5E War of the Burning Sky [IC]

[Sezarious]

In seeing another of his party preparing to leave, Kyrrie follows without much hesitation at all. He just makes a quick glance in Torrents direction to see if she's coming, then in the direction of the silent Toby wherever he went and moves on. Running besides Caleb, Kyrrie nods at his theory. "I agree with you, any disregard for your own people like that, surely they had a reason.... But... What about what Kincaid said, about him being a relative to the Ragesian General? That's just... I mean does family have no meaning to the Ragesian people?"

In a huff as they cross a side-street, he speaks again, "And what was with Kathor then? He doesn't seem to be very 'Ragesian', I mean he seemed to care about his men! I don't know what to think of all of this..... I wish i didn't have to kill that dog, gee that lady was angry."

He flicks his head to Caleb at this point. "How're you holdin' up anyway? Are you injured or anything?"

 

[Matthan]

"I'm fine. A bolt got me in the gut, but my armor took the worst of it. I'm sure I'll feel it more later. I'm worried though. If this strike is about this case, then we aren't going to be the only ones after it." He noticeably looks away as he finishes, "There are more people in this city than just the Resistance who would kill for Ragesian intelligence."

"As for Kathor, if he really is related to that Ragesian general, then he wouldn't be the first person to have a falling out with the people who raised him. I think most people can understand that. No one is just one thing." A wistful smirk unknowingly flickers across his face as he continues, " It's easy in Gate Pass to look toward our neighbors in Ragesia and Shahalesti and see them as evil nations that want to control us and certainly Coaltongue's occupation a generation ago helps that, but I'm sure they see themselves as good people doing the right thing. I'm sure their fathers cared for them just as ours did for us. I don't think they boil their children or prostitute their souls to dark gods. People are people wherever you go. The problem isn't the people. It's their leaders. Shaaladel once fought beside Coaltongue and helped Ragesia roll over its neighbors to protect his own land. I'm sure the people he helped conquer see him as a villain, but I'm certain his own people see him as a noble leader that protected their land from the immortal emperor. Regardless, he led his people to fight in another man's war. Was that his people's fault? Coaltongue seemed unstoppable not to long ago. Is it fair to blame his armies for their emperor's conquests?"

"That's what's so hard about war. It's not like we are fighting inhuman devils from the planes. We are fighting people with friends and families just like us who are following their leader's orders. War makes good people do terrible things. Who can say what we would do if put in their shoes? That's what makes Leska so terrifying. I don't know what she will make good men and women do for her. Coaltongue had a lust for conquest. I may dislike it, but inside every heart is a desire for more. Most of us learn to tame it, but Coaltongue reveled in it. I reject that, but I can understand it. Shaaladel allied with Coaltongue to protect his people. Who among us wouldn't do something terrible to protect those we love? However, neither ever set off anything like this Scourge. Leska is something different than what we've seen before. She is rounding up every magic user and no one hears from them again. I've heard rumors of what may happen to them, but let's not kid ourselves. The Scourge is exterminating magic users. There is no other reason for it. Something is foul in the heart of a person who can call for the wholesale slaughter of every man, woman, and child that is touched by magic regardless of their actions. And this is her first program? Who knows what further evils her people will be forced to perform if she isn't stopped? What happens to the souls of a people when they are forced to know and do evil for generations on end?"

 

[Sezarious]

As they ran, Kyrrie's brow furrowed more and more as he tried to keep up with all that Caleb had said. He was a little irritated at what the man had claimed at first, then embarrassed, then confused. Was this why his mother had always tried to encourage him to develop an interest in history?

Kyrrie had never really appreciated its relevance until now. He replied to Caleb here and there, asking little questions of clarification. He probably showed he was ignorant to the history of Ragesia, but was not by any means unintelligent. He had been raised in a small farming community, where the most important thing you had to know is how to plant and harvest crop, or when and how to hunt, how to chop firewood for gods sake! Only now could he see the grim importance of knowing your history...

 

[Schmoe]

Seeing the others leave and the hesitation on Kathor's face, Kincaid turns without a word and follows his companions.

 

[SuperZero]

Kathor noticeably paled when General Danava was mentioned. "I--you--you recognize--I suppose that's not impossible..." He shook his head. "I have had no contact with my--with the general since I left the Ragesian army. He does not know where I am, and probably assumes I am no longer in the area. He would not guess that I would take up with mercenaries. My relationship is utterly irrelevant.

"If you'll excuse me, I have wounded." He sheathed his sword and turned his attention to the two heavily injured half-orcs who emerged from the Poison Apple dragging the third.


