(Just standard healing potions, yes)

Quill hands over the money and takes the additional potion and then says his thanks again and leaves the shop waiting for the others outside.

When they are done inside he will comment, "Well that was helpful and could prove beneficial later on as well. Shall we be off to meet the others?"

((How's everyone doing?))

((Good, just waiting for what's happening next.))

[OOC: I assume the group that went to "Lay of the Land" is done so now on to the other group, unless anyone else has anything to say to the Lady.]

Meanwhile...

Fitz, Ambre, and their new companion Bjorn head toward the Firemark Facility. This brown-and-red brick building is larger than you expected, its black-iron roof stretching over a massive compound. The scent of sulfur and blasting powder, familiar from the prison cell, is faint on the air here. As you draw near, a gnome guard approaches you with a suspicious look. "Ey, you there, what's your business at the Firemark this late at night? Party's up on the Shelf!"

Bjorn takes a deep inhale, reveling in the scent of sulfur and blasting powder. "Mmmm, that's a delightful smell." As the gnome approaches, Bjorn will shoot a hand out for a shake. "Ey there, delightful night we have. We're simply here to ask some questions about an explosion. You have a minute?"

Ambre waves, "Hey, how you doing! Like he said, we've got some questions about the explosives used to break a prisoner out of jail recently."

The way to the Firemark Facility was silent and Fritz could not hep but think where could Hans be at that moment. Part of him wanted to use the spell to call the familiar, but in doing so he risked losing a trail maybe better than that they could find following the tracks from their battle and the blasted cell. Before the wizard could arrive on a decision the voice of a gnome guard brought him back to reality.

They had reached their destination and Bjorn was the first to answer. The read bearded dwarf was as amiable and direct as the man who stopped them, extending a handshake and speaking of the explosion. Ambre reaffirmed his words and added a little bit of detail.

“What my friends meant to say is that we are with the Watchmaster Bram Gulchswattle.” He says showing the brass insignia the goatee gnome had given them hours before. “We are following the tracks of Sken Zabriss. She escaped Gearhole Prison a few hours earlier, her cell blasted open so we would like to check if there was any strange activity here. This is the only place where someone could get blast powder in the city, after all.”

With some luck they could find another lead.

The gnome guard reluctantly takes Bjorn's hand in a shake, then notices the badges. "Ah, I see. Well, if you're here on behalf of the Watchmaster, come on in. Ow, ow, okay, that's enough," They say, pulling their hand back from the burly dwarf. They indicate for you to follow and take you into the Facility. "Sleese is the man you're gonna wanna talk to. He handles the day-to-day operation."

The main floor of the Firemark Facility is full of vacant machines and workstations. Various tools for measuring chemicals, as well as cases of raw materials plus sealed red barrels with warnings labeled across them in both common and gnomish, reading: "WARNING: EXPLOSIVE!" It appears that production of firearms is also underway in this facility, with some boxes of rifles and pistols stowed near loading docks. All is dimly lit and empty, since all the workers are out blowing off steam for tonight's festivities. However, an elevated office room that looks out over the whole factory floor glows with light through its windows. The guard leads you up some stairs to a labeled door that reads, "Sleese Firemark - Facility Manager."

"Mr. Firemark?" The guard calls after a knock. "Got some representatives of the Watchmaster here to see you!"

"Well, let them in already!"

The guard opens the door and wishes you luck before shutting it behind you and heading back to their post. The interior of this office is quite well-decorated with plush chairs, a copious bookshelf, a roaring fireplace, and a bearskin rug. A gray-haired gnome with a pencil mustache smoking on a comically large and mechanically complicated pipe glowers up at all of you as he sets aside a stack of papers on his desk.

"Great. Just what I needed tonight. For my work to be interrupted by a bunch of tall folk. What does the Watchmaster want?"

"Well see," Ambre starts. "There was a big explosion at the jail, and a prisoner escaped with the help of some Kobolds that explode if you kill them. And we found a contraption that's designed to move around, but someone modified it to explode if after a period."

"So, what, you came to see if it was our powder? Fat chance of that happening, this place is guarded day and night by some of the best Crownsguard and mercenaries money can buy. I already told that smartass elf the same thing. But just to prove it to you..." He huffs, rooting around in a drawer for a few seconds before pulling out a ledger. He flips to a tab and opens it, then walks around to show all of you its contents, tapping his finger on the page. "As you can see, all of our blasting powder produced in the last year is accounted for right here. And there have been no thefts or suspicious activity either. Satisfied? Gods, this is a waste of time. Trying to finish signing these contracts with the Crown for the war effort, plus my best damned artisan has been missing for weeks, and now the Lawmaster is trying to throw a wrench in it all with these pesky investigators!"

Bjorn will approach the gnome, getting close to the ledger. "If you don't mind, I'd like to see the last couple people to purchase from you."

He was not surprised when seeing the insignias of the Wathcmaster the guard of Firemark led they in. The gnome guided the group to the one man that could answer their questions. At first Fritz didn’t understand why the gnome desired them good luck, but changed as soon as they entered Sleese’s room. The man was more than rude and less than happy with receiving any visits and judging by his words Emberwind had checked the place before. So you’re not that far ahead eh, pretty girl?

The impatient manager of the facility provided a ledger accounting for the blasting powder produced in the last year. Not enough, thought the wizard.

“Mr. Firemark, we have reason to believe this incident is related to a man called Huron Stahlmast. He left the city years ago so any strange activity relating to the blasting powder may have happened in a date prior to these records.” On his words an implicit requisition - to see more ledgers. “Also, you mentioned your best artisan disappearing. Could you give more details about this?”

An artisan there would be able to deal with the blasting powder, help with creating the explosives that freed Zabriss and rested in the kobolds. Maybe she was Huron’s accomplice, Fritz considered seriously.

"Missing?" Ambre asks, "who's missing?"

Sleese Firemark rolls his eyes. "Right, of course, here," He groans, tossing the book to Bjorn and directing Fritz to one of the shelves. "Our production and transaction records over the past several years, all quite clean, might I add! But take a look for yourself, since you're so concerned."

He returns to his seat. "Nima Cirramid is missing, that's who. Well, she isn't missing as much as she is unaccounted for. My best damned powder maker... She sent a message that she took dreadfully ill and couldn't come to work, and that was three weeks ago! Won't answer the door or even look through the window, she just tells anyone that checks on her to leave for fear of spreading her sickness. I'm worried, not only for her, but for any of my workers that may have been exposed! No one else has come down with anything yet, other than Biko getting a cold. Besides, the Crown is ordering more and more powder and weapons for the war effort and I need Nima back to work to meet these demands, or it's bad news for us! I-"

Sleese cuts of his rant prematurely and looks around at all of you. "Well, since the Watchmaster can hire you to do his snoopy-work for him, I suppose I could always do that too. Tell you what... Go find out what in the hells is wrong with Nima and bring me back a report, and I'll give you a batch of powder, from my personal supply, as payment. Who knows, maybe it'll help you hunt down this 'Stall-Mack' or whoever you're after."

(DM, would Fritz notice something wrong in the ledgers?)

All of the ledgers appear to be accurate and well-catalogued.

"Seriously?" Ambre asks, excited. "Well I'll take the job... I'm running out of it."

"Excellent, wonderful, now hop to it! I've got work to do."