Yongwu 20, 09/27
After weeks in the prison ship, I finally escaped with the Avatar and three of my cellmates, Suzin, Sang and Amirluq. I am not sure what became of our other cellmates, Chikoh, Sergei and Saza. They went out of the ship before us, and when we escaped, they were nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, we were able to reunite with my loyal Shu, who appears unharmed. Current plan is to seek out Suzin's local contacts for help escaping Beigang, which remains under Fire Nation Blockade. Also overheard some soldiers discussing a plan to attack Ba Sing Se with a giant metal automaton in the form of the Fire Lord, Azulon. This seems very unlikely...
The acrobat Saza has remarkably good aim. I saw her strike one of our guards with a very precise strike with a thrown bolt. Amirluq has also been revealed as a talented waterbender, and able to work well in concert with me. Hopefully, we will at least find some free time and safety for her to teach Avatar Toma the rudiments of waterbending. Since we do know if Fire is truly the Avatar's native element, it is difficult to implement the traditional order in his training. What can we do but try?
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We encountered some associates of Suzin, members of the Baitang, who aided us in escaping and finding our other cellmates who escaped - Saza, Sergei, and Chikoh. Our combined party reached a safehouse operated by the Baitang, and we were asked to participate in a supply raid on the ship of collaborationists from the State of Chenbao. I had not realized that their merchants were now openly supporting the logistics of the Fire Nation invasion. Perhaps they justified it since these supplies may have nominally been for the relief of the (Fire Nation friendly, no doubt) population. In any case, the raid went smoothly and there was no apparent resistance. Saza did not participate, apparently on account of cowardice, though she waited for us with the intent of continuing to travel together for safety in numbers. Having secured supplies for traveling, our goal is the town of Seshi, further West on the Third Sister Bay, where the Astringent River empties into the bay. I'm not sure how far the river is navigable. Perhaps we can find a local gazetteer, though I should not be surprised if it is badly out of date.
There continues to be some skepticism by my erstwhile cellmates about Toma's identity as the Avatar. I have offered to repeat the geomantic divinations and seek spiritual guidance with the group. Hopefully, an appropriate location can be found. There was, at least at some time, a Yonggan holy site on the Chief Peak, not too far from the Ba Sing Se highway. Certainly it would be suitable, if it still exists and nowhere else is more convenient.