RQG 5 - The Naked Arsonist

## Content Warnings

Mass death, trapped by fire, explosions. Mentions: drugs (opium)

## Summary

Sasha pursues the naked Arsonist, whilst the rest of the rangers help the diplomats.

## Synopsis

Fire is spreading through the complex still, with Colgate tending to Byron and Sasha down in the cellar, chasing after the arsonists. The party is still in combat time; Hamid goes to help the French diplomat instead of following Sasha. His legs are most likely broken, but he’s conscious. Bertie goes over to help Byron and Colgate, trying to get Byron to wake up. However, Byron is injured and delirious, while Colgate is only superficially wounded. He instructs Bertie to apply pressure to Byron's wounds, which he does. Zolf, meanwhile, finishes helping the Japanese diplomat, pulling him away from the fire.

Sasha continues chasing the fleeing arsonists down through the hole in the floor. It appears to be a dug out tunnel, leading into the cellar of the next door building. She tries to sneak up on the arsonist, but doesn’t do the best job. There are a row of crates in front of her, interspersing like aisles, but she can’t see to the end of it. The man she’s after is sneaking among the crates, and he has another flask in his hand. He seems to be moving very cautiously, and is aware that Sasha is following him, but doesn’t expect her to be coming from on top of the crates.

As she’s in pursuit, the fire continues to spread on the ground floor above. The ceiling is damaged, but it doesn’t seem to be caving it yet. The fire will most likely exacerbate this situation, however. Hamid continues to drag the French diplomat toward the exit, through the small pond of wine on the floor. He attempts to calm the man down, speaking to him in French. Bertie grabs Byron and begins moving him away from the fire. He considers throwing Byron through the window, but instead brings him toward the stage, where they can access the stage door exit. Colgate follows. Zolf puts the Japanese diplomat on the floating disc and also moves away from the fire, jumping away.

Sasha is still watching the arsonist; she gets closer to him without being detected, but doesn’t make it to him before he heads through the door at the end of the corridor, leaving the door open and heading to the right. Hamid starts yelling for help with the French diplomat, hoping to gain the attention of some diplomats. Bertie continues moving toward the stage door, and Zolf does the same. Hamid casts message on Bertie so that they can discuss briefly; Hamid explains that he’s gotten the French diplomat out of danger, and Bertie says that the situation up top is also very bad, but gives Hamid an update on Byron, Colgate, Zolf, and the diplomats. Hamid mentions that Sasha is chasing after the arsonist, and then the party drops out of combat time.

Jump to Sasha: the arsonist runs toward another hole in the wall. She notices the first waiter who left with Edison's folder peeking out and motioning for the second one. As she hears a hissing, she leaps away and the room explodes, obfuscating their escape route. Pieces of shrapnel fly out, but Sasha dodges out of the way, and the ceiling collapses in front of her. She finds herself in a featureless cellar without anything in it and turns to leave. There is a set of stairs dead ahead of her that leads up to a trap door, and she decides to go that way.

The rest of the party, meanwhile, is being helped out of the house into a back garden. Zolf is starting to go around and heal the people who need it, starting with Byron and then helping the French diplomat out, splinting his legs. Byron still seems incredibly out of it. Zolf and Hamid wonder where Sasha went, and say that maybe they can find her somewhere nearby. They turn and see the house is on fire, clearly about to come down, and there’s a crowd getting increasingly agitated and worried out front.

Sasha, meanwhile, heads up and looks up through the cellar door. She comes up behind a shop counter and emerges into a tailor's, Willikins & Brothers. It’s incredibly upmarket, with half-made suits and stylish mannequins. The man at the front desk is incredibly shocked to see her, and Sasha tells him that he should get out, because the house next door is on fire. He does so, leading Sasha out, and then locks it, running off toward the crowd with Sasha in tow. Sasha says that she needs to go find her friends, and then says that he’s welcome. The tailor gives Sasha a few coppers in thanks, and then runs off back to his shop to try and rescue his wares. It doesn’t seem like the fire from Edison’s will be spreading; Sasha takes an entire move action to roll her eyes at him.

