(Sorry, the next round Blackberry would have administered Naraeld's potion to him.  Busy weekend, blah blah blah....)

In hopes of slowing the enemy down, Greth'g'karee takes aim at one of the bandit's holding a child. In the chaos, he hopes the others around won't seamlessly pick the tike up without a second thought to their fellow. 

((13 to hit, 8 damage (in log) Do I take any advantage from my higher elevation, hidden placement, or the fact that their running out from a building directly into my firing area and then perpendicular to me / it? I couldn't have wished for a better lineup short of putting ducks in a barrel. ))

(LOL ducks in a barrel... or sitting fish?)

(OOC: Greth, I'm happy to give you adv for the reasons you cite; I personally feel it would be easy as rolling off a piece of pie)

(( With advantage, the hit becomes 16 - in log ))

(OOC: At this stage, the doors are closed; Teb must wait or find another way)

Eva dashes toward the door as Greth'g'karee focuses his attention on two bandits carrying away a struggling child. He fires a shot at them and hits one through the back of his cloak, but after a stumble, the man is able to keep going with the child in tow.

Caught between the fire and the wall of the Mead Hall, Olivessa calls out with a child in her arms. Dashing toward clear air, she stumbles, managing to throw the child into the crowd of people fighting the flames, but rolling into them herself. You can hear her scream in pain and fear. The fire continues to spread. It has not yet reached the ceiling, but it is close to the walls where Olivessa fell.

Torrga's thugs look after where their leader has fled but, at a command from Sephek Kaltro, they don't give chase. Instead they work with the townspeople to start a bucket brigade, bringing in water from outside the hall to try and slow the fire.

Outside, Greth'g'karee has been trying to find Zara, as described by Sabetha, but, despite the flash of green skin he saw earlier, the mass of retreating bandits, each bundled up in winter clothing, are largely indistinguishable. It would seem he has lost her in the crowd.

After administering the potion to Naraeld, Blackberry will turn to Aubin to see if any more healing draughts are available.  If not, he will attend to him the best he can, staunching any bleeding and making sure the airway is clear.

Medicine 17

Naraeld comes to ((recovering 8 hp)) almost as soon as Blackberry pulls the healing draught away from his lips, looking beaten and worse for wear, but anything is an improvement on his state mere moments before. "Oof, that noise... What happened?" His vision focusses on the harengon in front of him for a moment before Blackberry moves on to look at Aubin.  Hearing the cries around him and feeling the heat of the fire, Naraeld shakes his head groggily and tries to stand.

(OOC - RP only, Naraeld will take his turn after Sephek, starting prone)

Seeing Blackberry revive Naraeld and not knowing whether Aubin is dying, Sabetha attempts to cradle the hatted man's head and stabilize him.

Medicine:  21

She then helps with the fire, starting by pulling Olivessa and the child she was carrying to safety, using her 40' movement.  Then joining with the bucket brigade or however else she can help.  Even though her garish multi-hued scarf apparently only helps garner attention she doesn't want, and never seems to help galvanize people when she actually needs it, she hopes at least that it will encourage the fire-fighting efforts of those around her.

She has choice words for Shander as well but she leaves them unuttered for now.

Sabetha fully acknowledges her role in catalyzing the tragedy, but this entire raid was clearly set up by the scheming dwarf and whoever is backing both him and Torrga to solidify control over Good Mead.  She wonders who the backer could be.  Her heart hardens as hatred blooms within like a dark flower.

Bastards.  I may be persona non grata now, but then, I already was.  I will kill them or die trying.  Alone, if needed.

(Aubin is stable with Sabetha's efforts)

Sabetha is able to stabilize Aubin and he begins to rest peacefully on the floor. She then dashes for Olivessa, running into the fire in order to pull her out. Olivessa is badly burnt; she is having trouble breathing. Sabetha looks around for help but there is no-one nearby. Everyone is focused on putting out the flames. Olivessa reaches to Sabetha and places a hand on her cheek, turning Sabetha's head so she can look in her eyes.

"You've got great spirit, girl. They'll tell you this is your fault, but that rat cast the spell, not you. I know you don't think yourself ready, but these people will need someone like you. I had a daughter once. You remind me..." Olivessa dies in Sabetha's arms.

Sephek Kaltro continues to oversee the bucket brigade attempting to contain the fire. He gives every appearance of working efficiently and pragmatically in order to save the hall.

Naraeld gets to his feet, taking in the chaos and panic all around him. He realises that the bandits are fleeing, feeling the warmth of the flames lessen as the townsfolk follow Sephek's instructions in forming a water line to staunch the fires. Shander and his mercenaries are lending their aid to the recovery effort. Naraeld glances around for his companions, Blackberry and Aubin mere feet away. Eva running past towards the doors... Is that... Sabetha cradling the limp form of Olivessa in her arms... He sees the fresh corpses littering the camp, still warm despite the life having ebbed out of them. He catches the glint of reflected light as blades move in their deadly purpose, hears the repetitive screams as people cry out for mercy, watches the grassy floor turning brown as feet tramp the red blood all around them. The anger wells up in him, he knows he should be helping people quell the flames, or checking on his companions he doesn't recall seeing Greth since before the raiders entered. He staggers slowly after Eva in the direction of the doors, lurching forwards as he forces his aching body to do more, give just a bit more as he breaks into a ponderous dash, calling out in an unusual accent, "No, yer'll not be fleein' so easily. Vengeance seeks yer blood tonight!"

