Radwa is stretching out their arms and rubbing their tired muscles after a lengthy day of polishing and buffing when the aneen arrive. They're taken aback at being specifically asked for, but listen and nod as the lattimor explains why they've come to her.

"All right - I'll have a look and see what's there. Thank you," they replied before approaching the aneen.

Even a cursory glance at the material shows that there is more than enough of the plating Radwa needs to complete the transport.  The wires, tubing and other bits sticking out of the bags contain a promise of even luckier finds.  The human nods to Radwa before beginning to unpack one of the aneen.  The lattimor approaches Radwa and offers a hand in a human greeting.  "I'm Blorr.  Blessed to meet you."

Radwa is distracted by the plating and other salvage that might be there, and doesn't notice the lattimor's greeting immediately. They reach out their hand to accept that handshake and open their mouth to introduce themselves...

... before they notice something unexpected...

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Spending 1 level of Effort to reduce difficulty to 4.
10:32, Today: Radwa rolled 8 using 1d20.  Intellect [Diff. 4].
Not good, but I'm going to roll with it.

---

... and they freeze.

Their expression was excited, but it immediately collapses into a blank, frightened mask. Their extended hand is trembling and their skin goes noticeably paler than it was before, close to matching to colour of their cloak. Their breathing accelerates and there is tension visibly flooding their body, but Radwa isn't moving.

Blorr blinks and looks confused.  Even the human notices eventually.  "They ok?", he asks.

Blorr pulls back her hand but looks closer, face only inches from Radwa's.  "Frozen, maybe?  But it's not cold.  No electrical charge that I can notice."  Radwa can feel the vibrations of Blorr's voice.

The human nods toward the work bench.  "Something gaw wrong with a cypher or something?  Those tinkers are always messing with things they aughtn't."

Blorr backs up a few steps.  "I'll unload the rest in the yard.  You see if Mayhew can figure it out.  Maybe a bit he found is reacting badly with a bit in here.  I don't want that effect to spread."

The human nods and the two travelers slowly lead the beasts of burden out of the building.  The human's aneen bucks, unprepared for the abrupt change of direction.  A few of the straps, now loosened, break free.  Four metal plates crush a leather satchel into the gravel below.  Something in the bag explodes in a quick gout of flame, burning the human's leg and startling the aneen.  It gallops off into the dusk, its high pitched squeal slicing the quiet.

The high-pitched squeal of the aneen is followed by a similar - but significantly louder and longer - shriek from Radwa, their expression still blank as they make this noise. It's only when they finish screaming do they blink and apparently snap back out of it, suddenly gasping for breath as if they'd just finished sprinting around the aldea.

They drop to both knees and just breathe heavily, still staring off but apparently more aware of their surroundings, if only because you can see their eyes darting around trying to take everything in at once. One hand is held over their chest, the other clenched into a fist so tight their knuckles have gone white.

Blorr ducks from the fiery blast and continues leading her own aneen out into the courtyard.  She returns for the injured human, glancing at Radwa only enough to judge if the wright is still a danger as she drags her screaming comrade away.

Soon Radwa is again alone in garage.  In the distance, the fleeing aneen can again be heard wailing, but so far away.  Bloor is screaming in timpanic bursts for Mayhew and for a healer.  A few shouts from the village, farther on, drift in on an errant breeze.

More sparks leap from beneath the plating, leaving black, oozing spots on the stones, and lighting Radwa's horrified face in a bizarre, irregular strobe.

As residents of Canthus and strangers alike all cross out of the aldea and into the short span (approximately 100 yards) of grass before the Scout Camp, there is no indication of what's actually going on.  Some bear weapons, but others are just running, or even walking quickly.

The ramshackle buildings, crude huts, and make-shift dwellings that comprise the perimeter of the camp seem untouched and unoccupied, as they have since the last expedition set forth.  A deep voice continues to shout from deeper into the camp, "We need a healer here!  And Mayhew!  Someone get Mayhew!"

OOC: Those coming to the camp can make a perception roll, if interested.  Difficulty 4, target 12 on d20.

Upon entering the camp, Artor paused to assess the threat

Having fallen somewhat behind the faster Artor as they ran into the Scout Camp, Derrick now charged past him heedless of potential danger. Normally quite perceptive, Derrick was too focused on the voice calling for assistance to pay attention to much else. He headed towards the voice with his shield on his arm, but still without his weapon drawn.

Derrick rolled 4 using 1d20. Perception - Trained - Diff 3.

Hoa Sen continues her smooth run all the way into the scouts' camp. Only as she approaches does she slow her stride, attentive to shifts in the largely unoccupied mess of huts and shacks.

17:54, Today: Hoa Sen rolled 14 using 1d20.  Diff 3 (9) (Trained perception).

The older man focuses upon the voice calling for a healer, following Derrick...

RPoL Dice Roller:

13:48, Today: Agatho rolled 11 using 1d20.  Perception DT4.

OOC: Just missed.  Sigh...  :o
This message was last edited by the player at 23:22, Sun 23 June 2019.

A few other humans, who were close to the camp when the shouting began, are already converging in the open area near the center of the camp.  A few had the foresight to bring lights, so it's easy to make out an aneen that two men are trying calm and lead further out of camp.  Near them, a few women are crouched around a lattimor and a man who is lying in the dust, groaning.

Behind you, more people are coming, a few armed.  One large lattimor is in full plate armor, brandishing a massive sword.  Apart from anxious words, no one makes any aggressive moves toward anyone humanoid.

