"We shall visit Doeswen as soon as possible, sir," says Damian. "I am still concerned about treachery and peril for Vigil, but I trust that with our warnings folks will be cautious and vig- watchful." He looks Ranton in the face. "How far is this way station? A few hours or a few days? Just so that we know what provisions we need to take with us."
Ranton nods approvingly at Damian's resolve and the party's readiness to act swiftly. "The Northgate Road way station is not far from Vigil, a few hours' journey by horseback," he explains, his tone reflecting the urgency of the mission. "The roads are well-patrolled, and you should encounter no significant obstacles on your way. However, considering the nature of your quest and the enemies you face, vigilance is paramount."
He stands, leaning slightly on his cane, and points in the general direction they must take. "The way station lies to the northeast, through the Verdant Pass. It's nestled in the canyons, as you said, Damian, serving both as a lookout post against threats from the Belkzen Hold and as a sanctuary for travelers. Doeswen will be there, overseeing its operations."
Ranton's eyes meet Damian's, an unspoken understanding passing between them regarding the gravity of their situation. "I recommend you take enough provisions for a day's journey, just to be on the safe side. While the distance may not be great, the importance of your mission cannot be overstated. Should you require them, I can provide horses to expedite your travel."
He pauses for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the party. "Your warning about the potential for treachery is well-founded. The Whispering Way is cunning and dangerous. Inform Doeswen of everything you've told me; her insight could prove invaluable. And when you return, we'll discuss our next steps based on what you've learned."
"Be safe, and may the light guide you," he adds in closing.
Lola thanks Renton graciously, only adding at the end - ”look - if you think turning yourself in will help anyone, sure, do so - but it would be best if you used your clout to help cut off access to the whispering way as much as you can, first. Try to convince the other leaders of the danger, and we’ll use our weapons and magic to try and find Doeswen.”
She looks at the others, ”let’s rent some horses for the trip - the day grows short. Come.” She moves purposely to try and facilitate such for herself and the others.
"Could you perhaps provide a pony, Sir Ranton? Otherwise, I am willing to ride double with another of our group."
Coral's people did not hold with the tradition that some halfling clans had of riding dogs or wolves. Even a large dog's back would suffer from the weight of a rider; although halflings were small, they still bore arms and armor. Ponies were much sturdier mounts, and more in keeping with Lastwall's cavalry traditions.
"My eyes are keen and I will be as vigilant as I can."
Ranton is happy to arrange the transportation of horses and ponies. He has his scribe scribble a note and give you directions to a location where you are afforded the transportation and set off to the watchstation.
---
Many fortified way stations guard the highways and waterways of Lastwall, beacons of civilization that bring order to the wilderness. The Northgate Road way station is one such station that is situated at a natural choke point within a series of winding canyons. The station consists of a watch tower constructed atop a bluff and a fortified wall built across the road. The wall includes a large gate with a lowered portcullis, where guards question travelers.
The imposing brick wall 30 feet tall blocks passage through this canyon. Three corpses hang from ropes tied to the wall’s crenellations, twisting slowly and staining the wall a gruesome red. Beneath the dangling corpses, a portcullis gate 20 feet high and 15 feet wide stands closed. A whitewashed stone building looms on a bluff to the east.
Kendren frowned at the hanging corpses. He'd never approved of displaying corpses like that - it was unnecessary, in his mind. As he looked at the corpses on their approach, he noticed a few things. First, the one in the middle was still alive, based on the way his legs feebly kicked - he probably had about ten minutes to live. Second, he was wearing the uniform of a guard. And finally, why would the corpses be displayed on the side of the waypoint facing the city? "We need to move. Those corpses look like guards, so unless they've committed some crime, something may have happened in the waypoint. Regardless, the middle one is still alive. We only have about ten minutes to save him. Let's move!"
Kendren rides up to the gate.
You move towards the gate to take a closer look at how to proceed.
Beyond, you can see the scorched ruins of a building and a wall still smoldering to the north of the gate. Only charred wood and blackened foundation posts remain. To the east, a stone staircase ascends to a steep ramp up to a whitewashed stone building above the high wall between the cliffs.
"The waypoint's been attacked! Help me get the gate up!"
Kendren moves to lift the portcullis.
Coral is at a disadvantage given her size, but she is still fairly strong as halflings go. She dismounts, runs up beside Kendren, and does her best.
Larger and smaller creatures get size bonuses and size penalties on Strength checks to break open doors as follows:
Fine –16, Diminutive –12, Tiny –8, Small –4, Large +4, Huge +8, Gargantuan +12, Colossal +16.
