4/25/20 pg 1

DAY THE THIRD (Wednesday or Thursday)
 
Morningtime Head over to Locomotion to update Elon on the Undertow business while we wait on Bridgette to get back to us. Get there and see same receptionist, who is swapping out scrolls of blueprints and whatnot as the shop is busy today. None of these people stand out too much, but some are known to be other businessmen in the city. Nothing to draw our attention in suspicion. Receptionist finally guides us to the back, into the warehouse. We see the basic forms of locomotives mid-assembly. Melfina mentions the disappearances too loudly, Elon takes us to the office to speak privately. He believes the Undertow to be a fairy tale. Relay finding of the coin and Bridgette's former status. If they were going to take another engineer, "Firecrotch" is the likely one. He knows enough to be a valuable target. He lives in the residential district as most do. His is the little house on the map, west side, directly north of the lighthouse. Elon is very busy at work, not going to be available again until about this time next week. He then asks us to leave, politely. Druss survival check, narrows it down to two routes that Firecrotch might take home, so that we can plan our stakeout.
 
We head towards the Aftermath Cafe, being a possible stopping point for FC on his way home. Looking out for potential useful features of the city, ones that the kidnappers could use to their advantage. I get a successful survival check, working with Melfina, determining some suspect alleyways that could be useful, and find out where they go, many revolving around some of the temples, in which there are tons of hiding places with few guards. Marda is in on it too, the three of us determining, between the shop and the Ashenforge estate, about a dozen potential sites.
 
10-11am Arrive to the cafe, dwarven female bartender, partner of cafe owner Maven Mathis. They're not "out" to the city, and her name is Sappho (eye roll so hard). Sappho feeds us her lesbian nectar, beer. Ask some questions of Sappho about FC under pretense of new menu item. Seems like he's there more often now, 1-2/week. He largely cooks for himself at home, and stays there when not working. FC real name is Fredrick. The group then has lunch. We head on over to the estate, Garfield meets us with a letter, addressed to "You Silly Miscreants" advising us to come see the performer she has coming in that night. Before the show, we go do our day jobs. Kel is working on some sketches and trying out new tools. No new contracts. Do the money earn roll, got 12 gp.
 
Early evening Druss and I roll up to the Babble Brook Inn, meeting the others. Performer isn't here yet, but Bridgette gives us a less than warm welcome. Rorin hands off the painting he brought by way of apology, very tasteful nude ladies. Danarei is the performer. She has my borscht to eat, and some rye. The Russki is pleased. Danarei's performance starts about 8pm, goes off without a hitch. Set ends 10-11pm. She's known as a premier bard, and her being at the Inn is maybe out of place. She says some BS in celestial that only Melfina gets. She picked a song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpHVY16CKw0) which has some Undertow references in it. She thought we knew more than we did, and the Bard's Guild has replaced the Undertow, per her anyways. They are still taking the magic/arcane folks and getting them to safety. It's harder to disappear people, so Garnet (?) pivoted. She has a matching coin to the one we found. Druss asks if she knows Oliver. She prevaricates, and is just here to make sure that we don't stick our noses into the wrong areas. The information we want is to expensive and she's not likely to betray the organization. So Rorin tries to bribe her with 3 gold, to no avail. Melfina speaks to her in celestial, and sweetens the pot. She says warglebargleflargle I don't speak that fucking language. The kidnappers aren't leaving the city, at least by sea, as they're not using the Undertow/BG ships. BG leader Garnet is watching the City Council for who has the means to do some of the disappearances. Interested in Lavender Thatcher, Harold Ravenswood, and Garmeeli the Swift. The records of these 3 are too squeaky-clean, which makes them suspect. She assures us that the due diligence has been performed. The sewers are likely good ways to move people around. They've been inaccessible for 10ish years, and the new method is very dangerous. More so than the gelatinous cubes that were used before. So she fucks off after telling us all of this, and Druss refuses to bathe even after we go into the stank-ass sewers.
 
End of night Head back to the estate for sleep. Things are following us, max of 6. Only Druss sees them all, I get 3. Druss goes after one, running down the alleyway, about 60 ft behind. We follow and close, beginning to attack him as he runs away. We knock him the fuck out. It's a small ginger boy, probably Caleb. We take the unconscious boy back to the estate for interrogation. Tie up the body and wake him up. I cast zone of truth.
Begin questioning
1) Why following? Told to.
2) By? His leader, King of the Undertow. Doesn't know name or physical features.
3) Handler goes by Margery, the elf girl we saw at the Babble Brook Inn before.
4) Big guy called Arms, Beejee, a Cookie, and Charlatan.
End Questioning
 
END OF DAY