As the man floats down Savras re-wraps his chain about his body. When he lands Savras knowing Diplomacy is not his strong suit breaks the ice with an easy smile on his face, "Nkechi I presume?"
Hana affixes a rope as best she can and then rappels back down to the shore.
Though bloodied and bruised, Estietre beams at Nkechi "Hello! So nice to meet you!" She clucks her tongue and shakes her head.. "What an interesting place to live. I bet it is really something when the storms roll in over the water."
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The old, weathered man nods in the affirmative to Savras's question.
"Yes, it is a nice place to live most of the time. Nice and secluded." Nkechi snaps back at Mum's statement.
"Why have you bothered me? Why are you here, other than to kill my crabs?" he asks rather gruffly while gesturing out toward the broken shells just off the shore.
Lawdrak looks sheepishly at his companions, obviously uncomfortable and unsure how to begin.
"We certainly did not intend to battle your crabs, they attacked our companion and we defended her. A part of the natural cycle of life.
We need your assistance to navigate the jungle and locate an ancient ruin. We believe that other parties with more nefarious purposes also seek this place. If they find it first, your seclusion may well come to and end regardless".
Dereje is put off slightly by Nkechi's less than friendly demeanor but does not let it show.
"I apologize for killing your crabs. We did not realize that they were yours," Dereje says genuinely as he sheathes his sword. "Several of us were stranded on the Smuggler's Shiv for several weeks... survival often required us to defend ourselves from hostile wildlife. It is second nature to us now, I am afraid."
"It is as Mr. Skuld here says. We are here on behalf of the Pathfinder Society. I believe that they will be willing to compensate you quite well for your services."
Hana finishes descending the rope, but lacking any way to remove it, just leaves it for now. A thin sheen of sweat covers her forehead, which she delicately dabs away with a kerchief.
"If you will forgive my presumption, honored elder..." she says, then bows deeply again. Her culturally-ingrained respect for the elderly is clearly showing through.
"This is a land of much history and much strife," she says. "Outsiders from abroad came here and they have built their own city and interrupted the way that people have lived for so long... now that history is slowly being covered by the jungle."
"Once the people of this land had great cities of their own. A great culture. Now that is lost to the jungle, and to the cruel whims of the Chelaxians who came here. Sometimes it seems that all that is left is the wind, and the waves." She looks out over the roaring ocean.
"Now this history is being uncovered once more, and once more there is a chance that it might fork among many paths. One of those paths leads to this ancient history being remembered, uncovered, perhaps part of the pride of its people once more. Another fork leads to its exploitation, all of its wealth and culture dragged out to enrich the outsiders who come to conquer."
"We see the land, we see the people, and we wish to respect its history and its culture. So we have come to ask you, honored elder, to guide us, the strange outsiders, with your wisdom and your experience, so that we may do right by the tides of history."
Savras looks up at the sky at the mention of the Chelexians activities as he is a direct product of their cruel whims.
"I've lived on my own before... and what filled the days were memories. What better than a grand adventure - one in which you are quite suited to the task - to enrich those times of looking back. As Miss Hana has said.. this discovery will be monumental. Please consider joining us."
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Nkechi clicks his tongue, "Well...I suppose I can consider it under the circumstances, but how do I know you are even capable of surviving in the jungle? How do I know you are not just a bunch of blissful incompetents that won't even be able to find your way back to town, much less through the jungle? Gozreh likely has the answers I seek, and it may serve his purposes for me to help you."
Quietly regarding each of you for a few moments, he finally says, "I am willing to accept your proposal if you first prove yourselves by completing two simple tests, one of wind and one of water. Of course, you may decline, but I must add that if you fear performing Gozreh's simple tasks, there is no way you will survive the jungle."
Hana bows again and says, "Of course. We shall endeavor to show our worthiness through any challenge you deem appropriate."
"Water first, we're already wet anyway".
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"That sounds reasonable. First point in your favor." Nkechi says.
"The challenge of water is hardly difficult. Mostly, it is a test of patience and fortitude. Gozreh requires you retrieve him a single black pearl. Head north a bit, out by the crags of the cape. Those shores are filled with oyster beds, and such pearls are not uncommon to those who know where to look. Might be a good idea to ask the locals for pointers when you get there."
Savras nods, "Alright then. We will head in that direction, I speak the local dialect".
"There will probably be predators in or around the pearl beds. I'll need my spear to fight underwater," says Hana. "But I am amenable to going down to see what I can see."
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Having chosen their first course of action, the party heads north toward the area Nkechi told you of. The journey north isn't terribly long and is delightfully uneventful.
You arrive at the small village late in the afternoon, seemingly as many of the indigenous divers are returning home with their finds of the day.
Savras turns to the group, "These are friendlies. I think if we have some gear to spare for bartering purposes, we can get what we need to dive and find these pearls which are about 100 feet off of the shore.
I have a few things to trade I suppose. Good silk rope, a mirror, some oil, flint and steel. Most of it I got cause I thought I'd need t but we need the guide more than a few potentially useful trinkets I think. What do all of you have that you can part with?
