Someone went up onto the roof! calls back as he sticks his head out the window.  A black bird flies to the South as well. he adds as he returns to the room.  Do we give chase?

Ynvaar turned to his friend and gave him a knowing smile as he slowly shook his head "No need, Pug was watching the front in case our mysterious lady friend should show up again. He'll take care of it."

Manayu looked at Ynvaar in bafflement for a moment, then shook his head and replied, "Of course I can write them down again, but they were the notes I'd been putting together to send with you. They're clues that point the way to the Heart of the Jungle!  Now someone else has them! By now, he was standing and almost shouting, glaring down at the Tempuran.

His voice calmed and began to pick up hints of despair as he wound down. _{And I don't know even who they are...}

Pug decides to give up the chase and make his way down to the party.

OOC > If there is a doorway on the roof I'll use that and make my way to the  party, failing that I'll climb down to th window.

"Ohhhhh... I see." Ynvaar said, though it was obvious from the way he shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other that he clearly didn't have a clue why the old man was so very agitated.

What difference should it make if someone else knows the way out into the middle of the jungle?

Ynvaar blushed slightly and tried his best to give Manayu a disarming -if somewhat sheepish- smile.

Looking up from the dirty shop to the tall skinny human as he started yelling at Ynvaar.
 Groms face started to glow a reddish tinge as he could feel his anger at this stork trying to sound important.
 What Heart of the Jungle?, Moving over to stand next to the mage, he lifts his eyebrows at him, growling in his deep base voice to the mage, Dont be knowing  what ye have lost manling, but i do be knowing ye got no cause to be yelling at me friend and if ye dont shut your mouth this dwarf might be tempted to do it for ya.

Rand sheaths his sword and walks back to the group and places a calm hand on Grom's shoulder.  Be at ease Grom, the man just got thumped on his head.  We, "manlings" don't have such thick skulls. looking to Ynvaar he adds coyly, Well, most of us don't.

Ynvaar let out a deep baritone chuckle but stopped abruptly when he realised he was the butt of the joke and shot Rand a dark look through narrowed eyes "Hey!" he began, but quickly started to chuckle again after he had thought about it for a moment and clunked himself on the side of his helm with the butt of his axe "Aye, perhaps yer right." he agreed with a broad grin.

The tension broken somewhat, Ynvaar fixed Manayu with his best winning smile and asked in a soothing tone  "Now why don't you tell us what this is all about friend? ...Maybe we can help you."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:02, Tue 31 Oct 2006.

Pug slipped in through the window as Ynvaar finished his question.

Manayu looked puzzled but not intimidated by Grom's threat, but turned his attention instead to answering the northman's question.

"I apologize.  I forgot for a moment that you are outlanders.  Though even outlanders have often heard of the Heart of the Jungle.  Rumors of all sorts draw them here... an emerald the size of my head... magic enough to control half the forest... guarded by a tribe of warrior women... I could go on for days just relating rumors that have made it to my ears."

He paused and shook his head again, though whether to clear it or from amazement at what some people would believe wasn't clear.  When he spoke again, he was starting to regain some of the animation he'd shown at the gates. "Rumors or not, I think I've found the true story.  In books that were old before Ubtao himself raised the walls of Mezro.  In languages almost no one living could understand." He paused again, and almost visibly congratulated himself with a smug smile.

"I've found not only what the Heart looks like, but what it should be able to do.  It's not an emerald at all, but a giant ruby... the size of both of even your fists." He nodded to Ynvaar.

"And the powers it has... well, suffice it to say that I'm unhappy with that sort of power being guarded anywhere but here in Mezro.  Anywhere that Ubtao's barae don't guard can't be safe enough."

"I'll need the evening to get my notes copied out again for you.  And now it'll be as much a race as a hunt, if those thugs have any idea what they have."

"I asked you at the gates, are you heroes?  My books tell me that other treasures were hidden away with the Heart.  Those are yours, no matter how rich, if you'll bring the Heart itself back here safely."

He looked from face to face, as though asking for answers to the question he never truly asked. Will you do it?

The Tempurans' eyebrows raised in surprise as Pug reappeared through -of all places- the window?!?  But he didn't interrupt Manayu whos' tale was in full swing by now.

When the tall man got to the part about the ruby as big as both the clerics' fists, the priest balled both his hands and held them together as if to check just how big that really was before letting out a long and impressed whistle.

Ynvaar nodded occasionally in understanding as the man spoke and when the scholars' excited tale had finally drawn to a close, Ynvaar nodded again before looking around the group to gague his companions' opinions before he would give an answer.

Having heard tales of the Heart more times than he can recall Rand just stands there expressionless.  He, too, looks to the others to see how they react to the description of the gem.

 Still a little miffed at the skinny humans slight, he listens as the man goes into a long winded fanciful tale about a super big ruby.
 Now by nature dwarves like anything from the earth, but he had never heard of any tavern tales from dwarves about such a hugh gem and since when did gems have magical properitys?.

