Benson's Legacy of Fire: Team Awesome (IC)

[Benson]

In the beginning, when Rovagug perfected the way of destruction, the lands were littered with the dead. Crows, maggots, beetles, worms, and the other crawling things of the earth complained to Rovagug.

“You destroy and maim too quickly!” they cried. “We cannot devour all the meat you give us! Please, destroy the people of the earth more slowly.”

“What?” shouted Rovagug, in a voice that toppled pillars. “My glorious destruction shall never cease nor slow!”

Yet in the dark, delighting in the destruction god’s slaughter, watched Lamashtu, the Mother of Monsters, and she heard the base things cry. In those black days when all the land was covered with death and all the air stank, she watched as a few tribes of men, her followers and devout worshipers, ate the flesh of corpses as the crows did, plucking out eyes, savoring the bloodiest cuts. To these cannibals she led packs of hyenas, and their ways became as one. Of those louse-ridden beastmen rose the first gnolls, half-hyenas who love the stench of carrion and praise each corpse as an offering to their dark mother. And the demon queen delighted in her own perversion and reveled in these monsters’ terrible howling songs. Born of devastation, and insanity, and the corrupt of soul, the man-beasts spread upon the world, and where they prowled they indulged in their hunger for murdered flesh. Surely, they are to be despised by any sane god, and so we make ceaseless war on those who seek to feed on the bodies of heroes and innocents.

And somewhere in the madness between the stars, the Mother of Perversion and the Mistress of Insanity still laughs her wicked laugh, as her ravening spawn, the bone gnawers and carrion eaters, grow fat off our flesh. Gnolls are among the first abominations, and their death is a blessing. Remember this when their laughter haunts your steps.

-Old Katapesh Children's Bedtime Tale



http://i60.tinypic.com/erzbkg.jpg



4714 AR, Sarenith (June), Wealday (Wednesday) 2 PM

Hot.

Blistering, spirit shattering hot. That was really the only way to describe the past several days of travel from Solku on a dreary camel caravan underneath Serenrae's sun. The cracked earth beneath you, the cloudless sky above you. Scrub lands upon scrub lands wherever you turned your head, and where there were no scrub lands, just vast unwelcoming baked earth desert. In the distant haze to the west, one can just make out the immense outline of Pale Mountain looming over the mid-evening horizon like a tombstone. You will mostly likely have found yourself reaching for your water skin to quench a parched throat.

Garavel, the no-nonsense major domo of his patron, Almah, a merchant princess, continued to lead the way by foot, tightly gripping the rope around his hand that was tied to the head camel. Six other camels walked behind the front camel in a row, attached together by a long rope to keep the camels in a straight line. Also attached to them were the many bags of supplies and gear meant for Almah's group they were to meet up with. Upon four of the six camels sat the PCs, reins in hands, the other two occupied by guards, scimitars at their sides as they kept an observant eye on their surroundings.

"We are almost there. Just over the next hill we should be near the Sultan's Claw," Garavel announced in Common, in a deeply accented Kelish accent, his eyes looking forward.
======

<As so we begin, please feel free to in your post talk about what your character is feeling, their experiences thus far from since taking to this caravan ride and whatever else you want to mention.>

[Worgwood]

Akul had been napping in the saddle when Garavel made his announcement. He had signed on to fight gnolls and hadn't seen one since beginning with the caravan. The pay would be good either way, of course, but he hadn't had cause to say a great deal to anyone but Garavel.

But the journey's impending end seems to pick the man up. He sits straight-backed in the saddle with his glaive propped across one shoulder and his shortbow hanging from his hand.

"What can we expect once we arrive?" he asks.

[Eldon4]

Zaigan has been merrily chatting with one of the guards when he hears Garavel's announcement. During the trip so far he has attempted to get to know each of his traveling companions better with mixed results from some of the more reclusive members. He of course already knew Nadia Naunet from there days in Solku.

Now that they are getting closer to their destinations, Zaigan feels the excitement rising within himself. Not only is this his first real adventure, but he is dearly hoping to learn more about his father and his first few years of life. He wishes heartily to be able to ride up beside Garavel, but the ropes on his camel keep him in place. "I do hope we find something interesting Akul." he sys with a smile

[CharlesMartel]

Aeolus sat in his saddle quietly, not making a word or sound as the caravan rode on. He was far less enthusiastic about this whole trip than the man in heavy armor, who he thought was an aasimar based on not only his skin color, but those bright, gleaming eyes; just as with him, it was a signifier of his heritage. The aasimar- Zaigan- just chose not to hide his ancestry. Too bad for him. His other companions were either just as disinterested in this whole trip- one even fell asleep in his saddle, for Norgorber's sake- or somewhere in between, as it was with the case of the cleric.

