Legacy of Fire: Howl of the Carrion King [IC]

[lostsole31]

HEAR THE CRY OF WAR!
In the exotic nation of Katapesh, a land of fortune and wonders, heroes are those with the courage to command their destinies. Such wisdom leads a daring band to the abandoned village of Kelmarane with the hopes of reestablishing the once prosperous community.
But buzzards still feast upon the secluded settlement's corpse: a savage tribe of gnolls and their bestial allies hold the town in the name of a merciless master known only as the Carrion King. Can the PCs retake the village from its feral conquerors, or is Kelmarane but the first bastion of civilization to fall before the hordes of the mysterious warlord?

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Character [Player]	Speech Color	AL	Faith	Race [Ethnicity] (Gender ID)	Side #1	Side #2	Campaign Trait
Alahazra [NPC]	Fire Brick Red	LG	Philosophy (Desert)	Human? [Garundi] (f)	????	Oracle (Flames) ?	Outlander [Exile]
Alain Germande [NPC]	Dark Orange	LN	Abadar	Human [Taldan] (m)	Cavalier ?	??? ?	Missionary [Abadar]
Khair al'Mohya [Bcool999]	Teal	LG	Sarenrae	Human [Keleshyte] (m)	Nexus 4	Paladin 4 [Knight Disciple]	Missionary [Sarenrae]
Onyebuchi [NPC]	Purple	LN	Nethys	Human? [Keleshyte] (m)	Monk ? [Water Dancer]	??? ?	Gnoll Killer [Combat]
Trevorn [NPC]	Golden Rod	N (NG tend.)	Green Faith	Cactusfolk?? (agender)	Hunter ? [Plant Master]	??? ?	???
Zaihi [NPC]	Medium Blue	??	Gozreh	Human? [Keleshyte] (f)	Slave Cook	??? ?	Earning Your Freedom

[lostsole31]

At last, this small caravan of mercenaries is reaching its destination. As soon as the craggy tree appears over the next hill, it becomes obvious why it is called the Sultan’s Claw. With five immense, mostly leafless branches, the growth looks more like a giant skeletal talon than a thing of living wood.

As the PCs 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. Perhaps 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 is 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 you approach an ill wind blows a number of colorful fortune-telling Harrow cards from inside the wagon. One of these singed cards blow directly towards your group, smacking the visually impaired Alahazra in the chest in a burst of orange cinders. She looks at the card and shows Khair (who is mounted next to her). The Harrow card is the Cyclone, though you may need to ask Alahazra - herself a mystically-inclined oracle and fortune-teller - about it later if you care about such things. In the meantime, as the PCs’ eyes shift their focus from the Cyclone back to the wagon, the whole of the Sultan’s Claw erupts into brilliant flame.

The central flap of an elaborate tent flies open and a regal woman who can only be Almah steps out into the firelit night. “Douse that flame!” she shouts to the men surrounding the wagon before turning in your direction. “Ah, Garavel!” she says. “And just a moment later than the nick of time, as usual.” Looking specifically past her major domo and directly at the PCs, Almah barks out a simple order before running off toward the fire: “Find some way to help!”

Khair, what do you do? You are currently still mounted on your camel, looking on at the vermillion picture.

[bcool999]

Khair

Bringing his mount to a halt, Khair attempts to hop from the saddle with all the haste he can muster. ”I’ll assist the bucket brigade!” Khair shouts as he channels essence to his feet.

A swirling tide of water engulfs Khair’s legs as the veil is strengthened and he begins moving at speed towards the fire.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Free action or Move: attempt fast dismount. On failure uses a move action to dismount.
Ride Check DC 20: (1d20+6)[22]

Free Action: Speak

Swift Action: Put 2 Essence into Marid’s Sanadils and 2 essence into Efreeti’s bronze scimitar if not there already.

Standard Action: ‘Swim’ 50ft towards the efforts to douse the caravan cart.

Spoiler: If Ride Check Succeeds

Show

Move Action: Find a bucket not in use to pick up or otherwise move closer to help.

[lostsole31]

This is the GM-only Battle Book for my Legacy of Fire campaign.

If you are a player in this game, seeking to learn from the contents in this thread is cheating. I have removed players from my server and several games they were in because they used the information here and were an idiot about having tipped their hand for having used this information.

Begin Round One ...

