March 16, 1492

Finally, we’re making some progress. The last thing I remember clearly from the cultists’ crypt is the ghoulish face of a cackling hag, then red. Just red. When I came around again, I was drenched in blood and we were fighting some asshole named Vaaz alongside Mort Vanthamper. My feathers clumped together in a sticky crimson swamp. It was an exceedingly uncomfortable and disturbingly familiar sensation.
 
It turns out that Mort has betrayed his family, who have been funding the Cult’s efforts to sow chaos in Baldur’s Gate and stage a hostile takeover on behalf of the Duke. Mort helped us clear the last of the Cult of the Dead Three from below the bathhouse and offered to help us on our mission.
 
After a much needed saltwater bath at the beach, Mort offered up a bloody apron he pilfered from Vaaz’s flattened corpse. While the blood doesn’t seem to transfer to any surface, it’s still wet and sticky to the touch. Apparently, it may be magickal. Enya suggested I keep it. She said it seemed my style. I’ll leave it in my pack for now, but maybe I’ll get a better look at it later.
 
Mort escorted us to the Low Lantern, where we had the displeasure of meeting his brother, Amrick. After several failed interrogation attempts and a light poisoning (Why is it always me?), we resorted to the old standby: hostage situation.
 
Amrick was kind enough to lend us the use of his private carriage to travel to the Vanthamper villa in the upper city. And all it took was Kunin’s knife to his throat.
We bade goodbye to Mort. Shame. He’s a good man, albeit a bit odd. He asked me why I didn’t just fly from our place near the Low Lantern to the water’s edge for a bath. I see why he’d assume I have wings at first glance, but perhaps that burn over his face is affecting his vision more severely than one might suppose. As someone with an obvious physical deformity who can understand how such comments might bother me, I gave Mort the benefit of the doubt and didn’t take offense.
Enya is heartbroken, the poor girl. Her aptitude for flirtation has certainly gleaned us a lot of valuable information, but clearly her attraction to Mort was genuine and, from what I could tell, mutual.