Whilst Picus Thel goes off to meet with his contact the crew hit the streets of Nessceen Qassabah and decide to blow off some steam, perhaps with the realities of the their last job praying on their minds, or at least in Vals case being reminded of unpleasant memories of his flight from Chbavaa. The crew decide to take advantage of the Qassabah's vibrant tapcaf culture and get drink, smoke bubbling hookas and take in some live jizz. Val tries to drown his sorrows and then hits on the idea of getting a ships mascot from one of the many animal traders to cheer himself up. The crew, a little worse for ware begin a bar crawl with the aim of finding a suitable new addition to the longhorn crew.
During the bender Jorus picks up several rumours from locals in the tapcafs and bars:
Spirits inhabit the deepest jungle, trappers, hunters and miners have seen them. The jungle come alive. Leave offerings of food or drink at your campsite to appease them.
The lumber workers constantly fight with a fast growing moss that covers equipment and can damage it in short order. They use fire, corrosive chemical sprays or electrical shock systems to keep it at bay.
The jungle is full of dangers, predators, dangerous plants,
Watch out for death pools, areas of the jungle where you can feel your own mortality on your back like a weight if it is too much to carry and you collapse into a deep sleep. One of Dinoah's many predators will be along to eat you in short order. Watch out for pools of bones of sleeping creatures to avoid them.
The source of Fngur is unknown, it's found only in small pool on the jungle floor. Rumours persist of a Fngur tree, an apparently mobile moss-palm that moves through the jungle, its leaves and berries rich with the healing oitment. Anyone who discovered it and harvest it would be rich beyond their wildest dreams.
The crew eventually come to 'K's Dukkan, who has some genuinely unusual creatures including a strange curious black eyed bird that Val takes a liking too. The 'porg' is just what Val wants and they decide to pull together the credits to buy it. Coming out of the shop they run into Picus Thel who know the Gilland Exotic animal trader Kel, the owner of the shop. They also see an angry looking Ewok chained to the front of the shop. It barks and growls at them when the get close. Lorne is incensed. Picus introduces the crew to the Gilland and they negotiate for the porg. Lorne also tries to buy the Ewok but there is a difference of opinion amongst the crew about freeing the clearly angry and troubled creature. He vows to return and free it later.
The Crew and Picus return to the Longhorn and Picus gives him a set of co-ordinates and the Longhorn flies to a destination deep in the jungles of Dinoah. There is no signs of civilisation nearby including any logging camps the jungle here seems thick and untouched.
Aayla manages to find a gap in the canopy where a giant moss-palm has fallen and carefully puts the Longhorn on the ground whilst Jorus uses the tractor beam to clear space for the landing.
To watch out for trouble in the jungle, the sensors on the longhorn have been set by Jorus to, in theory at least, pick up on something large coming near the ship. He's repurposed the ships antitheft systems. Outside lights are also angled and switched on so the someone in the cockpit can get a good view of the visible jungle. They don't set any physical perimeter. The sun begins to dip.
Picus says he plans to start his hunt at first light the following day.