C1E14 - A New Leaf

## Agate's Account

Ive spent a lot of time over the last few weeks learning how to read and write. Sirinixia has had me copy some boring stuff. Jamra has taught me some cool legends and stories though. And Orentha has taught me how to fight. She bought me the most beautiful knife that looks just like me.

I guess Jamra and Orentha must really like me because they are teaching me things. At home knowing things was bad. Saying things was bad too. And magic was really bad. I know im becoming a bad person by learning all these things, but I want to know more. I don’t understand why people would teach you things that you could use to hurt them. I was much less of a threat when I couldn’t read, or write but they want me to learn. It doesn’t make sense.

I like Jamra though. I don’t think he will hurt me, and he’s
even done things to save me too. It seems like he likes me and he makes me feel safe.

Orentha is pretty cool too. Its nice having a girl who I can talk to. She wants to make me stronger like her. I don’t know why she does, but im glad because I want to be tough too. I’ve never met a woman as old as her who still has a tongue. Her voice is really pretty.

Its confusing to me that you can kill someone and not want to kill them, but I don’t think Trindak could ever mean anyone harm. I just wanted to scare him. He seems like a warm person, more of a danger to himself than everyone else.

Yesterday we blew up jasper and I don’t know what to do without him. Jamra says I can bring him back but I don’t even know how I got him in the first time. Someone has given me magic, and I’m scared they will come to take it back.

Sirinixia scares me a lot. I don’t like people who follow rules without thinking about them. Sometimes when I have nightmares I see her cut my head off instead. I think shes dangerous, but as long as she doesn’t think I’m dangerous, I think I will be ok.

But for now I think I’ll stay. I know as long as Jamra and Orentha are near I’ll be safe, and its nice having people to teach me things, even if I don’t understand why. They also like to talk to me which is nice too. I hope Jamra is right about jasper, he’s my best friend and I miss him.

## Orentha's Account

I was feeling good after our trip to Titanfall. I was trying very hard not to think about whether we had accidentally unleashed some sort of evil or worn down the defenses preventing that outcome, obviously, but I felt our group had become more cohesive through the experience. Even Agate and Sirenixia looked to be getting along better.

The most encouraging development, though, was Jamra’s change in behavior towards me. He pulled me aside one day and apologized for the way he had been treating me since we met. Considering the fact that I didn’t think it was possible for him to apologize for his actions, this startled me. He admitted that, while he had previously stayed with our group for selfish reasons, it seemed that he was developing genuine connections with the group - and especially with Agate. That, at least, we had in common. I apologized as well, admitting that I had assumed the worst of him. I hadn’t realized it before, probably because I didn’t want to, but we did have a lot in common. I couldn’t get him to promise that he would never set me on fire again, but it was a start.

I also found that I had a new and optimistic outlook on life in the city. When I had come to Guavira, I had given up on being a good person after failing at it at every turn - with my family, with the army, and then with the monks. I had hoped to drink my life away in peace and misery and probably die in a glorious bar fight. Our actions on Titanfall, however, proved that our group had the power to do some actual good, a prospect which excited me. For the first time in over a year, I had hope for the future.

In my new campaign to do good, I walked the streets of Guavira to look out for any crime that I could stop. It was silly - maybe even childish - but I was a bit high on self-righteousness. I found my mark: a young man standing suspiciously next to a cart full of desserts. I tried to intimidate him out of stealing anything, but he ran with the goods and I sprinted after him. I admit to having done a few unnecessary backflips to land impressively in front of him, but it got the job done and he gave up the stolen item and fled.

Now, a downside to having down time in Guavira lately is that I will almost certainly be stalked by Nix. I had honestly forgotten about them and the Nicto Kurasis for a few days considering what had happened, but nothing good lasts forever. As I stood triumphantly holding the stolen chocolate, I heard a slow, self-satisfied clap coming from the roof above me.

Of course. Nix jumped down from the roof and followed me as I tried to walk away from them. They told me that they owed me a debt after sticking up for them in the caves on Andal Island. Their gratefulness surprised me (considering that I had also thrown a knife through their hand and held a dagger to their throat in that same hour), but they also struck me as the kind of person that didn’t enjoy being indebted to anyone.

