Nomen Infernale XI: Licking Wounds Report

As they finished with the gem merchant who had told them shocking tales of Naldus Bascio’s abythian plan to restart human sacrifice in Lakham Tabab, Elissa exited the guest house and ran to Alex and Riven. She looked fully healed under the ministrations of the Bani Satra healing woman. She gave special attention to Riven, whom she had not seen since she had disappeared in the Shrine of Naeia Aeriscae.

Riven was visibly uncomfortable with the attention and the hugging before Elissa remembered herself and gave her some space. Riven suggested that they go sit and have a drink in the tavern to catch up where she eventually broke the news to Elissa of the massacre at Shagora that she had witnessed in the aftermath of the Shagorans no longer being under a geas laid upon them by the Ouranic Church to serve whichever man came to their gates during the day as punishment for their ancestors serving as priestesses of Vargus. Elissa asked after her mother and elder sister. Riven replied that she had seen Amma trapped in a burning building before being driven back by overwhelming force, when she returned she was unable to find the body but presumed them both dead. Alexandru slipped over to the old Oubasti bard and gave him a coin to play something appropriate and sent over more wine when he saw Elissa’s face fall.

While his companions celebrated their bittersweet reunion with cups of wine, Teleptyon visited the souk of Akbyset in search of a bit of occult knowledge. He eventually found a wizened old Khemite woman pottering around a hovel lined with shelves of flasks and baskets of dried herbs, and knew he had come to the right place. She offered him supplies, and potions, and unguents for the right amount of coin, but he asked her for the recipes from her herbal papyri. She expressed delight in his desire to know the ways of Panya, the Khemite goddess of healing and herbs, but reminded him that such knowledge was costly. She offered him the opportunity to learn Senbu’s Balm, which could aid in natural healing, Antarta’s Recipe which would clarify the humors and richen the blood, and Camel Balm which would purify the body of poisons and diseases and help invigorate the healing process. Teleptyon negotiated with the shrewd apothecary for the decoction of camel balm recipe and promised that he’d return to her with coin in hand.

At the same time Kegho and Brother Theophilus had gone to the auction house to find a replacement for Mercy, their fallen pack camel. As they entered, the cleric whispered prayers to Bira and Ikatrus so that he might invoke the theurgy that would allow him speak to the camels on offer and inquire about their well-being. A merchant introduced Kegho’s hand to the nethers of a particularly stout male camel and Kegho found said nethers to be acceptably warm. After Brother Theo lowed at it like a madman to the curious stares of onlookers, he found that the camel was hale and had a taste for sugar palm. The merchant sent them to the market stall of a "friend" who sold them feed and gear.

Asbjørn and Alex decided to make their way into the bathhouse to ablute the dust and grime of their last adventure off of their bodies when Tapiyam, Naldus’ Khemite wife, stopped them and inquired whether they had brought the spearhead she desired with them. Alex indicated that they were still working on it and called over Brother Theo and Teleptyon to field questions with their benefactor while Alex slipped into the bath to avoid Naldus’ notice and with it, the notice of House Bascio. Asbjørn asked Tapiyam if there were any sell-swords that might be available to hire as they had encountered fierce resistance.

Teleptyon’s conversation with Naldus could only be described as Silver Lotus-fueled. The agitated merchant-prince reminded Teleptyon that they were on a tight schedule for his wife’s birthday. Remembering what the Ghamadi gem merchant had said concerning Naldus and his wife's alligence to the occult, he wondered if that was truly the reason why Naldus needed it so quickly. Naldus offered himself a discount for their services, but Teleptyon countered that the party was eating the additional costs of the delay instead of passing them on to Naldus. Faced with such unassailable logic from the young natural philosopher, Naldus assented.

After a well-deserved evening of rest, the adventurers awoke and entered the eating-hall for their morning repast. After finishing their meal, Tapiyam brought before them a Keb named Nuruhotep se Ka to discuss employment. The conversation did not go well at first, but Asbjørn’s brutish charm and a nearly even-matched bout of wrestling convinced the Keb to sign on with La Compagnia for a fair sum.

Rested and their stores replenished, the party set forth for Tel Jumrah to fufill their contract with Naldus.