The cleric was undoubtedly worshipping Sarenrae, and he could have sworn he had seen a wooden icon of the Dawnflower on the aasimar: they were both huge obstacles to finding Norgorber's font of knowledge hidden in Kelmarane, if it did even exist. The other man could be an ally, but it was far too early to make any sort of binding statement like that; he would have to wait and see.

He had been waiting a very long time on this trip already and every second increased the weight on his shoulders. He could only hope that something worthwhile came out of this expedition.

[Feather Sigil]

...may the Dawnflower have mercy on his soul.

It was only last week that I finally received some good news. A note from Haleen...or one that was signed by her, anyway. Like the first, this one was written strangely. Haleen and I had never exchanged letters, but it didn’t read at all like anything she would say, and its tone was too dispassionate for my liking, too dispassionate addressed to someone who had shared her home for a decade. Nevertheless, it was glimmer of hope I eagerly sought. The note said she was near Kelmarane, and as luck--or fate--would have it, a mercenary caravan was set to leave for the ruined town very soon.

Sarenrae be praised.

---Sarenith 2---

No changes.

Finally, it's finished. I must admit, writing out my life proved more subtly therapeutic than I would've imagined. When I return I'll need to thank Sister Petrice for her suggestion.

It's been almost two weeks since I received that letter. I don't regret this journey at all, but I can't deny part of me wishes I was back in Solku. Of all months, this expedition had to be held on the holy month. Whatever revelry Brother Jorweth and I may bring here can hardly compare to a month-long celebration throughout the whole city. I was particularly looking forward to Brother Hume's summoning performances.

Nadia sighed and gave her journal a wry smile.

Nothing to be done about that now, and what we do here will be worthy of many more celebrations. The journey itself passed uneventfully, except for what I think is a slight hint of ash in the air; I'm not sure where it's coming from. I've barely spoken to Aeolus or Akul these past few days, and not for lack of trying. They both seem like reserved men--or sleepy, in Akul's case--but it might just be the still-unfamiliar company. On the other hand, I'm glad to have Brother Jorweth with me; it's always nice to have a familiar face.

No sign of Haleen yet, nor of anyone else traveling this way. I would say I hope she's alright, and I do, but I know she isn't. Even if I find her, whatever drew her away to begin with may still be a concern--if so, then I hope I can help her deal with it.

Sarenrae be praised.

Smiling sincerely now, Nadia closed her journal and looked around for anything that would stand out amidst the endless tan dunes, anything that might trigger some hints of memory. There was only the Pale Mountain, and no matter how many times she saw it it remained no more or less familiar.

"Whatever we find, Brother, will be interesting to me. I have not seen these sands in 25 years. I've no memory at all of anything Kelmarane or this general region once was."

[Benson]

"We can expect to find her Lady and her camp." Garavel replied unhelpfully bluntly.
---

The journey would continue on as the group would soon top the last rise, a caravan of a half-dozen wagons and a large tent clustered around the distinctive tree comes into view. Camels in a nearby pen prance in agitation, and a clutch of confused goats and livestock wander the grounds around the wagons. The group would see a dozen men and women rush around the campsite, chasing down an animal or hastening toward the center of the cluster, near the Sultan’s Claw, with pails of water in their hands. One of the wagons would be seen on fire!

Lush orange and red flames engulf an elaborate wooden wagon emblazoned with painted moons and stars. A gout of smoke pours from an open door, and as they approach, an ill wind blows a number of colorful fortune-telling Harrow cards from inside the wagon. One of these singed cards blows directly at Zaigon, catching against his chest in a burst of orange cinders.

Before he could get a proper look at it the whole of the Sultan’s Claw erupts into brilliant flame! This itself would prompt Garavel out of his initial shock and surprise as he abandoned his hold on the camel's rein he held as he ran towards the camp.

The central flap of an elaborate tent flies open and a regal woman who can only be Almah steps out. “Douse that flame!” she shouts to the men surrounding the wagon before turning in the direction of the party.

