gnolls. They began to worship them as some sort of furry gods, although gnolls can't stand 'em.
Cursed, they are. Wherever a Pugwampi goes bad luck is sure to follow. Jackal rats they calls them, on account of their pointy heads and ears. They infest gnoll villages although the gnolls do their best to eradicate them, they always come back.
Yes, now that I think about it it was probably a Pugampi's curse that caused the fortune teller's candles to burn down his wagon."
"We should tell Almah this right away," Sonja replies. "Dashki, would a creature like this continue to follow the caravan? Can we track it? If these things are so cursed that they can cause someone's death, then we'll want to deal with it right away."
Hearing description of pugwampi, Badharkan tries to remember if he has encountered in the wilds, or even heard of that creature before.
Turok will nudge Badharkân with his elbow "Perhaps if this "accident" is the work of this...Pugwampi, is it? The little beastie may have left some tracks for us to follow."
Turok will then go over to the burnt out wagon and begin his search for tracks leading toward or away from the wagon.
Survival (track):
Taking in the gnoll expert's words, Badi says, "If what you say is true, then it would indeed be a plausible event. However, the creature you describe is truly strange and I have not heard of anything like it in my studies. I hope to cover all avenues of inquiry and suspicion. Until we can verify that this creature exists, please stay within the confines of the caravan and camp at all times."
Badharkân, you cannot recall ever hearing or reading anything about pugwampis.
Due to all the footprints of those, himself included, who put out the fire Turok cannot find any tracks around Eloais' wagon.
Dashki rises to his feet "Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?" he asks indignantly. "Almah may have appointed you to investigate this fire, but she didn't appoint you my keeper. I will go wherever I want, whenever I want." he glares at Badi, his hand stopping just short of drawing his blade as he seems to weigh the odds against him.
Not lifting a hand at Dashki's outburst, Badi simply replies, "I meant no offense. I simply want to make sure whatever it was that caused the fire doesn't repeat. Until we can verify your story, you are still the primary culprit. If we can find pugwumpi's about, and you didn't actually have anything to do with the fire, then you will have nothing to worry about."
"I believe you mean that he's the primary suspect Mr. Badi," Sonja quickly corrects. "And indeed, we mean no offense Mr. Dashki. We only want to ensure the continued safety of everyone in this caravan, including yourself. We would never do anything to harm you. Even if we suspected you in this incident, which in all ways appears to be an accident, we would not decide your fate. That is Lady Almah's job and forever will be. You have nothing to fear from us, sir."
"I do not see us getting anywhere with this. Shall we head back to Lady Almah and report what we got so far, or you want to try something more?" - ranger's voice was clearly showing his irritation with the situation.
"I heartily concur." Sonja replies, glad to have an end to the awkward silence. "Let us venture to Almah and inform her of these developments."
She sets off for Almah's tent, fully intending to announce these "Pugwampis" as the culprit, but only if Almah trusts Dashki's story.