The older man moved toward the groaning figure lying down as he caught his breath.

"I am a Healer...  What happened here?"

The lattimor cradling the injured man looks up at the gathering crowd.  "There was an explosion in the barn.  Kal's leg was burned and worse."  She waves toward the structure, smoke wafting from the large, open doors.  "Be careful if you try to go in.  There may be a cypher going haywire or something.  The wright in there, we were delivering parts ... then just ... froze, mid action.  Didn't speak, didn't move.  Then ... collapsed, screaming."

"Radwa's still in the barn? Derrick, please, would you come help? Their legs aren't organic, you see, and I'm not sure I could drag them out on my own." It isn't that Hoa Sen didn't hear the warning about the possibly malfunctioning cypher, it is only that there's nothing she can do about it directly.

She doesn't wait for an answer, instead making immediately for the smoldering building.

Derrick follows immediately behind Hoa with an eye for any dangers.

Mayhew's sharp senses serve him well. He overhears Blorr updating the other arrivals as he moves over to the Lattimor's side.

"I'm here Blorr," he says in a calm tone. "Stay here with Kal. I will try to rescue wright."

With his usual disregard for personal danger, he quickly moves into the barn. He looks around for any anyone in danger.

---

OOC Difficulty 2. Success.
  12:06, Today: Mayhew rolled 16 using 1d20 with rolls of 16.  Diff 4 -2 (Trained Perception and a level of Effort).
This message was last edited by the player at 22:10, Mon 24 June 2019.

Mayhew, Hoa, and Derrick all arrive at the barn at roughly the same time.  The building is filled with a light haze of smoke that is drifting out the large open doors.  Inside, a stack of metal plates are escaping their bindings as they shelter a smoldering mess that still sends out occasional sparks, leaving a black tarry residue where they land.  A few dips and ridges in the gravel mark the rapid departure of a large biped.  Deeper in, a cloaked figure huddles on their knees.

The old man nodded to acknowledge the lattimor, and drew near to the injured man.

"'Peace to you.' I am a healer, friend Kal..."

The older man placed his hands upon the injured man.

"Sovereign One, please heal this man, to Thy glory, I pray..."

His hands glowed gently for a moment, then faded...

RPoL Dice Roller:

18:48, Today: Agatho rolled 9 using 1d20.  DT2 Healing Touch w/Extra Healing Effort.
18:49, Today: Agatho rolled 4 using 1d6+2.  Healing Touch w/Extra Healing Effort.

Then the older man gently reached out with his telepathic senses.

:: How do you feel now, friend Kal?  If you are still in pain, please share it with me now, so that I may assess any remaining damage...::

Believing the huddled figure to be the afore mentioned Radwa, Derrick proceeded into the barn and approached the figure. "Excuse me. My name is Derrick, it is not entirely safe in here. Would you permit me to carry you out?" As he addressed the figure, he used his shield to protect it from flying sparks.

An anthropomorphic red squirrel, Mayhew is just under five feet tall. He is wearing a dark green shirt, brown vest, brown pants, dark brown leather boots, and a jaunty green cap with feather. A strategically placed opening allows his majestic tail the freedom it deserves.

He glaces at the others who have entered the barn. "Can either of you do something about that?" he asks with a nod to the smoldering mass. Without waiting for a reply, he moves deeper into the barn toward the cloaked figure.

"I'm Mayhew," he says calmly. "Are you injured?"

With three of them hurrying off to the barn and the wounded man in Agatho's capable hands, Artor remained where he was and kept a watch: upon the barn door, upon the wounded aneen, and upon the mood of those who had come at the commotion. In other villages, he had watched nervous crowds become ugly baying mobs - and he knew little of how this Radwa was accepted within the community

Radwa gradually becomes more aware of everything going on around them. Their breathing, once rapid, gradually became more regular, their heart hammering less at their chest, their senses and mind gradually clearing back to reality...

... where things were on fire and they were surrounded by concerned people - and an equally concerned giant squirrel.

"Oh. I'm... I'm all right now, I think. But we'd better leave and put the fire out," they say, allowing the others to help them to their feet. Their voice sounds flat and distant, as if they're not all back yet.

re: Agatho and Artor

Part of Kal's leg is visible where the fabric of his pants were burned and torn away.  As your healing takes effect, you can see bits of gravel, shards of metal, and drops of goo being pushed back out of the flesh.  Still, your initial efforts are not enough to effect a complete recovery.  The leg is still burned and bleeding in a few places and Kal says, "There is still pain, healer.  It's not nearly what it was, but still there is pain."  His snarl of agony has relaxed some, though.

The aneen in the yard is finally fully calmed down and several members of the community are working to unload its burdens carefully.  It doesn't seem to have suffered any injuries, although you can hear at least one person asking where the other aneen is.

re: Folks in the barn

The rate of sparking seems to be slowing and the amount of smoke coming from under the plates seems to be lessening.  The room is growing darker much faster than the outside, and unless light is provided soon, the only way to see anything but silhouettes will be by the intermittent sparks.

Mayhew moves to help them up. Once they're on their feet, he says, "We should get out of here. That smoke might not be good for us."

He looks to the large man with the shield. "Get the two of you out of here. I want to make sure nothing else is going to burn. I worked hard to get this salvage and I don't want to lose it now."

He moves over to the plates and sparking. He looks around for any signs of fire or other hazard. If light becomes an issue, he pulls out a minor glowglobe from his pack and uses it.