“Ah, Garavel!” she says. “And just a moment later than the nick of time, as usual.” She then looked specifically past her major domo and directly at the group behind him. “Find some way to help!” She barked before running off towards the fire with Garavel quickly following after his mistress.
======

I will be using olive for all NPCs fyi. Anyways.

At the moment, the PCs have several options to help out here should they choose to. Note that the PCs do not have to all be doing one thing, they can split up to help in different ways.

They could try to put out the fire, joining Almah, Garavel and four guards dressed in in the distinctive red chitin-plate armor of the Pactmaster Guard, who will try to fetch some buckets of water from another wagon twenty feet away from the one ablaze. The wagon has a heavy water barrel that they would also try to carry closer as to reduce the number of trips. That would require a Strength check. This problem could also be dealt with via other means, though that is for you to figure out.

Or they could help four burly mercenaries struggling with an enclosed wooden wagon within feet of the burning wagon, hoping to move it to safety before an errant spark causes it too to burst into flame. This would require a Strength check.

Or they could help a red-headed halfling cleric, who is kneeling next to two severely burned mercenaries who tried to enter the burning wagon. The cleric is tending to a badly wounded mercenary but he is unable to focus on his second patient, who lies near death from terrible burns and smoke inhalation. This would require a Heal Check.

Or assist in wrangling some of the frightened animals that the fire has unsettled. A middle aged camel driver and a woman do their best to wrangle the panicking livestock, but are finding themselves overrun by the chaos of the situation. There are five animals that must be calmed, each requiring a separate Handle Animal check. They are two goats, a pig, and two sheep.

[CharlesMartel]

Well, this was completely out of his area of expertise. The scene in front of him was a mess but his skillset didn't really pertain to the actions at hand, even if he was good at cleaning up certain messes.

The best he could do was help in some physical way, but he wasn't even that strong... it was worth a try, he supposed. "I'll help with moving that second wagon; everyone focus on what you can do the best." With that brief statement, Aeolus was off to the enclosed wagon; with any luck, he could figure out how this whole mess even happened in the first place... and what was in that enclosed wagon? Chaos was the friend of the thief.


Strength check to help move the wagon: [roll0]
Perception check to see contents of the wagon and figure out how the fire started: [roll1]
off to a good start

[Feather Sigil]

Nadia's legs ran straight to the wounded mercenaries even as she still contemplated how best she could help.

"I have the wounded!"

The fire could injure many more if allowed to spread, perhaps more than she and any other healers here could adequately tend to, but she couldn't leave that halfling with an unattended patient. As she ran she pointed one hand at the burning wagon and, with the slightest thought, her hand briefly glowed with a blue light. Above the wagon, a large mass of water burst from seemingly nowhere and crashed onto the fires.

Reaching the mercenary, Nadia looked all over her body for any and all signs of injury. Her head was tilted to the side and her mouth shut; Nadia held her head straight and opened her mouth. She did her best to clear the mercenary's singed clothing from her burns. All the while, the priestess' hands glowed blue again and cool water trickled all over her patient's skin. Dawnflower watch over us all.


While running to the halfling, Nadia casts Create Water (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/create-water) (2 gallons) on the burning wagon*, and then Sarenrae's Guidance (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/g/guidance) on herself.

Heal check to examine the mercenary's injuries, see whether she is breathing or not and begin administering treatment, stabilizing if necessary: [roll0]

*Since we don't have a map or anything with which to determine exact distances I'm assuming the wagon was at any point within range for Nadia to do this.



I referenced her water ability twice in the prose but she only cast Create Water, mechanically, once. I'm the type to take artistic license with things in roleplaying, particularly where magic is concerned. I'm not going to use it to try to cheat, though; it's just adding flavour.

[Eldon4]

Zaigan gently pats the harrow card out and takes a quick look at it before sliding it into his pouch. He then calls out "are there anymore that might be saved in the wagon?". As he says this he moves to help carry the water barrel closer.

Perception on card
[roll0]

Strength
[roll1]

[Worgwood]

Akul sits sleepily in the saddle as he regards the scene of abject chaos unfolding before him. Then, with a sigh, he dismounts.

He complains with grunts of displeasure as he finds a safe place to stow his weapons - a place where they won't be ravaged by flame. All the same he dutifully (if grumpily) makes his way over to the animal pen, where he reaches out to each animal in turn, and attempts to calm them down.