Hamid asks if they should go find Sasha, and Zolf agrees. Hamid says that he’ll go north, the direction Sasha went in, and Zolf can stay back with the injured. Bertie can go down another side street. They split up, and Zolf begins to search for Haringay to talk about what happened and the remaining people in the burning building. Sasha finds Bertie first, but Bertie doesn’t notice her even as Sasha stands next to him, trying to help him find whatever woman he’s shouting for. Eventually, Bertie does notice her, and then recognises her. Upon remembering that message is still active, he tells Hamid that he found Sasha, and they decide to head back to Edison’s.

Zolf does end up finding Haringay, telling him that there are still people inside. Haringay says that he’s got people inside already, and tells Zolf to stay outside and heal people. As he’s speaking, the rest of the party comes back, with Hamid commenting that he hopes they get paid extra for that level of danger.

## Quotes

**James**: "I am Sir Bertrand "Bertie" MacGuffingham, a posh idiot who likes hitting things in a flashy way. And pushing pianos around. My arch-nemesis: all furniture!"
**Bryn**: "I am playing Hamid Saleh Haroun al-Tahan, the halfling sorcerer and, if last session was anything to go by, also a ninja."
**Ben**: "I'm Zolf Smith, a cleric of Poseidon, a weedy puller-upper, and likely to burn to death next round."
**Lydia**: "I am Sasha Racket, who likes appraising antiques and...jumping on people and stabbing them in the head"
―Character introductions

"That’s a good superhero thing. “Double the speed of fire!”"
―**Ben**

"Byron! Byron! Wake up, I've got some opium. Byron! Really good opium! And a bear is carrying it. The bear's got a hat."
―**Bertie**

**Bertie**: "Woman? Woman! Woman? Stealthy woman!"
**Lydia**: "There isn't much for me to roleplay 'cause I'm just standing there quietly. Like, looking around being like, "What? What woman, mate? What are you looking...""
**James**: "I'm just bellowing over her head."
**Bertie**: "Stealthy woman! Oh, there you are, hello."
**Sasha**: "Uh, what woman are you looking for?"
**Bertie**: "You!"
**Sasha**: "Oh!"
**Bertie**: "Probably. Yes. Yes. It is you."
―Bertie looking for Sasha
## Dice rolls and Mechanics

* Sasha makes a Perception check to follow the guy in the corridor: 21
* Sasha makes a Reflex save against the explosion: 17
* Zolf makes a Heal check to splint the French diplomat’s leg: 23
* Bertie makes a Perception check to find Sasha: 7

## Combat Breakdown

**Combat continued from previous episode.**

**Initiative:** Hamid (19), arsonist 1, Bertie (9), arsonist 2, Zolf (5), Sasha (4), diplomats

**Round 7**

* Hamid: Goes to help the French diplomat, he probably has two broken legs. Hamid keeps the diplomat’s head above the water.
* Arsonist 1: Something happens that the party isn’t aware of.
* Bertie: Runs toward Byron, telling him to wake up. Byron groans. Colgate is there stemming the blood flowing from Byron, and Bertie starts helping.
* Another thing happens that the party isn’t aware of.
* Zolf: Drags the Japanese diplomat away from the fire.
* Sasha: Continues heading down the corridor and hears explosions. She attempts to sneakily climb on top of a crate. She successfully makes the climb with a roll of 21 but isn’t that stealthy, only rolling 11.
* The fire spreads, licking up to the ceiling in the music hall. Some parts of the ceiling are starting to creak ominously.

**Round 8**

* Hamid: Drags the French diplomat toward the door, muttering some platitudes in French to him.
* Arsonist 1: Is sneaking amongst the crates and moving toward the door out of the basement. He has another flask in his hand.
* Bertie: Picks Byron up, pushes Colgate aside, and starts moving around the crater.
* Zolf: Puts the Japanese diplomat on the floating disk and moves away from the fire.
* Sasha: Continues to sneak toward arsonist 1. She rolls a 13 and a 10 on her two Acrobatic rolls, and ends up at the other set of crates but not on top. She gets a 24 on the Stealth roll, so he doesn’t hear her.
* The fire spreads.

**Round 9**

* Hamid: Opens the door and starts calling for help.
* Arsonist 1: Goes through the door at the end of the corridor, unaware of Sasha. He leaves the door open and heads to the right.
* Bertie: Moves Byron and Colgate around the back of the stage and out as quickly as possible.
* Zolf: Continues moving out of the range of the fire.
* [Sasha’s turn is skipped]

**Round 10**

* Hamid: Casts message on Bertie, asking how people are. They discuss the current situation briefly.