Evo is pretty focused on the guides so he will head to Azaka at the Thundering Lizard.

 Anyone that wants to come with is welcome!

"Alton, you want to head up to the Goldthrone and see if we're able to meet with Jessamine this afternoon? Evo, I trust your opinion of finding a good guide for us, but if you're wanting get info to talk over our options later, we can do that too."

“Sure,” Alton says. “We will head to try and meet with Jessamine; Evo and Philip can continue looking for guides... sound good?” He asks, looking to the rest of the group. 

(I agree. As nice as that reward sounds, I’m not sure we exactly have the time. I’m thinking a max of one or two days more here in Port Nyanzaru before heading out into the jungle. The goal is to save as many people as possible, right?)

((Besides, if Syn succumbs, unless we meet some other high level caster, we're stuck in Chult until Gotur's level 11.))

"Aye'm just gathering information now, aye think we can make a decision together tonight or tomorrow? Come on Phillip, let's find these two and do some interviews!"

(Agreed that it doesn't really feel like we have time for a pirate side quest, no matter how lucrative.

If he could reasonably find Salida without much effort we can pound them both out quick Klein.))

Phillip agrees with the plan, and is pleased to head off with Evo, to get the lowdown on another couple of guides.

On the way, he’ll offer his thoughts to Evo on the guides so far, “Hmmm... It sounds like it might be hard to get any of the guides to work together.... ...My favourite so far is E’ku... uh huh, uh huh!....”, he says with a big, silly smile on his face. “I like that she wants to work with people with a good heart! Yup yup yup!...”.

If it’s very hot, Phillip will summon his decanter of endless water and offer a drink, and a puff or two of cool mist, to Evo, before dousing himself all over and having a big drink!

((edit... Before we split up we would have probably agreed a rough place and time to meet up. Especially since not everyone is heading back to the expensive inn. Any ideas of where we would meet for the evening? A cheaper inn? Phillip could maybe suggest one?))

((Phillip would most definitely know of a cheaper inn. It's right across the street from the first one and it's where Evo and Phillip would meet Azaka the guide. The Thundering Lizard is its name. Syn did not recommend it because it's a bit 'seedy' compared to Kaya’s House of Repose and she assumed you all had a good amount of coin on you. #18 on the map. This can be the meeting spot for dinner.))

The cheaper inn is 5sp a night. 

New post coming up.

Gotur and Alton, you head back towards Goldenthrone (#4 on map). I imagine the two of you have a very pleasant walk, maybe talking about what a life this is having the two of you winding up together again in a place like this so far away. 

About 10 minutes later, you arrive at the grand palace. Goldenthrone serves as the meeting place for the merchant princes of Port Nyanzaru and is recognized as the seat of the city’s loose government. You notice eight Chultan gladiators standing guard, one of them is shooing away a loiterer. The princes are extremely busy in their day to day activities and are usually booked solid, although Jessamine is available today for a meeting. They have a very strict policies in place, and with the amount of appointments on this day, the two of you would be waiting at least 2 hours before being given an audience. (the book has some pretty silly rules for the % chance that the prince will even be there to meet. Like a 1 in 6 chance. That is silly if you ask me. I forgo these for sake of PbP! I do like the waiting for the appointment though.)

Gotur and Alton, 2 hours later the merchant prince Jessamine greets you. I've added her pic to the Princes tab. She looks at you with kind of a blank gaze. 

"Good day. What business have you both here today?"

