Onlookers will hear a thunderous boom, then see a sizeable portion of the College building crumble to the ground. Back walls cave in, ceilings sag under their own weight until they collapse, and a cloud of smoke and dust fills the air above the College, making it obvious from nearly anywhere in the city where the explosion occurred. The smell of flames blankets the area, sending kedan onlookers into a further panic.
For several hours immediately following the explosion, Snakes, bystanders, and any Foreigners who wish to help can be found digging through the rubble, looking for anyone caught by the blast -- and, hopefully, what caused the blast. Miraculously, however, it slowly becomes clear that no one was hurt. The part of the building which collapsed was mostly storage for the magic-nullifying salt extracted from the fog months ago, and all of that salt seems to have vanished. There was a lab or two and a meeting room, but through sheer coincidence no one was in that part of the building at the time of the explosion -- and, despite the smell, there's no fire anywhere. Some kedan were nearby enough to be shaken, and others -- especially those who worked within the College -- may have some bruises and cuts from where they fell or dropped something in surprise. Beyond that, however, injury seems to have been avoided.
Unfortunately, it also seems impossible to trace how exactly the explosion happened. Foreigners who remember the last time a large stockpile of magic-nullifying salt made something explode might believe the answer is obvious, but it doesn't explain the cloud of smoke in the air, or the acrid smell of fire which lingers around the blast radius despite there… being no fire.
For the next couple of days, work crews gather around the shallow crater trying to salvage as much of the building as they can. Enough of the College stands to let their activities go on as normal, but no one's willing to leave the entire back of the building exposed. The work crews will welcome any help from Foreigners, no matter if they're permanent or temporary - just as long as they're reliable workers.
THE COLLEGE
For several hours immediately following the explosion, Snakes, bystanders, and any Foreigners who wish to help can be found digging through the rubble, looking for anyone caught by the blast -- and, hopefully, what caused the blast. Miraculously, however, it slowly becomes clear that no one was hurt. The part of the building which collapsed was mostly storage for the magic-nullifying salt extracted from the fog months ago, and all of that salt seems to have vanished. There was a lab or two and a meeting room, but through sheer coincidence no one was in that part of the building at the time of the explosion -- and, despite the smell, there's no fire anywhere. Some kedan were nearby enough to be shaken, and others -- especially those who worked within the College -- may have some bruises and cuts from where they fell or dropped something in surprise. Beyond that, however, injury seems to have been avoided.
Unfortunately, it also seems impossible to trace how exactly the explosion happened. Foreigners who remember the last time a large stockpile of magic-nullifying salt made something explode might believe the answer is obvious, but it doesn't explain the cloud of smoke in the air, or the acrid smell of fire which lingers around the blast radius despite there… being no fire.
For the next couple of days, work crews gather around the shallow crater trying to salvage as much of the building as they can. Enough of the College stands to let their activities go on as normal, but no one's willing to leave the entire back of the building exposed. The work crews will welcome any help from Foreigners, no matter if they're permanent or temporary - just as long as they're reliable workers.