Handle Animal
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[Benson]

The animals prove to be a skittery pain in the butt for poor Akul, who seemed to old for these shenanigans, and he was only twenty six! The first critter, one of the goats was so panicked by the smoke and fire that it let out one of those cries that sound terribly human-like. You know the ones. This seemed to send the two sheep, and pig into a continued mindset of panicking. One of the goats however found himself calmed by Akul's attempts to be reassuring and even licked his hand.

Akul can attempt again to calm the other animals at a -1

Alas, Zaigan found his eyes briefly struck with errant stinging smoke as he simultaneously tried to view the card before sliding it down into his pouch. Alas, pressing matters would force him to resign to looking at the card at a later time.


With his great strength, Zaigan was able to lift the heavy water barrel and carry it over just as Nadia let fall water out of thin air.

"Yes," Almah quickly answered Zaigan's question. "Eloais is still in there."

Nadia's use of Create Water allowed for most of the flames to be doused, allowing for Zaigan, Almah, Garavel, and the four guards to quickly put out the rest of the flames.

Though not before a spark bounced, landing on the wagon Aeolus was trying to assist the burly mercs with, to little success. He would find it difficult trying to spy anything in the enclosed wagon, let alone trying to determine what caused the other wagon to catch ablaze, at this current crazy moment. Aeolus would be able to stamp out the errant spark, though should he not take the action to do so, one of the mercs would do it.

And finally, through Nadia's skillfully applied first aid, the female merc begins to stabilize, coughing and sputtering, albeit rather hoarsely. She will be out for a while, but she should do fine with some rest and some watching over.

The red headed halfling, up close, seemed to be one nearing old age, wanly smiled at Nadia, looking up from the merc he was tending before returning his full attention to his patient.

[Eldon4]

hearing that there is still someone inside Zaigan throws some water over himself from the barrel, just in case, then hurries into the wagon to find Eloais. He uses his cloak to cover his nose and mouth, and when he finds Eloais he gently lifts him and carries him over to the other injured people.

OOC
As I can life 600lbs off the ground I' m not sure if I need rolls or not so I'll make them in the OOC if I do

[CharlesMartel]

Aeolus was a little dismayed that his first attempt didn't work; he might as well try again. He attempted to simultaneously push the wagon and determine its contents. Oh, and putting that spark out would be a good idea...



Strength check to push wagon: [roll0]
Perception check to check contents/figure out how this mess happened: [roll1]
Sleight of hand (?) check to put spark out and to try and move the covers: [roll2]
yasss

[Worgwood]

Gives the calmed goat a reassuring pat on the head, and then turns his attention to the other panicking animals.

"Hey! Calm now," he demands of them, reaching out to touch each in turn. This, he hopes, will be grounding for them and... not freak them out more.

No clue if this will actually work or not, but I'm going to use Wild Empathy to try and calm them all at once, rather than relying on separate Handle Animal checks.

Wild Empathy
[roll0]

[Benson]

With the flames having been extinguished, only smoke remained a problem at the moment though it seemed to be dissipating, albeit slowly, with the flames gone. Zaigan would have no issue recovering this Elois fellow, unfortunately, he did not seem to be moving, something Zaigan would feel as he carried him.

Once more the wagon proved difficult to move, even with the combined muscle of the five, but with the flames put out on the other wagon, the mercs there sort of just stopped with their efforts seeing no reason to worry much about it. However, they would start to move things from the covered wagon to get the items away from the smoke, lest smoke stank and soot grime settle on its contents.

Aeolus would see that the contents were only various supplies, blankets, tools, a few two handed weapons, etc. It would still remain difficult to try to get a sense of how the fire happened, not without proper investigation. The spark, would have been simple for him to stamp out.

As for the animals, with the chaos dying down, they settled somewhat down, barely, making it easier for Akul to get them to calm down as the other goat took to chewing on his robes and the pig digging its snout against his boots. The two sheep still seemed nervous and were fretting a little, but at least in place.

[Worgwood]

Akul ruffles the fur on one goat's head before he disentangles himself from the animals and hops the fence out of the animal pen. He hurries over to where Aeolus and the mercenaries are standing to help move the wagon - but when he sees they've given up, he stops and scans the area, looking for any signs of what begat this chaos.

Perception
[roll0]

[CharlesMartel]

Well, Aeolus had managed to stop the fire, but he still hadn't figured out what had happened. Seeing Zaigan run over to near where he was, he guessed he could help him with figuring out what had happened- a fact that had eluded him so far.


