My mantra is what I follow. I took no prisoners, and ended the night with not-enemies. The Orcs seemed pleased that we solved the mystery of the sickness, and the fae was pleased that I healed her from the edge of death. Healed enough to gift me a lantern... It's far too bright. I can't see near it. I'll exchange it for something else.

All and all, this was the first real victory I felt I had, at least since coming to the surface. The Orcs proved formidable abbil, it is a shame they are leaving the territory, they would've been good to recruit for the journey back home.

From the journal of Dahlia Belvane

Now, I will be first to confess that I am often working these little… side quests… as a means to enrich myself. A lady does have a standard to uphold, after all. For the most part, I don’t mind. This Syndicate is full of capable people that seem all too happy to put themselves in harm’s way.

Frankly, I’m happy with them staying between me and that harm as often as possible.

A sad little village of orcs was full of plague. It was dreadful. We were asked to track down the source and did so to a barn some of their urchins had visited. There we found a group of pixies that mentioned a sound that was stirring them up something awful.

The trail led back to that damn village. The whole thing was the fault of a sea hag that couldn’t keep her vile frog-child in line and was creating chaos and illness. Utter trash, as far as I’m concerned. They were dispatched, thankfully. I’ve earned myself a new pair of shoes, I think.

We went out to help an orc tribe with a sickness. I was denied entry to the tent but was able to talk to one of the Orcs who were sick. I was capable of coming to the conclusion that it was the hag, although I had no clue where she may be, so I followed the trail, found some pixies, questioned them, passed two deer fighting because of a noise that was bothering the dear, and then everything came back to the tent at the end of the day. Apparently, not the best idea I had. There was a Banderhobb, and it did get some good bites in on me, but we took it down rather fast with Wu's quick thinking to get the surrounding orcs. I also got the hags body now, going to examine and practice magic on it soon.

Overall, it was a successful mission.

23rd Flamerul 1502 DR
Party: Forvist, Azrael, Pink Lady (Dahlia), Wuyon'e, & Myself

A letter arrived at the Syndicate requesting assistance from an orcish tribe that had become afflicted by a mysterious plague.

Upon arriving, we found the camp in a state of cautious isolation. Several members of the tribe had fallen ill after one family returned from their travels carrying an unknown sickness. The clan's leader explained that they were a nomadic people, and the illness had forced them to halt their migration until its source could be found.

Side note: I have begun noticing a troubling pattern. More and more of our recent assignments have involved sickness, parasites, or corruption spreading through the surrounding forests. I do not know if these incidents are connected, but I believe the matter warrants further research.

Following the clan leader's directions, we traveled to an abandoned cottage some distance from the camp.

Inside, we discovered three pixies hiding among the ruins. They were initially reluctant to speak with us, though after some... persuasion... they became considerably more cooperative. They admitted they knew the source of the plague and agreed to guide us.

I confess I was rather surprised when our guide led us directly back toward the orc encampment.

Fortunately, the orcs themselves were not responsible.

Hidden away inside one of the tents was an unusually large frog that appeared to be the source of the spreading illness. As soon as we moved to eliminate it, a hag emerged to defend the creature. Whether the frog was a servant, companion, or merely another tool in her designs remains uncertain, but it quickly became apparent that the two were working together.

After a difficult fight, we managed to defeat both the hag and her amphibious accomplice.

With their deaths, we were informed that the afflicted family would gradually recover, and the tribe could at last continue its journey.

Overall, the assignment was refreshingly straightforward.

We received a request for aid, gathered the necessary information, located the source of the problem, and eliminated it.

The tribe was safe.

We were paid.

I only hope the pattern I have begun to notice proves to be coincidence rather than something larger lurking beneath the surface.

• Tealight