RQG 12 - Keeeeeesh

## Content Warnings

Mild joke about Zolf's prosthetic (Zolf introduced as 'three quarters man, one quarter peg leg'), alcohol consumption, taxidermy

## Summary

The party head further into Other London and help Gragg invent Eel Keesh. The next day, they approach the compound where the Arsonists are hiding.

## Synopsis

After visiting with Barret, Sasha is clearly very shaken and uncomfortable. They’ve been given their items back; Zolf hands the map over to Sasha, as she will be the best option to read it. She tells them that she can bring them to an inn, and tells them that they’ll be fine now that Barret has his eyes on them. Zolf does a quick inventory check for everyone, and they decide to get more potions soon. The party goes further down into Other London. This area of the city is more lived in than the area where Barret’s mansion is. Sasha puts on a disguise as well, as she is starting to run into more people who she recognises. She takes them to an inn called 'The Bloody Bulldog'.

A huge barman, Gragg, gives the party each a tankard of alcohol which Zolf pays for to apologise for the fight earlier. Gragg says that it’s good to see her, and then the entire party cheers and takes a sip. Hamid almost vomits from the taste. They discuss the alcohol a bit, and then Hamid suggests they may not be ready for the mission as they were so easily beaten by Barret's goons earlier, although Zolf disagrees. He says they're being paid a lot but does concede that he wasn't as prepared as he should have been. He tries to continue motivating the party, and acknowledged that this was a very difficult mission to take on. They’ve learned lessons from this fight, and they’ll be able to do better in future. He reminds Hamid that they haven’t known each other for long, but that they’ll learn how each other fight, and have an easier time with fights from now on. Zolf says that he’s been reading about it in manuals.

The party order food; Sasha asks for eels, and Hamid asks for eel quiche. Gragg doesn’t know what he means, and the party explains for him. Gragg agrees to bring quiche for the party. Meanwhile, Hamid asks the party if they saw his hands turn into claws. They say that they did, and Hamid closes his eyes He is able to demonstrate, but they don't know the cause of it. Hamid says that it can’t be a spell, as it’s not one he knows, and that he didn’t cast anything verbally to make it be a spell. Gragg brings eel 'keeshes' while they’re discussing, and Zolf asks if Hamid maybe got the favour of a god, somehow. Hamid doesn’t think so, and Sasha asks if maybe one of his enemies did it to him. Hamid also doesn’t think that that’s the case, and Zolf tells him to take it in stride, and that they can deal with it as it comes. He heals the party, converting a spell so that he can heal them. He can only get Bertie and Hamid, and Sasha will have to wait until the morning.

The party retire for the evening, recovering slightly from the earlier battle. They discuss the plan for the next day - Sasha says that it’s going to take them a while to make it to the place, and sees that they are heading towards the Thames. She says that Zolf will like it, since it’s a river. They decide to stock up down there if they can, since things will be cheaper, and then head out. As they leave, Gragg gives them all an eel keesh each. They head through Other London and Sasha notes that they are leaving Racket territory. The party are led through the next rival's territory by two men, presumably Racket's men. Sasha knows that they won’t be attacked, since Barret’s influence is king in this area. They are led below to where the flood waters once were. The walls are crumbling, and it’s starting to get marshy. A lot of the stone is breaking down, and clearly hasn’t been meant to hold up this much weight as once. It starts to slope down, and then a lot of crumbled buildings. The roof above them is very high up. No one lives here, and the party continues to head towards the Thames, which is stagnant and filthy. It’s clear that both Other London and London dump into this river, and it is not used for water.

They approach the compound, which is where Barret indicated that the people who were involved with the explosion at Edison's house are. It backs up to the river. Sasha decides to sneak up to investigate while the rest of them stay back, and Zolf gives her a healing potion just in case. Hamid casts message on her, and Zolf wishes her good luck before Sasha leaves to sneak into the compound. She ends up moving out of range, which Hamid informs her about, and Sasha continues on anyway, being careful. She sees two guards with dogs on patrol, and lights on in the upper floors of other buildings. There are people moving within the windows.

As Sasha goes to check for a back entrance near the river, she notices that its incredibly marshy, but that it may be possible to sneak in that way. The mud runs directly up to the compound, and it’s clear that they’ve been neglecting this area. While she’s investigating, a dog is alerted to her presence, but hangs back. Sasha retreats a bit, until she’s in message range, and explains to the party that they might be able to sneak in through the river, as the guards are hanging around the front entrance. They don’t want to fight - Bertie suggest a frontal assault, which everyone ignores - and Sasha suggests throwing a thunderstone in and then attacking, but Zolf wants to be a bit more subtle than that.

