"The magic is impressive" notes, "but it may be a distraction for more common traps.  Do any of you know what snare would look like in this mess?"

Everyone should be able to notice traps as per usual. There is nothing here that would make you think otherwise. 

Well, i think we should head in... i could cast a little illusion of Brumdal about 25' into the woods. Maybe that'll give something a scare...

Giving Amar a shrug, Markas will step into the gnarled "woods" once he establishes it's passable.  

Markus you find this unusual forest is passable, but it is very dense. You won’t need to machete your way through, but you will have to push through thorny branches and step over bumpy tree roots. 

If you move cautiously, then there shouldn’t be any risk of falling or otherwise taking damage from the environment. 

Survival check for following the tracks: 24

You barely make out the tracks heading through the trees. Had you not known their anticipated direction (and rolled so well), you might not have seen them at all. 

The rest of the party standing outside the warped trees can clearly hear and see Markus in the forest and vice versa. (Communication is not a problem, and Markus didn’t suddenly vanish.)

The sun does cast an eerie green wash on Markus, and there is a gloomier ambiance to the forest.

Amar grasps his mace and plunges in, slowly after Markus.  He's clearly heard to say, "Nothing ventured ..." 

The party follows Markus through the forest. The density of the vegetation forces you into a single file, Markus leading followed by Amar and then the rest of the group. The thick, twisted tree trunks, unnaturally misshapen limbs, writhing roots, clutching and grasping thorns, and briars all seem to warn and ward you off, but you have forced and hacked your way through regardless.

This dense region of forest is very shortly lived; within a few minutes you step out of the thicket into a ravine-like area.

A flock of ravens rise croaking from the ground, the beat of their wings and their cries magnified by the terrain to sound loud and horrible. Dark streaked rock miles with the earthen walls of the canyon that rise rather steeply to either side, to a heigh of about 100 feet or so. Clumps of trees grow here and there, both on the floor of the ravine and up the sloping walls of the canyon.

The opening you stand in is about 200 feet wide. The ravine runs at least 400 feet to the western end, where it rises in a steep slope. Here and there, at varying heights on all sides of the ravine, you can see the black mouths of cave openings in the rock walls.

The sunlight is dim, the air dank. There is an oppressive feeling here, as if something evil is watching and waiting to pounce upon you. There are bare, dead trees here and there, and upon one a vulture perches and gazes hungrily at you. Amongst the litter of rubble, boulders, and dead wood scattered about on the ravine floor, you can see bits of gleaming ivory and white--likely the bones and skulls of men, animals, and other things....

Notes about the map:

• The trees depicted on the map are not the only trees. Those trees are the really big ones—maybe 50 feet tall. 
• The entire area is hilly and covered with bushes and small trees. That means a few things:
  • The entire area is difficult terrain for everyone except Markus.
  • It should be easy to find cover, if needed for defense or Stealth.
• The black lines represent contour lines. Each one is 25 feet higher than the last one in elevation. 

Roughly where are we situated (the 200-foot opening) on the map?  When you say "ravine-like", is it dry?  I just want to confirm if there's any water flowing through the area. 

You have come onto the scene nearest cave #10, at the eastern edge of the map. You are just above the first contour line, 25 feet above the ravine floor. 

There is no water; the ravine is dry. 

You have also lost the tracks you were following due to the dense and messy ground cover. 

"I'm not thrilled about going into a cave", Markas says to nobody in particular.  

Do we hear anything?  Can we get a round of perception checks to see whether anything stands out? 

Markas will look around to his fellow travelers to see what everyone else thinks...

"We can agree on that point, Ranger," mutters Pagan.  He eyes the vulture nervously. "This place reeks of decay."

"I'm no tracker, but it seems our trail has ended."  Pagan casts his eyes about looking for any signs of our quarry.  His hand slips beneath his travelling cloak instinctively grasping the hilt of his short sword.

Quote from APhew >>

Do we hear anything?  Can we get a round of perception checks to see whether anything stands out? 

Perception checks to just notice something out of the ordinary or threatening:

Amar: 18

Brumdal: 15

Markus: 18

Pagan: 16

Zerys: 14

No new information is gained, but you sense you are definitely not alone. 

Hmm, if something is living in the caves we may just be looking at their trash heap.  Nothing looks fresh to me.  We may need to enter these caves.  How many torches do we have?

Each of you has 10 torches. So 50 torches.

Zerys also has a cantrip called Produce Flame and can use that as a light source, but it's not as good as a torch.

Also Brumdal, Markus, and Zerys have Darkvision up to 60 feet.

Hover or click on those colored terms to see their stats.

Markas points at Cave #10, "Shall we try this one?"  

How big are these caves?  Or at least the openings.  Are we going in single file? 

All the cave openings are about 10 feet wide, so you can go double-file. 

If you want to change your marching order, feel free. 

I'd suggest Brumdal ans Markus lead with dark vision. Followed by Amar and Zerys. Probably giving them 10 feet or so to keep from washing out their dark vision.  Followed by Pagan.  I would think Amar and Pagan at least have a torch each lit.