You arrive at the massive log that stretches for twenty feet beyond the edge of the river.  Its huge trunk spans a hundred feet of river, wide enough to drive a wagon across almost.  The water underneath is 200 feet up from the water fall and moving quickly. Crumbling ruins and jungle crawl along both sides of the river, with some building ruins poking up here or there from the water itself.  

Mal will signal the group to stay hidden for a moment as she creeps forward to check out the log to see if anyone has recently crossed it or left anything behind for followers.

Survival: 21

Investigation: 22

Perception: 10

[OOC: Not sure which one you would have wanted me to roll as I am kind of using all three, so your choice on which one is use.  :) ]

(Survival for tracking, Investigation for traps and secret doors etc, Perception for listening, smelling, or spotting things. If you're doing a broad scan for all three, rolling all three is appropriate!  :-).   ) 

Mal walks up to the log, investigating. This massive thing is clearly used regularly for crossings. In the muck around the log you spot various tracks. Some small...strange ones....some Gruung (frog people, you recognize their frog prints from your encounters with them on your journey here), some that seem to look like kobolds, as well as booted feet of humanoids.  

You scan the far bank, realizing this crossing must serve the denizens of this place. Birds flit through the trees, your eyes pick up the tiny scampers of foot long lizards here or there. But then you notice a motion, and see what looks to be a humanoid creature, camouflaged for sure, very hard to pick out.  They're hidden in some bushes on the top of a ruin on the far side, but you just barely see they're holding a longbow. 

Badger keeps the helm active, searching for thoughts that aren't of the party he's with. He filters out the groups thoughts (or DOES HE?) as he scan about, but so far hasn't detected anything.

Moving back to the group Mal whispers what she has found to the ground and points out the area where the person is hiding. "I have no idea how many there might be but if you want I can attempt to sneak across and take care of the person or at least find out how many are there. Or we wait till it gets darker and then make a crossing under cover of darkness. Both suggestions have their downsides."

[OOC: Roger on the rolls]

Ham crouches nearby, his blade away, looking calm and offering up no particular smells at the moment. He glances around as the group decides what to do. Boris, one gloved hand clutching his ice axe that Sickle creates for him each day is sweating in the head looking around with his now calm seasoned demeanour.  Orvex stands near the back, aware of his surroundings, looking tired and worn and wearing a look that says something along the lines of "oh god, how do I get out of this situation alive".   

Mandra, her undead face covered, stands apart from the group. Her posture demonstrating a mixture of confidence and ease. Her head pivots occasionally, but otherwise her cold and calculating personality gives away little as usual.  She suddenly speaks up. 

"We should split up. There are many of us, and if we are indeed competing for the cubes with another party, staying together does not make sense. I would suggest that I take Boris and Ham, and the three of us cover the rest of the west side of the river. You can continue on to the other lava shrine. I'm sure between the four of you,  you can take care of whatever plagues the far side of the river. I feel pressure for us to get more ground covered more quickly. It's early in the day still. Just past noon. I suggest we work for the day, then meet up back at the mansion we camped at last night for the evening.  It had a secure basement." 

Her head tilts towards Sickle and Silas, waiting for agreement.  

Boris looks up, "I'm good either way."  

Ham looks around, and the gentle smell of Ham wafts through the air, but he gives a shrug. 

"Normally I would be very against splitting the party but we are in a race against time for life itself so we must do what we must," Silas replies. 

Badger rubs his nose in thought at the suggestion, then squats down and peers into his crystal ball for a few moments. It's not without risk, he says slowly, but I see that it will turn to the good of the quest in the end. Standing again, he looks for a few moments at Ham with a concerned expression and a sigh, walks over and shakes the hand of Boris without looking at his face, then nods to Mandra and implores, Do what you can, but don't take any unnecessary risks. We can wait until we reunite to tackle any great threats.

Sickle studies the group, a cold shiver running up his arm to the back of his neck, then nods.  "Watch for the snake-people.  And the large insect-breathing raptor.  And...well, innumerable other dangers. Be safe."

As they leave, he turns his attention to the log bridge and the creature on the other side waiting for them to step out. "I'm not exactly sure how to proceed here, unless one of you wants to teleport over to address that particular concern, or if we just want to try to talk it out from here? I can spider-crawl across the bottom or side of this easily enough, and can swim the river if need be, but I would hate for us all to get shot while trying to cross."

Rubbing his nose again, Badger suggests: I could make one or two of us invisible, perhaps allowing them to get close enough to ambush the ambusher.

Mandra nods in a rather business like fashion, and mutters, "Let's go boys."  

Boris nods to each person solemly and then turns and starts heading west into the underbrush and ruins, with Mandra following.  Ham is the last to follow, but stops and turns back to the group.  He gives what is best described as a "firm look" to Sickle, making eye contact, his eyes darting down to the Ring of Winter, and then he takes a deep breath, turns, and follows the other two into the underbrush. 

Orvex looks back and forth between the two, as if his parents are getting a divorce and he must choose....but...having been left out of the discussion, he eventually says, "Uh...you've got Mal...if they run into the Thayans, I should be with them...."  He hops after Ham and the others, in a whispering yell saying "Wait up, wait up!" 

