.Ash.'s page

Ash dragged himself up the stairs behind them. He'd be damned if he didn't at least see that the man he'd nearly gotten killed for was all right - or, possibly, another cultist.

He bared his teeth, stained with his own blood, at the chopper.

"I'd hate to have to remind you what they say about vengeance and shifters," he growled, stalking closer.

That was because he didn't agree with what They said, but there was no reason to bring that up.

Blood - NOT his own - dripped from his hands, red to the elbow, his long shifter claws flexing.

intimidate: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23 Hm. Little help? AA?

Priming for questions, which Ash will probably not be the one asking bc he is not a real face and also is busy playing Bad Cop. :D

*limit FLANKING, not AOOs. Sheesh.

GM, does Ash see Tweety looking in? If so, he'll do some Acrobatics and jump down to the ground floor and look for the door to (attempt to) open it and let the others in (if he can reach it with one move action so he can use the other to open the door, he'll also Acrobatics to avoid AOOs and take his chances. If not, he'll just attempt to Withdraw if possible and hope he can open it next turn). If he doesn't see Tweety, he'll try to vault back up to the second floor and drag the victim over to the wall in an attempt to protect the guy from being killed (which was his only reason for attacking, after all) and also prevent the clerics and fighters/rogues from flanking him all around. At this point I'm a little unsure where the pentagram is, I originally thought it was in the center of the tower and Ash was approaching from stairs along the wall or something, but if the pillar is in the center, I have no idea haha.

Acrobatics to soften fall, just in case, w Tiger aspect: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 8 + 1 = 19
Acrobatics to avoid AOOs, just in case, w Tiger aspect: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 8 + 1 = 28

Acrobatics to vault back up, just in case, w Tiger aspect: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 8 + 1 = 25

Flame, forgive me, Ash thought again, eyes darting in every direction as he realized that somehow the man he'd been following and the guy with him had heard the scuffle somehow. I tried to save that man. I tried! I'm so sorry... for everything. He certainly knew what the Temple would think of all this, but he had hope that the Flame Herself might have mercy on him.

He tensed, ready to leap, though his leg felt weak under him. Silver Flame, show me a sign, he prayed.

ETA: I see what looks like a big hearth in the wall on the map - if Ash can, and it's big enough and not, y'know, currently in use, he'll try to drag the victim in there and use it to limit AOOs further - IF he doesn't see Tweety.

"We were conducting a service to the Mockery, and this Shifter follower of the Silver Flame broke in and tried to stop the ceremony."

Just to be clear, Ash has neither been forthcoming about his nature as a "special" shifter, nor his past (including following the Silver Flame, which I don't think has ever come up in conversation).

It's definitely why he's been weird around Idrassa and Tweety, but frankly he's a shifter and they're all a little odd. Staring at people and following them around quietly is definitely not uncommon behavior. XD

Is the b&w guy the leader who got taken down? Also, is it possible to take a 5'step down the stairs to the SW? If not, Ash will try to take a 5'step over the down guy to wiggle out of being very flanked. If he can't do that either, he'll attack 3/Green in the hope of taking him out before he lands his blow. If he can get down the steps, he'll attack 1/Orange. If he steps over the down guy, he'll attack 4/blue. The thing in the middle looks like a pillar, but is it actually the circle the victim is in?

Ash wasn't, strictly speaking, a soldier in the sense of the military, but he'd fought for his faith before. Now he was just doing it for the right reasons.

He took a quick look around for any opportunity to either take out the worst current threat or limit the number of enemies coming at him in a flanking position, and tried to ignore the burning cut in his side. They certainly recovered quickly for people who had just seen someone appear out of nowhere and rip their leader apart with their hands and teeth! Truly fanatics. This didn't look good.

Or maybe they dealt with this a lot? He doubted they were summoning another couatl in that circle.

He could taste blood on his tongue and wanted to be sick, but this was the exact wrong time to be squeamish. Baring his fangs, he darted around and snapped and slashed at another of the cultists.

bite FRA: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
bite dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

claw1 FRA: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
claw1 dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

claw2 FRA: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
claw2 dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

claw1 confirm: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
claw1 crit dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 Sorry, I keep forgetting that we just use the crit multiplier XD ^_^; For all Ash's strikes it's x2.

