OOC: Botting Uragum for this round with (you guessed it) frostbite.

Hex's arrow strikes the giant toad under its chin, and Sylyra nearly dislodges its jowls with the magical force of his shillelagh. When the beast is peppered by Carlthuzad's eldritch blast and impeded by Uragum's frostbite, it decides it has had enough. Trailing blood behind it, the giant toad flees to the safety of the river, departing behind the walls of thick grass. By the time Auriel returns to the party, the creature is long gone.

OOC: Each character has received 80 XP for surviving the giant toad ambush. Removed 3 arrows spent by Hex.

Carl is moving slow, taking his time and shaking off the ichor from the inside of the giant toad, stepping toward the water.  He bends down on hands and knees, splashing his face, beard, chest and body with the water, trying to accomplish a bird bath with his hands.  He is still shaking at times, you see a notable tremor in the hands and he is breathing fast.  After 5-10 minutes or so, he stands, looking at everyone.  “Thank youns all for saving me.  If you hadnta acted, I’ll still be in the inside of that big toad, dead as can be.  Maybe ifn I can avoid getting snactched up by any giant tongues anytime soon, I can be a little more help to the lot of you.  Now let’s get our boat settled and get back on track.”  

As Carl makes his way back to the group, Hex jumps off the boat and helps him back on deck. She keeps her distance, trying to give him space, watching over him worriedly. Once he seems okay, she places a hand on his shoulder. "Of course we helped you, Carl. There's no way we would've left you to rot inside its stomach. You should rest while you still can, don't worry about mapping the area. I have a potion of healing if you want it?"

Auriel nods to Hex's words:

- Yeah, take a bit of a rest while we keep moving. And don't mention it, that's why we are doing this together after all. Next time it will be you who will help any of us. Though let's hope it's not hungry toads next time - he chuckles. 

His eyes meet Sylyra's for a moment, curious as to what the druid will say after plainly suggesting leaving Carl on his own. 

Hex mirrors Auriel's glance at Sylyra, though her eyes fill with disappointment more than curiosity.

As the second toad retreats, Sylyra looks around at the others as if preparing for something. When everyone turns their attention to the dwarf, the elf issues a command to his summoned swamp bird, “Circle 20 feet above us. If you see any danger, return and show me where.” He prepares to continue, but when Aurial and Hex glare at him, he rolls his eyes. “Frogs gotta eat,” he says in a more colloquial tone of voice than usual. “Are we ready to continue?”

Carl says “No, thank you Hex, I’ll just rest up here.  Here’s my map, if you’ll continue with notations so as’n we don’t get lost.  If I have a moment to rest, I can recover.  I tell you, I coulda sworn I was a goner, then I felt some healing and powerta come through me.”  He looks over at Sylyra, “That must’ve been you, right?  Was it?  If so, thank you, you really saved me back there.”  He looks at Auriel, “And that fancy blade, cutting me an opening to crawl outta that big toad.  Thank you.”  He looks at all of them, “Thank all of you.  Ifn I have the power and the chance, I‘ll do the same for each of ya.  Now lemme find a spot to rest for a moment…”

Carl adjusts his backpack in the boat and tries to make a comfortable spot, trying to take a short rest if he can.  (Will use 1 hit die for healing and use his invocation for false life again.)  As he’s meditating, falling into a short fitful sleep, his arms and legs occasionally jerk, rocking the boat slightly.  He frowns in his sleep, murmuring something, at the end jerking awake saying “I’ll find it… no!!”  He awakens and looks at all of you, quickly darting his eyes around, checking the underbrush and riverbank beside the boat.  

Hex shakes her head at Sylyra's response and simply moves to settle back into her seat, continuing her look out as before. When Carl suddenly wakes up from from his rest screaming, she jumps up and grabs her bow. Upon realising they weren't being attacked, she looks at the dwarf worriedly. "Carl? What's wrong? What are you looking for?"

The slow and plodding journey through the Twilight Marsh resumes, and after picking your way through the maze-like grass you are able to see more of the tangled brush and knotted roots of the swamp. Cutting your way slowly through the waters, you continue following the direction you had last seen signs of lizardfolk passage.

After several more hours, a flurry of movement catches your attention. In the distance through a thick stand of old trees, you see several humanoid shapes, most likely lizardfolk, guiding a long raft. The raft appears to carry more humanoids that are sitting on the raft's surface, but it is difficult to make out who or what they might be. The guides are waist deep in water in front, behind, and next to the raft. They don't appear to have noticed you.

OOC: Carlthuzad has gained the benefits of a short rest. If he wishes to roll any hit dice, please do so in the next post.

To Sylyra's response, Auriel just rolls his eyes and silently reminds himself that he's not there to make friends, but to help solve the kidnappings. It was a relief that at least the rest where kinder and more thoughtful with their companions, though.

The eladrin smiles and nods to Carlthuzad. There would surely be plenty of opportunities for the dwarf to prove himself and help the rest. He also looked curiously at Carl's troubled rest, but since Hex had already asked about it, he enquired no further.

