January 25, 2026
19th I’amondrix, 826
The party continued along the hallway and around a couple of turns. The hall ended in a door with a toothy grin painted on it in mud. After thoroughly checking the door, they pulled it open. Beyond lay a chamber with a bubbling mud floor, bisected by a line of three wattle-and-daub screens.
Annais and Oskraks crept into the room. Annais took down one partition to use as a boardwalk across the chamber, ringing a pair of bells that were attached to the back of it. Moving more quickly, they laid it down before the door. Gerald and Aida moved into the room. Annais and Oskraks stepped toward another screen, but sank waist-deep in the mud.
At two other doors, two pairs of goblins appeared, each a bowman guarded by a spearman. Oskraks waded forward and slew one spearman, while Aida threw a dagger through the eye of a bowman. The remaining bowman shot her very badly, and the party retreated from the room.
They made their way back through and out of the dungeon. Gerald placed a bear trap at the crevasse between the dungeon and the smuggler tunnel.
Gerald staunched Aida’s bleeding on a table at the inn. They discussed joining the Golden Talon for access to healing magic. In the meantime, they went to the College of Physickers in the Mentullius district.
The clerk scheduled them in a workplace injury clinic that would be held that afternoon. The party retired to a bakery, where Annais remained unable to find a decent croissant. They talked about healing and the church, and discussed the horrors of a Saladuran takeover of the Empire. The Saladuran state religion worships the Creator’s empty throne, enforcing a rigid hierarchy and regime of self-denial in an attempt to purify Creation so the Creator will turn her face back to it.
They proceeded to the clinic, where both Aida and Oskraks received some healing. They decided to wait until they were fully healed to return to the dungeon, so they all went back to work for a couple of days.
21st I’amondrix, 826
While Gerald was begging for contributions to his order, he witnessed a fatal duel between two noble bravos. As the nearest priest, he checked the body over. The slain man was wearing three rings worth over 1,000 silver dalors; Gerald stole them as he was leaning over the body.
Gerald took the body to the nearest temple of Khothrenti’ak, the Judge of the Dead. He then went to inform the dead man’s next of kin.
The only family turned out to be a slightly older brother, who blustered and demanded Gerald bring him to the man who killed the victim. Gerald gave a bland description of the perpetrator and brought the brother to the body. On seeing the missing rings, the brother declared the perpetrator a thief and a mercenary, drew his sword, and rushed into the street to search for him.
Back at the Pink Unicorn, Gerald delicately proposed a new line of work to the party. He will set himself up as a referee and doctor for duelists. Aida will be his nurse; when she checks over a loser who turns out to be dead, she will steal some of his jewelry. Annais and Oskraks will be present as muscle. (Stealing from the rich is not a violation of Oskraks’ paladin oath.)
They agreed to the plot, and Aida began sowing rumors of a new, impartial street doctor in town.
