Compound of Interest

"Compound of Interest" (2x12) is the twelfth episode of the A Clockwork Brass campaign. The Unnamed Party finishes off their task assigned to them by the Baron of Brisbayern by infiltrating the Free Wrangler compound. It took place on Reinheit 1st, 136 N.E.
== Pre-Session Survey Rundown ==
=== Highlights of the Survey ===
* The best sessions so far have been An Explosive Escape, What Lurks In The Shadows and Something of a Scientist.
* The worst session so far was Water You Doing.
* The favorite non-player character (by one point) is Emmerich.
== Synopsis ==
The Unnamed Party has been kidnapped by the Free Wranglers. Using their duneglariff's to fly, the Free Wranglers take the Unnamed Party one by one to their compound hidden across Lake Mjani. Once across the lake the party finds themselves in a manmade cave (created through the use of the Mold Earth spell as well as general excavation). They are led down a metallic trapdoor, cuffed and blindfolded shortly there after with Cypryjan, Brynn, and Izolda being bound with manacles and the rest being bound with rope.
Once inside of the Free Wrangler Compound, the party is placed inside of a holding cell where they are yet again questioned by Remi O'Mire, the leader of this specific branch of Free Wranglers. Once O'Mire is satisfied that the party knows very little of what exactly is going on with the missing cargo, he entrusts their guard to a young Free Wrangler named 'Sparrow', handing him Eislyn's Blade of Deals. Piglet is instructed to take Captain Andrzej to the interrogation room after he is outed by one of his crewmates. O'Mire then takes twelve to fifteen of his men with him to hunt down the actual cargo zeppelin.
Abby and Anastazja begin chatting with Sparrow, attempting to distract him while Izolda, Eislyn, and Brynn attempt to free each other from their bindings. Brynn begins to panic, her binds seeming to get the better of her mental state. Making use of Izolda's mother's knitting needles, Brynn uncuffs Izolda and then passes the needles off to Eislyn to uncuff herself. A failed attempt reveals that if she were to fail again with the knitting needles, they may break as a result. Izolda seeks out glass in the pile of unmarked, miscellaneous junk scattered throughout the room.
As Anastazja and Abby continue to chat away with Sparrow, he starts to feel pestered and annoyed with them, but sees this as a learning opportunity. He has never had hostages before and agrees with Anastazja's estimate that they might need to get to know each other a little bit to better hold them hostage. Sparrow asks everyone what their favorite color is (Brynn answers with 'look at me', Izolda says it is either lavender or magenta, Abby says it is pink and Anastazja says purple. Cypryjan and Eislyn do not answer). Sparrow says his favorite color is orange. Due to Abby's constant pestering about colors and her distraction becoming far too good, Sparrow opts to close a metallic curtain over the top of the barred doors.
With this, the party springs into action. Using a pair of nails that Anastazja had on her person and a speck of glass, Eislyn and Izolda free everyone from their bindings. With her wand freed, Brynn creates a Silent Image over the metallic sheet, creating a black sheet over it. Izolda then casts Dancing Lights so that everyone can see and do things much more efficiently. Izolda attempts to comfort Brynn who is quite shaken as a result of her bindings while Cypryjan has all but resigned and is decided unamused by their current straits.
Anastazja recalls that the room spells quite funky, and attempts to find a ventilation system in the room if there is a particularly foul smell emanating from elsewhere. She trails her fingers along the back wall of the holding cell and finds that a part of the wall is all but gone, patched up with bits of wire and piping. She begins to snap away at the wiring and the piping and finds a possible escape taking the form of a waste shaft. Izolda seems disinterested in escaping this way, fearful that she may ruin her perfect dress. She opts then to remove it entirely, stripping down to her skivvies before taking the stinky plunge. The crew decides that they will stay in the holding cell and make it look like there are prisoners inside of there still. The party then moves through the shaft and out into a narrow corridor.
