[center][h1]Meanwhile somewhere... less explosive[/h1][/center]

Dyn listened to the local share the rest to  their side of the story of the combat between the theullai and the marid. The theullai was painted in quite the bad light here, something he had no trouble in believing with the extremely hostile first reception they had received, but in the end he could not be sure. While calling his inherent paranoia a positive quality was rarely that accurate, now might be one of those times. You never knew which side had the most truth behind their words, but he had to admit these people were making a better case for themselves. While they had [i]almost[/i] attacked them, they at least had the merit of not actually doing that to their name. The wolf had introduced themselves by lashing out without warning.

“Hmmm… this place seems interesting...”, the Beholder murmured, swimming forward a bit further before turning back to the rest of the group. “We will need to go looking for supplies, as well as some generally useful trinkets. And a map of this place. Who is coming with me?” he asked, some of his eyes taking a quizzical look to them. The new kobold and the unbearable trickster did not seem to have much interest in joining him, but he had profiled them as such a good while ago. By his guess, the tabaxi and the actual captain would be joining him with a strong maybe on the ghost’s part. They seemed to get along well with Koan, yet they also seemed more reasonable than her. He’d have to see.

“I would like to see their wares,” Jill replied with a smile, “and perhaps talk to our guide along the way, if that is alright with you, Cynthia?” She looked about at the commotion in the room they encountered, wondering how anything functioned in this much chaos. “I have a feeling a local will be useful in finding what we are looking for.”

[Color=c0c0c0] “I am inclined to believe you,”[/color] Nemiea said as she walked up to the beholder, [color=c0c0c0] “I believe I may join you Dyn, can't exactly pass up a chance to spend time with my favorite beholder now can I?”[/color] The Tabaxi flashed the other creature a smile before her eyes fell on Cynthia. [Color=c0c0c0] “I also don't think I could pass up the chance to spend some time with the beautiful Cynthia either.”[/color]

“If you know more than one beholder, I daresay this town will be less than adventurous to you,” Cynthia replied as she swam forward. “Come. Where would you like to go first? I shall lead the way to my favorite locations. Anything I can do for a captain and [i]her[/i] crew.” The merfolk shot a knowing glance to Dyn and Jill as she waited for further instructions.

Dyn’s facial features slowly warped into a grimace, and while that was nothing new to be seen from the Beholder, those that had spent some time with him knew that the speed of the change was… worrisome. Usually he had no trouble turning between happy and angry at a moment’s notice, but when came the moments in which he took his time… well, let’s just say that a spectacular explosion of rage would soon follow. If there was something Dyn could not take well, that was being spoken of like an underling of someone.

[Color=c0c0c0] “Aye, no need for that now,”[/color] Nemiea said cheerily as she gently patted one of Dyn’s many tentacles, [color=c0c0c0] “Dyn here prefers that people think him the captain to keep Jill out of harm's way. Stabs like that aren't really needed when one is simply doing his job to protect someone. I would have said I was the captain but I'm far too young and honestly? I wouldn't [i]want[/i] that responsibility… too much work. I prefer zapping things now and thinking about it either later or never.”[/color] The Tabaxi looked up at Dyn and gave him a look that told him now was not the time nor place for one of his episodes. The two had become what she would consider friends over this span of traveling and sincerely hoped he would catch the hint. 

The grimace partially withdrew itself as the sorcerer tried to calm the tentacled aberration down with her touch… and words. While the latter were actually aimed at Cynthia, the mighty Dyn’yer’zhead could read from in between the lines that he really should not be making a scene here… something he agreed with. A sour face remained, but when he opened his mouth it was not shouting that followed, but a slightly sharper than need be request. “First thing we need is a knowledgeable cartographer. Must find our way around”, he spat out.

“Of course, ‘Captain.’ I know an excellent mapmaker, but his maps may be difficult for you to interpret,” Cynthia replied as she swam forward with a purpose. “That is not meant as an insult. Underwater currents travel in three dimensions, whereas those on the surface or on land travel only in two. We have charted several major currents, myself on some of these expeditions as protection.”

“How do you draw a map in three dimensions?” Jill asked with some puzzlement. “Paper is flat, and I’m sure an accurate map would require much more detail than a piece of paper could provide.”

