RQG 158 - On the Road Again

## Summary

Join Alex, Helen, Bryn, Lydia and Ben as they pack up and get ready for another high flying adventure!

This week Azu carefully lurks, Hamid tries to make everyone cozier, Zolf mopes and Hopes, and Cel changes and un-changes their plans.

## Synopsis

*[Editor’s note: this is the first remote recording in RQG and Bryn’s audio quality is a little off.]*

We pick up the next day, after Cel’s fete; each member of the party is doing their own thing for 24 hours.

Azu hangs around the inn as a calm, quiet, reassuring presence, “lurking with intent to make happy.” She also rides Topaz on the beach.

Hamid is still trying to appear benevolent to the kobolds, but doesn’t make things worse or better. He also starts making cold-weather gear for the party. Hamid manages to get furs from the innkeeper after a miscommunication in which the innkeeper thought he was cold and kept bringing him blankets. He starts by making a big fluffy jacket with a hood for Azu; it will go over her armour. It turns out as a huge parka that will probably fit Azu, but he uses all the materials he set aside for four people on one parka.

Zolf spends the day outside and alone.

Cel’s fete went very well and lasted into the night. They told the village that Shoin’s gone. At the party, Cel successfully knocks down coconuts at a game and wins a small cuddly red panda toy. They spend the next day at home, in their shop, catching up.

The next day at first light, Wilde asks Azu, Hamid, and Zolf into his office (not Cel, as they’re still back at their village and hasn’t been summoned back.) Wilde asks how they are doing and all of them answer half-heartedly. Wilde says he thinks h’s managed to track down Earhart, and she seems close, but Einstein’s off the grid and no one knows where he is. This has happened before, it’s hard to know whether it’s intentional. Additionally, Earhart’s vessel was damaged and Wilde assumes that she’s injured, although he’s been told that she should still be capable of taking them to Svalbard. As a result of the damage to Earhart’s ship, the party will have to travel to her. She’s currently in Hiroshima, which has a major aeroport.

Wilde asks one of the party to request Cel’s presence; Azu and Hamid volunteer to go. Wilde will talk to Barnes about chartering a vessel to Sakaiminato. Barnes and Carter will travel with them at least as far as Hiroshima. Apparently, it will take one “gentle day’s sailing” to the port, and then a few day’s travel by horse, avoiding any major urban centres. They’ll set out at first light tomorrow, with Cel. Zolf will pack things up at the inn. They leave the inn and Wilde returns to his large stack of paperwork.

Azu and Hamid make their way to Cel’s village along with the six kobolds. Hamid at some point takes Skraak aside and explains the itinerary to them; Skraak seems sceptical at the idea of an airship. It’s about 3pm when they reach the village.

The village has become a hive of activity; now that the rain’s gone, people can actually properly plant things and clean things. Some gnomes are playing music and then there’s an amplification device (made by Cel and Jasper) that’s playing the sound to the whole village; people are cleaning in time with it.

When they reach Cel’s shop, Azu and Hamid are smiling and encouraged. Cel introduces them to the gnomes who are playing music (Gypsum, Jodhpur, Carly), and rambles excitedly about how Jasper built the amplification system. Cel calls for Jasper through the amplification system. Jasper comes over with a haybale that’s far too large for him. Hamid compliments Jasper and introduces him to the kobolds, who have spread themselves wide around the square, and come scarpering over when called. Cel translates between Draconic and Japanese. Jasper makes tea for everyone.

Cel tells the kobolds about the amplification device and asks the kobolds how it can be improved; the kobolds focus on how to make it as loud as possible, not the quality of sound. Eventually, the kobolds start making their own amplification system.

Azu tells Cel that they’ve found a way to get to Svalbard. Cel suggests burrowing through the centre of the earth, and Hamid and Azu tell them about the plan.  Cel is excited about the potential repairs needed for Earhart’s ship. Hamid reassures Cel that they don’t need to come if they don’t want to, and though Cel seems somewhat upset, they are excited by the journey ahead.

At this point, there’s an enormous roar.

**BREAK**

Hamid was halfway through going in for a hug with Cel when he hears the roar. Everyone turns towards it, and see that it was one of the kobolds, Meerk (who likes loud noises), having made a louder amplification device. Everyone turns back to their business.

