OOC: Are we leaving Hulil or taking her? Taiga referenced leaving her, Carina mentioned taking her. I'm fine with either just want to be sure before I move forward. 

(OOC:  ? Carina wants the opposite - to kill Hulil, or at least leave her in her chamber.  I thought it was Ragnus who wanted to carry her over the pool for some reason before tying her up.  See post 374.  Carina is no longer angry, but too tired of arguing with what she considers to be Ragnus' irrational behavior.  Since no one stopped Ragnus and the giant croaker carried us all over with Hulil's body, I'm assuming that's what happened.

Carina absolutely does NOT want to take Hulil with us back to Palebank Village as she explained in detail (post 356).  Where are you seeing that Carina wants to take Hulil with us?)

(I think the confusion came from Carina worrying about the frog's feelings about a bloodied Hulil. It could be read such that it is implied that Hulil is with us and that that is the source of Carina's worry but in fact - at least that's what I think - she assumed that the frog must see Hulil bloodied and tied up laying in her cave when he pick us up. Ultimately the frog didn't care and we are now already passed the giant white frog's pool - without Hulil who remained in her sanctum restrained and unconscious.)

Quote from Tybard >>

Carina had been placing all of the relics in her backpack, but seeing Brix's enthusiasm, she relents and takes only the quiver of +1 arrows.  She too has no use for them, but she does not want any of the relics falling into the wrong hands and perhaps if the group can find Elbert again, he could use them?

Speaking of which, after getting over the surprise of the giant croaker ferrying the party across, Hulil's bloody body and all, Carina begins to look around for the missing ranger, or any possible ambushes or hazards.

 

 Yes, the sentence here is what confused me. I'll carry on as though Hulil is tied up by the bonfire.

Breathing a sigh of relief after stepping off the croaker, tension builds in his body again at the sight of the empty cavern and dead fire. He agrees with the others that they should be careful, he also wishes to be out of this foul cave. Moving closer to the fire, he will search the ground for signs of struggle, footprints, or clues as to where the bandits and Elbert could have gone.

Quote from Reliq05 >>

Quote from Tybard >>

Carina had been placing all of the relics in her backpack, but seeing Brix's enthusiasm, she relents and takes only the quiver of +1 arrows.  She too has no use for them, but she does not want any of the relics falling into the wrong hands and perhaps if the group can find Elbert again, he could use them?

Speaking of which, after getting over the surprise of the giant croaker ferrying the party across, Hulil's bloody body and all, Carina begins to look around for the missing ranger, or any possible ambushes or hazards.

 

 Yes, the sentence here is what confused me. I'll carry on as though Hulil is tied up by the bonfire.

OOC:  Ok, I see the source of the confusion.  I thought Ragnus decided to carry Hulil's body across, per post 374:  "was going to move her to the far side"  And no one argued back.  Do you see why I assumed that Ragnus brought Hulil's body across?

Carina DIDN'T want to do that.  She just assumed that's what happened because that is what Ragnus said he was going to do.  Given that, she was surprised that the giant croaker let us across with Hulil's body.  So in the section she highlighted above, Carina is surprised, basically saying, wow Ragnus decided to carry Hulil's body across and the frog let us do it!  If we didn't bring Hulil's body, then of course scratch that.  As Carina has made clear all along, she does NOT want to bring Hulil.  It's Ragnus that suggested bringing Hulil across and no one argued against him (Carina was too tired to).

I do see now that the DM in post 377 said we left Hulil behind.  But based on Ragnus saying he was bringing her, I didn't see how that followed.

Quote from cyreon >>

Taiga leaves rations for two days next to the bound up Hulil before she mounts the giant frog's back. With a shy glance to Carina, Taiga feels that she has to explain herself, "Sometimes a small kindness can go a long way, and even if it doesn't do anything to better Hulil, it helps me to remind me why I'm here. I hope she will still be here when the militia comes looking."

(OOC:  Since I'm looking back, I might as well have Carina respond to this).

"Do what you need, Taiga.  If you ask me, Hulil is a spiteful and murderous criminal, and that was before she decided to attack us and we slew her acolyte Raegrin.  She will wake to find her chest robbed of all coins and relics.  I also destroyed the cave drawings of her precious five-headed draconic goddess, thinking we were going to kill her.  Perhaps an unwise move.  With all that, will two rations sway her to not send her bandits after us?"

