As a reward for their work, the companions received 1000 gold each. Flush with her winnings, Sabrina goes to the racetrack.
Zita asks Charlie what he knows about aberrant dragon marks. Charlie suggests that the dragon mark may have been caused by the drugs the boy took. Charlie suspects there may be more going on and recommends they keep their eyes open for this Black Sugar. Zita next asks Charlie about the Dolgrim. Charlie finds it odd that the Dolgrim called the boy emissary. Next, Zita asks about Ambrose Muglen. Charlie has heard that Ambrose would do anything for money. He’s surprised that Ambrose is interested in alchemy. Charlie recommends we continue working with Dunsley.
Dol goes to the cemetery to see if there have been any recent changes in the recently dead. Some deaths stand out, but nothing like what Dol described. He leaves his name and Audrey Rose’s as possible contacts if something arises.
After three days, the companions receive a message slipped under their door from Ceseli, who wants to meet. They go visit her that day. She has good news. She has been able to sell some of her grandmother’s goods and has a portion of their payment ready. She gives them one thousand gold. (Everybody gets 166 gold, 6 silver, and 6 copper). Her money is still tied up in legal and bureaucratic red tape. Zita asks Ceseli if she’s been in contact with Ambrose. She hasn’t heard from him in a while.
Audrey Rose asks the group if they should hire someone to look after the house. While Charlie agrees it’s a good idea, the companions don’t want to spend the money. . A trained servant would be 2 gold and 1 silver a week. The group debates how to hire. Audrey Rose wants to go to the agency to find someone. Zita and Sabrina wish to interview and hire someone for the group.
The companions receive a message from Phoebe inviting them to the Broken Barrel. They head there and are served drinks by the goblin they’d previously met. Phoebe leads them to the meeting room. She shows them a signet ring on her index finger. It depicts three towers interconnected with bridges with a crossed pair of keys. Hendra and Zita recognize it as the symbol of Sharn. The ring indicates that Phoebe is in the employ of the mayor. The ring is authentic. The lord mayor is not the most powerful person in the city; the city council is. He is, however, a direct line to the crown and has been mayor for twenty years.
Next, Phoebe asks the group if they’ve heard of Vashon Gattlebee. Bosley and Hendra had heard of him before because he was in the paper. He’s an alchemist who has created a new explosive. Ambrose is interested in getting the formula for this new explosive. The mayor wants to bury it. Phoebe wants the companions to escort Gattlebee from his home to the Broken Barrell, where he will be brought to a safe location. The adventurers ask to borrow a hat of disguise. Gattlebee wants to stop at an old brewery, The Yeast of All, not too far from the Broken Barrell. He’s supposed to be expecting them in four days. That gives the companions time to scout out the route. They’ll each be compensated 500 gold upon successful delivery. Expenses within reason will be covered. Phoebe hands Audrey Rose a cameo broach as proof for Vashon. She gives the group a map. Gattlebee’s home is in Foundation. The quickest route from the Foundation neighborhood to the Downstairs district is across the Bottleneck Bridge that goes from one plateau to another. She marks all the places along the map for them.
[Bosley copies Obscuring Mist into his spell book, and Audrey Rose copies False Life.]
Hendra spends her time in the Downstairs neighborhood buying drinks hoping to gather information. She finds out that alchemists all over the city are trying to replicate the formula but are instead blowing up their own labs. Dol researches points where the group may get ambushed. Zita gathers information, and Audrey Rose checks out the Bottleneck bridge. Sabrina investigates. They all discover that Gattlebee’s house is a townhome structure with a sizeable garden in front. It’s overgrown with a sticky bushy flower. The front yard has a tool shed and a chicken wire barb wire fence. The Yeast of All brewery has been out of business for a while, and the windows are all boarded up.
Dol and Hendra check out the Yeast of All brewery. Sabrina tries to see if she can set up a parade. Audrey Rose observes the people observing the house. Zita manages to chat up a botany professor. He tells her that the bushy flower is a poisonous variety of plants that will sicken and cause wisdom damage. The group discovers that the bottleneck bridge is the best way through the neighborhood. Vendors set up booths throughout the day. At night the city watch puts up a checkpoint to help deal with drunken rowdies. The Yeast of All is definitely closed.
Audrey Rose makes two bottles of antitoxins. Hendra looks over local deeds and paperwork and discovers that The Yeast of All brewery was owned by Gattlebee’s wife. Zita investigates possible sewers that might be able to help the group. Hendra researches local politicians to see who would be interested in gaining the formula. From what she can tell, the crown wants to keep the secret buried. Zita investigates Gattlebee’s wife. She finds out that their marriage ended when Gattlebee told his wife about the research he was doing. They divorced about a year and a half ago. She also finds out that Jazeem’s newest play is about to open.
Audrey Rose makes two more bottles of antitoxins. Bosley investigates the route. Hendra investigates Gattlebee. She discovers that he used to be a student at the local university. His demeanor put off other students and professors. He was brilliant, but his behavior kept him from being as successful as he could have been. He is a loner and prefers to stay that way. Zita explores the route and can get a good vantage point where the Bottleneck bridge meets Downstairs. She sees something peculiar. Someone has been smoking a lot of cigars here. She thinks someone has been setting this spot up for an ambush. Audrey Rose makes two more antitoxins; she now has six. Zita finds that some of the stalls are under renovation. She suspects that these are avenues of ambush. She decides to turn these stalls into the city so they get shut down.
Audrey Rose investigates the Downstairs neighborhood. Dol does the same. A vigilante is seen from time to time around the area, but the locals think nothing of it. Finally, the group develops a selection of alternative routes we can use if we need to bug out.
The group is awarded 300 XP.
No comments:
Post a Comment