In exchange for what I had done, they offered me information: a warning about Agate. They warned me not to trust her, that she was dangerous, and that her power possibly came from an evil source. I knew very well that Agate could be dangerous - we all could be - but I trusted her more than I trusted Nix. Their comment about the source of her power did give me pause, but I tried not to show it in front of them.

What happened next is quite baffling, so I will attempt to lay the conversation out as I remember it with no interpretation on my part. I told Nix that if they wanted to keep associating with our group, they would have to cut the cryptic bullshit and actually play nicely with us. This is what followed:

Nix: I’m not used to people playing it straight with me.

Me: Well, there’s nothing straight about me. \*finger guns\*

\*seconds later\*

I extend my hand out to them in the hopes that they will finally agree to play it straight with us. Before taking my hand, they transform into a female version of Nix. She-Nix salutes me with a smirk and walks away into the crowd. Confused, I shout to her: “I’m not gay either!”

Now, why was any of this said, you may ask? This is a valid question, and one that I asked myself immediately after it happened. Truthfully, I still don’t know the answer. I tried to make a joke in a serious situation because Nix generally throws me off a bit, and seconds after insinuating that I am interested in women they transform into a female version of themselves. Were they trying to flirt with me? Were they just trying to throw me off even more to gain control of the situation?Neither of these interpretations are very comforting to me. Best not to think about it.

Oh, also they are apparently a shapeshifter. This detail didn’t seem as important after the trainwreck of a conversation that took place.

Their warning did make me want to talk to Agate though. While we searched for magic item shops, I asked her where her powers came from, and she said she didn’t know. All she knew was that one morning she woke up to eyes staring at her and ever since she could perform magic. She said it was then that she realized she had the power to do what she had to to leave where she was. I didn’t pry too much into this, but her expression told me that she likely had to hurt some people to get out. I knew what it was like to escape an abusive situation, so I tried not to judge her for it.

Nix may have been right about the source of her power, but I didn’t care. Agate seemed just as in the dark as the rest of us were. I still trusted her.

We searched for magic items at a guild hall called the Society of the Red Hydra. There, we met a creepy gnomish man named Dr. Thindolian Littlefoot (likely unlicensed) and his golem made of stitched-together flesh. I purchased from him a ring that I hoped would help me fight more dynamically, and in order to get a discount I agreed to picket Butters’ shop since she was his competitor.

Of course the whole party and Nix decided to come out and watch me make a fool of myself.

It was while I was spinning the ridiculous sign in front of her shop that Agate discovered a dozen small squirrels swarming the place. These squirrels were apparently Butters' nieces and nephews, who had fled their home when a Lindwurm attacked it. Butters looked to us in desperation at the prospect of having to host her chattering family and asked that we travel to their home and kill the worm. They apparently lived in Yggdrasil, the world tree that connected the planes.

This was the craziest thing I had ever heard, until Butters said that we could get to this tree by climbing into her cupboard.

The tree was magnificent. I could not see the top or bottom, and the smallest branch I saw was 15 feet in diameter. The leaves themselves were a beautiful amber color, and there were fruit hanging nearby that were as large as I was. I bit into one, and it exploded with a loud *bang*, but it was absolutely delicious.

The noise attracted the attention of some peculiar-looking ravens, who peered down at us from the branch above. They flew down to us, and they seemed to be able to mimic what we said to them. They told us that the squirrel people were liars, and that they had brought this trouble on themselves. We told them the purpose of our visit, and they lead us to the place where the Lindwurm was buried.

The Lindwurm proved difficult to fight. It would not come out of the tunnel it had burrowed itself into, and so only Trindak and Sirenixia were able to stand next to it. This left me to stand there uselessly since I couldn’t run up and punch it, until I decided to try my new ring out. I raised my fist and punched it down into the branch below me, and a hole in the bark opened up that allowed me to jump onto the creature. This, however, presented me with a new problem as it was now able to bite into me and hold me in the grasp its constricting tail. The last thing I remember before falling unconscious was trying and failing to strike at it with my blade.

I woke up to the sight of a dead gerbil hanging over me. It was one of the healing potions that Butters had given us, and Nix was holding it over my face. I hoped I didn’t owe him one now. I didn’t want to know what he would consider a fair trade for my life.

