For all his discourtesy, Sleese Firemark was an efficient man. The gnome was fast to show Fritz every ledger he could have asked for and then some. There was not a single event that could result in a third party acquiring any blasting powder. Then the disappearing artisan is our last clue, he thought listening as the facility manager told the history of how Nima Cirramid went amiss.

The question was where to find her but thank the Changebringer, not for long. At the end of his history, Sleese himself offered the trio a small reward for checking what happened to the woman.

“I was thinking just that, Mr. Firemark - that speaking with your artisan may help in our search.” The wizard had no interest in receiving blasting powder, but if they had to check on Nima either way might as well gain something more out of it. “As such, I make mine the words of my companion here. I’ll take the job. I just need you to describe Ms. Cirramid and point us to her house.”

Assuming she was still there. If Fritz theory about her being Stahlmast’s accomplice was true, then by that time Nima would be as far away from Hupperdook as possible. Long gone, beyond reach.

"Oh, right. ... Here. It's just down the street, past the Prayer Foundry, near the Armavault and Sootswallow Lodge," Sleese states as he hands Fritz a note with an address on it. "Now go on, I need to finish this work before daybreak."

It also includes a description of Nima. She is a young gnome woman with black hair, brown eyes, and a freckled face. She also has some vitiligo on her hands and neck.

Bjorn gives a nod to Sleese and makes his way out with the others. Once they are clear of the building he'll turn back toward the group. "Well, hopefully this Nima woman hasn't done more than just come down with the sickness, but as I'm sure you know, when things are too good to be true, they usually are. Chances are there is more to it than that...." Bjorn pauses for a moment to look around. "Let's go make a house call shall we. Oh, and also, something is up with that Sleese, no ones books are that clean..."

((Would I know if he's the kind of guy to keep his books that clean?))

(You don't know Sleese, but from what you've heard around town, you know he is a workaholic obsessed with maximizing productivity and ensuring everything is operating at peak efficiency. It isn't surprising his book-keeping is as clean as it is.)

"From what I've heard about him that sounds about right," Ambre says.

When Sleese handed him the piece of paper Fritz was ready to repeat his question about the appearance of the missing artisan, but in a quick look the wizard noticed that the manager had already committed the Nima’s aspect to writing. Outside of the facility, Bjorn voices his suspects about Cirramid and Firemark. In response Ambre mentions that the behavior of the man was in accordance with his reputation.

“I don’t know about the cranky gnome, but Bjorn is right about Nima.” He says handing the address to Ambre. Out of the trio she was the one who knew Hupperdook best. “Someone capable of making blasting powder on leave at the very same time a prisoner is released of her confinement by the use of explosives? It’s too much of a coincidence. Our artisan is probably the one behind the powder used on Gearhole and the Kobolds. Such collaboration of her skill and Stahlmast’s craftsmanship suggests a partnership between them and one that going by what Emberwind showed us is very much against the Empire.”

And, in these times of war, against everyone who lived on it.

“Anyhow, to our meeting point?” Fritz asks his companions, half expecting Ambre to take the lead and show the way to her uncle’s house.

"I don't know about a partnership," Ambre says, reading the address, "but it is kinda suspicious. Meeting point? Oh ya!" she starts heading for home. "Follow me!"

After splitting up to gather information, both groups make their way up the winch lift from Lower Hupperdook to the Idleworks Shelf. This raised district boasts a wonderful view of the Marrow Valley and the distant Ashkeeper Peaks, the natural border between the Dwendalian Empire and the enigmatic land of Xhorhas. The Shelf is also the home to most of Hupperdook's nighttime celebrations. Crowds of people, mostly gnomes, fill the taverns and streets, participating in all sorts of merry-making from drinking contests, to fireworks shows, to musical performances. It is positively buzzing with activity, and everyone seems to either not have noticed or simply do not care that an explosion rocked the lower city and a dangerous fugitive is on the loose. 

Near the edge of the Shelf, close to the border of the Silver Falls Grove residential district, a plot surrounded by a short red brick wall with some iron railings comes into view. The name "Rotz" is emblazoned on a metal placard next to the short entrance gate. The plot appears to be separated into two parts: on one side of the area is an outdoor workshop, complete with a forge, workbenches, and various tools and implements used for smithing set up under the veranda of what must be a single-roomed storehouse. On the other side is a two-story stone house with a metal roof, illuminated by some flickering lanterns on the porch and light shining through the closed glass windows.

