GMPL 8665's page

Badharkân, you cannot recall ever hearing or reading anything about pugwampis.

Due to all the footprints of those, himself included, who put out the fire Turok cannot find any tracks around Eloais' wagon.

Dashki rises to his feet "Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?" he asks indignantly. "Almah may have appointed you to investigate this fire, but she didn't appoint you my keeper. I will go wherever I want, whenever I want." he glares at Badi, his hand stopping just short of drawing his blade as he seems to weigh the odds against him.

Dashki looks at Sonja, then cocks his head to one side "Pugwampis eh, you never heard of them? Vile little creatures from the Darklands themselves. When they first poked their heads up from down below they encountered a tribe of gnolls. They began to worship them as some sort of furry gods, although gnolls can't stand 'em.
Cursed, they are. Wherever a Pugwampi goes bad luck is sure to follow. Jackal rats they calls them, on account of their pointy heads and ears. They infest gnoll villages although the gnolls do their best to eradicate them, they always come back.
Yes, now that I think about it it was probably a Pugampi's curse that caused the fortune teller's candles to burn down his wagon."

"Oh, so it's master Dashki now is it, eh?" He glares at Nasir, "I told you I didn't see nothin, and that's that." he stabs his knife into the tree branch and levers himself up, using the crutch. "All this fuss because some fool got hisself all burnt up in his wagon. If'n you ask me it was just a matter of time. Danged fool was always burning candles and incense in there. Hell's bells we're way deep into Gnoll country here maybe it was a Pugwampi, damned things are cursed."

Nasir, please make me a Diplomacy roll.

Badharkân, you cannot sense any deception from Dashki.

Sonja, except for a couple of personal items and some things in the interior of Zastoran's wagon you find no other signs of magic in the area.

As you appraoch Dashki's tent you find the man himself sitting outside on a fallen branch whitling on a piece of wood, a crude wooden crutch lies propped up beside him. "Not much to tell, I was eating dinner by the campfire when the wagon just burst into flames. With everyone running around trying to put the fire out or keep it from spreading I figured, given my condition" he nods his head toward the crutch "That I would only be in the way, so I went to my tent to watch the fire fighting efforts."

Yes, you can check the spoilers. Thank you for asking first.

Turok and Badharkân, while examining the wagon please make the same Perception checks as Nasir.

There are seven different people/groups you can talk to about the fire: Lady Almah, Garavel, the caravan guards (Almah's personal guards or the band of mercenaries she hired), Zastoran (Almah's healer/alchemist), Hadrah and Hadrod (the camel drivers), and Dashki (Lady Almah's guide and gnoll expert).

I'm going to Retcon a little bit because I want to take a different tack on the investigation.

Immediately after the fire:
With the crisis immediately passed, Almah summons Garavel to her and the pair make their way to Almah's pavilion. As they enter the red armored guards take up position around the tent to keep unwanted ears from approaching too close.
Despite the guards precaution a muffled exchange can be heard between the caravan leader and her caravan master. although the words cannot be made out, the testy tone of the conversation is unmistakable. A few short minutes later Garavel emerges from the tent, bowing low as he exits.
Looking around the campsite Garavel motions for the six of you to join him. As you gather around Garavel begins to explain "The wagon that was destroyed belonged to Mistress Almah's personal soothsayer, Eloais. He was inside the wagon when it burst into flames. He did not escape. As we were not here when the wagon erupted My Lady has asked me, and I am asking you, to investigate the circumstances of the fire. Take your time and talk to those present to find out what they know or may have seen. You have the Lady's permission to speak to anyone you want, herself included. If anyone refuses to speak to you inform me and I will inform Mistress Almah. When you have finished report back to me."

Zastoran sighs as he sits down on the steps of an iron bound wagon and looking up at Sonja he begins to explain. "Eloais is, was rather, Lady Almah's soothsayer. He was in the wagon when it caught fire." He shudders slightly, "Although I didn't have much faith in his abilities, he was a well travelled and well read man. No one else here could discuss the poetry of Bellnais or the music of Absalom and I will miss our conversations very much."

Badharkân you search the area around the pens and although the area is very scuffed up you can find no track in the area other than those of the three of you and the various animals.
The camel driver's wife, Hadrah, places a hand on her chest "Heaven's no, my lord. Rombard is Hadrod's pet goat. Since we were not blessed by the Goddess with children Rombard is the closest thing we have to family."

