RQG 6 - Gazebos, Sleuthing and Hats

## Content Warnings

Fire (inc. SFX), dead bodies, description of injuries. Mentions: surgery (amputation), burns, police, temporary loss of senses, jokes related to Zolf's move speed

## Summary

The party investigate the arsonists, finding distinguishing tattoos from Other London.

## Synopsis

At Thomas Edison's blazing house, the party approaches Sergeant Haringay, who is now in charge. Bertie surveys the scene; the house is still on fire, but there are a few people around attempting to put it out. Some of Haringay’s men are pulling out the survivors from the house, and once the final one is pulled out, the house begins to collapse. A fire engine comes up in an attempt to stop the fire spreading to the neighboring houses, and Haringay is acting as a focal point, giving orders.

Zolf asks if there’s anything else he can do, and Haringay pulls him and the rest of the party over to a shed. He asks the party to help them recover the Simulacrum, because he can’t have that in his city. He isn’t sure if it’s been destroyed, but Sasha mentions that she saw the waiters taking it away intact. Zolf steps in and says that they’re willing to help, but that they’ll need to discuss payment first. Haringay agrees, saying that he’ll up their contract price to 50 gold for the danger. Hamid and Sasha explain what happened in the cellar of the house, and how the waiters got away. Haringay admits that he has no one to spare working for him, and says that he can pay them handsomely for either recovering the Simulacrum or giving him more information about it; he gives them the 50 gold they agreed on, but doesn’t know how much he can spare for this. He mentions that if they can’t bring back the Simulacrum, they can bring him information, evidence that it’s destroyed, or the men who caused the damage at Edison's house.

They all agree to help, and Zolf asks Sasha where she lost the trail. She explains, and then there’s a call from further up; Haringay says that he needs to step away, and tells Zolf to find him at the station if he needs. Hamid wonders if any of the waiters from the explosion had survived and been captured, and then suggests that they maybe attempt to continue searching tomorrow.

Since it isn’t very late yet, they decide to do some recon first and then they can decide. Zolf heals the party and Hamid casts prestidigitation to clean Bertie's armour before they go and investigate the six bodies that were removed from the house. A few of the guests are alright, but some have concussions and some have more serious injuries. Of the bodies, four of them are guests (badly burned); Sasha considers stealing some jewels from the guests’ bodies, but decides not to. One of the bodies was someone serving canapés, and one has light armour, a short sword, tinder sticks, and a thunderstone. From the looks of his equipment, Sasha realises that he's from Other London. Hamid attempts to cast detect magic, closing his eyes and stepping back. Bertie, thinking that Hamid has fallen asleep, tries getting him to wake up, but Hamid just patiently tells Bertie that he’s trying to cast a spell. He continues, finding various magical items on the other guests, but nothing on the waiters.

   As Hamid is doing this, Bertie notices two darkly dressed gnomes standing off to one side holding briefcases. Zolf realises that they’re lawyers, and Sasha carefully steps behind Bertie, to get out of their line of sight. The two gnomes nod at Bertie and then the party before leaving. Zolf asks Hamid to keep hold of the magical stuff, and Hamid says that they can potentially track down the manufacturer and figure out who purchased it. Zolf checks the body for tattoos, and finds a large brand on his right bicep: a many pointed irregular star in a circle. He notes this down. Sasha knows that this is something that would happen in Other London, but she doesn’t recognise it as a mark of any of the major gangs. Hamid tries to figure out if it has magical significance, but can’t figure it out. Bertie also tries to see if there’s any noble significance, but doesn’t recognise it.

They decide to go down into the cellar to see what’s going on, and they go to find the tailor who Sasha bumped into previously. The crowd has mostly dispersed at this point. They find the tailor, and Hamid attempts to charm the tailor to calm him down and let them into his shop. Willikins manages to resist the charm and Hamid continues to try to get him into the shop; Willikins is just fretting, until he notices Sasha and asks if she’s alright. Bertie starts complimenting his hats, trying to distract the tailor, and Sasha explains that the fire is being maintained and won’t spread to his shop. Willikins says that he’s going to head back inside, and Sasha asks if they can come inside as well. He seems fine with it, and Zolf explains that they’re part of the investigation team. Willikins buys it, but is a bit concerned and confused nonetheless. Zolf tells him to go ask Haringay for anything else.

Hamid asks Willikins if anyone other than Sasha has come up through the shop and then asks if he saw anyone wearing the same outfits as the waiters. Willikins hasn’t, and also adds that he wasn’t aware of any sort of tunnels being dug through the cellars underneath. Bertie continues to flatter Willikins by complimenting his hats, and then the party descend into the cellar. Sasha explains how the waiter got away, pointing out the crates and the hole that got exploded. They discuss how to follow the trail, and then hear some shouting from up above; Bertie goes to investigate, and as he pokes his head up through the floor, he realises that the shopkeep has fallen through another hole in the floor. Bertie goes over to help the shopkeeper, and peers through the hole in the floor. The rest of the party returns as well, apart from Hamid, who pulls out his notebook and makes a list of what buildings the tunnel goes through.

Sasha goes down into this new hole to investigate, and realises that she’s on the other side of the cave in. It’s not pitch black down there, but it does get dark the further it goes. At the end of the corridor, there is an open manhole.

## Quotes

**Lydia**: "I’m Sasha Racket. I’m an antiques appraiser by trade. More of a “stab first, ask questions later,” no, don’t ask questions. Then you might need to make eye contact."
**Ben**: "I’m Zolf Smith, a one-legged dwarven cleric, an ex-pirate, and now mercenary..."captain"."
**Bryn**: "My character is Hamid, the Egyptian halfling sorcerer."
**James**: "I am Sir Bertrand “Bertie” MacGuffingham, who wears armor as if he’s going clubbing. And likes hitting things."
―Character introductions

**James**: "If there’s some possibility that I might be healed for the small amount of damage that I have received, ‘cause I’m down to 9 hit points from 13, I wouldn’t say no."
**Bryn**: "I’m down to 3 hit points from 7."
**James**: "Cry me a river. Cry me a tiny, tiny puddle."
―James asking to be healed after the explosion.

**Lydia**: "Your fireball doesn’t, you know, you don’t tend to burn yourself, right?"
**Alex**: "No, fireball would hurt everyone that he aims it at."
**Lydia**: "Oh, so even if..."
**Bryn**: "If I aim a fireball at my own feet. I would not do that"
―The players discuss Hamid's spells.

**Lydia**: "I flow like black paint in a gravity well."
―Lydia, about Sasha.
## Dice rolls and Mechanics

* Zolf casts cure light wounds on Bertie: 8
* Zolf casts cure light wounds on Hamid: 5
* Bertie rolls a Perception check on the bodies in Edison’s: 14
* Hamid rolls a Perception check to search the bodies: 9
* Sasha rolls a Perception check to search the bodies: 13
* Bertie rolls a Perception check to search the bodies: 10
* Sasha makes a Knowledge (local) roll: 14
* Bertie makes a Perception check: 11
* Hamid makes a Knowledge (arcana) check on the brand: 10
* Bertie makes a Knowledge (nobility) check on the brand: 13
* Hamid casts charm person on the tailor - Willikin’s - but he makes his Will save.
* Bertie makes a Diplomacy roll on Willikin’s, with pomp and pageantry: 13