Sir Darak Darkhall: After the Run, Darak wrestles himself free from the guard's grip, shouting, "Unhand me, sir! I am a free man!" He attempts to slip into the crowd, but finds his newfound fame makes this difficult. Pushing through crowds and refusing several propositions, the Knight finally finds himself at Kaya's House of Repose. 

Entering to a warm reception, he says to his new companions, "You put yourselves at great risk coming to my aid. I owe you all my life. You have my thanks and eternal gratitude." He joins the group in feasting and storytelling, listening closely to what everyone has learned so far. 

With all their options laid before them, the question becomes, "Where to start?" Darak speaks up, suggesting, "I believe a guide to be a necessity for our continued survival in this place. However, we must locate one we can trust not to kill us in our sleep. This Azaka sounds promising."

Silas thinks over what have been mentioned about guides before speaking "I will rely on your insight to determine ideal guide as I have not met them myself and we may not have enough time to see all of them ourselves. Our client has limited time so haste is important,"

Sickle makes his way back to the inn, taking note of the market nearby the inn, intending to make a stop in the morning to pick up a few items that he was unable to have time to procure today.

As the part debates their next step, he perks up at the mention of the Emerald Enclave.  He offers to act as an envoy to them, but also is willing to do the task for Azaka to gain a guide who was indebted to them.

The evening in Port Nyanzaru is pleasantly warm and you each find yourself in the quiet of your rooms with your thoughts.  The sound of the lively city, distant chittering animals, and beyond the wild calls of the jungle are a backdrop to the gentle buzz of insects and the rush of gentle sea breezes that blow through the lush private gardens. The occasionally voice of a tabaxi minstril wandering the streets echos eerily into you rooms. The trickle of water can be heard occasionally as the large rain catching cistern on the roof of the Inn is activated and water pours down a number of bamboo tubes, pushing small water wheels that power a few fans inside the hotel, pushing the air through the structure. 

Sickle sits among the private garden, communing with the life around him, growing strong and plentiful. Small insects move about the stalks and leaves of plants. He breathes deeply, considering the days events, his mind focused on the four people left in the pit for the two legged lizards to slaughter. He's heard of equally brutal forms of punishment in the north, being flogged to death in front a crowd is no better, perhaps worse, but for some reason forcing animals to do the deed seemed more despicable. He sat calming his body, knowing that tomorrow they'd be journeying into the wilderness, one filled with dinosaurs, undead, and disease, and that he was likely the party's best bet for survival, beyond the guide the decide to entrust their lives and mission to. 

Barty lays on his bed, burping contentedly in a semi-regular fashion, a smile upon his lips. So far, this adventure had been all he'd expected it could possibly be. Wizards, magical transport, wild jungles, lands full of strange new wonderful foods, and people, and creatures.  As he burped again, particularly loudly, Indiana looked lifted up his head from the end of the bed where he lay, a puzzled look aimed at his master.  When no explanation is provided, he lowers his head once again onto his two front paws. The warmth here was quite wonderful, and having an entire bed all to himself, plus a couch, and a private garden.  Well, he could get used to this. There was a dark cloud in his mind, tainting the joy, but he wouldn't let his mind think about it. A small knot was growing in his stomach though. Starting tomorrow, all this grand adventure seemed like it might get quite a bit less pleasant.

Badger, cross legged on his floor, a small chalk diagram around him, completes the spell he'd been focusing on, and masterfully conjuring for the past hour. Sweat trickles down his brow from the exertion, but the task is finally complete, and before him on the stone ground lay the small creature he'd created out of magic. The being yawned, and looked up at him, it's eyes bright and intelligent. With pleasure he lets his mind wander into it, seeing himself through it's eyes, examining the detail of his fabric and face, seeing small hairs and a few creases he'd not seen before on his own skin. He let his mind snap into his own head, then sighed heavily. The doom that sat before his journey lay heavy on his heart. Perhaps another reading of the fates before bed....

Silas stood up from his knees, his prayer to Torm complete. He looked down at his armor where it lay neatly cleaned and oiled to prevent rust in this humid place. The thought of putting it on and then walking all day through a jungle made him want to vomit a bit. He slowly slid the folding door of the garden closed and lay down, sleeping in only his undergarments. His sleep was undisturbed, but for the dreams that hopped and skipped through his mind, images that chased him from one dream to the next. Dark shadows moving through the thick jungle, but not threatening to him, more seeking him out for safety, but unable to find him. 