Carina shrugs helplessly.  "Who's to say.  If I had to guess, she will either come after us or strike out for another location where she has allies, not wait for Grassblades, since we have taken all her resources here.  But then, I thought the giant croaker would not carry us across.  So what do I know."

Ragnus, go ahead and make a Perception check!

(7)

(Must be that Hulil cursed us.)

(very possible, lmao)

Taiga and Ragnus take to searching the empty bandit’s camp, investigating for clues or signs of your companion’s disappearance. Chicken bones and empty wine bottles are scattered on the cavern floor around the circle of bedrolls, and the fire pit seems to have been cold for hours — certainly since before you all entered the cave.

As Taiga searches the bandit’s camp, she steps upon one of the bedrolls — and immediately falls through it as it collapses through the ground! The bedroll was a trap, and the Earth Genasi falls quickly into a pit ten feet below the surface of the cavern floor, taking 3 Bludgeoning damage. And still, there are no signs of the other bandits, nor of Elbert.

Looking around at the camp, he hears a thump and turns around, wondering where Taiga went. He notices a hole in the ground that he hadn't seen before and carefully moves over to it to peer in.

Taiga escapes a dying yelp when the bedroll gave in and thumped onto the pit’s bottom with a grunt. She makes for a pitiful picture when Ragnus peeked into the hole, all covered in dust and loose soil. “I found a trap,” she says as if it needed explaining. After a moment of collecting herself she calls up to Ragnus, “Mind throwing me a rope?”

Carina throws Taiga a rope (if Ragnus has not already).

"There may be an ambush, perhaps at the pool by the entrance, or some other hazard we have not thought of like that trap.  But we have no choice.  We must keep our eyes open and go now to seek out Irven Liel at the Jolly Dwarf in Palebank Village before the disease spreads further."

Once Taiga is up, Carina begins making her way back to the entrance, watching for danger as best she can.

Ragnus helps Carina pull Taiga out of the trap. Once Taiga is up, he'll check in with her, "Ya okay? Anythin' broken?"

Quote from Tybard >>

Quote from Reliq05 >>

Quote from Tybard >>

Carina had been placing all of the relics in her backpack, but seeing Brix's enthusiasm, she relents and takes only the quiver of +1 arrows.  She too has no use for them, but she does not want any of the relics falling into the wrong hands and perhaps if the group can find Elbert again, he could use them?

Speaking of which, after getting over the surprise of the giant croaker ferrying the party across, Hulil's bloody body and all, Carina begins to look around for the missing ranger, or any possible ambushes or hazards.

 

 Yes, the sentence here is what confused me. I'll carry on as though Hulil is tied up by the bonfire.

OOC:  Ok, I see the source of the confusion.  I thought Ragnus decided to carry Hulil's body across, per post 374:  "was going to move her to the far side"  And no one argued back.  Do you see why I assumed that Ragnus brought Hulil's body across?

I do see now that the DM in post 377 said we left Hulil behind.  But based on Ragnus saying he was bringing her, I didn't see how that followed.

 Edited to make it more clear. Was going to bring her to the far side of the fire away from the croaker lake/water and tie her up, but failed the strength check. Settled for tying her up where she was.

Brix, unconcerned with Hulils welfare, looks over the relics obtained from the box.

History: 14

(OCC:add another 5 if you think it fits the artificer lore criteria.

“My ankle hurts a little. I think I landed poorly but it will be alright,” Taiga replies and massages her ankle and foot once she is out of the pit. “Let’s just get this cave behind us.”

He looks at Taiga, trying to determine that she isn't just putting on a brave show. Satisfied, he nods enthusiastically. "Let's watch our step moving forward, if they took tha time ta set that, they could have done more. Damn that Elbert, if he's outside sleepin' off that wine he kept drinkin' I'll be giving em a rude awakenin'."

Once the Earth Genasi has been rescued from the trap in the bandit’s camp, the party of adventurers make their way back towards the entrance of Croaker Cave — much richer in gold, and yet in far lower spirits. The Artificer studies the relics obtained from Hulil’s chest as they depart, finding that they’re indeed very ancient and very valuable. Each piece of treasure, Brix realizes, hails from the lost city of Aeor just as Tulgi’s dagger did.

As the companions, still missing their Ranger, head past the pool with the giant ice frogs where they’d seen the bandits training them earlier, they hear the bubbling of the creatures beneath the cold water — but still no sign of lingering bandits. As they proceed closer to the entrance and find the first pool of water that blocked their path, they find that the wooden beam is indeed on the other side of the bank. What will you do next?