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Post by moralhazard on Apr 6, 2019 16:34:04 GMT
"FIRE!" The call rang out through the Dock Ward, splitting the air – one voice at first, then many, all screaming and raising the alarm. “FIRE!” The three-story wooden building in the midst of the dock ward was burning and burning hard. Flames shot out of several windows on each floor, licking at the sills and staining the walls above them dark black. Smoke billowed from the building, including from the door gaping open at its center. A different kind of scream tore through the air nearby, nearly as loud. A young human wearing a kerchief and a gray dress sprinted toward the building. “Elsie! Elsie!” She glanced around, desperate, and screamed again. “ELSIE!” With a wild look in her eyes, the woman charged at the entrance; two of those nearby, one looking like a sailor and one wearing a butcher’s apron, caught her by the arms, as if synchronized. “Whoa, ma’am, you can’t go in there,” The sailor said, gently. “The building’s lost – fire brigade might be able to save the ones around it, but it’s burning up.” “NO!” The woman shrieked, fighting them both, struggling so hard the sleeve of her dress ripped. She was sobbing. “No – my daughter – my Elsie – I left her asleep inside.” There was a pause, and another scream tore itself from her throat. “SHE’S STILL INSIDE!” “I’m sorry, ma’am,” the sailor’s voice was soft and gentle, although the tough grip of his hand didn’t relax. He glanced over at the butcher, who nodded in agreement. “It’s too late.” There was a horrible crack from inside, and a new billow of flame and smoke rose from the upper story. The woman screamed again, sagging, the two men barely able to keep her from collapsing to the ground entirely. She buried her face in her hands and wept.
(( orby , @erato, Jarovbees : you're up! Please post your character arriving and the scene and taking any initial actions - the floor is yours.)) |
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 6, 2019 21:06:14 GMT
Heading south from the Yawning Portal, Solstice had planned to see more of the City of Splendors than just the central portion she had so far. Since the Dock Ward was closer, that seemed a natural choice for her to explore first. Not knowing what to expect, Solstice eagerly headed south though it wasn't long before curiosity turned to dismay. There was a notable difference to the ward she had just left; the buildings here were smaller and shabbier, and it was more crowded altogether. The city watch, ever present earlier, seemed less and less present the further she walked. What she had seen up until now was an overwhelming maze of people and buildings, but she had never genuinely questioned how they could live like this until now. She didn't understand it, how people could be so much better off just a few blocks north.
Unfortunately, those sobering thoughts would have to wait for later to be answered. Upon hearing the shouts of 'FIRE', the firbolg woman immediately rush forward. That she wasn't one of the fire bridge or had any special ability to put fires out didn't matter. If people needed help, she wasn't going to stand by and watch, not ever. Casting Disguise Self, she made her appearance match her own as closely as possible in a human form. Now probably wasn't the time for people to see a seven-foot-six giantkin rushing their way, as they had enough to deal with at the time. That done, she approaches in time to hear the woman's shouting. A sleeping girl, caught up in that blaze? Her heart sank.
Solstice steps forward in time to hear that spine-chilling crack, and the new blast of flame and smoke. She initially recoiled, but steeled herself and looked over to the weeping woman. "I'll find her." Even if the noise drowned her out, if no one heard, it was still a promise to keep. Please, gods, let me find a girl I can still save. Let her mother have something other than ashes. Taking out her waterskin, she dribbled it over her hair and onto a handkerchief to breathe through. How much that would actually help, she didn't know, but in the moment it was all she could do to prepare herself. After that, she stepped forward toward the open door, steeling herself for whatever is to come.
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Post by orby on Apr 7, 2019 3:11:13 GMT
Caim heard the noise before he noticed anything else a dull roar over the normal noise of the Dock Ward that drew him closer in curiosity. It was only as he turned a corner onto the right street that the din finally cleared into something decipherable -- and by then the screams and shouts of "fire!" and the sounds of the blaze were all a bit redundant in the face of the flames and smoke pouring out of windows.
He froze, elbowed aside by someone running in the opposite direction. The rest of the scene processed as if in slow motion. The fire itself, a woman screaming and rushing at the building, others holding her back, her cries for her child still inside...
