When refugees from distant Minkai took part in founding the town of Sandpoint over half a century ago, they brought with them a seed of a cherry tree, a tree native to their homeland. Planted in the centre of newly founded town, the seed grew into a sapling, that grew into a great tree, towering over the town square and blooming with pink cherry blossoms every spring without fail. The spring breeze would gently pluck the blossoms from the tree's branches and let them flutter to the ground, until the town square would look as though it had been covered with a soft pink carpet.<br/><br/>This year, the cherry blossoms were blooming as usual, but instead of being cast free by the wind they were currently being torn down with brute force by a torrential downpour. A freak storm had brought heavy rains and gale-force winds, complete with thunder and lightning, to a normally balmy spring evening. The<em>Rusty Dragon</em>, Sandpoint's oldest tavern located in the town square behind the cherry tree, was particularly full tonight, not least because its patrons were less than enthusiastic about leaving the shelter of a roof overhead and the warmth of roaring fireplaces and strong drink in exchange for being pissed upon by the sky on the way home.<br/><br/>The premise's owner, one Ameiko Kaijitsu, a young ex-adventurer - much more youthful than a typical owner of such an establishment - of Minkese descent who bought the place with the spoils of adventure and settled down to a less dangerous, if less exciting, life several years ago, didn't mind the late hours so long as the ale and<em>sake</em>(and coins) kept flowing, which they did. Talk turned to the recent rash of goblin attacks on the nearby roads making travel dangerous, and complaints about the uselessness of the town watch in doing something about the nasty little buggers, although to be honest the watch had barely enough numbers to police the town as is, let alone go out on extended patrol. There were rumours that the goblins had gotten their dirty hands on a stash of fireworks from somewhere, which they used to great effect making horses and pack animals panic before launching their raids. Thankfully there had been no deaths so far, although not a few travelers had suffered injuries while fighting off goblins and more than one farmer or merchant had to abandon a fully laden cart to escape with nothing more than their life and the clothes on their back.<br/><br/>It was in the middle of the discussion that the door of the<em>Rusty Dragon</em>was kicked open from the outside, and an impeccably timed strike of lightning backlit the three-headed humanoid figure standing just outside the doorway in the blinding rain.<br/><br/>Then the young woman stumbled inside, collapsing onto the floor as though she had used up the last of her reserves to get this far to safety, and the two unconscious people she had been carrying on her back rolled over limply.<br/><br/>There were times when Ameiko's adventuring background became evident, and now was one of those times; instead of freezing up at the unknown situation she reacted right away. "Take them in! Clear the tables and put them there!" She ordered. "You, get the cleric, on the double!" she added, pointing to one of the patrons, who stared slackjawed at her for a few seconds but finally got the message and headed outside into the rain without protest. Meanwhile, the others were bringing the three unconscious newcomers up onto the hastily cleared tables. They were the Suzuno family, known in Sandpoint and among merchant circles for their skill in glassblowing. Jiro Suzuno, the master, and widower father of Hiroshi Suzuno, elder son and apprentice, and Hikari Suzuno, younger daughter and guardswoman-in-training.<br/><br/>"Siri, take care of Hikari," Ameiko ordered, as she looked over the other two men. Hikari, having just come of age not long ago, looked small and vulnerable, lying on the table in her comatose state. Her body was covered with multiple jagged slash wounds and her rain-soaked clothes and long black hair were caked with mud. Still tied to her side was an empty scabbard; the matching sword was nowhere to be seen and she was wearing no armor either. Worse still, the effort and subsequent collapse had caused some of her wounds to open fully, and she was bleeding out on the table at the moment.<br/><br/><hr/>OOC:<br/>Hikari Suzuno is at -1 hp and dropping.<br/>If Siri tries to study the shape of the wounds, roll a Heal check in addition to any other actions taken.