R1T22: Almah, Garavel, and four soldiers dressed in the distinctive red chitin-plate armor of the Pactmaster Guard run back and forth between the burning fortune teller’s wagon and an uncovered wagon about 20' away. The latter contains a huge barrel holding enough drinking water to serve the entire campsite for a week. Bringing his mount to a halt, Khair deftly hops from the saddle with all the haste he can muster.

”I’ll assist the bucket brigade!” Khair shouts as he channels essence to his feet. A swirling tide of water engulfs Khair’s legs as the veil is strengthened and he begins moving at speed towards the fire brigade and grabs a bucket.

R1T20: Seeing how inefficient this bucket brigade is, Alain closes and rolls off of Donahan who is sent to the side. He tries to lift the barrel full of water himself, but fails, and everyone around him is just shaking their heads.

R1T19: A red-headed halfling cleric kneels next to two severely burned mercenaries who tried to enter the burning wagon. The cleric is tending to a badly wounded male mercenary, but he is unable to focus on his second patient, a swordswoman, who lies near death from terrible burns and smoke inhalation.

Alahazra proves herself the third competent rider in a row among the newly-arrived mercenaries as she glides off her camel, closes to the wounded, and casts a spell dramatically. Glowing red warmth washes over the fallen woman. Though still unconscious, the swordswoman still coughs as her lungs expel some of the dangers of the smoke she inhaled, and thus showing signs of life.

R1T17: Onyebuchi doesn't even try any fancy riding tricks, just carefully getting off his camel. Instead of joining the bucket brigade properly, he goes to stand right next to the lead bucket tosser in the line.

R1T15: A modest collection of pigs, goats, and sheep accompanies Almah’s party on the journey to Kelmarane. The flaming wagon has unsettled these creatures, which somehow escaped from their pen in the confusion surrounding the fire’s outbreak. The middle-aged human camel driver and his wife do their best to wrangle the panicking animals, but their efforts are quickly being overrun by the chaos of the situation.

Trevorn tells its strange non-sapient cactus to stay before moving out to try herding animals, proving how amazingly fast they are on their own two feet, but is doing a poor job of it. They calls out in their small voice, "Sir Alain, that's the encampment's drinking supply. Please, I could use the help of a master handler like yourself over here!"

R1T10: Four burly mercenaries struggle 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.

The slave girl Zaihi carefully gets off of her camel. As a slave, she is even more uncomfortable being mounted than the peasant Onyebuchi. She moves over to the wagon. "I am Zaihi, slave in the house of Merchant Princess Almah. I am strong. Please assist me."

The men grunt and nod. For where Zaihi is a plain girl - even homely - she looks as strong as she claims and the timbre of the situation doesn't lend itself well to misogyny. They all brace, getting ready to move on her say-so.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22: Khair, you don't have to specify anything. Do you turn-to and join the bucket brigade? You realize that many hands make light work, and yet all of your new companions seem distracted by other things.

[bcool999]

Khair

Bucket in hand, Khair fills the bucket and surges like a wave toward the burning wagon. Rather than standing at a safe distance and throwing the water, Khair climbs directly onto the burning wagon!

From the wagon, Khair carefully pours water from the bucket to try and quench the flames.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Relevant facts: Khair has fire resist 8
Marid’s Sanadils when bound provides water for me to swim through and to drown adjacent foes I trip. Now that my feet are in contact with the burning wagon how does that interact if at all?
If the fire tries to damage the veil they have hardness 4 and 8 hp at this level.

[lostsole31]

R2T22: Bucket in hand, Khair fills the bucket and surges like a wave toward the burning wagon. He has no time to climb and his hands are full anyway, so he leaps atop a part of the wagon he is able (not the very top, mind you). But with filling the bucket and just getting here, he doesn't have time yet to carefully apply the water.

That's alright though, because Khair jumped right into a raging conflagration. Not only does the direct flame burn heavily, but the rapid heat exchange is enough to shatter the bucket. The water splashes on the fire, so at least there's that. The combination of flame, wood splinters, and steam does 23 mod fire to Khair ... who then catches on fire as well ... and his marid's sandals effectively shatter as well ... but at least he doesn't (yet) suffer smoke inhalation.

Khair, no doubt, instantly regrets his decision, and realizes that the fire will do more consumption before he even has a chance to move.

R2T20: But help is on the way. Alain ignores Trevorn's plea for now and rides right up to Khair. He tugs on his belt and drags the paladin - who surely does not resist, imperiled as he is - and drops him to the ground next to the wagon. "Somebody put this fool out! He's on fire!" says Alain, who took 2 fire just for his trouble of having grabbed Khair.

