C1E9 — Black Pudding

Orentha's Account
Upon our arrival at the Commas, Jamra, Agate, and I found some of the veiled figures that had followed us earlier that day. Agate and Jamra went into their familiars (somehow - I’m still getting used to all the strange magic these people are capable of), while I sat guard with my perfectly normal fists, thank you very much.

The man and woman inside spoke about intercepting Jambis’ shipment for tomorrow. While Jamra kept watch with his bird, Agate and I debated how to proceed. Hoping to get more information, I went inside to interrogate the two people, foolishly thinking I could use the element of surprise to overpower them. If not, I could pretend to be a traitor to Jambis and offer my aid to their plot. I snuck inside with Agate’s disturbing, undead chipmunk leading the way.

I did not have the element of surprise.

As soon as I entered the room, a man I had not seen grabbed me from behind and put a dagger to my throat. I admitted I was an employee of Jambis, but claimed that I was concerned about the unseemly nature of this shipment and his secretive behavior. This was not entirely untrue, but the group was insightful and I was running out of options. The man behind me even noticed that the chipmunk was somehow spying on them. I caught the dagger that he threw at Jasper (luckily - I have no idea what will happen to it or Agate if it is damaged) and spun with it to face the man threatening me. He retreated before I could get a stab at him, but at least I was in a better position.

He told me his name was Nix. He was one of the most cryptic and unsettling people I had met in my life, which is saying something. He either acts or does have the upper hand in every situation I have seen him in, which was the most unsettling thing about him. I immediately disliked him, and not just because he threatened my life. If I disliked everyone who threatened me, I would probably never have friends.

Nix and his companions were members of the Nictus Thurasis. I have no clear idea of the scope of their duties or membership, but the fact that they seemed to be involved with Jambis was enough to make me concerned. Nix claimed that his organization needed to find out what Jambis was shipping into the city, which was a matter that I was interested in myself. I thought about combining efforts with the group to discover more about what Jambis was up to, but at the end of the day, Jambis had never threatened my life or put as much fear in me as these people had. Nix told me to meet him in the same room if I wanted to discuss the matter further, and I left.

Once we returned home, Agate, Jamra, and I discussed what we had learned from Nix with Sirinixia and Trindak. Everyone agreed that we could not trust Nix, but hopefully we could discover what Jambis was shipping tomorrow. In the morning at breakfast, Jambis was not willing to tell us what the items were directly, but he did reveal that they were of a magical origin and had the potential to be made more powerful. He also claimed that his possession of these items would elevate his status in Guavira, meaning that they were much more powerful than I had originally imagined. Jambis was honest when he said that the materials themselves were not dangerous, but that did not mean anything. Any object when used properly can become a formidable weapon.

We travelled to a series of underground tunnels in the Commas and waited for the shipment to arrive. I sensed that we were being followed, and sure enough Nix was there watching us. I wanted to throw the dagger I had stolen from him into his chest, but the rational part of me knew that was an unwise move. If there was anything I learned the previous night, it was that acting rashly would only play into his hand. It was only when the chest was delivered to us that Nix and his two companions approached. They demanded that Jambis open the chest so they could inspect the contents (and likely take their share of the spoils, the cutthroats), but Jambis was able to bribe them off with two sacks of coin. Nix offered to escort us to our destination, while his two companions left us to our business.

We followed Nix down the tunnels for some time until I heard a noise approach us from up ahead. I tried to warn our group, but before I could a large figure made of black sludge was upon us. Once again, Nix was faster than I was, and he shot a bolt at the monster. I noticed that the bolt sizzled and corroded upon contact with its flesh and immediately decided I could not risk my perfectly normal fists in this fight. I kept my distance while Trindak ran forward and slashed at the creature with his axe. Rather than hurt the creature, the attack split it into two smaller black puddings that both attacked us.

Agate said, “What the fuck, Trindak?” It was the first time I had heard her say “fuck”. I was so proud.

Sirinixia and Agate discovered that the creatures were most vulnerable to fire and effectively beat them down. I rushed in to help, but every time I struck the creature its acidic form would burn my weapons and hands. I barely had anything left in me when the fight was finally won. Sirinixia, however, lay unconscious on the floor. I attempted to tend to her wounds before it was too late. Agate came over to us and poured her own healing potion down Sirinixia’s throat to bring her back to consciousness. She had been kinder than me - I had kept mine for myself.

