We wake up bright and early and head downstairs for breakfast. Others gradually join us there: the Bison Rider reappears, and eats with us. Mawth reappears, having spent the night with his river-folk friends. He has brought a native guide with him: a baboon called Huff. Party reactions to this are somewhat mixed: Varjeela greets him as politely as she would any other sentient being and offers him tea (1). Nijehl manages to keep his feelings under control (just).
We discuss the numbers of us needing transportation. The Bison Rider has no bison, and discourages queries on the subject. Huff points out that most of our searching will be done on land, and the boat will only be needed to carry supplies and to ferry us across channels. At present it may take two trips per channel, but this is not a problem.
We will, however, need supplies. Enough for two or three weeks (though Huff is counting in hands, and I'm not sure how many fingers and toes he's got. We don't want another case of the "morocanth's hand"). Some food will help, though we have expert fishers with us, and fresh water will be essential. The local market is not going to help: we may think of this as Godsday, but they call it Ancestor Day and refuse to buy or sell! Varjeela's ideas of holding an Issaries service are hastily postponed. Mawth suggests that the Zola Fel shrine may be willing to supply us, and goes to find out, turning down Varjeela's offer of help with bargaining.
Dangers in the swamp? very few at present, according to Huff. Things turn nasty (and full of insects) when the warm weather arrives, but we have a few weeks of cold before that.
We head down to the boat and pack our goods. Varjeela goes back to the
Trade Alliance House and picks up the maps (nice ones, in waterproof holders).
After some discussion as to who goes first (the Bison Rider as the only
fighter, Varjeela as the Goldentongue Priest with vows to maintain), we
paddle across the river, and the next session will find us on the other
side.