Revka dithers for a moment. Her plan to aid Darla with the chair didn't pay off, and she figures praying for guidance again won't do much good. She starts to feel enough coughing fit creep into her lungs, worse than earlier. She hustles back to where she previously collected her buckets of water, to get some fresh air.
She also takes a peek outside. Was this the only fire, or is the entire village ablaze?
Revka dashes outside for a breath of fresh air. The road in front of the town hall is packed: with members of the bucket brigade (Revka sees Warbal Bumblebrasher, enthusiastically passing buckets among them), with evacuated spectators, with healers (Revka spies Kellen Caronidil, the priest of Desna, tending to one of the wailing children from the stage), and with idle gawkers. Beyond the immediate area, however, she sees no further signs of commotion in Breachill.
Determined to ensure that it is our group that douses the last of the flames and not the fame hungry Deckard, Gethric wades through the detritus at the front of the stage and ascends onto the stage. His bucket disgorging water enough to quench the remaining fire he triumphantly exhales "I think we got it all... koff koff koff" forgetting the smoke momentarily until his lungs viciously remind him of its presence.
Gethric swerves around the burned chairs, ducks under Darla's dangling legs, climbs the stairs Aronida just wheeled into place, and dashes the water in his bucket against the back wall of the stage, extinguishing the fire that has been climbing lazily up the wall.
The reward for his exclamation of triumph is a double-lungful of smoke, however. It would seem wise to get out of the building before celebrating.
Revka cheers, glad that her new friends finally made it. "Over here," she calls, with enthusiasm but rather unnecessary. She takes another deep breath of fresh outside air, trying to smooth the last itch from her lungs.
With the last of the fire doused, Aronida bolts out of the town hall towards fresh air. "Fire's out," she gasps to the bucket brigade, before taking one of their buckets and pouring it over her own head, trying to soothe the pain of countless tiny burns. (Not to mention dampen the thick smell of smoke that has followed her out of the building.)
Feeling slightly better, she grabs her waterskin and takes a long drink. "The building's a mess, but should be salvageable once the smoke clears out." Trying to get out a full sentence makes her start coughing, which only makes the stinging in her lungs hurt more. I'll have to get that treated. Later. When I feel less like I'm about to fall over any second.
For now she sits down next to Revka as the adrenaline starts to fade. "Thanks. For the warning."
Revka nods emphatically as Aronida starts coughing. "I think I can cure that. Let's wait until the rest is out as well, so everyone benefits from the prayer."
Revka sighs at Aronida's last comment as she watches over the town. "We should thanks Desna for the warning." She briefly touches two fingers to her forehead and then points them to the sky in a rote gesture. "This didn't seem too bad, after all. It was much worse in my dreams!" She sounds optimistic, choosing to forget the possibility that the worst is yet to come...
Gethric follows the others out into the smoke-free air, huffing and slumping onto his arse just off the thoroughfare. Between hacking coughs he shares "Koff... no accident... koff koff.. there was someone in that hallway... koff..." taking a moment to settle himself "... didn't see, but I heard footsteps running away" gesturing with his arm Westwards from the rotunda.
Darla gives a parting glare to the high stage that embarrassed her ands heads outside after the others. Sitting unceremoniously on the ground, the young woman coughs for a good while, eventually chasing the smoke-sting from her lungs.
Catching the last of Revka's words, Darla is reminded of the goodly goblin's dream and reason for coming to the village.
With news that the fire has been extinguished, the bucket brigades break apart to check on the evacuees, get a better look at the damage, and exchange questions and information about the disaster. The town's clerics and healers are moving from person to person among the people who have exited the burning building, gathering those who have been burned or inhaled smoke into groups for healing.
Warbal Bumblebrasher approaches the four adventurers where they have gathered just outside the front doors. "That was amazing," she tells them, eyes wide. "You really are heroes. అయినప్పటికీ," she whispers to Revka wistfully, "మొత్తం విషయం కాలిపోవడాన్ని చూడటం ఆకట్టుకుంటుంది."
