Irma heads back to the others and says, "There's a Grandfather Zitembe at the Temple of Savras who ... has wisdom. I guess. People keep coming up to us and offering something. Wish I knew what it was though."

Anzir thanks Eshek and takes his nej across the room to sit with the tabaxi. "I understand you are...looking for work," he says in a low voice. "What do you propose?"

"Ah, your friend has mentioned the service my sister and I can provide," responds Flask, the male tabaxi. 

The female tabaxi's eyes dart around the inn the moment Anzir and her brother begin conversing. 

"Looking for work..." begins Flask.

"...if its nature and price seem right," finishes his sister. 

"My sister River..."--says Flask as he motions toward her--"...and I am Flask. Possibly you aware that authorized guides must pay a share to prince Jobal? Not surprisingly..."

"...their prices are much higher," says River, completing her brother's thought. 

"Yes," continues Flask, "much higher despite their lack of skill. The jungles of Chult are our playground, and our fee is more than fair..."

"...four pieces of gold per day, and no thirty-day advance as Jobal's flunkies require," adds River. 

Flask continues, "And that fee is waived entirely if..."

"...you agree to granting us equal shares of all treasure," finishes River. 

The dragonborn waves away the last statement. "Treasure is not our goal. You risk a lot for 4 gold a day," Anzir says. "Why?"

Anzir's words treasure is not our goal elicit (momentarily and ever so slightly) a quizzical look from Flask's feline face. 

River is the one who answers the dragonborn's question."Forgive me for sounding boastful, but the risk for my brother...the risk for me... is not so great as you might think. We are...how might you say it?"

"Prepared," concludes Flask. 

Poole's very interested in why Eshek knows who the group is, and how. Insight check: 4

Before Anzir goes to the tabaxi, Poole suggests, "maybe ask them how well they know the area east of Mbala?"

If she group goes with a sanctioned guide (Poole doesn't care very much about sanctioning or not), she'd lean toward the druid, Qawasha, given the party will likely be destroying undead as they come across it anyway.

The minute Poole hears about or sees Irma's camouflage she goes to Minte and asks him to do the same thing or better to her studded leather.

"Prepared if you are caught by the prince?" Anzir says. "I've no doubt you know these jungles well. I wouldn't be sitting here otherwise."

Lorahana would have gone to the Thundering Lizard with Poole and Anzir.

Lorahana would have been fascinated by the dinosaurs around studying them from afar.

All the while she would be putting away the Nej.

"If I may... what do you know about the fellows with the triceratops? And just what kind of dinosaur do you own?"  Lorahana slurs her words a little but she was sincere in her question, "Everyone talks about the dangers of the jungle. They chose dinosaur. What do you choose? What keeps you and those you guide safe from the jungle's many perils?"

Melanthios will hover around the tabaxi, trying to see if they have some ulterior motive.

Insight: 10

Quote from rkmobius >>

Poole's very interested in why Eshek knows who the group is, and how. Insight check: 14

Before Anzir goes to the tabaxi, Poole suggests, "maybe ask them how well they know the area east of Mbala?"

If she group goes with a sanctioned guide (Poole doesn't care very much about sanctioning or not), she'd lean toward the druid, Qawasha, given the party will likely be destroying undead as they come across it anyway.

The minute Poole hears about or sees Irma's camouflage she goes to Minte and asks him to do the same thing or better to her studded leather.

Poole scrutinizes Eshek's behavior and sifts through his responses. Despite her skepticism, she's inclined to believe the acolyte's tale: he's been the recipient of some sort of vision. Trusting the others will handle the interaction with Eshek, Poole steps into the warm afternoon rain and makes her way to the artist Minte. 

Quote from YoFizz >>

Lorahana would have gone to the Thundering Lizard with Poole and Anzir.

Lorahana would have been fascinated by the dinosaurs around studying them from afar.

All the while she would be putting away the Nej.

"If I may... what do you know about the fellows with the triceratops? And just what kind of dinosaur do you own?"  Lorahana slurs her words a little but she was sincere in her question, "Everyone talks about the dangers of the jungle. They chose dinosaur. What do you choose? What keeps you and those you guide safe from the jungle's many perils?"

With each pint of nej, Hana feels that the music becomes more enjoyable, the jokes of the patrons are more hilarious, the pattering of the rain outside is more pleasant, and, oddly enough, Anzir becomes more likable. 

(Assuming Hana's questions are directed toward Flask and River)

Hana makes her way toward the two tabaxi, half walking and half dancing as she does so. 

"Yes, the fellows with the triceratops. They certainly do use that beast as..." begins Flask. 

"...a selling point," finishes River. "Handy if you're packing two tons of equipment and care nothing for stealth."

"We choose trust and wisdom," offers Flask cryptically.

"Trusting each other," explains River, referring to herself and her brother. "And the wisdom of fighting only when absolutely necessary."

"The jungle is perilous, yes," adds Flask. "But too many adventurers make it more so..."

"...by using their swords rather than their wits," finishes River. "That is how we survive, friend." 

Quote from LordShadowthorn >>

Melanthios will hover around the tabaxi, trying to see if they have some ulterior motive.

Insight: 21

 Melanthios listens intently to the back and forth with Flask and River, leaning on his past experiences with "tricky" individuals. He doesn't detect any guile in either of the tabaxi. 

Quote from MindDetective >>

"Prepared if you are caught by the prince?" Anzir says. "I've no doubt you know these jungles well. I wouldn't be sitting here otherwise."

Did I get skipped?

Koris looks at his associates and whispers “look, these Tabaxi seem like real pros, but is it honestly worth the risk of getting caught and thrown in jail or having to pay some huge stack of cash?”

"Not if we hire 'porters', 'tutors', or 'research assistants'," Anzir says in a gruff growl as he eyes the tabaxi. "We'll hire a licensed guide too. The druid."

The dragonborn empties his cup and sets it roughly on the table. "I have a feeling we may want as many hands as we can manage out there."

Quote from MindDetective >>

Quote from MindDetective >>

"Prepared if you are caught by the prince?" Anzir says. "I've no doubt you know these jungles well. I wouldn't be sitting here otherwise."

 

Did I get skipped?

 You did! Apologies!

Flask nods and sips his nej thoughtfully before he replies. "Prince Jobal is a complication, yes."

"Proving that we have been hired for our services," adds River,  "is not so easily done. Our contracts are spoken, never written, as I'm sure you understand."

"And those who pay for our services would rather not admit to Jobal that they have done so."

When Anzir mentions hiring the druid, Flask and River make eye contact with each other. River then responds, "Such an arrangement will be unsuitable for us. The nature of our business in Port Nyanzaru would, most certainly, be difficult to disguise in the presence of the druid Qawasha."

"If chasing the undead through the jungles of Chult is what you wish, then the druid is a wise choice," remarks Flask. 

Hana sits back listening again but something catches her ear, "Ya'known Anzir, you may be onto something. Is there anyone you two would work with? I recognize your specialty is stealth and non-engagement, but surely the more heads the better, no?"

“Our ‘porters’ Cant work with anyone else, are you nuts?? The official guides are paying Jobal, these two aren’t. The first thing an official guide will do is rat them - and us- our to Jobal.” Koris is trying to keep his voice down, and looks to see if anyone is watching, like the Halfling and his dinosaur shtick.

"They can only...rat...out guides," Anzir says, sitting back, a little disgusted by the terminology. "And the druid...or whoever...will be our guide. But...everyone has to get along for it to work."

Melanthios just sits back, looking rather bored about all the guide discussion.  He starts cleaning under his fingernails with a small knife.