When we resurfaced, Nix was gone and we needed to conceal the chest to prevent any suspicion. Jasper the undead chipmunk opened his mouth and ingested the chest. I have no idea how, and it was extremely unsettling.

Nix's Account
I’ll say this much for this job, there are very few dull moments. There’s always something to surprise you. Take yesterday for example, our minor little scouting job turned out to be far more interesting than I had anticipated. Things started routinely enough, tailing Mr. Dartheur and his new hired muscle. They returned to Jambis’s place of residence, and so we retired to our nearby safe house. I left to leave a message for one of our runners, and returned mere moments before we were interrupted. One of those we had been watching had apparently followed us, and chose that moment to enter. For a hired mercenary she stayed rather calm with a knife blade at her throat, I’ll give her that much. She also displayed remarkable ability in managing to snatch a knife I threw at a small creature (possibly a chipmunk) which was acting in a rather suspicious manner. I gave her as much information as seemed prudent, including the knowledge that my (unnamed) employers were highly interested in Jambis’s recent activities. It was interesting to me that she did not seem to know the nature of the cargo she was going to help transport. This seems to support Modeth’s suspicion of Jambis. Whatever it is he is importing, he clearly doesn’t want anyone to know about it. After she left I followed her out, where she met up with another individual capable of changing their form. She spotted me, clearly on edge now, so I felt following her in a different guise would be more appropriate. I followed them just far enough to confirm their destination, then returned to pick up Roya and Gaius. It certainly appears to me that they require much more experience before they can be trusted to operate. Raw talent can only get you so far after all.

We returned to Modeth, who instructed us to proceed with the next morning’s plans. Thus we were in position well before Jambis and his…crew…arrived at the entrance. I followed them through the tunnels while Gaius and Roya hid at their destination. Upon their taking possession of the cargo we revealed ourselves and confronted him. Give him credit, Jambis handled the situation rather well, though this might have come from his deluded belief that his strength in numbers gave him more advantage than it actually did. He provided payment for both the usage of his tunnels and for not inspecting his cargo. Persuasion, and even thinly veiled threats, did nothing to convince him to allow us to look at the contents. It was certainly possible that we could have overwhelmed his little rag-tag group. We had the advantage of knowing the terrain far better than they did, and they had already given me the impression of not being a particularly stealthy lot. However given Roya and Gaius’s rather limited experience in actual combat, I decided it made much more sense to allow them to take it. Given that we know exactly where it will be, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find out what Jambis wants to keep so very hidden.

Our passage back to the surface was marked by an encounter with one of the recent denizens of the tunnels, and again I was impressed by the abilities of Jambis’s hired help. One of them may have been knocked out of the fight, but they managed to defeat the ooze rather quickly. Perhaps they can be of help to us in the future. Only time will tell. Upon reaching the surface, I bade them farewell and left. No doubt Jambis knows what a fine line he is walking. He will doubtless take precautions to protect against our interest in this mysterious box. Still, he should know that it is a fools errand. If Nicto Kurasis wishes to know something, then know it we shall.

Sirenixia's Account
Although this day has done little to reassure me of Dartheur’s good intent, it has at least not provided much greater reason to worry. I spent much of the night keeping watch outside the halfling’s quarters, which was blessedly uneventful. A few hours into the night Jamra, Orentha, and Agate returned from their reconnaissance mission, having learned of plans by some members of Nicto Kurasis to prevent Dartheur’s shipment. I had not heard of the group before. They are apparently some sort of organized crime in the city, keeping watch of any contraband passing in or out of the city. They are generally respected and feared by the common people. An organization like Nicto Kurasis might have useful information regarding any dangerous powers in the area. I should remain vigilant for the opportunity to interrogate their members.

We informed Dartheur at breakfast of the threat against his shipment, but he seemed unsurprised and unconcerned with us as his guards. I made another effort to convince him to inform me of the contents of the shipment, but he could not be swayed. He cited concern over what might be done to us by others should they desire our knowledge of the goods. It is not his place to choose what risks I may take upon myself. But he is still my employer.

An early departure from Dartheur’s house brought us back to the Comma in a rather circuitous path, and into some tunnels beneath the city. A strange illness kept Jamra from joining us today, a poor stroke of luck. Although I may question the goodness of his motives, he is undoubtedly a good man to have at my back. And while he may at times behave wrongly, he seems at least to be honest about it.