Cel suggests that the kobolds might want to stay in the village as “defence,” and Hamid nods along enthusiastically. Skraak thinks this is “tactically astute,” and sends a kobold as a runner back to the island. However, Skraak insists that the bodyguards remain around Hamid.

The next morning, they leave. Barnes and Carter are already waiting at the fishing vessel. Everyone notices that Wilde is wearing anti-magic manacles around his feet. They’re not chained, and they’re generally covered by clothes like bell-bottoms. The runner from the kobolds has returned. Wilde is very practical in a way that’s unusual to everyone but Zolf; he has a backpack and a wide-brimmed hat without a feather. The village around the inn, which has been a ghost town for the time Zolf’s been there, has more people in it now, with new people setting up shop in once-empty houses. Wilde takes a moment to look at the inn, and then sets off towards the boat.

It takes half a day to get to the coast, where they find a fishing vessel with Barnes and Carter on it. Wilde and Azu wade out to the vessel; Hamid casts fly on himself and ferries the kobold one by one; Zolf uses his boots of levitation and punts using his glaive; Cel turns into a dolphin; and Skraak swims. Barnes and Wilde say that they’ll get to the port that night, and after a short rest, they’ll press on by horse right away.

Zolf looks uncomfortable for the entire boat trip. While Cel is still a dolphin, Azu sticks her arm out and has Cel jump over it.

The “port” is a dock with some buildings; it’s a rural fishing village. Cel recommends they all visit a restaurant they’d visited three or four years ago, “the Soggy Fisherman.” The restaurant looks very weatherbeaten, with broken planks, but inside it’s cozy and warm, the food smells incredible, and there are fish tanks. The party has the best meal they’ve had in ages; it’s seafood, specializing in tropical fish and Hamid discovers he loves sushi. The restaurant hasn’t had much business recently, and pulling out all the stops for the group. Hamid overpays.

The party reconvenes in the village square, which is really an “empty dirt yard near a warehouse.” There are horses and a cart (for the kobolds.) Hamid and Zolf get shetlands. Japan, in addition to being a centre for magi-tech, has been a gnome-heavy area for a while, and as a result it heavily caters to smaller humanoids.

Night starts to draw in, but Wilde wants to push on, and camp on the road. The journey takes a few days, through the rural farmlands (with some woodlands), deliberately heading down backroads; the weather remains good throughout.

During the journey, Hamid finishes sewing Azu’s parka and presents it to her. Azu’s confused by what it is, but Hamid explains and Azu’s delighted. Zolf says that he doesn’t need one and declines Hamid’s offer to make him another. Cel says they’d love one, because they’ve never been that far north before. Azu tries it on, and, smiling, picks Hamid up to hug him. The coat is made of 3 different types of furs. Azu wears the coat for as long as possible. Cel compliments the coat.

Carter asks if he can have one, and whether Hamid’s good at pockets — Hamid says yes, and Azu demonstrates the pockets on her new jacket. Hamid says he’ll make one for himself, Cel, Carter, and for all the kobolds.

Through the journey, the party draws stares from farmers, who wonder if they’re a circus. Eventually, the fields turn to towns, and as the party crest a hill, they see Hiroshima.

Hiroshima is a strange city: it’s got high-art architecture with cathedral-esque sweeping domes and balustrades, but that’s mixed with heavy industrialization. The buildings are old and artistic, but there’s a monorail and horseless carriage (which run despite Mr. Ceiling being down.)

## Quotes

**Alex**: "Wilde gestures for you to sort of head out and then returns to his enormous mounds of paperwork."
**Ben**: "I'll head out."
**Helen**: "He's such a projection of you." (*laughs*)
**Alex**: "No, he's not; Wilde's really helpful."
**Lydia and Helen**: (*Laugh*)
**Alex**: "I'm all of his worst traits with none of the positive ones."
―Alex and Wilde have some things in common.
## Dice rolls & mechanics

* Hamid Perform benevolence for the kobolds: 13
* Hamid Profession (tailor): 20
* Perception checks on the squad: nat20, total of 34 (Hamid); nat20, total of 31 (Azu); 26 (Zolf); 28 (Cel)
* Cel Knowledge (history) about Japan’s history of gnomes: 26