As the Tabaxi mentions these faraway places, Barn tries to mouth Kara-Tur and Zakhara, though it comes out sounding more like "Cart" and "Sock."

"I'm Barn."  The big man then turns and nods as Thrash speaks of his experience.  "Fighting undead is good.  I can sense them sometimes.  Magic things are good too.  We'll try to find the Soul-thingie and help you not be dead, Miss Sylvane.  Is this Port N-, ah... Port place place much like Baldur's Gate?"

It's clear from the apprehension on Barn's face that he's been taken aback at things he's seen while in Baldur's Gate, coming from a smaller town.

Sylvane nods at Thrash's question. "Of course, she would be most welcome. As she is also from Chult, I expect she will prove most helpful," says the retired adventurer.

Sylvane then turns toward Barn, shaking her head. "Port Nyanzaru is a large city like Baldur's Gate, but that's where the similarities end. It is hard to describe, but you will see for yourself very shortly."

The retired adventurer pulls out a furled scroll and slowly unrolls it. "Brace yourselves," she says. "Teleportation can be disorienting at first."

Then, while focusing on everyone in the room, Syndra Sylvane begins reading from the scroll. You can feel powerful magic buzzing all around you. It builds and builds until there is a great flash and for a moment you are blinded. You experience a strange sensation, mostly in your stomach, as if you just dropped from a great height, but your feet are still firmly planted on the ground. When the brightness fades you find yourself in an entirely different place than Sylvane's study.

Welcome to Port Nyanzaru!

Thalara does her best to commit everyone's names to memory - with any luck they would stick.

As the teleportation spell is cast, she stumbles to her feet, not wanting to be moved to a place without a perfect chair to land in.

Thalara learns pretty quickly that she does not like Port Nyanzaru.  The teleportation itself isn't so bad.  But the chaos on the other side washes over her like a deluge of noise and color and heat.  She shuts her eyes against the blazing sun, tries not to inhale too much of the stench of fish and tar and spices, and struggles to block out the raucous children and barkers.  She almost doubles over but remains standing, visibly cringing.

"Is. . . is all of Chult like this?" 

Suddenly, a flash of light and a burst of energy disrupt the marketplace as a group of adventurers teleports in, drawing gasps and startled looks from the crowd. The party materializes in the heart of the market, their presence immediately commanding attention. Lysandra turns to face them, recognizing familiar faces among the new arrivals.

Lysandra’s eyes narrow slightly as she responds to Thalara, her voice laced with a mix of disdain and frustration. “Certainly not, this place is an affront to the beauty of Chult.”

Before Thalara can respond, another figure steps forward, a towering lizardfolk ranger with a menacing presence. Lysandra’s expression remains stern as she addresses him curtly, “Took you long enough, Slaughterscale.”

Fred gasps in awe. Reading about something in a book with vague description didn't come even close to the riot of color, sounds, and smells of the place. He barely remembers what he learned in school but this..this is something.

"Anybody know where we're supposed to go now?"

Barn staggers visibly, first from the experience of teleportation, then from the sensory onslaught of Port Nyanzaru.  The big man's jaw hangs slightly open at the dazzling hues of the city's marketplace and his nostrils flare at the heady mix of scents redolent in the air.  He turns in a slow circle, blinking.

"I'm hoping Miss Sylvane knows where to go," Barn ventures at Fred's query.  "Thrash might know this place too, and the new elf lady, though it seems like she doesn't like it.  I'm better with forests made of trees myself, not made of buildings like Baldur's Gate and here."

Thrash con save 4

Thrash feels the wine churn in his stomach as the world fades away and He is thrust back to Chult. 

The large lizardfolk easily shakes off any feelings of nausea and is surprised to see Lysandra standing before him. "Hey, you should be thanking me. I just worked out a great deal that could net you a powerful magic item... all we gotta do is keep killing undead like we been doin." Thrash says with a toothy grin. 

"I know where we are but my friend and I prefer the real jungle to this man made one..." He grumbles as he gestures around towards the lively city. "Maybe the map he gave us will tell us where we are supposed to go next.." The lizardfolk suggests before unrolling the map and opening it wide so all of the party can see it. 