“Quite right! I will let the cartographer explain his process though, if you would follow.” Cynthia led the group forward and upwards until they reached a hole in the ceiling marked solely by an X. “After you.”

To be fair, Dyn had heard of and even dealt with things far more outlandish than three dimensional maps in the past, but he had to admit the concept intrigued him. He rubbed his chin with the tentacle that held [i]Tradewind[/i] as he tried to imagine how that would look. No concept managed to elude his mind, and soon he had an image in his head. Happy with that, he followed the guide to the X and ended up being slightly befuddled as she gestured for them to go first. What sort of a guide does that? Nonetheless, he did as suggested and swam further on.

The entrance led to a very brief tunnel that quickly opened into a wide storefront. Inside the store was an elderly elf who sat upon a chair in the corner reading a book that seemed as if it were deteriorating before their very eyes. As the beholder entered, the elf became startled until he saw Cynthia swim up behind. “A new friend of yours?” the elf asked, clutching his chest as it heaved with heavy breaths. “Scare an old relic like me half to death.”

“Don't worry, Abba. Captain Dyn’yer’zhead is here on business.” Cynthia turned to Dyn and smiled. “Please say hello to Abbathon Galamiel. He is the finest mapmaker in this city. I trust he can get you almost anywhere in this Plane.”

A few of Dyn’s eyes glared at their guide from the side, suspecting that she had wanted to use him for a practical joke to be played on her friend. He smacked his while the two were still having their little exchange, but once the introductions were out of the way he began slowly moving forward. “Yes… what we need is indeed a map of our surroundings, the area around this city. Something that would show further would not be a burden either…”

[color=c0c0c0] “Dyn, I believe she said to [i]please say hello[/i] to the man before requesting services of him,”[/color] Nemiea said, stepping beside the Beholder and offering the Map maker a small bow as a polite gesture, [color=c0c0c0]”Hello Mister Galamiel, it is a pleasure to meet you. Please excuse my Captains abruptness, he is not one to waste time when he knows what he and his crew needs.”[/color] She offered the elderly elf a kind smile before glancing over at Dyn, hoping he would understand that she was not undermining him, but hoping to keep tensions from spilling over.

The elf returned Nemiea’s smile with one of his own. “Please, call me Abba. No harm has been done. I can appreciate a man who knows what he wants.” Abba lifted himself from his chair slowly and floated over to what appeared to be a display case with several small black discs sitting on the shelves. “A map of the city is fairly commonplace, despite the constant changes and work being performed. Accuracy in these new areas may be wanting, but for the majority of the city, this map should be completely accurate.” 

Abba held the disc out towards Cynthia who demonstrated its use by laying the disc flat, then flicking a switch on the side. Immediately,  an illusion of the entire coral popped into view, translucent enough to see thousands of tunnels crisscrossing each other. In a large opening towards the upper center shone a bright red dot. “The dot represents the map’s current location. There are options to magnify the image and manipulate it, as one would do with a surface map. These maps are, of course, magical and require years of study, and so they are somewhat expensive. Fifty gold for this model.”

The right edge of Dyn’s mouth dipped when Nemiea believed it to be her business to salvage a situation that did not exactly need salvaging. Introductions had already been made and he was here to do business, not to make friends. He ground his teeth together for a moment and swam closer to the display the shopkeep was setting up Once the illusion sprang to life, he could not help but reach at it with his tentacles, trying to manipulate it as had been suggested to be possible by this elf they apparently called Abba.

Jill stepped in, poking her head around one of Dyn’s tentacles. “Impressive quality,” she said simply. “And although I’m sure a map of the local area will be extremely helpful to us, we are also looking for a wider view. Perhaps something that would help us reach the Verdant Stream?”

“Interesting”, the Beholder mused, withdrawing from the map after a while. This particular map was not of any interest to him though, but before he had the chance to say it out loud, Jill had taken the opportunity, brushing through his tentacles to get herself in the discussion. She just could not keep her own captain act down, could she?

