Later that day, when they brought him back, I met with the owner of the caravan. I offered my services as a guard, and he explained his plan to pay us.

Basically, he will feed us and minimally pay us. He will allow us to keep whatever booty we find, though.

We began traveling, and had to fend off various attacks by the dire mosquitoes.

At one point, having gotten some blood over himself, our rogue decided to wash himself in a stream. He attracted some large fish, which I was able to bring out of the water onto land, where it was easily dispatched. I studied the creature, and determined that, similar to the mosquitoes, it was a normal creature that had been highly mutated.

I suggested that a simple prestidigitation spell would clean up the blood off of any of our party, without having to use a stream in the future.

Initiation

Being pummeled into the ground has some advantages. One is being overlooked for long periods of time, allowing one the luxury of inaction, where one can contemplate undisturbed. Still, actions have their advantage. I was half-buried in the ground, contemplating Dorothea, and how I could prove myself to her, and her Yuan-Ti relations. I did not hear the commotion above me, but my reverie was disturbed by someone stepping on my metal-clad face and cursing.

I stood, brushed myself off, and quickly saw the situation. The local blood-sucking insects (that never bothered me), were attacking a diverse group. I was able to burn some of them away, and looked to see what these people were planning to do.

One of them, who would later tell me she was a Deva -- or some sort of fallen Angel -- or some other tale, attacked a group of the insects and one of her group. Multiple times.

Not knowing what there customs were, I refrained from using a similar tactic on her attackers, but used the standard Magic Missile to pick them off, one by one.

Once the insects were dealt with, I was able to introduce myself. Apparently, they are guards to a rather timid Halfling. I have not been able to introduce myself properly to him, and they are still trying to find him after he ran upon seeing me.

Things we know about Victor:
Has an infatuation with Dorothea, a Yuan-Ti princess. Enjoys the company of Alchemists. Has a desire to collect antiques.
Has a strong hatred for Avigdor, the Archmage of the Warforged Magical Academy. Hates gnomes. Has an unrational fear of water.

There is apparently a plate on his back, where hands (the size of gnomish hands) could apparently do something under the plate.