Gregory bids goodnight to Sir Darak, leaving him to himself for bedtime, taking Sir Darak's armor with him to properly clean and oil.  A sack of sweat soiled padding also under his armor to try and clean for the morrow. A mug of tart wine on Sir Darak's bed stand, the cool breeze from the doorway he lays back. He'd represented Tyr well today. Justice had been served through him, like a conduit from the heavens themselves. He took a swig of the wine as his mind turned to tomorrow. The stories made the jungle sound like a hellscape. Well, heat, undead, and bugs or not, he would march bravely forward guiding this party on their holy mission. How much worse could it be then some of the thick forests back home? 

Kasaaptu lay quietly in her bed, waiting for her mind to drift away. The motions of her weapon dance still echoing in her muscles. The darkness came then, as it so often did before sleep, a shroud pulling her mind away from her body into the insubstantial fog of another place away from the physical world. A dark shadow floated among the swirling mists, never visible, but always felt. When it speaks to her, the sounds that meet her ears are strange, warped and foreign, yet somehow she understands the meaning. "Nine gods, trapped below. Nine gods betrayed in soul. Nine gods are broken now. Nine gods will show you how."  

The mornings brings with it a cool ocean breeze and a gentle rain that seems to be sticking around longer than yesterday's down pour. Your private gardens are drenched and rivulets of water run down trenches under the walls. The fans on Kaya's ceilings are in full swing powered by the water sluicing off the roof. The group meets again in the Sibasi room, with a fresh, corn based bread and warm tangy butter served for breakfast, along with hard boiled chicken eggs and some sweet fruity jam that you're not familiar with. Tea and ale are offered to start the day. Sir Darak, you've been unable to find any more information on Rowan by the way.  Barty tosses chunks of egg to Indiana as the party sits around eating,. 

Gregory looks up towards his master Sir Darak as the group begins to break their fast.  "Are we packing to depart right away sir? Have you found a guide? Are we getting one on the way out of the city, or are some of the troop heading out to fetch one, before we leave from here? When would you like help into your armor?" 

Before hearing the strange words of the nine Gods, Kassaptu had a different dream.

Kasaaptu is standing in the middle of executioner's run. The roar of the crowd is deafening, the smell of blood was thick in the air. Sir Darak runs by her, being chased by zombies and Raptors. Kassaptu targets the zombies with lighting adding the smell of singed, decayed flesh to the scent of blood. Suddenly the zombies are just an endless supply of ragged prisoners sent to be killed by the beasts, but instead they are being felled by her power. Her weapons appear in her hands as the crowds of prisoners keep growing, threatening to swallow her in a mass of bodies. Her sickle sweeps them in the hundreds, her yklwa skewers them and send limbs flying in every direction as it gets increasingly dark. Suddenly, the roaring crowds are flooding into the run, completely enveloping Kasaaptu in their shear number. when it appears all is lost, hundreds of bodies are flung in every direction as dark tentacles of power erupt from her, striking every direction at once. Her eyes were surrounded by a dark light and they shone bright green from the darkness. Her skin was covered in glowing blue words of an unknown language. The arms of hadar lashed out and lighting struck more as she cleaved the masses with her weapons. The run filled with the blood of thousands and became a flood so deep she found herself swimming. A giant figure appeared out of the darkness, scooping a golden skull shaped goblet through the river of blood, gathering Kasaaptu with it. The giant demon drank down the blood and Kasaaptu in one gulp and then all was dark.

Badger appeared near the demons feet, sitting cross leg in the air, a deck of cards swirling around his head, flashing various imagery. The sound of a dog barking broke the silence and then Barty was there. A bright white light cut through the darkness as Sir Darak charged in, clothed in armor of pure light, riding a white horse. Vines burst forth from the ground, entangling the arms an neck of the demon lord and pulling him down, as Silas was also here.
Sir Darak sliced open the demons belly and in a flash, the demon was gone. Kassaptu stood in the center sheathed in light, still covered in blue writing, but the darkness around her eyes had disappeared and her weapons and armor were clean and gleaming...

(OOC: I’ll add Badger’s divinations from the night before in case anyone enjoys the extra flavour. I’m not personally into fortune-telling, but I’m doing it here for fun and getting into character. This one is based on I-Ching.)

(OOC: Badger’s familiar is in the form of a small green lizard. It sometimes sits on his shoulder but otherwise nestles in his beard. Badger has given his advice, and is content to follow and assist any of the party members today.)

Sickle will arise early, before any of the others, and go to the market to buy his wares as the vendors are still setting up. He buys:

 When he returns, as the others have begun to dig into their breakfast, Sickle is dressed in tan pants that billow a bit, his dreadlocks partially tied up and behind him, wearing his leathers over a simple green lightweight tunic, a far cry from the fancy northern clothes he had been dressed in when they first met him.

