Luludha blinks dispassionately at Dap, and says, "Fish."

Casting sidelong glances at her companions she draws back from the other halfling ever so slightly.

!i!

Dap grins cheesily, "It's because i'm always out in the water. 'He was born a fish and a fish he'll remain' my dear old ma used to say, rest her soul. Poor thing drowned."

"Alright, Mr. Fish. We're interested in examining the submerged ruins, and the cliff-side caves as well. 10% sounds reasonable. Do you have anything that will allow us to breathe underwater? I can't speak for my friends ,but I'm more accostomed to the rolling plains that the rolling oceans."

Orlok remains quiet in the background, observing this.

"10% sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Can you tell us about anything you've seen in the area? I am particularly seeking a statue of a golden mermaid.."

"Excellent!" exclaims the halfling in excitement. "Perhaps we should go somewhere a bit less...public, to discuss things."

The grimy Dap leads you northwards along the coastline for about half a mile to a ramshackle wooden hut that appears to have been built shoddily from driftwood. Seaweed dangles from the warped beams of the roof and a briny smell permeates the dingy interior, when he invites you inside. It's very crowded with you all in the only room of the hut and you have to stand or sit on the dirt floor.

Dap moves some soiled clothing to make room, then turns his attention back to you, "Right. Going out onto the water is not something to be taken lightly. Several people have drowned out there because they saw something shiny and took no notice of my instructions. If you haven't got anything to help you breathe down there, then you'll have to use my airbags." Dap rummages around in the litter and eventually surfaces with a tattered leather bag with a flexible tube extending from it. He then puts the tube into his mouth.

"You thstick the tube into you mouth, like tho, and then thuck through it to get your air. It holdths enough air for about ten minuths. Don't blow the air back in or you'll thee thstars and drown. Thuck it in then blow it out your nosth."

He takes the instrument out of his mouth, "Then come back up my weighted line to the boat, allow the bag a few minutes to fill back up and down you go again! [edit] Ooh, don't forget to pinch your nose when you're not exhaling, otherwise you'll start taking on water!" [edit]

"If you want to explore the caves, most of them are pretty difficult to get to, being nearer the top of the cliff than at its base. My guess is that the tunnels and caves were the cellars and dungeons of the city before it crumbled into the sea. Anyhow, i can rig up lines to help you climb to the caves-some of them are hidden behind colonies of breeding sea birds, by the way. Wear a hat!- That should help you with the climbing, if you're not expert."

Finally, Dap looks at Orlok, "Golden mermaid eh? Hmm, well i've seen some Merfolk in the ruins before, they seem to visit every now and then. They are normally pretty peaceful, but some of them are a bit mischievous and like to see us landfolk struggle in the water! Mayhap, one of them holds this golden mermaid. Although someone did report a supposedly talking statue in one of the cliff caves. He was addled though, i think."

Garren examines one of the air bladders suspiciously.

"Breathing from bags? Underwater? Madness. But if you say it works... "

He tosses the bag back to the floor.

"I would be more at home in the caves on the cliff, for now. At least breathing won't be a problem!"