When the creature answers Ilithienne does not get what he said. "I... something ... a dozzzz? You are a wierd one..." As he turns back to his work, she follows the party.
When they hear the halfing she feels shivers down her spine. "I don't think I want to see this..."says Ilithienne with hesitation "...but it must be some trick I think., right?"
She takes a look at Kallista "What do you think? Shall we?"
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DM in Tyranny of Dragons
"I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me..."
Intrigued, Aruzhal follows Mikaela. "Setting oneself on fire... surely it must be a trick. Perhaps some sort of magic. Ah well - the visual spectacle is what it's for, I'd rather not dig too deep into it. How exciting this place is..."
"Given everything we've seen so far, I expect an actual eternally burning corpse. Though I've no idea really," Mikaela says to Aruzhal. "Not the sort of attraction I'm interested in. But probably draws others in."
As you push open the iron-studded double doors, you are met with a blast of hot air not unlike the heat of the smith's foundry, but this time accompanied with the welcoming smell of cooked meat.
The door opens into a wide square receiving area. The floor is made of black iron, and circular vents of about five feet in diameter are evenly spaced across it. Looking down into the vents, you can see a reddish glow from who knows how far below.
In the middle of the receiving area, above one of the vents, is confirmation of Mikaela's suspicions.
A charred corpse, bathed in a pillar of flame, hovers a foot above the ground. The Burning Man writhes in agony at the perpetual blaze about him, yet no sound comes from his mouth, which hangs open as though silently screaming. As you enter, his body rotates to face you. Though he has no eyes, the fire in the blackened sockets makes for an unsettling substitute. He stretches a flaming arm out towards you, curling his skeletal fingers one by one as though fantasizing about grabbing one of you. And yet, he does not move from his spot above the vent in the middle of the receiving area, seemingly bound there.
The room is wide enough that you can get to the stairs behind the Burning Man without getting within his reach. The stairs lead up to a raised platform that surrounds the perimeter of the receiving area. Here, you can see a multitude of people seated at tables and chairs. The familiar bustle of your average tavern all but drowns out the roaring pillar of flame. Drinks are being served, strange folk converse in raised voices. Staff run about, trying to keep up with the orders. In the far left corner of this raised area, you can make out what seems to be the bar. From here, the angle prevents you from making out anyone of interest standing there. The barkeep himself is also hidden from view by the people and furniture between you and the bar.
Everyone in the bar has a perfect view of the Burning Man, and yet barely anyone pays him any attenti-
well, except for that trio of troublesome youngsters that just threw an apple core at him. The used fruit bounces off the corpse's head and falls to the ground in flames. Howls of laughter follow as the boys move away from the metal railing bordering the raised section, resuming their seats at a table. The Burning Man stops reaching at you, turns towards the boys and snarls, reaching towards them instead.
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"Remind yourself that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer."
"Well I'd hate to get separated at this point," Kallista says to Ilithienne as she follows the others.
When she see the Burning 'Man', she stops in her tracks. "Well now... that's different."
She clicks her tongue when the boys throw apple cores, but pauses when it turns its attention to the boys instead. Her hand moves to the shortsword on her belt as she tries to gauge the likelihood of it reaching the boys.
Watching the Burning Man closely, Kallista can see that, reach as it may, it seems unable to hover away from the vent below it. It's almost as though it's rooted to the spot by some invisible barrier. After a few seconds of grasping the air in vain, the Burning Man gives up and resumes writhing in perpetual searing pain.
Mikaela gazes at the burning figure for a few moments, trying to comprehend what is happening. The youngsters throwing an apple core quickly draws her attention. She starts to move in their direction, ready to given them her opinions on their behavior. From the look on her face it's clear she is not happy with them.
"If we do get separated, let's have this as a meeting point.." Ilithienne looks as if hypnotised at the burning man. Tears start to flow from her eyes."Eilistraee, my dark lady, help me find a peace for him..."she whispers her prayer.
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DM in Tyranny of Dragons
"I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me..."
Gavyn stops in his tracks as he sees the burning man, just watching the hovering charred corpse, bathed in a pillar of flame for a while, feeling more emotional about his hellish fate than he would have expected, forgetting about his own thirst. He briefly puts a sympathetic and comforting hand on Ilithienne's shoulder, then following Mikaela to back the freckled paladin up as she is about to have a harsh talk to the disresepectful youngsters.
