Revelations

More rubble shifts as Tulka pushes the timber on top of her. She can't quite pull free, however.

Ricker sees the movement and points it out to Fang. "You go help her, I'll get this one over here." He walks over to Mambele and starts moving the stone. He frequently has to stop to rest and for a coughing fit or two, but manages to move enough to stone to pull out the half-elf. He gives him a hand up. "You alright? Anything broken?"

Fang wanders over to the wilden, managing to lift the rubble preventing her from standing. He gives her an odd look, having never seen a wilden, but then offers her a hand. "Anything broken?"

The wilden does not bother dusting herself off. She looks at the shifter before her, processing his question. "We are not broken. Does this make us "all right"? she asks.

"Yeah, you'll live." He waved his hand non-challantly, turning to make sure Ricker was doing okay.

ooc Oy! Sorry. Missed the pose where the barkeep saved me. Here's the corrected pose.

IC
Mambele tries to peek through the caked mass of fine white dust that covers his face (and also turns his bouffant crown of dreadlocks into a powdered 17th century wig), with little results. He finally rubs the mess off with his sleeves, though they are even filthier than his face, and make him wince as the grit grinds at his tender eyelids.

"I hope not. I just finished paying for this suit! I... WHERE'S THE PLANT LADY?" he interrupts himself, grabbing the barkeep's forearms and looking about in a panic. Noticing Turkavoar'e standing nearby, he hops a circle around his rescuer, forgetting even to thank him.

He steps past the broken bodies of what minutes ago were laughing friends and colleagues, the screaming tragedy of the situation forgotten. The terrible blinders of obsession were on again, framing the new marker of his monomaniacal quest. Just before entering her line of sight, the half-elf stops to dust himself off and straigthen his robe. Sure, he still looks like an airstrike victim, but a dignified one! Which... somehow makes him look more ridiculous somehow. Grabbing a broken cup, he takes a seat on the partially buried ruins of the bar and offers the wilden his most devonaire smile.

"Hello. What's your sign?" he asks sweetly.

The Wilden looks at the half-elf in what might be considered a curious manner. She stared at him for about a minute before blinking and asking, "What is a "sign" and where would we find ours?" The tri-fecta of her voice enters the upper and lower airwaves as well as quietly in the mind of everyone who hears her.

"Son, this is hardly the time or place for that kind of thing." Ricker's pale and breathless form was hunched over, wheezing. "And I don't know about you folks, but I think I need to see a healer. Pretty sure most of my ribs are broken and breathing ain't easy right now." He straightened up with a wince. "Closest town is about three days north." He walks to where the front of the inn used to be and approaches the chest, which looks surprisingly untouched. "Used to like the solitude." He said as he unlocked the chest. A tear rolls down his cheek as he chokes out, "Just me and my girls." He sits there for a moment, not moving. Quickly he wipes his cheek. "It's hard to lose them that's closest to you but we move on. Anyway, here's your weapons." He hands out Fang's scythe and Mambele's daggers and rod. He then takes out a fine looking sword and straps it on himself. "Doubt our elven friend will mind if I use this." He looks up at Tulka. "Do you need a weapon, Miss Tulka? There isn't much in here, to be honest. The orcs left some clubs and there are a few daggers..." He pulls out a massive hammer made of rock. "And the goliaths used these. Too heavy and brittle for anyone else to use, though." He drops it and it crumbles when it hits the ground. "You can all help yourselves. I don't think anyone here will be needing them anymore." So saying, he walks out to the road and waits for the rest of you.

---

OOC: There are 3 Clubs, 7 Daggers, and 1 Quarter-Staff, as well as 3 of the useless hammers, in the chest. The proportions of the chest suggest it shouldn't hold this much but Ricker was never quiet about being an ex-adventurer and you can surmise that it is magical in nature.

If anyone is curious about Ricker, either his emotional or physical state, roll an Insight or a Heal, respectively.

You can also continue to search the rubble but looting corpses or the inn would be frowned upon by Ricker. Don't let that stop you, though.

Mambele is a little taken aback at the strange effect of Tulkavoa're's voice, having no previous experience with Wilden before. Still, his experience with weird stuff would rival Captain Kirk's, and he quickly recovers, seemingly pleased at her interest. This pleasant state does not last long, however, as Ricker's words snap him back to the reality of the situation. Gazing at the surrounding tragedy, the half-elf bows his head in shame and bites his lip.

"Hold that thought" he whispers to the Wilden before approaching the barkeep instead. "I'm sorry. I have no excuse. For what it's worth, once you know me better you might see I'm usually not a total arse." he offers, and offers Ricker a bow. "If I may prove useful?"

Insight +3

The member 'Mambele' has done the following action : Die rolls

'd20' : 11

Fang had deviated away from the group slightly, kneeling over the remains of the elf he was speaking to earlier. His face had a look of complete and utter dissapointment, the shifter clenching his fist angrily. "He knew something... I'm positive he knew something!" Out of frustration, he let out an angered yell as he pounded the ground with his fist once. After a moment, he stood, moving to Ricker and taking his scythe. "Hey mister... I know this may not be the best time, but did you know that elf by any chance? And where he was from?"

Ricker coughed before answering. "No, son. I'm sorry. He didn't seem to care much for me but he paid and kept his head down so I didn't mind much." He turned to Mambele as he addressed him. "How would you be useful, right now?" His tone is more curious then annoyed.

Tulka looks at Ricker and at the weapons he shows her. She reaches inside of the branches that made up her torso, which part when her hand gets near, and brings out a purple orb of light. It shimmers and sparks every once in a while. "This is all we need," she says to anyone who is listening, not realizing that the faster moving creatures around her have already moved on from her. She places the orb back within her, the branches forming back around it.

Ricker snarls in frustration, not towards Ricker, since it wasn't his fault the elf was dead, but simply out of frustration.

A faint embarrassed smile surfaces on Mambele's face. "Well, I suppose one of those Goliaths would have probably been more useful right now than an astrologist, but still, I offer what I have. I have a horse, for instance." he offers gallantly.

He turns his eyes to the ruins of the stable and his smile falters. "Oh. Okay, maybe I don't anymore." he corrects himself with a sigh, looking truly morose for the first time since his rescue.

"Well we're all walking. Now, like I said, the closest town is three days north from here." He shakes his head. "Wish I hadn't of driven all the other inns away now." He sighs. "Bah. Alright. Let's go." He takes a step and winces. "Actually, I'm going to fetch that staff." He gets the staff and uses it to help him walk. He heads north and the rest of you follow him, seeing no other choice.

---

OOC: Okay, good job, everyone. We're going to wrap this thread up here and we'll pick the story up on the next thread. Everyone receives 150 experience.

To be continued soon! (like maybe even later on tonight. )