Abba blinked at Jill’s request. “The Verdant Stream is a bit dangerous, even for seasoned adventurers like you. None of our scouts that have gone inside have ever returned, and so, we have no actual data of the Stream itself. But I’m sure I have something...” He rummaged through the display case, flipping over several of the discs to read labels etched on the bottom. “Ah, here. This should do it. It’s a wide view of this sector of the Endless Sea.” He turned on the disc, and the image appeared, showing the Coral City superimposed by a red dot, then a vast expanse filled with a variety of floating islands and obstacles, each with a label describing them. “Here. This should get you to the Verdant Stream, about two days away. These larger maps are, of course, less precise than the smaller scales, but require significantly more work to create. This map should get you to the Verdant Stream in one piece, but I can promise little more than that. It costs two hundred gold pieces.”

Now that the item in question was of interest to Dyn however, he got back to trying to get the map obey his commands. His multiple eyes scanned the projection before him, his tentacles idly probing at it to both mark locations of interest and attempting to figure out how the manipulation of this item happened. There was no question about it: These things were magical and the proposed price of 200 gold could well be worth the investment. But the one to ask is not the fool, but the one who gives. “Yes…”, he gurgled, “this is interesting. We could use this one for sure… But just how accurate do you think it has remained? Is it old? How often does this realm shift? One would believe this world to be as fluid as water… I propose we could find settlement in, say, 150 pieces of gold?” The offer, naturally, was not even close to serious, but nothing in the Beholder’s visage would hint at anything as such. When haggling, do as the hagglers do.

Persuasion: https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/4027 (20)

“Our maps are created with calculations for drift, and should be accurate for another century or so, at least within my criteria of accuracy,” Abba replied. “I understand the concern, but we have made hundreds of these maps. The only thing we cannot account for is sentient or intentional manipulation, or large and living obstacles.” The elf gently retrieved the disc from Dyn’s grasp. “I am sorry, but 150 gold does not cover the cost of my adventurers who helped me map this area. But perhaps we could attain a different sort of agreement?”

This person either had no concept of haggling or deliberately tried to not get roped into the game with the many eyed creature of sheer wit and cunning. The lack of any price offered back to him left him little but to probe at potential weaknesses from another angle. “Should be? Yes, the effort those calculations must have taken does explain the workload you spoke of… yet something like a [i]Wish[/i] spell could well have messed with them. It would be such a shame, but so it has been that I’ve heard of one such magical feat having been performed not too long ago… But with the knowledge of these calculations made to further attempt to keep it up-to date, perhaps we can meet at 170?”

“Hmm, a [i]Wish[/i] spell might have made some alterations, of course, but I cannot see a reason why anyone would choose to affect my maps. Despite its renown, that particular spell is very limited in scope for each casting.” The elf thought for a moment before responding with a proposal of his own. “I could allow this map to go at your original asking price if you agree to aid me. If you were to survey the Verdant Stream, I would pay handsomely for such information.”

Cynthia’s eyes grew wide. “Abba! You cannot ask something like this of these travelers! They certainly would not survive such a trip on their own.”

“It seems they intend to travel there whether they aid me or not. Why not be paid for their troubles? 50 gold off the price of this map, then 200 gold when they return. Is it a deal?” The elf extended his hand to the beholder for a handshake.

Dyn snapped his tongue, a few more of his more idle eyes focusing on the two members of the crew in this very room for a while before returning to their usual surveying of the area. The task he was sending them on seemed… well, depending on what it would actually consist of, it could be an acceptable offer, if only because it was where they would be heading nonetheless. However, there was still a few more things to discuss about it. “The description of what you really want me and my crew to perform is… insufficient as it stands. With no knowledge of what this surveying actually is, I am afraid I cannot make a decision yet. Would you mind elaborating?”

“If you have never surveyed before, Captain, I doubt you would be able to pick it up to Abba’s satisfaction,” Cynthia replied. “That is not intended as an insult. It is simply-”

“Surveying between surface worlds and underwater currents may differ. I need an accurate description to know if there is something we need to specifically take into account”, Dyn interrupted her, letting the merfolk lady know that this was not his first rodeo. But once he had got that out of his mouth, he waved a tentacle as a sign for her to go on.

“As I was saying, Captain, it is simply fact. You must be able to recreate accurately in three dimensions all factors of your environment,” Cynthia replied. “However, I have been on several survey missions before. I could accompany you, if you wished.”

