Seeing the scene unfold in front of her, Shae jumps up onto a table and begins directing people, occasionally having to prod or stop people to better facilitate the exit strategy.
Giu, though you don't see any secret exits, there does clearly seem to be 2 directions the crowd is diverging towards. The front entrance, and another through some of the back offices.
Mender triages Tiega and a victim of mass hysteria, but it will be a bandaid on a torso chop if they are just left to an ashen grave in the burning building.
Quen, Kata is experiencing an effect consistent with some mind altering drugs you've read about, but she lacks certain physiological symptoms. This leads you to strongly suspect there is some kind of magical effect at play...an identify spell or similar would be needed to precisely diagnose the Weave.
Through Io's compelling commands, the crowd stops behaving so crazily for a moment and exits in a more civil way. Some even follow his lead, ashamed of themselves "He's right! We're not some sea of aurochs with barbarians at our backs! Were proper Mulmasterites!" Sha likewise joins in the ushering to a lesser effect.
Soon the crowd will have escaped, but little has been done to quell the flames of the structure. A supporting beam suddenly breaks from the ceiling and crashes into the bar, igniting the spirits in a violent explosion. The Wave and Wink is a doomed inferno, it seems.
Giuseppe looks for people that can be saved and begins carrying them out, calling up to the others, Get out of there! Save who you can!
Mender tasks the person who he saved to carry Tiega down the stairs and then he begins separating the living from the dead, before shouting "GET UP HERE AND HELP!"
Giuseppe goes back in after taking a couple of deep breaths!
Gilbert quickly moved down the stairs and, gathering up his equipment, exits the burning building. He helps any who might need it on his way out.
Shae helps as many people as she can escape, making several trips if she needs to.
Io pushes out with some of the last of the crowd, but sees only Gilbert also exiting. He turns around to witness the roof start to collapse and the bar burst into flame. He summons courage he's not sure he possesses to go back and look for his companions.
He will do whatever he can to drag his companions out while quelling the panic he feels; he is more concerned with their safety than random patrons still inside.
The cleric will make his way out of the burning night club, trying to assist any who might need help.
After hopping around on top of the painting hoping to keep the fire from spreading, Sir Gorum gives up on the futile exercise and peers into the smoke looking for any stragglers that had not made their escape. Seeing Quen nearby Kata, he rushes over to assist. Noticing the noble woman’s catatonic state, ”I got her, get outa here.” Gorum says to Quen and then hauls the stunned woman over his shoulder. ”Is she the one who started all this?” His broad nose making it difficult not to inhale large amounts of smoke, the half orc keeps his breathing somewhat shallow and tries to hold it as much as he can.
On his way down, if he sees anyone else through the smoke that he is capable of helping, he will try to do so.
fire damage
Outside in the Mulmaster night, the party gathers who it can regardless of status...nevermind rich or rascal, all are treated equally by the good natured group. Gorum is the last to exit the burning ruin just before it collapses completely, carrying the stunned and mesmerized Kata on his broad shoulders, the sweat glistening off his biceps and orc pecs in the firelight.
The survivors watch mostly silently as the dance hall crackles and is consumed. Most seem simply stunned or in shock (that strange pantless halfling from before seems to still be having his own awkward dance party, however).
Faltyn Gos, the husband to Tiega and organizer of the whole event, sees Gorum with Kata and shouts "You there! Restrain that maliceful little cunny! She tried to kill my wife! And where are the Watch?! Somebody summon them, quickly!"
Tiega is laid to his side and, from Menders magical healing and wise treatment she becomes conscious...but her face is gone and she resembles a crispy skeleton. She screams in agony...perhaps from pain or just simply in shock...
Urdun Brizik, the owner of the Wave and Wink and husband to Kata, protests "None of that, Gos! Kata admired Tiega, you know that! She would never do anything of the sort...and I'd think twice about the Watch if I were you!"
Kata, for her part...just continues to watch it burn, smiling wide.
Giuseppe is wracked with a coughing fit, lungs full of smoke. He leans back on his arms and looks up at the others, tears streaming down his face, It's the smoke...
Perhaps it would have been a mercy to let her die... he thinks as he looks at Tiega, screaming.