Oh no. Gold eyes flicking back to the flames running all the way up the building, his heart sank somewhere into his stomach. Oh no, oh no. Was it already too late for anything to be done? If he'd wandered over this way sooner, or just run towards the noise, could he have done anything? Or could he still do something? Flames had never hurt him much before. At least not the little ones, candle flames he'd watched others jerk away from in pain that only seemed to faintly sting him.
This was a great deal more than the flame of a candle, though. For an awful few moments, his feet remained glued where they were by indecision.
But what looked like a human woman slipped towards the door while other passerby were distracted keeping the mother under control, and that was what broke his moment of hesitation.
"Wait!" He gave chase, but as he passed the screaming woman and the men holding her back he skidded to a halt, suddenly thinking better of charging in completely blind.
"Where was she sleeping?" he blurted out in a rush of words, poised like he ready to take off again. "Where in the building?"
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2019 6:54:39 GMT
Fire. Was there a more beautiful word in the whole world?
If there was one thing that Pailash knew about, it was flame. When the cry went up, it was only natural that she gravitated towards the source, and when she got closer, the extravagantly-dressed gnome let out a whistle of appreciation. That building was very much on fire. No two ways about it. It was impressive how quickly the whole thing had gone up, really! Three stories before anyone had raised the alarm? Either the place was made entirely of matches, the owner was horrendously unlucky, or there was more going on here than it seemed. Ah, but there was someone stuck inside there. She should probably help out rather than just admire the view, then.
Her staff made a staccato clack-clack-clack to announce her presence as she simply strolled right past the struggling woman and the men restraining – or quizzing – her. She wasn’t quite so brazen as Solstice, and there was a grin on her face which might, honestly, seem just a little bit… callous, given the circumstances. She couldn’t help it though! With so much heat radiating from the building in front of her, what was she supposed to do? Not enjoy herself?
“Right. This feels like about a hundred thirty thaums or so.” She mused, licking her finger and holding it out towards the burning building. “Maybe a hundred thirty two…”
Focusing her power, there was a faint shimmer around the gnome; just a very subtle rippling in the air around her as she called up the relevant counter-forces from the Weave and channelled them towards the flames in the doorway. She tapped the butt of her staff against the ground, and the orange crystal set in its tip flashed with a bright blue light, summoning what should be a perfect and countervailing anti-fire to negate the blaze there.
This would be an interesting test. If the flames died down, this was merely mundane fire. If they were resistant to her magic, however, there’d be another explanation… either way, she could hardly take the time to extinguish such a large building in its entirety; she could, however, lessen the inferno perhaps a little bit.
(Pailash will position herself just behind Solstice and use the Control Flames cantrip to extinguish all fire in a five foot cube around the doorway. This is only effective against nonmagical fire.)
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 7, 2019 21:22:46 GMT
As Solstice approached the building, the windowsill directly above the entryway door cracked. The wood creaked and groaned, and then the windowsill plummeted to the ground right in front of the doorway, burning steadily. As far as any of them could see, there was no other glow suggesting flames just inside the entryway, but the wood that had been the windowsill was going up quickly, the hot flames licking at the wooden steps that led into the building and threatening to catch; it wouldn’t be more than a few moments before the entryway was much more impassable than it had been.
The woman stared blankly at Caim, eyes red and swollen from weeping. She gasped for breath, taking a moment to process the question. “Our room,” the woman sobbed. “The third floor,” shaking, she lifted one arm as best as she could to point up at the left hand side of the building.
“Hey now,” The sailor turned to Caim. “You can’t mean to go in there - it’s a death trap.” He let the woman go, leaving her to the aproned man, and reached for Caim firmly.
((Caim, an athletics or acrobatics check - your choice - to resist the grab, please!))
Pailash would find that her spell worked quite well; the cantrip was sufficient to put out the new hot spot, leaving the entrance just smoky once more. However the fire might have started, it was nonmagical now. There was still no deep red glow behind, no sign that the fire had reached that far.
Solstice, first inside, would see a hallway choked with smoke, and the sense that the building opened up beyond. The air was thick and heavy with smoke.
