Tyrgram takes out a small notebook and starts making a note of the more interesting sounding jobs:
'Coliseum fighting could be worthwhile to earn some gold and recognision on the side. But pirates? Now that sounds like it'll make a for an heroic quest but I don't think we have the numbers or skill to take on an entire pirate fleet. Best to shelve that for later. Dungeon delving into an old ruin? Classic. Plus treasure is always nice. The undead ears thing we can handle on the side.'

Closing the little book, which now reads:

 Tyrgram reaches out, plucks the guide cards from the board and returns back to the group.

'It seems that these people offer their aid as a guide.' He says as he spreads the cards across the wooden table. 'I'm a bit partial to this one.' He taps the card of Kwilgok. 'He's a bit pricey but his ankylosaurus could come in handy, even if just as a beast of burden. What do you guys think?'

As you sit and look at the guides postcards the waitress/bartender walks back to your table with your food and smiles. "Planning a trek into the jungle? Are you treasure hunters or do you have some specific purpose? That will be 1 gold please for the food for everyone." 

She looks over the cards spread out on the table and smiles. "I tell you, I should've been a guide. They make a boatload of money but you wouldn't catch me dead out in the jungle. Too dangerous if you ask me. Between the diseases, Dinosaurs, Undead, and Grung."

She shivers. "No thank you. Musharib is right over there. I see him go out into the jungle a lot over the years. People like him. I've never heard anything bad about him." 

When someone hands her the gold piece she smiles and gives a bow. "Thank you and good luck. If you need anything else I'll be at the bar." With that she takes her leave. 

Vrak pays the woman for the food when she delivers it.

"We are not treasure hunter's.  We seek something specific to end the death's curse that ails this land."

With her mention of Musharib he asks  "Is he the best?  Is there any other guide you would recommend?"

Quote from Paladin54 >>

Vrak pays the woman for the food when she delivers it.

"We are not treasure hunter's.  We seek something specific to end the death's curse that ails this land."

With her mention of Musharib he asks  "Is he the best?  Is there any other guide you would recommend?"

 The bartender shrugs. "I don't know. You'd have to ask people that use them. I never go into the jungle so I have no idea about any of them."

Zubeki ponders deeply at the cards before shooting straight up from his chair and blurts "Then I say let's start." Zubeki motions to the group to follow him to Musharib "Come on, unified front and all. We are a team now." He turns around again and approaches Musharib's table, waiting for his mouth to be clear of his meal before speaking. "They say you are Musharib, one of the finest guides in all of Chult, is this true? We are a group of adventurers who are prepared to pay in need of for someone of great skill traveling through the jungle." Zubeki's smiles one of his most pleasant of smiles, hoping that his companions are standing close by. Pushing past his initial disgust of the dwarf's attire, he examines him in detail (Investigation 18)

Vrak stands and follows Zubeki to Musharib's table.  I'm beginning to like this man he thinks to himself.  A natural leader, a man of determined action.

"We are looking for a guide as my friend Zubeki has said.  We have some questions as we try to determine which guide would best suite our needs.  May we join you and speak with you?" He says to Musharib.

Musharib looks up from his meal and gives a warm smile to the group. "Sit, sit. Have a seat." He says in a gruff voice.

"How may Musharib help you today?" 

Musharib has on armor made from the spatulate bones of dinosaurs, and it’s gashed and scarred by weapons, claws, and teeth. You can see burn marks on his right arm cheek. He has a blue tattoo on his forehead that is a large blueish circle with two smaller circles underneath it. His weapon is a large wooden maul that looks like it has been heavily used. The face of the maul is permanently stained a reddish color from all the blood of his enemies. He is an albino dwarf native to Chult.

"I have not heard people say I am the best but I am glad they are happy with my services but as for traveling through the jungle. I am your man. I know the jungle and will be happy to help you."

Ever the slow one when it comes to self-displacement, Jolly follows after giving the bartender a brief appreciative nod for the help before making his way over with the rest. "A pleasure to meet, one called Musharib." With the greeting out of the way, the giant-kin settles in to simply observe for a while. Noting the burn marks in particular, he appeared the most fixated by them and that of the circles on the dwarf's forehead.

Vrak looked at the man

"I am Vrakvroth Esstyrlynn. Myself and my companions have been retained by a merchant Prince to look in to the mystery of this death curse that has stricken this island. We are looking for a guide to assist us in the jungle. How long have you been working as a guide? How much of the island do you know? We are not treasure hunters yet we believe that the answers to this curse will be found within the ruins of one of the temples or cities in the jungle. We will need a guide to find these. We are not interested in entanglements with the Flaming Fist.  What do you know of the history of the ruins and mines on the island?"

Quote from Paladin54 >>

Vrak looked at the man

"I am Vrakvroth Esstyrlynn. Myself and my companions have been retained by a merchant Prince to look in to the mystery of this death curse that has stricken this island. We are looking for a guide to assist us in the jungle. How long have you been working as a guide? How much of the island do you know? We are not treasure hunters yet we believe that the answers to this curse will be found within the ruins of one of the temples or cities in the jungle. We will need a guide to find these. We are not interested in entanglements with the Flaming Fist.  What do you know of the history of the ruins and mines on the island?"