Coral succeeds, providing just enough additional force for him to raise the portcullis.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Dismay is clear on Damian's face as he pieces together what happened even before Kendren calls out. They were too late. The outpost had already been attacked.
But... not entirely too late. Looking up at the still-living guard, Damian establishes a connection between himself and the man, willing himself to take the harm that the strangling rope was causing the poor soul.
"We're here to help! Don't give in!"
'Hang in there' would be in terribly poor taste, so Damian doesn't say that.
While Damian helps bestow some temporary healing to keep the guard alive, Kendren displays amazing strength as he lifts the portcullis almost high enough to slip through. Coral joins in and throws her back into it and helps give the extra oomph that creates the room they need to move through. Once on the other side, they hurry to the east, up a set of steps, and down a corridor into the way station office.
A shattered double door leading north hangs open, revealing a room illuminated by a faint glow from a neglected fireplace. An overturned desk stands among a sea of paper, splintered wood, and some slick substance covering the stone floor. A damaged armoire stands against the west wall, its clothes heaped nearby. A narrow wooden door leads east. You take note that you should probably return to this area to search for it later, but for now, time is of the essence.
The goo covering the floor here is exceptionally slippery as you find out when you put your foot on it. One false step will likely see you falling backward into the muck.
"Damian, could I have your rope? We'll tie one end off here. I will get across and tie one end on to something on the other side, like a sconce or a door hinge. Then those of you in heavy armor can have a sort of handrail.
But I'd rather not go alone in case trouble awaits. Lola, do you think you could get across?"
Assuming the others comply, Coral will make her way across the muck.
Lola nods, ”Sí, listen to the sound of my voice as we go. It will help you focus.”
Lola keeps her longspear out, and her eyes keen as she goes, watching for the inevitable ambush.
When they reached the Waypoint and saw what had happened Feena gasped in shock. This was not expected, nothing on this scale, but that they had someone alive still was a good thing, she only hoped they could get to him in time. The portcullis was lifted, luckily without her help as she was not really up to the task even with her lost strength restored, and she had not the balance to make it through the slippery stretch.
Instead of trying to go across Feena stayed with Damian in order to help protect him if anyone tried to attack them. "If you feel he is going tell me, I should be able to reach him and use fire to heal him from here."
Coral and Lola make it across and quickly string up a guide to allow the paladin to make it safely across without sprawling on the slippery floor.
Once all three are through, the group hurries upward and finds a functional sleeping room that includes a bed covered in wool blankets, an armor stand holding a suit of polished full-plate armor, a footlocker, and a cold fireplace. Thick curtains tied off with leather cords hang above the entrance to a privy and stairs that descend to the east.
As they enter the room, they quickly discover they are not alone. Two figures are here: a grim, dark-haired woman wearing a red cloak adorned with crow feathers and a burly, battle-scarred orc with an oversized jaw and dead white eyes.
The orc stands in front and the red-cloaked female in the distance behind him. She shouts "Dispose of them! Quickly!" and
The red-cloaked woman summons a burst of negative energy over the party! .
Kendren braced himself against the woman’s blast, easily ignoring the damage.
Glaring at them, the Paladin suddenly began glowing with holy light as he said, ”For the crime of your attack upon this fortress, I will see you punished. May you find Sarenrae’s mercy in your deaths.”
Hefting his shield, he braced himself for the Orc’s inevitable charge, stepping to the side to clear Coral’s attack route, as well.
Coral resists the negative energy and is uninjured.
Able to react in the blink of an eye she prepares to defend her allies.
So +4 AC to adjacent allies for the first 6 attacks.
The red-cloaked woman blinks at the party's natural defenses against her magic, drawing in a quick breath as she plans her next move.
The pallid orc-like creature before the party exudes an aura of death; its scarred and burned flesh is testimony to the countless battles it survived. Its elongated, talon-like nails and razor tusks, which jut menacingly from its lower lip, underscore the lethal danger it poses. Its hate-filled eyes lock on to Kendren, and he moves to engage the paladin
With a rush driven by its monstrous nature, the creature charges fueled by raw, untamed ferocity. Kendren, poised with shield in hand, meets the charge head-on. The clash of the falchion against Kendren's shield resounds through the air. The deadly weapon is turned aside, leaving the creature snarling with frustration as it gears up for another assault.
Lola sharply intakes some breath, and surveys the battlefield, trying to figure out what's going on as the negative energy batters her.
