RQG 128 - Tadaima

## Content Warnings

Nonconsensual drugging, alcohol consumption, imprisonment, someone asked to strip, discussions of in-world pandemic, discussions of timeskips, flatulence, implied malnutrition, grief/loss

## Summary

The party heads off to meet with Wilde to questionable success.

## Synopsis

Azu and Hamid have been asked by Curie to start working with Wilde again.

Hamid insists on taking his brother to his family, but finds out all the hostages have been detained and will be quarantined in the wine cellar for the next 7 days, and therefore he cannot take his little brother. Hamid tells them to send his brother to his family if he and Azu are not back in 7 days.

Both Hamid and Azu are forced to spend the night and get a night's rest. Although the servants are nice to Azu and Hamid, they're very cagey, expecting them to turn out to be another traitor or saboteur. Azu tries to find out what happened to Eren Fairhands, but the Aphrodite people refuse to tell her. It becomes apparent to Hamid and Azu that everyone is broken and traumatized. They both manage to sleep without having any nightmares.

Einstein collects them the next morning to take them to Wilde, and he jokes that he hopes they won't kill him when they get there. Hamid asks him whether the others know about the mobile stones he gave to them, and although they didn't, Einstein immediately becomes suspicious when Hamid and Azu insist he shouldn't tell them, and leaves to tell Curie about the mobile stones. It turns out Curie is fine with them having the stones.

Azu goes and finds her brother to tell him she's leaving again. Azu says she's sure he probably doesn't approve, but her brother says it all feels kind of small now, what with the world being the way it is, and that things have moved on. He tells her to come back when she can, and they then clasp arms and hold their foreheads together as a goodbye.

Einstein takes Hamid and Azu back to the guard house to teleport. He tells them he'll drop them off, but won't stay with them. He is taking them to the last place they had contact with Wilde, and that Wilde knows they are coming. He warns them that Wilde is pretty cagey these days, and that if he tries to make them feel embarrassed, they should go with it. This confuses Azu and Hamid. He tells them he is taking them to Japan, near the coast, and that the weather will be terrible. Hamid casts Endure Elements on him and Azu.

Before they teleport, Hamid takes Azu by the hand and tells her that whatever happens, they should stick together. Azu tells him that all they have is each other. They hug again. Einstein feels a little insulted, because there's a lot of people that care about them. Hamid thanks Einstein for everything he has done and offers him a hug, which Einstein reciprocates. He then confesses he's not meant to be doing that. Azu wonders if hugging is illegal, and Einstein teleports them.

They appear in a torrential downpour of rain, but it's warm and humid. They're in a rural area, and there are a few buildings around them. They're in front of an inn, built in a woody, Japanese architectural style. Einstein tells them to go to the inn, and tells them that Wilde told him to 'apologize for the cliche'. He asks them to look after themselves. He then teleports away, leaving Hamid and Azu alone. Hamid casts Comprehend Languages on himself and they enter the Inn.

There's a total of six people inside, and there's an innkeeper behind the bar. Everyone stops and looks at Hamid and Azu, they all seem very tense. Hamid goes up to the bar to ask for a drink in French. The Innkeeper runs off. Hamid notices that the other patrons are fishermen and are somewhat malnourished.

The innkeeper leads them to a side-room, with matting on the floor, a low table, and a drinks cabinet. Hamid notices he innkeeper is mortally terrified of them. They enter the room, and then hear all the other patrons leaving the inn in the main room.

**BREAK**

Hamid and Azu decide to get some drinks (sake) while they wait. They wait for several hours, and it's very warm and comfortable inside the room. Hamid falls asleep, and Azu lets him sleep. Azu starts nodding off as well, but forces herself to stay awake. She starts fidgeting with the Heart of Aphrodite necklace, and she notices that she's very clumsy. She starts to suspect she's been drugged. She tries to wake up Hamid, but he's out. She picks him up and shakes him, but he still won't wake up. She begins to pace, because she doesn't want to leave the room they were told to stay in. She bumps into the table, and notices it makes a hollow sound underneath. She discovers a trap door, and she lifts up the table.

The entire floor of the room drops away, and Azu and Hamid fall down 15 feet (Hamid takes 5 damage, Azu 3 damage). They are surrounded by stone walls, except on one side it's metal bars. Azu yells as the floor starts to clank its way back up by moving chains. Azu attempts to smash one of the chains, but her axe sparks off the chain and deals no damage. The chains have been blackened with soot and she recognizes an exotic metal underneath. Azu attempts to jump onto one of the doors to prevent them from closing. She slips and her armour catches on the floor, and she temporarily gets stuck. The doors close.

A voice speaks out from the shadows, telling her not to trouble herself. It's Wilde, dressed in peasant's garb. He looks very stern. Azu asks if he's going to keep them there for seven days, and Wilde confirms that he might. Azu asks if there's any way he can prove herself to him, and Wilde leaves the room.

Azu tries to pull the bars out of the floor, but exhausts herself trying to do so. She notices that the bars have also been sooted up, and are actually adamantine. When Azu gives up and rests her head against the bars, a voice speaks up from the shadows telling her not to bother, because those are adamantine bars. It's Zolf.

Azu asks who he is, and Zolf tells her to get some rest, but Azu is not having it. Zolf confirms he's working with Wilde, and that there's a reason why they're both inside a prison cell. Azu assumes it's because of the infection, then puts her back to the bars, still holding Hamid, and waits.

Eventually, she notices that Hamid is no longer unconscious but just sleeping, and she wakes him up. She tells him what happened. Hamid attempts to cast Dancing Lights, but it doesn't work. He attempts several other cantrips, but none of them work. He speculates they might be in an anti-magic field.