R2T19: Alahazra shakes her head as she sees Khair's brazen actions, but casts more warming magic to provide more succor for the unconscious woman, this time the spell actually slowly healing burned flesh.

R2T17: Onyebuchi casts a spell, and a sudden downpour completely soaks Khair, putting out the fire on him. "My friend! Perhaps let us not destroy the next bucket, eh?"

R2T15: Glowing rings designed for their paddle-like fingers seems to form on Trevorn's strange digits. The rings flash briefly, and Trevorn starts to chase down livestock.

R2T10: Zaihi gives the signal to the mercenaries, and three of four of them do a good job of bracing. It is a valiant effort, but does not yet succeed.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T22: Khair, you are wounded and prone near the burning wagon, and filled with a new and profound respect of how hot a real fire - not a campfire - can be. Your foot veil is currently sundered. What do you do?

[bcool999]

Khair

Standing up with a bit of wincing, Khair grunts out through a suddenly parched throat, ”It’s been a while since mundane fire has burned me that badly.”

Khair then moves to join the bucket brigade normally without any further stunts.

[lostsole31]

R3T22: Standing up with a bit of wincing, Khair grunts out through a suddenly parched throat, ”It’s been a while since mundane fire has burned me that badly.”

Khair then moves to join the bucket brigade normally without any further stunts. Instead of racing back and forth with a bucket, he is handed a bucket and put into a line, which looks like it is more efficient than had he just tried to zoom to and fro himself.

R3T20: Alain rides around to then help with the herding of animals, a task for which he is uniquely talented.

R3T19: Alahazra continues to provide succor to the fallen woman, this time healing her by a significant amount. The woman coughs out the final bits and wakes up, seemingly already half healed now. Alahazra then begins to turn her attention to the burned man.

R3T17: Onyebuchi remains where he is at the front without a bucket. He does some type of brief dance and then from a single hand a powerful jet of water launches forth to fight the fire. With the bucket brigade (incl. Khair) assisting Onyebuchi's powerful water magic, the wagon fire looks like it might be brought under control within a minute!

R3T15: There is a faint flash from the newly-appeared rings on Trevorn ... but its efforts are still not enough to help Alain control the animals.

R3T10: With another grunt and help from the four mercenaries, and this time with all mercenaries engaged, they do a slightly better job than before ... but still not enough.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T22: Khair, shall I just narrate the events as you continue as part of the bucket brigade ... or do you want to be given round-by-round choice to do something different? The bucket brigade is about numbers, not about special actions.

[lostsole31]

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T22: Khair continues to aid the bucket brigade quietly and dutifully.

R4T20: Alain is successful in herding another animal.

R4T19: Alahazra provides healing energy to the male mercenary this time, completely healing him.

R4T17: Onyebuchi continues with another blast of his water jet.

R4T15: Trevorn's little rings light up bright as it chases animals.

R4T10: It's a terrible job this time by those trying to move the wagon.

End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T22/17: Khair and Onyebuchi both continue their efforts.

R5T20: Alain does not succeed at herding this round.

R5T19: Alahazra leaves the side of the two mercenaries and moves swiftly ... much more swiftly than most people ... to the side of the humbled Khair. She prays for the desert winds to provide balm to Khair's wounds, and he gets 12 healing from her spell.

R5T15: Trevorn's ring flash and seem to give it insight as it successfully herds another of the animals.

R5T10: With cramps and pulled muscles from the last abysmal attempt, only one mercenary seems to have rallied. Zaihi likely would have succeeded, were it not for the failures of those around her.

End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T22/17: K+O continue their efforts ...

R6T20: Seeing imminent danger, Alain charges the unhitched wagon and rides forth to slam into it, but still it won't move.

R6T19: Alahazra goes to the unhitched wagon to try to help. While not a powerhouse, she acquits herself well.

R6T15: Trevorn seems to concentrate on its ring again.

R6T10: Even with all of the other help, Zaihi can't seem to budge the wagon. And with that, a spark that had fallen on the wagon lights up into flame, starting another fire on the hitched wagon.

End Round 6, Begin Round 7 ...

R7T22/17: Khair and Onyebuchi almost have this fire controlled ...

R7T20: Alain leaves the now burning wagon, and uses momentum from leaving the wagon to successfully herd one more animal.