((I am assuming Solstice enters once the way is clear; if so, please make a con save against the smoke! Anyone else who enters the building this round should also make a con save against the smoke.
Once everyone is inside, we’ll set posting order and discuss timing.))
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 7, 2019 22:53:15 GMT
Ah, good. It heartened Solstice to hear that she was not alone in wanting to help, despite the perilous situation and slim chances of success. Seeing magic at work just when it was needed most, she managed a nod and smile briefly at the gnome woman in thanks. That would make this task a bit easier, hopefully, though just as she thought such, the charred windowsill cracked and broke off right before her in front of the doorway. It was a sign in her eyes, a sign not to linger. That girl, if she was still alive through some miracle, wouldn't be much longer.
Hearing that the girl is on the third floor is all Solstice needed to hear, and she only spent another moment outside to shout back at the man warning the tiefling in a strongly Sylvan-accented brogue. "Trap or not, it's his choice! It we're going to do this, we'd better do it now! There won't be another chance!" She hoped that would sink in because they were out of time and she was't going to waste it further.
Solstice entered first, to provide a shield for the gnome woman should she choose to follow. The smoke stung her eyes almost instantly, and she raised up the wet cloth to her nose and mouth, trying to give herself some kind of protection against it. She narrowed her eyes and tried to see to the stairs. If there was a clear path -or if she could make one- she was going for it.
Con save: aZTd5WkK1d20+2 1d20+2
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Post by orby on Apr 7, 2019 23:20:24 GMT
Ah. and there was the unwise part of stopping to ask. Perhaps on some level he'd thought no one would bother trying to stop him as they had the woman, given the way people so often looked at him. But the sailor's firm, almost scolding tone didn't seem concerned with who was trying to run headlong into a burning building, and Caim blinked in surprise as the man made a grab at him, trying to duck away from the hand before it could stop him.
"Someone has to!" he said, attempting a reassuring smile. "It's fine, I don't burn..."
Well. At least, not as much as others. It still counted for something, in his opinion.
((Rolling acrobatics:))
16g6Osf31d20+11d20+1
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2019 10:52:15 GMT
Pailash’s lips pursed thoughtfully as she saw the flames flick out. Alright. That was a good sign; it meant they probably weren’t walking into an oven created by a Fire Elemental or some such nonsense. Of course, most of her studies had been around the creation of flame, not its cessation. Whilst she had all manner of spells to create a wonderful variety of infernos, her options when it came to snuffing them out were somewhat more limited.
She repeated the process on the fire she could see licking higher up on the building, forming a second hole in the growing blaze – for all the good it was going to do. Trying to put out a fire of this size five feet at a time was pointless and she knew it; there was no way she was going to be able to dampen it faster than it would renew itself. That was the wonderful and terrible thing about fire; once it had begun, it would continue to perpetuate itself and consume until it ran out of fuel or was forcibly smothered.
“Oh, I see how it is.” She said, over her shoulder, to the men holding Caim back. “You’ll keep him back, but it is perfectly fine for me to waltz into a burning building. Nobody’s going to try and stop me.”
She sighed, melodramatically, and strode after Solstice. She only hoped that she was going to be able to bear the smoke. It’d be plainly embarrassing to cough up a lung after giving such a brazen display of bravado.
Con Save: y4G|Mzyf1d20+31d20+3
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 8, 2019 19:41:04 GMT
Caim would dodge out of the way of the grasping hand just in time. The sailor would turn to look at Solstice and Pailash, both too far away for him to have even tried to stop, then back to Caim. He shook his head, slightly. "It's too late, boy," he lowered his voice to a whisper, glancing back at the woman. "It must be." All the same, he didn't try to grab at Caim again, leaving him to enter the building.
The woman wailed, half-collapsing again, sobbing once more.
First Floor
It was dark and smoky inside. Once Solstice and Pailash made it past the fifteen foot entryway, they would be in the main building. The first floor was pretty empty, a long hallway with four doors off of it, two on each wall. Two of the doors were open, one with heavy flames billowing out into the main area, and another just cracked open, with flames creeping out of it as well. With the flames, it would be impossible to tell who - or what - might be inside the rooms. The other two doors were closed; whatever was behind those doors was a mystery for now.