What in the hells happened in there? the young noble looks up inquisitively at his friends.
As mender collected the last viable people he could carry, he resheathed his cloak, hiding his mangled wings once more behind his back. He then secured those he could and proceeded out the building.
Outside, Mender contemplated the turn of events that brought him here and then, just as he was about to speak, he heard Guiseppe's question; in response, Kaine said "Weak mortal minds. She has likely been controlled by the painting she observed."
Gio shakes his head, Enchanted paintings? Why her? Why the noble woman? None of this makes any sense! All this death and carnage, for what? To what end?
The young man climbs to his feet, I don't know about you guys, but I want to get to the bottom of this...
"I never try to guess at the reasoning of mortals; it all seems so insane to me. I know, however, that I lack the perspective needed to understand you though."
Oooooh that's what Connor meant. Yeah, the painting must've been enchanted. Did you see who started the fire? It was upstairs.
Believe me, Mender, the young scion of House Firenze shakes his head, Often, I do not understand us...
Gos snaps back at Urdun "What do you mean, you twit? Of course the Watch will take control! Your little Kata will be hung by sunrise...I assure you..."
While this surely unsettles the half-elf, his mind seems to be working 1000 beats per second "Think twice on that Vor Gos. Would Kata really do this...or is it more likely an attack from a rival house? And if they went to this much trouble...do you think they couldn't also buy off the guards? If we leave it to them well never know the truth..."
It seemed a stretch, but the gamble unnerved the nobleman just the same. "...yes, another Blade would plot at something like this. Humph...or any of that other rabble who resents the rightful rulers of Mulmaster. I must know." he climbs atop a little crate "Listen up. 100 gold pieces to anyone who can get to the bottom of this attack and...deal with them like the dogs they are!"
Urdun puts a fist in the air "Another 50 from me! Watch is comin'...clear her name by morning! You know us...there must be some foul magic here..." he pleads.
Mender goes straight to Urdun and asks quietly "Where did you get the painting from, and what was the name of the artist?"
Giuseppe, at mention of foul magicks, scans the crowd for a wizardly or priestly type. Having only been in town for a few days, he is not sure how to identify a member of the Cloaks...
Too distracted by the effects of smoke inhalation, the swordsman gives up after a bit and washes his eyes out with his waterskin. After that, he takes a swig and says sheepishly, I am sorry, my friends. I am not much help...
Taken aback by the rapid pace of events, Shae begins traversing the crowd, until she recognizes someone that was near the painting when everything went down. She makes her best effort to find someone who isn't too drunk and begins asking questions.
”Did you see anything... strange happen right before she threw the drink? Did you see anyone cast a spell, or speak to her? Do you know any specifics about the painting itself?
Seeing a group forming outside the burning building, Gilbert moves over to them, listening to what they have to say. Having been too caught up in his game of dice, he only vaguely remembers the events that lead up to the fire.
Seeing Gilbert moving toward them, Giuseppe calls out, Hey, you there! Yes, you. I saw you helping to get folks out. You didn't happen to see how the fire started, eh?
Urdun tries to slow his breathing and recall "...its one of Andrik's. Yes, the Andrik Gos, Faltyn's nephew...it was brought in early this morning and Kata handled the installation...lighting and hanging, you know. She kept going on about its beauty..."
You grab a starry cloaked gawker by the shoulder, but it turns out to just be a fashionable dancer...no master of the arcane.
Sha finds the good kind of drunk that seems to never stop talking, freely and lucidly. This particular dwarf has been drinking and gambling all day, by his claims, and adds "Aye! I seen the spellslinger...Thayan he was, or I be a diggin durn slimey bastich! Kept prodding on Kata, askin' about the artist and how to find 'em. Well she finally answered to shut up the bloated rat spawn's mouth hole. I seen him stay, still watchin' her as she admired the painting...worthless toad licker."
Quen will go around making sure that those who are hurt are healed or can be mended. He will spend time listening to what is being said.
Looking over to the human, Gilbert walks over.
"Sorry mate, not too sure...was busy making some money! Looked like someone threw something on some posh lady and set her on fire...then all hell broke out. I was more interested in getting my winnings off the table and getting out."