Thank you! :D

bite non-AOO: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
bite dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 Yayyy!

Idrassa is correct: Ash hasn't shared his extra-shifter nature afai remember, though it might reasonably have been guessed by the older party members.

u_u yes XD

K:religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18 Damn! So close. Possible to get a synergy with his old Profession?

just in case: Prof:templar: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

guesswork if no dice (ha ha): 1d5 ⇒ 2

The cat lurked on the edge of the circle, alert for any possible other intruders while trawling his memory for what rumors, preachings, and gossip he'd heard about the Mockery. Maybe something would suggest to him who his target should be...?

He made a quick judgement of which cultists he should take out in which order, and decided wasting the impetus of surprise on what little damage a cat's claws could do would be a waste. These people were dangerous, whatever else he knew about them.

Ash eyed the cultists. Time to make a decision.

He tensed, ready to shift and spring into action. He planned to scuff the runes and circle in the hope of breaking whatever ritual they had going on, while not actually crossing into the symbol - and draw his Templar sword to do his best to put the cultists down quickly, while they were still startled and perhaps confused.

No - wait!

He'd forgotten already. He must atone. There was a reason he should use those claws and fangs now.

The Flame knew he would have needed her blessing for this one.

Forgive me, he prayed, as his teeth and claws began to sprout, and he felt the power build inside him to burst back into bipedal form.

He should already have the tiger aspect, and the plan is to shift right beside the leader (hopefully) in the surprise round and use his swift action to get his fangs and claws, and then attack whenever possible, with any luck scuffing the pentagram or whatever while he fights.

init (for later?): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

FRA bite: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
bite dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

FRA claw1: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
claw1 dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

FRA claw2: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
claw2 dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

...wow, dicebot. D:

Great scene, Idrassa! GM, Ash will check if the tail guy is coming up here, or if he can see where he went, but he doesn't feel like he can leave this sacrifice guy behind for the party's mission to get info. He'll go back to the ritual and circle as quietly as he can, trying to get a good look at each of the cultists and decide who the leader is. Then he's going to shred that guy's face, hopefully making the others confused by this cat/shifter appearing to attack them out of nowhere, long enough for the dude to potentially break free and try to escape (bonus if he can blind the leader, even temporarily - maybe a dirty trick maneuver?). If it doesn't look like he can get to his feet and flee, I guess we're having a last stand here.

Oh, I thought I was following the guy. Which way did he go?

Yellowspire, Turnback Court, Castle Ward - Ash

As the tail shuts the door behind him, Ash finds that the first floor of the tower is windowless. The scaffolding provides an easy way up to the second floor, though, and in spite of the aged wood and creaky supports, Ash-the-cat saunters up as silently as, well, a cat.

The upper level is pierced by arrow slits 4 feet tall by 1 foot wide- more than enough room for a cat to get in. The room looked had once been a wizard's laboratory, with a soot-stained fireplace complete with lidless iron cauldron hanging on an iron hook in the hearth, a rocking chair, a trellis table, and an empty bookshelf.

It looks like there has been a significant effort to clean the place up in recent days, complete with a bloody set of tools bolted over the hearth in a mockery of the octogram of the Sovereign Host.

Of more immediate interest were the five people in hooded red robes sitting on the floor around a man strapped to the table on the north side of the room. He was stripped naked and painted in arcane runes in the same bloody red color as the circle and star on the floor. Each of the hooded people sat at one point of a 5-pointed star, apparently deep in concentration.

K:religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Ash narrowed his eyes. He hadn't been that religious lately - at least, not until he met Idrassa and Tweety - but this sure looked like the pictures in penny dreadfuls about The Mockery. Even if they were wildly exaggerated, as most of them were, this did not look like good news at all. Flame above! He wanted to leap in and do... something, but there were a few questions that needed to be answered first.

Was the naked man a willing participant, or a victim? Wouldn't really help to try to free him only to find he was facing more people than he thought.

Who was the leader of the hooded people? Were there any faces he could recognize? he did his best to commit those he could see to memory, for later, if there was a later. He figured his best chance in this den of snakes was to cut the head off the leader and hope the others were startled enough to miss while the victim got away.