Perception check to aid another [DC 10]: [roll0]

[Feather Sigil]

"That's it, cough it all out. Just keep breathing. You're going to be okay." Nadia leaned away from the mercenary to give her some breathing room. Her coughs were violent at first but quickly settled down as she passed into sleep, and though her breaths remained hoarse they were steady and only somewhat strained. Nadia immediately turned to the rest of the large group and called out "Have we any more injured?" Then she turned to her halfling colleague and looked over his own patient. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

[Eldon4]

Zaigan carries Elois over to nadia, "This ones not moving, but you may be able to do something for him. I pulled him from the wagon after the fire went down so he probably got alot of smoke in him."

[Benson]

Unfortunately 'signs that begat the chaos' were not going to jump out and say 'here I am'. They were out to lunch at the moment. However, he would spy a surly looking dark skinned man with long black hair and a scowl on his face, watching the scene as he leaned against the Sultan's Claw picking his teeth with a knife. His gaze caught Akul's as he lifted his chin in that sort of 'whatchu you looking at? Chump' sort of way.

--

"Ah no, I got this, he will be fine, thank by the way young lady, a healer are we? Nice, nice," The wrinkled old red headed halfling nodded his head. He then looked over her as he watched Zaigan carry over the body of Elois and furrowed his already wrinkled brow.

"How is he going to fair?" Almah appeared, while Garavel stayed behind to assess the damage to the wagon and have the guards recover any non damaged items from within.

The moment any proper examination was done on Elois, now that things have calmed down, would reveal unfortunate news, he was dead.

[Worgwood]

Akul cocked a brow inquisitively, then returned to his camel to collect his weapons. After a quick inspection to ensure neither had been damaged, he marched over to where the surly onlooker was standing.

"Afternoon, friend," he greets him. "Quite a strange thing to greet us, all this mayhem."

[Eldon4]

Zaigan drains most of his waterskin trying to clear the smoke from his lungs and then refills it at the water barrel. He then walks over to the halfling and asks, "So where is the lady of the camp?"

[Feather Sigil]

Over and over again, Nadia tended to the man, oblivious to anything else happening in the camp; she tried every method she knew of to rouse a motionless body, but he never so much as stirred. Even then, Nadia only laid him upon the sand and stayed at his side in silence, continuing to watch him, though she knew he was gone. Was there anything she forgot, anything that could have saved him, or was he already dead by the time she reached him? Neither answer helped her think anything other than that she had failed.

Soon enough, she knelt over him and shut his eyes. As she did, she only then noticed the numerous stylized butterflies all over his robes, shimmering in the sun. Desna? That would be important later, when they gave him his rites.

Slowly, Nadia turned to the halfling and Brother Jorweth.

"I'm very sorry. He's dead; there was nothing I could do." She took a deep, shaking breath. "I think he was a Desnan; we should honour that...and I should check on the others." Then she made her way to Garavel, dragging her feet and looking back towards her dead patient more than once. "I'm sorry. One of your own is dead. Is anyone else injured? How badly damaged was the wagon?"

[Eldon4]

As sister Nadia starts to walk away dejectedly Zaigan gives her a pat on the shoulder and says, "Do not despair sister, for this man passed before we reached you, and though he has passed on we have saved his body from the fire that it might receive the proper last rights."

[Benson]

Akul

The surly looking man's lip upturned into a snarl, his arms crossed over his chest. "Yer lookin in the wrong place for conversation, pal. Whadda ya want?" He shifted his weight a little, keeping his steely gaze on Akul.
--

Zaigan

"The lady of the camp stands besides you," Said the crisp, feminine and slightly accented voice of Almah who was peering over the body, her expression taut and grim.

Nadia

The halfling healer solemnly nodded, his wrinkled brow wrinkling ever more.

Garavel turned his attention over to Nadia. "The wagon will survive, most of its contents, personal belongings to the deceased, were lost. I do not believe others were injured, aside from the hired merc you assisted."

[CharlesMartel]

After unsuccessfully trying to deduce what had caused the chaos several times, Aeolus decided it would be best if he simply asked someone. Or at least tried to ask someone- the angry man Akul had been speaking to seemed like a good start, so Aeolus headed over, flanking Akul as he stared the man down.

[Eldon4]

"Hello my lady I am Zaigan Joweth and I have come to be of service to you in Kelmarane," he gives a slight bow of the after he finishes speaking.

