’DHAVIAN TRILL MUSIC HALL TO DUDLEY:
Zarek and Alley slip out of the ’Dhavian Trill Music Hall without being seen by anyone out at midnight in the Field Ward and they hope to visit Hargadon Dudley. They head back west avoiding the main road and civilians whenever possible.
Zarek, probably because of the comedown from the Delacourt Kaeth (Coffee) which had warn-off, was not very alert and missed spotting the 2 suspicious characters that had seen them and were making their way towards Zarek and Alley.
Alley was capable of spotting the 2 and warned Zarek who chose to divert their path around the back of some buildings. Yet this must have been the plan all along as the next thing Zarek heard was a now all too familiar voice.
“Oi, I fink you’ve got something of mine and I wants it back.” Demands Oli as he steps out from a doorway to confront Zarek and Alley. Zarek also spots the Hammer that ‘The Actor’ favours as his weapon of choice.
Zarek’s first thoughts are to talk his way out of this dangerous situation. “I think we can talk this out and both reach an amicable solution. No need for anyone to get hurt”
“There’s no need to worry as I won’t hurt anyone, just you Zarek Brightlamp. Now give me what’s mine and I will consider letting you go. I keep the girl though, what do you think?” Asks Oli as he looks behind Zarek and at the poor Alley.
Zarek tries once more to avoid confrontation and rises to his full height and warns Oil of mistake he is making, “I will let you leave, do you no harm and you will stand aside or you will feel my blade.” Zarek draws his dagger only to have Oli laugh at him.
Then a fight it is thinks Zarek as all parties’ tense for the inevitable fight that is about to start. Zarek is fastest and uses his Spell, ‘Vicious Mockery’, and insults the ‘Actor’ for his poor acting ability and very poor accents too. This causes Oli to become both angry and hurt from the Spells effect. Being brave, but not stupid, Zarek also strikes out at the Villain with his Dagger, using the pommel so as not to hurt him but to make him unconscious. Zarek is successful and Oli falls to the fall out cold.
Alley looks around and spots the 2 addicts rushing towards them. One comes around to confront Alley and the other from behind dashes towards Zarek.
Zarek is first to react again and strikes the addict coming from him and wielding a club. With his full attention on striking with his Daggers pommel again the Tiefling also knocks out the addict and he too falls to the ground out like a light.
Alley, meanwhile has to deal with the rushing addict who had a Dagger out and the look on his face was one of kill or be killed.
“I’ve never used this Spell in anger and I am not sure what it will do to this poor soul but I will endeavour to do him as little harm as I.” Thinks Alley and she casts he Spell. Alley hurls a mote of fire at the addict within range. As she hits, the wretch is knocked off his feet and hurled into the side of the building. As the rubbish around the building is flammable and once hit by this spell it ignites and beings to set the addict alight too.
Alley rushes over to help the fallen, burning addict and Zarek turns to Oli and choses to pick him up and carry him.
“Come on now Oli, you’ve had too much to drink and we will have to take you home. Come give me a hand dear.” Zarek asks Alley.
Zarek plays his part perfectly and, with the help of Alley, they both place one of Oli’s arms around their neck and carry him off as if he were a normal Friday night drunk. Zarek and Alley head off and as in most part ignored. In fact, as Zarek looks back, to see if they were being followed, he saw how several figures had come out from the shadows and were rifling around the addicts’ pockets.
“I think we need to find a safe place to interrogate this Oli character, do you agree?” Asks Alley.
“I do and I think he needs to be searched too, he has clues to who the Alchemist is or how to get past the Secret Door in the back of the ’Dhavian Trill Music Hall.” Exclaims Zarek.
The pair find an abandoned building near Flipcoin Alley and they both carry Oli onto the roof where they can continue their nightwork hidden and in peace.
Zarek make a thorough search of Oli’s unconscious body and finds things of interest.
Several packets of Travellers Dust and Chimera in an ornate Ivory box. “This must be for his personal consumption as he does not carry a Red token.” Zarek points out.
There is a fine Dagger which Oli chose not to use and a pouch with 6 Dragons, Gold Coins, in it.
“The money have been paid to find and deal with us?” Speculates Alley.
“Wait one moment, what is this in the hem of his jacket another coin, but larger than a Dragon.” Zarek tells Alley. Zarek uses Oli’s Dagger to cut open the stitching to reveal a large coin. This small metal disk is inscribed with the image of a feather.
“That’s it, no more?” Asks Alley.
