Heist Society

**Heist Society** is the 10th episode, in which The Oxventure Guild attend a fancy party.

## Synopsis

When the search for a stolen gem takes the Oxventurers to a fancy high society ball, some of the gang (Prudence) take to it better than others (Egbert). Will our heroes solve the mystery of the missing emerald?

## Summary

Sometime after the last adventure, the Guild find themselves in a town called Rutherglen. They hope that they'll finally be able to relax in the fancy town, but they soon notice a man in a set of stocks. Corazón throws an egg at him but Dob catches it inches from his face. The man, Horatio, explains that he thinks that he's going to be sentenced to death, as he was found guilty of stealing a gem that he did not steal. He says that he is in love with Amelia Hawthorne, the daughter of Giles Hawthorne founder of the jewellers Hawthorne & Booker. Horatio suspects that Giles framed of him of stealing the jewel that made his fortune, the Emerald Tear, so he wouldn't marry his daughter, and that Amelia has believed her father and disavowed him.

Upon hearing his story, the Guild agree to help him, with Dob saying they'll do it for free, much to Corazón's dismay, but he plans to steal the jewel for himself anyway. Horatio says that Giles is hosting a masquerade at his mansion, Hawthorne Heights, to celebrate his execution and suggest the Guild sneak into find the jewel, since the party was an open invite. Horatio tells Dob to retrieve a set of keys from his pocket, as he owns a mask shop, and they retrieve a bunch knock off masks of themselves and some fancy dress outfits, Egbert donning a pelt made out of seventy nine wolf pelts and one dog after misunderstanding a conversation with Merilwen.

With their clothing sorted, the Guild get a horse drawn carriage and Egbert "hot wires" the horses, causing them to travel at breakneck speed. As they approach the mansion they see that, even though it was an open invite, the Hawthornes are only letting in those who they deem worthy of entering, essentially making the poor people wait outside. Before they crash into the building, Merilwen uses Speak with Animals asks the speeding horses to stop. They come drifting into carriage way, ruining the lawn.

They head lines into the mansion, which have been separated into different classes, from poorest to fanciest. They head for the line fanciest people, where they are the only one there. They are greeted by a with man a clipboard, who has the eyes of a killer and isn't convinced they are worthy to be in that line. Dob tries to get him to leave his post by claiming their valet has been stealing from the guests, but he instead sends someone to deal with it for him. Prudence casts Charm Person on the man and claims that they are the band that is booked for the party. The man lets them in and Corazón makes an obscene gesture at everyone in the other queue.

Upon entering, Corazón immediately tries to file down the gold statues in the hall, but immediately told to stop by one of the servants. Dob suggests that they split up. Merilwen and Prudence go to hear Giles give a speech, Corazón and Dob sneak upstairs and try to find clues, while Egbert just goes to the dance floor to enjoy the party. Corazón and Dob manage to sneak their way up the stairs by pretending to scoff at the art, causing one of the artists to run out crying. They find Giles' office, but they hear a woman crying in one of the rooms. They stride in with purpose into the room and find Emilia, who shrieks upon seeing them. They tell her that Horatio sent them and they try to convince her of his innocence, but she doesn't believe them, believing that her father wouldn't lie to her. Plus, the head of the city guard and the pawn broker he supposedly sold the gem to testified against Horatio, leaving little room for doubt.

Meanwhile, back at the party, Giles Hawthorne appears at the party, and everyone is silenced, even Egbert. He welcomes his guests to his home, as tonight they are celebrating Horatio's arrest and tomorrow they "probably" see him hanged. Egbert doesn't like the uncertainty of they statement, thinking that Giles is on to them, and runs off, grabbing a glass of champagne on his way out. Prudence and Merilwen go up to talk to Giles and, even though he can tell they are pretending to be posh, he finds them charming enough to let them stay, for now. Merilwen asks where Emilia is and Giles explains that she refuses to join the party, as she is heartbroken that her beloved would dare steal from her father, causing the people behind him to titter like he just told an amusing joke.

Giles explains that he thinks Horatio gained knowledge from Emilia on how he arranges his gems, stole the best one, pawned it off and then got steaming drunk, where he told everyone what he did before getting arrested by the leader of the city guard. He claims that the gem hasn't been found, supposedly having been sold off before they could find it. Prudence asks if the gem was insured, but Giles doesn't want to "discuss business".

Meanwhile, Egbert is outside. He asks where the smoking area is, as smoke is bellowing out of his mask's eyes. He is shown to the smoking room, where he meets an information broker. Egbert gives him a tinnie and asks him if he knows anything about the missing gem, but he refuses to discuss it after "just one tinnie".

