Maalbring 6, 1333 YS
From the Journal of Red Master Starig Stronghammer

I finally gets to rest, and reflect… and write in me journal. Yesterday were a day for a thumpin, and we all escaped the demon what the foul sorceress summoned. I thinks she did’na plan to summon such a large beastie. It were one of the greater demons I reckon, and seeing as how it took after her like a pirate to treasure, that gave me a clue that the lass had overstepped her capabilities, and perchance interrupted the great thing in doing something diabolical. Hence, it decided to take its wrath out on her. And thank The Runner of Heaven for it.. because by the beastie taking after Lura Ichon, it give us a chance to slip out and high-tail it to safety.

I guess I could blame me own self. I decided to intervene on behalf of those who’d been captured by Ichon and her summoned pet. She called it an eidolon, but I ain’t never heard of them before. Guess if I’d actually gone to those seminars on the planes and planar creatures, I’d know a smattering more than I do, and also would have likely identified that large beastie, the one Ichon had inadvertently summoned. Barn doors and horses.

Well, I’d decided to read the mind of one of the captives, to see what they was so fired up about, that they’d come into a tough divey place like the Sanguine Pit with swords a-blazin’. Well seemed that they were there to kill Ichon, and procure a cure to heal an alchemist friend’s son. Ichon, you see, was holding out the cure to the boy’s disease, blackmailing the father and forcing him to make and provide drugs for Ichon’s business. Can’t say I blame this group for wanting to kill her, and likely her not being faithful to the Lords of Heaven, she’d not be coming back from beyond to seek out her revenge. So, I decided to stick me nose where it diddn belong. But be this really news, here?

I turned the focus of me spell onto the barkeep, asking him a few pointed questions so as to get him to be thinking about said cure. He had an easy mind to read, and I discovered that he kept a vial of the cure behind the bar. Not sure why they kept the potion there, but I made sure I grabbed it afore I rushed in to save the group. They really didn’t need saving, other than a few well-placed blasts of holy curing. I were confused at the time, for I noticed the fellow what’s mind I’d read, the Cymbric Cian, was gone… vanished. So were the dwarf in their party. I later finds out that the group is cursed by an Alabic lamp, and people pop in and out of it… in some random fashion. And in this instance, the Cybric and Dwarf pops in, and a blademaster of Kaidan pops out. Not an even trade, but not a foul one neither.

It were a hard-won fight, but none on our side died. The eidolon finally was vanquished, and that is when Ichon started summoning things. Mephits at first, little fire-demons. Later, she summoned the beastie, or summoned it when she were trying to summon something… er, smaller. This thing be so large, its horns left gouges in the ceiling, and it let out a bellowing roar that near turned me insides to jelly. From it exploded in a foul, netherworldy light, which made me new companions become a touch mad for a time. Again, my Triumphant Mistress graced me with her protection, and I were able to pull the group to safety, despite their babbling madness.

The demon had grown wroth, and chased Ichon out the side door, while we sneaked out the main way. He who runs away and all… well it were a demon, so…he that runs from certain death by demonic claws, will live to tilt back a draught another day.

We only thought we’d escaped. The thing had our only escape route, down a rickety boardwalk back to shore, blocked. What with it being so huge, and the only way left for us to flee were into the bloody river itself. Again, fortuity were with us, for a chalupa had just dropped off a passenger nearby, and we seized on our good luck with no questioning the gods or fate.

We scrambled down onto that transport, and urged the pole-man to deliver us away from there, which he did. A scream was heard, so horrible a shriek it were that me heart skipped some. I reckon that were the last we’d hear of Lura Ichon. Well, one can hope. She were indeed a vile being, who dabbled in wicked magics, and this Red Master felt a certain serendipity in the method of her demise.

We headed to the Alchemist, who was happy to gain possession of the cure for his lad. Then we trudged to a provisioners, House Cartahegn Trading Post, where the group was expecting to get some wagins full of supplies, planning to head out of this crazed city. Alas, it seems some rat-man, a Vermani named Zomos, had absconded with the supplies, having hired some teamsters or the like to drive the wagins.

It turns out that this group is working for the Explorer’s Society (but I won’t hold that against them), and they are on a mission to rescue some explorers at a dig site. They are to bring the Explorers the provisions the rat-man had gone off with. This goal sounds good to me, I like thumpin on things as much as the next dwarf, and all the better if its a good cause. So I tell them I am in. They wants to leave there and then to track down Zomos and the supplies, but I contended that being beat near to death, exhausted of spells and supplies, that it would be better to seek the refuge of a bed, and a temple, and catch an early draw on the morning.

They reluctantly agree. We then goes to the small shrine to the Lords of Heaven, (yes there was one here afterall). Me and the lady Iz’Alma does our confessions for the Maalbring (the others – the noble Kaidanese, the sweet Kushari girl, and the wild-looking jungle elf – theys all heathens… but I won’t hold it agin them. They are not bad souls, even if they don’t follow the right gods). Feeling better for the lightening of me spiritual burden, I finds that the guide what was going to lead the party to the dig site is being cared for here. They told me he’d been drugged earlier that day, twice. I had a couple of magics left, which are helpful to restore the body, so I gives him what aid I could. It were enough that he will be able to guide us on the morrow.

Now, it is late, and I write. Settled into a comfy corner, hunger fed and thirst quenched, I finally can reflect on the day. By the Three Sisters it feels good to have some companions agin. And who had thunk I’d meet such fine folks so far from civilization. But then again, my Lonely Runner oft sends me such gifts, in the most unexpected places. Thrice yawned am I. The pen is soon for its bed as well.