--------------


Torrent was also pale as the party ran. Kathor's prediction proved true, and the streets quickly filled.
Some people tried to put out burning fires. Others simply ran, looking frightened, towards unknown destinations... but largely in the direction of the temple district. Soldiers pushed through the crowd, heading west. Though the barrage had stopped, there were still sounds of fighting from that direction.
"I am concerned," said Torrent, "that our quarry may spook. Or he might head to the rendezvous early, which is probably our best hope."

When Caleb expressed concerns that the Ragesians were after the case she hesitated, but then shook her head. "If that's the case, attacking us before we've retrieved the package wouldn't be a good plan. I'm fairly sure I've heard that the Black Horses had a contract on spellcasters." She turned red and looked sheepish. "They were probably following m... Hang on, you're all spellcasters too, aren't you? Oh good, it might not be my fault. They were probably tailing any one of us and not really concerned about why we were meeting. That's my guess, anyway."

Some distance in front of the party, though they were quickly closing that gap, a trio of crying children huddled under blankets and coats too large for them. They had soot on their faces, but otherwise seemed unharmed. The door of the nearby burning building burst open, and a woman emerged. She was burnt and clearly hurting, but the unconscious man she heaved over her shoulder as she limped towards the children had obviously had a worse time than she had.

Torrent's eyes flicked towards the wounded couple, and her steps faltered.

 

[Matthan]

Caleb nodded as Torrent spoke. Being followed was exactly what he feared, but he hadn't expected it to be mercenaries. With the attack, his Shahalesti keepers would be expecting him to report in and would be looking for him. That wasn't the fear that crippled him though. Gate Pass was burning and he had no way to know if Naromi was safe. Everything had gotten so complicated so quickly. His mind was racing in a desperate attempt to untangle the knots of his thoughts when he saw the woman dragging out a man from a burning building. They were both burnt and covered in ash. The woman was working her way towards children and Caleb immediately made sense of the scene.

A mother carrying a dying father to her terrified children. A family in need. Caleb didn't think anymore. He acted.

Rushing to the woman's side, he offers to take the man and tries to see to his needs.

[sblock=Actions]
Caleb WotBS medicine check to stabilize man: 1D20+1 = [20]+1 = 21
Man, I hope that's enough!
[/sblock]

 

[Sezarious]

Kyrrie nodded at everything Torrent was saying until she mentioned being followed when he shook his head. "I have doubts they were following me. I haven't used any magic since leaving home. I could be wrong though."

He turns to see the woman coming out of the burning houshold, shock on his face at the scene. He looks to Torrent who slows down and to Caleb who rushes to the aid of the man. He nods at Torrent, "Let's make it quick!"

With that, Kyrrie runs to the children and the mother and yells out to them. "Is everybody out safely now?" He looks at the burning buildingand casts his eyes around for other such problems.

 

[Steve Gorak]

Davaros still guarded his companions, his halberd at the ready. He was surprised that A ragesian general's relative would be exposed to such danger, but he said nothing, not wanting to attract attention to himself.

"I'll need to catch my breath soon, those two bolts struck true" He added matter-of-factly, the traces of blood on him proving that he wasn't exaggerating.

 

[SuperZero]

"Oh thank you," said the woman with tears in her eyes as Caleb tended her husband. He was burned, and had a wound at the back of his head and neck from something falling on him, but under Caleb's care his breathing steadied and he seemed like he would survive.

"Yes, thank you, yes. We're all out. Oh, but--"
She looked up at the building. Like the ones on either side of it, it was four stories tall and looked to be composed of multiple apartments. At least one on each floor, if not more smaller ones. The three were connected with skybridges, and only the middle one had flames visible through an open door or smoke pouring out of its windows.
"I--I--I don't know about my upstairs neighbors. There was nobody on the first floor when I went back in for Thomas, but--"

As if in response to her words, a window fell from the building and shattered. "Help!" screamed the woman who appeared at the broken window frame. Her right hand was bloodied, looking as if she'd used it to punch the window out. By the look of her, she was a middle-aged half-elf. "Help me! Somebody, anybody, help me! The fire--the stairs--I can't--I can't get down the stairs!"

The adventurers weren't the only ones looking at her. Several people on the street stopped what they were doing and stared helplessly up at the woman.

OOC: Huh? Where'd my post go? Okay, redo. Ugh. I decided to run these two bits together rather than let you encounter them separately. That's why the building suddenly gets details.

 

[Matthan]

[sblock=OOC]I'll gladly cast Feather Fall to get her down, but I don't want to steal all the action. Anyone want to climb to the rescue?[/sblock]