Jamra had fared about as well as I had, so we complained about our broken ribs together and were both supported by the others back to Butters’ shop.

## Jamra's Account

I have heard it said
before, particularly by my kin who dwell within the Seven Heavens, that there
is a season for all things.  I do not
know if this is true, but I am certain that I had need of these last few days
of rest.  The situation with Agate had
excited me greatly and I was left troubled after it concluded.  To see a child’s life flash by like that… The
Efreet have many amusements that they pursue in the darker corners of the City
and many unsavory allies, but I have never had the misfortune to see something
quite like that.

Enough smoldering though.  Put the past behind you and look to the
future.  We are safe once more, enriched
from our labors and with time to burn.
And there is much to do!  I must
speak with Captain Harker about her ship, complete preparations for my gift to
Agate, seek out a competent enchanter, find an appropriate captain, check on my
friends at the lumbermill… It is endless!
But first, there is a debt that must be paid.

­­­­\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

I confess that I
waited until the second day of our respite before I approached Orentha.  It’s not that she intimidates me, not at all,
but… I suspect I have some vestige of my people’s deadly pride still lurking
within my chest.  It galls me to admit
that I am wrong, but I **was** wrong…
Shortly after breakfast I followed her into the hallway and asked a few moments
of her time.  She seemed surprised, as I
escorted her into a side room, and her surprise only grew when I revealed the
purpose of my visit.  I told her how I
had judged her unfairly and perhaps spoke unkindly about her, apologizing for
my actions. She agreed.  But then,
unexpectedly, she offered her own apology for her behavior, which I accepted in
turn.  I tried to impress upon her how we
could no longer act like this, squabble like children.  The world is too unsafe.  It seems the situation with Agate put her in
fear as well, although she did not show it as excessively as I did.  At the end of our talk however, she did
something rather curious. She asked why I am here.  And I stopped. Why am I here?  This city is not exactly the center of the
known world, it is mired in bureaucracy, its climate is chilly and unpleasant,
it is apparently beset by pirates and thieves, and I am not given the standing
due my position.  Yet I have stayed.  I confessed myself as puzzled as she.  But something about it… I feel a connection
to these people, a hope that the world can be different.  Agate needs to be protected and the others
need me too.  This place may be dirty and
wet, my companions may be barbarous and uncouth, but it is so nice to be
wanted.  To be seen.  I can change things here, I can save Agate
from wasting her life, I can build something worthwhile.  I feel more than cinders with them, as if I
may finally catch alight.

Later that day I accompanied Sirenixia out of the house.  She was on her way to pay taxes. Hah!  A good soul, but the taxman always gets his
due.  Best to make him work for it and
avoid paying a copper in advance.  I
broke off from her when we passed the jewelry district.  There’s a dwarven man here who makes the most
marvelous pendants and I had examined some of his work when gathering materials
for my gift.  I entered his taberna, just
off the Plaza of Eyes.  He was a bit odd
for a dwarf, sallow skinned and hollow cheeked, looking as if he hadn’t had a
good meal or a deep laugh in a long time.
But in his severe gaze there was the glint of true skill and he assured
me he could work with the glass I had brought him.  I selected the stone for the center, a fire
Agate, burnished to shine in the dim light of the alcove.  I hope that my little friend will enjoy her
gift.  But more than that I pray to the
Fire Lord, great and treacherous though he is, that it may keep her safe.

Next was Captain
Harker.  When we last spoke she had taken
up a small office in the upper level of one of the warehouses that lined the
drydocks.  From what I had heard, the
repairs of the *Second Best* were slow going and I’m sure she’d be mired in
paperwork.  When I arrived, pointed the
right direction by a series of gruff dockhands who seemed a bit testy at my
intrusion, I was surprised to see her state.
The tall and strong captain was careworn.  The area around her new eyepatch was red and
irritated, and there were new lines on her face.  I knocked and entered, taking a seat amidst
the piles of paperwork that accumulated whenever a business person stood still
in the presence of the Inkstained.  We
exchanged pleasantries and Harker asked about the health of our group.  I replied positively, leaving aside the
unfortunate events two days before and inquired after the progress on the
*Second Best*.  Apparently things were not
ideal.  Although repairs were continuing
and the damage had been mostly to the starboard side, with the keel unbroken by
either volley, her crew was beginning to dissolve while she waited for the
repairs.  They were returning to families
or seeking positions on other ships, unable to bear the cost of weeks ashore
without pay.  Though she didn’t blame
them, I could see the disloyalty wounded her, as did the inability to provide for
her men.  I thought about asking after
Barton, but given the conspicuous absence of the small locket she’d worn when
we last spoke, thought better of it.
Perhaps his loyalty had been insufficient as well.  One finds one’s priorities change a bit after
the first experience as a damsel in distress.