When the raft appeared, Auriel's first instinct was to crouch. The keelboat would still be visible, but if he could at least conceal his 6'2'' feet a little, it could make the ones in the raft notice them a little less easier. From this position, he fixed his eyes on the raft, trying to discern if the humanoids that were sitting seemed friendly to the guides, or on the contrary, if they looked like they were bowed (which would surely that they had been kidnapped), and if their movements matched those of people that have been tied. 

Carl rests and recovers from his harrowing experience.  He looks around when he wakes up, and then when Hex asks the question, he merely replies “Oh, ah, the Drums, righ?  That musta been it.  An bein on the insides of a toad.  Yeah.”  He looks ashamed, looking down at his hands in his lap, the battle axe cradled there.  

(1 hit die used with the short rest.  He recovers 10 hit points.)

When he hears the flutter of activity, the sounds of likely lizardfolk, his eyes flash black for a moment and he crunches down in the boat, trying to lower his center of gravity and make himself as small of a target as possible.  

(Uses invocation of false life to gain 7 temporary hit points.)

(How many ft is the raft from the party?)

Hex looks as though she wants to inquire more into Carl's sudden awakening but simply nods and leaves it for the time being. 

Upon spotting the raft, Hex pulls out her bow and nocks an arrow before crouching down low with the rest of her companions. She keeps her eyes on the water, making sure there aren't anymore lizardfolk hiding and waiting for an ambush.

Sylyra raises his nose at Hex and Auriel's responses. He turns his gaze back on the swamp and skillfully guides the keelboat further into the swamp. As the time passes, his glowing green eyes dart toward Hex and Uragum, but only when their backs are turned. Carl's startle and attempt at covering it up cause another scowl to settle on the elf's face. He opens his mouth to make a snide remark to Hex, but when the tiefling clearly decides to drop the matter, so does the druid. His scowl melts into a look of consternation until the next set of eyes glance back at him, at which time he looks as impassive as ever.

Subconsciously, Sylyra mirror's Auriel's crouch. He doesn't like the situation. If any of the farmers are hurt, it might reduce their reward. He moves a little closer to Hex and whispers, "I could conjure another fish and then take the form of a snake. Between the two us, we should cause a sufficient distraction. We might even take out a couple of the lizardfolk before you need to engage. We don't want those on the raft to become shields for our targets."

OOC: The party is a couple hundred feet away through the trees - just close enough to have visibility on the individuals aboard the raft.

Looking more closely, the difference between the raft's guides and the hunched forms upon it indicate that the raft is likely carrying prisoners. Based on the forms you can see, there could be upwards of a dozen prisoners escorted by almost as many lizardfolk.

"Poison," Uragum whispers to the others,  "When we do attack, and they become alerted.  Try to take cover.  Their blow darts are covered in poison.  It's how they hindered us before hand."  He continues to stare at the boat and tries to formulate a plan.  

"If, I get close enough.  I could use magic to alert a few of the prisoners.  Maybe get them to be riled up.  It might cause enough or a distraction to delay some of the guard... Or, it might get them treated rough.  It's a risk.  What are your thoughts?" he asks.

Hex nods at Sylyra. "I was honestly thinking the same thing. Maybe while Sylyra is distracting the lizardfolk, Uragum can get in close enough from another side to alert the prisoners and the rest of us will slowly make our way towards them. If we're lucky and they're not tied up, they could even escape. I'd just rather they not get riled up and risk their lives, they're probably already weak from whatever the lizardfolk have put them through." She turns to Auriel and Carl. "Any other ideas or thoughts or should we just get on it with and hope for the best?"

- Everything you guys have said sounds good. Focusing on distracting the lizardfolk so they don't attack the prisoners should be the top priority - Auriel frowns and adds - Sorry, I won't be of much help until we reach them. But once there I'll slash whoever tries to attack the prisoners.

Now that plans are being made, Carl is more intent and focused, leaning in to the discussion.  “I can’t hit them with anything from this far away.  Once we get in a little closer, I can focus my blasts on the leader, putting a curse on im.  I like the idea of someone sneaking around them to tell the prisoners what we are doing so that we can get their help at least in distracting them.    Perhaps when we get a little closer we’ll see more and get other ideas.  Let’s attack from multiple angles so they don’t know how big of a challenge they are dealing with, sew confusion I say.”  Carl readies himself, looking for a pathway on land to get closer without being observed.  

Trying to stay as low and as quiet as possible, Sylyra lays a hand on his own chest and casts protection from poison. As he feels the magic take effect, he conjures another watery beast. It plops into the swamp and then comes to the surface to await orders. Sylyra leans down and whispers, "Attack whoever I attack." The elf's form then shivers and shrinks, sliding into the swamp as an amorphous shape from the back of the keelboat and (as a constrictor snake) heading away (dashing) from the craft in an arc to try to catch the lizardfolk from the front (would be somewhat apparent to those on the keelboat watching). The summoned beast swims along beside, waiting for the snake to attack something.

OOC: Anybody who is leaving the keelboat to try and sneak closer to the lizardfolk raft go ahead and make a Stealth check (including Sylyra using the snake's statistics). Is anyone staying behind with the keelboat?

If the Stealth checks are successful, I'll tell you what you can see as you approach closer, and then we can get a confirmed action from the party from there.