I am an OK swimmer, how about the rest of you?"
"I have a few tools - a crowbar, a shovel," says Hana. "I can part with them and replace them when next the opportunity presents."
"I am an excellent swimmer, as you might expect."
"If we wait until morning, I think I can help. A lot. I can make bubbles of air around some of our heads, call sea creatures for steeds...make those of us that aren't already good better swimmers - but I can't do any of that today."
"I have mead and sunrods I could donate, as well."
Savras nods to Lawdrak, "Good idea. We should still approach the locals. We can trade with them and perhaps stay in their village overnight as well".
Savras waves and smiles back, he replies in Polygot, "Thank you for welcoming us. We seek to find a black pearl off of the coast.
We would welcome shelter for the night and perhaps some assistance in our search. We have goods for exchange and I am sure something can be worked out between us to the benefit of all".
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"ஒ, உங்களில் ஒருவர் என் மொழியைப் பேசுகிறார். நன்றிகள் பல. என் பெயர் பாகோ தௌ. நீங்கள் யார்?" the man says.
"நாம் இரவு நேரங்களில் வியாபாரம் மற்றும் தங்குமிடத்திற்காக ஏதாவது ஏற்பாடு செய்ய முடியும் என்று நான் சந்தேகிக்கிறேன், ஆனால் முதலில் நாம் சாப்பிட வேண்டும். என்னைப் பின்பற்றுங்கள்." he says, as he turns and begins walking toward the village, waving you on to come along.
"I suspect we can make some sort of arrangement for trade and shelter for the night, but first we must eat. Follow me." he says, as he turns and begins walking toward the village, waving you on to come along.
Mum responds in Polyglot "Thank you, Baako Tau. I am Estietre.. this is Savras, Hana, Dereje, Lawdrak and his friend Sharpmaw. Such a cute little village you have here.. gorgeous views.... Have you lived here your whole life?"
I hope that Nkechi's expertise is worth the trouble... Dereje thinks as they walk into the village, perturbed by the man's seeming resistance to generous compensation. Nonetheless, he was more than willing to humor him, if only for the sake of their expedition.
Unable to speak Polyglot, Dereje mostly just smiles and nods when spoken to. Baako seemed able to speak some Taldane, at least, but it was more polite to let Savras and Mum do the talking.
Hana follows along dutifully, not understanding a word of the conversation, one hand on the hilt of her sword as she takes in the sights of the small village.
"Excellent. We appreciate your hospitality and we certainly have worked up a hunger for dinner after our long trek today".
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Baako and his family share a meal of roasted fish, spicy lentils, and fresh flat bread with you. There is plenty of food to go around and then some.
"So you seek black pearls. Why is that, my friends? They are rare to be sure, but so much more valuable than white or off-white. The beds are plentiful, so I doubt you'll get much trouble from my tribesmen."
Sense Motive DC 10
In Polygot, ]b]"We are here to recruit a guide to head farther into the interior of the jungles.
He is ornery and has asked us to perform a few tasks before he will agree to aid us, the first, retrieve a black pearl. There are a few among us who can swim though likely not as well as your people.
But if they can guide us to the place where we will have the most success we will dive until we achieve that success".[/b]
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Baako laughs loudly when he hears the explanation, before exclaiming in Taldane, "The Tempest has sent you! Now it starts to make sense!"
Continuing in broken Taldane he asks, "What have you to trade? If we can come to an agreement, I can take you out in the boats in the morning to the best place to find black pearls."
Savras replies to Baako in Polygot once more, "Yes, so you know the Tempest!
That would be excellent. We have the following goods for trade - good silk rope, a mirror, some oil, flint and steel, a crowbar, a shovel, mead and sunrods. Are any of these items of interest to you?"
Savras shakes hands on it, "Agreed and thank you again for your hospitality".
Dereje nods approvingly, finding it perfectly fair that they had to make a trade to secure Baako's services. Of course, for a one-time boat ride, the exchange was arguably in the Bonuwati's favor. The tribesmen of Kinfora would likely get a lot of mileage out of rope of such high quality. As for the mead, well, revelry in moderation never hurt anyone.
"Yes, thank you very much," he says with a slight bow of his head, having partaken in a heaping share of food.
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First light arrives, and true to his work, Baako Tau is ready to accompany you to the pearl beds. After a short walk to the shore, you board a number of Baako's boats. Each boat is small and quick and only large enough to hold four people.
A quick jaunt out some 150 to 200 ft from shore, the tribesmen bring the boats to a stop.
"Here is the best bed that I know of finding black pearls." Baako says. "I hope you are good at holding your breath, the beds are a good sixty feet down."
"Are there sharks or other predators that frequent the beds?" asks Hana, hoping that one of her teammates will translate if the locals don't understand her.
Dereje peers into the deep water and chuckles sheepishly.
"I will not be of much use here, I'm afraid."
"I can try to go down quickly, see if I can do this fast and without much fuss," says Hana, "but I will have to shuck quite a few oysters to find a black pearl. It might be easier just to bring a bag full up and then shuck them on shore."