R7T15: Its rings flashing, Trevorn manages to herd the last of the rampant livestock!

R7T10: A new bucket brigade is formed as Zaihi backs off and joins that one.

The main fire is quenched, and the secondary fire is quickly brought under control.

Peril Ends!

[bcool999]

Khair

Seeing that all is well for the moment, Khair approaches Alahazra giving a short bow of thanks.

”My gratitude for the healing earlier. I seem to have overestimated my resistance to flame to obvious result. I suppose I shouldn’t compare tests done with a cookfire to a raging inferno.” Khair rambles seemingly unashamed of his mistake before remembering something else, “By the way, that smoldering card you showed me earlier showed a destructive twisting mass of wind. I’ve never really dealt with fortune telling, but my little sister was interested in it enough for me not to mistake it for a playing card.”

[lostsole31]

Alahazra's white-filmed eyes remain fixed on whatever she was looking at which may not even be something seen of this world. She does not turn to Khair but slowly nods and says, but not too loud to spook everyone else, "It is the Harrow card called the Cyclone, signifying a force that tears through whatever it meets at the behest of an intelligent being. The card portends war, arson, and destructive plans."

The group of people Almah has gathered to aid her in retaking the village includes the PCs and (now that the astrologer Eloais is dead) 16 other characters—Almah’s major domo Garavel, an expert on gnolls named Dashki, a cleric of Nethys named Zastoran, four soldiers, six mercenaries, a pair of camel drivers, and Almah herself.

Alain is wiping errant soot from his armor and shield and asks as the group gathers, "What can you tell us about Kelmarane, Princess Almah?"

Almah replies, “Long ago, the village was one of several in the Uwaga Highlands of the Brazen Peaks situated around a battle market, a huge arcade that attracted merchants, gladiators, actors, musicians, and customers from throughout Katapesh and neighboring Osirion. Then, about 20 years ago… it fell, and the Pactmasters abandoned it to ruin. Rumors of plagues and evil curses abound, but in truth no one really seems to know why the village died. About 2 years ago, a pack of gnolls called the Kulldis tribe inhabited the battle market and claimed Kelmarane as its own. The Pactmasters want the village back, and it’s up to us to deliver it to them.”

Immediate crisis aside, Almah shows remarkably little concern over the fate of her astrologer, treating it more as a loss of resources than a personal tragedy. She asks Garavel to lead an investigation into whether or not the fire might have been set by someone in her camp. Since the PCs also were not around when the fire broke out (and are thus unlikely potential arsonists in her eyes), she asks them to help her major domo determine if there is a mystery afoot, and if so, to solve it.

Garavel tells the PCs that the destroyed wagon belonged to Almah’s personal fortuneteller Eloais, a handsome man from Almah’s distant homeland of Varisia. Eloais’s specialty was a divinatory deck of cards known as Harrow, a few cards of which litter the ground outside the burned-out wagon.

Okay, Khair ... what do you do or recommend being done, and whom do you recommend at that?

[bcool999]

Khair

Khair strokes his beard in thought at how to investigate this fire. Looking to his fellow mercenaries, Khair asks, ”I have not been tasked with investigating before. Anyone else have any relevant experience? All I can think of is to question the members of the caravan. Anything else we should look into?”

[lostsole31]

Nobody in the group of PCs admits to any kind of training in conducting investigations.

Almah and Garavel suggest the PCs speak with everyone else in the party.

[bcool999]

Khair

Nodding in agreement to Almah and Garavel’s suggestion, Khair takes his leave to begin collecting statements. Unsure where to start, Khair decides to make his way over to the camel drivers. Perhaps they saw something while tending to the camels.

Assuming he spots the camel drivers, Khair will approach with a friendly smile. Giving them a short bow Khair introduces himself, “Blessings of Sarenrae be upon you. I am Khair al’Mohya. Might I know your names?”

[lostsole31]

This friendly, late middle-aged human couple tends the dozen-or-so animals kept by Almah’s band as food or transportation. The merchant princess hired them from the nearby town of Solku. Everyone seems to like the man, Hadrod, and his wife, Hadrah, who also help cook the camp’s meals and take care of many additional menial tasks. Both are tremendous gossips and make a game of keeping tabs on everyone in the camp. The arrival of a new group excites both of them almost more than the recent commotion, and Hadrod and Hadrah pepper the PCs with questions about their backgrounds, clothes, and interests while they attempt to conduct their interview, making it somewhat unclear who is running the interrogation.

