I've also noticed that nowadays the cinq appears to poison mobs on rare occasions (or did it always do that?), but I've not noticed any new messages (or old messages) suggesting that it has done so (other than the mob shivering and suffering a few rounds later). At least I think it's the cinq doing the poisoning, as I'm not aware of store-bought Iocane having any lasting affects...
The low success on blinds/poisons, combined with my propensity to 2x whiff anything worth blinding anyway...Forging the cinquedeas was an experience worth undertaking a couple years ago (the Thing. Ouch.), but if I grew another thief, I think I'd leave that forge off my list of stuff to accomplish. I hate sacrificing the hitroll and damage of better stabbers, for a forged weapon that lies to me
PS. it is amusing, however, when the cinq does successfully blind on a 2x whiff, or when you get a "As you remove the cinquedeas it sprays a toxin, blinding the captain!" followed by "Nothing seems to happen." on the 2nd blind attempt

Now it's over, I'm dead and I haven't done anything that I wanted...Or I'm still alive, and there's nothing I want to do.