Kel didn't hesitate, he dove into the fireplace relying on his natural resistance to see this done. He shot out his hand for the escaping limb.

Grapple: 11 VS Evil Hand (Ath/Acro)

Ura's shot proved futile, as the hand still wore the Arbitrator's armored gauntlet, and potentially retained the same natural toughness of the dragonborn. The arrow hit the gauntlet and fell into the fire, failing to penetrate and becoming kindling for the flames.

Evil Hand: 5

As Kel dove into the fire, he landed on the logs inside and grabbed onto the gauntlet's wrist, just as the creature was attempting to escape. The successful grapple allowed Kel to get a grip on the thing, but it had a grip on the fire damper, which put Kel in a somewhat unfortunate position.

The flames do 5 fire damage to Kel. ((Half because of the resistance))

In an effort to assist Kel, Anearis sprang into action. He grabbed the tiefling with both hands and tried to pull him out of the fire.

Strength check: 9

 Evil Hand Strength contest: 11

 The evil hand successfully maintained its grip of the inside of the damper, remaining tucked in the chimeny. Aneari's attempt to assist Kel was not enough to specifically make a difference.

The evil hand attempted to escape from Kel's hold. 19

Kel's strength: 9

The evil hand slips through Kel's fingers and up the chimney.

...Damn it... Kel closed his eyes against the smoke as he felt the limb barely slip through his grasp. ...DAMN IT!... He gritted his teeth and pounded his fist against the stonework, then backed out of the fireplace, soot and embers rolling off his heated armor. He ignored the heat, he barely felt it. He shook his head towards the others, words not needed for the obvious result. Instead he secured his mace against his hip once more and proceeded to go up the stairs with the intent to lay a heavy raid against the larder, provided there was little to stand in his way. It was plainly clear to any that the Tiefling was not looking happy about events at all. 

"Azzeal zicy py, zmiz zmuw vih ky ajyr." he muttered to himself.

“I don’t suppose any of you are trackers.” D’armes switched his gaze from the fire place to the stumpy arm, that he lifted up to his face. “Or a very experienced artificier?”

D’armes picked his sword back up, slinging it on his back, and turned to Ura. “You mentioned Blemish went to get someone?”

At the top of the stairs, Kel found the door to the next level to be locked.

Kel stood with his hand on the locked door and closed his eyes. Somewhere, deep inside the rooms of his mind a small child sat alone in the dark weeping. He was scared. He was tired. He was hungry. There was no light, no fire. He had to find his own. Then the sensation of being stabbed. The Tiefling twitched, the scar on his back itching and he shook his head to clear the memory of long ago. Instead of ripping the door off the hinges or smashing his way through it he instead turned, calmly walked down the steps and returned to his gear.

He slowly and deliberately made sure it was in order and reslung the pack and weapons to himself. Inside his chest there raged an inferno that wanted to do nothing more than ram his greatsword into the next thing that stood between him and a hot meal and feed them burning coals until he could warm himself by their glowing chest cavity but outwardly he would appear as a fatigued individual that seemed defeated. If anyone had said anything to him during these moments it would have fallen on indifferent ears.

His gear set, Kel moved through the rooms to take a position by the exterior door, exiting to the small shack adjoining the Spire and looking out into the streets.

Uthal shakes his head but keeps his warhammer ready just in case. "He never said anything. Just unlocked the door and left after you fell unconscious." 

“That’s the problem with mutes; they never tell you anything.” D’armes picked up his helm and placed it back on his head. “I thank you all for you assistance, but I must see that the city guard have the situation under control before I rest."

Looking more as the Pas D'armes that you had met previously, the only sign that he wasn't human being the exposed scaled arm stump, where his armor had been dismantled, while he slept. He looked around at the party members still within the room. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm sure you understand that I'd ask if there's someplace else you could stay, while I'm not here."

Anearis raises his hand sheepishly. "I may not be the best at it, but I've lived in the wilderness my whole life, so I suppose I know my way around."

Uthal grunts and starts to make his way back to the Inn. 

“Wait.” He said calmly as Uthal began towards the door. There was exhaustion and hesitation in his voice. “I don’t suppose your wilderness training would translate over to tracking a severed hand, or locating the city guard?” The Arbitrator rubbed his exposed, shorter arm, and looked at the group apprehensively. “In fact I could likely use more help than I’m willing to admit...I know it’s late and none of you signed up for this, but I seem to be short-handed at the moment and could use your help right now.” “The stronghold is a days ride, at least, and it’s imperative that I get there, but the city hasn’t been secured, and it might provide us with some answers.”

"I don't know where Blemish went," Ura tells D'Armes (way back in time).  "I tried to stop him and ask, but he looked a little frustrated and unwilling to answer.  The others figured he was going to get help.  Help that never came, I might add.  So either we were wrong, or something happened to Blemish."

As Uthal begins to leave, Ura shrugs and follows after him.  She turns as D'Armes requests their help, eyebrows going higher.  "Uh.  Well, I'm pretty sure I could help you locate the city guard, and quickly, but probably not in the way you'd want me to.  But sure, if there's something we can do, we wouldn't mind helping.  I think we all want to find your hand as much as you do after all."

 "If you could retrieve you friend from the front door, the tiefling. I'm hoping that's as far as he's made it." D'armes seemed somewhat lost in thought, but said this to the group as he made his way up the stairs to the second floor.  While the various party member's interactions with him, prior to tonight had seen him as a relatively solid and level individual, everything that had occurred since the sun went down, had exposed the party to a wave of emotional states and sanity demonstrated by him.