After a short while traversing the tunnels beneath the city, we arrived at a crossroads with an opening to the surface, and a small chest was lowered down on a rope, which Dartheur exchanged with a sack of gold before it was raised back up. It was at this point that three members of Nicto Kurasis emerged from the shadows, demanding their tribute and a look at the goods. Dartheur had warned that this would occur, and that we may be forced to attack if they tried to take any of whatever was in the chest. I would not like to be the aggressor in a situation where I understand so little, but luckily, it did not become necessary. Dartheur simply paid some extra money to convince them to look the other way.

A man named Nix, who seemed to be the leader of the group, and who the others had apparently confronted during the reconnaissance the previous night, offered to escort us out of the tunnels. That Dartheur accepted the offer seemed strange, since we had arrived without help, but many parts of these dealings feel off.

We were ambushed by a strange black ooze before we reached the surface I was shamefully slow to react, but it meant I could avoid the same mistake Trindak made. He rushed forward quickly to cut at it with his axe. Rather than cleaving into it as he hoped, his axe slipped through harmlessly, merely dividing the creature in two, making twice as many foes to face, and burning Tridack with acid in the process. The others acted before me, blasting into it. Even Nix of Nicto Kurasis assisted us, shooting arrows into the slime. Apparently this was not part of their plan to steal the shipment.

Seeing how ineffective Trindak’s axe was, chose to burn the creatures rather than cut them. As difficult as it can be, my impurity certainly has powerful benefits.

The battle continued to go fairly well, and I stayed in the creatures way, protecting those less sturdy then myself. I was able to dodge the first attacks against me, but when a blow finally fell, it was far worse than I expected, an exceeding powerful corrosive agent. It burned through parts of my armor and into me, overwhelming my consciousness.

I awoke to Agate leaning over me, pouring her potion of healing into my mouth. I felt great pride for her, and reassurance. It is easy to forget that, while she may struggle to act in a proper manner, she still has a good heart underneath. Perhaps if I can cultivate that kindness and keep it strong, the rest will follow.

The last of the ooze had been destroyed by the time I awoke. Luckily, I seemed to be the one with the greatest injuries, although Orentha had also been badly burned during the combat.

The rest of the journey to the surface passed quietly, and the agents of Nicto Kurasis left us when we surfaced. We placed the chest inside of Agate’s undead chipmunk to keep it hidden for the time being. Jasper is a strange creature, but although I do not know how she brought the taxidermized creature to life (I am sure the ill-mannered squirrel woman wasn’t responsible.), it does not worry me. I cannot say the same of our current business with Dartheur, and I will continue to worry until Dartheur has revealed more. The others may try to observe the object now that it is in Agate’s possession, but despite my worries, I could not condone such underhanded action. Hopefully it will not become necessary.

Trindak's Account
I guess Jambis' merchant work has already taken a dangerous turn in the short time I've been with him. After escorting him back to his room, I took shifts to watch his door with Sirenixia. She went first during the night, then I took the early morning shift. I'll admit, I was a wee bit tired and fell asleep, but that jerk of a guard woke me up. I'm glad he did, but he didn't have to be so rude about it!

At this point, Jambis woke up. When he came out, I told him that we had news for him, and so he let us have breakfast with him. It's nice to finally sit and talk to people in a nice way this often!

After telling him about what the others did last night, he updated us on what we had to do tonight. I was still concerned about the tunnels, but I suppose it made sense that they'd have to be larger to act as shipping routes. Sirenixia started to push on what exactly we were protecting, and I started to get peeved until I got her point: Why can't he tell us? I think we could all defend ourselves, and why hasn't he told me, since I've been here a bit longer? I guess I'm getting tired of mysteries already...

As we headed out, I was told that the one named Jamra was staying in bed today. I felt a bit let down, since he seems like an interesting one, and I still have yet to interact with him more. Once we reached the beginnings of the tunnels, i began to feel that same constriction arising. Orentha was kind enough to help me with some breathing techniques to calm my mind. They didn't completely work, but it was an appreciated gesture, considering the judgement that some pass on my fear. Agate, on the other hand, has been rather bothersome. I understand that she is very young, and she seems to also be quite nice, but she does not know when to stop mentioning my fears that I'm already trying to ignore! Also, her chipmunk unsettles me.

Right before we reached the point where we obtained the chest, I noticed that there was a presence behind me. I could feel myself tense up even further, but I knew I had to hold it together and prepare for what could be next. Once the chest came down, the figure finally approached, along with his lackeys. His name was Nix, and he too wanted to know what was in the chest. Jambis was able to convince him with some gold to keep his hands off, but they continued to lurk nearby to offer us escort. I was simply relieved that it did not escalate into any violence, because I did not want to remain there any longer than I had to. Jambis gave me the chest to hold onto, which I gladly did as a way to put my focus into something beside wandering these tunnels.