“No, he kept clutching at his chest when I saw him before, let me check.” Zarek pulls apart the jacket and shirt worn by Oli and reveals a Gold Ring, hanging from a piece of cord around the Villains neck.
Zarek and Alley decided to use Magic to contact a City Watch patrol and alert them to the location of the Wanted Criminal Oli A.K.A ‘The Actor’. This way he would be out of the way and Zarek was eager to get rid of all the Chimera that he was carrying around. Zarek kept the ornate pouch as it was worth keeping or selling if needs must.
Zarek says that he has access to a ‘Message’ Spell that he can used to contact the City Watch as they pass by.
Zarek questions the difference between the 2 drugs, Travellers Dust and Chimera, and as his medical knowledge it not fantastic, Alley suggest that they should pay Hargadon Dudley a visit and ask for his help.
“I think we should also question Oli before we hand him over.” State Zarek.
Zarek and Alley tie Oli up and prepare a gag for the Villain, just in case. Oli is extremely unhelpful and even threats of violence do little to scare ‘The Actor’.
“Some can fucking dare to call my acting bad, but you young Tiefling scare no one. If these threats were real, I would be bleeding and screaming by now. You don’t have it in ya mate.” Sniggers Oli. “Now let me go and give me all the merchandise and I will promise you both a quick death.”
The 2 heroes can see that there was no way, excluding torcher, that would loosen the tongue of Oli and so they executed their plan and contacted a City Watch Patrol, who happily took the drugs and criminal into custardy.
“We did a good thing and we should both be proud we helped those that can’t help themselves.” Says Alley.
Zarek and Alley make their way to the Scrap’d Rafter first to check Alley’s room which was ransacked by Lucas, A.K.A ‘The Roach”. They find that Alexanders Journal had been taken, the parchment and quills from Zarek’s belongings and finally, some of Alley’s things that she said were sentimental rather than valuable, but she did not go into any further details. Zarek acquires more pudding from the Scrap’d Rafter to take to Dudley.
The 2 friends agree to both rest and recuperate for the day. “We should take it in turns to keep watch, I will go first.” Offer Zarek and the pair rest of the whole day, food is sent up to their rooms and they take the opportunity to also check the items found on Oli too. They discover that both items are Magical and no need form attunement.
FEATHER TOKEN:
This small metal disk is inscribed with the image of a feather. When you fall at least 20 feet while the token is on your person, you descend 60 feet per round and take no damage from falling. The token’s magic is expended after you land, whereupon the disk becomes nonmagical.
RING OF PUZZLER’S WIT:
This Gold Ring bears a Fluorite stone and is enchanted to sharpen the wearer’s mind.
The Ring has 3 charges and regains 1d4 – 1 expended charges daily at dawn. When you make an Intelligence check, you can expend 1 charge to grant yourself advantage on the check.
Zarek questions Warble Bandlewagon about the ’Dhavian Trill Music Hall?
Zarek and Alley head off to see Hargadon Dudley and find that there’s a new City Watch Guard in charge and he is less inclined to allow Zarek in to see Dudley, no matter how much he tried to persuade the Senior Constable. Alley managed to come to the rescue and pointed out that they were here to aid Hargadon Dudley and he couldn’t stand against the medical requirements of the quarantine.
Once inside Hargadon Dudley examines the Travellers Dust and the Chimera using his Alchemical Skills.
Meanwhile, he puts Alley and Zarek to work so as not to shatter the illusion of them needing to work as they had said.
Dudley finishes his investigations and informs Alley and Zarek that it seems that someone has taken Travellers Dust and created Chimera from it. This alchemical and arcane concoction is an inexpensive, bastardized, highly addictive and often fatal drug developed by the Alchemist. Zarek and Alley thank Dudley and leave the makeshift morgue together.
Dudley wishes them both well and once again tell Alley to thank her mother, but doesn’t ever mention her father?
“I could do with some Delacourt Kaeth (Coffee) to keep in case of emergencies.” says Zarek and Alley nods in agreement. But she is distracted and points towards a figure dashing out from the darkness of a later winter afternoon.
A nameless young guttersnipe in a simple sackcloth tunic will rush up to them and stop directly in their path. Looking them over to be certain, the urchin reaches into their pocket and produce a letter that reads:
Friends,
It seems you are making too much noise and things have become rickety. Meet me at The Delight at your nearest convenience.
-Bodee
The child is shy and having the accomplished their task, will run off before answering any questions.