(Had to go back in the posts to recall. Forgot to re-add my gear to my sheet so I had been looking at it and writing myself off as being little help in the matter.)

Zip lets out a frustrated sigh from his concealment, then a rising groan when he realized no ambush was in waiting. He stomps over to the transluscent disc and recovers his rope, hammer, and pitons, then goes to work, "Just when we've got ourselves set up on the ground, they want you up in a tree. Some pygmies with blowguns come out of the woodwork and feather your asses, I'm staying in this tree where you wanted me."

(Perception check: 20)

OOC:  I will be traveling/camping through Sunday, so expect my posts to be somewhat delayed (depending on signal strength and battery power).

With the use of his tools, Zip climbs the tree without any difficulty.

Once at the top and catching his breath, it stops almost immediately at the sheer sight of the immense green sea surrounding them. For miles and miles, dense jungle canopy broken up only by occasional clearings and giant trees that reach above the tree cover of younger specimens. To the north, Zip spots the plume of a volcanoe, rising majestically into the blue sky. As he turns, he spots three more plumes to the west. Judging by the distances, they were about three day's travel south of the Skylizard mountains and roughly five day's worth of travel east of the Peaks of Flame. Zip was pretty sure that based on that estimate, he would be able to place them on the map in the professor's gazetteer. 

Although awe-inspiring in beauty, the sight also terrifed Zip. Even under the best of circumstances, it would take them at least three days to reach the Skylizard mountains, and it might well be weaks before they hit the coast or a nearby settlement. He knew he was stuck in the wilderness, but the sight of the immensity of the land in front of them just made that realisation really sink in for the first time since they started travelling.

Shae would station herself at the base of the tree along with the professor. She would not have any way of assisting the professor if Zip fell, not that he had any issues, but she wanted to be ready to take notes on what he had to report. Shae would take advantage of a couple sturdy mushrooms that were the right height to lay out the map and tools for updates. As she did so she'd call out to the others around her, "How's everyone doing? Hydrated? Fed?" She'd specifically want to make sure their heavily armoured dwarf Berrus was keeping in the shade during this pit stop. "How are you doing Berrus?" She was thankful to have him always on the watch.

"Im doin alright lass, wouldna mind getting out o the heat tho, reminds me of the forges in Abdar

Professor S:

The professor keeps an eye on Zip as he ascends the tree and looks around from its peak.  "I really should learn a spell to allow me to do that," he thinks, keeping his "Feather Fall" spell at the ready in case Zip falters on the way down.

OOC: Is it safe to assume that Zip climbed back and told everything to the rest of the group? If so, here is the post. If not - just disregard it, please.

News were so troublesome, that Maxine forgot about her own problem (frightfully persistent, with no obvious way out of it). "Three days just to reach the mountains and that if we are lucky and nobody attacks us on the way there?!"The group did found food and source of water - true, but they also already lost one of them, and the situation can only get worse from here. Using the old tradition of the war counsels where the youngest and the least experienced talks first, Maxine repeated her old idea: "I do remember why we are going north - and it does look like the most sound thing to do. Still, let me say one more time - I swear I will never bring it up again! - the river is the safest way out. If we are to make a raft, we can load it with all our belongings without need for Professor to waste his time and strength on disk. We will not be tired from walking, hence, we can fight better if (when, I an afraid) someone or something attacks us, we will be safe from some predators at least, we will  always have water and, probably, fish. And once we reach the ocean, we can move along the coast line, which is at least clear from jungles with a hope to stumble upon some settlement. It might be incredibly long way, but it is a safer way.""Dixi" She finished her speech and sat back on the grass, obviously too exhausted to argue even if against her statement she planned to do so.