If everything went to shit, as it was, he admitted to himself, most likely to do, did the victim stand a chance of getting out of here alive while Ash stayed behind to cause trouble?

Ready to leap in and start trouble before anyone did anything to the naked man, Ash paused to hear what the runner had to say, and who he had to say it to. That might clear some things up, and after all, wasn't that why he was here?

The naked guy looking very much like he was about to be sacrificed to some demon bent that priority a bit, but... gather information or save some guy... why not both?

Listening in, and Ash will sneak closer if he has to, but ready an action to either shift and attack whoever looks like the ringleader/the most dangerous (read spellcasty) of them, or just straight up jump into his face as an angry cat, if it looks like they're about to kill or torture the naked guy.

Yeah, he'll go inside

Ash is definitely going to try to keep following the guy, he wants to hear what he has to say one way or the other, and see to whom he speaks.

I was thinking we could wait until the party was gathered again to get more eyes (and skills) on this, but in case we're going for it now, some rolls:

Perception (+ scent): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33
Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
Survival: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

Maybe someone in the party could do something interesting (a distraction and an incentive to report back, rolled into one), and then 1-3 of us (to increase the odds of *someone* successfully tailing him, maybe working in tandem? So one PC isn't tailing him the whole way, to allay his suspicions) tail him. Ash is willing to volunteer to trail, not specifying how (but obvs as some kind of animal that wouldn't be too noticeable; I'm thinking cat or very large rat, since birds don't typically fly indoors that much). Though I suspect his cover as a cat might be blown at this point - and if he heads into a nicer district, rat is probably not going to be the best choice, ESPECIALLY a ROUS. Open to ooc suggestions XD

Tarley Free Clinic, Fishgut Court, Dock Ward, afternoon - Ash, Illendur, Zander

"Our boy Renaer slums it down here in the Docks all the time. Your gnome- Dalakhar, I think- has been keeping an eye on him on and off for years, as far as anybody I know can tell. He comes and goes, but people remember him working for the old chief Councilman, Renaer's dad. Seems like his job's been to keep tabs on ir'Nelview the Younger and report back to Dagult wherever the old man's hiding these days."

"Recently, though- in the past week or so- the gnome's been trying to get in contact with Renaer, not just get information about him. Nobody knows why, though. There's a theory the gangs have found ir'Nelview's stash and are fighting over who gets to keep it but so far there ain't been any fresh coin on either side so nobody's won yet."

"Some folks're sayin' it's a new Grand Game, even. Maybe it even started with ir'Nelview gettin' deposed a couple years ago. You know, when politics spills out into the streets and gets normal folks like you an' me mixed up in it? Half a million galifars is enough even for the richest nobles in the city to sit up and take interest. That kind of money can buy you a lot of friends."

"So if that's all true, then we got Daask an' House Tarkanan an' who knows who else all tryna find Papa ir'Nelview's hidden vault an' stolen coin. And if you picked up a tail, stands to reason they were watchin' the gnome's rooms to see if anybody came to check on him."

Illendur and Ash both remembered Renaer telling them after they'd rescued him from the Tarkanans that the thugs thought he knew where Renaer's father hid the money he stole. They were looking for something called the Stone of Golorr, which had been stolen from a Daask crime boss. The Tarkanans thought that Renaer's father or someone working for him had stolen it to use it to open a hidden vault. The Daask mind flayer the group had encountered in the sewers- Nihiloor- had questioned Renaer about this Stone of Golorr in front of the group, as well.

Half a million galifars?! Ash had always considered himself above petty squabbles over money, but that number gave him pause.

But that wasn't the only detail that caught his attention.

"Do you know anything else about that Stone, Dok? What does it look like? How big is it? What do people say about it?"

"Illendur, Zander, maybe we should catch that tail and have a few more questions answered. Or maybe we should turn the tail around, and see where they go and whom they talk to."

Ash leaned over and muttered, "Don't forget the Tarkanan thing we found."

Tarley Free Clinic, Fishgut Court, Dock Ward, afternoon - Ash, Illendur, Zander

An elf, a shifter, and a warforged walk into a clinic. Sounds like the start of a joke.