On the river side of the building where Gellius is, the reaction is much the same.
Aronida sits up from her slumped position when she hears Gethric's report. "Do you think it was arson?" She hadn't had a moment to wonder how the fire started, far too busy trying to stop it. "You need to tell the town council about this. If someone started that fire deliberately..." A shiver runs through her. Deliberately starting a fire in the one place and time when almost the whole town would be there...were they trying to kill everyone?
While this information is definitely concerning, investigating crimes isn't her purview. (Neither is fighting fires for that matter, but it had needed to be done and few other people seemed willing to do it.) "Tell the council," she repeats. "Let them handle figuring out who started the fire." She sends a tired smile Warbal's way. "Once we're all healed up, we have Bumblebashers to save."
Hmmm, they can't have got very far. We should chase them as soon as possible. Muses Gellius as he looks first one way then the other down the two likely escape routes. Absently leaving the handkerchief over his face, he jogs back around the front of the town hall to seek out the rest of the newly formed party.
"I can't see any fleeing arsonists," he announces as he reaches them. "But that fire was definitely no accident. The backdoor leads out to a bridge over Breachill Creek. No way to be sure, of course but I suspect whoever started it fled that way." Looking towards Aronida for guidance, he opens his hands slightly.
"What do you think? It seems to me launching pursuit as soon as possible can only increase our chances of spotting them. I don't see anyone else in any great rush to get to the bottom of things."
Aronida shakes her head. "We're not going to catch up to them," she says, with the certainty of someone who's tried to do just that in the past. "If they took off running I could probably track them, but I wouldn't be moving very quickly while doing so." She leans back with a sigh. "Our only chance of catching up would be if they thought they were safe and stopped running. Which I'm sure they will eventually, but a few minutes more or less isn't going to make much of a difference."
She considers the problem. "First of all let's get healed up. Revka, do you mind taking care of that while we're all here? Then we can ask around, see if anyone else saw anything."
Darla listens to the reports from the others. "I'm no tracker," she chimes in, "but if Aronida says that horse has already left the stables I'm inclined to believe her. Asking around makes sense. Not everyone went to the Call for Heroes: There are parents with young ones to care for, and older folk who are more worried about their own aching joints than some missing sheep or the like."
The young bard glances around to see if there's anyone like that in sight.
Revka winces at Warbal's whisper. She's seen the fires in her dreams, and isn't inclined to see those come true. Should I just agree with her? "బాగా, ఇది గొప్ప అగ్ని ఉండేది. కానీ అప్పుడు ఇక్కడి ప్రజలందరూ నిరాశ్రయులవుతారు. మరియు మీ తెగను ఎవరూ రక్షించలేరు!" she whispers back.
She then turns to her new-found friends, while trying to see if she spots Deckard somewhere as well. "Yes, with Desna's blessing I can heal us. I'll be glad to get that rasp out of my throat." She grabs the amulet from her necklace and prays. "Song of the Spheres, we were doing your work by putting out the fire. But it was pretty hard work. And irritating! *cough, cough* Please soothe our wounds..."
--
With their lungs soothed, Revka weighs in on finding the arsons. "We could go after them, if Aronida tracks them and if the town chief agrees. But we shouldn't take too long. We told Warbal that we'd help her tribe as well!"
Gellius nods as Aronida explains. "I guess I figured someone running through the town may well have attracted notice. We may not see them, but we may meet people who did," he smiles in acquiescence. "However, I admit my training is very much limited to squad formations and formal declarations of battle. Hunting prey through a town is hardly my area of expertise and presuming they're not totally daft they probably dashed out of sight, then casually sauntered out of town."
"Unless it was a local, of course," he breaks off musing. "That angry fellow seemed determined to rouse the town against the local goblin tribe. It seems a bit much, but perhaps starting a fire and trying to blame it on them would make....a certain sense." He breaks off as he glances at Revka.
