Episode 10.75 Run Back to Town, part deux...

[erilar]

Jareth catches up to the others and helps with the wagon. I don't know that any of my prepared spells will help diminish a fire, but I can use healing checks, Healing Word, and Lesser Restoration to help mend any burned in the fire.

[Fen's Ego]

Onarra ghosts in from around a corner, leaping over carts and startled people. She eyes the encumbered wagon and snorts, "Not my thing." Shouts from the direction of the fire make her head whip in that direction, and her reaction is not fear or pity, but pure rage. "But I'm small, I'm fast, and I can climb anything. I'll work my way through the structures nearest the blaze and get people to safety." She grabs a bucket off the cart and moves to dump it over her head, pauses, and looks to Brigga. "Got another one of those potions?"

Awaiting Brigga's response, Onarra makes some quick calculations. "And where are the rest of us? Anyone minding the prisoners? Call me skeptic, but this reeks of 'diversion'. I'm tired of someone being two steps ahead of us."

[EvilGenius]

The PCs follow Constable Tierney and Master Amreas through the small crowd in the market, leaving the oncoming wagon to manage it's own way. You hear dwarven-style bellowing from the market as your small group crests the small rise that serves as the demarcation of Low Town. Ahead of you and to the right, you see flames and smoke above the buildings.

You continue to run down the road and across Low Bridge, making a hasty right turn and you can finally see the source of the tall flames. A little more than halfway down the road on the right you can see Hilma's home, almost completely engulfed in roaring flames. (It's the gold-brown house next to the stream, shaped like a Y). From your previous visit to Hilma's you know that this was an old, near dilapidated house which used to be quite grandiose. Much of the interior was given over to growing more delicate herbs and there were large outdoor gardens.

Now you can see the gardens and home completely engulfed in flames, and you can see embers from the fire blowing across the street in the strong early morning breeze. Several homes across the street have begun to burn as well, though the fires seem small and tame compared to the inferno that birthed them.

[EvilGenius]

This is probably a good pausing point until our next game, 'cause, things about to happen.

[EvilGenius]

Recapping last night's adventure.

The PCs arrived at the Hilma's home, which was also her herbalism shop/gardens. The two story, multiwing house was completely engulfed in a roaring and energetic fire. The trees near the home were similarly on fire, as were all of the outdoor gardens. Embers had also flown across the street and those homes had also started to burn.

Brigga strode forth confidently, uncorking her Decanter of Endless Water, and braced herself near the fire. With a command word, she called forth a powerful geyser of water and started to counter the inferno before her. However, after only a moment, the water sputtered to a stop. Brigga looked at the Decanter with concern, as it bucked in her strong grip and then shot out 3 large, cohesive balls of water in front of her! Surprise gave way to alarm as the blobs of water did not splash on the ground, but rather stood up and rushed back toward the party! The Decanter had summoned 3 angry water elementals!!

The elementals immediately moved to engulf the PCs, beginning a tense combat which saw all of the PCs being grappled within a rampaging elemental at least once, and Quarion almost being carried away to the nearby river that runs through town. But in the end, the PCs were able to dissipate two elementals, while the third fled to the aforementioned river and escaped.

Using the Decanter, warily, Brigga and the rest of the PCs and deputies were able to contain the fire and eventually put it out, but not before Hilma's was completely burned to the ground, along with all of her herbs and medicines.

Many townfolk showed up to help after the combat was concluded, but also, about a dozen people showed up who were anxiously searching for Hilma because their loved ones had fallen ill after the brawl in Middle Market the previous day. Alas, no help was to be found for them, as the PCs found two sets of scorched bones in the rubble of the fire.

Drawing upon his expert medical knowledge, Quarion was able to determine that one skeleton was that of a human woman and the other of a human man. Also of note was that the man's skeleton was not as complete as the woman's. Quarion could not tell if the man had been dis-articulated before death or the fire, or if that happened as a result of the fire.

After the fire was more or less out, Brigga stayed behind to continue dowsing the area with the Decanter, to ensure there were no flareups. The rest of the PCs accompanied Constable Tierney back to the Farweald Jail to check on the prisoners. Onarra had previously headed back to the jail to check on the prisoners, fearing the fire was a distraction.

The group arrived back at the jail to find Onarra and Deputy Dunaric guarding the two prisoners, still safely in their cells. In fact, Lonz and Balrakas appeared quite at ease, even bored, with their incarceration. Upon seeing Bannock and the others, Lonz could not resist a taunting remark, asking when Councilor Lemend was going to return with the rest of the Council so they could start the promised torture. As Lonz and Balrakas both laughed at the implied impotence of the Farweald justice system, Bannock decided that his hatred of Lonz could be borne no longer!

