"Bloody street urchin," Korine muttered under her breath. "You would do well to learn to control that little temper of yours," she calls after the rogue, "Before it gets you into more trouble than you can handle. I suspect outside these city walls, where you don't have friends down every street, things won't be so easy."

She picked up her pace, throwing a questioning look over her shoulder at Kulan as she went after Cor. "Am I wrong? Do you have anything to say on it?"

"You aren't wrong. She seems to have a worse attitude than I have at my worst."

Kulan keeps pace with Korine, adjusting his weapons again. Why couldn't Syndra have brought one of his cousins to Chult with them?

The door to Jobal's eases open and the familiar face of Aazon Taliera. Cor'avin knows Aazon; she's had a few dealings with the Tethyrian man since she came to Chult. Not all of them were pleasant, but he never did hold much upset over the various meetings they have had. Aazon eyes the group up and down, and then makes a gesture to enter.

"Jobal is not here right now," Aazon said carefully. He pulled out seats and goes to grab for tea. "What do you need?" His gaze stays firmly on Cor'avin, assessing.

The 'shop' is little more than a simple two room house. There is an obvious kitchen, a few books that line the shelves, and a small seating area. Aazon grabbed the tea from the kitchen; he'd been making some already when the party arrived. There are sparse decorations, but what decorations that can be seen are bright and cheerful like the rest of Chult. Scarves, a few painted murals along the stone walls; here they almost seem to depict maps.

Despite her misgivings, Korine holds her tongue to allow Cor'avin a chance to spell out their needs. She looks a bit closer at the few books she can see, not pulling them down without permission, but curious what they may be. She also looks closer at the murals to see if they are indeed maps, as they appear to be.

"Oh, Az, how I have missed you," Cor grinned and patted the man on his cheek. "How do you know I came here to see Jorbal, and not you? Perhaps I was just stopping by to say hello to one of my favorite people." The rogue gave Aazon a wink before taking one of the chairs and lounging in it. 

"Of course, your instincts are impeccable as always," her fingers traced patterns in the wood lazily as she spoke. "I'm looking to hire a guide, and I knew that you and Jorbal could be of some assistance. So, can you help me? Or is this task beyond your considerable skill?"

"You came here for information on guides?" Aazon raises a brow, almost in disbelief. He doesn't react at all to your pat or the nickname. "Very well." Aazon steps away, and then returns with a few sheets of paper. "These are the guides currently sanctioned by Jobal. You may find them in the Port. Their fee is their own to decide."

Aazon pours tea for Cor'avin, Korine, and Kulan.

"Anything further I can assist you with?" Aazon questions. He turns his gaze to Korine and Kulan. "I must warn you, most guides are not at the port now."

Korine accepts the tea with a murmured thanks to her host. "You are too kind, Master Aazon.  You said most guides were not here right now. Out in the jungle with other clients, or is there something else going on that we haven't heard about yet? Which of the guides on this list are still here?"

As they enjoy the tea, she gestures to the murals. "These maps are fascinating, Aazon, did you paint them yourself? Are they accurate at all, or merely for decoration instead? I've always been fascinated by maps of exotic and far-away places. Ever since I was a child."

"They are accurate to the land of Chult, yes," Aazon says calmly. "Jobal likes to collect maps of various kinds all about the land around us. Much of the jungle is not fully discovered, after all." He gives a smile full of teeth. "As for our guides...hm. More it is afternoon. They are off to rest, or shop, or ply trade where they will."

He gathers up the cups and pot of tea when they are done.

Korine smiles back. "So much more to discover, no? The world is indeed a place for of wonder and mystery. My thanks again for the fine tea, and your advice as well. We have much to discuss with our other friends who aren't with us this afternoon, so we should probably be on our way." She looks pointedly at Cor'avin as she says this. "I'm sure we've already taken up too much of your time."  With that, Korine will nudge Kulan and leave, pausing outside to wait for the others.

“One of these days, you will fall prey to my considerable charm,” Cor’avin laughed, rasing her cup of tea in a toast to the man.

”Keep dreaming, little thief,” Aazon replied. 

“I’ve already stolen the hearts of half the city, it isn’t hard to believe you’ll be next on my list,” the rogue grinned. 

“Your delusions are amazing. Ask what you will.”

”You know this lot better than anyone,” Cor motioned toward the papers. “Which would you recommend?”

"It honestly depends on what you need. Cost effective, or a knowledgeable guide. Where in the jungle do you seek?"

“You know I’m not a rich woman, but I value my life too much to be stingy. We’re searching for the Soulmonger, so the exact destination is largely unknown.”

"Eku will refuse to work with you. You are too...subtle for her. You're friends? Maybe. You? No. Azaka knows the jungle best. If you wish to survive she is a good bet. Faroul and Gondolo are fools...but smart fools. They are also in severe debt and will be the cheapest--free,” Aazon explained. "Hew is...determined. Tinder took much from him. He knows his way. Musharib is...proud. Dwarven best. Qawasha and Kupalue are...an interesting pair. Qawasha is a known member of of the Emerald Enclave out of Fort Beluarian. His knowledge in the druidic arts and of the flora and fauna of the jungle is...extensive. River and Flask are...discrete, and operate only by Jorbal's amusement. Salida is...interesting." He doesn't say further on Salida, though he looks contemplative. "Shago is the only son of Zhanthi. He mostly works out of Fort Beluarian. Zhanthi is a bit...protective, but Shago is determined to work out of her shadow."