Kasaaptu awakens feeling energized and refreshed,  the stress of yesterday's events washed away in her sleep and she feels empowered and ready to meet the challenges of today. Looking at her gear, she realizes it might be a chore to carry for long periods in the jungle and decideds she will try and get a small pack animal to share the load. She saw a great variety throughout the market, including some smallish dinosaurs that might be just the ticket. She heads out after breakfast  as she notices Sickle looking sharp in his new local clothing. She heads for a merchant name Tairo, who the locals say has the best prices and choices. She doesnt have too much gold left, so she Hope's to make a good deal on an alert yet easy going beast.

When she gets back to the rest of the group, she will want to discuss the revelation of the 9 gods with the others, particularly Badger.

Silas shakes awake but probably quickly forgets about his dream. He looks at his armor but begrudgingly dons it before grabbing his bag of supplies of quite heavy gear he think is needed for the jungle. Silas comes down to eat and meet up with everyone. He leaves his bag next to the table. After listening to the discussions about the 9 gods and other events Silas speaks up. 

"What is on the list for today? Have we settled on a guide and a destination?" 

Kasaaptu finds herself back at the Grand Souk in the animal section, the smell of hay and animal dung heavy in the air. Tairo stands before her with three different options.  He has a mule, plus bit, bridle, packs and 20 days of feed for 16 gold. The animals feed weighs 200 pounds so it can carry an addition 200 pounds of gear.  Tairo, "If you use the mule, ensure you have a rain catcher just for it."  His second option he calls a "Pack-o-saurus" jokingly but says it's actual name is Pachycephalosaurus. It walks on two legs, is just a touch taller than a person, and has a hard round shell on it's forehead it uses to fight. He says it can only carry 200 pounds of gear, but it can scavenge it's own food and water from the jungle, so you don't need to purchase food.  The animal plus gear and packs are 73 gold. Finally he presents a massive Torosaurus, a four legged creature with two massive horns and a huge bone plate around its neck. He says it can carry a thousand pounds, scavenge for itself, and protect itself from most threats. With the numerous saddle bags and so on, it costs 460 gold.

After choosing her pack animal she arranges for it to be delivered to the Tiryki city gate. Kasaaptu also notices Azaka and walks up to her, "I think we'd like you to join us. We're willing to help you out in order to have you guide us for free."  Azaka nods seriously, "Very well. When would you like to depart?"  Kasaaptu, having heard the urgency in the groups message, "Immediately."  Azaka nods, "Fine, that is fine.  Please meet me at the Tiryki gate. I presume your party will have the food, and equipment necessary, but I'll review it all when we meet.  If there's anything missing, we'll acquire it in Tiryki Anchorage before we leave."

It's perhaps an hour later when the group has gathered just outside the main southern gate. This southeast district of the city outside of the main walls looks significantly more rough and tumble than the rest of the city and is clearly also the industrial core of the city.  Houses are pressed tightly together and well maintained, in amongst warehouses and businesses, and it seems like much of the cities labor force must live out here beyond the protection of the main walls. It also appears to be where most of the animals are kept and trained, as you see large areas set aside for dinosaur pens and a lot of active training going on. A few large wood working yards, and a couple tanneries are active as well. A harbour that lacks the dinosaur cranes you'd noticed in town and is quite a bit more in shambles is also present. 

Azaka reviews everyone's packs, counts rain catchers, and ensures bug repellent is present. She also looks at foot gear.  "We need boots for the jungle. Sandals are ok here in the city, but in the jungle it'll be your death. Tight around the ankle are good to prevent nasty things from getting inside when we go through water.  If you need some, we can find them here in Tiryki for 1 gold per pair."   She helps the group shop for proper boots.  (if anyone does NOT purchase some, let me know)   She walks up to Sir Darak, looking critically at his armor.  She fingers the chain links. "At least it'll breath. Hope you don't drown."  Once she ensures the group has enough food she says, "So, where are we off to? You've agreed to go to Fire finger with me. It is just east of the Tiryki river, about 100 miles inland before the the rivers canyons. Are we to go straight there? What exactly are you brave foolish folk going into the jungle for?" 

 " We are seeking the the source of the death curse, and item called the Soulmonger. It will likely have an evil necromancer attached and probably have increased undead activity. So I am thinking ruins, maybe something with an association to 9 lost or old Gods?" 

Kassaptu answers the question in addition to the answers of others, she doesnt want to speak out of turn. Or trod on the others voices.

Speaking up, Sickle lists what he believes their starting points for investigation to be.

