Nomen Infernale XXVIII: Your Sleep Will Be Sweet
General Summary
La Compagnia wearily trudges toward the gates of Abkha Oasis on the Asri River. Guards bar the gate and look at the party with a mix of pity and loathing. The guards explain that Khemite Queen Isi XIV rules the city with a manager as her proxy, and that a tax on entry will go to upkeep of the city first and the remainder will go to the poor of Abkha. The party pays entry for their camels and selves, but are cannot enter until they hand over any weapons larger than a dagger. La Compagnia bristles at the idea of being so minimally armed, but eventually they consent and enter. Grooms lead the camels toward the caravansarai and the party is pointed toward the hammam, a common eating area and lodging. They check out the market on their way to the hammam for much needed baths. When they approach Theo becomes skittish about entering the baths. His companions attempt to cajole him into entering the bath, but he made meaningful eye-contact with Teleptyon, then looked at his chest and back into his eyes an suggested they forego the services of the hammam in favor of a drink. They leave the rest of the party with Kegho being dipped bodily into a tank full of dead-skin-eating fish, Alex doing a back handspring into a pool, Riven struggling against a very determined bath girl trying to give her a massage, Asbjørn asking for more women to work on him, and Elissa giving Zahur's attendant very pointed instructions before being led away for her own services.
Once the barley beer was served, Theo asks Teleptyon what his intention was with the map to the Library of the Myrmex and whether he trusts Kalim al-Hashmi. Teleptyon acknowledges that he is not entirely sure that he does, but does not feel like he has much of a choice in the matter. Al-Hashmi is more powerful himself, and is working for a benefactor more powerful still. He could be a useful ally and mentor in helping him deepen his skill with the Philosophia Arcana and would be a terrible enemy. Teleptyon reminds Theo that the party doesn't need more enemies.
As they gloomily stare at the table following this conversation, they notice a presence hovering over them. They look up to see a waif of indeterminate age staring hopefully at them. She asks for food, and ideally, a job as a laundress or cook for the party. She tells them she is an orphan of a plague that swept through the area some two months ago and that while the denizens had been tolerant of her, they increasingly expected her to take up work as a bath girl or prostitute. Teleptyon asks her name and suggests she would be safer taking just food and money from them as those who traveled with La Compagnia frequently meet grizzly ends. She tells him her name is Nani, daughter of Taliba and says she would accept even traveling with them to Anekhsemeru. Theo counters Teleptyon by saying that such charity would only last a moment and traveling with might give her better opportunities than Abkha. When the rest of the party joins they find a young girl inhaling meat-filled pastries while Theo and Teleptyon are having a civil but tense conversation about her.
Alex suggests that he will go to the city manager the next day to have him send word to Queen Isi and the Medjay of Khemia about the status of Abet Sakhat and his sister, Ashat the Bayek, and their mission. While he is there he will check the status of Nani with the city. He suggests that if she is cleared to travel they can bring her to Anekhsemeru and re-assess her utility there. Teleptyon points out that much danger could befall her on the trip from Abkha to Anekhsemeru before resigning himself to being overruled by the other members of the party. They agree to outfit her the next day, and Teleptyon makes plans to produce as much Eknoi fire as he has supplies for.
The shopping goes poorly with an attempt by Asbjørn to get the price reduced ending in the watchmen being called. Theo successfully smooths things out and Alex pays full price for the goods and leaves before things get worse. They continued to the tailor to get functional travel wear for Nani and then to the barber-surgeon to see about ingredients for some of Teleptyon's healing potions and unguents. While discussing ingredients and various healing items he mentions that he may be able to fix Teleptyon's kidney issue. The party fetches Teleptyon and Theo assists to make sure this backwater medic does his job appropriately. When they finish Teleptyon returns to his alchemy and Alex takes Theo and Riven to the city manager.
They report their involvement with the Medjay and show the manager, Pan Nebit Ma, on a map where Abet was buried, apologizing that they could not provide him with the proper Khemian burial rites. He is skeptical of their involvement with the Medjay, but the group seems sincere and he promises to send a notice to the Medjay, but he also mentions that there would be consequences if the party were lying. Alex tells him of their plans to head to Anekhsemeru next and to take Nani with. The manager sighs deeply tells the story of a miasmatic taint that seeped up from under the river.
The river has long been the source of the fertility of the Asri River valley's fertility, but some time ago the silt that replenished the fertility of the valley had begun to spread ghoul fever amongst those who lived close to the flood zone. The combined efforts of Tariqa, Khemite and Ouranic clerics had only been able to soften the effects of the effluvia and after each flood season many became ghouls that must be hunted down. Alex and Theo exchange glances realizing that this was the taint on the land that Ghamdi the Lifetaker had told them the City of Brass was combating. The manager continues that Nani's family had been lost in the last wave of ghoul fever approximately two months prior. She survived and seemed unaffacted so they let her into the city, but the superstitious Khemians were unsettled by her even though she showed no sign of ghoul fever. He told them that he would consider it a blessing for the city for La Compagnia to take her with but was also not sure it was a wise idea.
Alex, Theo and Riven thank the manager for his time, and offer to courier anything to Anekhsemeru, an offer he graciously declines. They find Teleptyon with bottles of Eknoi fire and improved kidney function. Kegho sells the feral camels and the party leaves Abkha and heads toward the plagued River's edge.
