What's Yours is Mine

*Continued problems at the Black Brush Mines have caused Ul'dah to reach out to the Project for further assistance. There have been protests as well as thefts in the area requiring additional help needed to secure the mine. With the company's interest in the Allagan Ruins deep inside, they have agreed to help oversee the location. Central Thanalan continues to be a hot spot for activity which has overwhelmed the Brass Blades. Even after culling most of the Hammer Beak population and diseased animals having been treated or removed, there just isn't enough hands for everything. The group will be meeting at the mine.*

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## Report

At the request of the Immortal Flames the Expeditionary Project sent a team to help secure the Black Brush entrance to the Ore Mine near Ul'dah in Central Thanalan. It was boring work, but local protests and concerns over the sickness spreading in Central Thanalan overwhelmed the Brass Blades overseeing security. The Project's positive reputation was enough to deter most of the concerns, leading to a boring watch for the group. After 8 successful carts of ore making their way out of the mine, the 9th cart became cause for concern as some of the 'Wet Rock' from an earlier expedition was found here.

The miners didn't want to touch it as the group began investigating what might be causing the ore to take on these properties. While they were asking questions the mine cart suddenly lurched forward and made a sharp right turn to jump the tracks and careen off into the wild. The Miners didn't want to pursue it, so the Project went off to track it down instead. While the party split for a bit, they eventually came back together when they found the cart at the Sil'dih ruins along with almost a dozen bodies. Each of them was covered in disease that they had found on the animals in the region weeks earlier. As everyone went down, they split up to check over the bodies with careful consideration not to touch them. Ferusmon and Ekaka recognized that this group were wearing the same Orange and Black colors as the men they had chased during the first mission to Central Thanalan.

Many people in the group began hearing something strange coming from the ruins, eventually getting loud enough that the group came to alert. Suddenly, a large group of men burst forth and charged the prepared expedition team. Many of them were sick and bleeding from every orifice, with some dying before they could even approach the group. A battle ensued, which the team quickly won. Goldith was the only one injured as the others held back the attackers. Celandris and Saiya recognized one man and captured him, managing to keep him alive using a talisman that Celandris had made to fight corruption in other ventures. While R'ion, Ferusmon, Ekaka, and Fennella secured the area, others went to help Goldith who had been caught in one of Ferusmon's spells to disable his attackers. Saiya spotted a Manacutter leaving the area, and she went up to the ruins to investigate further. Saiya heard something inside the ruins, but the rest of the team was heading back with their captive they would need to get back to the facility.

New questions came up regarding what happened here. Had the disease jumped to humanoids? What had caused them to be so much further along then the animals were? What were they doing in the ruins? What's this Manacutter that has been sighted for the second time? If they could keep their captive alive, what would he tell them?

A new mission was being planned to investigate the ruins themselves once they could be sure they found a way to do so safely.

#### Additional Notes

Two days later Celandris and Saiya met with the man - they learned his name was Rick - in the infirmary. He was in a lot of pain an would need healing. Due to a previous venture they were on they had met Rick while posing as inspectors of the warehouse he was working at and making them believe that Celandris worked for their boss. In their questioning they learned his street crew was hired out by a man in glasses named 'The Alchemist' who wanted to go into the ruins. He found something he wanted, but shortly after everyone started going crazy and bleeding from their eyes. Rick had the same thing happen to him. Saiya seemed concern about the emotional damage Rick had faced. When he attempted to reach out to her with his hand she went to touch his hand to comfort him. As soon as Saiya touched his hand she began seeing visions and Rick clutched her hand and wouldn't let her escape. He started to emit a high pitched noise and yelled "DRIP DRIP" over and over at her. Celandris could only watch as Rick grabbed Saiya and opened his mouth as if to yell, yet with the words still coming out despite his lips not moving. Saiya saw visions in her mind; terrifying visions of things that Rick had been through and some that didn't yet make sense. She was able to break away, but Rick leapt out of bed to grab her. Celandris quickly subdued him, but Rick took a lethal amount of self inflicted damage and quickly expired. Saiya's glove was infected with the leaking disease, but they quickly removed it and Saiya was okay. The doctors in the infirmary came to determine what had happened but Celandris and Saiya kept to themselves for now. They would later inform the administrator, who put these relevant details on the company terminals for review.