Evo and Phillip, you head to 'Executioner's Run' (#2 on the map) where the poster said the guide Salida would be. Phillip would know about this place, and so he would tell you this information along with what you can see with your own eyes: 

The road through the Old City splits around a rectangular, stone-lined pit 15 feet deep, 50 feet wide, and 200 feet long. The original city residents built it as an arena for a highly competitive ball game, and it still provides cheap entertainment for the locals. Velociraptors, panthers, or other hungry beasts are set loose in the pit, then convicted criminals are dropped in at one end. Any criminals who make it alive through the gauntlet of carnivores to the far end of the pit can scramble up knotted ropes and win their freedom, along with the adulation of the crowd. Spectators line the walls for these spectacles — including representatives from every level of Port Nyanzaru society, not just residents of the Old City. Bets are placed on which criminals will survive, which will die, how far runners will get before a beast brings them down, and how many kills each animal will rack up. A handful of Chultans have become celebrities by surviving multiple dashes through Executioner’s Run. It’s been suggested that some people continue committing crimes solely because a conviction is the only way to get tossed into the pit, and betting is always heaviest on a repeat offender. Occasionally an animal manages to leap or scramble out of the pit and runs amok through the terrified crowd. Moments of such high peril provide a perfect opportunity for bystanders to become heroes in the city and earn favors from the merchant princes.

(sorry I know that was a lot of lore, but holy hell!!)

Unfortunately, while you are able to see this pretty insane sight, the guide Salida was nowhere to be found. 

Evo and Phillip then head to the Thundering Lizard (#18 on map) in hopes of meeting up with the other guide named Azaka from the poster at the harbor. You do in fact see her sitting on a patio table alone, sipping coffee. 

If you were to approach her, she'd greet you with a smile. "Good day. Or, should I be saying good evening? My, where has the day gone? Pardon my manners. The name's Azaka. You folks looking for a guide?" she then looks at Phillip "Wait, Phillip the Grung, right? I know you! The grung Syn's been caring for. How you been, little guy?"

Azaka is on the NPC tab.

((Would we have been able to say we had the forethought to ask Syn and Wakanga's opinion of Jessamine, since we'd mentioned wanting to meet with her to them? Not looking for deep lore, but more of how to avoid pissing her off, things she appreciates from supplicants, etc. She sounds pretty no-nonsense.))

To Phillip,

"Aye, Eku did strike me as a good choice. Just expensive and not willing to work with other guides. River Mist and Flask of Wine...acted like criminals. Not being able to find Salida is a strike against her (him?), aye also don't like that area. Bloodsports leave a bad taste in meh mouth."

Later,

"Good evening to ye as well Azaka! Meh name is Evo Sandfist, cleric of Selûne. Ye know meh companion. We are seeking a guide, we're seeking to find the soulmonger. Do ye know if ye can help us get there? If so, are ye willing to work with other guides? And what are ye rates?"

He smiles at her asking after Phillip.

((OOC: Phillip is pretty recognisable. But do him and Azaka have any history? If so, does he have any strong feelings either way about her? I’ll give you a straight history roll and an insight check in case that helps)).

History: 5 

Insight: 8 

((He’s stoked that anyone recognised him either way!))

"Greetings Prince Jessamine, we've be brought on by Syndra Silvane to help find the source of the Death problem and fix it. Errr... it's not just the two of us, we've some others that are finding a good guide before we head out, but we had some questions that we were told you could help with? I'm a hobbyist herbalist, and Alton here knows his way around a few mixtures of things, but we're new here and wanted to know what you might have, in items or information that would help?"

Alton wait next to the large half-orc, allowing Gotur to do the talking. He might interrupt once to add that he would consider himself a bit of an assassin as well and had heard of Jessamine’s... talents. Looking for advice, info, help, etc. 

Evo, Azaka responds "Well met, Cleric of Selûne." she sends you a genuine smile. 

"The Soulmonger?" she pauses for a moment. "If anyone tells you that they know exactly where it is, they're lying. Sure. Lost city of Omu. But where? I'll be upfront, like I always am. I don't know exactly where this decrepit artifact rest. Nor do I wish to know." she sighs. But it's more like a low growl.

"However, if this is the task at hand, I indeed have the knowledge and resources in the jungle to get us to Omu."

"Working with another guide? Hmmm...." almost like another growl instead of a hmmmm "I also have quests... desires... in the jungle. I am open to working with another, however I will insist if that is the case that we journey to Firefinger first. I need to retrieve an item there. a family heirloom. That was stolen."