[Worgwood]

Akul nods to Aeolus as he approaches, then looks again at the man who uses his knife like a toothpick.

"What I want? A great deal. From you, little. You don't seem particularly fazed by the chaos. I thought you may have seen or known something that would allay the fears of our companions here."

[Benson]

Zaigan

"Perhaps than you can come to be of my service now? I would like it if you conducted a proper investigation with Garavel of the fire, you may interview the others if you wish...I myself...am rather distraught about this," Almah furrowed her brow, her expression taut and firm. She glanced at the body of Eloais and then at Garavel who just gave her a nod about his part in the investigation.

Akul and Aeolus

"I've seen worse things than fires and the dead," The surly man casually shrugged keeping his sneer in place. He shrugged his large shoulders and closed his eyes. "That idiot burned a hundred candles in his wagon. Perhaps he just got unlucky. We’re in gnoll country. It was probably pugwampis."

[Feather Sigil]

You're right, Brother. Thank you. Nadia gave Brother Jorweth a small smile before straightening herself and approaching who she assumed was Miss Almah. "Miss Almah, I take it? I am Sister Nadia Naunet--pleased to meet you. Brother Jorweth and I come on behalf of the Church of Sarenrae in Solku. Your halfling healer and I were able to save two of our company; I expect at least one will make a full recovery in time." Looking from her to Garavel, then back, she asked them both: "Have we any idea what might have caused the fire? A certain good we were carrying that might've ignited, perhaps?"

[Worgwood]

Akul narrows his eyes... then shrugs it off. "Who did?" he asks, referring to the man who burned candles in his wagon. He glances at Aeolus, looking for any further input.

[Eldon4]

Zaigan suddenly remembers the card he put into his pouch and pulls it out to have a closer look.

[Benson]

Nadia and Zaigan

"He was prone to lighting candles and incense, spoke of it as helping him concentrate on his divination. He was hired on to be Miss Almah's personal fortune teller." Garavel replied, his expression still taut though with a grimness. He then glanced off watching Akul and Aeolus talk to that unpleasant man and shook his head before returning his attentions to Nadia and Zaigan. "Though I do not understand how those items would have caused an explosion."

Almah took a glance at Zaigan as he pulled that card out as she then stole a look, her body stiffening a little bit.

"The Cyclone..." She said working her jaw a little. "Ahem...his readings were increasingly grim....the last reading he gave me centered on that card... one portending death by fire and schemes by powerful evil." She furrowed her brow and worked her jaw again and placed her slender fingers over her mouth.

Akul and Aeolus

"The idiot who just died," The man growled and rolled his eyes. "Is this interview over? Or are you going to prattle on with your questions?" The man who not only gave off a bad stench to him, like someone who had a loose relationship with hygiene, also gave off an aura of annoyance.

[Eldon4]

"so he knew this fire was coming?"

[Benson]

"If so...I do not understand why he would let himself die...no...I cannot accept that....this is too coincidental." She shook her head and sighed, glancing off to the side in thought.

[Feather Sigil]

A card? Nadia didn't recognize the design, but the act of divining through cards sounded familiar. She knew no such fortune tellers in Solku--perhaps Katapesh? "He may have known only that death by fire was coming, milady, not when or where or in what form--let's not assume he wished you and everyone else suffer today. But if he also foretold a powerful evil, then perhaps the wagon was attacked."

The priestess approached the wagon, a pale blue light shining from her eyes. She looked all around and within it.

"The simplest of spells could have set the wagon ablaze at a distance, and there are gnolls in the northern lands."


Nadia moves to the wagon, casts Detect Magic and takes 20 on Perception, investigating the wagon for evidence of the explosion itself--whether it happened from within or the wagon was hit by fire from a certain direction, and if there are any lingering magical auras that could give a clue.

If any auras are found, Knowledge Arcana to identify them:

[roll0]

[Eldon4]

"I am sorry to cause you distress Milady, I'll excuse myself now." He then walks over to the halfling and says, "Hello sir I'm Zaigan, what was your name? Also do you know any of what happened here?"

