The Wandering Archipelago (D&D 5e)

[Dlover]

Insight: 5

"Walking through the night would just get us lost, right? Surely the druids would rather we get there tomorrow than not at all."

[Rodgeir]

"Every day we wait our chances of recoverin' a live Morley go down. Is takin' a nap 'ere with the flowers worth riskin' that? We should try ta get there today so we can get back."

WisdomSurvival!: 1D20+2 = [19]+2 = 21

[Dlover]

((Everyone trying something different to pick up on whether there are problems. ))

[thinkslogically]

((What is Varsk trying to do with the WIS roll?))

[Rodgeir]

((Figure out why he would want to lay in a field with flowers and not be alert. He isn't really a fan of letting his guard down inside a city where he's comfortable let alone out in the middle of a jungle. It was one of his personality traits I'm pretty sure.

Also I like that team Druid gets a nice floral smell and team Lizard gets rotting burning meat!))

[thinkslogically]

Ok, let's call that a survival check then

[Nioca]

"Well..." Syli starts, pondering whether they should stop. But just as the relaxation starts to set in, her instincts set her right again. They were in foreign territory. She was certain a druid was following their movements. And there was no guarantee they were friendly (although they certainly did seem to be investing a lot of unnecessary effort if they were setting a trap).

And another sinking feeling hits her soon afterward. A sudden, unbidden feeling, a desire, a longing in a place such as this? It wasn't that long ago a similar feeling had overtaken her with curiosity... frowning, she stops to shake her head to clear it, trying to organize her thoughts, trying to process whether this was just exhaustion speaking... or if it might be the Feywild casting influence over them.

--Arcana (+3): 16

((I tried to catch that roll before it processed through, because it's listed as Anonymous. If you want, feel free to check the IDs around it to ensure it's legit.))

((Also, if it indeed turns out to be the Feywild, it's going to be funny how Syli's micro-misadventure into the Feywild earlier might now actually have a payoff in her recognizing it now))

[WearsHats]

If we're prepared, let's go investigate the smell. "Artho, do you know what might be in this direction?"

[spiderwrangler]

I nod and give Kal a thumbs up.

[thinkslogically]

Druid Group

While Mehriv decides that a lovely fragrant meadow would be a lovely place to take a break, the others are are considerably more wary and get the sense that this place is too good to be true.

Varsk and Gwen get the definite impression that something is off about this place - the scent is too heavy for normal flowers and the sense of peace and relaxation is almost overwhelming. It's a lovely place, but a few flowers shouldn't be enough to shake off the worries of the past few days...

Syli is reminded almost immediately of the Fey magic she encountered at the edge of the blue forest - that tempting, alluring magic that wants to draw you in and bundle you up in itself... But while there's definitely magic here, she doesn't get the sense that it's harmful. Dangerous, certainly, like all magic is.... but not harmful. On the contrary, it feels wholesome and rejuvenating. Maybe staying here for a bit wouldn't be the worst idea?

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Lizard Group

The lizard group gather themselves as best they can. Merric and Artho shove a bit of lemonleaf into their cloaks to help with the smell and the group heads off. Artho just shakes his head to Kal's question and seems to be focusing on keeping his jaw clenched shut and breathing as little as possible.

After another 10 minutes or so, the group reach the source of the smell. In front of them, in the center of a shallow, muddy pool is what appears to be a low hill covered in tangled, rotting vegetation. A smouldering pit is visible near the top on one side, which seems to have the rotted remains of at least one charred corpse slumping out of it. More smoke rises gently from one end of the mound, and a putrid goo oozes from the various holes into the surrounding water. A mass of flies buzzes over the mound, and more than a few swarm around you all, buzzing in your faces and ears. The broken bodies of two, maybe three crested lizardfolk* lie nearby.

Artho groans as a gust of wind blows a putrid stench towards you all that is almost unbearable (CON saves please).

*The same race you've already met and fought a bunch of.

[Dlover]

Mehr yawns, eyelids growing heavy, "What's wrong? Aren't you guys tired?"

[spiderwrangler]

I can feel the contents of my stomach rising as I fight to keep them down...

CON save: 1D20+1 = [15]+1 = 16

[Arch Lich Burns]

Gwen tries to resist the urge to agree with Mehriv, and shakes her head. "We need to try to save the people captured. The more time we spend resting the less time we have to find them."