Two figures appear to be setting something up in the middle of the courtyard. One is a young human woman, her blonde hair hanging in haphazard braids and her eyes set behind thick, round glasses. The other one is a young human man with short blond hair watching the woman work on the contraption, which appears to be a rig for a brace of fireworks. 

"Tana, are you sure this is going to work? The last thing we need is you burning down the house."

"First of all, Pav, I know exactly what I'm doing!" The woman with glasses, Tana, says with an ounce of uncertainty in her voice. "And secondly, the house is made of stone, it won't burn down."

"If anyone could do it, it'd be you..." The young man replies, then looks up at the gate and directly at Ambre. "Hey, hey! Look what the drake dragged in! You came back just in time, Am. ... Brought some friends?"

Ambre, you recognize your younger siblings Tana and Pavel. 

Ambre smiles and waves. "Hey guys! Tana if you dont stabalize the base of that its going to fall over and fireworks are going to be flying sideways instead of up. I'm pretty sure we have sandbags in the store room that should work." Ambre lets the party introduce themselves. "Met them on the way back to Zadash, hey do you know where mom or Uncle Grigor is?"

Quill leaps forward and helps the two ladies with the contraption helping to lift and support it when needed. "Name is Quill, glad to meet the two of you."

As they make the way to the house of Ambre’s uncle Fritz realized how lost he was with everything that happened so far. He had completely forgot who the shooter’s uncle was.  Blath Rotz couldn’t have seen him in the last half decade but how many people with white hair and golden eyes could the man have met in this time? Besides there was the question of the coinciding name.

“Good gods, I’m not presentable.” He exclaimed pulling up his hood. Save from using Disguise self, that was the best thing he could do in order to avoid being recognized. “Not at all.”

More nervous than he would like to admit, Fritz didn’t take in any of the details of the Rotz home. Instead, he remained quiet, almost distant, leaving the talking to Ambre. He watched as she met with her family, a little bit of envy taking hold of his heart.

“I’m Fritz.” He said after Quill spoke, hoping that his companions wouldn’t find the introduction too strange. With a little bit of luck people would simply point at him and repeat that she was Fritz in any future greetings to happen there. Maybe he’s not home, he told himself with the voice of his mind, trying to be optimistic.

"Any word from dad?" Ambre half-jokes to her siblings.

Finn bows his head, "Finnegan Taggert, pleasure to meet you. Though I do wish it might be under better circumstances..."

Josias shrugs. "Eh, our situation is fine. I'd be more worried if I was a jailor. We're just the hired help. Josias Summerswift, by the way. Pleased to meet ya."

"Pfft, yeah, obviously, Ammie," Tana huffs, her cheeks growing a shade redder. "I was just gonna fix that, you know!"

"Actually, Am, you just missed pop!" Pavel chuckles, patting Ambre on the shoulder. "He came in from Eiselcross with his yeti friends."

"Yeah, now they're off to their time share in Nicodranas!" Tana retorts, making both of them bust out in laughter, which subsides after a few seconds. "So, yeah... no word from dad."

"I hope he's okay, the old man..." Pavel sighs. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you all! Thanks for putting up with Am."

"Yeah, for real! She's the worst!" Tana finishes up her firework rig and runs over to Ambre, bumping into her with a half hug. "Glad you're back! How was Xadash? Did you get those books for me?"

"And, more importantly, the materials we needed?"

"Too hot in Nicodranas for yetis, everyone knows that." Josias says as he continues his grumbling.

Quill just sits down under some shade and goes about listening to the conversation, chuckling under his breath, "Oh, Am is it, good to know."

"Let's see here," Ambre takes her bag off and opens it up, pulling out a large variety of things. "I have Tana's books, some armor polish for Fodel so he can make his armor nice and shiny, I didn't know what to get Olma so I just bought her a new bag, and," she puts a finger to her lips and tosses a bag of sweets at Pav, "if mom finds it you didn't get it from me. And of course I picked up the supplies from Zadash. I only forgot to get it once... and that was like 6 months ago."

Bjorn, never really having parents that were present, stood off to the side, leaning on his Warhammer, while Ambre talked to their siblings, keeping a passive eye on them to make sure they didn't do anything that might result in bodily harm, grinning and chuckling at their comments and attitudes.