Tem offers to Cassian to the market.

You bid Tyndareus your goodbyes if you're all finished up talking to him, and head out into the streets to look at the market. The bright tents stretch the length of the cobbled roads of the town, and each stall is selling different things, the salespeople behind the counter looking a mixture of bored and concerned. A few don't seem to bothered about the oncoming nighttime tragedies, but some others look just desperate to pack up shop and leave to go home. Some stalls just sell decorations or trinkets like wooden signs, coral necklaces, and glass bowls, whilst others sell street food and raw ingredients. It seems to be a market mostly for the everyday citizen, especially since the island doesn't get visitors often, but a few stalls do sell the resources a typical adventurer might want. Overall, the stalls sell everything from the Player's Handbook. If you want to purchase something or look for a particular stall, go ahead!

Walking through the market curiously, Cassian picks up a few necessities before heading over to investigate the food stalls.

ooc: Bought: Healer’s Kit 5 gp, 1 Shovel 2 gp, Rope, Hempen (50 Feet) 1 gp, 1 Climber’s kit 25 gp, Cook's Utensils 1 gp, Cartographer's Tools 15 gp, Total = 49 gp out of his 70

Investigation check on food stall (to look at ingredients, see what the most popular item is, etc): 20

As Ray is following, keeping an eye out for a shrine dedicated to Lanthander and .... some chewing tobacco!! "Helps with the bagpipes" he mumbles. 

Cassian purchases all his resources without any trouble. Some vendors of adventuring gear haven't had customers in months so wonder what you might be doing with it, but don't ask any questions. They also scan the food stalls and find all sorts of ingredients; meats, vegetables, grains, milk, oil, fruit (but no pineapples) and even more! They do also note that the most popular item being sold is like a meat and vegetable stew wrapped in a thick tortilla, kind of like a flatbread. The locals seem to enjoy it since it's convenient to carry, filling, and contains lots of nutrients and flavour with all the ingredients and spices.

Ray doesn't spot a shrine to Lanthander specifically, but there is a large, multi-faith temple just of the high street. It's open and spacious, with several ornate prayer mats rolled out around the sunlit room. Some families are praying for good luck and safety for the coming night, but other than that it's fairly peaceful and tranquil inside. He also finds several stalls selling chewing tobacco, the climate is perfect conditions for growing the tobacco plant so there's many vendors trying to capitalise of that. 

Hm, no pineapple, the only ingredient missing. Is the fruit itself cursed, or do the locals simply avoid it because it reminds them of the danger posed by Grammy and her minions? Still, Cassian has found one lead in the popular dish. He buys one for himself, Tem, and Ray, and places an order for a large, covered pot of the stew to be picked up before they leave tonight. A favorite from the imps' pasts...it could make a good distraction, or perhaps even calm them temporarily if it connects to those old memories.

After finishing the snack, he stops by the temple to pray for their safety and success for a couple of hours and then heads to the inn to rest for the remaining time.

Ray is very happy to have found a multi-faith shine and offers prayers to Lanthander asking for blessing and safety of the team (as well as a blessing on improving his skill with his beloved bagpipes), he leaves a number of coins with the resident cleric and thanks them deeply.

With joy he finds some stalls selling chewing tobacco and purchases enough to get him through for some time. "Ahhh, now Im set", he says to no one in particular, noticing he's by himself.

As he continues to walk through the stalls he finds himself in the town square.... he ponders to himself, maybe I could get some bagpipe playing in before I meet back with the gang?

Cassian successfully buys the meals, prays and returns to the inn to wait for nightfall.

In the meantime, Ray also prays and buys some chewing tobacco. He also considers playing a tune on his bagpipes in the town square. If he performs well enough, it's sure to lighten the mood. Make a Performance Check.

[Forgive me, I'm doing this from an airport lounge and my performance check is .... a plus zero so this is going to be entertaining :-)]

Ray studies the crowd in the square. "Hmmm, methinks this could be a great opportunity to get sum practice for myself, every loves bagpipes yes?"

As he very deliberately gets himself organised and what a sight that is, a tinker here, a tinker there, a sound check or two and the stunningly beautiful haunting notes emerge as he prepares his instrument and people begin to take notice at this very very odd sight.