In this case, the clinic was no joke. Dok Tarley had taken the nobles' largesse to create and outfit a house of healing larger than the one the group had helped out in Field Ward. The inside was spic and span, with wooden floorboards and whitewashed walls and ceiling freshly cleaned, neat rows of chairs half full of prospective patients, and a trio of nurses behind an opening in a wall that blocked passage from the lobby to the emergency treatment area. They looked busy but not harried, just another day treating those who couldn't afford to go to anywhere else.

Instead, [Zander] merely waited, one pace behind and to the left of Illendur, head in semi-constant motion as he took in all that he could see.

Ash occupied the space behind and to the right of Illendur, making it look like he and Zander were bodyguards. In truth, they might as well have been; both were alert to dangers even when nominally at ease. Ash hoped no one took it the wrong way.

It probably didn't help change the impression, that they were both waiting for Illendur to carry the conversation.

Ash couldn't help but notice how the extra resources the nobles had poured into the Dock ward (via Dok) had helped to improve matters for the people here - at least, he presumed it had - Dockers weren't as badly off as those in Field ward, but they still had to work hard, and didn't have much coin to spend on things like doctors. He pondered whether he could get Dok to branch out, and share some of that golden coin with the clinic in Field ward.

Perception w/o scent: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Diplo to gather info: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Yep. Ash is too uncomfortable in his own skin to put anyone else at ease.

Sorry guys, I'm caught in hellweek. I was going to have Ash pound on the empty room's door and call out about how "the messenger is here for you," then leave, but... yeah. Ash will head back to the Trollskull.

Is Zander still here? I was going to have Ash take his cue from Zander's reaction, but... ^_^;

Disappointed in his search, Ash quickly put the papers and chair back the way he'd found them, shifted, and hopped out the window. Once on the ground, he re-entered the inn with the intent of fetching Zander - and keeping away from the merchant and his bodyguards.

LOLOLOLOLOL Dicebot out to get me this time instead of you! Great improv with the Queen book btw XD There wasn't any sign of Tarkanan-aligned businesses in the papers?

Dripping Dagger Inn, Room 418 - Ash

Ash took a moment to shift into a bird and fly out the window at the end of the hall. 4 stories up was enough to discourage all but the most determined burglars, especially in the middle of the day, so the residents of 418 had left their window open to keep the air fresh when they returned.

Ash-the-bird hopped into the room, finding that 418 was larger than 414, consisting of 2 rooms off a small sitting area. 1 of the rooms had a single larger bed and the other had 2 smaller beds. Unlike the meticulously (some might say paranoid) cleaned 414, this small suite showed signs of habitation.

The sitting area had a small couch and a pair of comfortable chairs but nothing sitting out that might be of interest.

In the single-bed room there was a large locked trunk, a well made but clearly slept-in bed, and a book resting on top of a small box that looked like it might contain letters or documents. The small room was well lit, as the occupant had left the continual lantern open, perhaps in anticipation of coming back after dark.

In the double-bed room there were 2 large packs like adventurers might use, next to 1 bed neatly made and the other messily unmade. The two nightstands further showed the personalities of their users, with another book on one and a discarded plate and mug on the other. The room was lit only by the light coming in through the window, as someone had taken the time to shutter both continual lanterns.

Knowing he likely had little time, Ash shifted and jammed a chair under the doorknob, then took a quick look at the book on the box.

Ash just wants to know what the merchant and his guards were up to, in case they were involved with the Tarkanans or the bombing. He's looking for any clues he can glean as to that. He won't disturb anything that might be trapped, except possibly the box. Can he get behind it and open it, so if there's some horrible spell on it or poison darts in it they miss him? XD Willing to try! If nothing bad happens, he'll take a quick glance through the documents, looking for clues. If it sounds like someone is trying to get in, he'll wrap things up and fly away. Unless there's something terribly incriminating in the papers in the box (assuming that IS what's in the box), he'll leave everything as he found it. Should I roll anything?

K:nobility: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 Lel. Nope.

If no one's looking, Ash will shift into a smallish animal like a cat or a bird, and check if someone left the window open. He's not quite sanguine enough to kick the door in, so if not, he'll admit defeat and go to the Trollskull with the others.

Which tavern are you talking in, Trollskull or Dripping Dagger?

Trollskull, but wait - the thugs never left the Dagger?