Berrus grunts,  I will go along with whatever the majority decides    then to himself,   i doubt me ancestors came from this forsaken place

Shae would look to Maxine, then to what they have for a map. She’d look up again to try to gage how the others are holding up before sighing a little, “Maxine, I don’t disagree with your reasoning or logic behind your plan. It is worth considering.” She’d start nibbling at her lip, “Though, I do worry about the length of time it’ll take for us to go around and the amount of direct sunlight we could be subject too near the shores.” Shae eye’s Berrus’ heavy armour, “And is fresh water more scarce the closer to the sea? How much of an environment change can we expect on the edge vs what we already know now in the heart of this place?” She would pause again to reflect on their fallen comrade from their battle with the monkeys. “I’m under the belief that regardless of what path we do take, there will be the same amount of dangers. It would be just trading some for others.” Thinking back to the last time she voiced her opinion on a decision, it didn’t go well and the party suffered for her suggestion. Shae would hang her head a little bit, not feeling the confidence to voice any more of her opinion on the matter. She’d rather attempt to continue down their current path although it hasn’t showed them much promise, but she wouldn’t throw out her ‘vote’. All things considered, Maxine was right last time. Shae would be fine with what the rest of the group decides.

Professor S:

"Maxine, as Shae says, that is certainly an idea worth considering.  A wide, steady river that goes straight to the coast could indeed be preferable--but one with rapids and waterfalls or one that empties into a trackless bog would be a disaster.  Let's take a look at our location on the map and see if we can locate the river and its direction to see where it might lead on the map," contributes Snively, trying to locate their position and bearing on the map given Zip's input (assuming he eventually comes down).

Zip is busy gathering up his pitons and rope as the party discusses potential targets to travel for. Back home, he'd have several dozen such setups hidden across a city for quick maneuvering and escape, but Chult required him to conserve everything he could. "Seems we're in for weeks of travel no matter which way we go. Can I suggest a simple consensus? How about we figure half a day of travel, four breaks at half an hour, then that'll give us ten hours to make and break camp for the nights."

(This might also help Nemo with a bit more structure in the travelling day. Thinking of a little campaign building in the past, that's 12 hours for checks and random encounters, 4 Short Rests, and 10 hours for overnight watch/long rest/unfortunate encounters)

Pouring over the map, and with the help of your compasses, Shae and the Professor are reasonably certain of where the party is currently located. Only issue is that it’s pretty much in the middle of the blank spot of the map, although Shae’s sketches can help fill in some of the empty spaces.

Shae does a very good job at putting her different notes and sketches down onto the map, verifying several times whether she got the scale right. Once done, the small ravine is filling some of the empty space in the middle of the map. 

Taking a step back, Shae looks at the whole thing and realises that the ravine must likely be ending either in a bog or an underground cavern system, as she can’t seem to connect it to any of the know bodies of water in and around Chult.

"Guess, it settles it once and for all," Maxine was looking at the map with an open disgust, "Professor is right, that stream was by far not a calm river, and if it ends up in caves or a bog it is no use for us indeed. And no doubts, danger will be everywhere anyway. Sorry for bringing it up again - guess, I was desperate for a clear direction".

Professor S:

”It appears we need to continue to the Northwest, then.  Zip, you said something about there being a trail headed that way?”  The Professor thinks a bit, adding, “Though whoever uses those blowgun darts likely uses the trail too.  Regardless, we should finish here and move on.  On the trail or through the jungle?” asks Snively of Thessalandra, who appears to know how to navigate.

“On the trail we might be able to move more quickly and find game, but we might also run into whoever hunts these creatures. They might be friendly, but given the state of the Professor’s map, I doubt that any local tribes would be friendly. 

My suggestion is that we move parallel to the trail, but about two hundred metres away from it. That way we might notice the hunters before they notice us, and depending on their behaviour, we can then adapt accordingly.”

Professor Snively

The Professor nods at the captain’s proposed source of action and starts the ritual for the Floating Disk.  “I will be ready to go in a few minutes,” he says.

"i recommend travelling in single file  about 5 paces or so between  so as not to be a large group o targets,"  maybe have someone bout 10 -15 yards on either side as flankers

Seeing as Berrus was one of the only experienced fighters apart from Falx, the captain nodded along with his suggestion. “Yeah, that sounds good. And as people are healing up, they’re less likely to have to need to travel on the Professor’s disc, so the formation would actually work.”