(No, you do not know where the lost city is.  Otherwise...I suppose, it wouldn't be lost anymore...)

Sickle questions Azaka who raises an eyebrow.  Then she responds in a even tone, "As I said before we started, that mask is a family heirloom. It was stolen from me by the Pterafolk. And they are indeed evil creatures and deserve whatever they get.  They use this spot to watch for travelers so that they can ambush them, kill them, and eat them. Every one of them killed is a gift to the world."

Silas, it's impossible to tell what this place is or was.  It's clearly a very tall spike of rock, topped with a tower, which has a magical flame floating over it burning.  It has ancient ladders that climb up portions of the outside. Your guess at it's history and purpose would simply be guesses.  You could ask a native you suppose.  "What the heck is this tower anyway Azaka?"  

Azaka regards you, "This is one of the last remaining signal towers of the ancient Chult kingdom, if not the last one, from before the Spellplague. They used to be spread across this land, but when the Spellplague came, many of them collapsed, their magic disrupted. They used to throw special powders into the magical smoke to signal different messages across the kingdom. Like most things in this jungle, it's an ancient reminder of a great past that has passed us by, an echo of our history, slowly fading from existence." 

She turns back to Sickle, "May I have my mask?  We had made a pact." 

Also, I have learned that apparently if you handle a magical item in 5e, you can tell it's magical.  The ring you found on the body up in the cave is magical. 

(I only asked because some of the comments sounded like we knew something more...)

Badger offers to Identify the ring.

Silas looks up at Fyrefinger thgen the jungle, "We should find some cover in the jungle. We did not clear all of them out and they will not be happy. They will be more than happy to exploit their advantage of the air should they find us. We can discuss our next destination when safer," 

Sir Darak Darkhall: Nodding his head as he studies the map, Darak says "Mezro is near and may offer some clues. What is this Ataaz Muhahaha? Can we cross the river there on our way to Kir Sabal?"

Boris:

"Ataz MUHAHAHA sounds an awful lot like an evil laugh...cant imagine anything good coming out of there."

The group hands over the mask to Azaka, who holds in her hands for a moment, and then nods, going back to her bags to pack it up.  The group withdraws from the tower and finds a sheltered place to rest.  The group, having been up for many hours decides to rest a few hours for the morning. Badger uses his magic to identify the power of the ring. It seems that it is a ring of evasion.  

The warmth of the day starts to press in. Everyone spends some time applying their daily dose of bug repellant, and then drinks water, filling up from the barrel.  Checking gear and equipment, the group eventually gets to their feet and presses on. Leaving fire finger behind, the group walks for a few hours. Leaving the water ways is a blessing, as the constant muck and sludging through water ways is drastically reduced. The terrain gives way to rolling jungle, but now new problems arise as you're faced with steep cliffs, deep ravines, and and hills.  The ground never seems to be flat as you're always either going up or down. In early afternoon a light rain falls and the group stops to set out the rain catchers and refill water supplies. That done, you trudge forward.  Azaka leads, often checking at rises or climbing trees to confirm locations, but the terrain forces you to pursue different directions and she is clearly challenged with trying to resume a straight path to Mezro. 

That evening you set camp, silently counting your blessings after a day of uneventful travel. The night passes and the next morning everyone is up. A light mist is falling, and does so for most of the morning. You stop at afternoon, the sweltering heat returning, drops of sweat a constant tickling sensation down the back of your neck.  Boris slaps at himself frequently.  That afternoon you're pressing through the jungle when Sickle notices calls the alarm.  A thin blue mist is seeping across the land from your right side. The group takes to the trees as last time, watching as the mist unnaturally crawls along the landscape, eventually passing them by. 

That evening passes, another relatively uneventful day hiking through across the rough jungle terrain. 

The third day the wind and rain has picked up, and by noon Azaka calls a halt as the rain and wind have picked up to storm levels. Everyone takes shelter, thunder and lightning lance across the sky as waterways appear on hillsides, rain pouring down through roots and over rocks. It's later that day that you're marching up a cliff face when Azaka calls a halt.  Ahead through the jungle you notice the stone wall unnaturally standing, covered in weeds, nearby. Looking around, several other large green covered lumps seem to indicate you've come across some ruins of some sort. As the group pauses to glance around, Sir Darak notices a figure move, about sixty feet to one direction, just between two trees, but he only caught a glimpse of them.  Forty feet to the other side, Silas spots a figure move, just past a bush, but only a glimpse.  

