Heroica RPG - Quest #149: Cleaning Out the Pipes

[Waterbrick Down]

QM Note: Wow, you all talk up a storm. I love it!

"Curious, don't you normally have quiet competent assistants? Who did you send and where? We'll get to the bottom of this so you can continue your important work for the guild."

"Yeth, motht of the time, my athithtantth are quite competent vhich is vhy I'm vorried thith time and athked for you heroeth. Hith name ith Trevor."

"Yes where is that symbol of boyish wonders and miracles? And where is that mysterious wolfman?" Ezeran takes another look around the laboratory looking for interesting tools of the Doctors trade in the meanwhile.

Ezeran spots a fair bit of glassware of all shapes and sizes, from flasks to retorts, from distillation columns to test tubes. The shelves and tables are covered with jars and bottles, tins and flasks, all containing a myriad of components in all seven phases of matter. Cula's assistant Portia turns to the mage.

"Take care, there's a lot of volatile components in here. One wrong reaction and there won't be anything left of the guild house except for a crater."

Torald carefully walks around, trying to not knock anything over. His eyes meet an orange flask, on top of the shelves. What's that, doc?

"That ith conthentrated cruthed Chimera hooveth, a key ingredient in our betht thelling potionth."

"Hello everyone, Doctor. I am sorry I'm late, I ran as quickly as my legs could carry me. It's good to see you all again.

"Doctor Cula, I am sorry to hear that one of your pieces of equipment is broken. We will do our best to get to the root of the problem."

"Your vote of confidenthe ith motht encouraging."

Hunkan stares at all the tubes and flasks of bubbling liquids. He can't help but wonder what would happen if something burst. "Doctor... Cula, is it? What can you tell us about the equipment that you need fixed?"

"Well it thoundth like one of your party is still mithing, but I can fill you in vhile ve vait."

The doctor leads the group to one of his laboratory benches where a complex setup of glassware and polished alchemical equipment sits.

"Thith ith vhere ve do a fair amount of our tonic production. About a veek ago, the devithe thimply thopped vorking. After much trouble thooting for dayth I dethided to thend my athithtant to perthonally invethigate thinthe the devithe ith too fragile to dithathemble. Vhen he didn't return vithin the allotted time, I began to vorry. Henthe vhy you vere thummoned."

Portia moves over and hands a jar of shimmering pink dust to the doctor.

"I vant you to invethtigate the root cauthe of the malfunction and if you find my athithtant, bring him back. I'm thure thith ith a lot to take in, do you have any quethtionth?"

Edited April 25, 2016 by Waterbrick Down

[Alfadas]

Torald looks around. What is this for? He points at a gold crystal. Also, why is there a shiny key on the floor?

[MysticModulus]

"Yeth, motht of the time, my athithtantth are quite competent vhich is vhy I'm vorried thith time and athked for you heroeth. Hith name ith Trevor."

Ezeran spots a fair bit of glassware of all shapes and sizes, from flasks to retorts, from distillation columns to test tubes. The shelves and tables are covered with jars and bottles, tins and flasks, all containing a myriad of components in all seven phases of matter. Cula's assistant Portia turns to the mage.

"Take care, there's a lot of volatile components in here. One wrong reaction and there won't be anything left of the guild house except for a crater."

"I'll be careful!" Ezeran looks really fascinated by the whole alchemy-setup. "I'm really curious about alchemy, it has a certain intrigue and lure about it. How long have you been studying the craft of alchemy dear doctor?"

"Thith ith vhere ve do a fair amount of our potion production. About a veek ago, the devithe thimply thopped vorking. After much trouble thooting for dayth I dethided to thend my athithtant to perthonally invethigate thinthe the devithe ith too fragile to dithathemble. Vhen he didn't return vithin the allotted time, I began to vorry. Henthe vhy you vere thummoned."

Portia moves over and hands a jar of shimmering pink dust to the doctor.

"I vant you to invethtigate the root cauthe of the malfunction and if you find my athithtant, bring him back. I'm thure thith ith a lot to take in, do you have any quethtionth?"

"Yes, first off a potentially harsh question: Was Trevor new to this position, did you trust him? We just want to investigate the possibility that he might have a hidden agenda. Secondly, where did he go to investigate, is this assembly connected to the exterior of this building somehow via tunnels, ventilations that kind of thing?"

[Waterbrick Down]

Torald looks around. What is this for? He points at a gold crystal. Also, why is there a shiny key on the floor?

"Oh, it's simply a gold nugget. You'd be surprised how many concoctions require an infusion of liquid gold."

