RQG 39 - Sleuths, Smarms and Stations

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## Sleuths, Smarm and Stations

### Players

Ben Meredith as Zolf
Bryn Monroe as Hamid
Lydia Nicholas as Sasha
James Ross as Bertie

## Summary

Hamid goes on a date with Madeline, who tells him that François Henri has been going into and out of the Arc de l'Ordinateur, but has spoken to no one. When Hamid returns, he finds Oscar Wilde, who tells the halfling that Bertie is buying a train ticket away from Paris. The rest of the party head to the station, and Hamid is in time to see Bertie leaving on a train.

## Synopsis

Sasha riffles through the safe in the old La Gazette Grande building, finding some silver and Amélie Rose's address and her next of kin. She also finds the editor's name, Auguste Lumière, as well as their address, which is the building the party are in.

The Rangers, with a very mute Bertie, head back to their hotel. Hamid prepares for his date with Madeline, the receptionist from the Arc de l'Ordinateur, and Zolf receives a telegram from Lady Starling which just says "REPORT STOP LADY STARLING STOP", to which he replies.

On the date, Hamid tries to get some information out of Madeline about François Henri. She explains that everyone at the Arc de l'Ordinateur has changed: people are less talkative and some of the higher ups have gone missing. She has seen François Henri, and he doesn't have meetings anymore, but still responds to written communication. Other higher ups within the Ordinateurs have left for other amazing opportunities, like the editor of La Gazette Grande described to his members of staff. Although the evening is pleasant, they do not click.

When Hamid returns to the hotel he finds Oscar Wilde, who asks to meet with the rest of the Rangers. Hamid books a conference room for himself, Wilde, Sasha and Zolf. Zolf promptly dumps several buckets of water over Wilde, threatening to kill him if he writes another article about them. The two of them almost start to fight, but Wilde says that he wanted to explain to the party that Bertie is planning to leave them via train from the central station.

Hamid, Sasha and Zolf head to Parisian Central. Hamid and Zolf see Bertie stepping aboard a train. Although Hamid chases the train down, Bertie doesn't look at him.

## Quotes

**Sasha**: "Aw, this is a well good trap, guys, look at this. Like, the mechanism is super slick. Ah, it almost got me. That is excellent craftsmanship."
**Hamid**: "Are you okay?"
**Sasha**: "Oh yeah, wha… I mean, I’m impressed."
―Sasha is fascinated by the trap in the newspaper office.

**Zolf**: "We’ve not earned this, like… this is just somebody’s money."
**Hamid**: "This is just…stealing."
**Sasha**: "They just left it out though."
**Zolf**: "In a safe!"
**Hamid**: "That was locked."
**Zolf**: "With a deadly trap on it."
**Hamid**: "And hidden!"
**Sasha**: "Yes, anyone could’ve come by!"
―Sasha tries to justify taking the money from the newspaper safe.

**Zolf**: "Wilde’s turned up."
**Sasha**: "Oh, great. That’s… wonderful. I’ll try and prepare some puns. I, if you say, “It’s good to see you”."
**Zolf**: "Yeah."
**Sasha**: "I’ll be like… "Cause it wasn’t good when we were on the sea.”"
**Zolf**: "He’s… he’s not gonna get that! That’s a pun... that’s a pun for us."
**Sasha**: "How about you say like, “Here’s a bucket of champagne”."
**Zolf**: "Right."
**Sasha**: "And I’ll say… uh… "Cause you’re quite wine-y.”"
―Sasha and Zolf workshop some puns before meeting with Wilde.
## Dice rolls and Mechanics

Sasha takes 20 to open the safe

Sasha rolls a perception check to check for traps on the desk drawers: 18

Sasha makes a disable device check on the trap: roll isn't said

Everyone makes a perception check: Hamid gets 26, Sasha gets 18, Zolf gets a nat 20

Hamid makes two diplomacy checks (one for romancing Madeleine, one for getting information: 21 and 20

Zolf makes an attack roll on Wilde: 2

Everyone makes a perception check to find Bertie: Hamid gets 25, Sasha gets 11, Zolf gets 23

Bertie makes a perception check to notice the party: 14