Session 10 - Wastemancer & Friends

VOD: https://youtu.be/Zi3qfl-izqs Tavern Therapy: https://youtu.be/rT_Lf22o46Y
Previous Inspiration Awarded: Brand for diving deeper into his faction, The Barbers.

Saturday, April 3rd, 764

After leaving interrogating the poachers at Bollothglade Penetentary and begin heading towards The Neighborhood Barbershop when they each feel a vibration coming from their pocket. They see that it is their badges going off which they remember means to immediately head back towards Fort Marshope. Brand not wanting to miss his appointment with them then pays off a member of the couriers on the street to deliver a message that they have been summoned by the military to Xavier Bennet.
The party heads towards the fort where they meet with General John Harper and the halfling gentleman that worked the front desk at the penitentiary. The Investigator S.Q.U.A.D. is informed that they must fill out some paperwork regarding the arrest of the two poachers. Scarlet Nichols and Kriss Keeton volunteer to do so and allow the rest of the party to go meet with the Barbers.
Having not taken much time, Brand gets upset at the fact that the party arrives at the barber shop as the courier walks out and Xavier is reading the note that says they will be late. Xavier says he has gotten Wade Cyrus, The Dermizard, and Siegfried Heathertoes, The Wastemancer, to help out with whatever Brand needed. They head out into the area in the swamp where they had fought the poachers and let them know that they will be getting their brewing equipment. When they arrive the barbers become very concerned at the state of this still and how completely rusted through. Brand backs down that he wants it, and lets everyone know that he's only ever been able to work with scraps and materials he's gathered and until now has not had the means to get better equipment. Trying to help Brand avoid embarrassment Xavier points out a burner that is in good condition that Brand would be able to use. Brand agrees and then Xavier brings up that they do have multiple Barbers here, would they like to continue visiting their homes and seeing what they are up to. Everyone agrees and they head back to town.
First, they head to the home of Seigfried Heathertoes, The Wastemancer. He's a young gnome and very excitable. When they go into his house the entirety of his home is filled with endless clear jars, meticulously place and marked with appropriate paperwork. And every single one of them is filled with excrement. However, his home is extremely clean and sterile and there is no smell in the air. Each sample shows the creature it came from, the control samples, the variable, and what was being tested. Brand is very impressed with the precision of his scientific process, while the rest of the party is just very confused. The Wastemancer explains how excrement can show a lot about the heath of an animal, and by examining it you can diagnose a lot of illnesses. After going through his work, he asks Brand if he has put any thought into what his 'Barber' name will be. Brand says the thought hadn't crossed his mind but would think about it.
The group of everyone then heads over to Wade Cyrus's, The Dermizard's apartment. His home unlike the last two is a hot mess. He has lots of small jars, half without lids or labels, and tons of raw materials placed around. He explains that he works with ointments and topical treatments. He then goes to show them some of his treatments and then slathers on different oils and ointments like beeswax and rose water and quickly becomes unnaturally shiny. Vei then expresses concerns privately to Tatho about if these are really the people that they should get science from and Yaros then replies that they're not really any that different from Brand, who they do trust. Wade then says he needs more canvas to work with and removes his shirt and pants down to a speedo to continue putting on ointments. Brand then decides to join on and derobes and beings to put on the ointment. And as The Dermizard explains how he needs control to work against, Brand puts his hand into a jar of poison oak and then quickly finds a towel to rub it off on. Wade then shows where he rubbed the poison oak in hives, and then applied a second treatment and how they interact. The party starts to realize that he is rather scatterbrained as he then runs to steam his face with a teakettle like a sauna. Wade offers the shower to Brand to get off all of the oil from his body. As Wade goes to shower, Xavier says that he can arrange for them to visit the Gastronomer the next evening.
From there the remaining members of the party head to the conservationist office as they are closing up, and they are able to speak with Arlo Morris and Alya Harris about their findings from the interrogation. They let them know that the two poachers had never seen anyone else where they were at. Arlo begins to sulk and say that was really not the news he wanted to hear. They try to give some comfort in the fact that they had also not found anything else that showed he was harmed, but it doesn't do a lot to raise his mood. He asks if they want them to answer their questions, but Vei says this isn't the best of him, and that they would come back at a later time. The party then heads back to their quarters to rest for the evening. Scarlet and KK meet them there and complain about how extreme the paperwork was that day, and somehow they still have more to do the next day.

