Orphans Hospital Raid

Overview

The Orphans’ Hospital Raid was the first of two major assaults against Savarin’s operations in Lyon, in July 1814. The party attacked the Orphans’ Hospital to rescue Delaroche’s children, held by Savarin as leverage to control the police commissioner. In the basement, Dr. Carreau was performing surgical modifications on abducted children — inserting steel rods into their throats.

Two PCs died in the assault, both killed by their own side.

Delaroche’s Appeal

After the Camberonne ball, Émeric took the investigators and Thomas to Adrien’s hunting lodge. Delaroche came there and laid out his terms to Gus: rescue his children from the hospital, and he would turn against Savarin. His appeal precipitated the hospital raid.

The Assault

Augustus and Jacob went in through the front. The rest of the party — the ladies, Moreau, his four French veterans, Thomas, and Adrien — entered from the back. Blue Sash guards and orderlies fought them through the corridors. Thomas and Adrien were seriously wounded during the hospital assault, one shot and the other stabbed. Someone seized the remaining nurse in a surgical theatre near the veterans’ gunfight and compelled her to treat them.

When Blue Sash reinforcements arrived, Augustus went out front alone to hold them off — five against one.

The ladies circled the building and volley-fired on the reinforcements from the flank, but it was too late.

PC Deaths

Augustus Bolt took mortal wounds fighting five Blue Sashes alone. Jacob rushed to save him and critically failed his First Aid check — shoving his thumb into Augustus’s wound, killing him. Jay subsequently took over Colonel Moreau.

Jacob — In the basement, the party found Dr. Carreau mid-surgery on a child, inserting steel rods into the boy’s throat. Five children were locked in cages. Emma shot Carreau. Jacob stabbed Carreau with a sword. Marina was triggered into temporary insanity — she saw her brother where Carreau lay — and she shot Jacob dead. Phil subsequently took over Delaroche.

Other Casualties

• Georgiana took a cleaver to the shoulder from a surgeon’s apprentice.
• Dr. Carreau killed (shot by Emma, stabbed by Jacob).

Aftermath

More than 240 children were freed from the hospital. Two of Delaroche’s children were among the three unmodified children in the basement cages. The children were escorted to police barracks under Delaroche’s authority. Savarin’s leverage over Delaroche was broken.

The rescued children included the sons and daughters of nobles, politicians and other influential families. Their rescue broke a wider network of hostages through which Savarin had controlled civic figures, opening the possibility of further allies.

After the hospital raid, Magistrate Béraud was summoned to report and Delaroche arrested him.

Campaign Significance

Two PCs killed in minutes, both by their own side. The emotional and mechanical nadir of the Lyon chapter. The raid triggered character transitions: Jay moved to Moreau, Phil moved to Delaroche.

Hospital Staff

Stat blocks for hospital nurses, orderlies, and Blue Sash guards are in the prep file: Chapters/Chapter 2 - Lyon/Orphans Hospital staff & thugs.md.