More than anyone, Lola seems completely unphased by the cleric's evil energy, and she stares at the woman, "I think, senora, that you have started something which you may find it hard to finish to your satisfaction..." and she hums a few bars of an inspiring, toe-tapping melody.
Coral steps up and stabs the orc. If it is threatened by both Kendren (in melee with it) and Lola (10' away with her spear) then Coral takes advantage of the distraction to land a telling blow .
Applying Debilitating Injury (Disoriented). "The target takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls. In addition, the target takes an additional –2 penalty on all attack rolls it makes against the rogue."
Her AC is 27, but the orc will have a -4 to hit her if her Sneak Attack landed.
However, Lola also knows the grim side of their existence. The lifeleecher's ability to drain life energy and transform its victims into temporary wights is a source of deep superstition and fear among orcs. Despite their strength and status, these mortics are often viewed with suspicion, their existence intertwined with whispers of undeath and demonic possession. Yet, no orc would dare voice these thoughts openly, choosing instead to seek the lifeleecher's favor or avoid its wrath.
Their societal role is complex; revered in the orcish communities and gladiatorial arenas for their combat prowess and supernatural resilience, they are outcasts beyond. Their unnerving presence and cannibalistic tendencies make assimilation into non-orcish societies nearly impossible, driving them towards solitary lives filled with conflict and survival.
Defensive Abilities death gasp, ferocity, negative energy affinity
Weaknesses light sensitivity, vulnerable to consecration, vulnerable to
resurrection
Constant—deathwatch
As Lola's keen eyes shift from the formidable Lifeleecher Mortic to the figure of the female death priest, her mind races to piece together the sinister puzzle that this adversary represents. This death priest, a servant to the dark goddess of plague and undeath, embodies a chilling dedication to the spread of disease, death, and the macabre animation of the dead. Her ultimate ambition is not just to worship undeath from afar but to embrace it, aspiring to join the ranks of the undead herself. However, her current mortal coil serves a strategic purpose, allowing her to move freely in places where the undead would be shunned or destroyed on sight.
Lola recognizes that this death priest wields a dangerous blend of necromantic power and divine fervor. Her presence here, alongside the Lifeleecher Mortic, suggests a grim collaboration that seeks to undermine life at its core. The priest's goals likely extend beyond mere personal power or transformation; she aims to seed corruption and decay within the living world, working to expand the dominion of her dark deity through a relentless campaign of contagion and death.
The death priest's arsenal is not limited to her command over the undead or her ability to infect and kill. Her spells and curses are specifically honed to weaken the resolve of the living, making them more susceptible to her macabre influence. Her mastery over the forces of undeath enables her to animate those she kills, turning fallen enemies into pawns in her unholy crusade.
Coral manages to find an opening with the numerous benefits afforded to her. She buries the blade into the orc-like creature and draws first blood, debilitating it in the process. Quickly after that strike, she delivers a second strike again.
The red-cloaked furrows her brow and focuses on the senora talking smack, "You will lose that tongue." She then mutters a prayer, casting a spell.
Having held his own against the falchion-wielding orc, Kendren said, "Do you yet understand the folly of your choice? A path to avoid your fate lay before you, and yet you have chosen to ignore it in favor of continued violence. We will teach you the lesson you have ignored."
Flames running along the length of Radiant Dawn, Kendren struck twice at the orc before him.
Lola's spell is close to demoralizing the red-cloak, but she shrugs off the bard's spell. The orc-like creature is not as lucky, however, and takes some damage, though he does not catch on fire.
Kendren's attacks are powerful, but the defenses of his foe are formidable and the scarred orc-like creature manages to deflect them both.
"Talking. TOO MUCH!" shouts the big orc-like creature, growling at Kendren. He tries to bite Kendren, but can't find a vulnerable spot. He follows up with two attacks with his falchion, one of them critically injuring the paladin.
Outside the tower, Lola, Damian and Marya can hear the telltale signs of battle as steel rings against steel.
Coral's short sword flashes out again.
Frustrated at her inability to defend Kendren from the orc's falchion, she tries to remain vigilant.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As a splash of blood from Kendran strikes her face, she wipes it away, and continues her refrain, stabbing out with her spear at the lifeleecher mortic. Her eyes darken, and the lights flicker for a moment, and her spear seems to be charged with positive, grey light. She reaches a chorus, and whispers, "the Boneyard has judged you - and there will be no afterlife. Your meddling with the boundary of life and death is a desecration." As she rams the spear through the creature's heart, she continues, "you are nothing, and will get nothing." She grunts, and pushes forward, staring the mortic in the eyes, and watching for it to lose the simulacrum of life from his eyes.
