The Ballad of Adler Young, Canto 2.5

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Spoiler

What exactly is the escapist medal awarded for? Making an X number of successful getaways?

"I dunno. Havent herd of that 1."

>Looks like they're distilling some classic Vulpitanian Vodka, but why?
>Just flip the table and hope for the best
Adler } the contents of the vials spill onto you. Covering you in samples taken from your brother. Yes thoses samples

I cautiously sniffed the fumes coming out of the top of the condensing apparatus. It smelled rather spiritous. Were the foxes distilling liquor? Was this setup even related to their fertility project? There seemed to be no way to know. I briefly considered tipping the table over onto the floor, but the thought of unknown - possibly volatile and/or disgusting - substances splashing all over the room, and all over ME, dissuaded me from this action.

Adler > What you thought was a jar of eye balls, actually are super sized pimento stuffed olives. Next to it, a creature sleeping in a jar
>Some quick sabotage is in order. As you go about your business, make a point to switch their precious apothecary supplies around, maybe change some labels too.
One jar, contain a live Scuti larva. Creature, look very miserable.

I decided that my best sabotage option would be to rearrange the jars on the shelves, possibly changing their labels. A closer inspection revealed that none of the containers were labeled; I was going to have to do something to spoil their contents. I hesitantly unlatched the lid of a jar containing what were either pickled onions or pickled eyeballs, and used a nearby pair of tongs to pick one out. I still couldn't tell what it was, so I dropped it into an empty beaker and examined another jar containing .. a pickled mer-elf embryo? I turned the container upside-down on the shelf and undid the clasp, so the contents would gush out the next time anyone picked it up.



I used an empty flask and a funnel to transfer several powders from their proper containers into different ones .. and then .. behind a row of test tubes with milky sluglike things in the bottom of them, I found a jar containing what looked like a small Scuti all coiled up inside. I held up the jar and examined it closely. The creature inside glared at me sullenly. It was alive! I quickly set it down and walked to the window for a breath of air.

Adler > Spot Meadow in the distance through a window. She is frantically jumping and waving her arms. Meadow is saying something but you don't understand.

I noticed Meadow jumping up and down and waving her arms on the parapet of the building across the way. I was going to have to have words with her about giving away her position at the debriefing afterward.

Adler > After looking over the old crow tablet, look around for more research papers
>Commune with OLD CROW.
Adler, examine the tablet in as much detail as possible.

Turning from the window and scanning the room from a fresh vantage point, I again noticed the ornately carved tablet propped against the wall. I picked it up and examined it. The surface bore the words "THE OLD CROW" in large letters. I stood there looking at it, inspecting it for magickal traces, trying desperately to understand what the Old Crow could possibly have to do with the Vulpitanians' bogus fertility scheme. If only there were some research notes somewhere! But this tablet contained the only writing I had seen anywhere in this room.

Then accidentally drop it.
Tablet, break.
Loud breaking sound, stir a reaction in one of the foxes.
Ixie, arrive with news.

"Sire," an Ixie whispered right behind me. "I thought I might find thee here."

I flinched and dropped the tablet, which shattered as if it were made of crockery rather than stone.

"Rhubarb," Rotnev muttered drowsily from the other chamber.