Zolf puts down his book and tells Hamid he shouldn't try whatever he's trying. Hamid freaks out when he recognizes Zolf's voice. Azu is surprised that Hamid knows Zolf. Hamid becomes agitated, and asks Zolf why they are trapped and what is going on. Zolf lights some torches to help Hamid see.

Zolf has shorter hair, he still has a beard but it's now in one big plaid down the middle, tied together with a golden circlet with an emerald set in it. His hair is completely white. He's wearing trousers and boots. He's still wearing his raincoat, and he's wearing breastplate armour with engravings, but it does not have any Poseidon iconography on it. Instead of a trident, he now has a glaive as a weapon.

Hamid questions Zolf about what is going on, and Zolf tells him that he's working with Wilde. Hamid is frustrated that they have to stay in a cage for 7 days. Zolf asks them to look into his eyes, and then lets out a long fart. Hamid recoils and Azu glares at Zolf. Zolf seems to get an okay read from Hamid, but has difficulty reading Azu. Hamid is even more frustrated with the whole situation, and then resigns himself to the fact he has to stay in a cage for a week by demanding food and other amenities.

**Episode end**

## Quotes

**Alex**: "It's a good time to jump on board, I suppose!"
**Helen**: "No! It's terrible, this is a very bad - we're ALL having a very bad time."
**Alex**: "Well, so, yeah, everything is basically fine."
**Bryn**: "We got trapped on another plane for 18 months, we came back and the *entire world was a mess*. We don't know what's going on!"
**Alex**: "And your families are fine! Apparently. So far. Someone told you that. So it must be true."
―Episode introduction

"Look, look, Alex has created a world where it's not just the PCs who feel miserably. It's literally everybody. Literally everyone."
―**Bryn**

"I would like to congratulate you both on sleeping, despite all of the horrendous things that have happened to you that should have left more scars than they have, apparently."
―**Alex, after Hamid and Azu succeed on their will saves.**

**Bryn**: "I'm disappointed in you Alex. You didn't use the opportunity of Azu interacting with her family to inflict *massive emotional pain upon her*! What happened to you?"
**Alex**: "It can't be all misery."
**Bryn**: "It's favouritsm. It's favouritsm."
**Alex**: "You can't make a cake with just chocolate. Sometimes you gotta put chocolate chips in. It only counts as misery *if he now dies*."
―Azu and Emeka share a conversation.

**Hamid**: "Whatever happens, let's stick together."
**Azu**: "We're all that we've got, at the moment."
**Einstein**: "I'm right here! Wow! You've got a cellar full of people that like you! Also Ed, who I think loves you!"
**Hamid**: "*What?*"
**Einstein**: "Oh, he loves everyone. He's like a golden retriever. A glorious, 6 foot retriever!"
―Hamid and Azu promise not to leave each other behind.

**Bryn**: "What's the most common trading language in this world?"
**Alex**: "Realistically, it's going to be French. English might work, but it's not the lingua Franca."
―Hamid tries to figure out how to communicate with others at the inn.

**Zolf**: "I wouldn't bother if I, uh, if I were you."
**Bryn**: "It's Zolf! *Ahhhhhh!* I know I'm unconscious! I'm still excited! Zolf's back everybody!"
**Helen**: "Hamid twitches."
―The triumphant return of Zolf.

**Azu**: "I may be tired. But I am very angry right now."
**Zolf**: "...That's fine, uh, you're still in a cell?"
―Zolf and Azu meet for the first time.

**Zolf**: "Yeah, I wouldn't try that, Hamid, I think, uh -"
**Hamid**: "***What?!?!***"
**Azu**: "What?"
**Zolf**: "Ow?"
**Hamid**: "Zolf, is that you?"
**Zolf**: "Yes."
**Azu**: "You know him?"
**Hamid**: "What are you doing here?! Why are we trapped?! What is going on?!"
**Zolf**: "You mean you've been with this person so long and you haven't even spoken about me? Very offended, Hamid."
**Hamid**: "I told you about *Zolf*."
―Hamid sees Zolf for the first time since Prague.

"So we're stuck in this cage for a week?! *Fine.* Bring me some food, some drink, a cushion, a comb, a mirror and start telling me what happened to you!"
―**Hamid asks what's happened to Zolf.**
## Dice rolls and Mechanics

* Hamid and Azu Will Save to sleep undisturbed: 21 (Hamid), 26 (Azu).
* Hamid Perception Check to notice that his brother is getting along with Vesseek: 17.
* Hamid and Azu Perception check after teleporting with Einstein: 26 (Hamid), 20 (Azu).
* Hamid and Azu Perception check inside the Inn: 23 (Hamid), 11 (Azu).
* Hamid and Azu Sense Motive on the innkeeper: 21 (Hamid), 13 (Azu).
* Hamid and Azu Perception check inside the side-room: 15 (Hamid), 19 (Azu).
* Azu Heal check to see if she and Hamid have been poisoned: 12
* Azu Perception check on the table: 25
* Azu Reflex Save falling into the trap door: 8
* Azu Attack Roll on the chain: 18 (damage: 26)
* Azu Acrobatics check to jump on the trapdoor: 6, but -5+ penalties.
* Azu Sense Motive on Wilde: Natural 1
* Azu Strength check to pull the bars out of the floor: 5
* Azu Will save to stay awake in the cell: 20
* Zolf Sense Motive on Hamid and Azu: 17 (Hamid), ? (Azu).