She withdraws her silver spear, black with ichor, and points at the death priestess with the tip, saying in a melodic way, "surrender."
The lifeleecher mortic is ferocious and can withstand normal attacks that would take down most creatures, but not this one. When Lola withdraws her speed, the warrior collapses to the ground in front of her. The mortic's eyes, once alight with malevolence, now stare blankly, devoid of the twisted life force that had animated it.
The death priestess's response is chilling—a laugh that borders on the edge of sanity, her eyes gleaming with a fervor that speaks of her devotion to her dark path. Her words, a twisted praise of Lola's act of finality, reveal a deep-seated longing for the embrace of death, an acknowledgment of the inevitable end she has courted through her deeds "Yes! He has been taken! I, too, welcome death!"
She invokes her dark magic, her fist aglow with an ominous energy, and she advances toward Lola with a determination fueled by her zealotry. "Yes! You will come with us!" she declares, a promise of shared oblivion that underscores the depth of her madness and commitment to her grim deity.
In her haste to fulfill this promise, she falters, her attack falling short of its mark and opening herself up to each of you.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Coral lands a solid blow on the Death Priestess as the caster advances on Lola.
"No, we will not be joining you in death this day. And you will not harm Lola."
Coral skewers the cultist through the kidneys, then draws back her sword for another strike.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Coral comes to Lola's aid and drops the cleric before she can harm her companion.
With time still of the essence, the trio quickly makes their way outside, where they move atop the hangman's walk. They see a large winch standing at the western edge of this parapet walk. Carved crenellations resembling roaring lions line the walk. The crenellations are 5 feet tall, providing ample cover from the ground. Several coils of thick rope hang from the crenellations on the south side of the wall, turning this walkway into a makeshift gallows.
Three wights work behind the leonine crenellations, hunched over the bodies of four dead knights. As the party makes their entrance, the wights rise and move the noosed knights to the edge as they prepare to release them over the side.
Upon seeing the undead abominations, Kendren feels righteous anger fill him. He charges towards the nearest of the wights, yelling as he does so, "The flame of the Dawnflower will see you cleansed of this world and sent to your rest!" The nimbus of light around him seemed to glow even brighter as he swung Radiant Dawn at the undead.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Quickly taking stock, Lola hums a quiet melody, that suddenly flattens, discordant. She breathes in, then breathes out and the note stretches itself out. The three undead reflexively try to cover their ears.
The movement atop the walls makes Damian glance up. His eyes widen as he sees the other four knights, the wights and Kendren charging at them.
"Feena, Marya! Look up there!"
Not knowing if any of the knights were still alive, Damian takes his chances and sends a burst of healing force towards them, hoping to sustain any spark of life that may yet exist within them.
Coral moves up and strikes at the same wight that Kendren hit if it is still up.
If it is down, then she will move ahead and strike another one (40' move with Triple Time).
It sounds like they are flat-footed since we won Initiative?
Wary of these things, she remains on her guard.
Kendren charges, with Radiant Dawn in hand, his battle cry echoing against the stone parapets. The blade, alight with the pure essence of Sarenrae, cuts down the first wight.
Coral follows Kendren's lead, her movements a blur as she advances. Her blade strikes true, bringing down another of the accursed wights.
Damian calls upon the healing power of Sarenrae and hopes to aid of the imperiled knights.
Lola's haunting tune that weaves through the air. The wight finds itself overwhelmed by an instinctive terror, drops the noosed night, and begins to flee.
As the third wight recoils, succumbing to the crippling fear instilled by Lola's song, the tide of the battle shifts decidedly in the party's favor. It doesn't make it past the walkway before it is cut down as well.
Kendren runs over to the knight whose legs were still kicking on the wall and releases a burst of healing energy before he starts pulling the knight back up onto the wall.
Kendren cuts the man free, and the party below helps ease him to the ground, providing more healing to bring him back to consciousness. Once he's sure the party has him, he checks on the four fallen knights atop the walk and finds that they are all too far gone to be helped.
Down below, as the last of the healing energy washes over him, Hernan Entietor gasps, sucking in a desperate breath of life. His eyes flutter open, focusing with difficulty on the faces of his rescuers. There's a moment of disorientation before clarity returns, and with it, a flood of gratitude.