With Anastazja taking the lead, the party takes note of two Free Wranglers discussing something around the corner. Anastazja and Cypryjan use Disguise Self to transform into Free Wranglers with pig masks and go scope out the scene. They see the pair attempting to fix a damaged lightbulb. Cypryjan then signals the rest of the party to move swiftly. Using his Keen Mind, Cypryjan recalls that the exit is to their left but that it is blocked off by two iron-barred doors. Closing her normal eye, Brynn requests to an unknown entity to show her where their stuff is. Succeeding a Persuasion check, Brynn sees a trail made of purple footsteps leading towards a door to their left. She then signals the rest of the party to go into the Evidence Room where they re-gear with all of their equipment and tools apart from Anastazja's deringer.
Once their gear is equipped the party discusses next steps, they decide that they need to free the crew and Captain Andrzej. After barely passing the group stealth check, the party can only make their way to one of two very close doors, and eventually are taken to the upward door where they find a Free Wrangler trying on several hats. Within the room, initially, however, are several crates of wine bottles and a small stand with four wheellock pistols on it, including the Anastazja's deringer. Cypryjan, Abby and Anastazja grab . The first hat is a small bowler hat with a crown of roses on the brim. The second hat is a wide-brimmed pirate-esque hat with a large feather on the side of it. The third is a conical wizard hat with a starry pattern and a large E embroidered in the middle of it. After seeing the conical hat, Cypryjan breaks into a rage and assaults the Free Wrangler, bringing a blade to his throat and knocking the hat off of his head. With Eislyn's assistance, Cypryjan ties him up with a bit of rope and the two share a near-meta conversation. Anastazja instructs the Free Wrangler, who reveals his name to be Edward, to be still and be silent. To which he replies with "Yes, mommy". He attempts to correct himself and Anastazja calls him a "Good boy".
After a few wine bottles are stolen, and a swig is had out of the swig bucket, the party moves downward to a different room. In this room they find four Free Wranglers playing a game of cards at a table. They look to the party with great confusion before Anastazja (through the assistance of Cypryjan, Brynn and Izolda) Deceives the quartet and leaves the party out of the room again. They stop a the room just before Sparrow's chair, and see a room filled to the brim with gunpowder barrels. Abby recommends that the party leave instantly as the smell and the dust particles that are gathered in the room ruin their noses. The party then moves to the left to retrieve Captain Andrzej. Anastazja tells Sparrow a hilarious and memorable joke (Tasha's Hideous Laughter) that is so funny and creative, he topples over incapacitated for the time being. Eislyn then steals back her Blade of Deals and the party then rushes into the interrogation room to find Andrzej being beaten by Piglet with a light hammer.
An Eldritch Blast, several pistol whips and a dagger thrown towards Piglet results in his immediate death. Izolda rushes towards Andrzej, removes his bindings and helps him stand. As the rest of the party begins to leave the room, Brynn picks up the dagger that was thrown at Piglet (her dagger donated to Eislyn), and stabs him again. She then reaches into her mind and asks if something wants this one. She receives a feeling of want from an unknown force and uses the familiar evocation Dei Hexus. The spell creates a vacuous noise and the body turns into purple "glitter". Brynn attempts to clean up the glitter, but due to the blood in the room it just clumps into a wet, glittery mess. Izolda catches this noise and gives Andrzej to Brynn who gives him to Abby. Izolda then inspects the Interrogation Room and sees the glittery mess, and takes a mental note of it. Anastazja ties up Sparrow and places him in the interrogation room alone. The rest of the crew are freed and the party makes their way down the hallway. The crew and Andrzej make their way upwards towards the exit after Eislyn unlocks the two barred doors.
Going across the hallway and making their way towards the next room, Cypryjan decides to see if he can understand what the issue with this lightbulb is. He then deceives the two Free Wranglers and distracts them while the rest of the party goes into the next room where they find a Chapel. Within the Chapel the party finds four Free Wranglers receiving a sermon from a Free Wrangler cleric. They all pause and look at each other before the combat ensues with Izolda taking a keenly displeased look on her face as she perceives Dolamyn being perverted by the Free Wranglers.
=== Highlights of Combat ===
* Brynn uses Arms of Hadar for the first time in the campaign, dealing 6 necrotic damage to each of the Free Wranglers. The effect of this is a purple wave of eldritch energy washing over the room, causing peoples veins to glow neon purple and their bodies to wilt.