Not sure if anyone has followed her or not, Mikaela marches up to the table with the three troublesome youngsters. "You three are reprehensible," she says sternly to them. "I know not what has brought that creature to be tortured so. But by your mockery of him, you only place yourselves ever closer to deserving such treatment yourselves." She speaks in all sincerity, speaking with autority but not making any physical threats towards them.
Gavyn, who has followed the freckled paladin to back her up, nods sternly in agreement with Mikaela as she reprimands the insolent rascals. "You better start behaving now, or judgement will come, maybe even in the form of a burning man free to hunt down his tormentors."He says, giving them all a glare.
He puzzles about the burning man as he looks around the bar.
(Are people generally paying attention to their drinks/food or mostly gawking at the burning man? Do others seem to care about the apple being thrown? Does the fire feel hot or is it illusory? Are the muscle movements real or is there some sort of animating force at play here? - Investigation 13)
The Burning Man stares directly at Ilithienne as she looks upon him in horror. For a moment, the fire in his eye sockets flickers, and his jaw, which been hanging open until now in a perpetual silent scream, closes.
The fire, Aruzhal finds, is very much real, the heat becoming too much to bear from any less than a foot away from the flames. As for the movement of the corpse, it seems to lack the forced, rigid movements of most undead. Rather, it moves like a living human, save for the top layers of skin being charred into a cracked, blackened mess.
Looking around, Aruzhal sees that most of the bar's occupants seem more interested in their food or conversations than the Burning Man. Even as the apple core is thrown, no one seems to even mind. It is clearly not an uncommon occurrence to disrespect the Burning Man. Two fox-headed humanoids seem to be playing a board game at one table. In a corner, some men in spiked armor (similar to the one seen in the streets earlier) can be seen sitting down for a drink at another.
Over at the far end, the bartender, a chubby human with a neatly combed mustache, cleans glasses while listening to a the whining rant of a middle aged man in chain mail, clearly drunk, and not yet done drinking.
The three boys, sitting at the table near the edge of the raised platform, are visibly worried as Mikaela and Gavyn approach. They all appear somewhere around fourteen years of age. You notice they all have dark circles under their eyes: a trait that seemed quite prevalent on the streets of the Hive. On the circular table are two more apples, one with a couple bites in it already, and a handful of copper coins.
"I-it was just a game, Miss!" One of them stammers. His black hair sticks upward in an array of messy spikes. A large, ugly scab has formed underneath his right eye.
"Yeeah," The second chimes in. He wears a tattered red scarf around his neck that looks as though it was torn from a cloak at some point. His nose looks like it had been broken at some point and then healed back the wrong way. "Everybody pokes fun at the Burning Man every now n' then!"
"S 'not like an apple 'ere n' there hurts 'im any more than the fire does!"Says the third. A single ridged horn curls out of the left side of his forehead. On the right side is jagged stump, as though the other horn had been violently ripped off. In front of him on the table is a mug of some sort of beverage (presumably non-alcoholic, given his age).
Gavyn's threat is answered with a nervous laugh from the one with spiky hair. "H-he can't do that. Can he?" He turns to his friends.
"Naw," says the one-horned boy. "If he ever got loose again, he'd get mazed before you could say 'Mephistopheles' five times fast. Pa always said that shoulda happened 'first time 'round."
"I'm glad he didn't." Says the boy in the scarf. "He's fun."
"Anyway, Sir and Ma'am." says the one-horned boy, "We don't anymore trouble with you folks. I take it yer not from 'round here, but stuff like this is just how it is." He takes a sip from his mug.
"Well, just how it is, is not good enough when I am around. As my friend said, the day may come when the tables are turned." Mikaela glances pointedly back towards the burning man. "May not be him. But the universe has an odd way of keeping track." She stands watching them for a few moments as though considering what action to take next.
She then gives the boys the slightest of smiles. "Perhaps you can make it up to me with information. It happens we're looking for some folks. LIke us, not from around here." She processed to describe Lord Olwin, Emma, and Raceland to them. "You haven't seen anyone like that have you?"
Ilithienne, still fixated on the burning man wipes her eyes. "What a horrific place is this? And I thought I couldn't be in a worse place than Underdark"she says quietly taking a turn and looking at the inn's clientele. She walks slowly towards the bar taking a look at the clients but trying her best not to stare.
