"Bastard dragon" Asha says as she puts down 10 gold.

The wizard chuckles at the clerics words, taking out some coin and putting it in the pot (5 gp). He never carried too much coin on him for reasons like this. “I’m afraid we won’t get much with just us,” He says, looking around at the panicked sailors, then down to the Kira. “Say, think you can convince some of them to help put enough money in the pot? I’ll lend you a hand as well to make things easier~”

Kira nods cheerily, adding her ten gp to the pile before she starts skipping around the crew. "Hello, hello, hello! So! Seeing as none of us want to get capsized and die, would any of you be willing to donate money to the dragon turtle ransom pot? We still need about a hundred and seventy five gold."

Persuasion: 18

Right, adv: 7

Believe it or not, while your attempts at persuasion were noble, the panicked sailors are not even listening to you. They are scrambling to put loot in a large sack to throw overboard, following your observations. The thought of DEATH strikes them with great panic. When the time comes to throw the loot overboard, Aremag continues to cause the ship to circle in place, the sharks surrounding the ship eager to have you not comply for an easy meal. With the contributions from the crew, you barely have enough to satisfy Aremag.

One of the sailors, sweating from hysteria, shoves the bag of loot into Kira's arms.

"Throw it over! Throw it over!!" he screams.

Kira takes the sack, which is probably about as big as her. "Okay, okay, screaming is not necessary, I might be short, but my hearing works just fine." The gnome proceeds to heave the sack overboard. "There you go, Aremag! Tribute! Or whatever you call it."

Amir watches the calamity with much amusement, giving a pet to Faust all while enjoying the scene unfold before him.

Zyn helps you heave the bag over. "Let's see if this works." she hopes.

The the loot in the water, the dragon turtle submerges without further talk, causing the ship to pitch and roll violently until the sea calms down. You all watch the enormous disk of its shell swimming down into the clear water of the bay until it disappears in the lightless depths.

You live for another day.

"Well we lost all our gold, but we didn't get killed by some twatty dragon."

"Excellent!" Kira claps her hands together. "Well, that was absolutely and utterly very exciting! And technically it's dragon turtle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find Teo." The gnome proceeds to swarm up the rigging to the top of the mast to find her seagull friend Teo.

Zyn turns towards Asha, a look of mild amusement and curiosity on her drow face. “You sound like a dwarf but are clearly not, and use words i’ve never heard before. Putz. Twatty.” 

The ship docks at port.

You step off and appear in a tropical city under the blazing sun. The familiar sounds of a harbor — creaking ropes, slapping waves, heavy barrels rolling across cobblestones — mingle with voices shouting and cursing in an unfamiliar language filled with clicks, inhalations, and singsongy words that make it sound almost musical. The aroma of unfamiliar spices and tropical fruit mixes with the wharfside smells of fish, tar, and canvas.

Beyond all that, Port Nyanzaru is an explosion of color. Buildings are painted in bright shades of blue, green, orange, and salmon pink, or their walls are adorned with murals portraying giant reptiles and mythical heroes. Every building sports baskets and clay urns of colorful flowers or is draped in leafy, flowering vines. Minstrels in bright clothing adorned with feathers and shells perform on street corners. Multicolored pennants and sun awnings flutter atop the city walls. A crowd of children dressed in feathered hats and capes races past you, squealing in delighted terror as a street performer costumed as a big-toothed lizard stomps and roars behind them. The whole city seems to be bustling, sweating, laughing, swearing, and singing.

You find yourselves at AREA 13 on the Port Nyanzaru city map. 

Syndra recommended to you in some or form that you secure rooms for yourself at either the Thundering Lizard (if you’re looking for a raucous time) or Kaya’s House of Repose (if you want a good night’s sleep). Both inns are located near the Red Bazaar at AREA 18. Syndra also told you that when you were ready, come see her at the villa of the merchant prince Wakanga O’tamu. There she intends to stay for the remainder of the adventure.

Role playing opportunity: All of you have never met before today, so that means you all don’t know that you’re here for the same reason: to see Syndra. 

Kira lets out a happy sigh as she enters the Port. "Aaaaah, Nyanzaru, I missed youuuu. All the colors and distraction and opportunity. Where're you guys going? I am an excellent guide, if I do say so myself."

"She does have quite the dwarven mouth on her!" Astra observes, a grin on his face, a dimples on his cheeks. "And we haven't even gotten her name yet! Let me guess... Bernadette. No, no... Astrid?"

He will continue this until she gives them her name.