"For my part, I'm very glad to have had a goblin on our side," he grins as he inclines his head. "Thankyou very much for the healing, my friend. And for the idea of holding one's breath. This wasn't going to help very much!" chuckling at his makeshift mask, he removes his handkerchief and folds it away into his pocket.
Aronida's brow furrows. "I suspect it was a local, if only because this kind of arson would require a lot of anger. I can't imagine a random stranger with that much of a grudge against the town. Calmont...maybe. He was pretty upset when he left. Although if it was him that implies the fire was more of an impulse decision than anything else." She shakes her head. "Pointless to speculate. I'm going to go talk to the council, see if they've found out anything already."
She goes looking for Greta. The woman is no doubt extremely busy right now, but the news they have can't wait. "Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. I know it's a bad time, but Gethric heard someone fleeing the scene right as the fire started. He's pretty sure it was arson. Do you know if anyone else saw or heard anything?"
Greta Gardania looks even more troubled than she already did by Aronida's information. "Gethric, the baker's son?" she asks. "Where is he?"
When Aronida has led her back to the group, she addresses Gethric directly. "Tell me exactly what you saw and heard. Did any of the rest of you notice anything?"
Revka looks a bit puzzles at Gellius's praise. Was it really my idea to hold my breath? She doesn't want to argue the point, and is just happy to have made a good friend. Ï'm glad I could help!" she says as she beams a proud smile.
Revka stays with the group, but doesn't really pay attention to the efforts to identify the possibly arsonist. It doesn't interest her all that much and she doesn't know any of the names spoke of, anyway. Rather, she keeps looking this way and that for signs of Deckard.
Darla shakes her head at Greta. "I was too busy helping the children off the stage and then fighting the fire."
"బాగా, ఇది గొప్ప అగ్ని ఉండేది. కానీ అప్పుడు ఇక్కడి ప్రజలందరూ నిరాశ్రయులవుతారు. మరియు మీ తెగను ఎవరూ రక్షించలేరు!" she whispers back.
"లేదు, మీరు చెప్పింది నిజమే! అది భయంకరంగా ఉంటుంది!" Warbal instantly agrees, putting all ten fingers in her mouth at once in her distress.
Revka spots Deckard sitting on the curbstone on the other side of the street. A healer is examining a shiny red burn mark on one arm while he is regaling a flock of followers with his experiences rescuing children inside the burning town hall.
A man in the uniform of the town guard gives Darla a wave.
To Greta's inquiry Gethric raises his hand and works himself off the ground "Present... but there isn't much I can say. I didn't see anything, just heard someone leaving... I'm not sure there is much point trying to track them down but we could try?" hanging his head slightly... pausing a few seconds to shake his head before raising it again.
"It can't have been one of the community, as we were at the call... and I don't think it pays us well to raise a panic. The last thing we need now is to point fingers at our kin when we should be clasping hands..." wryly twisting his mouth he suggests "Perhaps we could add this investigation to our task... by the by of course and without needing to be paid. That way the council knows it's being looked into without needing to spread any accusations?"
"I didn't see much either," offers Gellius with a shrug. "It looked deliberate as there were signs of oil and scraps of kindling in the hall backstage. By the time I got back there, whoever it was had fled out the back and probably headed over the creek. But there's nothing to have stopped them doubling round the front and going anywhere. They could have joined the bucket brigade for all we know!"
As the others discuss things, Gellius ponders likely motives and ramifications, leaning against the front of the town hall and casually scanning the crowd as he lets the clean air fill his lungs.
Greta frowns. "There's a guard posted at each gate. I'll inform the Captain, and he can find out if anyone left after the fire was started. I hope someone did." Clearly, the thought that a local might have committed arson is deeply unsettling.
"In the meantime," she goes on, "you have all demonstrated your heroism even before you could embark on your task. I can't, by law, offer you official recognition yet, but it would be remiss of the town not to reward you for what you have already done. Quentino!" she hails the passing councilman, his dignity somewhat marred by a sooty smudge on his bald head, "Reward these heroes, please, and Neven Deckard as well." She turns back to the group. "One of you may go with Councilman Posandi, if you wish, or you may all wait here for him to return; but please don't leave on your quest before you receive your reward. It may be of use to you in aiding the Bumblebrashers."