”Thank you, Azzy,” Cor drained her tea. “Azaka and Qawasha are probably my first choices, but we will see come morning what my friends have to say. I appreciate your help.”

The half elf got up to follow her traveling companions out the door, but Aazon stopped her and grabbed her wrist. "Step lightly. Not all of your actions have gone unnoticed...and something brews in the shadows,” he warned.

”Who?”

Aazon smiled, letting go of her wrist. “Good day, little thief.”

Cor’avin swallowed before exiting and joining the two paladins outside. “Back to the Inn?” She asked. “There’s much to discuss.”

Korine smiles in response, understanding she's not gotten off on the right foot with Cor, and they'll need to work together in the coming days. "Certainly, and I could use a glass of wine as well - it's HOT here.  How is the wine down here? Is there anything you'd recommend?"  She falls into step next to the outgoing young rogue and goes out of her way to make small talk as they walk, asking questions about the Port, life here in Chult and so on.

"I don't really drink," Cor'avin replied to Korine. "But I'm sure Larken and Jilwyn have bought us food and drinks when we arrive at the inn." The rogue's steps were considerably less sure than they had been before, as she looked down shadowy alleys for people who would do her harm.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the Inn, and then to find Larken and Jilwyn sitting at a table laden with food and drink. Cor took the seat on the other side of Larken, grabbing a chunk of bread and taking a bite of it as she sat down. "I bought some rain catchers, so we do not need to worry about fresh water," she informed the two that had stayed behind. "Ekene-Afa and Aazon both recommended a guide, which I also think is wise. There are a number to choose from, but the two best candidates are Azaka and Qawasha, in my opinion. My contact said Azaka is among the best and Qawasha is a druid who also has extensive knowledge of the forest."

"It's 100 gold coins," Larken says at the end, as if the sum of coin settled the matter. 

He then gestures to Vistani, "This is Vistani. A bard that found her way to Chult. I offered her a place in our expedition as I think her skills would be useful." Not one for too many words, he lets the others do their own introductions to her. "We have three rooms for the night, and I plan on starting this expedition as early as possible in the morning."

He then turns his attention to Cor, a slight grin forming at the corner of his mouth. He knew that Cor would be able to get a feel for these newcomers, and he wanted a detailed report before they all settled in for the night. She'd be able to tell if Syndra picked the right people to accompany them. "I hope you were hospitable as always, Cor. Our new friends will be watching our backs as we sleep," he says. The remark isn't necessarily a hint at her being rude to strangers as it is innuendo for I want to know if these people are trustworthy. 

“I gave them a warm Chult-y welcome,” Cor rolled her eyes. “I need a refill, and I’m sure everyone else does, too. Lark, can you help me carry another round back?”

She could tell the information he was angling for, and the rogue intended to have a chat with him. But that was a talk best suited for a private corner.

Larken nods, finishes his water, and follows Cor up to the bar. In an attempt at small talk he says, "I've not met either of the guides you've mentioned. Tell me about them." He could care less about the guides, honestly. The intention was for the rogue to tell him about the two armored strangers sitting at the table. He knew she knew, as they'd talked like this for years when they scouted together. This just allowed any overeager ears to think they were talking about a couple of guides. 

“The guides are... trustworthy, but they don’t like me very much,” Cor said hesitantly, struggling to find the words to speak in code. She thought for a moment before pulling Larken into a tight embrace so she could whisper into his ear more disrcretely. “In the past few hours my abilities and intelligence have been insulted and I have been called an idiot and dirty street urchin.”

The rogue pulled away, her heart beating loudly in her chest, and grabbed the drinks. “Like I said, though, trustworthy. I’m sure no person on our team will stab another in the back. We can talk more later before we go to sleep.”

When Larken returns to the table, he pushes the wine to the two armored companions. A bit sloshes off the side as he does, "The guides sound like a couple of pompous fools," he says. "Are we sure we can't do without them?" Two people that can't see the value in one of his most trusted friends were indeed fools. He's seen Cor do feats that even well-experienced veteran scouts couldn't accomplish. 

"We could overstock on rations if we had a pack animal. But they're expensive... This Inete might be able to help us with those funds if we assist her. I would suggest we have a talk with her sooner rather than later." He takes a large gulp of his water, still staring down at the half-orc and white-haired woman.

Finally he takes a seat and asks Jil, "Do you think it's too late to pay her a visit?" He was never sure how much of his innuendo Jil caught, but his true intentions were to ask if she were up to the task of visiting the temple before nightfall. 

"In case you weren't aware Larken, though I'm sure you should be, to Cor'avin, a 'warm Chult-y welcome' means that after she says that you'd have a better idea of the equipment required she gets angry when I suggest that your presence would have been welcomed when shopping. Then she got all huffy when Korine and I wanted your direct input with picking guides, rather than have her carry your 'votes' as she put it. In any case, the past is the past."

Kulan takes a seat somewhat opposite Larken, sighing as he finishes his description of Cor'avin's warm Chult-y welcome. He had been debating internally whether or not to say that if they didn't want him, he would gladly not accompany them into the jungle, and not offering to leave has won out for now.

"100 gold though? That would be useful for anything we decide we need last minute. I think of the lot of the guides we were offered, Qawasha is the best. He seems just as good as Azaka, but his price is negotiable down if we are willing to destroy the undead we come across, which is much quicker than going to Firefinger, which is who-knows-where. I say we ask him if this Aldani Basin is near enough our intended route that going there isn't a large timesink, and accept Inete's offer if it isn't."