"I'll be careful!" Ezeran looks really fascinated by the whole alchemy-setup. "I'm really curious about alchemy, it has a certain intrigue and lure about it. How long have you been studying the craft of alchemy dear doctor?"

"Over 200 yearth," The vampire comments nonchalantly. "Yeth, there continueth to be an air of mythtery around our vork. It ith for the betht though, if thome of our findingth vere accethebile to the common man, the city vould be reduced to ruinth vithin a veek."

"Yes, first off a potentially harsh question: Was Trevor new to this position, did you trust him? We just want to investigate the possibility that he might have a hidden agenda. Secondly, where did he go to investigate, is this assembly connected to the exterior of this building somehow via tunnels, ventilations that kind of thing?"

"Trevor hath been vith the Guild for theveral monthth now and all of our athithtantth thign a thrict non-dithclothure agreement." The doctor struggles to open the jar he was handed with some slight frustration. "Haven't I made mythelf clear? I had him perthonally invethtigate the thituation. He'th in there thomewhere." Dr. Cula points at the chemistry setup on the bench.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Waterbrick Down

[BountyBeast]

"I don't know if I understood correctly because of your lisp, but... are we supposed to go inside that big glass setup to see what's wrong with it?"

[Alfadas]

So you are saying, he's in there? Torald looks very confused. How tiny is your assistant?

[MysticModulus]

[/color]

"Over 200 yearth," The vampire comments nonchalantly. "Yeth, there continueth to be an air of mythtery around our vork. It ith for the betht though, if thome of our findingth vere accethebile to the common man, the city vould be reduced to ruinth vithin a veek."

"I guess so, I hope to learn more some day!"

"Trevor hath been vith the Guild for theveral monthth now and all of our athithtantth thign a thrict non-dithclothure agreement." The doctor struggles to open the jar he was handed with some slight frustration. "Haven't I made mythelf clear? I had him perthonally invethtigate the thituation. He'th in there thomewhere." Dr. Cula points at the chemistry setup on the bench.

"Sorry if we missunderstood you, so you actually shrunk him so he could go inside of the assembly? My other question is still relevant: is this assembly connected with the outside of this building somehow? If so it might have been infested by something! Can you shrink us too so that we might follow in Trevors footsteps?"

[Alfadas]

"Sorry if we missunderstood you, so you actually shrunk him so he could go inside of the assembly? My other question is still relevant: is this assembly connected with the outside of this building somehow? If so it might have been infested by something! Can you shrink us too so that we might follow in Trevors footsteps?"

Don't forget we still need to wait for that Wolf to show up... Wonder what's taking him so long. Doc, I asked earlier why there was a key on the ground. Does it have something to do with getting in the assembly?

[MysticModulus]

Don't forget we still need to wait for that Wolf to show up... Wonder what's taking him so long. Doc, I asked earlier why there was a key on the ground. Does it have something to do with getting in the assembly?

"You're right Torald, we have to wait for him. I wonder if he got lost somehow, is there a full moon tonight?"

[Waterbrick Down]

So you are saying, he's in there? Torald looks very confused. How tiny is your assistant?

"Vhen last I thaw him? No bigger than your pinky finger."

Don't forget we still need to wait for that Wolf to show up... Wonder what's taking him so long. Doc, I asked earlier why there was a key on the ground. Does it have something to do with getting in the assembly?

"Key, vat key?"

Torald glances at the key under the lab bench and watches it scuttle away.

"Oh that? Another one of my experimentth, it has no relation to the tathk at hand, I'm afraid."

"I don't know if I understood correctly because of your lisp, but... are we supposed to go inside that big glass setup to see what's wrong with it?"

"Sorry if we missunderstood you, so you actually shrunk him so he could go inside of the assembly? My other question is still relevant: is this assembly connected with the outside of this building somehow? If so it might have been infested by something! Can you shrink us too so that we might follow in Trevors footsteps?"

"The athembly is fully contained indoorth. Thith ith all of it." The doctor motions to the bench top. "And of courthe I vill be thrinking you down! Vhat do you think thith minimithing dutht is for?" Cula holds up the pink jar he had been struggling with.

Minimizing Dust (Consumable) - Inflicts the minimized-effect, reducing maximum power/level, HP, and ether to 10% of the normal for three rounds.

"Ve'll give your volf friend a tad longer. I athume none of you are allergic to minimithing dutht?"

[BountyBeast]

"Ve'll give your volf friend a tad longer. I athume none of you are allergic to minimithing dutht?"