The party decides distracting the guards is the best bet; Hamid offers to try and charm the guards, and Sasha says that she’ll stay with him (but hidden) in case something is happening. They work out a solid plan, with Hamid casting charm while the rest of the party waits for an ambush. The party conceals themselves back up the path as Hamid approaches the guards, holding two eel pies. He casts charm person on the guards, telling them there's a statue with falcons on it back up the path, but fails to affect them. He begins to run back to the party. Meanwhile, Bertie uses Sasha's disguise kit to disguise himself as a statue, critically succeeding!

## Quotes

"I melt into the stone like mould on a cake."
―**Lydia, about Sasha**

**Zolf**: "Are you sure this is the kind of pub we want to be..."
**Sasha**: "This is the nicest pub round here."
**Zolf**: "All right, well. I’ll take your word for it, I guess."
**Sasha**: "This is the posh one."
**Zolf**: "Oh."
―The party stops by Gragg's pub

"So uh...what’re you drinking, I’ll get the round in, since, uh, you know. Got us into this mess, so...least I can do."
―**Zolf buys the party drinks.**

**Zolf**: "We made a silly decision. We grouped up, we knew that they had dogs. We grouped up and that, that cost us. Next time, let’s not do that."
**Hamid**: "So we, you think next fight we don’t, we don’t stick together?‘Cause that sounds..."
**Zolf**: "No, but we assess the situation. I’ve gotta say, I dropped the ball on that one. I should’ve been ready. I’m the one with the shield, I should’ve deflected it. I didn’t. I, I...made a mistake. Next time, we’re gonna learn, we’ll get stronger, and we’ll keep going, okay? Yeah?"
―Zolf reflects on the failed fight earlier.

**Hamid**: "Maybe in a nice pie. Or a quiche."
**Zolf**: "Don’t know they gonna get a quiche."
**Gragg**: "Sasha. Sasha, what’s a keesh?"
**Sasha**: "I’m not sure."
**Zolf**: "That is...it’s, it’s a pie."
**Bertie**: "If you can imagine a pie, but it doesn’t have a hat."
**Gragg**: "Oh yeah, that sounds well easy. Yeah, all right. I’ll give you an eel keeeesh."
―The party introduces Gragg to the concept of quiche.

**Hamid**: "Um... did any of you see what happened to my hands?"
**Sasha**: "No, I was on the other side of the—what? I mean—"
**Zolf**: "What, you mean that bloke talking about the... dragon hands?"
**Sasha**: "Did you get blood on them or something? It’s fine. You get used to it."
―Hamid addresses his hands turning into claws during the fight earlier.

**Sasha**: "Good keesh, innit, Bertie? Good keesh."
**Bertie**: "It is...none of the words that you’ve just used."
**Sasha**: "It’s, Gragg worked real hard on this."
**Bertie**: "What, with his hands?"
―The party enjoys a nice qui- keesh

**Sasha**: "Aww. Is, you’re, are you finished with the keesh, Bertie?"
**Bertie**: "I am entirely finished with *this.*"
**Hamid**: "The, the eel pie’s actually quite nice, I think."
**Sasha**: "Excellent."
**Bertie**: "Incorrect."
**Sasha**: "Yeah! See?"
**Gragg**: "Not pie."
**Hamid**: "It’s a bit salty."
**Gragg**: "Keeeeeeeeeesh."
**Hamid**: "Quiche. The eel... quiche is...is nice."
**Sasha**: "Bertie, you should appreciate the effort Gragg put into these."
**Zolf**: "Yeah. I thought it was all right."
―The party enjoys a nice qui- keesh
## Dice rolls and Mechanics

* Sasha makes a Disguise check: 3
* Zolf casts cure light wounds on Hamid: healing 7 hit points
* Zolf casts cure light wounds on Bertie: healing 3 hit points
* Hamid makes a Will save: 11
* Zolf casts cure light wounds on Bertie: healing 2 hit points
* Zolf casts cure light wounds on Bertie: healing 7 hit points
* Hamid casts message on Sasha.
* Sasha makes a Stealth check to approach the compound: 21
* Sasha makes another Stealth check near the compound: 15
* Hamid casts charm person on the guard, but the guard makes a Will save of 14 and isn’t charmed.
* Bertie makes a Disguise check: nat 20

## Plot Notes

* Zolf and Hamid meet Gragg again in episode 192.