They are so-so with Khair, but are completely taken with Alain and Trevorn, who were both the most responsible for helping recover so many of their animals.

Alain, sensing the shift, takes over the questions to the camel drivers, and they are fine with that. "What do you know about the fire? Did you see anything?"

The camel drivers are excitable and prone to finishing each other’s sentences. Hadrah was the first to notice the fire, but she and her husband were distracted by trying to get their animals under control soon thereafter. Hadrod in particular seems on the verge of tears—his favorite goat Rombard went missing during the chaos, and he fears the worst. The two thought that Eloais was “nice enough for a foreigner,” but didn’t really understand his talk of “Cyclones and Fiends and Uprisings.”

But, Lady Almah’s trust in the astrologer was good enough for them.

Seeing their furtive glances outside of this group of people, Trevorn asks, "What do you think about that darkened fellow?"

Their expressions darken, and in a conspiratorial tone to Alain and Trevorn (which the others still overhear), Hadrah whispers, “We knew Dashki a bit from back Solku-way. Used to take rich folk into the scrublands to hunt up gnolls like trophies. Most people here don’t trust him, especially the way he leers at Lady Almah with his mouth all watering like at the smell of a fresh steak. Maybe he done it to Eloais, to remove a rival for Lady Almah’s attention?”

[bcool999]

Khair

Once it’s clear Hadrod and Hadrah have nothing further of relevance to their investigation Khair will give his farewells and move away to confer with the group.

”Well that was informative. We already have a possible suspect and motive. Though I’m not sure how much to trust the words of gossips. Khair says before suggesting a new pair to question, “Alahazra, do you think the pair of guards you healed would be well enough to tell us what they saw? They may have seen or heard something at the beginning of the blaze.”

[lostsole31]

"I will begin asking the caravan guards what they know, starting with them," says Alahazra, who then heads off to find the two she helped.

[bcool999]

Khair

Khair nods at Alahazra adding, ”Zaihi and Trevorn, if you would be kind enough to assist Alahazra?” Khair turns to Alain and Onyebuchi and says, ”We should look for Zastoran and see what he remembers.”

Khair will begin searching for the cleric of Nethys Zastoran.

[lostsole31]

Khair will easily find the red-gone-gray-haired old halfling easily enough. Khair will learn from their pleasantries leading into the meat of the questioning that Onyebuchi and he are pretty evenly matched (with Onyebuchi just barely edging Khair out) on talking people up. Alain can be civil, but he has no use for an old halfling priest.

Anyway, Father Zastoran is made quite friendly by the K&O tag team, and reveals the following ...

The cleric was reading a book by the fire-pit, but the mercenaries were being too loud for him and he’d just stood up to return to his wagon when the fire started. He can attest that all six of the mercenaries were at the fire-pit and nowhere near the astrologer’s wagon when the fire broke out, and that Dashki was not. He thought Eloais was a charlatan and that Almah is better off now without his attention, but admits she did seem quite fond of him. He finds Dashki to be unsettling, and his obsession with Almah somewhat disturbing; “No one with healthy desires skulks around a pretty woman the way he does; who knows what a scoundrel like him is capable of?”

Zastoran admits that while he thought Eloais was a fake, he did appreciate his conversation; “Not a one of these others here can discuss the poetry of Bellianais or the music of far-off Absalom. Eloais was well traveled and intelligent. I will miss him.”

Now what?

[bcool999]

Khair

”Thank you for your time Father Zastoran.” Khair says with a polite bow before walking away with the others. Thinking for a moment, Khair says, “So far everyone we have talked too have all been suspicious of the same man, but I am unsure if suspicion alone is enough. Let us see what Alahazra has learned before proceeding.”

With that Khair goes to find Alahazra but doesn’t interrupt if she is still talking with the guards when he arrives.

[lostsole31]

Alahazra began with those she healed, but then questioned Almah's personal guards and the remaining mercenaries as well. Here is what she learned ...

Spoiler: Alahazra's Report: Almah's and Caravan Guards

Show

Almah’s personal guard were all standing guard at her tent when the fire started—none of them saw anything suspicious at the astrologer’s wagon, but one did catch a glimpse of Dashki trying to hide behind a tree nearby: “It was clear that he was trying to get a look into Almah’s tent. That boy is obsessed with her.”