"I don't know about the others, but I've never taken it before, so I can't say." Hunkan looks at the flaming vial on the table. He unpockets his Phoenix Essence and compares the two.

[Waterbrick Down]

"I don't know about the others, but I've never taken it before, so I can't say." Hunkan looks at the flaming vial on the table. He unpockets his Phoenix Essence and compares the two.

What Hunkan mistakes on the bench for a Phoenix Essence is actually a Bunsen burner.

[MysticModulus]

What Hunkan mistakes on the bench for a Phoenix Essence is actually a Bunsen burner.

Ezeran tries but can not hold back a small smirk and a laughter. "I believed dwarves were supposed to be good at chemistry?"

[Alfadas]

"Ve'll give your volf friend a tad longer. I athume none of you are allergic to minimithing dutht?"

Not a clue, but we'll give it a go anyway. Torald walks over to the cabinet with all the vials and flasks and tries to determine what they are.

[MysticModulus]

"The athembly is fully contained indoorth. Thith ith all of it." The doctor motions to the bench top. "And of courthe I vill be thrinking you down! Vhat do you think thith minimithing dutht is for?" Cula holds up the pink jar he had been struggling with.

Minimizing Dust (Consumable) - Inflicts the minimized-effect, reducing maximum power/level, HP, and ether to 10% of the normal for three rounds.

"Ve'll give your volf friend a tad longer. I athume none of you are allergic to minimithing dutht?"

Ezeran looks at the pink dust. "I'm with Torald, let us give it a go! How long do we have before it wears off? Do we need some kind of protective gear or tools or something? I guess there is chemical traces and other compounds left in the assembly?"

[Waterbrick Down]

Not a clue, but we'll give it a go anyway. Torald walks over to the cabinet with all the vials and flasks and tries to determine what they are.

Torald spots a variety of concoctions, ranging from simple remedies, to Waldruk pine needles, to a jar of crushed diamond dust.

Ezeran looks at the pink dust. "I'm with Torald, let us give it a go! How long do we have before it wears off? Do we need some kind of protective gear or tools or something? I guess there is chemical traces and other compounds left in the assembly?"

"The thhrinking effectth vill latht till a remedy or an enlarging thoot is applied. I vould thuggetht againtht that while inthide the apparatuth ath it could have dithathtrouth effectth. Onthe you make your way out ve'll make sure to remedy you. Oh and don't vorry, thith dutht hath been modified tho as not to cauthe any negative effectth. And yeth, there are probably thome remainderth of path experimentth"

Portia approaches the party.

"I have a pair of Sterile Gloves and Googles if someone would like to borrow them."

Sterile Gloves (Protects from poisoned- and bleeding–effects; handwear.)

Goggles (Protects from blind-effect; accessory.)

[MysticModulus]

Torald spots a variety of concoctions, ranging from simple remedies, to Waldruk pine needles, to a jar of crushed diamond dust.

"The thhrinking effectth vill latht till a remedy or an enlarging thoot is applied. I vould thuggetht againtht that while inthide the apparatuth ath it could have dithathtrouth effectth. Onthe you make your way out ve'll make sure to remedy you. Oh and don't vorry, thith dutht hath been modified tho as not to cauthe any negative effectth. And yeth, there are probably thome remainderth of path experimentth"

Portia approaches the party.

"I have a pair of Sterile Gloves and Googles if someone would like to borrow them."

Sterile Gloves (Protects from poisoned- and bleeding–effects; handwear.)

Goggles (Protects from blind-effect; accessory.)

"Sounds good, how about we split that equipment amongst us somehow, I guess we all could need it but whom shall borrow them?" Ezeran looks at the others.

Edited April 1, 2016 by MysticModulus

[BountyBeast]

Ezeran tries but can not hold back a small smirk and a laughter. "I believed dwarves were supposed to be good at chemistry?"

Hunkan is not amused. "A lot of humans talk about how dwarves are 'supposed' to be good at things like blacksmithing and masonry, but chemistry is one I haven't heard before."

[MysticModulus]

Hunkan is not amused. "A lot of humans talk about how dwarves are 'supposed' to be good at things like blacksmithing and masonry, but chemistry is one I haven't heard before."

"Hey! You are playing the stereotyped grumpy bitter dwarf to perfection! Actually, my father had a lot to do with dwarves, he served as an external resource in a council for one of the richer dwarven lords and he told me that one of their hidden talents lay within the realms of chemistry. Where I come from there is this song about a dwarf that failed miserably at alchemy and tried to bargain with demons to get hold of more gold. It goes like this." Ezeran starts singing.