"Hello...", she speaks with a faint smile."What can I have to drink for this?" she asks softly and puts a single silver coin on the counter.
The red-faced barkeep raises his brow at the silver coin placed on the splintery bar counter.
"Y,got a preference, ma'am? I've got Ysgardian mead. It ain't Valhalla stuff, but it ain't too shabby either. If you'd like something less strong, there's some ale from Ecstasy. If you'd like something stronger, I just got in some new beer from the Lower Planes. This stuff's from Avernus! That's what your silver could buy."
A few feet to Ilithienne's right, a middle-aged man in chainmail is seated, his arms crossed on the bar, his head looking down, grumbling about something.
The boy with spiky hair tilts his head in response to Mikaela's inquiry, apparently taking a moment to ransack his memory.
"Sorry, I haven't seen anyone like them. That grouch in the chain mail seated at the bar is definitely not from here. He made quite the scene a few minutes ago. Yelling something about about no one here having heard of him before." He subconsciously picks at the scab under his eye.
Mikaela turns to look at the man in chainmail for a moment, before looking back at the boys. She speaks to them sternly. "Alright, perhaps he could know something. But you all should think about your actions in the future. I do appreciate your help though." She then walks over to the bar, adressing the main as she approaches. "Hello sir, perhaps I could ask you a few questions? I understand you may have just recently arrived in this place."
"The Ecstasy ale sounds... tempting. I think I'll try that one." Ilithienne says with a smile pushing the coin towards the bartender.
While waiting for her drink she gathers her thoughts... "Most likely you hear that a lot, so please excuse me in advance... I... we are looking for someone and perhaps you may know something... Three people has ended up here by accident and perhaps one or all of them came here not too long ago?"she asks hopefully.
Seeing Mikaela and Ilithienne having the investigation well in hand, Gavyn tries to order some of that ale, fully planning to go for something stronger before the visit is over, meanwhile keeping his eyes and ears open for any interesting leads, ready to join the ladies should any trouble arise.
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When the creature answers Ilithienne does not get what he said. "I... something ... a dozzzz? You are a wierd one..." As he turns back to his work, she follows the party.
When they hear the halfing she feels shivers down her spine. "I don't think I want to see this..." says Ilithienne with hesitation "...but it must be some trick I think., right?"
She takes a look at Kallista "What do you think? Shall we?"
"I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me..."
Intrigued, Aruzhal follows Mikaela. "Setting oneself on fire... surely it must be a trick. Perhaps some sort of magic. Ah well - the visual spectacle is what it's for, I'd rather not dig too deep into it. How exciting this place is..."
"Given everything we've seen so far, I expect an actual eternally burning corpse. Though I've no idea really," Mikaela says to Aruzhal. "Not the sort of attraction I'm interested in. But probably draws others in."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
As you push open the iron-studded double doors, you are met with a blast of hot air not unlike the heat of the smith's foundry, but this time accompanied with the welcoming smell of cooked meat.
The door opens into a wide square receiving area. The floor is made of black iron, and circular vents of about five feet in diameter are evenly spaced across it. Looking down into the vents, you can see a reddish glow from who knows how far below.
In the middle of the receiving area, above one of the vents, is confirmation of Mikaela's suspicions.
A charred corpse, bathed in a pillar of flame, hovers a foot above the ground. The Burning Man writhes in agony at the perpetual blaze about him, yet no sound comes from his mouth, which hangs open as though silently screaming. As you enter, his body rotates to face you. Though he has no eyes, the fire in the blackened sockets makes for an unsettling substitute. He stretches a flaming arm out towards you, curling his skeletal fingers one by one as though fantasizing about grabbing one of you. And yet, he does not move from his spot above the vent in the middle of the receiving area, seemingly bound there.
The room is wide enough that you can get to the stairs behind the Burning Man without getting within his reach. The stairs lead up to a raised platform that surrounds the perimeter of the receiving area. Here, you can see a multitude of people seated at tables and chairs. The familiar bustle of your average tavern all but drowns out the roaring pillar of flame. Drinks are being served, strange folk converse in raised voices. Staff run about, trying to keep up with the orders. In the far left corner of this raised area, you can make out what seems to be the bar. From here, the angle prevents you from making out anyone of interest standing there. The barkeep himself is also hidden from view by the people and furniture between you and the bar.