It was hot as well as smokey inside, powerfully uncomfortable, but not impassable. Both adventurers would also be able to see stairs on the far left, just visible through the smoke that hung in the air.
((Let's set some ground rules! Caim can get inside the building as well this round; you can think of him as starting from the entrance.
While inside the building, think of posts as 6-second-ish time periods as in combat! You're restricted to your usual movement plus an action/bonus action (i.e. casting control flames or making a perception check). If in doubt, please just ask.
Everyone will need to make a con save against the smoke this round as well - and every subsequent round! To reduce the amount of back and forth, you can make it at the end of your post; I'll let you know if you've failed and what would need to happen on the next round if so.
For now, let's leave posting order flexible; if we need to restrict to a specific posting order, I will let you know))
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 8, 2019 20:10:02 GMT
"This way!" Solstice had a singular goal in mind, and that was to reach the stairs. The girl was on the third floor? Well, nothing else mattered. Once the far left stairs were spotted -not an easy task, given the dim lighting and flames- her course was set. Shielding her nose and mouth as best she could against the billowing smoke and trying her best not to think about how uncomfortable her own armor would become in this blazing death trap, she took out her shield and used it to protect herself as she dashed down the hall. Perhaps it would be wiser to let the gnome woman try to control the flames beforehand, but she decided not to waste any time. Her companion knew her own talents, and Solstice would have to trust that she knew how to best use them. Besides, that smoke was a true threat. The less chance they gave it to seep into their lungs, the better. Needless chatter could wait until they were outside once again...with good news, or grim.
However, she wasn't heartless. Upon reaching the stairs, she quickly spared a glance back to see if the gnome woman was faring well or overcome with the smoke. For both their sakes, she hoped on the latter. That ability to control flames could be even more vital upstairs.
Con save: qTngn|qK1d20+21d20+2
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Post by orby on Apr 8, 2019 22:04:25 GMT
Darting away from the bystanders with a last soothing smile, Caim joined the other two in the doorway. His smile fell away again quickly in the face of the blaze itself. The heat was oppressive, even for someone like him who typically preferred warmth at all times. The air was thick with smoke and everything seemed painted and oranges and reds in the flickering light of the flames.
(There was a piece of Lathander's scripture that he'd heard countless times about the duality of fire; that while it could be a force of destruction, it was also a source of warmth and light and life. He'd always liked that one, the thought that even that which people feared and shied away from could be good.
In the most literally sense, though, now, he couldn't find any of that goodness. These flames, roaring like a beast that would mercilessly eat at wood and flesh alike, had no sense of gentleness.)
"W-wait," he said as one of the women turned to run for the stairs -- oh good, at least they'd heard what the mother had said -- and hurriedly worked a spell over all three of them. The soft glow of it was easily lost in the chaotic firelight, but sudden feeling of warmth and peace was harder to miss. He barely had time to get the spell off before the larger woman was dashing off, and then he was following her in the direction of the stairs.
((Casting Bless on all three of them! Everyone gets to add an extra d4 whenever making attack rolls or saving throws.
Con save, with said extra d4 from Bless:))
6o40HLTa1d20+3
1d4
1d20+3·1d4
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2019 8:38:52 GMT
So far, the smoke was irritating, but not the end of the world. From within her pack, Pailash pulled out a long gold and black scarf – quite the contrast against the bright and brilliant red of the rest of her outfit – and secured it around her nose and mouth. The flame itself wasn’t something that concerned her overly much, it was the smoke that was going to be a problem, but without being able to blow a sizeable hole into the outside world… it was one that they were just going to have to deal with for the moment.
Her eyebrow shot up when Caim cast his spell, and she smirked beneath her makeshift mask. “Well, now.” She said, “Aren’t you just full of surprises. That’s good. I was worried you were just going to be here to help me drag her out if the smoke gets to her.”
The mirth was clear in her voice; if Solstice fell unconscious, there was no way either of them were going to be physically dragging her out of the burning building.
Little joke made, she just did her best to keep up with the much, much taller woman; that itself was going to become an issue sooner rather than later. Tiny gnome legs weren’t made for sprinting, that’s for sure.
