The Copper Hand (Part II)

Gribse Burlish

Following the running battle in the corridor, we then set out to examine the rooms we did not have time to look into while fighting. We opened a locked door, containing an engineer and his laboratory. A sturdy wooden table with matching stools dominates this messy, windowless room. The table is covered in scraps of parchment, hammers and screwdrivers, bits of clockwork, and more obscure engineering items. The engineer, named Gribse Burlish, had been taken captive by the Copper Hand, and made to work on projects for them, including Vaultbreaker oozes, held in the next room.

The next room was open; spools of copper wire, tin nozzles, and other bits of metallic scrap are scattered around, flung about as though a tiny, magnetic whirlwind swept through the place. A squat vat of liquid—somehow bubbling despite no visible heat source—sits in the northeastern corner of the lab, its nauseating fumes venting through a series of holes in the wall near the ceiling.

Releasing the engineer to his freedom, the squad secured the room.

Vaultbreaker Ooze

The squad took the staircase to the third floor.  They passed through what they thought was a training hall, completer with traps, that Valcos disarmed. They were attacked my an ambuscade of weretigers, Tiefling illusionists on one side, and a basilisk and two handlers on the other.

Simi and Pump engage the Basilisk while Grimwald, Valcos, and Mr. Gone engaged the weretigers. The One illusionist shot Valcos with a barrage of magic missiles, while the other tried to play "tag" with Mr. Gone using a Flaming Sphere. The weretigers were brought down, one illusionist was slaughtered by Grimwald while the other turned invisible and escaped.

Basilisk

Now it was time to dogpile o the Basilisk! The squad put it back into its cage for safekeeping.

A spiral staircase led them to the fourth floor. The entry was an indoor garden. Valcos found a secret door which led to the guildmaster, a woman named Fayati Alummur and three henchmen. 

 Fayati made Simimel the offer To sway the agents, Fayati claims that she has rigged the evidence with a magical explosion to destroy it if she is not allowed to escape.

Simi declined the offer, and Fayati and her crew decided to run, violently resisting arrest.  The squad triumphed, but not before Jorin suffered the disoperation of Mr. Gone. 

Fayati

Captain Melipdra was grateful for the recovered stolen goods and evidence of the Copper Hands' guilt. The basilisk was turned over to Simi's mother; basilisks are quite useful creatures for parts. 

The  Copper Hand had been working with the Skinsaw cult based out of the Catacombs of the Ascendant Court. The cult is run by the Skinner, and have been murdering citizens all over the city.