[Benson]

Nadia would come to feel a strange but very faint reaction when she cast her detect magic over the ruins of the charred cart, a strange, fleeting supernatural feel. Other than that, there were not any noticeable magical auras.
--

"Greetings, you may call me Zastoran," The cleric replied as he took a sip of water from his waterskin.
"Hmmm..." He began to tap his chin. "Well...I had been reading a book by the fire pit, but those dang rowdy mercenaries were too loud. So I stood up to go to my wagon and that was when the fire with the wagon broke out. But, I will attest that those mercenaries were nowhere near the wagon at the time. Though I won't say the same for Dashki, bah."He wrinkled his already wrinkled nose as if the name annoyed him. He briefly turned his head and eyed the man off by the Sultan's Claw who caught Zastoran's stare and gave the halfling a vulgar gesture before just returning to leaning against the tree doing nothing.

[Eldon4]

"would that be Dashki overthere?"

[Worgwood]

"For now. Thank you for your time." Akul nods his head a little bit and then beckons to Aeolus to follow, unless he has further questions of his own. He moves to join Nadia and the others to share what he's learned.

"If anyone cares to know, I talked to someone who seemed to think the man who died had burned a hundred candles in his wagon. That's probably what started all this."

[Benson]

"Yes.....him," Zatstoran replied with a wrinkle of his wrinkly nose.

[Eldon4]

"Thank you for your time Zatstoran." Zaigan replies. He then heads over to Dashki and says, "Hello my name is Zaigan, Are you Dashki? You seem very practical and I was hoping you may have an idea of what happened here."



Diplomacy

[roll0]

[Benson]

"Ack, another one you to bother me," Dashki spat to the side in annoyance, arms still crossed over his chest. "Like I told your friend, the idiot burned way too many candles in his wagon, bad luck, probably pugwampis." Daski lightly chortle in an unpleasant way, which was just as unpleasant as he body odor. "Also...I saw that *slip looking at me...he say crap about me?" He growled, referring to Zastoran. "Probably blaming me huh? Well I had nothing to do with the fire, I was eating my lunch."


"Anyways, that's probably what happened, bad luck, pugwampis, basic idiocy."

*slip, derogatory name for halflings

(Zaigan did succeed in his diplomacy, Daskhi is just really ornery in his way xD)

[Feather Sigil]

Before her eyes, the world shimmered. Thin half-visible lines of scintillating colours wrapped around the edges of everything and everyone around her. Vibrations tingled her skin as they blew in spiralling currents. From the edge of an invisible threshold, she glimpsed the magic in the world itself. But when she focused on the wagon, nothing stood out, save for...something. Nadia couldn't tell what it was, but something was there, something faint and fleeting...

Before she could center herself and take a closer look, she heard Akul's report... "What?" One hundred candles? Inside a wooden wagon? The notion seemed so ridiculous Nadia had to bite her lip to stifle a rising chuckle of utter incredulity. "Even after seeing a fiery death coming? Could he really have needed so many for divining?" This made no sense. But what was that thing she sensed before? "Thank you, Akul, but it's possible we're dealing with something more sinister than a tragic and foolish act." With that she turned back to the wagon and closely studied the shape of its debris.


Nadia concentrates to advance the Detect Magic and tries to examine the wreckage to determine where the explosion started from: whether it's all spreading out from within or indicates a point of origin from the sides, etc.

Perception if necessary: [roll0]

[Worgwood]

"Maybe, but that's beyond my expertise. I'll see if I can find any tracks, though."

Akul wanders off to do just that.

Rolling to look for tracks leading to or from the fire's origin point.
Survival
[roll0]

[CharlesMartel]

Aeolus moved to follow Akul; his skills were far less suited to figuring out what caused a problem than causing the problems themselves. For now, his best course of action was to continue his assist of the ranger, and hope that something interesting showed up.

Aid Another on survival [roll0]
Perception to see if anything is hiding/obscured in the immediate area: [roll1]

[Benson]

Nadia's eyes would scan the wreckage, from what the scorch marks indicated in regards to the origin of the blast, the marks showed that it seemed to be right in the center of the wagon. Other things she would spy were a few more of those Harrowing cards, faced down, looking really rather burnt, and broken glass baubles, among other junkish items in the mess.

Alas, Aeolus would not spy anything hiding in the immediate area, at most he would spy that Dashki fellow having had moved away from the Sultan's Claw tree and had moved a little closer and was watching their proceedings. Akul however, would indeed come across some tracks! They appeared to be small canine like prints, sometimes looking like whatever it was moved on four and then sometimes two feet.

[Worgwood]

Akul runs his fingers through the sand, tastes it off his fingertip... his first instinct is that gnolls were the cause of this chaos.

"I've found something," he calls out.