Sunday, April 4th, 764

The next morning Scarlet and KK headed back to do paperwork. The rest of the party takes some time to discuss what they want to do that day. Tatho expresses that without everyone and with how they have been nearly defeated with every fight he wants to get stronger. The rest of the party agrees and they head to Heroes & Heralds. They knock on the door and the young squire who was present during the Red Bloom festival show, Ferris Rune, answers the door. He seems confused as to why they are here and informs them that there are only a few shows a year and that it's a training facility the rest of the year. They ask how to join and he lets them know that there is a tryout in the summer. They ask if there is any way to try out early and Yaros name drops his father being a member. But he reiterates that he's just a squire, and he cannot further help them and walks away.
After this failure they walk down the street to Smelt & Sparks Blacksmiths to see if he can help Vei with her star map since he has experience putting Low Magic Crystals into weaponry. They walk up as he is instructing his apprentice and Vei asks if he might have the knowledge to help her. He says that this is so intricate that it's above his knowledge level, but she should go to Boccob University to get it looked at. Tatho says he wants to stay back and talk with the blacksmith and will meet them for lunch. After they leave Tatho tells the man that his first duty is to the military, however, if he would allow him during some of his downtimes to come by for an hour or two to learn the craft. Even as low as just sweeping the floors, he just wants to learn more about his dad. The blacksmith says that his daddy begged him for this job, and why should he consider Tatho? Tatho humbles himself and says that he's not as worth it as anyone else. He apparently comes from a low-life liar and any other boy would be a better use of his time. All he can offer is to make his life easier with some of his mundane tasks. The blacksmith smirks and says that is the one thing he looks for, honesty, and agrees that Tatho can come by when he is able.
The others decide that they want to try out somewhere new, and Brand wants to go somewhere nice for a change. They decide to go to Gazon Bistro in The Heights. They walk up and see rich women drinking mimosas on the outside patio. They walk up to the hostess who takes a look at them and says that they are all booked up. After reading into the situation the party catches on that they do have plenty of seats open and this woman is lying about the reservations. They make a bit of a scene asking why they will not be sat when the woman softly says for them to look to their right. There written out is a complete dress code requirement to be seated. She said that she hoped to not make a scene and have them leave quietly themselves, but now must force them to leave.
From there they decide instead to head to Pappa's Pizza even though Brand believes it will give him an upset stomach. They talk through this and find out it is because Brand was scarce for food back in The Shadowed Canyons and given the opportunity he will always fill himself up from previous fears of not having food in the future. Vei also tries jalapenos for the first time and finds that she really enjoys spicy foods, especially since she almost cannot detect spice.
After this they headed to Boccob University to see if they can get more information about Vei's star map. During the walk, they all have a talk about how none of them were afforded the opportunity for formal education. Vei lived in the tribal system of her home in Aprimilla. Brand was thrust into his work by necessity. Yaros held his family close and wasn't until recently he decided to leave. And Tatho's family was too poor to be able to afford one. They walk to the front desk and asked if they could see someone in the divination or enchantment departments. The woman says they can't just schedule an appointment not having been a student. She recommends that they go through the military and specifically the head wizard, Colonel Ferran Gutierrez, and if he is not able to assist he can reach out here. They agree and head out to try and make their appointment to meet the next member of the barbers.
They arrive at the Gastronomer's, Tharbom Amberspine, apartment where they are met with intense earthy smells. He is a rather plain yet serious dwarf man. He introduces himself and shows Brand some of the research he has done. The most impressive of which was the discovery that he was the one to figure out how to prevent scurvy by eating enough citrus. Brand at first believed that food research was fluff since everyone needs to eat, and that food was more scarce back home for him. But The Gastronomer showed him more research that rats fed a clean diet live longer than those fed on high sugar diets. Vei asked if the city is getting better or worse, and he says it's getting worse by the day, and mentions how some people are even eating whole pizzas by themselves and making themselves sick. Brand has a moment, and the rest of everyone talks about the basics of food science. Tatho then asks about peppers having seen Vei demolish peppers at lunch. Tharbom agrees and pulls out his hottest pepper in celebration of Brand's induction. Tatho takes a piece and eats it and is in pain. Vei eats another piece and proves again to Tharbom's astonishment that she cannot taste spice. He then goes on about his newest project SoyMint which he believes can be a meal supplement that can help both citizens and the war effort. Brand gets the feeling this is the most currently successful member of The Barbers. They head back to their quarters at the fort where they meet back up with Scarlet and Kriss after they had handled the paperwork and everyone goes to sleep.