This places Dashki quite some distance from the wagon when the fire started, evidence in favor of his innocence.

The mercenaries were enjoying themselves around the feast-fire, finishing off dinner with a sturdy drink. They weren’t too fond of Eloais and thought of him as a weakling. When asked about Dashki, the guards confirm that he wasn’t at the feast-fire with them, and one muses that he was probably spying on Almah—his obsession with the merchant princess is something of an open secret, with only Almah seemingly being oblivious to his attentions.

None of the mercenaries has a high opinion of Dashki.

The mercenaries make a few lewd and suggestive comments about the relationship they suspect Eloais had with Almah, and wonder if Dashki might have burned the astrologer’s wagon to “get rid of the competition.”

[bcool999]

Khair

Ruffling his beard in annoyance, Khair grumbles, ”More gossip condemning one man, but finally solid testimony which seems to absolve him. I wish dearly for some solid evidence… Let us check the charred remains of the cart. It is a thin hope, but perhaps a clue lies in the wreckage.”

Khair will gather the party and make for the burned astrologers cart looking for clues.

[lostsole31]

Physical examination of the ruined wagon reveals sooty ashes, a few broken bottles or potion vials, a cracked nonmagical crystal ball, and several pools of melted wax where candles must once have stood. Eloais’s charred skeletal form remains near the center of the wagon.

Do you intend to do a quick or deep search?

[bcool999]

Khair

Khair intones a prayer for Eloais to his goddess, holy symbol held firmly in his grasp. After looking over the mess, Khair sighs and says, ”Best be thorough, if there is a clue that survived the flames it could well be buried in this.”

Khair begins to comb over the wreckage for clues.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Will perform a deep search.

[lostsole31]

Performing a very thorough search also helps Khair to see who the most thorough people are for such a task. Despite the cloudy film on her eyes, Alahazra doesn't seem to have any issue with things close to her. It was made apparent on the trip here that her sight is really limited ... Khair estimates only 30' or so, though she does seem to see things he can't when the lights are dim. Here, though, her strange white eyes are devastatingly effective.

After Alahazra, it really seems to be that Khair himself and little Trevorn are evenly matched .... Khair's insight and thoroughness, matched possibly with the simple fact that Trevorn is lower to the ground, or possibly a type of prey plant creature so it needs to be more aware?

Either way, the wagon is searched very thoroughly. There appears to have been no signs of struggle or violence, suggesting that the fortune-teller was killed by the fire itself or from smoke inhalation. The group is able to salvage some 27 blackened gold pieces from the site.

Trevorn's strange, five-limbed "hunting cactus" that the little guy named "Cheeky Bud" taps Trevorn's shoulder to get its master's attention. Through some type of motion or unknown communication, Trevorn whispers to Khair. "There's a guy lurking a short distance away, watching us from behind the corner of a nearby wagon. An ill-favored fellow."

[bcool999]

Khair

Nodding to Trevorn in thanks, Khair will rise from the wreckage and stretch a moment. Then turn directly toward their hidden observer and declare, ”Hail stranger. Would you be so kind as to come out from back there and speak with us?”

Khair keeps his senses trained on the spot trying to determine if the man tries to slip away.

[lostsole31]

The dark-clad, dark-haired, dark-humored man hesitantly comes forward. "I'm Dashki, the gnoll expert."

[bcool999]

Khair

Nodding his head in greeting, Khair replies with introductions, ”Blessings to you this day Dashki. I am Khair al’Mohya, sworn paladin of Seranrae. With me are my companions, Alahazra, Onyebuchi, Trevorn, Alain, and Zaihi. We have been tasked by Princess Almah to assist her major domo Garavel in investigating the fire which broke out earlier. While we have you with us, could you tell us from your perspective the events leading to the fire? Also let us know if anyone had motive to wish the astrologer harm.”

[lostsole31]

Dashki seems frustrated and cries out, “No! I had nothing to do with the fire! How do we even know the fire was set? That idiot burned a hundred candles in his wagon. Perhaps he just got unlucky. We’re in gnoll country. It was probably pugwampis.”

[bcool999]

Khair

Seeing Dashki spark up, Khair puts a gentle smile on his face gestures for calm with his hands and says, ”Sir Dashki I am not accusing you of wrongdoing, and it could be an accident with candles as you say. I merely want to hear about how you spent your day before the fire. I am also interested in hearing about these pugwampis you mentioned.