Session 88 - Kidnappings

4 Flaurmont 1011

General Summary

Leo is thinking about what to tell his father Eldon. Obviously the passphrase he gave was not correct, but now the Golems will need to be repaired. However, when they emerge from the scrap area it is clear that something is wrong. There is a skeleton that has been smashed near the ladder Eldon was standing on earlier, and there is no sign of Eldon. Leo rushes into the room, and encounters a group of skeletons in robes, though they don't have any identifying colored belts. One of them has a note, which Leo takes. It reads "If you want your engineer back, give us your power source." Leo reads it and shows it to Horrobin's Familiar who looks alarmed. The skeletons in the back seem to be wearing heavy armor, and one in front unsheaths a sword, holding it down but at the ready.
One of the skeletons says (to everyone's surprise), "Horrobin should have gotten better security. Give us the power source if you want your Engineer back. You have three days." Leo replies "Who are you and what have you done with my father?" The skeleton repeats they have three days to provide them with the power source and Horrobin will know who they work for. Leo, confused, says, "We don't have a power source, what are you talking about?" For whatever reason, the party does not resort to combat, but instead decides to send them on their way, and tail the group instead. They give the skeletons a couple minutes head start before Elincia casts Pass Without Trace.
The skeletons head east, toward the upper class residential quarter. Once in the residential area, the pack splits into three groups. They decide to follow the skeleton they believe did the talking, which heads south toward the Science Park. They walk right into another very nice house, and the party takes note of their location, and ask a passerby who lives in that very nice house. This person doesn't know, but does give them the intersection they are standing near (Buson and Beaker). The party returns to Horrobin's house, where they are expected, and brought right to Horrobin's study - except for Tork, who begins checking around the neighborhood.
It doesn't take them too long to get some basic information that starts to paint a story that might explain the situation. It seems there is a group of "young" Nagpa that have ideas of taking over Serraine and use it for nefarious purposes. It is clear that Horrobin thinks they are being rash and irresponsible. They have such a good thing going with the beautiful city of Serraine! These Nagpa seem to think that Horrobin has some kind of powerful energy source, which makes a little sense, since Eldon is a specialist in such things. Horrobin insists that no such power source exists, though there must be some sort of plan for a power source for the STINGRAY. Regardless, Horrobin seems not to want to get the authorities involved, since it might lead to a "witch hunt" of Nagpa.
Meanwhile. Tork notices that one Gnome doesn't appear to be just another passerby, but seems to be hanging around the street outside the house, as if casing it. Tork has spied him walking around the house several times and, while trying to look innocent, he keeps eyeing the house.
Rather than tracking this Gnome, he chooses a more direct approach. Tork walks up unnoticed by the Gnome until he is too close. Tork announces "Larry! It's been so long" as he attempts to scoop the Gnome up. The Gnome tries to escape, but is grappled. Tork starts carrying him toward Horrobin's house, but the Gnome cries out for someone to get the city watch. Tork covers Larry's mouth, and walks right into the house and into the study. He plops him down on the floor (still shouting for help) and says "What are you doing surveiling this house?" Horrobin is horrified at this turn of events, and isn't sure what to do. The party tries to get the Gnome to explain his surveilling activities, but he continues the line of indignant innocence, claiming to wait for a date, though nobody buys it.
Surprisingly quickly, the watch arrives, and enters the room A heated discussion ensues, where Leo explains that his father (currently in the employ of Horrobin) was kidnapped in the past two hours. The party came to Horrobin to understand what the kidnappers are even trying to accomplish (shows the strange note). And under these tense conditions, Tork remained outside the house to make sure it specifically wasn't under observation. It is under these circumstances that he observed "Larry" slowly working his way around the house and pretty consistently observing it.
The watch interviews everyone, and in the end "Larry" is identified as Tarras Firehand. However, with no real evidence (and the very public daytime abduction of him), he is released, and the party is told to be on their best behavior. Serraine does not need vigilantes running around plucking innocent people off the street. Horrobin is mortified by the entire affair, but his high standing seems to be why the party is not taken into custody themselves.
With the departure of the gendarme, the party considers their options. Horrobin warns the party that, if Nagpa are involved, they should expect their homes to be protected by physical and magical means, and they should be careful. Elincia offers up an option of changing into some kind of highly perceptive city animal and tracking Tarras. Leo elects to stay in his Gnomish form and remain on the fringe (hopefully out of sight) as the party transforms into housecats via Animal Shapes.
As evening turns into night, the keen-sensed cats track Tarras to a large residence in the upper class residential quarter. As they move closer to the home they hear barking of a couple dogs, but do not actually see any dogs. Seraphina scales up to windows, trying to find a way into the home but, as Tork and Elincia circle around the home to the left, an invisible dog catches up with Tork, and he is bitten by something that burns (but still unseen). Taking a decent amount of damage, Tork reverts to his half-orc form. Being Tork, he simply runs right up the side of the house to the roof, where he rejoins Seraphina, Elincia (by now a giant eagle), and Stavos. Seraphina has finds an open window on the second floor in the back, and pushes it open.
Meanwhile, Leo has finally remembered that he has Visions of Distant Realms and casts Arcane Eye, sending it across the street and up to the roof as well. By the time his Arcane Eye is on the roof, however, the rest of the party has found their way into the upper story room with the open window. Leo tries sending the eye down the stovepipe chimney on the roof but, as the Arcane Eye descends it suddenly poofs out of existence!

Report Date

22 Jun 2024