In Character > Journals & Backgrounds
Eliezra Baldwin's File
Fiverine:
On a whim I explored some of the mining tunnels just outside the city walls. I followed a scent of brimstone and discovered to my horror a nest of fiends. Predominantly they were disease-ridden manes, but even more offensive were the torture-adoring kocrachons supervising them. In charge of this small colony was a fiendish foreman who was utterly jubilant in the pestilence and agony his charges were working on. Though alone, I trusted in my abilities and with some effort I purged the creatures. I have no doubt they will return, for the stench of brimstone and rot was as strong as ever.
I wandered the markets afterwards and pondered that such evil could dwell so close to the city. That was a rather naive thing to think I quickly realised. At the bazaar I saw some disturbing things for sale. There were pungent Moanderite relics- preserved body parts of one of their "holy" men the seller assured me. These offended me on a personal level due to my own long illness which was caused by a Moanderite.
Also alarming were some ecclesiastical Loviatarian whips for sale. This is a religion that baffles me more than any other. I've heard that they gouge and flay flesh (their own and that of others) in their rituals and take orgiastic joy in hurting people physically and emotionally. I don't judge what people do to themselves for there is often some trauma driving it, but to take pleasure inflicting agony upon others is... grotesque.
Fiverine:
I met another of the local adventurers, this time an elf lady named Apprentice Sithmore. She is a student at Nebular as well as a ship's captain. Our initial meeting was a little awkward, for she was standing at the gates I intended pass through and she was heavily and visibly warded with defensive enchantments. She seemed curious about me, and asked if I was wearing a veil for cultural reasons. Sithmore was also a little surprised that I still live in the slums now that I have the income to equip myself heavily.
None the less she was quite pleasant and when I mentioned my interest in herbalism she took me on a journey to some locations in elven lands which had some rare herbs. We encountered some orc raiders but Sithmore's enchantments (which she shared with me) proved very powerful. My devotion to the Broken God gained her attention and at the end of the journey she gifted me with a truly fine blade. I must say that the adventurers of Conch I have met so far are nothing like the local newspaper we use to light our fires and wallpaper our shacks claims.
The trip left me in Hadrian's south bank, and I ventured alone around that settlement. I found a Moanderite lair in a noxious labyrinth to the west of the town. There were too many abominations for me to completely purge alone but I destroyed many of them. Walking those smelly, spiraling crypts while fighting through shambling and pitiable slaves of Moander was a distasteful experience for me, as much for personal as physical reasons. Hadrian seems a city no less plagued with evil than Conch and I regretted that I could not stay long. But my duties in West Conch must take precedence.
Fiverine:
Whilst foraging for herbs in the wilderness I found Pearl doing the same thing. I don't know the region around Conch well at all yet so gratefully accepted Pearl's offer to show me some good sites to collect herbs. For someone so small she is quite lethal, and the two of us were more than a match for any wandering creatures that stumbled upon us.
Pearl seems to have good contacts in Upper Conch. She mentioned Gabby or Gabriella who is a student at Nebular and a keen herbalist and alchemist. Pearl also knows Apprentice Sithmore there, and as it turns out Sithmore is "the captain" Pearl mentioned the first time we met. There was another person she simply referred to as 'Z'. Overall it sounds like there are some friendly and decent folk in uptown, although Ostian assures me that there are many despicable ones there too. He was an archivist and census taker, so I suppose he would know these things.
I think my health has recovered enough to take up whatever path it is the Broken God has marked me for. But it's frustrating me how limited my skills are. I can't heal with magic like Mylene, and worst of all I lack the natural talent to even learn the basics of it from her. Instead I must rely on mundane trappings like herbs and dressings to heal and cure others. If I have a natural talent it seems to be for fighting, but how could violence be doing my god's work?
Fiverine:
I've decided that I have to hunt down the Moanderite who disfigured me. Assuming he has not left the area he could have been spreading more illness and misery while I recovered. Perhaps this is a way I can use my combative skills for a good purpose. I doubt he will give up easily. But I know now that I don't either. I haven't told my comrades about this. Probably best I keep them out of it in case this Moanderite is not working alone. I don't want to endanger the people who saved my life. I've sent a letter to Tylna to see if she ever saw him again.
In the meantime I've opened up a small stall to cheaply sell healing and curative supplies to the people of the slums. I would have preferred a place closer to our camp but I've had to make do with what I could find. It's near a creepy ruined tower and a sewer entrance. Not very auspicious, but like I said it's all I could find vacant right now.
I also ventured back into the brimstone mine and found the devils of disease and torturehad returned. It's a strange area, and it feels almost like a deliberately created gauntlet for someone like myself to train in. Why else would there be a bag of gold waiting for me after I've cleansed it? Hopefully some demon isn't using me as a pawn to kill off his devil rivals...
Fiverine:
Tylna gave me a reply that was on the surface not very helpful, but it implied that my quarry still frequents her establishment. Therefore I've started staking out the Lamb even if I find that personally uncomfortable. Tylna doesn't seem to care as long as I'm buying drinks and keeping my face covered. I doubt she'd be so ambivalent if I pulled off my veil and let her clients see exactly what they're risking at the Lamb. If nothing else I'm getting some good practice at eating and drinking under the veil. So far I haven't seen my target and the other staff, while happy enough to see me alive and well, are just as tightlipped as Tylna.
Lauriella wants to meet with me again. I've been preoccupied with my hunt for the Moanderite so may not find time to meet her on this shore trip of hers. But I suspect we have some common goals and she is a well-known adventurer with many contacts, so I will endeavour to meet with her. She may be from Nebular, but she doesn't seem to actually be an Uptown resident which is reassuring.
Finally it looks like Ostian was right, there are some "Whips" as he calls them in Upper Conch. House Mistari have made some proclamations that make them the likely ones. "Respect the teachings of pain" they say. What perverted nonsense. Pain is an unwanted burden that can be relieved or tolerated, it's not an educational experience that one should seek out. I feel dirty now because I bought some potions from House Mistari's marketplace stall a few days ago. At least I've found one of the few things that Diiri's Boys and my group can agree on, and that is to be suspicious of uptowners.
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