Bannock whipped his handaxe at Lonz, expertly aiming between the strong iron bars. With a word, the single handaxe became a flurry of spinning axes, driving Lonz to the back of his cell with several deep gashes. Still, Lonz had nothing but taunting laughter for the burly ranger on the other side of the strong iron bars. Frustrated, Bannock stormed away from Lonz's cell, right past Balrakas.

"Where're you going, Dogboy", Balrakas growled as Bannock walked past his cell door. With a quick inhalation, Balrakas unleashed a cone of fire on Bannock, who took it in stride and continued to leave the jail and the infuriating prisoners. Not to be ignored, the dragonborn quickly summoned and stepped into an ethereal mist, stepping out of the same strange mist in the hallway outside of his cell! The dragonborn charged after Bannock, a bone greatsword materializing in his hands!

The PCs began a pitched battle with the dragonborn in the hallway, and were then worried when Onarra's unconscious body slumped to the ground behind them and Lonz joined the fray, impossibly wielding his wicked looking shortsword!

After a pitched battle which saw the two servants of the Master using fairly powerful, and quite frustrating, magics, the PCs were able to defeat first Balrakas, then Lonz. However, when Balrakas fell to the ground, mortally wounded, Constable Tierney tried to administer first aid to keep the dragonborn alive. Bannock was having none of that and performed a coup de grace on the helpless enemy.

Constable Tierney challenged Bannock, demanding that he surrender but Bannock angrily refused then rushed off to finish the battle against Lonz. Lonz proved difficult to defeat, landing several punishing sneak attacks and magical attacks against Kage, ultimately knocking the halfling out of the fight temporarily (Quarion's healing was a key factor in the battle). Ultimately, though, the PCs were able to defeat Lonz, whereupon Bannock again performed a coup de grace against the downed foe, watching with satisfaction as his life's blood pooled around him on the dirty jail floor.

The PCs, heavily wounded, collected the weapons from their downed foes and started to leave the scene of the bloody battle. Constable Tierney confronted them on their way out, "You need to leave Farweald and not come back. You and your companions are banned from the town!"

Bannock growled back, "We're leaving on our own business but we WILL return, and when we do you better decide who you stand with ... and who you stand against. I'll cut my way through you without a second's pause to get at the evil plaguing this town!"

The other PCs looked aghast at the vicious threat and all of you wearily trudged out of the Farweald Jail into the bright morning with the taste of soot on the air, and turned toward Pef's to collect their other companions and gear.

[Fen's Ego]

Super Drama! Sorry I missed it. Thanks for the write-up, Bob.

[EvilGenius]

Now that they are dead, you are able to glean that Lonz was both an Arcane Trickster (rogue) AND Eldritch Knight (fighter). And apparently Balrakas was a fighter of some sort and also a Warlock of some sort.

It's apparent to you that neither of them could have been held in a a regular jail cell without their acquiescence.

[EvilGenius]

At this point, the PCs are back at Pef's, gathering your belongings, deciding on what to do next. We'll say it's mid-morning and all of the PCs are together, including Mordai, but Erk, Naziah and Balisar are still missing.

I'd like to hear from some PCs about reactions and/or plans before we proceed.

[Jonkga]

While they are all together at Pef's, gathering their supplies to head out to possibly find Quinseryu, Bannock will address the rest of the party:

"Folks, I do not apologize for violently responding to those prisoners, or upsetting the Sherriff's sensibilities regarding those prisoners. I am all for bringing civilization to the wilds, but when the wilds fight back, and show no signs of surrendering, the wilds must fall.

Additionally, they turned out to be much more powerful than I feel the good forces of this town can handle. I feel uneasy leaving town, but feel that finding this Quinseryu will allow us to gain knowledge that should allow us to ferret out the evil in this town once and for all.

As we were returning here, I felt that evil presence reach out to me and offer me power - an offer I rejected. I feel that this evil will try and turn each one of us - we must continue to be strong in the face of those that oppose us. Indeed, the power offered this weapon to me (indicating the bone blade). We should probably try to destroy this at the first chance - it is too strong to fall into the wrong hands, and may tie us to the evil force to strongly to keep carrying it."

[Hardcorhobbs]

Kage softly speaks "I have not been here long, but there seems to be an underlying evil to this town. Bannock did what he thought best, and I stand with him. There are many strange things going on. I believe in reincarnation, yet you all seem to have full prior lives you do not fully understand. I will do my best to aid you in these endeavors, as long as your hearts stay true."

[Fen's Ego]

Onarra would have aided Bannock without flinching.
But being unconscious, she dreams of a man from another place, who informs her that the throwing knives she likes are going to come back in style.

[EvilGenius]

Onarra would have aided Bannock without flinching.
But being unconscious, she dreams of a man from another place, who informs her that the throwing knives she likes are going to come back in style.

Everyone is all awake now. Onarra, you have vague memories of a very tall man who says, "it's happening again".