"All and sundry, I Ray entertainer magnifience em here to give you a tune or two from Maxy me bagpipes (for that's his instruments name)"

"Step two my lassie, step two me boy, la la la ...." and then he breaths into Maxy;

Performance Check | 10

[If you're proficient in bagpipes you would have been able to add your proficiency bonus to the check but either way it'd yield similar results]

The sound that comes out of Maxy is unpleasant to say the least. It isn't an awful noise for those who are familiar to bagpipe music, but to the untrained ear, it's effectively just a racket. You get a couple wary looks from passer-by's and eventual a young man approaches you and says 'I'd stop if I was you. I appreciate you trynna lift spirits, but busking isn't the most welcome here'

Ray sadly puts away his bagpipes, "I'll do better next time, Maxy and I need a bit more practice", while the impromptu performance didn't go down well Ray is not perturbed. There's always a next time. 

"Right back to business", he says to no one one in particular.

[I'm assuming he will be heading back to the inn with the rest of the party to wait for sundown, I'll get another post of what comes at dusk out soon]

Tem tells Ray "I thought it was good lad. Keep up with your practice."

Raynior packs up all his gear and puts his beloved Maxy back on his back and prepares to return to the tavern. While people look at him oddly and maybe with a bit of frustration even caution, that's nothing new to him. Been a mountain dwarf always comes with complexity. Anyone who knows Ray and comes to him, will realise he's different, he's complex, he's a lover of people and he wants to bring joy to those around him, its often filled with complexity when Maxy is included but that's what makes him stand out.

Quote from GR_Mustang >>

Tem tells Ray "I thought it was good lad. Keep up with your practice."

 Hearing Tem give him encouragement 'is' something new. Raynoir blushes, how that is visible and seen is probably a mystery, but he's deeply moved, "Ahhh, thank you Tem, I will indeed practice, I feel connected when I play, it helps me in so many ways and its different like me" and continues to walk back to the tavern with Tem. 

Tem and Raynior enter the tavern.

[Alright, let's get into the jungle!]

You all return to the tavern having explored the streets, and wait until evening. Tyndareus gives you all his blessing, and you head out. The streets are now dark, all the windows and doors are bolted shut and there isn't a single light around. A few doors even have circular symbols painted onto the doors in what looks like blood. On closer inspection, it's tomato sauce, but still is seemingly there to ward away the Pineapple Imps (or Bajang, as they're called in the native tongue, which you heard in hushed whispers around the market). Speaking of the imps, there seems to be no sign of them, but it is still early, you know that they will be appearing soon enough. The roads in town do lead out to the jungle but there have been trees cut down and laid across the road to try and stop the impending hoard. You climb over them with relative ease, and head into the thick of the jungle.

What do we see as we trek through the jungle?

The jungle mainly consists of thick, untamed thicket that you have to hack back with any weapons you have on hand, and trees the size of monoliths with enormous roots that carve up the earth beneath them, meaning the jungle is difficult terrain. It is also now fully night time, and the cover of the canopy block out most of the moonlight, so it is dim light

Whistler and Roland:

Cassian lights a torch and rolls perception (19) and survival (16).

Tem suggests that they camp for the night. When they do he tells them a bard's tale.

The Tale of Luna, the Clever Fox

In a dense forest, where the trees whispered secrets and the streams sang lullabies, lived a fox named Luna. Luna was known far and wide for her cleverness and quick thinking. Her fur was a beautiful shade of silver, which shimmered under the moonlight, earning her the name Luna.

One day, as Luna was wandering through the forest, she overheard a group of animals talking about a mysterious treasure hidden deep within the heart of the forest. The treasure was said to be guarded by a fierce and cunning wolf named Fang. Many had tried to outsmart Fang and claim the treasure, but none had succeeded.

Luna, intrigued by the challenge, decided to give it a try. She knew that brute strength wouldn’t help her; she needed to use her wits. She spent the next few days observing Fang from a distance, learning his habits and routines.

One night, Luna approached Fang’s den with a plan. She had gathered a bunch of glowing mushrooms, which she knew Fang was afraid of, believing them to be cursed. Luna carefully placed the mushrooms around the entrance of Fang’s den and then hid behind a nearby bush.

As the moon rose high in the sky, Fang emerged from his den. The moment he saw the glowing mushrooms, he let out a terrified howl and bolted into the forest, convinced that the curse had come for him. Luna seized the opportunity and slipped into the den.

Inside, she found the treasure – a chest filled with sparkling gems and golden coins. But Luna wasn’t interested in the riches. She took only a single, beautiful gem as a token of her victory and left the rest for the forest to reclaim.

Luna’s cleverness became legendary, and she was celebrated by the animals of the forest. She had proven that sometimes, brains are mightier than brawn. And as for Fang, he never returned to his den, forever haunted by the glowing mushrooms.