"We might be surrounded," Silas stated before pulls out his arms just in case.

Kasaaptu will send Krull to try and lay eyes on one of the sneaky people and find a rock or tree to take some cover and concealment 

Stealth 7

Azaka replies to Kasaaptu and Sir Darak, "Interestingly Ataaz Muhahaha, means the laughing canyon. The canyon is crossed by an ancient stone span.  Monkey's are often on the span, and the echo's of their noises sometimes sounds like laughing. There's a broken part of the bridge, so it's a bit treacherous, and there is a also a magical statue in the center which guards the span. You need to do a special homage to Ubtao in order to safely cross. I can show you how if we wish to cross the river there when the time comes."

Krull takes to the trees as the group begins to loosen their weapons and look around for danger. Krull flaps around the branches and lays eyes on the creatures. Kasaaptu sees them herself through Krull's eyes.  The appear to be zombies of some sort. Some are human, one dwarf, a Tabaxi, and an elf. Strange green vines grow around their shoulders and heads as they shamble around the area. Krull spots at least half a dozen of them wandering around the ruins, though because the denseness of the jungle, and the fragments of ruins in the area, it's difficult to spot them as he hops about. The jungle here is unusually quiet. 

Sir Darak, when you take Boris aside and pray with him, his breathing seems to slow, and his demeanour seems calmer.  After you're done, he bows his head, "Thank you sir. Honestly...this place is driving me crazy. But your piety and calmness...well...it makes me think we might live through it all."  He seems like he wants to hug you, but...realizing that's probably not appropriate, he gives an awkward nod and hurries back to the rest of the group. 

Badger prepares Fire Bolt in case we get surprised...

(OOC: Pass on the ring - Badger has highest DEX already. How about Yroc? He tends to fail a lot of rolls)

Sir Darak Darkhall: Darak moves forward to take the lead as the party approaches the ruins. Passing Asaka, he says, "Fall back to cover with my men while we investigate. Be ready to move out quickly."

Stealth(DisAdv): 8

When Kasaaptu relates what Krull has seen, Darak activates Divine Sense.

OOC: Concerning the Ring - Darak already has +2 Dex Saves and Evasion from Shield Master as a Reaction. We all have decent Dexterity, except Yroc and he's also a Frontliner, so makes sense. However, whoever accepts the Ring is designated official Trap Disarmer. lol

Silas can cast Detect Traps and keeping the Cleric alive keeps us all alive, so I nominate Silas as well. 

I thought we were spotted already, but if not, and we are trying to sneak past, Sickle will cast Pass Without Trace on all of us. (+10 to stealth checks)

31

Kasaaptu would like the ring as her dex and strength are sorely lacking. We can have Krull disarm traps as if he gets wacked, I just have to summon him again.

She will prepare the spell scorching ray to attack the zombies as soon as they are visible. wanting to take full advantage of range (120'). she likes her brains where they are.

Yroc growls deeply as the zombies come into view, sticking close to Sir Darak.

Mechanics:

Tactical Map.  Round 1, roll initiative. The terrain is difficult terrain. The enemies are the ones that aren't hidden behind total cover, so you can catch glimpses of them through the jungle and Sir Darak can detect them.   They have partial cover from ranged attacks given the jungle growth and ruins, unless you're within 15 feet. 

Bad guys go at : 9

Feel free to take your first action, unless your initiative is less than 2.  :-O 

Yroc puts a hand on Sir Darak's arm, holding him for just a moment as he concentrates. Shadows appear for a fraction of a moment, flitting up from the ground then seeming to merge with Yroc's body as he draws power. Suddenly Sir Darak appears to fracture, somehow, tiny pinprick breaks appearing in his physical form only to close and reappear on a different location on his body, a bright light shining out from within shooting out tiny rays of light.
Yroc grins, nodding at the man. "Go, take care of the right flank. I will hold left." he says, then crosses in front, up to the zombie that was walking there by himself. Others can be heard further away, but for now this was the only one he has to deal with.

Mechanics: