Arista tries to hit the remaining Cockatrice with her staff but doesn't seem to be successful (hit roll 10/7).

Brekka's swordwork beheads the basilisk, and it's corpse lies still. The remaining cockatrice starts trashinging about in the vegetation restraining it, causing it to evade several attacks.

Torban's Halberd guts a gash in the side of the creature but it still survives. It tries to free itself in vain,

You all are up.

[[To aid narration, the cockatrice has AC 15 and 5 hp remaining.]]

Mathias moves toward the remaining cockatrice, but unable to reach it in a timely manner targets it with another starry wisp. 

[[Attack AC 21 with advantage - hit for 2 radiant damage]}

Arista tries again to land a hit at the remaining Cockatrice but it seems to anticipate her every move and dodges out of the way (hit roll 7/12).

Kaelen moves in to try to end the cockatrice's suffering.

Bonus Action: move Hunter's Mark to last cockatrice

Action: shortsword to hit 13, miss. Scimitar due to Nick to hit 21, damage 6 + 6 HM.

With Kaelyn’s blow, the cockatrice is still. You notice that the bodies of both cockatrices have turned to stone, while the basilisk remains flesh.

With the immediate threats passed, Mathias drops his focus on the writhing vines, allowing them to sink back into the earth.

"Is everyone alright?" the druid asks, looking to each of his companions. 

"Never better!" Brekka says while he bends down to clean the gore off his blade in the grass.

As he stands he experimentally stretches out his legs, seemingly testing them for any stiffness. The near-miss of being turned to stone plays on his mind despite his insistence about how fine he is.

"Good battle, everyone. I can feel my blood pumping!"

Arista exhales sharply, letting her shield arm fall as the adrenaline wanes. “I’m fine,” she calls to the others, sweeping her gaze across the rubble and the remains of the strange creatures to ensure no fresh threat lurks nearby. Satisfied that all is still, she points toward the half-shattered stone figures near the bridge. “Let’s see what we can learn from those broken statues. If they were people once… maybe they're some of the folks that went missing. Do you think you'd recognize them if it was them, Torban?”

"On a scale of gorgon to master crafter, this definitely sat closer to the gorgon. Luckily we all came away still alive and mobile. Hopefully there is no more further along our route." At the mention from Arista of the possibility they are the missing folk, Asariel starts to look around for any sign of the missing sword. (Investigation 17)

"I'm fine," Kaelen reports, moving to look under the bridge in cast the sword or anything else of interest is hidden there.

Perception: 7 -.-

Sorry, haven’t forgotten you, I just had a weird day trying to recover from my illness 

[[All good. Appreciate you checking in.]]

And I didn't get a chance to post before I got self-indulgent for my birthday. Look for a post tomorrow.

[[Hope you had a good birthday!]]

It proves to be impossible to determine the identities of the victims from their petrified feet. Torban says, "I didn't really know the members of the first expedition particularly well, I'm not certain I'd recognize live fresh bodies. The second mission were strangers."

Underneath the bridge, you find a lair the basilisk was using. You see a pile of shiny rocks and gold, and a mud covered shield emblazoned with an emblem of an eye, as well as a strangely clean and shiny breastplate.

[[ Treasure: 3 orange gems, 4 purple, 50 gp. Breastplate, Shield ]]

Kaelen collects the treasure and brings it out to show the party, not particularly interested in any of it himself besides the emblem on the shield. "Perhaps this symbol can help identify them, or at least their faction."

History: 8 + 5 book= 13

Brekka ambles over to Kaelen and peers at the basilisk's horde, sliding his cleaned blade back into its sheath.

"A fine reward for a heroic battle," he says through a broad grin on his draconic maw.

"These surely should show signs of rust by now."

Arista plants herself at the edge of the rubble, eyes sweeping the treeline and the broken span for any hint of fresh movement while her companions sift through the basilisk’s hoard. “Gather what we can and stow it quickly,” she murmurs, one hand resting on her frosted staff, the other gripping her shield rim. “That armor’s too clean to be ordinary—likely enchanted—but we can sort it later. I’ll keep watch; shout if you spot trouble.”

Perception: 11

Mathias watches on while the spoils are gathered, nodding with Arista's sentiment.

"Let's get on with it.  Daylight is burning." he says, showing little interest in the basilisk's hoard.