Meanwhile, back with Corazón and Dob, they are trying to convince Emilia that Horatio isn't the kind of person who'd get drunk. Dob tries to convince her to listen to her heart, where Corazón tries to convince her with the "lab reports" of Horatio's alcohol blood level, which causes her to close up emotionally. Dob tries to convince her to show them to the jewel and they can make a fake jewel, which they can show to Horatio to test if he really is a jewel thief, and they can use the fake jewel to start a new life together if he isn't. Emilia isn't buying it, and threatens to summon the guards. This causes the duo to leave, and they decide to investigate Giles' office.

They find it locked, and Corazón picks it, becoming impressed by the mechanism in the process, and nicking the rubies inlaid in it afterwards. They enter the room, which contains a think carpet, rows of bookshelves, a desk and a large oil painting of Giles. Dob tries to sense any breezes from secret passageways but is thrown off by Corazón tearing through the place like a hurricane. Corazón discovers a diary written in a cipher. The two of them take a swig of some alcoholic drink and Corazón uses Comprehend Languages on the book.

Meanwhile, back at the party, Prudence and Merilwen find the head of the city guard. Merilwen bonds with him over the fact that they both have scars. The guard tries to impress Merilwen by explaining that he got it in a dual with a dangerous criminal many years ago when she was just a child, but she says she's nearly a hundred. The guard explains that he heard Horatio ranting about his victory in his favourite tavern, The Smoldering Barnacle, and he investigated at the local pawn shop. After hearing that he sold the blue emerald and he knew right away what Horatio did. They ask where the pawn broker is and he points him out, immediately legging it. Prudence and Merliwen point out how strange it is that the guard thought that the emerald was blue.

Back with Egbert, he has managed to get the info broker absolutely plastered. He offers Egbert a riddle, saying that Giles knows hows to keep his chess pieces hidden in plain sight, which goes over Egbert's head, as he's never heard of chess. The man tries to explain the game, saying that even if you are looking your opponent in the face you will sometimes miss something valuable, which everyone in the room laughs quietly at, except Egbert, who takes it to mean there is something inside the info broker's face. Egbert takes advantage of the man's drunken state and rummages through his pockets, but finds nothing important. Having found nothing of importance, Egbert tries to figure out the man's riddle.

Back with Corazón and Dob, they have just cracked the cipher and are shocked by their discovery. They go back to Emilia, knocking on her door this time, to explain what they've found. Corazón goes full detective on her, revealing that she isn't Emilia Hawthorne, she's Emilia Booker, the daughter of Giles' former partner, who he had killed along with Emilia's mother. Dob tries to prove it to her by showing her the journal, forgetting that it's in cipher. Emilia doesn't believe that they could've cracked her father's code, which she has been trying to crack for nearly all her life, and summons her guards.

Prudence and Merilwen hear this and rush after the gaurds. At the same time, Egbert figures out the riddle and goes to find the others. They all find Dob and Corazón at sword point. Corazón casts Grease, Dob jumps onto a chandelier and gathers the six guards together with his legs, causing them to knock each other out by headbutting each other. Dob ties them up and Egbert tells them he knows where the gem is, it's behind Giles Hawthorne's face. The Guild know that can't be the case, and Corazón realises it's behind the oil painting in his office.

They all rush to the office and Corazón slashes a giant C in the painting and peels it away, revealing a safe. Dob uses Heat Metal on it, causing it to melt, revealing the Emerald Tear. Suddenly Giles appears, asking what's going on. The Guild proclaim that they know that he framed Horatio, pointing out that the head of the city guard who arrested him thought emeralds were blue and they kept hearing people laugh whenever the crime was mentioned, but Giles is having none of it. Thinking that Giles won't admit it willingly, Dob tells Merilwen to initiate the "Bear Down Protocol". Merilwen turns into a cat and Dob throws her at Giles, and just before she hits him Merilwen turns into a bear, pinning Giles down.

Having seen all this, Emilia realises that Corazón was telling the truth and thanks him. Corazón then informs her that during the commotion the Emerald Tear has "vanished". Knowing that Corazón was the one who took it, she allows him to do so. Merilwen gives Emilia a gentle, litteral, bear hug to make sure she's okay. They then leave the party amidst the shocked on lookers, Corazón stealing some shrimp in the process, and they go to rescue Horatio.

They find him there, still in the stocks with the valet they ratted on, and Merilwen busts out, along with the valet for being good with the horses. Emilia and Horatio share a hug, the Guild enjoying the moment, before the valet steals their horse and carriage.

## Guild Hijinks

* Corazón and Dob pretend to be snooty art critics and cause one of the artists they insult, who was hiding near their painting, to run out of the party crying.
* Egbert gets an info broker drunk in order to get info out of him.

## Behind The Scenes Trivia

* The title is a play on the words "High Society"
* A tinnie is British/Anzac slang for a can of beer.
* This is the first adventure with no deaths, accidental or otherwise.