Nemiea didn’t seem bothered by Dyn’s apparent disapproval, mostly because she cared very little for how touchy he could be. As far as the exchange between him, the map maker and Cynthia, it held very little interest to her so she simply took to looking around, hoping this wasn’t the only place they went to, as she wanted to actually go [i]shopping[/i] for some things. As helpful as a map would be, she wouldn’t be the one reading it, wasn’t usually her job even though she could read maps well enough. [color=c0c0c0]”I say we take her with us,”[/color] the Tabaxi said when Cynthia offered her assistance, [color=c0c0c0] “It would make the most sense and assure that we will not get lost or caught up in anything… with or without a map.”[/color]

[i]“Well well well”[/i], the Beholder thought, [i]”wasn’t she interested in helping them out allofasudden.”[/i] Why was it that she suddenly showed such an interest in where they were going? Perhaps she wanted to spy on them? Few would offer to head to such dangerous locations out of their free will, at least if the earlier talk of the area’s nondescript dangers was to be believed. But then again, if she would do it for free, so be it. And if it turned out she was only there to spy… there were a lot of people in the crew and only one merwoman. “I’ll choose to respect the wishes of my crew. Besides, more hands on deck is always more”, he confirmed Nemiea’s idea of letting Cynthia join them before turning his attention back to the elf and slithering one of his tentacles forward. “150 for the map and you will pay us 200 in gold when we return. This we can work with.”

“I would like to see her join us too,” Jill added in. “An extra hand might be helpful if the Stream is as dangerous as everyone claims. Plus, we don’t know much about the history here.” Jill turned to Cynthia and smiled. “Welcome to the team. And thank you for your help finding the map!” 

The elf handed over the disc and shook Dyn’s tentacle, no sign of disdain making it to his face. “A pleasure doing business with you,” he said with a smile. “And now the payment?”

The Beholder turned to face Jill and ‘gave her the order’ to step forth and procure the currency needed in this exchange. “Jill, would you hand over the payment to our good mapmaker?” This turn of events would undoubtedly cause wonder in those who were used to the head figure carrying the cash as well, but Dyn had spun a tale about it long time ago: “Few expect the money to be on someone other than the captain. Cutpurses find themselves rather bemused when the pouch they nicked contains but few pieces of iron”, he quipped with a short laugh to accompany the mental image.

Jill raised an eyebrow towards Dyn, shooting him a look that promised further communication on the topic, but handed the shopkeeper the money, which was then counted out procedurally. Jill said goodbye to the elf before leaving the shop. “Where to next?” she asked.

[color=c0c0c0]”I would prefer someplace where I can take a look at weapons that may be of use to me other than my focus,”[/color] Nemiea murmured. [color=c0c0c0]”I’d even settle for a trinket or two.”[/color] Nemiea did not say much about the price promised to them upon return, she didn’t really see it as a deal in the least as they were really only making about 50gp off of the work they would have to do. She didn’t feel like that would be enough, especially split among those of the crew that would be partaking in the particularly difficult even. However, she had a feeling if she had spoken up Dyn would more than likely train one too many eyes on the feline and she really didn’t want to have to deal with it. Even more so since it was agreed upon while she wasn’t exactly paying attention.

The faux-captain lingered for a while, also relaying his goodbyes to the merchant before following the rest outside, still making it a point to get out before Cynthia. He caught the discussion of their next destination and added his two cents: “I have no problems with seeking weapons. We should be well armed, for our destination rewards those who prepare adequately. We will also need to visit an alchemist or some other worker of magic and chemicals prior to leaving, but it can, for now, wait.”

[Color=c0c0c0] “I want to take a look at some staffs,”[/color] Nemiea stated, [color=c0c0c0] “And maybe an amulet or ring if I can find one that tickles my fancy. Maybe I can even do some dancing for extra gold.”[/color] Nemiea smiled a bit, excited to get going so she could stock up on some things she would need. Probably get a health potion or six as well if Dyn wanted to go to an Apothecary.

Cynthia nodded at Nemiea’s suggestion and began leading them to another shop. “I’m sure I can help you find something you would like,” she added as the group re-entered the fray in the shopping area.