[Dlover]

"Mrn, I... Guess you're right. But we have to rest sometimes, right?"

[Nioca]

"Yeah..." Syli starts off, seemingly almost in agreement, before turning it into a rebuttal. "...no. Not here. There's some sort of enchantment here... I felt something similar back at the Feywild, this kinda crap gets into your head before you realize your thoughts and actions aren't your own." Syli looks around warily.

"Whatever's going on here is dangerous. It might be harmless, it might even be something from our invisible friends as a token of peace... but we absolutely can not trust it. We don't know enough about it, and we need to get moving before we lose the will to fight against it."

[WearsHats]

Kal tries to put the smell out of his mind. A ranger's son should be used to worse than this, surely. He presses the lemonleaf closer to his nose.

Con: 1D20+2 = [11]+2 = 13

He looks around. What could have done this?

Nature: 1D20+3 = [12+3] = 15
Survival: 1D20+3 = [1+3] = 4
Investigation: 1D20+2 = [18+2] = 20

[Theis2]

Merric will take a few steps back and likely join Artho in leaving his breakfast for the flies. He then decides to speak to the flies.

"Do any of you know who left this.. delightful?.. feast for you?"

Con save: 1D20+3 = [6]+3 = 9

[Rodgeir]

Varsk gives a tight nod at Syli's comments.

"I don't know about the magic stuff but anything that makes you wanna relax in the middle of this swamp has gotta be a trap. Let's go."

He will once again starting trying to lead the group on in the direction Syli indicated by walking away from the clearing. He will preferably move around the meadow's edges to get to way they need to go rather than through it.

((Gonna use the 18 survival above I rolled for the leading the way still, if that is okay))

[thinkslogically]

Druid Group
The druid group insist on not staying any longer in the strange meadow, and drag themselves onwards, with no small pang of regret as the weariness that had temporarily left them begins to return with a vengeance.

Following Varsk's lead, the group continue SW in relative peace. The ground seems to have risen a little higher now, and while it is still hard going to clamber through the bushes and dense tree roots, you are at least able to dry out a bit. By the time the sun sets however, you have seen no sign of any pools.

((Are you continuing through the night? If so, how would you like to proceed?))

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Lizard group
Korrik manages to steel himself, but the smell is just too much for the others who lose their lunches in short order.

Merric tries talking to the flies, but they seem to be fully occupied with the activities of eating the gross thing and laying eggs on it.

((While you are in the vicinity of this smelly thing, everyone except Korrik is considered to be Poisoned. That means you have disadvantage on attack and ability checks)).

[Rodgeir]

"How much further ya think this pond is Syli? If we can't get there in an hour or so maybe we should find a place to hole up until dawn."

[Nioca]

"Hard to say, unfortunately. This 'map' I've got doesn't exactly mention a distance. Best I got is these markings..." Syli pulls out the map again and points out the lines with dashes through them. "I was hoping each line meant a mile, but with the amount of time it took to reach that meadow... hard to say. Could be more. And if we're continuing that guesswork a little bit more, this leg of the journey is almost twice as long as the last."

Syli pauses, then looks over the group behind her. "I'd say we keep moving until either we find a good spot to camp or it gets too dark for us. I mean, I know Gwen and I can see in the dark, dunno how well you guys can handle it though."

Assuming they keep moving, Syli keeps a weary eye out for a decent spot to set up camp.

-Survival (+3): 13

[spiderwrangler]

As everyone else starts booting, I manage to hold it together and seeing Kal looking about, try to be helpful.

[Dlover]

"I can make light as needed, but we still need to make sure we don't forgo a night's sleep." With the sun setting, Mehr pulls out his wand to cast Light on it, holding it high to spread the light around.

Survival: 6
Mehr is not good at looking for a camping spot.

[Arch Lich Burns]

Gwen looks for shelter nearby. "Does the 'map' have any other markings on it? Like a landmark?"

Survival: 1D20+3 = [10]+3 = 13

[Nioca]

"That's pretty much all it is. Landmark, compass direction, and these markings. Then you hit a new landmark, get a new compass direction, and have another set of those markings."

"The landmarks aren't described all that well either. Last one was 'Clearing'. Now we're moving on to 'Pool'. I suppose we should be thankful we're not being told to look for 'Tree'." Syli rolls her eyes.