Moments later you're left, four of you, crouched in the underbrush, in the shade of the trees, peering across the river.  Mal's offer to try and sneak across stands, along with Sickle's ability to crawl down one side and remain totally hidden.

"I will remains in the back row. I got my need to hammer something ut of my system so I will be back to maintaining everyone health," Silas whispers. 

Badger weaves the magical energy around him, the air twinkles and sparkles ever so slightly as both Mal and Sickle vanish from view.  The small spirit on Sickle's shoulder gasps and leaps to safety on the ground below, scampering under some leaves as he looks about for his vanished pack animal. Sickle smiles at the small thing, though his smile is his own, and he and Mal pad across the massive log with ease reaching the far side. The underbrush crunches occasionally under foot, and vines and leaves are swept aside as they each make their way along the river front. The bricks of the ancient cities byways and alleys sink into the turpid water that moves about in swirls and in small pools off of the main flow of the river. Walls and mangrove wrap around and out of the water. Small swarms of bugs buzz incessantly near the scum covered edges of the waters. Mal carefully counts...three...four...five..six as she passes buildings, attempting to make sure they get the right building.  She whispers to the nearby Sickle, seeing a bush move nearby and hearing the gentle pad of his boots on the ground.  "This one...above..."  They each work their way around behind the building. Mal clambers up the back wall amidst branches and vines, the tree cover overhead stretching above the ruined building. Sickle also seems to quietly begin climbing the back wall of the building.

(Roll stealth both please.)

Badger, Silas...from the far side of the river and log you wait patiently, eyes peering across into the shadows under the forest canopy, but can see only shifting of shadows as the trees move in the wind amongst the ruined buildings. You wait, and watch, ready to move in a moment. The small spirit with a mask on clambers out of the bush and looks around.  It seems to regard Badger and Silas with....a steady stare, before eventually making a judgement and vanishing into the undergrowth. 

Mal Stealth: 15

[OOC: Seriously dice, you displease me.]

OOC2: Website took a dump on me when I edited it, I rolled a 15.]

Nudging Badger, "You saw that right?" Silas questioning point to where he saw the thing. 

Indeed, Badger replies to Silas. Is that the same that attached itself to Sickle? Perhaps it wants us to follow...

If the mask-spirit disappeared into a nearby bush, Badger will poke his head in and see if he can see it. Perception: 20
If it looked like it was heading in the direction of the river-crossing, then Badger will suggest they follow.

Badger pokes his head into the bush. The small creature is gone, but there is a small bracelet made from wound vine, covered with tiny flower pedals. As Badger picks it up he feels the magic in it tingle in his fingers.

Silas, while Badger is poking around in the bush a motion nearby catches your attention. You look over a fallen log about thirty feet from you.  There appears to be what looks like a turnip, with stubby little arms and legs and two bulbous eyes watching you. It stares at you, unmoving. Badger stands up, holding up a small bracelet, "He left us a gift."  You glance back, the walking turnip is gone. 

This seems to Badger to be similar to the crude necklace Sickle received early in the voyage, and no doubt is imbued with a kind of primal magic. He stashes it for later investigation, and returns to watching the outcome of the ambush. Then to Silas he says: Should we risk an approach? The worst that can happen is that we get shot at, and perhaps help to reveal the assailant for the benefit of our stealthy companions. If Silas agrees, Badger will venture slowly on to the log, prepared to dash forwards if arrows start flying, or backwards if enemies appear to block the way.

Sickle frowns as the creature scampers away, then spider-crawls across and creeps next to Mal, still in spider form.

Stealth: 24

He looks around with spider eyes to see if he can see anything hiding.

Perception: 20

(um....that’s weird.)

Sickle clambers up the back of the building, his spider legs quietly grasping the stone leg by leg until he's emerges over the edge.  Mal pulls herself up onto the edge.  There is a tabaxi hunter there, crouched behind a half wall on the roof of the building. He appears to be an older Tabaxi, wrinkles in his fur around his legs and arms. He wears a dark brown leather armor suit and has leaves and other plants tucked into his clothing making him look like a bit of a walking bush. He doesn't seem to have noticed either of you, but does show some sudden alertness. He partially stands from his little hidden area, which is setup with a stool, and a blanket, his backpack sitting open.  He lefts his longbow, knocking the arrow but not fully pulling the bow back yet as it seems he spots a target. Looking past him, you see the small form of Badger just clambering on top of the massive tree on the far side of the river. 

Badger takes a few more tentative steps and the Tabaxi sets his stance and pulls back the bow to take aim. 

Mal Leaps from the edge of the roof and using the pommel of her Rapier will try and knock the Tabaxi out.

Knockout Rapier: Attack: 19 Damage: 8 Sneak Attack: 9

Not sure if I get Advantage (don't think so): 13

2nd Rapier Knockout Attack: Attack: 16 Damage: 8

Using Superiority Dice Precision on 1st Attack: 2 (adding to first attack roll)