"No, Three, you are correct." Taman agrees, also getting up. "I believe we have learned all we will here. It is time to seek out one of those guides, and see if we can talk them into showing us these sites the temple might be located at." He pats his pack where he placed the map.

"We might also need to hit the marketplace.  The weather here is miserable and that map makes it look like we won't find too many inns along the way.  We might need to get some kind of jungle equipment before we head out.  Hopefully a guide can help with that, but we should keep it in mind if we do have to head out on our own."

You leave the Ornate Dragon and head over to the Beggar's Palaces to see if you can find a guide. As you approach you you see two tall ziggurats. Shops and Tenements of bamboo are jammed on the terraces for the ziggurats in wild profusion. A narrow wooden bridge connects the upper levels above the press and noise of the street. As you approach the ziggurats you start to smell the festering scent of garbage, rancid water, rot, death, and decay coming from just beyond the Old City. It takes a few minutes to get used to the smell, and even then you're not really used to it. You ask around for where you can find a guide, and you're directed to the 3rd level of the eastern ziggurat. You find your way up the western ziggurat and across the wooden bridge and into the eastern ziggurat. There you see the stairwell leading up to the higher floors or down to the lower floors, people bustling here and there. Half of this floor has been section off into a makeshift room with tables and chairs. Sitting at one of the tables is a dark-skinned woman, with shoulder length hair, braided with beads and shells, three small gold hoop earrings in each ear, white face-paint in three stripes running from her upper cheek to her jaw. As she sees you looking into the room she pipes up and with a slight foreign accent says, "If you need a guide to get you through the jungle alive, look no further. I was born in the jungle. I know it's dangers well and how to best avoid them".

Before she even gets to finish her spiel, another dark-skinned woman with shorter hair decorated with feathers and held together with a bandana covering half of her forehead and holding her hair back, wearing multiple strands of necklaces decorated with beads, shells and small animal bones pipes up and says, "Yea, Yea, and what else are you looking for, eh Azaka?" Looking at your group, she then says, "Don' listen 'a her. While the lure of pillaging the antiquity of Chult is a temptation, I appeal to those who find fulfillment in doing actual good in the world. I seek to rid the jungle of evil. There are many ruins and ancient temples that must be reclaimed, so that the spirits of nature can return to their sacred places and live in peace".

"Grobkaz!", a study, bald, and heavily scarred dwarf with a blonde beard, with one braid down the middle held together with a small iron bauble, stares you down and says, "I've stood atop every mountain in Chult. I know every gorge and crevice, every plateau and trail. My memory is an iron trap. I forget nothing. Trust a Dwarf I always say, because a Dwarf will never steer you wrong."

Another woman, with medium tanned skin, long, straight black hair and swirling tattoos around her eyes says, "Don't listen to the fools and liars. I've led many expeditions through the wilds of Chult. I know the secret trails that appear on on map. Hire the others at your own peril. Azaka and Eku", the woman says looking at the first two women "have led expeditions into the jungle that never returned. Old Hew," now looking at the Dwarf, "suffers from mad monkey disease, I'm sure of it, and is not to be trusted. And I hear tell that River Mist and Flask of Wine, wherever they're at now, owe money to the Zhentarim".

After she say this, the room explodes into arguing and cursing, with Hew almost getting ready to draw his waraxe, but getting flustered and just continuing to curse at whoever even looks at him and starts to say something.

Being a natural researcher, Rivon uses his Inquisitiveness to see if he can determine which of these folks is the least full of crap, or to see if he can make out any clues which might give him a hint as to who might be a decent guide.

Several times it looked as if Three might ask a question or perhaps even greet the various guides in her usual fashion, only for the others to interject with their various claims. However, this hardly seemed to agitate her. Quite the opposite, in fact, as the eagerness to assist for so many finally drove away the weight of concern the chimera seemed to have been caring ever since the warning from red robe lady of death.

In the end, she looked back and forth between the party and arguers shaking with excitement, but seeming unable to put thoughts into either words or action for the moment. Rather, it probably wouldn't be until the arguments stopped, or some other member of the group chimed in with a course of action. For now.

After snooping around for a few minutes, Rivon reports back to the group.

"It seems that the going rate for a guide is 5gp per day with 30 days paid up front.  It also seems like they're all after their own thing as well.  That first one wants some mask, the one named Eku seems to be a tree-hugging do-gooder.  She seems nice enough, but might have a screw loose and may not necessarily see eye-to-eye with our approach to matters.  The last lady is looking for 5% of the take.  She seems pretty high maintenance.  The dwarf wants 15%, but seems to come without all the drama.   

"As for River Mist and Flask of Wine, there are mumblings that they may be in another part of town, but I wasn't able to find out much about them.  If we want to go looking, it seems like the Executioner's Run would be a good place to start.  I don't know what that is, but it sounds ominous.  It's in the southwest part of town, past the wall.

"What do you guys think?"

"I think the dwarf would make good emer--" Three started to say before in side-eyeing Fujin, she paused to clear her throat. "Wh-what I mean to say is, less drama would probably be better! Though he'll probably want more once he finds out what we're after, you guys can always negotiate that at least. But with the others tho'... I unno. Also, does anyone mad monkey disease?"  This she asks of the group; who should she find lack the answer, would just as well go over to pull Old Hew aside and ask about it.

Fujin, who is visibly irritated by all of the arguing going on between the competing guides, chimes in. "Aie, I'd certainly feel more comfortable givin' the dwarf his 15% than any of these other lout slags. But really what it be comin' down to fer me is which wunna them's gonna be carryin' their own weight the best when we be gettin' into a proper ass kickin' session in the middle'a nowhere? I don't wanna hafta deal with some right ****wit who can't be bothered to take off some heads when it comes down to it. Also, when we be considerin' these River Mist and Flask of Piss fellas, keep in mind we don't be needin' two Mr. Rivers. Moradin forbid Three over here gets confused." Fujin lets out a boisterous laugh at his comment, but also with the intent to drown out the arguing in the background, if only for a moment.