Darla listens politely to Greta, but when she's done speaking the bard slips away to hear what Dalvyn has to say.
Darla almost takes Dalvyn's words as gospel until something occurs to her: If the arsonist fled the scene and was laying low...how were rumors spreading already? It was possible, of course, that the news of the attack on the meeting hall was already spreading like wildfire and a citizen saw something and dutifully said something, but the speed of the rumors spreading might also (although unlikely) hint at a conspiracy beyond just the fire-starter.
She nods at Dalvyn and suggests that he try to hunt down the source of the rumor and then returns to report to the others (see the GM's spoiler above)...but not before trying to detect any duplicity in Dalvyn.
Revka nods at Warbal absentmindedly, looking at Deckard across the street. The moment Darla slips away, Revka also moves off. She start towards Deckard with purpose, but slows down as she gets closer. She's hunched over and looks down at her feet as she addresses him. "Eehm... I wanted to say I'm really sorry I yelled at you. You did really good in there, getting the babies out and such." She dithers for a moment, then speaks with a bit more energy. "Do you want... Should I heal you? You must have itchy lungs like the rest of us from the smoke, and with Desna's magic I can fix it." Speaking of her magic makes her proud and allows Revka to hold herself a bit straighter.
Aronida sits up straighter as she hears Darla's report, casting a quick glance sideways at Gellius. He did suggest that maybe Calmont started the fire in the hopes of framing the goblins. While she doesn't want to believe Calmont would have done such a thing, (she still empathizes with whatever trauma he must have suffered to make him hate goblins so much), this new information lends a certain credence to the theory.
Start the fire, flee the scene, find someone and breathlessly tell them you saw a goblin with a torch...it would have required some fast work, but it's possible.
But Dalvyn is right. It's not their job to figure out who started the fire, or to start throwing around accusations of their own. It is their job to help the Bumblebrashers with whatever creature is attacking them.
"Alright. I'll go grab my pack and be ready to head out in a few minutes." She was armored and had her weapons with her, but she hadn't brought the rest of her equipment. No point when she didn't know what job she'd be taking, or if she'd be hired for a job at all. "I'll meet up with the rest of you here. Hopefully Councilman Posandi will have returned by then as well."
Her home isn't far, and out of habit she tends to keep most necessities packed in case she ever needs to leave in a hurry. She quickly looks over her pack, adds her healer's tools and some extra rations to it, and returns less than ten minutes after she'd left. "I'm ready whenever everyone else is."
Gethric furrows brow for a span contemplating whether the return home and lecture (or even prohibition based on the events of the eve) is worth the hassle, eventually erring on the side of cowardice discretion "I've all I need with me and ready... wouldn't want to keep da and ma up when they've a baking to get to come morning."
The halfling fusses a tad with his coat and belt, but otherwise waits for the return of the councilman.
"Eehm... I wanted to say I'm really sorry I yelled at you. You did really good in there, getting the babies out and such." She dithers for a moment, then speaks with a bit more energy. "Do you want... Should I heal you? You must have itchy lungs like the rest of us from the smoke, and with Desna's magic I can fix it."
"And you did a fine job, too," Deckard replies warmly. "Very brave of you, carrying in the water like that. But listen, Brynne Taithe, the local priest of Cayden, is a good friend; she'll have me patched up in time to go rout out those bandits at Guardian's Way. You save your goddess's magic for your party, eh? Who knows what you might run into at the Citadel?" He gives her a wink.
Revka really wants Deckard to like her and misses the barb in his comments. "That's great. I'm really happy that you're not mad at me. Good luck with the bandits. Be careful!" She quickly skips back to her group. "And, do you know who set the fire? Or are we helping the Bumblebrashers first?"