Ash saw the merchant and his two bodyguards from room 418 at a corner table of the Dripping Dagger Inn's tavern. The merchant was talking animatedly into a sending stone, looking and occasionally gesturing at Tweety.

Ash thought twice about leaving, and went back up the stairs, heading for room 418.

If he passes Declan and Zander, he'll whisper that he wants to check one last thing. If he can't get into the room to check it out, he'll just go back to the Trollskull with the others.

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

Ash slipped down into the common room of the Dripping Dagger, catching Idrassa's eye and shaking his head slightly. Then he made his escape, out into the open air.

He intended to see where the toughs Illendur had talked to were headed.

Survival to pick up their trail: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10 LOLOLOL PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE SHIFTER BEHIND THE CURTAIN

***

Back at the tavern, he shared what they had found at the Dagger with the others. The squeaky clean room, and the disc. "Maybe the Tarkanans would know what's going on, but I don't believe they would be forthcoming with what they do know," he mused, inconvenienced a bit by his fangs. It was hard not to soften words, most of the time.

Perhaps with more practice, he reflected.

Ash stared at Declan without comprehension, but the man had indicated that it wasn't trapped, so he pocketed the disc of his own volition. It might be some kind of evidence that they'd need later. He poked around a little more, peering into every hidey-hole he could imagine and even tapping lightly on panels just in case, hoping to trigger some brain activity to explain all this while he moved about, rubbing his still-sore arm.

Perception again if possible?: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 LOL

Profession: Templar to look for anything unnaturally screwy via experience, such as clawmarks or whatever: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20 Double LOL. If anything unnatural has occurred here, Ash is your man.

Idrassa: "Oh, this? This is just my emotional support angel, sir."

Perception DC30 is an autofail for Ash without Scent, unfortunately, and he doesn't have K:local at all. Is the disc loose, or is it attached to anything? Not touching it, but if someone with trap mojo wants to check it, maybe we can take it with us?

"House Tarkanan," Ash breathed more than spoke, his voice so soft it wouldn't scare a mouse. He pointed it out to Declan (and anyone else who had come in with him).

Ash is already busy "creating unlucks," as they say. Might as well take a lil' peek out the curtain. Not opening it, just peeking through a bit.

Ash made a sharp "Hsst!" sound to gain the others' attention, indicating they (apart from Illendur) should get inside immediately - Illendur would have to pretend or deal with whomever was coming, whichever he chose. Whether they intended to follow his suggestion or not, he intended to, and to peek out to see who was passing as surreptitiously as he could.

Already rolled that abysmal Perception for the room but maybe Stealth?

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10 lmfao. Nope.

Ash proceeded to whack his elbow directly into the doorframe edge, sending a jolt through his whole arm. He made a strangled wheezing, grunting sound as he disappeared inside.

How sure are we that this was the right room, again? o_o;

Ash will try listening at the door first, but... *gestures at dicebot results above*

"Sounds as though we have a plan. For the-! Uh... let's go."

In case there's an opportune moment we can perceive:

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

To poke around in the room, if we get in:

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Bleh. Subpar. Ash must be worried about abandoning Idrassa and Tweety for a while.

Ash nodded, relieved. "Does anyone here have any skill with locks?"

"Let's proceed over there, then. We might as well try. Goggh, can you hold down the fort?"

Ash, at least, will go to the inn and see if they can just mosey in (with any lockpicking help anyone might have). If not, he'll excuse himself, then see if there's an open window a bird might fly through. If not... HEY LOOK A DISTRACTION. *kicks in door*

"Someone of us might be able to," Ash said thoughtfully. "If the detective isn't already there."

Reflexively, he looked around for Jixel and Peekee, then managed to ignite his two brain cells and looked at Declan questioningly instead.

Ash had been quite shy about his... skills with the group, but if someone else were to attempt to get in, it might provide the necessary distraction...

Ash cleared his throat, "accidentally" nudging Idrassa with an elbow.

"Can you tell us more about the sort of things Dalahkar was doing? Maybe the sorts of people he was meeting with? Other than your father, of course. Did he say why he couldn't deliver it to your father?"

This was a fantastic read!!! <3 Did Ash get kicked out of the garrett though? XD

I'm hesitant to have Ash speak up to Renaer for his personal reasons, but he can confirm if no one else does.