She would explain that Firefinger is an ancient Chultan signaling tower. She knows where it is in the jungle. 

"If you help me with this, I help you with your Soulmonger. I would require no other monetary payment. That type of thing matters nothing to me compared to my heirloom. Jobal will not need to know about our transactions. We will be in the jungle, anyhow."

She kind of... purrs afterwards and awaits your response. 

((Phillip, Azaka just knows that Syn has been caring for a Grung named Phillip and has heard a lot about you just from city gossip. However, you have heard of this guide before and everything you've heard has been positive. Mostly that her knowledge of the jungle is extensive to say the least.))

 Gotur, Alton, Jessamine responds "Oh. Yes. Syn's latest 'band of adventurers'. Tell me, did she happen to tell you what has become of the last 'band of adventurers' that she sent into the jungle? Alas, it matters not. I helped them, I'll help you. I suppose you're my only hope and by now you must know that I am suffering the same fate as Syn."

"Here. I'll provide 200gp like I gave the last group for any supplies."

"Gotur, I trust you have already received the flora and fauna information of the lands from one of my underlings in the market given your hobby?"

"Alton... you might like these. The last group never had... one of us." she smiles at you when she says this and then shows you her collection of poisons (link below. She's got all of 'em in stock.)

https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dmg/running-the-game#Poisons

"Take a few for your quest. Anything else I will need to charge you for."

"Good luck."

She doesn't look too hopeful.

(Alton, you can take any 3 poisons' that are listed at 500gp or less and then disperse to the party as you see fit. Please let me know which ones you take and add them to your character sheet as I am curious to see if you can! If you want any other poison, you'd have to buy it.)

"Aye think we could do that? Is Firefinger on the way to Omu by any chance? How do you feel about a guide named Eku? She wants to kill a hag? Or the guide Salida?"

He has already written off the tabaxi.

Evo, Azaka responds "Indeed it is. If Omu is our destination, then we will be travelling south. Far south. Omu is near the southern edge of the peninsula. Firefinger is most definitely on the way."

"Eku? Yes, she also serves Jobal, as I do. She is... quite the woman. More... charitable than I. I would not object to travelling alongside her. I know nothing of her issues with hags, although she must never know of our deal. She must never know that you are not paying me and therefore not paying Jobal. If she finds this out at any time, then our deal is off, and I'll leave you in the jungle on the spot."

"Sorry. It's just I need to be able to trust you if we are to survive in the jungle. Those are my terms. Oh, did she... 'talk' to you yet? Have you 'seen' her yet?" she smiles. 

"Salida? Do NOT work with her. You shall regret it, mark my words."

She sips more coffee. 

"Err, yes, I chatted with [vendor's name], and they were most helpful. Thank you again for your support, and ah, we'll.... we'll get this fixed!"

((Added the coin to the party fund, currently at 300 gp.))

Back near the start of the discussion with Azaka, Phillip will smile his broadest smile and say, “Yup yup yup! Uh huh! That’s me!! Yup, uh huh!... ...Hmmm.... Syn has been very kind. I owe her my lifffffffe!! Uh huh, uh huh.... ... But she is sick. I must help her... uh huh...”.

Towards the end of the discussion he will say to her, “I like you! Yup!!.... Iffff- we can get you and Eku to help us, we may yet succeed! Uh huh!”.

Alton thanks Jessamine, and will take a vial of each of oil of taggit, truth serum, and just some plain old serpent venom.

(I was able to add each of them to Alton’s inventory, but the tooltips did not work. I was using [ item] [/ item]... so maybe something else would work?? I’m not sure.)

((They might not be coded in, since they aren't part of the standardly available gear?)) 

Oil of Taggit (Contact)

Truth Serum (Ingested)

Serpent Venom (Injury)

((Ah, the mode of action is part of the name.))