Darla reports what Dalvyn told her to the others before adding her own suspicion that the rumor may be false. She tells the others that she needs to gather the rest of her equipment and say a quick goodbye to her mother; then she'll be ready to head out on the mission.
Some of the group scatter to gather their belongings and say their farewells before leaving for Hellknight Hill. Warbal hops anxiously from foot to foot as she waits, occasionally wringing her ears absently.
As the heroes are readying to leave, Quentino Posandi returns, bearing some vials and a small pouch. "Here," he gives them to the group, "if you're suffering any lingering cough from the fire, you can use these two restoratives; if not, save them for future use. This vial is proof against poison, and this one against disease. And here," he drops the pouch into Gellius's hand, "in case you need any supplies, this may be handy. Are you ready to go? I imagine Deckard and his group will wait for morning -- no point in getting to Guardian's Way just before nightfall -- but Citadel Altaerein is an easy walk from town; you should have several hours to locate the Bumblebrashers and investigate their problem before sunset."
He coughs loudly and hisses, "If you're going, go quickly! Morta Valaskin's heading this way and will be trying to have your reward as a down payment on your funerals. I'll direct her toward Deckard for a while. Good luck to you!"
"Thank you Quentino." Aronida looks at the pouch with slightly wide eyes. 200sp! That's extremely generous.
"I don't think I need any other supplies, so I'm ready to go. Let's see if we can help the Bumblebrashers with this tatzylwyrm, or whatever it is." Unless one of the other party members needs to do some shopping, Aronida will shoulder her pack and start heading towards the Citadel.
As they prepare to leave the town, Aronida pauses for a minute, looking over the party. None of them look like they have much experience in the wilds. Not that we're going far, but still... "I'm pretty familiar with this area. Maybe I should scout ahead, make sure we don't run into any trouble unprepared."
Gethric listens to the councilman attentively, nodding at the appropriate pauses and not adding any hesitance to the party's ability to move.
To Aronida's suggestion he adds "Maybe I should come with you... scouting that is. I've been a scourge to the rabbit population nearby over the last few years... for pies..." frowning slightly before clarifying "I know my way round the bush and I don't think any one of us should walk alone for the moment?"
Aronida gives Gethric another considering look, then nods. "Sounds like a plan. Four eyes are better than two, and you have a point about people wandering alone." Admittedly, she tended to prefer wandering alone, but that didn't make it wise.
After retrieving his small backpack of belongings, Gellius takes the pouch from Quentino Posandi and begins meticulously but efficiently counting out and equal share for the party. Once everyone has received forty silver pieces, he gets out a fresh sheet of parchment and begins a ledger, recording the money in and money out as appropriate.
"What should we do with these vials?" he asks Aronida. "Maybe Revka should take the anti-plague and the antidote? You and Gethric could take the two healing potions. Seems only fair, given you two will be out in front keeping the rest of us safe." Smiling amiably, he waits for direction, making sure to record whatever the group decides.
When the party is ready to set off, Gellius will remain with the main group, moving quietly with a certain fluid grace.
Revka could really use a nap while the group waits for the longshanks to bring their rewards. However, Warbal's anxious behavior keeps her awake.
As Posandi presents their reward, she's fully interested again. She's up on tiptoes near Gellius to takes a look into the pouch. "Oooooooooh..." she exclaims at the sight of that many silver pieces. At Gelius' suggestion, she'll take the two alchemical tonics. "Sure, if I see any of you foaming at the mouth - or choking - I'll pour them down your throat!" She nods vigorously, letting the team know she won't let them down.
--
Revka is recent in town and has packed everything she needs to the Call. Also, she's sympathetic to Warbal's sense of urgency. "Ready to go!" The goblin is quite at home on the road, but perfectly content to let the two halflings lead. She's too easily distracted to be useful, anyway. Revka intends to spend some time talking to Warbal about the Bumblebrashes, and about what to expect at their castle. Occasionally, she darts off to spot some flower she likes, or to spot a few cartwheels when the path slopes down.