"By the Inheritor... I thought my time had come," Hernan croaks, his voice raspy from the noose's embrace. He struggles to sit up, wincing at the pain that flares across his body, a stark reminder of his brush with death. "You... You saved me. I owe you my life."
He takes a moment to gather his thoughts, his gaze hardening as he recalls the events that led to his near execution. "We were caught off guard," he begins, the bitterness of the surprise attack evident in his tone. "Assailants wearing crow masks, cloaked in feathered coats, descended upon us. It was... unexpected, to say the least. They came from the direction of Vigil—our own shadows turned against us."
Hernan's hands clench into fists, the memory of the assault burning bright in his mind. "They set fire to our barracks, tore through our defenses as if we were made of straw. Our commander, Doeswen Aubry, was taken by them. I... I couldn't stop them." His voice breaks, the weight of his perceived failure pressing down on him.
"Their leader, a gnome with purple hair, she was unlike any foe I've encountered. Cold, calculating... She left a red-robed woman behind to mask their true intentions, to make it seem as if orcs were behind this treachery." Hernan shakes his head in disbelief. "Then came the orc, bolstered by undead abominations. They began to stage this... massacre as an orc raid. I played dead, hoping for a chance to escape or fight back. But they found me, and I... I was prepared to meet my end."
He pauses, his eyes meeting each of the party members in turn. "But you came. You fought back the darkness that sought to claim this place. I... I don't know how to thank you." Hernan's gaze drifts to the horizon, where smoke still rises in grim columns. "We must warn Vigil. The enemy wears many faces, and if they've grown bold enough to strike so close... No one is safe."
Feena felt shock as Damian pointed out the fight that was happening above followed by fear that they were not in a good position to help. Fortunately it seemed they were able to win the fight, taking down their foes, and rescuing the seeming sole survivor. Feena did look for any further threats and was prepared to unleash fire upon them if need be.
What they learned from the survivor was very troubling, she felt he was right in what might happen if the enemy was being this bold. "I think we need to report back with this immediately. If they are becoming bold enough to strike this openly then I can only imagine what they might do during the festivities when so many people are gathered together."
"We should bring back the knights' equipment for the use of others," Coral suggests. "Vigil is in danger and will need more of its populace armed and armored."
As the lone survivor regains consciousness, she greets him. "You are safe for now, Sir Hernan. We came here seeking Doeswen Aubry and will not leave her in the clutches of that gnome." Kilibrandt, Coral recalls.
"But first I think we must get you to Vigil to report on what happened here."
Coral paces back and forth, fuming and mostly talking to herself.
"Yes, staging it as an orc raid, because that is the other unrelenting foe of humanity that Lastwall must defend against. It isn't enough that Lastwall is tasked with keeping the Whispering Way at bay, but we must also hold back the seemingly limitless warriors of Belkzen, losing ground year after year!
And never enough support from those we protect.
Lastwall needs allies!
Now that the Worldwound has been closed, perhaps some of the Mendevian Crusaders can come to our aid, bringing their skills and experience."
Before heading back to Vigil, you do a thorough search of the area to make sure nothing important is overlooked.
Inside the waystation office, you find a tan leather cloak . The niche also contains some contraband Doeswen put here: an ornate counterfeit seal worth 75 gp depicting a roaring lion and three doses of terinav root.
More importantly, however, you find Doeswen's notes, which seem on-point for the current predicament. Ever since Doeswen’s shameful transfer from her post as a reliquary guard in the Crusader War College, she has obsessed over the Shattered Shield of Arnisant. She suspects it was stolen and replaced with a forgery. Most of her research on this subject is in a file hidden in her office.
Doeswen notates that she has hidden this file, as it’s technically not in her jurisdiction, and she’s been warned against pursuing the matter. Doeswen’s notes describe the Six Wise Crows as a nefarious gang working within Vigil that is responsible for several unsolved acts of larceny. This gang is led by a female gnome named Kilibrandt and includes a death priest named Usundra, an old male human wizard, and three other members whom Doeswen hasn’t been able to identify. The notes posit that the Six Wise Crows were responsible for creating the forged shield shards and swapping them for the originals. Included is a map of Vigil with a large red ink mark highlighting an establishment called “Brunna’s Quality Shields, Smithy, and Sundries.” Above this ink mark, a question reads, “Replica forged here?”
Damian pats Hernan on the shoulder. "You did everything you could, I'm sure. These are very formidable foes, to defeat so many seasoned knights." He looks at Feena and Coral. "I was going to suggest that we pursue Kilibrandt immediately and try to find Doeswen, but you may be right that it is more important to return to Vigil and warn them."