Nasir and Turok you are unable to make anything out from where you stand other than the smoking ruins of the wagon. As you look inside Garavel approaches you with Badi and Marossa in tow "Quit gawking, you heard Lady Almah. Wait for me outside her pavillion while I gather the others."

Garavel approaches Sonja and Badharkân in turn and asks you to join the others at Lady Almah's tent as she would like to have a word with us all.

After chasing down the livestock the camel driver looks around clearly distraught, and asks you desperately "Have you seen Rombard? He's gone missing in all the chaos." He then runs off searching frantically around the campsite whistling and calling Rombard's name.

As the wounded man's eyes flutter open and he sees Sonja kneeling over him he says in a hoarse whisper "I must have died and gone to heaven" Shaking his head he says in a stronger voice "What happened? Where's Kallien? The last thing I remember was we were trying to rescue Eloais from the wagon before the smoke became too thick and I passed out. Is Eloais alright?" he looks over at the woman lying next to him "Is Kallien going to be OK?"
Zastoran places his hand on Treviss' chest as the young man tries to rise and says in a low voice "Kallien will be fine thanks to this young lady here, but I'm afraid Eloais didn't make it"

With the heroes help Almah and her entourage make short work of the fire and keep it from spreading and damage the wagon nearest it. Once the fire is extinguished the unmistakable smell of burnt meant nearly overwhelms everyone nearby.
Almah turns to Garavel and tells him "Gather everyone who came with you and report to my tent as soon as possible." before turning, and flanked by her guardsmen, returns to her pavilion.

Badharkân and the husband and wife team begin chasing the animals around the campsite, herding them towards their pen.
Each camel driver will assist you by Aiding Another on your Handle Animal checks, giving you an additional +4 to your rolls.

Sonja,
As you approach the wounded men you notice that one of them is not a man at all, but a woman. Her body is covered with horrible burns and her breathing is shallow and labored. Thankfully she is unconscious or her pain would be unbearable.
Kneeling beside the woman you place your hands on her slowly rising chest and call forth the healing power of your goddess. As the power suffuses her body most, but not all, of wounds her heal and her breathing becomes much deeper and steadier as her eyes flutter open and she begins a violent coughing fit .
As the old man turns to look at you, you notice a holy symbol, that of a human face half black/half white.

he looks at you appreciatively and says "Thank you, I was afraid I was going to lose her. I had expended all my infusions healing the others. I was too focused on saving Trevvis here that I didn't have the time to spare to save Kallien. You have my gratitude, and I'm sure hers as well."
The man introduces himself as Zastoran, and, as he puts away his healing kit, he asks if you have any further healing available to use on the other wounded man, Trevvis.

With Badi, Marossa, Turok, and Nasir helping Almah, Garavel and the other remaining guardsmen soon have the fire extinguished before it can cause any more damage to the tree or the surrounding wagons.

It will take all of you five rounds of work to extinguish the fire.

Map

There are four ways the PC's can assist the fire-fighting efforts

Almah, Garavel, and the four guardsmen have begun shuttling buckets of water between the burning wagon and another wagon 20 feet away Area A. This other wagon has a large barrel filled with water, six extra buckets sit unused on the wagon's floorboards. You figure at the present rate it will take the four of them almost one minute to douse the flames. By assisting in this task you feel you can reduce the amount of time significantly.

Nearby, four other guardsmen struggle trying to move another nearby wagon Area B away from the conflagration before it too can catch fire. You can help these men move the endangered wagon to a safe distance before it's too late.

Away from the blaze a lone gray haired human kneels beside two badly burned men tending their wounds Area C. Unfortunately with all his attention focused on one of the wounded men, the other is slowly slipping away. You could assist the healer and rescue the dying man.

A male and female human dart back and forth trying to bring the frightened animals under control and keep them from getting underfoot and hampering the firefighting efforts Area D. You could assist these two and save the poor animals from themselves and the flames.

