In a heart-stopping moment, a thunderous crash shattered the eerie silence that had enveloped the narrow horseshoe-shaped alcove. The ground trembled beneath their feet as a fiery trebuchet stone hurtled through the air, its descent marked by a deafening impact that sent shockwaves through the surroundings. With uncanny precision, the projectile landed opposite the opening where Orris, Izek, Grim, and Kachil'kcha stood, their senses reeling from the intensity of the moment.
Flaming debris erupted from the impact, scorching through the air with a deadly dance of fire. The blazing fragments, like fiery spirits unleashed, hurtled towards the group, threatening to engulf them in their destructive path. Grim, with her keen instincts, managed to evade the fiery onslaught just in the nick of time. Instead, the remnants of destruction settled into the fetid puddle that Orris had been recently acquainted with, causing the murky waters to sizzle and churn with an unsettling hiss.The oppressive smell of smoke immediately filled the air, its aroma mingling with an odd stench of decay. The flames seemed to dance with malevolent glee, their origins mysterious—whether they were conjured by magic or merely the result of the razorvine's flammability, none could say for sure.
As the fire spread with alarming speed on both sides, consuming the tenements in its ravenous hunger, sparks and embers rebounded with an almost sentient fury, casting an ethereal rain of danger upon the hapless surroundings. Beyond the alcove, the screams of terror erupted, carried by the wind that now carried the scent of smoke and burning far and wide. "Burn these down, they're diseased!" The cries echoed through the haze, mingling with panic and determination that hung like a dark cloud.
Then they saw him.
A hooded figure appeared at a cracked window of one of the tenement buildings. The apparently hapless soul pounding on the glass - a middle-aged human man eyes wide with fear and desperation, frantically seeking a means of escape from the consuming flames. The distant sound of his anguished pleas screeched in the wake of the receding impact of the trebuchet stone. The group could either flee immediately towards the alcove opening, seeking safety from the fiery maw, or they could attempt to help the desperate soul trapped in the tenement.
A quick assessment of the situation would reveal a possibility to try and help him-
The Unscathed Ladder: Just a few strides away, a sturdy ladder leaned against the adjacent wall, its wooden frame untouched by the fire thus far. It stood as a lifeline, a chance to ascend to the trapped man window and offer him a path to safety. It was a precarious option, as the ladder could become compromised by the heat at any moment, but for now, it remained a potential way to reach the desperate soul and bring them to safety. Razorvine nipped at the base of the ladder, but the rungs were largely untouched.
There were other possibilities based on the expertise of those gathered, but this one was the one that any of them could attempt.