Shra looks about her with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.  "Interesting.  So much life here, it's hard to think of death creeping up on the world.  But I might be better off in the real jungle too.  I just don't know for sure."  She laughs, just a little uneasily.  "The Naranthi clan used to live in Chult, and a few of us would come to Port Nyanzaru fairly regularly.  At least that's what I heard from my great grandmother.  But sometime during the years her mother was matriarch, we all took ship and came to northern Faerun ... rather suddenly, and nobody would ever tell me why."   Her voice trails off, and she suddenly develops a great interest in looking at the map Thrash is unrolling.  But her eyes occasionally dart up and flicker about the marketplace while her head remains still.  You presume she is looking to see if there are other tabaxi in the vicinity without looking like she's scanning for other tabaxi.

(Perception 20)

If there are none immediately visible, she turns to Syndra Silvane.   "Were your Harper contacts able to find any indications as to where in Chult we should start looking?  It's a rather large peninsula, and if time is limited for you ..."  She pauses again, wondering if the subject is painful for our employer.  "Apologies.'

Thrash unrolls the map and shows it to the party. This is what you see: https://i.postimg.cc/fL8BGFXp/314065-CN.jpg

Silvane also unfurls a map of the city of Port Nyanzaru and shows it around: https://i.postimg.cc/VNDqvt6b/0202a.jpg

Shra spots several tabaxi milling about. Several of them appear to be minstrels busking for coins.

As the party adjusts to being transported thousands of miles in the blink of an eye, Syndra Silvane appears unruffled and calm. "Unfortunately, the Harpers that came to Chult are a small force and spread rather thin chasing down leads. They haven't come up with anything promising as of yet. If I learn anything new from them, I will let you know immediately."

Silvane pulls a pair of Sending Stones from her satchel. Seemingly at random, she gives one of the stones to Thrash. "Keep this safe. It will be the only way we can communicate while you are exploring the jungles. As far as first steps go, I recommend taking some time to explore the city. You should take a room at either the Thundering Lizard, if you're more the rowdy type, or Kaya's House of Repose if you enjoy getting a good night's sleep. I myself will be staying at Kaya's House."

Silvane adjusts her mask and as she does so you notice that her ungloved hand appears withered. "I still have some time I believe," she says. "I'm not quite at death's door, but obviously the sooner you find the Soulmonger and destroy it the better. Also, while I do not doubt for a moment the skill and experience of Thrash and Lysandra, but there are deep, unexplored areas of the interior of Chult that very few have explored so it may be worthwhile to hire a guide, someone who delves into the deepest parts of Chult."

Fred nods, "I think some of us need a good rest. There is still daylight though, maybe we can ask those tabaxi where to find a guide? Usually minstrels know where things can be found."

Thalara spends some time studying the map Thrash unfurls.  Her gaze seems to linger most on the southern labels but eventually she straightens up and listens to the rest of Silvane's explanation.  

"I trust your taste.  Kaya's House sounds preferable to me.  There's quite enough rowdiness out here on the streets."

Thalara takes a moment, and with a wave of her hand and a few elven words, the collar of her outfit briefly glows.  She sighs with relief as part of the dark garment grows cooler.

"I know a little of cartography, and have some equipment with me.  If we find a guide I can update that map of yours, Thrash."

Lysandra nods in agreement, her expression resolute. “A guide would be wise. The jungles of Chult are treacherous, and no one is familiar with all of it, including Thrash and I.”

“Gather your supplies, rest well, and prepare for the journey ahead.” she adds, trusting the group to know what that means. Turning, Lysandra walks toward Kaya’s House, a small smile forms on her sun beaten face. 

The lizardfolk sneers at the idea of hiring a guide... "First a map... now a guide... I might as well be a simple tourist." Thrash grumbles towards Lysandra before rolling up the map and handing it to Thalara. "Feel free to draw whatever pictures on it you want." He says before letting out a long sigh that seems to deflate the large lizardfolk a bit. He then follows behind the others towards Kaya's House.

It is at this moment, while Barn gawks about at Port Nyanzaru like a beached fish, that a troubling thought penetrates his thick skull.  He gulps.

