RQG 194 - Full Circle

## Content Warnings

Taunting & insults, scopophobia. Discussion of: death (inc. mass death), physical violence, cults, apocalypse & existential threat. Mentions of: bears, explosions, suicide, knives. SFX: continued ticking, clicking, bells.

## Summary

The party travels to a secondary location. This week Zolf is getting some air, Cel thinks about knives, Azu can always just kill, and Hamid notices an eerie oddity.

## Synopsis

Sumutnyerl and Skraak approach Barret's compound, and Cel greets them. Skraak runs up and hugs Cel. They update each other, and Skraak greets Zolf too. They ask why Cel and Zolf are outside too, and Cel says they don't trust their judgement on the plan, given they are convinced the Cult of Hades has bad intent, and taking over the world, and spreading evil. Cel and Skraak discuss how Barret makes them both think of knives and stabbing him. Zolf adds that he went outside because he was very upset about something. Sumutnyerl says they intend to go inside, and side-eyes the squizzard. Zolf warns her there's another one inside, and they suddenly feel an inherent urge to no longer go inside; Sumutnyerl instead steps away from the squizzard. Cel is still worrying about whether the proposed solution will make things worse and whether they should have stayed inside to get all the information, at which Zolf states that having all the information doesn't necessarily help. Skraak, sensing subtext he doesn't know about, leaves and goes inside with Cel.

Inside, Cel and Skraak enter the dining room where Barret, Hamid, Azu, Wilde, and another squizzard are talking. Hamid greets Skraak fondly and steps towards him as if for a hug, but hesitates at the last moment and they shake hands instead. Skraak asks who 'the big one' is, and Hamid introduces Gragg. Skraak settles down while they wait for the discussions to be over. Gragg asks for some extra info (what squizzards, and the Simulacrum are) and Hamid and Azu answer. Barret asks what more information they need, and the others disgustedly give him attention. Hamid asks what item they need to fetch, how it works, and what they use it on; Barret reminds them he can't give them that information here. Azu also asks if this mission is a suicide mission. Barret replies that he doesn't think it is (his surface thoughts do not contradict this).

Hamid suggests that Barret and the squizzard go and wait in the furthest room whilst the others discuss. Cel fetches Zolf and Sumutnyerl. While they're doing that, Wilde asks if Hamid and Zolf's altercation from earlier is going to affect their ability to work together on this high-stakes mission. Azu says Wilde knows Zolf best with regards to what pushes him towards depressive episodes, but suggests that perhaps Hamid and Zolf will never be able to be friends, and Hamid agrees sadly.

Cel, outside, informs Sumutnyerl and Zolf that there'll be a briefing inside, and that the plan probably isn't a suicide mission. Sumutnyerl goes inside. Cel asks if Zolf is alright, and Zolf merely states that that's a big question, and heads inside. Back in the dining room, Hamid and Wilde re-state the core information to everyone: they need to go to a secondary location, and fetch an item that can be used against the hivemind. Cel asks if they know if it will kill all those infected, or free them, and Hamid and Azu say they don't know yet, as they need to go to the safer location first before they can find that out. Hamid says he believes that Barret and the Cult genuinely want the veins gone. Wilde suggests going to the secondary location, finding out the additional information, then making the call. Hamid thinks this is a good idea, and adds that the group's wide breadth of knowledge might help in making the right call. Azu adds that they can just kill the Cult if they try and take over. Gragg adds that he knows that there are more people 'up top' apart from Barret, working on a solution. He says that before Barret made contact, things were pretty rough in Other London, and that they now get supplies, and contact with other survivors- if Barret just wanted to kill everyone he wouldn't bother with making that effort. Cel wonders if there's a third option that the Cult are hiding from the party.

Hamid asks Sumutnyerl if they have learnt anything about the situation in her time in Other London, and whether any aspects of the plan fit with her knowledge of the seed. She replies that the Garden is more than a physical place- it is a meeting of places, including places that are beyond here. The squizzards are form a different place darker and more vicious than here, and if the seed has been corrupted in such a way that it is a threat even to them, the stakes are very high indeed, but that the questions are beyond what Sumutnyerl has learned. The group agrees to go with Barret for now. Wilde adds that if he had to pick a group of people to end up facing the end of the world with, they are who he would pick. Cel gives him a hug.