Ash had taken to hanging about Goggh in what little time he wasn't coincidentally in the same general location as Idrassa and her serpent. He found the minotaur's presence and personality soothing, a hard-needed trait of late.

He wasn't exactly in Idrassa's company, at least not the same way. He was just always nearby. He hadn't decided what he would do about his sign from the Flame, at least, not yet. But staying near the one anointed by the Flame couldn't hurt. It could be a rough town, after all.

Goggh was still sore in more ways than one about the giant fireball. Ash found himself nodding along as Goggh less than subtly suggested that someone should find out what was up with that explosion.

Feel free to ignore the bit about Goggh if it doesn't fit in, DM.

I have no problem following the main story, though truth be told, I'm more interested in our little side stories playing out. But that's just because I'm more invested in our little group than the wider world at the moment.

I would eventually like to figure out how to uphold Ash's promise to make life better for the shifters, or to drop the deal with the Twelvedogs without getting lynched, since it turned out to be completely unnecessary and probably counterproductive. Also interested to see how things go with Idrassa and his new The Divine Has Given Me Purpose shenanigans. Also still interested in the mystery kid who talks to cats and apparently has contacts (or patrons?) in low places?

Maybe the last one is connected to the main plot, I dunno. Anyway, let's go investigate the fireball? Or does anyone else have better threads to pull?

Have fun! :D

Vastly relieved, Ash slipped into an alley to shift back, and help Martem's mother hobble back to the tavern, or go fetch Martem, whichever way his mother answered Idrassa.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16 +8 if Martem will let it out of his sight so Ash can use Scent (he'll go into another room to shift and get the scent)

If Martem won't let the bag out of his sight:

Stymied, Ash handed the bag back, and awkwardly patted Martem on the head. "Don't you worry, lad. We'll find her." He turned and approached Blastwind, intending to ask whether the detective might be willing to use a few of his own resources on the matter.

If Martem lets the bag out of his sight long enough for Ash to shift and get the scent:

Ash thanked the boy, and took the bag aside. Yet even changed, he couldn't find hope. He would have frowned, if he could have in this shape. Blast! With all the commotion and stink of fire and flesh outside, this wouldn't help at all. Unless... unless he found a trail he could use. And Idrassa was heading out anyway.

Ash padded off after her, worried both about Martem, and about Idrassa.

He'll try to get a sniff of the healed woman. Just in case.

Ash hurriedly hustled the boy away, ostensibly in search of a pastry - no need to alarm him... yet.

Kneeling by him, he asked, "Martem, do you have anything of your mother's? Could I see?"

If he has anything, Ash will ask to borrow it for a moment and take a good whiff. Then he'll tell Martem he's going out to search, and will go out and shift and try to pick up her scent.

"Don't worry, I'm sure your mom won't be in any trouble now..." Ash attempted to reassure the boy, patting his shoulder; but his eyes were on Idrassa. Where was she going with this?

Surely not.

He smiled at Martem. "But it's important that someone may have lost it. Do you remember who it was? What they looked like? Anyway, there's no reason to worry now. In fact, I don't know anyone better than Idrassa here to help explain matters. She'll help us find your parents, lickety split, and we'll explain everything."

He nodded at Idrassa, inviting her to do something miraculous, or at least to help find Martem's parents and smooth things over.

Ash, meanwhile, was growing a bit worried about finding Martem's parents, but doing his best to hide that from the child. Doing his best to keep the kid entertained and not worried or scared, he glanced at the necklace the boy was clutching while the shifter procured some food.

"What's that, Martem? Is that your mother's?"

XD XD XD XD XD I'm dying

I told you Ash should be an oracle! XD XD XD XD XD XD XD

"Let's get you somewhere safe while we find her, okay? Follow me, I'll take you where the people are. Can you walk?"

Ash kept his voice as soothing as he could.

This isn't actually a halfling with a necklace of fireballs, is it? :P

Ash began to rush over to the boy before remembering himself. With a bit more caution, he approached the boy, telegraphing his presence.

"Are you all right? Where are your parents?"

He crouched nearby, and smiled without showing his teeth. "They call me Ash. What's your name?"