Catching up soon
turned to business as I told her that I thought I had a proposition that could
help her troubles.  She was initially guarded,
replying that while she remembered the favor she owed us she currently lacked
much in the way of means.  I responded
that I thought I had a solution to that.
I was currently in possession of an odious, but more importantly **functional** pirate ship.  It was, alas, unregistered and had been
sitting in dock the past week, but it was completely seaworthy, only encumbered
by a few bad memories.  I personally felt
myself a bit susceptible to them and did not possess the mercantile license
that would make registering the ship and flagging it under Bridlane
simple.  Harker was caught offguard,
surprised at my implication.  I offered a
simple trade, as I had discussed with Squad 13 earlier that day.  A ship for a ship.  Mine was currently without title or
registration and hers was legitimate but damaged and hemorrhaging crew.  I had the time to waste and she the
legitimacy.  She was stunned, but readily
agreed, new life seeming to seep into her steps as she hurried over to the
manifests, checking which trips contracts she had suddenly become able to meet.  As I watched her reinvigorated, the confident
woman we had met restored with each passing moment, I felt… good.  I had of course profited from the deal but it
wasn’t as if many would have given her much at all for a damaged vessel, let
alone a whole replacement.  Maybe Orentha
was right. We can do some good here and I’m starting to like it.

Leaving the arrangements in her capable hands I left the dockyard with a spring
in my step.  Soon enough I’d have a real,
legitimate vessel on my hands, which could be captained by a carefully chosen
associate or combined into one of the merchant coops I had heard of.  I was rising in the world and for once, I
hadn’t shamed myself doing it.  Here was
a deal my ancestors would be proud of.  I
paused, looking over the waves slapping at the docks.  Hmmm... Maybe there were other ways to grant
wishes.  I could see potential in
this.  Who needs an angel investor when
you have a genie investor?

It was only fitting,
when I walked back towards our old haunts, that my friends had gotten into
trouble.  The leopard does not change its
spots.  Orentha had set herself up in
front of the Bushy Tail and was doing acrobatics, jumping back and forth with a
placard of some sort and shouting… slogans?
It was hard to tell exactly what, she was breathing so hard.  A few moments later Agate and Trindak emerged
from the inside of the shop and beconned us to come in.  There was another patron who followed and I
was about to speak up when I noted the tell-tale glimmer of silver eyes.  Ah.
Nix. Wonderful.

When we entered the
entire place was swarming with squirrels.
Butters explained, with a disapproving glance towards Orentha’s sign,
that apparently her family had sent her nieces and nephews to stay with her due
to some sort of monster attacking their home.
Beset by a dozen rambunctious young squirrels, she begged us to destroy
the beast and save her from the most terrible threat of all: children.  She was clearly desperate and readily agreed
to Orentha’s forthcoming demand for healing potions in exchange for our
assistance.  Once payment was rendered,
we headed off to Butter’s childhood home, which was apparently through a
strange cupboard constructed of white wood.

When we emerged from
the cupboard, we had passed into a world wholly unlike the one we had
left.  A vast tree, with branches so thick
we could not see the trunk.   Berries the
size of my torso ran down one side and thorns like spears up the other.  After Orentha has a rather amusing encounter
with a berry, we encounter one of the locals, a ravenfolk man who, through
halting mimicry, explained the nature of the place.  We were on Yggdrasil, the World Tree, and the
two people’s of the ravenfolk and the ratatosk had been locked in conflict for
some time.  All became clear when he
mentioned that, my vision of the place snapping into focus.  We were in the Outer Planes, as distant in
concept from my own home as the Prime Material was in substance.  This was a curious place and we would have to
be on our guard.  Nevertheless the
presence of a path to the World Tree in the city meant it was possible to craft
portals here and one could even travel through the portal in Butters’ shop to
anywhere else if one was willing to walk far enough.  That would be worth investigating.

