"We will?" Zyn asked. "But we're supposed to destroy it.."

 "Valindra is the only person we've met so far that knows where the blasted thing is, so we ought ta work with her. Perhaps she might find a way to undo all of this. Now, could ya tell us where this Soulmonger is?"

Zyn nodded. Asha was right. "Alright. Tell us."

"The Soulmonger is being held somewhere beneath the ruins of Omu. I can show you where the ruins are. Find the Soulmonger, return it to me, and I will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. Do we have a deal?"

Again, in elvish, "I have some pretty wild dreams, madam.  How rich are we talking?"

"Aye."

"One hundred thousand gold per person, and you.." she gestures to Kitsune, "Must agree to a permanent charm. You know. Insurance policy. To me, either way, even if you know where it is, you are helping me do my work. So, I lose nothing if you decline. Do we have an agreement?"

"What's the charm do?"

She explains that the charm permanently adds the overwhelming desire to bring the Soulmonger back to Valindra at any and all cost. It ends once that has been accomplished. While under the effect of the spell, which cannot be dispelled by any means, you will do anything and everything to fulfill this request.

Money was never an issue for Astra. His parents were relatively wealthy, so the gold didn’t interest him, but having noted all the necromancy books around, he can’t help but cut in and ask, “What is your research exactly? I know you wish to study it, but for what purpose? You already know what it does, at most you’ll find out why but... Do you plan to replicate its effects?“

"My employers wish to "imprison" it. This way, it's unique magic can be studied while it's safely quarantined from the world. No other object, as of now, exists in the world. It should be studied. Not destroyed. I know my explanation is vague, but the rest is classified and I cannot share."

Zyn appears very uncomfortable in this place. As if it's disrupting her chi.

Kitsune, with a glimmer in her eye, responds “Oi!  That’s a big dream!  You’re employers must really be loaded in order to pay off unknown adventurers like us that amount of money. Loaded, and stupid. But hey, who am I to complain and turn down and offer as lucrative as that!”

Continuing, “If we simply return the Soulmonger to you, and you imprison it, can you guarantee that its effects and impact on the people’s of Chult would be halted?”

"Clearly you have no idea how dire the situation is if a stranger you've just met is about to offer employment to find an object that you had no idea where it's location was a mere five minutes ago." Valindra says to Kitsune. "Nor can I guarantee you anything. I have one job to do and that is to find the Soulmonger."

"Why does it smell so bad in here?" Zyn finally asks.

"I apologize. It's the undead I keep in my closet. Protection, you see. If we have a deal, let me know. I have work to do."

"Oh." Zyn says casually. Then, after a moment, her eyes get big, spooking. 

Valindra turns around and continues her work.

If the talk about charming Kitsune didn't make Asha think that Valindra was up to some shady shit then the talk about her having undead bodyguards did. "You know, I don't think that we're goin' to accept the job after all. It's just the whole charm thing, it doesn't feel right." 

"As you wish." she says. "Should you ever decide to change your mind, please, come see me again."

"We'll do so, if we change our minds. Oi Zyn, can ya' do that thing with yer chain again so that we can get down?" 

Clearly crestfallen at the loss of mountains of gold, Kitsune willingly accepts the will of the party and begrudgingly follows them out of Valindra's gross floating-heart-office.  After they leave, she cheers up slightly and announces "Well, silver lining...we now know where to find the Soulmonger!  Shall we?"

"You betcha." Zyn said, walking back outside. "There's something up with that woman. That place smelled like death. YChCBhpth. Made my skin crawl." she let her chain blades loose, looking at the ground. "Watch your head." she spun the chains fast, gaining momentum, then got them stuck solid in a petrified tree. She jumped off and swung to the ground, holding them as tightly as she could. Everyone could now rappel down safely. She pulled them loose when everyone was on the ground again, and turned to Kira. "Hey, now that we know where this Omu place is, maybe you can plot us a course?"

"Let me know if you find a mountain of gold on that map....let's stop by it on the way to Omu so I can fill up my pockets!" Kitsune cheerfully adds, upon stepping down on the firm ground once again.

"Sure thing!" Kira sets about scribbling on the map, tongue sticking out, and eventually comes with a 15 day journey.

DAY: 44 - 58
DAYS LEFT: 23
PACE: NORMAL
FOOD/WATER: 44

We set off into the jungle once more, further into the heart of Chult. With the location of where the Soulmonger might be, we made haste, knowing time was growing short. We hoped our journey further would be without incident.

20, 4, 6, 18, 18, 12, 8, 14, 14, 6, 3, 14, 1, 18, 4, 8, 4, 10, 10, 16, 6, 8, 11, 6, 14, 14, 10, 4, 12, 4, 13, 13, 5, 3, 17, 10, 10, 12, 20, 14, 6, 17, 11, 8, 4

We were wrong. 

ENCOUNTERS! 4, 63, 51, 10, 94, 65, 70

Spiders! We noticed webs in the jungle, covered by hundreds upon hundreds of baby spiders. We managed to backtrack a bit before we were attacked, but it cost us some of our food, which we realized was a bit spoiled and dirty with insects.

The next day we encountered huge venus flytrap looking plants. We were able to dispatch them easily, but got chewed up a bit. Nothing a day of rest or two couldn't repair. Zyn was starting to not like nature as much as she did.

Getting closer to Omu, skeletons ambushed our position at nighttime. We thought they were just plain skeletons on the ground, but were wrong when they became animated. Luckily, there were not many of them, and we took good care of them quickly.

Pressing on, the next day we found crates lying in a cave. We had no idea if the owner was dead, or coming back for them, but we opening them regardless. We found 3 vials of antitoxin, climbing kits, and a rain catcher. We pressed on.

Again, we were being watched multiple times. The Yuan-Ti, one more, only observed and did not attack. Before we could do anything along the sort of communication, or observation, they were gone.