Everyone in the bar has a perfect view of the Burning Man, and yet barely anyone pays him any attenti-
well, except for that trio of troublesome youngsters that just threw an apple core at him. The used fruit bounces off the corpse's head and falls to the ground in flames. Howls of laughter follow as the boys move away from the metal railing bordering the raised section, resuming their seats at a table. The Burning Man stops reaching at you, turns towards the boys and snarls, reaching towards them instead.
"Remind yourself that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer."
"Well I'd hate to get separated at this point," Kallista says to Ilithienne as she follows the others.
When she see the Burning 'Man', she stops in her tracks. "Well now... that's different."
She clicks her tongue when the boys throw apple cores, but pauses when it turns its attention to the boys instead. Her hand moves to the shortsword on her belt as she tries to gauge the likelihood of it reaching the boys.
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
Watching the Burning Man closely, Kallista can see that, reach as it may, it seems unable to hover away from the vent below it. It's almost as though it's rooted to the spot by some invisible barrier. After a few seconds of grasping the air in vain, the Burning Man gives up and resumes writhing in perpetual searing pain.
"Remind yourself that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer."
Mikaela gazes at the burning figure for a few moments, trying to comprehend what is happening. The youngsters throwing an apple core quickly draws her attention. She starts to move in their direction, ready to given them her opinions on their behavior. From the look on her face it's clear she is not happy with them.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
"If we do get separated, let's have this as a meeting point.." Ilithienne looks as if hypnotised at the burning man. Tears start to flow from her eyes. "Eilistraee, my dark lady, help me find a peace for him..." she whispers her prayer.
"I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me..."
Gavyn stops in his tracks as he sees the burning man, just watching the hovering charred corpse, bathed in a pillar of flame for a while, feeling more emotional about his hellish fate than he would have expected, forgetting about his own thirst. He briefly puts a sympathetic and comforting hand on Ilithienne's shoulder, then following Mikaela to back the freckled paladin up as she is about to have a harsh talk to the disresepectful youngsters.
Not sure if anyone has followed her or not, Mikaela marches up to the table with the three troublesome youngsters. "You three are reprehensible," she says sternly to them. "I know not what has brought that creature to be tortured so. But by your mockery of him, you only place yourselves ever closer to deserving such treatment yourselves." She speaks in all sincerity, speaking with autority but not making any physical threats towards them.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Gavyn, who has followed the freckled paladin to back her up, nods sternly in agreement with Mikaela as she reprimands the insolent rascals. "You better start behaving now, or judgement will come, maybe even in the form of a burning man free to hunt down his tormentors." He says, giving them all a glare.
Out of curiosity, Kallista approaches the burning man to try and figure out if it's some kind of creature or spirit.
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
Aruzhal approaches the corpse as well.
"What is this..."
He puzzles about the burning man as he looks around the bar.
(Are people generally paying attention to their drinks/food or mostly gawking at the burning man? Do others seem to care about the apple being thrown? Does the fire feel hot or is it illusory? Are the muscle movements real or is there some sort of animating force at play here? - Investigation 13)
The Burning Man stares directly at Ilithienne as she looks upon him in horror. For a moment, the fire in his eye sockets flickers, and his jaw, which been hanging open until now in a perpetual silent scream, closes.
The fire, Aruzhal finds, is very much real, the heat becoming too much to bear from any less than a foot away from the flames. As for the movement of the corpse, it seems to lack the forced, rigid movements of most undead. Rather, it moves like a living human, save for the top layers of skin being charred into a cracked, blackened mess.
Looking around, Aruzhal sees that most of the bar's occupants seem more interested in their food or conversations than the Burning Man. Even as the apple core is thrown, no one seems to even mind. It is clearly not an uncommon occurrence to disrespect the Burning Man. Two fox-headed humanoids seem to be playing a board game at one table. In a corner, some men in spiked armor (similar to the one seen in the streets earlier) can be seen sitting down for a drink at another.
Over at the far end, the bartender, a chubby human with a neatly combed mustache, cleans glasses while listening to a the whining rant of a middle aged man in chain mail, clearly drunk, and not yet done drinking.