Action: dash
Movement: Stand up, then 30ft towards the doors

Greth'g'karee waits for what seems like the last of the enemies filtering away from the town before descending from his wintry rooftop perch. He calmly moves to the ground nearest where he had shot the enemy carrying a child. Kneeling, he finds the blooded snowpack below. He pulls coal from his pack and marks the mead hall wall nearby - an arrow. Then sets off at a leisurely pace after his quarry. Marking buildings, and then terrain features as he goes. (( Now for the hunt ))

Quote from LorenzotheGreat >>

Sabetha is able to stabilize Aubin and he begins to rest peacefully on the floor. She then dashes for Olivessa, running into the fire in order to pull her out. Olivessa is badly burnt; she is having trouble breathing. Sabetha looks around for help but there is no-one nearby. Everyone is focused on putting out the flames. Olivessa reaches to Sabetha and places a hand on her cheek, turning Sabetha's head so she can look in her eyes.

"You've got great spirit, girl. They'll tell you this is your fault, but that rat cast the spell, not you. I know you don't think yourself ready, but these people will need someone like you. I had a daughter once. You remind me..." Olivessa dies in Sabetha's arms.

Sabetha would cry but finds she has run out of tears.  Just as well.  They will freeze before they can fall in this cursed land.

Despite the darkness twisting her heart, she is touched to the quick by Olivessa's faith in her even after the tragedy Sabetha has helped catalyze.  She tremulously tries to find a gentle smile for the kind beekeeper dying in her arms.  Tries to hide the cold and cruel truth.  Tries to hide it out of... Mercy.

The sorrowful truth that Olivessa is thinking of a ghost.  A shade.  Of one who is no longer.

Thinking of her own daughter certainly, and perhaps of the Sabetha who had existed a year ago.  A week ago.  A day ago.

But that Sabetha is gone gone gone.

Seeing the unconscious Aubin stabilize, the hargengon sits back on his haunches, and lets out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.  He looks around blankly, not really registering the dead bodies, the raging fire, the fleeing thugs, his pursuing friends.  Flashbacks of his captivity aboard the Illithid ship take over his perception for several seconds, before with a great mental effort he manages to shove them back behind a mental wall, and slam the door shut behind them.

He can feel rage bubbling up inside him.  Rage at the injustice of the attack, rage at the death and kidnapping of innocents in an apparently staged political ploy.  Rage that once again the weak and defenseless are viewed as prey or pawns by those in positions of power.  The anger and... yes, hatred in his heart screams that the fleeing thugs must be pursued and made to suffer.  And yet, he and his friends are gravely wounded.  The tiny bit of rationality left in his consciousness manages to make itself heard over the loud drumbeat demanding vengeance: It will accomplish nothing if you pursue the villains and are immediately killed by the first enemy attack.  You and your friends must regain your strength before you go after them.  Just because they escape your wrath today does not mean they escape forever.  You will track them down.  They will suffer tenfold for the grief they have caused.  But they will only face justice if you survive to bring it to them.

Jotann and the other bandits scatter to the four winds, running down the streets of town, making their way to some predetermined checkpoint. Jotann is clearly visible to Greth'g'karee at first as he is a head taller than most of the other bandits and is not wearing a hat. Greth'g'karee may not know who he is, but he is obviously a leader of the raiders, ordering others around and keeping everyone moving. Greth'g'karee could take a shot, but Jotann seems to be aware of his presence and always has at least half cover as he makes his way.

Torrga also dashes outside and hurls two daggers at a fleeing bandit. One of the blades strikes the bandit in the back, but she pulls it free and keeps stumbling away. Torrga prepares to give chase.

By the time that Eva is out of the mead hall, the last of the bandits are about 30 ft away and diffusing through the streets.

(OOC: Greth'g'karee, if you want to change your action due to what has happened, you are welcome to)

____________________________________________________

Inside the Mead Hall, someone comes to Sabetha and gently removes Olivessa from her grasp. Sabetha's wounds are tended to, as are Blackberry's and Aubin's. It is the work of Dalia, whom Blackberry met before the evening's events began. She left the building when Blackberry suggested, but hearing the explosions shortly thereafter and seeing the strangers filling the streets, she decided that Tond, the herbalist, was needed and went to bring him to the mead hall. They hid in the kitchen while the situation calmed down and now they have been tended to the wounded and the preparing the dead for burial. Tond gives mixtures to all the party members still in the hall that are the equivalent of a potion of healing. 

Shander is working with the others putting out the fire. He is pointedly ignoring the party members.

Aubin wakes up to the smell of smoke and pain from the burn marks on his flesh. He shakily stands holding his head as he looks around at the Mead Hall. Seeing Sabetha he moves to her giving her an accusatory stare. Aubin opens his lips ready to berate her, but stops himself and just shakes his head.

He walks away and join the others in putting out the fire. Seeing how shifty Shander was acting he moved up alongside him and looks at him straight into his eyes. "Tell me what happened and leave nothing out. Do not test me this day as my patience is quite thin"

Intimidation Check

14

Eva continues to dash, reaching the Mead Hall doors and wrenching them open [free interaction with an object]. She nods to Ténèbre [telepathic instructions to weave as quietly and surreptiously as possible among the legs of the bandits], who scurries forward and [hopefully, DM ruling needed] vanishes among the retreating bandits. [Teb moves 40 feet and takes the hide action, Stealth check: 17]. Unfortunately, Eva is unable to do more than this.

Herbal healing for Blackberry 5

Herbal healing for Sabetha also 5.