#lol her inner elbow gets all deformed when bending it. didn't fix that in the remaster. It's most notable in carja silks light bc the

[one-of-many-journeys]

Day 57

Brightmarket

Up at first light in the Brightmarket inn for a morning meal.

Stopping by the docks, I discovered that Gulahni's stall had been robbed again in the night, along with her storehouse this time. She directed me to her storehouse where I began searching for traces of the thief.

Before I reached it, I was hailed over by an Oseram in his workshop, Fernund. He wanted to know all about my spear and how it worked, but I didn't like his tone. This wasn't an observer innocently curious about the workings of ancient technology, this was a profiteer looking to scrounge shards, keen to sell his secrets to the highest bidder. The Eclipse are doing enough damage with their corrupted machines without Oseram pawning legions of them to whoever can pay.

Fernund appeared to brush off my refusal to share the trick to tame machines, though I could tell he was stuck on the subject. Instead, he told me about an ancient piece of technology up on Dusk Mesa in the southern reaches of the Jewel, too high to reach, but undoubtedly valuable. If anyone could tell that from a glance, it'd be an Oseram, but I saw Fernund's proposal for what it likely was—an ambush, and another way to get at my spear. I said I'd think on it and went on my way.

In Gulahni's storehouse there were clear signs of a disturbance; grooves dug into the boards by shifted barrels and a stolen cart. The killer must have been meaning to last themselves a while this time. The amount they took was frankly ridiculous, and heaps of it had been dumped or lost along the cart tracks, ending in a huge mound being set into by boars. Were they trying to feed a whole camp?

The cart itself had been abandoned not too far from there, where I picked up footprints, spaced and deep enough to indicate running, then finally came to a flock of Glinthawks harassing a Carja pauper dressed in rags, ducking defenceless from their attacks and shouting prayers to the sun. I took care of the Glinthawks, but as I was the thief ran away. I finally caught up to him at a small campsite rigged up in a narrow pass, along with a massive amount of stolen food, sure to rot before it could be eaten by only one man.

His name was Dekamin, and though I would happily have offered my own name, he preferred to call me savage, though not in a malicious way, which almost made it worse. He was an escaped refugee from Sunfall, and he'd been stealing from Gulahni because he thought he was ostracised from Carja society for being a traitor. He would be killed if he showed himself. That must be what they tell the people in Sunfall to stop them from trying to flee. It must have been bad enough that Dekamin decided it was worth it anyway. I assured him that Gulahni and the people of Brightmarket would do no such thing, and he should go apologise to her for damage caused.

He also seemed to think that the Glinthawks had been sent by the sun as divine judgement to punish him for his trespasses. I know that Glinthawks hold a special significance in Carja scripture, but this was extreme. To convince him to return to the docks I told him that, yes, begging forgiveness would indeed absolve him of the sun's wrath.

With Dekamin on his way, I continued a little further west to hunt. Overriding a Snapmaw on the riverbank to help it fight the rest of its herd. I picked up a metal flower as I worked my way around the banks. There aren't any easy ways across the lake without swimming in view of the watchtowers, and the banks are too steep to climb. I was lucky to get away with it last night, and after what I did at the riverside fortress, and the fort on the road to Sunfall, they're sure to be tightening security. The Eclipse will be out in force too. My best bet is to enter from the east, maybe even the north.

On the way back east, I came across a bandit clan beset by machines. I enjoyed watching them for a while. They may be deadly against unarmed outlanders, but in the wilds, at the mercy of the machines, they're useless.

I spotted a climbing trail down to the Jewel floor marked by Banuk flags and paintings. As I was hoping, another figurine was waiting at the top of a pillar of stone, with stunning views of Meridian across the way.

I set off southwards toward Sunstone rock to give Janeva news of her missing prisoners, and collect my payment of course. On the way I was attacked by yet another group of bandits. Nil really started grieving too early.

I arrived at Sunstone rock in the late afternoon. Janeva said he knew just by the look on my face what fate had befallen the prisoners. His justice was done—the old fashioned way, just as he liked it. On payment given, he seemed to want rid of me. Pride wounded by asking an outlander for help, is my guess. The repairs to the prison wall were slowly coming to fruition, and it didn't seem like Nil had gone and gotten himself locked back up in a cell, so that was good. I left Janeva to his royally-granted post and rode back north east for Dusk Mesa.

Slipping inside a crevice in the mesa, I spotted a crate up high on the rock wall. Probably an empty crate, but I made my way to it regardless, careful to note the layout of the terrain (cramped, enclosed, and with only one exit. Nicely picked, Fernund). When I reached the box, finding that it was indeed empty, Fernund slunk out from the foliage and gloated at my gullibility before setting his mercenaries upon me. I tried to warn him before he did. I've taken down worse than him, and I know my reputation is exaggerated by leagues despite all I've done to substantiate it. No shot.

There were only five of them, and in the dense vegetation and boulder coverage, it was easy to hide from them and catch them unawares. They also had the brilliant idea to split up and comb the area in pairs. They were all dead in a minute or two, but by then Fernund had already fled.

I took my time combing the area for anything that was actually useful before pursuing him. Some good hunting and herb gathering, then I pressed on. On machine back I'd catch him quick enough.

I found no sign of him on the road, combing for tracks with my Focus, so I reasoned he must have fled for Meridian after all, despite it being the first place I'd look. They say a man can disappear in a city so large. Well, not this man.

I tried not to draw attention to myself once on the docks. Hard when everyone who walks by feels the need to shout their gratitude for saving their king's life to the water and sky. Eventually I spotted Fernund on my Focus, hiding out in a workshop.

He spotted me before I could creep up on him, then ran up the stairs, pursued, and pounded on the doors in desperation. I just waited patiently for him to stop.

He was quite certain I was going to kill him right there in the middle of a peaceful, heavily populated village. That's what savages do, I suppose. He begged me to settle for a finger, or an arm, but I could tell he was more foolish than dangerous, if in the possession of enough shards to hire dangerous people. I let him off with a warning, telling him to spread the story of his little mishap far and wide, and to exaggerate as much as he liked. Hopefully that'll be the last of greedy delvers trying to get at my spear.

On the rooftops as the stars came out, then down to one of the village's bedhouses to sleep. One decent thing about this reputation of mine—it gets me into establishments around Meridian free of charge. And no one cares where I climb.