Giuseppe chuckles, but it stops quickly, Well, your help did not go unnoticed. The way that woman is still entranced, it tells me either she is touched in the head, or there is magic afoot, but I do not know enough to say one way or another to be certain.
The young man succumbs to another coughing fit, But as you can see, the smoke has gotten the better of me. I was trying to find me an arcanist or sage that might know of such things, or that may have a lead that we might follow. Could you help? It sounds like that Gos and the tavern keep are offering up some coin, if that helps.
Gio gives a grin, By di way, my name is Giuseppe di Firenze, perhaps you have heard of me or my family?
Gilbert racks his mind trying to remember anything that he might have noticed about the goings-on on the second floor.
Perception:
Gorum paces through the crowd searching for someone with a guilty look. and proceeds to question them using his size and menacing heritage to shake loose any details that he may have missed.
Io comes up to the crew, a bit flushed. Well I was asking around and, uh, haven’t found anything useful yet. He straightens his jacket and grins. Ok so let me ask around and see if anyone has suspicions.
Well I guess he doesn’t learn anything new.
All Gilbert remembers is a mad grab at the ante table when the fires broke out. The pot was literally up for grabs and those that hesitated lost their chips...the old crossbowman was quick enough to salvage his game, however.
Gorum tries his best to shake down the ravers, but in a city where the corner street cop openly worships an evil god, his threats come off a bit tame.
Ionnis finds most are barely even interested in who started the fire or the loss of the Wave and Wink, but instead are quite emotional about the loss of the painting itself...they seem, on a whole, quite detached from the experience considering what just happened.
It seems if Kata is to be saved by morning, the party has little to go on. Perhaps they might seek out Andrik's residence directly or track down this supposed 'Thayan' wizard.
"I'd suggest we start with the artist. He might be able to tell us who was the muse for his artistic murder weapon."
That makes sense to Giuseppe, and with a nod, he stands coughing a couple of times, before speaking, Well then, let us find this artist!
As he tried to tend to people's wounds the cleric was doing his best to listen to what scuttle he could
Perception
Insight to see if he can discern how true it is.
Gorum returns to the others as they form a plan to investigate the artist. ”Sounds good. I can’t think of much else we could do to find answers.”
Yep, we should probably track down the artist and work from there. Perhaps someone else enchanted it along the way? He's not sure how they can help Kata in the meantime, other than hiding her, and he's pretty sure that option would cause trouble regardless of what they find. But then, it would still be worth it....Should we help Kata? he inquires.
Quen, you overhear some of the patrons building suspicions and mistrust of the 'Thayan'. One seems certain he has a residence near the embassy, and you also hear a name: Azak Throm. A rival suspicion among the crowd rests on talk about Urdun and Tiega having some kind of affair, with Kata justifiably jealous.
With Giu and others talk of finding the artist, Faltyn mentions "Hm...now...that reminds me of something odd...I visited Andrik just some days past, I wanted to make sure the commission would be completed. Andrik was not there...in fact I've not seen him for a tenday. The painting was dropped off here a day before the party with a courier's note. It just had some formal apologies and explained how he was waiting for 'inspiration to strike.' Quite irregular...ho now...what's this..?"
*stomp stomp stomp stomp*
A band of 8 Mulmaster guards charge into the scene. Their armor is black and covered in nasty spikes. One of the crowd whispers "Son of a b**%@, its Stormmaster Ostur!" The biggest guard finds the smallest man among the crowd, and immediately picks him up by the throat "Who." the guard says calmly as the little halfling struggles. Since grasping at the mailed hand at his throat proves useless, he points at Kata.
A few of the other guard prepare shackles as they march right towards Kata...it seems an arrest is imminent. Urdun immediately interjects himself between shouting "No! You can't! There's something more to-" which earns him a slap to the face and he hits the pavement.
A slow voice behind the helm "Guilt or no, not my care. There will be an arrest here."
The rest of the party sees Giuseppe subconsciously go for his blade. He looks to the rest of you, almost pleading to give him permission.
This is bull----, he mutters under his breath.
The cleric will relate to his party what he heard and will ask What are Thayans?
Seeing the guard abuse the man and beat him to the ground, the cleric will rush to see if the man on the ground is okay.