The three boys, sitting at the table near the edge of the raised platform, are visibly worried as Mikaela and Gavyn approach. They all appear somewhere around fourteen years of age. You notice they all have dark circles under their eyes: a trait that seemed quite prevalent on the streets of the Hive. On the circular table are two more apples, one with a couple bites in it already, and a handful of copper coins.
"I-it was just a game, Miss!" One of them stammers. His black hair sticks upward in an array of messy spikes. A large, ugly scab has formed underneath his right eye.
"Yeeah," The second chimes in. He wears a tattered red scarf around his neck that looks as though it was torn from a cloak at some point. His nose looks like it had been broken at some point and then healed back the wrong way. "Everybody pokes fun at the Burning Man every now n' then!"
"S 'not like an apple 'ere n' there hurts 'im any more than the fire does!" Says the third. A single ridged horn curls out of the left side of his forehead. On the right side is jagged stump, as though the other horn had been violently ripped off. In front of him on the table is a mug of some sort of beverage (presumably non-alcoholic, given his age).
Gavyn's threat is answered with a nervous laugh from the one with spiky hair. "H-he can't do that. Can he?" He turns to his friends.
"Naw," says the one-horned boy. "If he ever got loose again, he'd get mazed before you could say 'Mephistopheles' five times fast. Pa always said that shoulda happened 'first time 'round."
"I'm glad he didn't." Says the boy in the scarf. "He's fun."
"Anyway, Sir and Ma'am." says the one-horned boy, "We don't anymore trouble with you folks. I take it yer not from 'round here, but stuff like this is just how it is." He takes a sip from his mug.
"Remind yourself that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer."
"Well, just how it is, is not good enough when I am around. As my friend said, the day may come when the tables are turned." Mikaela glances pointedly back towards the burning man. "May not be him. But the universe has an odd way of keeping track." She stands watching them for a few moments as though considering what action to take next.
She then gives the boys the slightest of smiles. "Perhaps you can make it up to me with information. It happens we're looking for some folks. LIke us, not from around here." She processed to describe Lord Olwin, Emma, and Raceland to them. "You haven't seen anyone like that have you?"
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Ilithienne, still fixated on the burning man wipes her eyes. "What a horrific place is this? And I thought I couldn't be in a worse place than Underdark" she says quietly taking a turn and looking at the inn's clientele. She walks slowly towards the bar taking a look at the clients but trying her best not to stare.
"Hello...", she speaks with a faint smile. "What can I have to drink for this?" she asks softly and puts a single silver coin on the counter.
"I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me..."
The red-faced barkeep raises his brow at the silver coin placed on the splintery bar counter.
"Y,got a preference, ma'am? I've got Ysgardian mead. It ain't Valhalla stuff, but it ain't too shabby either. If you'd like something less strong, there's some ale from Ecstasy. If you'd like something stronger, I just got in some new beer from the Lower Planes. This stuff's from Avernus! That's what your silver could buy."
A few feet to Ilithienne's right, a middle-aged man in chainmail is seated, his arms crossed on the bar, his head looking down, grumbling about something.
The boy with spiky hair tilts his head in response to Mikaela's inquiry, apparently taking a moment to ransack his memory.
"Sorry, I haven't seen anyone like them. That grouch in the chain mail seated at the bar is definitely not from here. He made quite the scene a few minutes ago. Yelling something about about no one here having heard of him before." He subconsciously picks at the scab under his eye.
"Remind yourself that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer."
Mikaela turns to look at the man in chainmail for a moment, before looking back at the boys. She speaks to them sternly. "Alright, perhaps he could know something. But you all should think about your actions in the future. I do appreciate your help though." She then walks over to the bar, adressing the main as she approaches. "Hello sir, perhaps I could ask you a few questions? I understand you may have just recently arrived in this place."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
"The Ecstasy ale sounds... tempting. I think I'll try that one." Ilithienne says with a smile pushing the coin towards the bartender.
While waiting for her drink she gathers her thoughts... "Most likely you hear that a lot, so please excuse me in advance... I... we are looking for someone and perhaps you may know something... Three people has ended up here by accident and perhaps one or all of them came here not too long ago?" she asks hopefully.
"I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me..."
Seeing Mikaela and Ilithienne having the investigation well in hand, Gavyn tries to order some of that ale, fully planning to go for something stronger before the visit is over, meanwhile keeping his eyes and ears open for any interesting leads, ready to join the ladies should any trouble arise.