"Bitter Borie Buggernose,

lit a fire under his nose,

Sulfur, acid and lots of gold,

Heat it up again you're told,

Bitter Borie Buggernose,

Didn't smell much like a rose,

Caught up in his greed,

His hunger he would feed.

Sought a ton of gold,

The demons he were told,

Had knowledge he could use,

To set up his black ruse,

The trap was set to noon,

It was not very soon,

Bories good old friend

The powers she would lend,

A fiery mage of class,

A powerful young lass,

Fell not in his trap,

A bloody big mishap.

So came his rightful end,

His blood he now would spend,

Though gold is sourly sought,

His end it now had brought."

Edited April 2, 2016 by MysticModulus

[Alfadas]

Not only a powerful mage, but also a good singer. You keep amazing me.

[dum]

Squinting one eye and scratching his beard Ezeran looks like a man that suddenly remembered something. "Hey Kid, I actually think I've introduced myself to you before, you're that guy that were running around the hall pointing your loaded crossbow all over. I won't hold it against you though."

​Oh yeah. We were introduced, though I can't say we learned much of each other. Kid considered asking about the "symbionte" as he had heard people call it, but he got the feeling it was sizing him up, and he decided he'd rather not know just yet. Props on not getting knocked down as much as I did in the fields, by the way. He said it jokingly, but his face was finding difficulty in hiding his shame of the event.

Kid eyes the shelves of the lab, and picks up a green vial, tossing it lightly between his hands.

Ezeran spots a fair bit of glassware of all shapes and sizes, from flasks to retorts, from distillation columns to test tubes. The shelves and tables are covered with jars and bottles, tins and flasks, all containing a myriad of components in all seven phases of matter. Cula's assistant Portia turns to the mage.

"Take care, there's a lot of volatile components in here. One wrong reaction and there won't be anything left of the guild house except for a crater."

Kid puts the vial down quietly on the shelf, trying to be inconspicuous.

"Trevor hath been vith the Guild for theveral monthth now and all of our athithtantth thign a thrict non-dithclothure agreement." The doctor struggles to open the jar he was handed with some slight frustration. "Haven't I made mythelf clear? I had him perthonally invethtigate the thituation. He'th in there thomewhere." Dr. Cula points at the chemistry setup on the bench.

Kid puts his head in his hands, his skull still spinning from reaching "regret" earlier. Well, this will be an experience, I'll give you that. why did I do this

"You're right Torald, we have to wait for him. I wonder if he got lost somehow, is there a full moon tonight?"

Probably grabbed a bone or something. This reminds Kid that the walking bag of bones from the fields of glory has not been seen in the hall as of late. Has anyone seen our old skeleton friend recently?

[Palathadric]

"Oh, no, we're actually going to go in the machine. That'll be...um...noisy, no? Well, we promised to help the guild and we do intend to do that. Forgive our late partner. I do not actually know him, but I have quested with all these others before and you'll be happy to know they're all experienced warriors. I'm already small, maybe I can take half a dose of that minimizing powder.

"Hee, hee, Ezeran, I did not know you sang such funny songs."

Has anyone seen our old skeleton friend recently?

"No. I could be wrong, but I didn't see him following us back to the hall after we left the Fields. Poor Skelly."

[Kappy]

Wolfwind wanders in, looking stressed. "Sorry I'm late, but my life has been crazy recently. I should be ready to go, though. With everyone else here, let's get rolling!

The name is Wolfwind, not Wolfkin. Other than that, stats are fine.

[dum]

Wolfwind wanders in, looking stressed. "Sorry I'm late, but my life has been crazy recently. I should be ready to go, though. With everyone else here, let's get rolling!

The name is Wolfwind, not Wolfkin. Other than that, stats are fine.

Aha! The wolfman showed up, finally. Kid extends a hand. Kid Reddson, semi-competent archer, incredible- He forgets what he intended to say next. Ah, whatever. So, Alphy here gesturing towards Dr. Cula has lost his assistant in these pipes. As you might have noticed with your dog nose or something, these pipes are very small. We gotta shrink down and find this Trevor guy. Also, while we're talking, you didn't happen to rip out a rib or pelvis from old Skelly, have ya? We could excuse this once for you being a dog and all, but in the future, not all bones are up for grabs.

[MysticModulus]

Ezeran turns towards the wolfman and nods. "I'm glad you made it! I'm Ezeran!" The symbiont snarls a bit but then shows a neutral, bored mouth.