**BREAK**

The party prepares to leave Barret's complex and head to the secondary location. They refresh their dungeoneering packs, and each party member takes a healing potion (Cure Moderate Wounds). Gragg won't be coming with them, because he already has duties helping people in Other London- he finds survivors and connects them with supplies and other people. Barret doesn't want Gragg to come either, despite him apparently being pretty muscly and Barret's plan requiring 'muscle'. He's more interested in getting the party to go with him. Azu makes a mental note that Gragg might make a good member of the Aphrodite cult (Alex adds that Gragg's philosophy is essentially 'you can't save the world but you can save a person', and Lydia quips that Gragg is where Sasha got that phrase from). At Wilde's suggestion, the group also chooses to rest before heading out.

The group assembles: Barret, two squizzards, Azu, Hamid, Zolf, Cel, Wilde, Skraak, Gragg, and Sumutnyerl. The group starts travelling through Other London, spread out for stealth. A squizzard positions themself at the front and the back of the party, and help to guide the party through Other London. Gragg peeels off and heads to his pub. The clicking creatures are around but the party manages to get through safely. As they get towards the surface, there are more blue roots around. At the stairwell, Barret gives a final briefing:

1) Do not touch the roots.

2) If one of the infected people sees you, every one of them knows where you are. If you are seen, *run*, do not hide.

As the party heads up, the clicking recedes, but the ringing of a bell (Big Ben) is heard. The blue glow of the vines pulses with each chime, and they ring harmonically with the chiming. Big Ben shouldn't be heard from here. The vines are getting denser. After 5-6 hours of travel, they finally get to the top of the stairwell. The group is instructed to leave Other London via manhole, follow the alleyway the are in, take a left, then a right, then climb down the next manhole. Cel takes an invisibility potion, and Hamid casts Invisibility on the rest of the party (except Barret and the squizzards). Cel asks why the squizzards can't just teleport them to right next to the manhole, but Barret doesn't answer. Cel's layers of 'deliberate kindness' have been stripped away by Barret. One of the squizzards opens the door and they go into a maintained service tunnel.

As soon as the manhole is pulled back, sounds of an active city is heard... but nobody is talking. There are especially the sounds of construction. Each party member taps on the top of the ladder when they have reached the top to indicate the next person can go. Zolf and Hamid find themselves in the alley that they had originally met Sasha in Episode 1. The alley has been slightly filled in, and there are no windows showing what's going on outside the alley. Barret then points down a side alley and does a bad impression of tiptoeing, then picks a moment and darts across the gap. The party, when crossing, see that everyone is infected, and are eerily co-ordinated. They're all involved in some sort of construction. Barret points to an inn at the end of the alley, and points to a manhole cover just by it. The lettering across the top of the inn spells the words '*The One That Got Away*'.

## Quotes

**Cel**: "I don't know what it is about that guy that makes me think about knives?"
**Skraak**: "It's... I don't think it's a you thing, I think about knives with him as well"
**Cel**: "You know, it's a strange thing. It's not really been an obsession of mine before..."
―Cel and Skraak discuss how Barret makes them want to stab him

**Wilde**: "If he's going to duck out of every briefing, if nothing else, it's going to take twice as long."
**Hamid**: "Was that because of what I said to him? I thought that was because of... the other thing"
**Wilde**: "I think Zolf... I think I know Zolf well enough to know that in Zolf, it all tends to get mixed up together."
**Azu**: "You do know him better than any of us..."
**Azu (to Hamid)**: "I don't think it's your fault... I think that, perhaps, you two simply may not be able to be proper friends"
**Hamid**: "I guess I think you might be right, Azu."
―Wilde and Azu talk to Hamid about his relationship with Zolf.

## Dice rolls & mechanics

Hamid still has Detect Thoughts (surface) active on Barret.

The party rolls stealth for travelling through Other London. Hamid: 36. Skraak: 28. Azu: 8. Zolf: 5. Cel: 23.

The party rolls perception at the manhole to notice the sounds of an active city. Hamid: 25, also notices that there are no voices. Skraak: 22. Azu: 20. Zolf: 15. Cel: 18.

Cel takes an invisibility potion.

Hamid casts Invisibility on the rest of the party.

Perception checks to notice the pub's name is "The One That Got Away". Hamid: 29. Skraak: 18. Azu: 31 (nat 20). Zolf: 30 (nat 20). Cel: 15.

## Plot Notes

The party has been making will saves when sleeping since episode 12, just after they first met Barret and a squizzard. Alex confirms in this episode that the will saves were against scrying from the squizzards.

"The One That Got Away" is mentioned in episode 53, when a mechanical man gives Sasha a note that reads "Sasha, thank you. Find the one that got away. Love, Brock".