 Looking up to see if the Cleric or Rand were laughing at the tall tale, he could see they had swallowed the tale hook line and sinker.
 O come on now, you really believe this?, and what of the types of powers that it is claimed to contain?, is it right to place such powers in this mans hands?, i know he came down with the guards capt or some such but i would be careful to who came into such powers as he claims for the gem.

 He didnt really think he speach would make much inroad against their greed but he had to try.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:43, Thu 02 Nov 2006.

Manayu looked down at Grom with something more like respect. "You're right of course.  I'm not sure that even I would resist the temptation of that kind of power.  Instead of bringing the stone to me personally then, could you bring it back to Mezro and come with me to deliver it to the barae?  Surely Ubtao's chosen are worthy of your trust?"

"Actually, as an outlander I'm afraid I don't know too much about these Barae either to be honest." the cleric responed witha shrug of his shoulders  ...Except they don't have much of a sense of humor  "Perhaps you could tell us a little more about them and exactly what the supposed powers of this Heart of the jungle really are?"

Rand chimed in before Manayu had the chance, The barae are Ubtao's chosen guardians of Mezro.  They are granted power and authority in mezro by Ubtao himself.  If the barae order you consider it a direct order from Ubtao himself.  Bringing the heart to them would be one of the safest things we could do.

Manayu shrugged and replied, "The barae are Ubtao's chosen ones.  They serve his will and guard us here in Mezro.  Each of them was potent in their own right before they gave themselves to Ubtao.  He keeps them alive long past their natural span of years.  He gives each a mighty power.  They serve to protect Ubtao's lands... well most of them do."  He shook his head as though discarding a disturbing thought.

"As to the powers of the Heart... I really don't know.  Even the sources I found were vague and sometimes in conflict.  All that I can say for certain is that its power is great, but greater still within Ubtao's domain.  Perhaps it can control the animals of the forest.  Perhaps even the land itself.  There are many stories.  Too many for me to know which to believe."

"All that I can say for certain is that such power should be guarded well.  Better even than the histories say."

As Pug climbs through the window he sees Ynvarrs raised eyebrows

"You know I don't like stairs"

Pug then finds a place to sit before updating the party.

"Looks like my hunch about that women were true, it was her I saw climbing out of the wondow, I tried to follow but she polymorphed into some sort of bird and the last I saw she was flying out of town. Have I missed much"

 Listening to the mage, he looks ready to argue some more but shuts his mouth which cause's his beard to flair out a second.
 Looking up to Rand and Ynvaar he gives them a look that asks can we trust him?,

 Spinning around as Pug comes in thru the window, he slowly nods his head at the mage.
 Dont rightly know what these people your talking about but if they are guardians of the kings treasure then i reckon i be having no complaints about going out and picking up that trinket for ya, of course that be only if the others agree.

Ynvaar shook his head in answer to Pugs' question and gave Rand a quizzical look as Grom said his piece.
"What king?" he asked with a grin, silently mouthing the words behind the dwarfs' back. Shrugging and clapping Grom on the shoulder, Ynvaar nodded again at his diminutive companion before turning back to Manayu once more "Well then my friend, it looks like you've found yourself a group of heros.

We will leave you to your work and return for the notes at first light. That should give us all plenty of time to take care of any outstanding business and to make ready our supplies for an extended expedition." he noted over his shoulder as he strode purposefully toward the door.

There is much to do and little enough time to do it all I think.

Turning on his heel at the door he added  "I have a few things to take care of in Mezro before we set out again. All being well I'll see you all back at the inn later for an ale or two later this even.

Tempos guide your steps brothers."

Manayu grinned, then winced, rubbing his head.

"At first light then.  I'll have what you'll need, though my apprentices may be unhappy with the work I'll have for them this evening."

As you started out, he was already in the hallway, shouting names and instructions.

Rand looks to Ynvaar and grins, I don't envy them.  Walking towards the doorway he confirms the groups plan, So, we are to meet back at the inn after we finish our procuring of gear?

 Raiseing a busy eyebrow at the mage, he wonders how that Ynvaar so quickly accepted the mission?, still word was given of acceptance, so word must be kept in honor.

 alright, i be ready by the time ye be done, if i be needing to by extra provisions for how many days do i be buying for?.

OOC he will stop by and try to buy another healing potion or two, along with a couple of cure poison potions, think i can afford them.

Ynvaar grinned back at Rand and nodded in answer to his question before looking toward Grom with a shrug of his shoulders "Oh I should imagine we'll be gone no more than a month or so but we can probably forrage here and there and pick up a few things to tide us over on the way back. We'll probably need no more than a tenday at most but if you want to get a bit extra I can always squeeze it into my pack for you."

[Private to Grom Ironaxe: Actually I have no idea how many days rations we'll need but Ynvaar can put them into his Handy Haversack for you so you don't need to worry about carrying them. All things being equal I would err on the side of caution and get quite a lot.

Worse case scenario Ynvaar can cast Create food & water though so I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.]

OOC: Potions are fine at standard costs as well.

We'll move now to the new thread titled Chult: The Temple of the Heart

done reading got names