Kendren read over the documentation and said, "Sir Hernan's description of the attackers - assailants wearing crow masks and dressed in feathered cloaks - could very well be these Six Wise Crows. If they truly do operate within Vigil, it's very possible that they took Doeswen back there and we'll be able to do both at once. We should return at once. Sir Hernan, will you come with us? Your first-hand account of the attack will be vitally important."
Hernan gathers his bearings, standing a bit more firmly as the offer from Kendren rekindles the knightly resolve within him. "I will accompany you to Vigil," he affirms, his voice growing stronger. "My testimony may lend weight to our warning, and if Doeswen is still alive, I owe it to her and to all those who fell here to see justice done."
Seeing as the others have the knight taken care of, she nods in agreement and cleans herself off. Once everything is packed, and the dead are cut down, she looks at them, ”it would be a rude trick if they came back from this - but I suppose if they were going to, they would have.” She looks at the horses, ”the knights, what shall we do with them? It seems irrespetuosa, disrespectful to leave them here.”
She agrees that they have to go back to Vigil, ”in my opinion, directly to Brunna’s, I would wager. Perhaps we may prevent more death if we move swiftly.”
The party gathers the bodies of the fallen and utilizes horses at the station to transport them, with Hernan in tow, back to Vigil. Upon their return, Hernan takes control of the bodies and sets off to inform his superiors about what has transpired.
The vibrant colors and festive moods that adorned the streets during their earlier visit are replaced by a tense urgency as they approach Brunna’s Quality Shields.
As they approach the location marked in Doeswen's notes, a column of dark smoke becomes visible against the skyline. The closer they get, the more pronounced the smell of burning wood and metal becomes until they are met with the harrowing sight of Brunna's Quality Shields consumed by flames. The shop stands ablaze, its structure a fierce inferno that defies the bucket brigade's desperate efforts to quench it.
A crowd of onlookers surrounds the perimeter, their faces a mix of shock and helplessness. Among them, a figure breaks free from the grasp of those attempting to hold her back. It's Brunna, the shop's owner, her expression etched with fear and desperation as she shouts for someone named Rolf, presumably trapped within the fiery tomb that her shop has become.
It appeared that if Brunna's shop was the source of any counterfeit Shield of Arnisant, the Six Crows were covering their tracks. Still, the fire looked bad, and the bucket brigade was struggling to quench it.
There was also, apparently, someone still inside. Kendren didn't hesitate - he knew exactly what he needed to do. He ran forward as fast as he could towards the burning building, taking a deep breath just before he plunged into the flames.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
While almost all eyes are focused on the burning building, Coral looks elsewhere. She scans the crowd for anyone slinking away, or watching with satisfaction, or otherwise acting suspicious. Anyone who does not look shocked and dismayed.
Damian watches in awe as Kendren rushes into the burning building, only at the last moment thinking of establishing a spiritual connection between the two of them through which their life force could flow. He would keep Kendren alive at all costs.
Feena thought they might get a chance to rest at least a little when they returned with the remains of the soldiers but the commotion as they reached Brunna's Quality Shields and realized someone was still inside shocked Feena to her core. The fact the bucket brigade couldn't put out the fire because the water was simply not working was frightening but expected in this severe of a fire. The sight of Kendren running in without thinking was also to be expected.
Left with little she could do at the moment, and fearful that something else may be at play, Feena cast a spell and gazed into the flames. If this fire was magically induced, they needed to know it now.
Kendren bursts into the smithy yard and quite quickly feels the effects of the intense fire. Acrid smoke spills out from the gaping maw of a stone hearth into this walled yard. Tables hold various blacksmithing tools, and a large anvil in the center of the yard appears well-used. Flames dance across the roof of the building to the west. A wide gap south of the hearth opens into the burning building.
The opening next to the hearth leads to the shop and is the safest way to enter the building. The hearth here connects directly to the forge, and the opening is 3 feet square. Kendren can pass through the blazing hearth to reach the forge more quickly, but doing so is more dangerous and requires going through the fire.
---
Unfortunately, Feena detects magic within the flames; this fire is not naturally occurring. As she hones in on the location, she gets the sense that there is a summoned elemental inside the inferno.
---
Coral spots something that doesn't seem quite right. While everyone is either terrified or doing everything they can to assist, she spots a man in the crowd wearing a tattered feathered cloak and a small crow’s mask. Locking eyes with her, he smiles to show a mouthful of rotten teeth.