"I ah... I don't have any gold pieces.  Or silver.  Didn't have any to start with either when I left home, but the merchant I went with from Daggerford to Baldur's Gate said he'd feed me for ah... for just being nearby along the road?  Dunno.  Kaya's House is... they are going to want me to pay, right?"

"Or maybe there's a way to ah... earn gold here?  Like I did with the merchant, I guess?"  The big man looks hopefully at Thrash, Lysandra and Syndra.

Quote from Tybard >>

It is at this moment, while Barn gawks about at Port Nyanzaru like a beached fish, that a troubling thought penetrates his thick skull.  He gulps.

"I ah... I don't have any gold pieces.  Or silver.  Didn't have any to start with either when I left home, but the merchant I went with from Daggerford to Baldur's Gate said he'd feed me for ah... for just being nearby along the road?  Dunno.  Kaya's House is... they are going to want me to pay, right?"

"Or maybe there's a way to ah... earn gold here?  Like I did with the merchant, I guess?"  The big man looks hopefully at Thrash, Lysandra and Syndra.

 "We're in this together, can't leave somebody out to dry," the blue frog smiles and blinks shiny black eyes at Barn. 

Quote from Wysperra >>

Quote from Tybard >>

It is at this moment, while Barn gawks about at Port Nyanzaru like a beached fish, that a troubling thought penetrates his thick skull.  He gulps.

"I ah... I don't have any gold pieces.  Or silver.  Didn't have any to start with either when I left home, but the merchant I went with from Daggerford to Baldur's Gate said he'd feed me for ah... for just being nearby along the road?  Dunno.  Kaya's House is... they are going to want me to pay, right?"

"Or maybe there's a way to ah... earn gold here?  Like I did with the merchant, I guess?"  The big man looks hopefully at Thrash, Lysandra and Syndra.

 "We're in this together, can't leave somebody out to dry," the blue frog smiles and blinks shiny black eyes at Barn. 

 "Of course not.," Shra agrees.  "Traveling companions aren't quite clanmates exactly, but they're close enough.  At least that's the way I see it.  And my last firedance left me with enough funds to share.  I could cover lodgings for us at Kaya's, at least the first night.  As for a guide ... "  She thinks a moment, then sighs.  "You're probably right, the minstrels are probably our best source of information at the moment.  And I'd hope any bad blood ... if there was any ... has been forgotten by now.  In any case, they'd probably view me as another wanderer."    Before anyone can ask what she means by that, she is already walking towards the nearest tabaxi minstrel.  She stops when she is in easy earshot and nods.

"Hail, sister!  My travel-mates and I are seeking a guide into deepest Chult, one whose knowledge is current and exact; and we thought a tabaxi of the world such as you would know where to find the best.  I could tell you somewhat of the Witchlight Carnival in return for this knowledge." (Persuasion 11)

Thalara gently takes the map and stows it away.  If she is perturbed by Thrash's sullenness, she does not show it.  If anything, she seems a little more at ease now.   She falls behind the rest of the more boisterous and colorful crew, falling into step alongside the hulking lizardman.  Her voice is low, as if to keep her words from the rest of them.

"Any guide we find in this blighted place will probably be of little help.  When we get to the inn, I would like to hear more of your perspective, and to correct the mistakes and omissions of Silvane's little map."

OOC: Where on the map is Kaya's House?

The lizardfolk cracks a small smile and glances sideways towards Thalara. "Maybe as bait... " He replies coldly. "I've spent most my life living in the jungle... learning how to survive in a world where everything wants to kill you... where you KNOW it wants to kill you" He pauses before gesturing towards the crowds surrounding them with a large clawed hand. "But here... well... here the threats are different. Here the threats will smile to your face before stabbing you in the back. Many of these "jungle guides" will lure idiots out into the jungle and rob them before leaving them to die." Thrash rolls his shoulders and adjusts the position of the leather pack hanging from his back. His bag was very worn from a combination of weather and wear from the lizardfolk's armor-like scales. The relatively large bag looks small as it rests against the back of the large ranger next to his bone longbow. "There aren't many people I trust... and right now i'm surrounded by a lot of people..." He adds simply before continuing towards their destination.