”As my friend says, we seek this object known as the Soulmonger. Our leads, as they are, begin in either Mezro or Camp Vengeance. As I understand them, these are to the Southeast and Southwest respectively.”  He hesitates, then continues, “Is there any association with nine gods and the city of Omu?"

 "I would add, that we will do your quest 1st if it is on the way. But otherwise we need to stop the soulmonger first. Too many lives are at stake, and if the Terror-folk or whatever they are called were to kill you in the fight, we would be in a bad place with no guide and all would be lost. As far as we know this soulmonger is trapping all souls of those who die, that's why they can't be resurrected by any means."

Sir Darak Darkhall: As Gregory takes his chainmail to be serviced, Darak says, "Also, remove as much padding as possible, without decreasing the armors effectiveness. I've also purchased what equipment I could afford for you all." The Knight hands each of his Retainers a suit of Padded Armor and a Dagger. To Sedrik, he also bestows a shield, saying, "Cousin, this Shield is your life. Do not let it leave your side." 

Waking with the dawn, the Paladin says his prayers to Tyr before preparing for the road ahead. Donning his armor with the help of Sedrik, he makes sure to drink plenty of water before heading out. He instructs his retainer to fill their waterskins before departure.

After meeting with Asaka, Darak will purchase four pairs of boots and four hooded cloaks.

OOC:

 Asaka replies to the various queries, "Hmmm, there are several areas of the jungle where the undead presence is more pronounced. We could explore some of those. As for ruins, they are common. The ruins of Mezro are due east of the Firefinger.  It's likely the path you'd take to get to Mezro anyway..follow the river then overland. Or you could take a ship since it's on the coast, I suppose. I understand you're on an important quest, but I don't think our agreement means that I will wait until it is fully complete before handling my needs. The jungle is big, this sort of exploration will take time. A stop at the Firefinger should be something that can be accomplished while we explore. Besides, how do you know the Firefinger is not the source of this Soulmonger?  As for Omu and the nine gods. This is ancient history and lore for Chultans. Omu was supposed to be paradise on earth, rich, placed on veins of minerals and gems. But, the people soured, became greedy, and our god Ubtao became offended and turned his back on the Chultans. In his place, nine trickster gods came, and the people of Omu worshipped them, tearing down Ubtao's temples. But, eventually Omu fell into ruin, over a century ago, and it has become known as the lost city, or, more forebodingly, the forbidden city. Either way, many people that come to Chult, come looking for the lost treasures of Omu. If I knew where it was, I would likely not need to hire myself out anymore, I would be rich with treasure.  Or dead.  You know, I do know a wise guardian naga named Saja N'baza in a place called Orolunga. She may know more.  But Orolunga is far to the west, up against the Mistcliff Mountains.  It's difficult to get to, but she may know more about Omu if that's what you really want to look for. Camp Vengeance would be a natural place to stop on our way to Orolunga. If you insist on that path, then I think I will need to insist on going to Firefinger first anyway, since otherwise I fear we'd be too long in getting back to it." 

"That sounds reasonable and a good plan to begin, and you are right the terror-folk could hold a key we need. We will just have to ensure we keep you as healthy as you keep us. What is a Naga? Never heard of one of those before. Omu and the 9 tricky Gods has the feeling of a good target, especially since no one knows where it is at. Other expeditions have failed to locate the soulmonger so it isnt as likely to be in Mezro, unless it's well hidden" Wd are glad to have you on this journey and look forward to learning everything you can teach. I am particularly interested in poisonous plants and animals...how to avoid them and to collect some sample from a few when we cant."

" before we head out, I need to help my good friend Mr Tairo collect a debt in exchange for a deal on my new pack animal for our journey. Anyone want to join me in this shake down, I mean friendly collection service?"

Quote from NathanPizazz >>

Orolunga is far to the east, up against the Mistcliff Mountains ... Camp Vengeance would be a natural place to stop on our way to Orolunga. 

 Badger politely points out that according to the map they were given, Mistcliff Mountains and Camp Vengeance are to the west. Just checking. :)

Badger is willing to help Kasaaptu with her 'diplomatic mission'. He's also willing to contribute his remaining gold to the cost.

Sir Darak Darkhall: Having no taste for such activities, Darak considers the potential danger of such a situation and elects to accompany Kassaptu. He answers, "I shall escort you, my lady, but only so far as to ensure the safety of yourself and our mission. I also would like to visit Draza before we depart. I fear yesterday's Run may have unforseen repercussions for them."

Scratching Indiana’s ears, Barty’s ears perk up as well. “Pack animal?  You think we can pick up a small saddle too?  Indy can help out, he can be pretty scary.. Even though I know you’re an adorable lovable pup.  Yes you are, who’s a good doggie?  You are!”