Zealots and Demons, Turn 60: XenophobiaSearch for possible signs of maria around the wall.
Get going towards the wall. Begin searching for that pirate.
Tag along. (Quick explanation: Fleur isn't going to be making many rolls because I don't want to have a situation where she ends up either botching things for the whole party or doing everything herself because she lucked out on rolls. She'll help you out in a fight and might be able to offer advice when asked, but don't expect a whole lot. )
(Aegnor Search: 3. Kael Search: 1.) Kael had no idea what to look for, really. He'd never encountered this Maria person before and had no clue what kind of tracks she might have left. He did, however, attract the attention of everyone around them as he clanked around loudly in his armor. Aegnor fared little better. While he managed to keep a lower profile than his ally, he found a few sets of tracks that might have belonged to Maria. At least, he thought she had small feet. One set led toward some buildings along the wall, while two other pairs led elsewhere: one along the street to the north, one further into the alleyways.
(Encounter Avoidance: 2) Everyone was still staring at Kael, stopping whatever they were doing previously. Some picked up objects meaningfully - a rake here, a chair leg there. A rock came out of nowhere and (2) pinged off his armor harmlessly... but it was all that was needed to set off a frenzy.
"Kill the troll!" someone yelled, followed by a chorus of agreement. Fleur, had she a moment to hazard a guess, would theorize the wild magic in the area had driven them crazy - like she had told them might happen earlier.
"Perhaps ze retreat is in order, oui?" she said nervously.
Examine the source of fire and the ground around it. If it is safe to advance, just do it.
Try to discern anything hidden by the fire! Pressure plates, traps, hidden eyeholes...anything that endangers our secrecy here.
Examine the flame carefully - is there a way to avoid it?
(Mord: 4. Akari: 3. Tikan: 3.) Tikan stepped up first and looked around the fire. It spread from wall to wall between two buildings, covering a fairly wide road. They could look for a way into the buildings, maybe, or climb onto the roofs and go around. The latter was less feasible; there didn't seem to be any good hand holds. Not even any windows facing the road. Akari crouched close to the fire and examined the ground carefully. From what little she could see through the shifting flames, the ground appeared to be normal cobblestones. The walls on either side were made of wood, probably belonging to lower-class homes from the look of them - she'd seen enough of them to recognize the usual look. Mordekhai, for his part, could not discern the source of the fire beyond 'it's wild magic, this sort of thing happens in that kind of area and often without explanation.' He wasn't completely certain it was safe to advance, but on the other hand it didn't exactly seem unsafe to proceed, either. He took a few steps back and motioned for Tikan and Akari to move aside.
With a running start, he leaped through the flames and landed on the other side in a crouch, catching himself on his hands and the metal of his gauntlets screeching slightly from sliding across the cobblestones. He stood and check himself for injuries; none were present. None of his clothing had even caught fire.
"Mordekhai! Mordekhai! Are you all right?" Akari called from the other side of the fire, in a tone that suggested she was worried about him but trying to stay really quiet in case anyone else could hear her.
"I'm fine. It's safe," the crusader said before turning and taking a look around. The road opened up onto a square of sorts. The buildings on either side turned out to be shops - a furniture store and a clothing store, to be precise. Taking up most of the space of the square were empty stalls. There were multiple ways to continue on, from a few alleyways to entering one of the buildings around to trying one of the streets. While he was considering this, Akari and Tikan crossed the fire as well. Which way to go now?
Character StatusInventory: Portable Alchemy Equipment (needs restocked), Traveler’s Staff, 1 Protection Potions (Wild Magic)
Health: 20/20
Mana: 30/30
Energy: 4/4
Status: None
Inventory: Spiked Flail, Sanctified Plate Mail, Iron Buckler, Thurible, 3 Loaded Single-Shot Pistols, 3 Protection Potions (Wild Magic)
Health: 25/25
Mana: 5/5
Energy: 15/15
Status: None
Inventory: Ironwood Staff, Beaded Wristband, a brown leather-bound spellbook of enchanting and summoning, Odd-smelling smoke pellets.
Health: 20/20
Mana: 30/30
Status: None
Inventory: Concealed Knife, Basic Writing Equipment (several sheets of parchment, quills, ink)
Health: 20/20
Energy: 20/20
Status: None
Inventory: Unadorned plate armor, well crafted broadsword, 1 Protection Potions (Wild Magic)
Health: 25/25
Mana: 5/5
Energy: 15/15
Status: None