Each PC can choose one of these four scenarios to aid in the rescue efforts

After nearly a weeks journey from the city of Solku, Garavel informs you that you will be reaching your destination shortly "Mistress Almah and her company are waiting for us at the Sultan's Claw." When asked about the Sultan's Claw, Garavel says that you'll see soon enough. Shortly after the sun has passed it's zenith you find yourself entering a series of hills, the jagged peaks of the Brazen Peak stretch across the horizon in the distance, like a series of jagged tombstones.
After another hour of travel you see a column of black smoke rising into the air from behind the next hillock. A look of worry crosses Garavel's face as he spurs his camel into a gallop. As you crest the hill you find a scene of chaos as six wagons and a large pavilion are clustered around a huge five limbed, barren tree stretching into the sky like a skeletal talon. A pack of camels prance around nervously, a wooden pen the only thing keeping them from bolting into the afternoon sun. Meanwhile a herd of goats and other livestock confusedly mill about the campground.
About a dozen men and women rush about the camp. Some chasing down the loose livestock while other rush from the center of the camp near the tree carrying buckets of water in each hand. Eyes following the bucket carriers you notice the cause of the smoke column. One of the wagons is ablaze.
Red and orange flames almost completely engulf an oddly decorated wagon. Peeling painted stars and moons decorate the sides of the burning wagon and smoke billows from an open door in the rear. As you approach the campsite a dust devil disturbs a scattering of brightly decorated cards lifting them into the air. One of the cards strikes Badi square in the chest before the others settle back to the ground. The wizard looks down at the card plastered to his chest only to find that it is the Cyclone, one of the cards from a fortune telling or, Harrow deck.

As you watch sparks fly from the wagon to land on the old tree causing the Sultan's Claw to erupt in flame. Just then a regal looking woman emerges from the central pavilion "Douse that flame" she shouts at a group of men dressed in the red chitin armor of the Packmaster's Guard. Turning away she seems to notice you for the first time. A weary smile creases her face as she addresses Garavel "Ah, Garavel. And just a moment later than the nick of time, as usual." The caravan master bows low, silent as ever. Turning to you she shouts in a voice used to command "Don't just sit there gawking, find some way to help" before turning towards a barrel of water and grabbing a bucket to join the others trying to douse the flaming wagon.

Glad to see everyone is chomping at the bit to get started.

As everyone settles in the door opens once again as a stern looking middle aged man enters the room. He scowls at everyone before saying "Good, I'm glad everyone is here. I would hate to have to leave anyone behind." Although you can tell by the tone of his voice that he would have no such regret.
"I am Garavel, Mistress Almah's Major Domo and your caravan master. While you are here lazing about there is a supply train that we must get to the Sultan's Claw within the week. Now if you would be so kind as to join me outside we can be on our way."
Once you step outside you see the servants of the Caravanserai leading about a dozen pack animals, a mixture of horses and camels, laden with supplies into the courtyard.
Once they are all assembled, Garavel vaults into the saddle of the lead camel. As it rises off it's haunches he shouts over his shoulder "All right, Mount up!" and even though the sun has barely risen above the horizon, he adds "We have wasted enough daylight. Mistress Almah awaits."

Okay, we can move this over to the Gameplay Thread

Meanwhile
After several minutes of chasing down the livestock the camel driver approaches each of you in turn and asks you desperately "Have you seen Rombard? He's gone missing in all the chaos." He then runs off searching frantically around the campsite whistling and calling Rombard's name.

As the wounded man's eyes flutter open and he sees Beatrix kneeling over him he says in a hoarse whisper ?"I must have died and gone to heaven" Shaking his head he says in a stronger voice "What happened? Where's Kallien? The last thing I remember was we were trying to rescue Eloais from the wagon before the smoke became too thick and I passed out. Is Eloais alright?" he looks over at the unconscious woman lying next to him "Is Kallien going to be OK?"

The bucket brigade
With Badi, Marossa, and Nasir helping Almah, Garavel and the other remaining guardsmen soon have the fire almost completely extinguished when, perhaps sensing it's imminent demise, the flames flare up one last time, sending an errant ember arcing into the sky where an ill-timed gust of wind sends it sailing over to the wagon which Mujahid and the other guardsmen are frantically trying to move.
All assembled can only watch in stunned silence as the ember lands atop the wagon, and fanned by the same wind which carried it, flares to life.
Reacting quickly the firemen spend precious seconds completely dousing the original fire before turning to face the new threat.
Several rounds pass before everyone has this new conflagration under control, leaving little more than several scorch marks atop the wagon.

