The Fire ... Spirit?

[Gevaudan]

Rumors begins croping up all over the valley of what appears to be a "Fire Spirit" of some kind. It appears in great displays of fire and speaks the words:

All you hold close
Is not Safe
All you deem safe
Is not real

Then disappears in another fiery display. The fire displays themselves do not seem to harm anyone they touch, more so some reports are popping up of people bursting into flames. The added strange part is the flames also do not harm the person and cannot be touched or put out.

The only official report of these incidents comes from the Exigo Syndicate who's guards witnessed one such incident at their trading post.

[Kaeldorn]

"It's true." Yashia confirms to anyone who she hears gossiping about these rumors. "I have seen and heard this spirit first hand. When I first saw its appearance I was worried what would happen to those I care about like you are now, no doubt. Still, I do not believe that this is anything to be afraid of, as all it has done was speak those words that seemed intentioned to incite fear without making anything happen to give its little speech merit."

When asked about the people set on fire, she just shakes her head dismissively and explains further to soothe people's minds. "I was one of those who was surrounded by its flames, but they disappeared by themselves eventually and no one got hurt. Why me, you ask? I think it was because I defied the threatening talk of the spirit, and it tried to throw me off my feet. Needless to say, I didn't let myself be intimidated and you should do the same. If anything does happen that could be dangerous, then by all means do not panic. Bring it to the guard, the Triumvirate, or any able and available adventuring folk willing to lend a hand... myself included."

Some who are curious and pry to know more about her defiance are left to grasp at this mystery for themselves. Yashia speaks with a broad smile on her face in response, although she lets no details slip. "After the fires around me died down, I safely held close what gave me comfort again. And let me tell you, it was very much real!"

[Lollercide]

Zack prances about the Exigo Trade Post's camp fire after plotting with his supposed brother Adamant. "Oh man, this is going to be great. Nobody has an idea of what it really is -- They even think it's a fire spirit. Just wait! When we get those scrolls, people will have to like us for getting rid of the dreaded 'Fire Spirit'" He spins around on his heel, snickering.

"If we take advantage of this, people will hold us on a better standard, right? Wait, no... They probably won't believe us, like when Zack killed that drow. Shit. Worth a shot, right?"

[Kaseira]

"I saw it. It was gigantic, enourmous, big as a house, with red glowing eyes and an evil leer!" she explains in great detail to anyone she sees talking about such, automatically introducing herself into the conversation with a flourishing gesture of her hands to emphasize her descriptions.

"We were standing there, yeah, plain as day, when in an awesome explosion of hellfire it appeared." Her voice fades to a sadness now, wistfully shaking her head. "Alas, poor Scott. The fire completely engulfed the halfling and he was no more. We knew him well." She almost manages a tear. Would have, if she knew him better.

"Steve, however, survived, though he will be forever marked by such an ordeal. Tragic, this," she portrays in scope, while simultaneously looking up with that tone of sadness still in her voice as she waves a slow path through the air with an open hand, palm out.

Breaking the quiet contemplation of her recounting of a hin's death, she continues, "It spoke to us. But not through words. No! It spoke within our minds. The phrase would hang there, suspended, tiny, frigid, piercing intruders upon the warm and comforting hearth of our thoughts."

"All you hold close
Is not Safe
All you deem safe
Is my meal"

She cryptically repeats the phrase for effect, posing a question after. "The apparition is angry, and it must mean us harm. For what to do we hold close and safe lest our loved ones? It just may suck the life right out of them like it did poor Scott!"

[nickbeat]

Gaelen hears the news and grows hopeful. Ah, the fire lord is coming to cleanse the land. Twill be a time of great reckoning to all that is corrupt and tainted.

[Fezzik]

Trying to calm peoples nerves and settle rumours down before they do become huge, Cybil tells anyone who tells the story what really happened.

"Yes, I was there. Mere feet away from the fire. It just popped and a small plume of fire and smoke, not more than a few feet high erupted to show the spirit. Nothing more spectacular than a hedge wizard could have performed. It only appeared twice, and each time gave fair warning. No one died and the one person who was engulfed by flames was completely unharmed in any way. Everyone lived, no one died or was maimed."

She leave it at that, but expects that simple farmers will continue to tell more horrific tales of huge fire spirits engulfing every adventurer in the land and all their best friends as well...

[Anks]

"With pure force of will was able to dispell the flames, none are able to match my mental might, atleast when I try." -Nocte Tempore