Instead of taking the coins now, you leave them in her hand. “I don’t need these just yet, but once I return, I’ll be willing to take them then.”
Now left with the three choices, you find yourself drawn to the Jaguar charm. Inspecting closely, it looks like Zyanya crafted it with care, but you can’t entirely tell what materials she used past it simply being wood. You grab the charm, place it in your pocket, and prepare to leave, but the old woman spoke up once more.
“The jungle is a dangerous place, Spaniard.” she warns, “ Not many Conquistadors make it back safely. I wish you well.”
You take her final words with you to heart. Despite the rewards, you still have to face the treacherous jungle. The rest of your time spent in the market didn’t offer any other opportunities, excluding some free mangos.
It’s nearing dusk now, almost time for the expedition to leave. What an odd time to begin, you contemplate. Wouldn’t it be a better time to start when you still have daylight? You think over this until you reach the dock, spotting Vicente Watching nineteen men carrying boats to the water, talking to the young native man standing next to him, who cautiously observing the sun’s position.
You stroll casually up next to Vicente. Regardless of how prepared you are now, the expedition was about to start.
“Well, Vicente,” you began, “I’m ready for the expedition. Could I have my armor now?”
Vicente turned towards you with a wide grin. His beard was much more scruffy now, and bags now appeared under his eyes.
“Ah, brother!” he answered. “Good to see you, even if you are slightly late, I was just having a conversation with Chetanzi, our guide. Your armor is by those boats over there.”
Vicente pointed to the large stack of plank canoes currently being moved by his men into the river. Leaning one the leftmost one was your equipment: A Conquistador’s heavy armor and morion, fitted for you.
“You should put those somewhere safe. We won’t need them in the river,” he continued, “And once you’re done with that, grab a boat and put it in the water. You’ll be deciding who’ll be riding with you.”
You assist one of the other conquistadors in taking the last of the canoes to the river, placing your items in one before you consider your decision. The canoe trip will undoubtedly be long, so it might lead to your learning more information. Although looking at the canoes, it looks like they only fit 2 people each. Who would be the best option to gather more information from?
You decide that:
>Chetanzi is the best choice. A guide would know the local area and might expand on what the old woman already explained.
> Vicente will ride with you. You still have some unanswered questions for him.
> One of the conquistadors. You can gather a general sense of what the party is like, aside from Vicente.
Sorry for the longer wait. 1 hour voting time again.