The Ravenfolk soon
lead us to the place where their enemy, a lindwurm, had holed up, burrowing
deep into the bark of the tree and weakening the great branch.  Such an infestation would be bad for the long
term health of the area, causing rot and decay, although it posed no threat at
all to Yggdrasil itself.  We went in on
foot and carefully, with Agate sending Jasper on ahead.  That was when it all went wrong and the beast
swallowed Agate’s poor familiar whole.
She was insensate and darted into its tunnels in a rage.  I rushed after her, heedless of the danger
and desperate to prevent a repeat of our past adventures.  I saw her, just up ahead and hurtled beyond a
curve in the wood, hoping to interpose myself.
I succeeded all too well, landing amidst the serpent’s coils.  I lashed out with flame, but the beasts icy
hide was resilient and we grappled together as it wrapped its tail around me,
beginning to crush the life out.  I saw
stars and then salvation.  My friends
descended into the tunnel on the opposite side, joining the battle and pressing
the beast hard.  I called upon my power and
brought forth a desert mirage to bewilder the creature, duplicating myself several
times over, but it held its grip firm on my chest, crushing tighter and
tighter.  Then I heard a crashing blast
from above as the ceiling tore open to reveal Orentha above, a set of three
brass rings glowing blue upon her hand.
Seeing a chance to escape the beast surged up through the hole, ginving
me the chance to escape its coils in turn.
Orentha was not so lucky and as she bound and battered it, arrows from Nix’s
bow sinking into its hide, the creature twisted round and round her, seeking to
hold on until the last.  It was Agate
that finally found the chink in the armor, letting loose a blast of flame into
the beast’s wounds that ignited the gunpowder that was stored in Jasper’s
pouch.  The creature exploded in a blast
of smoke and flame that nearly doomed Orentha and I.  Fortunately aid was swiftly provided by Nix
and we staggered out of the remains of the ratatosk village injured, but
whole.  Orentha lent me a helping hand as
we made our way back to the portal.
Perhaps this burgeoning friendship would not be so difficult as I had
feared.

## Nix's Account

It’s amazing how comforting the stink of the city can be after almost being killed out in the open.  Three days and nights out in the wilds was instructive to be sure, but it’s hardly something I’m overly used to.  It was a welcome relief to slip back into my role with Nicto Kurasis.  Not too much had changed in the three days I was absent.  Roya and Gaius apparently did well without me there, which is a relief to hear.  They might be ready for independent field work sooner than I’d thought.  None of the major players have been making any significant moves either.  For now, at least, things are quiet.  Maybe a little too quiet.  I still find myself thinking about what those pirates were doing.  What was the purpose of those rituals?  Just to gain power?  Perhaps, but that doesn’t seem likely to me.  I intend to look in on it further in the coming days.

I half expected Modeth to order us to go after Jambis Dartheur and find that box he brought through without allowing us to inspect it, but he hasn’t mentioned it once.  It would be very out of character for him to have forgotten about it, so perhaps he’s decided to let this one slide.  I must say, that is somewhat of a relief to me.  The members of squad 13 are still under his employ as far as I can tell, and despite our disagreements I have no wish to cross blades with those I have fought alongside.  Well, except for maybe the tiefling.  But the others seem very protective of her, and would not look kindly on her harm as has been already shown.  Besides which, I don’t intend to make any moves against her until I know a good deal more about who and what she is.  Who knows?  Maybe she isn’t as dangerous as she seems.  Maybe she’s more so.  Either way it would be foolish to make any moves in any direction until I know more.

Either way, I still had unfinished business with at least one member of squad 13.  Orentha had stood up for me with the group.  In spite of her threats she had made the choice to help me, because she knew it would ultimately help everyone.  Good and interesting qualities to have in a person.  And at the very least, I owed her.  It took a few days, as the members of squad 13 were off on another errand for a while, but eventually I had my chance.  A few silver to the right person convinced him to steal some food right in front of Orentha.  Predictably she gave chase, and rather quickly caught up to him.  But he had gotten her into my alleyway, and that was enough for a private conversation.  She wasn’t exactly thrilled to see me again, but then I was hardly expecting a hearty greeting.  I thanked her for her assistance, and as a token of my good will shared my insights about the tiefling, whom she referred to as Agate.  Excellent, that gives me a name to go on.