Darla takes the coins offered by Gellius and voices her thanks. After seeing the two halflings scouting ahead,--and feeling pretty useless herself--Darla declares that she'll take rearguard.
As Posandi intercepts the mortician and redirects her toward Neven Deckard and his circle of admirers, the party slips around the town hall and crosses Breach Creek on their way to the northern gate out of town. The streets and businesses appear abandoned; everyone who wasn't there already has gone to the scene of the fire where the excitement is. There is only one guard at the northern gate, and she is looking glumly south where the smoke is slowly dissipating without her.
Once out on the open road, Aronida takes up a familiar position at point, while Darla brings up the rear; the road to the citadel is generally safe, but the Goblinblood Wars are a recent enough memory that no Isgeri can feel carefree taking even a short stroll through the countryside.
Freed from the mental effort of speaking in Taldane, Warbal chatters eagerly to Revka in their native tongue.
Helba, the Bumblebrashers chief, is Warbal's something-cousin-in-law-more-than-one-removed (a common goblin relation, particularly in small tribes). She was the chief who led the Bumblebrashers into the citadel.
Still musing over the incident at the town hall, Gellius sees an opportunity for information as the guard comes into view. Without pausing too long to slow the group’s progress, he casually asks whether the guard saw anyone leaving town in the aftermath of the fire.
“The excitement is pretty much over, ” Gellius informs her. “They’re saying the fire might have been deliberately lit. You haven’t seen anyone hurrying through here recently, have you?”
"I heard it was a, uh," the guard suddenly notices Revka and Warbal in the group and lowers her voice, "well, a goblin. Some halfling came running and asked if I'd seen a goblin with a torch leaving town. I told the guy, no, not leaving, but I'd seen a goblin running in all decked out in white...." Her voice trails off as she stares at an oblivious Warbal.
Revka is happy to chat with Warbal on a variety of subjects, and is happy to store whatever information about the Citadel falls her way. "That was pretty heroic," she exclaims - still chatting in Goblin - "exploring an abandoned castle like that! You're very lucky to live in a castle like that. Indeed, goblin huts aren't all that. Did you find many things left by the Longshanks?"
Warbal's explanation of the chief leaves Revka confused. "Wait, your chief Helba was the one to take the Bumblebrashers into the citadel, and she's still your chief? She must be really old! Like...more than ten?" She looks impressed, for a chief to last that long.
Warbal nods her head emphatically. "Very old and very wise. She will always be remembered for her great chiefdom, like Ubbla Horseslayer and Boovdok-who-hid-from-the-Fire."
"I heard it was a, uh," the guard suddenly notices Revka and Warbal in the group and lowers her voice, "well, a goblin. Some halfling came running and asked if I'd seen a goblin with a torch leaving town. I told the guy, no, not leaving, but I'd seen a goblin running in all decked out in white...." Her voice trails off as she stares at an oblivious Warbal.
“Those two were a big help at the fire,” murmurs Gellius. “I was there and didn’t see any sign of torch carrying goblins, I can assure you!...This halfling...brown pants, blue tunic, greying hair...?” he gives a brief description of Calmont, just in case before continuing out with the two goblins, listening uncomprehendingly to their chatter.
“This halfling...brown pants, blue tunic, greying hair...?” he gives a brief description of Calmont, just in case before continuing out with the two goblins, listening uncomprehendingly to their chatter.
"Yeah, that's him," the guard nods. "I think he works at the book store."
Gellius nod his thanks and continues musing over his suspicions. Calmont was certainly convinced goblins were going to bring trouble, though the council shut him down quickly enough. Still, there’s nothing quite as dangerous as a zealot seeking converts to their cause... As they walk, he becomes more and more convinced of the halfling’s involvement, but puts it aside to focus on his task.
Citadel Altaerin. I can’t wait! smiling to himself, he recalls the artist sketches, plans and other records of the place that had first drawn him to Breachhill.