After a few moments, D'armes came back down the stairs, with a small satchel, and a pack. He placed the pack on the floor, and pulled out a roll of parchment, which he unfurled on the table, placing the satchel on a corner to hold it down, it was a map of Midgar, as noted by writing at the top of the map. "Since you are new to the city, I won't assume your familiarity. So forgive me, if I tell you anything you already know. We're here." He pointed towards a small center square in the middle of the map.  "That room out there..." He pointed out the cage door. "...in addition to being used for judicial mediating, would be the coordination spot for the guards of both north and south Midgar.  So unless there are actually a swarm of patrols just waiting outside the front door, the lack of coordination means something's happened to them.  We'll need to go to both barracks."

Having the map in front of the Arbitrator, and speaking his mind, like a strategist convening with a group of military advisors, seems to have leveled him and brought him back to the state which most of you previously met. "If Blemish was going for help, he logically would have gone to the south barracks, here. There's also a healer right near by. Puffs, he's the owner of the Magic Dragon Apothecary." As he spoke, he again pointed to places on the map. "I'll head there. See if I can find Blemish and see what the south guard knows. I need you all to head to the North Barracks. They have fewer numbers, so they would likely accept your assistance, even from non-humans." D'armes turned his gaze up to Anearis, "As far as tracking the hand, I'd consider the safety of the city to be our priority, but I'd appreciate anything you can do, on the way."

((Map available in discord channel))

shink shink The whetstone slid down the length of the greatsword as Kel stood looking out into the, apparently now very empty, streets. shink shink The repetition of a mindless act and the early morning, or very late at night, air let him cool the ire that was building in his chest. shink shink He had a feeling there was more to be asked for the night. More fighting, more sickness, more death to be seen and heard and felt. shink shink He blew the flects away. A younger, more immature part of him wanted to leave, to find a place and be done with this and tackle it with a fresh body and mind. The quieter voice stated that there was work to be done and time enough to rest when the dead claimed him. shink shink At the very least, when he was killed tonight by some undead horror he'd get to eat when he got back up. Kel chuckled at the morbid joke, vanquishing the last of the wildfire inside, keeping it again a focused blaze. shink shink Damn if he didn't want some flatcakes and honey. He blew the flects away from his blade.

- - - (Someone got Kel) - - -

Kel kept quiet as the Arbitrator laid out his plan. He sighed when he saw where they would be going. Regardless if all of the Underworld was rising from their graves and storms were tossing buildings into the streets, the North would ever look down on those not human. He had been taught enough history and heard enough stories from the elders in the Territory to know. Arbitrator or not he was Fireclaimed and was asking for help. Kel was bound to help him even at the cost of his own life, that was the Order he joined, that was what his God expected. He studied the streets they would have to take. North and West on the main road toward the gate or North and then West on a side street, or if the city was properly oftcyv East and hug the wall all the way around to the West. Kel shook his head when talk of the hand came up. Hunting monsters at the very least taught him some basics. In his mind it didn't need to do anything a creature of the woods or a monster of the world needed to do for basic survival and thus be able to track. Kill remains for food. Scat markings. Any blood trails would be useless in the city that has been fighting the undead. If it made a lair it would be as big as a building or as small as a quiver. The hand was gone. He kept silent about that for now as well. Keeping to the mindset of getting to the North Barracks, somehow convincing whoever, if anyone, is left that they are on business of the Arbitrator, likely getting stabbed because he has horns, likely having to let it go because of political reasons.

"North Barracks." He glanced up. "If we should somehow achieve this goal and gather the information you need, without being sent out to do all manner of things until the morrow comes..." He quickly muttered that last bit. "...shall we rendezvous here? The Maiden? How long should we wait for you before we go looking?" He shrugged. "Just in case."

D'armes, who had been leaning on the table, with his one good hand, whenever not using it to point out a location, straightened up, to answer any follow-on questions.

"If the north guard have everything under control, just wait at the barracks. If they are in need of your assistance, leave word with a clerk or steward, and I will find you.  Either way I will meet you there. If I don't show up, we have bigger problems than even I know how to deal with."

D'armes picked up the satchel from the table. "Here. I may have been only half-conscious when you asked, but I do recall you being hungry." He tossed it to Kel. Inside was a simple meal of bread, some slices of meat, and a small bit of cheese. "Nothing like what the Maiden has to offer, but at least you can eat that on the move."

Anearis nodded at D’armes request. "I will try to assist any way I can. And I’ll keep my eyes open for your hand. It should stand out fairly well."

Ura crosses her hands behind her head and yawns.  "Well," she says to Uthal.  "Looks like we're going to the barracks.  Say... where do you think a stray flaming hand would go, anyway, if it was trying to get away?  I'm thinking back to its master.  So... y'know, if anyone knew how to track a hand, it might lead us to Original Zombie.  Or the Black Beast's lair.  Or something equally nasty."

As they walk outside, she'll keep an eye out for anything weird - such as low-flying bat beasts or flaming fingers.

Perception: 18

Her imagination getting the better of her, she begins to wonder what a flaming bat-beast would look like.  Would the hand be rising out of its forehead, like a parrot's crest?  Ugh, she thinks, wincing at the mental image, which gives her a little wave.

Uthal raises an eyebrow to Ura as they walk. "I have no idea where a hand would go. It's not something I've ever thought of before. Back to it's master seems likely, though I don't think we are in any good condition to fight the beast right now." 

As you all step outside, your visibility (for those of you who can see in the dark) has increased to your full range potential, due to the dispersed black fog. However, the smell of ash and a thickness still lingers in the air.  The rotting undead still litter the ground around you, but otherwise there's no one else in sight.  The lights are still on at the Maiden's Bossom, but they have since closed the shutters on the windows. Besides the obvious of what surrounded you all, nothing further can be discerned, at this time.