 When the boat docks and he gets a full view of the Port, his eyes are widened with amazement, similar to before with the dragon turtle encounter. The decor, the colors, the people... This place was definitely up his alley. "Vishvaas nahin kar sakata maan aur pitaajee ne mujhe is jagah ke baare mein pahale nahin bataaya! I have to bring Svana here, and Satya! Oh, and maybe Syndir, Satacha..." He would run over the names of his sisters in his head from then on until Kira would mentions being their guide.

"You're from here then?" He inquires with much interest. "I would love a tour of this place!" The lavender ball python that hung around his neck slowly slithered herself tighter around his neck. "Show me the best spots! Oh, do they have street music performances? How's the food? I'd-- Ack---!" 

Syndra!

Faust loosened herself, giving Astra a chance to breathe and clear his throat. "A-ah, yes, right. I can't spend too much time exploring this wonderful port, I have a meeting with someone at the... Villa of the merchant prince, I believe? Would you know where that is?"

"My name's Asha, I was raised by Dwarves, and how do they talk in the Underdark or wherever it is that you come from." She says in response to Zyn and Astra as he guesses at what her name was.

"Oi, gnome. Where can I find Syndra in this ****in' city? I've got business with her an' now I've got to go beggin' for gold 'cause that bastard dragon took it all."

"Oh, cool, Syndra, awesome! You're in luck, cause I'm going to see her too!" Kira says cheerily. "And Astra, which merchant prince? There're a few, you know." She winks.

"Obviously the one where you all seem to be heading to meet Syndra," Astra says with a grin and a mischievous glint in his eye. "I'm glad she got a hold of some interesting folk for this little meeting~ Would any of you know what it's about though?"

Zyn turned to Kira first, as she was grabbing her backpack and was disembarking. "Oh! You are from here? I am looking for a woman named Syndra. Have you heard of her? She is staying in one of the Merchant Princes abodes...O’tamu I believe was his name."

Then she noticed the snake around the man's neck. "Astra, your uh.." She made a quick nervous face, feebly pointing to the snake. "..your snake is..you know. Nevermind." she smiled.

At Asha, she relied, "I can understand why you'd think that. I am actually not from the Underdark - I was born and raised in Mirabar, actually. My father was drow, my mother was human. Seeing as how you were raised by dwarves, and I knew plenty there, you can probably relate."

She addressed the group. "I have the feeling we are all here for the same reason. I'd like to tag along, perhaps go as a group, if you'd like?"

Zyn turned to Kira first, as she was grabbing her backpack and was disembarking. "Oh! You are from here? I am looking for a woman named Syndra. Have you heard of her? She is staying in one of the Merchant Princes abodes...O’tamu I believe was his name."

Then she noticed the snake around the man's neck. "Astra, your uh.." She made a quick nervous face, feebly pointing to the snake. "..your snake is..you know. Nevermind." she smiled.

At Asha, she relied, "I can understand why you'd think that. I am actually not from the Underdark - I was born and raised in Mirabar, actually. My father was drow, my mother was human. Seeing as how you were raised by dwarves, and I knew plenty there, you can probably relate."

She addressed the group. "I have the feeling we are all here for the same reason. I'd like to tag along, perhaps go as a group, if you'd like?"

You begin in AREA 13.

Immediately upon arriving, you can already feel the heat of this place, in terms of the sun, and activity. Feel free to reference the pinned map of Port Nyanzaru as we travel in town.

You noticed a number of things right away:

- Medium and Large dinosaurs are used as beasts of burden to haul two-wheeled carts, to hoist heavy loads on cranes, and to tow boats along the canals.
- Dinosaurs compete in weekly races through the streets. These brightly painted racing dinosaurs are fast, vicious, and barely under their riders’ control.
- Flowers, green plants, and vines grow everywhere, seeming to spring out of the building stones themselves. The profusion of greenery needs constant tending to prevent roots and shoots from damaging buildings or tile roofs.
- The city’s defensive walls and towers are topped with colorful awnings to shield guards from the sun and rain.
- All streets within the city walls are paved with cobblestones or flagstones, and they have deep rain gutters as much as 2 feet wide. Residents of Port Nyanzaru pay little attention to any but the heaviest deluge.
- Tabaxi minstrels wander the streets, performing for anyone who tosses them a few coins.
- Walls divide the city into districts, and the open archways above the streets are painted with murals of dinosaurs, mountains, and mythic heroes.

Syndra and the Merchant Prince O'Tamu are at AREA 5.

From this point on, you are free to explore any location on the map.

Crumbling ancient buildings covered with vines and lichens indicate the city’s great age.