Suddenly, an arrow flew by, and some fighting started in front of us. I quickly asked Jambis what to do with the chest, and he directly commanded me to drop it and fight. Losing my main focus, I charged forward to quickly get rid of the problem. Unfortunately, that "problem" was a weird puddle of goo, and upon sinking my axe into it, it split it into and splashed a burning substance on to me! I backed away quickly, and used a javelin as a backup weapon. I threw it, watching it impale one of the puddles, dissolving in the process. I saw Sirenixia and Agate throw concentrated flames at the goo, which was quite a sight to my eyes! My parents had told me of the existence of those who could control the elements with their own hands, rather than needing any kind of physical weapon to do so. I also saw Orentha strike the goo with her bare hands! Aye, these are true maidens of combat. I am fortunate to come across this group! I could further see their resolve when they helped Sirenixia quickly recover after a dangerous attack by the goo, which could move surprisingly quickly!

After exiting the tunnel, Nix and his lackeys left us, and Jambis tasked us to hide the chest. I began to wonder where we might put it, when Agate offers her chipmunk. At first, I thought this was just a joke, until she shoved the whole thing in its mouth! I knew that something was off about it! Another strange sight, indeed. I suppose now we will have to lay low until Jambis' next order. Hopefully that will give me time to understand these people better...

Jamra's Day Off
I have been poisoned. There is no possible way that the pain brewing in my stomach can be anything else. I suspect it must have been Orentha, punishment for one snide comment too many. Perhaps she dosed my food with some sort of concoction she found in one of her bars? That is all I have been able to think since we set up on the rooftop across from the safehouse of the veiled thieves. Although I set out with Agate and Orentha this evening intent on revealing the identity of our neighborhood stalkers, I have had to limit my involvement since the pain grew too great and I could no longer retain my concentration on the mind of my familiar, Hamid. Bereft of my attentions he son returned to us and only Agate’s chipmunk remained to scout. Then I heard terrifying words from Orentha, “I’m going in.” Any other day I would have protested, but a fresh wave of pain rolled out of my gut and I could only emit a whimper. All according to her plan no doubt. She leapt off into the night, while Agate kept watch.

The minutes turned to hours as I late their. Agate was absorbed in her familiar’s mind, so at least she couldn’t hear my protestations. Before long, Orentha reappeared, ruffled and strangely subdued. She went on to explain that she had been caught and held at knifepoint by one of the veiled men, but she had been able to deceive him and escape. Curious and disturbing. I can only hope her identity wasn’t too badly compromised, but then she did refuse to wear the balaclava I gave her, so not much hope there. All in all it shaped up to be a –GAH – terrible outing.

For my own dignity I will not relate what happened during that night. In the morning however, I learned from my sickbed that Jambis was scheduled to make the handoff and collect his shipment. I was dreadfully disappointed to miss the occasion, but even I knew I was in no fit shape to fight. Sirenixia did what she could for me, confirming that I had not been poisoned (as far as SHE knew) and I wished her well. It’s a very strange feeling watching these people go out to fight. I worry for them. I don’t even like many of them and yet… I worry. I should be by their side. Someone else might get it wrong. Then where would they be?

I stewed all day, but when my companions returned they returned clothed in victory. Jambis was in relatively good spirits, having received his goods without too much trouble, and my friends had destroyed an ooze on their way back. I wish they had been able to capture it, but I did hear Trindak mention that Orentha had secured a remnant. Perhaps I could convince her to let me culture a sample? I’ll have to be on my best behavior to induce it though. Hmmm. Maybe I can do something for her that will put her in a good mood. I’ll need to ponder this further.

Despite their victory over the ooze, the party did not return unscathed. Apparently they had run into our old foes beneath the streets, including Nix, the one who had held Orentha at knifepoint. They demanded access to the case and threatened to intervene if our employer refused. He was able to dissuade them by paying a bribe, but it infuriates me that we allowed ourselves to be extorted in such a way. Every copper Jambis puts towards this scum is a copper he doesn’t have to invest with us and that’s not even considering the show of weakness it represents. I’ll need to look into these “Veiled Ones” and soon. Perhaps the opportunity to punish her captor would improve Orentha’s mood?