Orentha certainly stood up for her teammate, but I could see that some of the points I made seemed to resonate with her.  It is apparent that she really doesn’t know all that much about Agate.  For that matter, I wonder how much these people actually do know about each other.  A question for another time.  She also doesn’t seem to be aware of what changelings are.  I would have been surprised if she did, but she hasn’t earned that level of trust yet.  No one outside of the community has.  Had you asked me a week ago if I thought she could, I’d have laughed in your face.  Now…….I’m not sure.  In the middle of the conversation, Orentha mentioned that she wasn’t straight.  I wasn’t entirely sure why, maybe to cut the tension, but it gave me an idea.  I probably shouldn’t have done it, but I couldn’t help switching gender’s on her just as we were saying goodbye.  The look on her face was priceless.  I could tell she doesn’t have a clue what to make of that move.  That’s fine.  I’m looking forward to her interpretation of it.

I returned to the nearest safe house, only to find a message delivered from one of the access tunnels.  It was from the dragonborn Sirenixia.  She was requesting a meeting from me.  Curious.  I had thought that she would be one of the last people to reach out to me.  It was possible that she was simply trying to lure me into a trap.  I had seen how she deals with lawbreakers, and it would certainly be in character for her.  On the other hand, this might be a good opportunity to learn more about her, and knowledge is always useful.  I infiltrated Dartheur’s establishment easily enough (none of squad 13 were there) and left a note for her, telling her to meet me at the Flying Pig Inn the next day at noon.  If her intentions were hostile, a public place was the best meeting spot possible.  She would be much less likely to attack me in front of innocent bystanders.

I was at the inn early of course.  I had my escape routes planned, and had even gotten a good drink when Sirenixia arrived.  She didn’t seem entirely happy to be there, and I gathered that she was doing this because she felt she had to more than because she wanted to.  In a rather businesslike way, she informed me that she felt I could help her in her quest to bring law and order to the city.  I confess I was a little surprised.  I hadn’t thought an alliance of any sort was even possible with this one.  Then again, I’ve been learning that the members of Squad 13 are full of surprises.  She requested that I bring her information of any sort of illegal activities that she and her group could stop.  I told her that I would certainly keep her in mind.  We do subcontract jobs fairly frequently, and Squad 13 has at the very least proved it can handle itself in a fight.  Perhaps they’re not of great use in more subtle activities, but that’s fine.  There are plenty of opportunities for hammers as well as scalpels to make their mark here.  She also requested that I do some research on some of the things she specifically noticed in the cave the pirates had been in.  This I listened to with interest, as her concerns seemed to be following the same line as mine from an entirely different direction.  This may be worth collaborating on in the future.

After she left I decided to tail her, just to make sure there wasn’t some sort of trap waiting for me.  What I arrived at was much better.  Orentha seemed to be acrobatically picketing a storefront.  Her face when she noticed me was priceless again.  The rest of Squad 13 was there, and was just convening when they appeared to notice something odd moving in the shop.  We went in to investigate, and discovered many talking squirrels, who appeared to be relatives of the proprietor of the shop.  She seemed less than thrilled to see her relations, and asked us to go take care of a creature that had ousted them from their home.  I wasn’t exactly prepared for their home to be through a portal and in a truly gigantic tree.  It extended above and below us literally as far as the eye could see, with branches the width of a city road.

After encounters with a local group of bird people, who appeared to have made their home here, they led us to the squirrel’s erstwhile home.  The creature living within it was some sort of worm that had burrowed its way into the branch.  Drawing it out wasn’t working, so several of the squad jumped in and began attacking it.  I couldn’t get close to it, so I moved in and began shooting it as best I could.  The fight was very difficult, with Orentha falling unconscious, and the genasi Jamra nearly so as well.  Agate somehow managed to blow the worm up by igniting some sort of explosive the creature had somehow eaten.  How that happened I didn’t see, but it was certainly a reckless move in a place made entirely of wood.  More proof, if proof be needed, that this one is a loose cannon and someone to be watched.  Nonetheless we were eventually able to make it back.  It was certainly an interesting little adventure.