* Izolda hits someone for the first time in the campaign, whipping a Free Wrangler in the eye.
* Anastazja makes use of several improvised weapons during this fight: including throwing a chair at a visually impaired Free Wrangler.
* Abby steals a bell from the Free Wrangler cleric.
* Eislyn, after attempting to throw a dagger at a Free Wrangler cleric, refuses to move her hand and arm in that manner. Instead to moves her hand awkwardly and the cleric simply dies. Several members of the party take note of this fact.
After combat, the party retrieves several bits of shillings from the Shrine to the Pathsister. Eislyn prays to the Pathsister and finds displeasure in her prayer, as does Izolda. Anastazja apologizes to the Pathsister for their transgressions and the party makes a swift exit from the area. Originally, the party had decided to bypass the last room, but Abby decides to peak her head inside of it to be safe. What she spies is a room specifically designed with for the purpose of bomb-making. She takes a step back and returns to the party after noticing that. The party then flees the Free Wrangler compound without taking much damage at all.
After escaping through the metal trapdoor, the nighttime rains have taken over Lake Mjani. Several dinghies are waiting at the makeshift dock, as well as the Silver Mist. Andrzej offers the party a ride on his vessel before he is rejected and decides he is going into private transport from here on out. With Anastazja piloting the boat, the party breaks off into the lake's waters and sails off into the night.
== Featured Characters ==
=== The Unnamed Party ===
* Abby
* Anastazja
* Brynn
* Cypryjan
* Eislyn
* Izolda
=== New ===
* Edward the Hatter
* Piglet
* Sparrow
* Several Free Wranglers
=== Returning ===
* Andrzej
* Andrzej's crew
* Remi O'Mire
=== Mentioned ===
* Blausten von Clausewitz
=== Quotations ===
* Brynn to the party: "P-please! Get me out of these [. . .] I've never been caught before . . ."
* Brynn to an unseen voice: "Do you want this one . . ?"
* Emmanuel: "Eugh . . . I hate being funny!!"
* Anastazja to The Pathsister's Shrine: "I'm sorry . . . but we can't exactly break our own chains without it . . ."
* Andrzej to Piglet: "HAHA! OH DUDE! YOU'RE FUCKED!"
== Inventory ==
Adjustment 	Count 	Item 	Source 	Destination 	Notes
All items (tools, equipment) previously lost from The Silver Mist, apart from items tossed overboard.	All items (tools, equipment) previously lost from The Silver Mist, apart from items tossed overboard.	All items (tools, equipment) previously lost from The Silver Mist, apart from items tossed overboard.	All items (tools, equipment) previously lost from The Silver Mist, apart from items tossed overboard.	All items (tools, equipment) previously lost from The Silver Mist, apart from items tossed overboard.	All items (tools, equipment) previously lost from The Silver Mist, apart from items tossed overboard.
Acquired 	5 	Missives 	Desk 	Anastazja 	
Acquired 	10-1 	Thalers 	Shrine to The Pathsister 	Anastazja 	Donated one to the shrine
Acquired 	165 	Shillings 	Shrine to The Pathsister 	Anastazja 	
Acquired 	1 	Deringer 	Stand 	Anastazja 	Retrieved from those who stole it
Acquired 	1 	Wine bottle 	Crate of wines 	Anastazja 	
Acquired 	1 	Wine bottle 	Crate of wines 	Abby 	
Acquired 	1 	Wide brimmed hat 	Free Wrangler hatter 	Abby 	Borrowed by Anastazja
Acquired 	1 	Bell 	Free Wrangler cleric 	Abby 	
Acquired 	1 	Bell 	Abby 	Brynn 	
Acquired 	1 	Wheellock pistol 	Free Wrangler armory 	Cypryjan 	
Acquired 	1 	Wheellock pistol 	Free Wrangler armory 	Abby 	
Acquired 	1 	Wheellock pistol 	Free Wrangler armory 	Anastazja 	
Acquired 	1 	Blade of Deals 	Sparrow 	Eislyn 	
Category:Episodes