Beatrix
As you approach the wounded men you notice that one of them is not a man at all, but a woman. Her body is covered with horrible burns and her breathing is shallow and labored. Thankfully she is unconscious or her pain would be unbearable.
Kneeling beside the woman you place your hands on her slowly rising chest and call forth the healing power of your god. As the power suffuses her body most, but not all, of wounds her heal and her breathing becomes much deeper and steadier.
She is at -2 HP's and stable
As the old man turns to look at you, you notice a holy symbol, that of a human face half black/half white.

No. But, I hadn't really thought about them. I'll post something in the OOC thread and see what everyone wants to do. But for right now I'm not using them.

Mujahid
You have four more rounds of trying to move the wagon before something bad happens.
Unable to move the wagon on their first try, Mujahid and the guards keep pulling and pushing the obstinate wagon.

Mujahid
After tossing a bucket of water on the blazing wagon, Mujahid sees the other guardsmen struggling to move another wagon away from the fire. Realizing the danger he abandons the bucket brigade and runs over to help. While Mujahid grabs the wagon's tongue the others run to the back of the wagon and begin to push from behind.
Each guardsman is attmpting a DC:10 Strength check to assist you in moving the wagon to safety.

Beatrix, you cannot see into the interior of the wagon due to the thick clouds of smoke billowing out the doorway. The only casualties you can see are the two bodies being tended to by the old man.

Mujahid, since you posted your action before I posted the scenarios you may change your action if you wish.

There are four ways the PC's can assist the fire-fighting efforts

Almah, Garavel, and the four guardsmen are shuttling buckets of water between the burning wagon and another wagon 20 feet away. This other wagon has a large barrel filled with water, five extra buckets sit unused on the wagon's floorboards. You figure at the present rate it will take the four of them almost one minute to douse the flames. By assisting in this task you feel you can reduce the amount of time significantly.

Nearby, four other guardsmen struggle trying to move another nearby wagon away from the conflagration before it too can catch fire. You can help these men move the endangered wagon to a safe distance before it's too late.

Away from the blaze a lone gray haired human kneels beside two badly burned men tending their wounds. unfortunately with all his attention focused on one of the wounded men, the other is slowly dying. You could assist the healer and rescue the dying man.

A male and female human dart back and forth trying to bring the frightened animals under control and keep them from getting underfoot and hampering the firefighting efforts. You could assist these two and save the poor animals from themselves and the flames.

Each PC can choose one of these four scenarios to aid in the rescue efforts

After nearly a weeks journey from the city of Solku garavel informs you that you will be reaching your destination shortly "Mistress Almah and her company are waiting for us at the Sultan's Claw." When asked about the Sultan's Claw, Garavel says that you'll see soon enough. Shortly after the sun has passed it's zenith you find yourself entering a series of hills, the jagged peaks of the Brazen Peak stretch across the horizon in the distance, like a series of jagged tombstones.
After another hour of travel you see a column of black smoke rising into the air from behind the next hillock. A look of worry crosses Garavel's face as he spurs his camel into a gallop. As you crest the hill you find a scene of chaos as six wagons and a large pavilion are clustered around a huge five limbed, barren tree stretching into the sky like a skeletal talon. A pack of camels prance around nervously, a wooden pen the only thing keeping them from bolting into the afternoon sun. Meanwhile a herd of goats and other livestock confusedly mill about the campground.
About a dozen men and women rush about the camp. Some chasing down the loose livestock while other rush from the center of the camp near the tree carrying buckets of water in each hand. Eyes following the bucket carriers you notice the cause of the smoke column. One of the wagons is ablaze.
Red and orange flames almost completely engulf an oddly decorated wagon. Peeling painted stars and moons decorate the sides of the burning wagon and smoke billows from an open door in the rear. As you approach the campsite a dust devil disturbs a scattering of brightly decorated cards lifting them into the air. One of the cards strikes Badi square in the chest before the others settle back to the ground. The wizard looks down at the card plastered to his chest only to find that it is the Cyclone, one of the cards from a fortune telling or, Harrow deck.

Stat blocks for the camel and horse.

Nasir, that's fine.

Everyone is welcome. Now let's have a good time.