(Up to the GM whether fastening the scarf does anything / takes an action - mechanically if it doesn't take an action Pailash will dash, if it does she'll obviously just keep moving.)
Con Save: fi5KSpBn1d20+3 1d41d20+3·1d4
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 9, 2019 21:44:28 GMT
DM roll: 7daJKCdV1d6Solstice and Pailash would make it to the stairs, Solstice easily and Pailash just barely; Caim, who had taken a moment to cast the spell, would find himself lagging behind, still only halfway through the hall.
All three would be able to feel the smoke tickling their noses, throats and lungs. Pailash, however, would feel worse than that; a bad breath, even through the scarf wrapped around her mouth, would bring on a coughing fit strong enough to leave her stranded on the stairs, without the ability to move or take any action.
Worse, the fire was spreading. The building was burning quickly, and before their eyes the fire would creep forward just a little, hungrily lapping up the meal of wooden floors and ceilings. First Floor Solstice, at least, would be able to make it to the second floor. The fire had spread even more here; the entire far side of the hall seemed to be ablaze. Worse still, the stairs didn't continue, as one might have expected, straight up from the first floor to the third; instead, whoever had designed the building had set them in the middle of the hallway. Second Floor ((Small clarification: let's go with American style floor names, instead of my accidental foray into British-style. In other words, the bottom floor is first, the next floor up is second, and the next floor up is third. Pailash is restricted to 0 movement and no action for the round)) 1d6 |
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Jarovbees
Approved
Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 9, 2019 23:01:23 GMT
"My thanks, for that!" The sudden enveloping of divine energy around her had Solstice feeling a bit foolish. She knew that spell, could cast it herself in fact. And if she had stopped to think a moment earlier, she would have realized that this was a situation that definitely called for it. That girl couldn't be rescued if her own lungs couldn't handle the smoke. As it was, she could see that the gnome woman was struggling a bit more and that provoked a frown of concern.
"I have to keep going, but--trust me, I'm stronger than I look." She held out hand to offer the gnome woman a shoulder-ride. Undignified, maybe, but she didn't want to leave her behind...and really, a gnome's weight wouldn't strain her at all. Even her illusory human disguise -which Pailash would be quick to discover is just that- appeared to be no weakling.
Whether her help was accepted or not, she would then continue up the stairs to the second floor...where to her surprise, the stairway doesn't immediately continue upward. What kind of weird layout is this? She pushed down the urge to gripe about it, though; again, there was no time for anything but the essential. "We have to make a run for it, the stairs are in the middle this time!" There was nothing to do but head over and hope for the best.
Con save: 0Vda06C_1d20+2 Bless: 1d41d20+2·1d4
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Post by orby on Apr 9, 2019 23:41:51 GMT
Outside, with the nature of the building obscured by flame and smoke, it hadn't occurred to Caim to do anything but rush straight up to the room the mother had indicated. But as he moved through the hall, the layout struck him as strange -- just doors, reminiscent of the inns he'd been inside. Not like the communal areas of the temple or glimpses he'd gotten into homes around the city.
The mother had only been shouting for her daughter. But if that family wasn't the only one living here...
"...There could be other people here..." he called up ahead as the thought came to him, but his tone was uncertain. He had no way of knowing, after all, and what if he was wrong? If he distracted them from rushing straight for someone they knew was here and that wasted time could make all the difference...
As the gnome woman hurried up the stairs ahead of him, Caim frowned and slowed slightly. "Keep going!" he shouted up to them.
Pausing for a moment, he glanced around the burning hall and murmured a simple cantrip to throw open the doors, provided they weren't locked. He continued on towards the stairs, glancing through the doorway that wasn't blocked by flames, and shouted again over the roar of the blaze, "Is anyone here?"
If he didn't hear or see anything, however, he'd keep moving up the stairs after the others.
((Casting Thaumaturgy to cause the doors to fly open. Con save plus Bless:))
rEG|hxNA1d20+3
1d4
((Dex save plus Bless:))
1d20+1
1d41d20+3·1d4·1d20+1·1d4
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