"Well met Vrakvroth Esstyrlynn and companions. To answer your questions I have been a guide for well over 50 years. Much longer than most of the guides here except for maybe Eku. She is the oldest living guide here." He chuckles at something before continuing. "As for how much of the Island do I know? Well, I have been all along the river Soshenstar from beginning to end, I know my ancestral home is located in the Kobold Mountains near the Valley of Lost Honor, I am one of the few people that know the location of the Star Goddess. I've been to Firefinger, all throughout the land of ash and smoke. I try and stay out of the Flaming Fist territory myself. They are a pain in my ass and I will not give them any money for traveling around MY home. So basically I am very familiar with the western and southern regions of Chult. I know about a bunch of ruins and mines. They are a dime a dozen in Chult. A new discovery is being found each week it seems."

"What of the Order of the Gauntlet?  You have been at their camps?  Do you know what they are doing on the island?"

"Everyone knows what the Order is doing on the island. They are here to destroy the undead roaming the jungles. I have been to Camp Vengeance, Camp Righteous was destroyed about six tenday ago. It was overrun by undead and dinosaurs. The Order was very unprepared for it. They seem to be doing better in their new home of Camp Vengeance. A small fort built along the river Soshenstar."

He takes a sip of his drink before continuing. "Why, do you need to avoid the Order like you do the Fist? Because I can easily avoid their camps but you never know if you will run into one of their patrols in the jungle."

"Of what I know of both I would see the Flaming Fist almost as an occupier, especially since they require a fee to explore.  As for the Gauntlet I have heard no such thing.  The goal of destroying the undead is a noble one.  I do not know why exactly the Fist is here.  Do you?"

"The Fist is here to expand their territory nothing more. They are like a parasite. Ever expanding. It is wise to avoid dealing with the Fist if at all possible but that is my opinion. Yours may be different of course. I do want to give you some friendly advice. Choosing a guide is a very important thing when you plan on traveling in the jungle. All guides, myself included, will not put their lives at risk for you unless you've shown them loyalty and respect. If you've proven yourself to your guide and helped them, they, in turn, will help you. If you have not they will just be a guide to you nothing more. Our fees are set by the Merchant Prince Jobul, he is the guide master. Our fees are non-negotiable. Some of us will waive our fee, which means it will come out of our pocket to Jobul, in exchange for helping us to do something. I am in need of people to help reclaim my home in Hrakhamar or at least to sneak into its treasury and retrieve Moradin’s Gauntlet, a dwarven relic."

Vrak leans back in his chair and considers the answers given.

"What troubles can we expect while in the jungle besides roaming undead and dinosaurs.  What about food and water?  Do you forage for food and water, or must we carry everything? Can we take pack animals or carts?"

At that last part Jolly pipes in and says, "Also, we would --" He glances over to Zubeki, furrows his brows for a second, and then looks back looking somewhat apologetic. "This one would at least know more of that situation regarding your home. Such as what can you tell us of these 'Fire Newts'? And of your home? This one has heard of this word 'volcano', but only so much. Also, would you happen to know of a river known as TAHT, or a Kahakla gorge? We were given a map to ease the journey, but as you may already know... such things are incomplete here."  

Quote from Paladin54 >>

Vrak leans back in his chair and considers the answers given.

"What troubles can we expect while in the jungle besides roaming undead and dinosaurs.  What about food and water?  Do you forage for food and water, or must we carry everything? Can we take pack animals or carts?"

Musharib laughs long and hard. After a few moments though he finally calms down to speak. "Troubles you ask, well besides the obvious of the undead and dinosaurs like you say, there are numerous things that will kill you in the jungle. disease, dehydration, Grung, the natural wildlife, even the damned plants will kill you. You can forage for food if you are skilled enough, water, on the other hand, is very hard to come by and the leading cause of death in the jungle. Most people will buy rain-catchers before the head out into the jungle. It rains constantly out there, almost on a daily basis. And with a good rain-catcher, you would be set for a few days. I've seen people take pack animals and carts. But be warned, if you take a pack animal you need to feed it and give it water. A lot of people forget that and the pack animal usually dies within a few days because of bad preparing."

Musharib looks you over again and at Jolly and frowns. "Out in the jungle, the temperature is usually between 80-110 degrees. You need 2 gallons of water a day to survive. You and your giant friend won't live long in the jungle wearing that armor of yours." Musharib shrugs. "Just a friendly warning is all. The jungle is suited for light armors, anything heavier than that and you will feel the effects of dehydration a lot faster than others. It can lead to your death."

Jolly looks down and picks at the mess of furs and scales, having thought not much of the heat up until now. The whirlwind of excitement and firbolg endurance up until the present had been enough to keep the thought from mind. "This one will see to a change then, perhaps. But, there's still the matter of my other questions. Please, kind one Musharib? One small piece of peace of mind?" 

Vrak takes out the map he received from Wakanga and places it on the table.  

"Here is the map that we have. We seek an artifact that may end the curse.  We just do not know where to start."