So after some investigation, we determined this plague was indeed magical in nature. And even more troubling was the vector. Once it infected someone, it would soon spread to their intimacies- those people they felt strongly about (both positive and negative). So we were fine for now, being strangers to the town and having no one who knows us here. Unfortunately, in helping the city, we picked up some hangers-on, who thought we were all heroic for saving them. So, we had to get out of the city soon, lest we succumb to the plague.
Unfortunately, Az had no qualms milking the attention, despite the obvious risk. Indeed, soon after we left for the capital to complete our mission, he began to feel ill. Luckily, Rath and I were able to treat him, and we seemed to nip it in the bud before it was too late.
I wish I could say the river trek was uneventful, but it was not. We were attacked by a giant sea serpent, but luckily we were able to kill it with spell and arrow and sword. Isha jumped on it to get the killing blow, and we ended up having to fish her out of the river.
Later on the river, we came across a sandbar that blocked our progress. So, I had to have my soldiers disembark and we all worked together to try and pull the ship across the impassable terrain. It was then that we were attacked. We easily made short work of the attackers. But it turns out they were attacking us with fake weapons? Hey, if someone is going to chuck a spear at me, I'm going to put him down, how was I to know they were faking or something.
Owel, I wonder who these folks were, and why they faux-attacked us?