Unfortunately, you don't recall anything about Mad Monkey Disease.

Vey nod simply a bit befuddled by all the arguing “Sound as if we’re leaning towards the dwarven fellow.” 

"The dwarf is fine with me." Taman comments to his companions, in a voice that would not carry to the respective guides. "I feel we will get some baggage, regardless of who we pick, but the dwarf is likely to know the jungle at least. I would rather not look for those other pair of guides, as they are sounding less respectable than any of those currently here." He shrugs and stops speaking.

As we arrange to hire the dwarf, Rivon will specifically ask him about any gear we might need to acquire for travel and survival in the jungle.  This is well out of Rivon's comfort zone and he definitely wants to be prepared.

(OOC: And to speed things along, he'll make a trip to the market to acquire any jungle necessities.  Probably water gathering gear, uhh, sunscreen, zombie repellent...well, this is why he's asking the dwarf!)  

As Rivon approaches Hew, the rest of the guides seem to simmer down a bit, seeing that the party has selected a guide to use. Hew tells Rivon the items that he might need for a trip through the jungles. Machetes (or an equivalent blade), as he pats one of his handaxes, extra Rations and water skins, bug repellant, something to shade your head, climber's kits, hunting traps, crowbar (for getting into and out of ruins if need be), Healer's Kits, rope, Healing Potions, and the like (all of which can be purchased at the Grand Souk (OOC - area 6). After he tells Rivon the best items to bring with for a journey into the jungles, he asks, "So where might ye be wantin' ta take a look at? The Peaks of Flame, a fun but dangerous trek, what with the lava and Salamders? Lake Luo, a relaxing bathe in the salty lake, if you can get past the Chuuls? Valley of Lost Honor, to seek out the hordes of treasure still lost in the caves? The Ruins of Mezro, to try and fend off the undead and other monsters to find the secrets of the College of Wizards? Where will it be?".

"Oh, I have no idea.  Ask Taman."  Rivon points toward the human.

(OOC: Rivon has rope, a climbers kit, crowbar and 4 healing potions. (Also a shovel, soap, tent, grappling hook, a block and tackle, a steel mirror and a signal whistle.) He'll need to add an extra waterskin, a machete, insect repellent and a sneaky jungle hat.  Hunting traps are heavy, so he'd leave that to someone beefier.  Obviously most of these items are only useful for him, so others will need to equip accordingly.  I'd also recommend everyone carry a signal whistle if they haven't got one already.  They're 5cp and can be a lifesaver.  DM: If you can give me a quote for those items I need, we might be able to bypass a shopping episode.)  :)

"We will speak of that once we have some privacy to do so." Taman informs Hew, glancing around at the room filled with curious ears. "Will we need rafts, donkies, or some other means of transportation?" He says. "I realize exactly what sort of transportation might depend on where we are headed, so maybe we should take this conversation to somewhere less public to continue it..."

Quote from Bierp >>

"Oh, I have no idea.  Ask Taman."  Rivon points toward the human.

(OOC: Rivon has rope, a climbers kit, crowbar and 4 healing potions. (Also a shovel, soap, tent, grappling hook, a block and tackle, a steel mirror and a signal whistle.) He'll need to add an extra waterskin, a machete, insect repellent and a sneaky jungle hat.  Hunting traps are heavy, so he'd leave that to someone beefier.  Obviously most of these items are only useful for him, so others will need to equip accordingly.  I'd also recommend everyone carry a signal whistle if they haven't got one already.  They're 5cp and can be a lifesaver.  DM: If you can give me a quote for those items I need, we might be able to bypass a shopping episode.)  :)

Insect repellent = 1 cp, Machete = 3 sp, jungle hat = 1 sp. For the rest use the prices in the PHB.

Hew looks around, and says to Taman, "Have ya not seen the city? There's really not too many other places more private than here. We can go over her to the corner if you want to move away from other ears...".

"Sounds good!" Three chimed in, finally returning from what looked to have been idle fantasizing over the many other optional places for the group to go and get into trouble. Even the concept of trying to root around for wizard secrets failed to dull her interest. "Oh oh! And by the way-..." She asked on the way, leaning in close to Hew. "Don't take this the wrong way, but... what's mad monkey fever? 'cause like, I think Mr. Tamato here can prolly help with that." She adds, gesturing over to Taman. 

Once she had an answer, be it a true one or deflection, a nevertheless satisfied Three fell back a step once the group reached a new corner and knelt down to Fujin. "I almost forgot to say thank you for before. Like Golly! It would'a been so confusing having two rivers that I might've had to call them longer names. Like, our Mr. Riverz being Mr. Rivers the Quick, and the other one being, uhhh -- Oh! River Senior! 'cause like-...! Wait... No that wouldn't work unless he's a halfling too, huh?" 

Quote from BalarRachi >>

Insect repellent = 1 cp, Machete = 3 sp, jungle hat = 1 sp. For the rest use the prices in the PHB.

(OOC: Added all that plus a rain catcher for an additional 1gp).

"Well, I was actually thinking of back in our private rooms at the inn, once we get private rooms anyway." Taman says, but follows to the corner. He considers the map, going by memory, as he would not pull it out in this setting. "Our destination is near the Swamp of Sorrows, near Lake Luo, between the Peaks of Flame and the Kobold Mountains, or possibly on Ubtao's Hand." He shrugs. "From my source, it is not certain where the place we seek is actually located, but those four are the most likely locations, so we need to start with one and check all four of them until we locate what we are after."