Kasaaptu will mention Sir Darak should be able to detect evil, at least that is what her mother told her about Paladins.

Sir Darak Darkhall: Blade drawn and pointed at the zombie until this point, Darak sheaths Onyx as he says, "As much as I'd like to cleanse the world of this undead abomination, it might hold some clue to the Death Curse. We should bring it with us so it may be studied."

Stepping toward the woman, Darak activates Divine Sense.

Sir Darak steps towards the woman, reaching out with his senses. He gets the faintest lick of noxious flavor, the woman is definitely undead, but....not that same tang of evil he would get from the typical undead.  Also, there's an undead over there 55 feet in the jungle.  Oops, it's gone.  He looks that way, reminded that a couple of zombies may still be wandering around. 

The woman in a man's undead zombie body that has been thoroughly smashed about, puts her hands on her hips, one of them bending inwards unnaturally under the pressure.  "Fine then. I'm jutht thomething to thtudy. I thuppose that'th better than thtaying here by mythelf."  She motions (in the wrong direction) into the jungle.  "After you."

Badger comes stomping back into view from behind a wall of bushes where he'd been mumbling to himself.  His eyes cast a suspicious glance about the party as he holds the rod close.  Sir Darak, you're not sure if you would detect evil that lay enchanted into an item, perhaps, but either way he detects no evil from the rod either.

The group looks around. There is a lot of time to continue the conversation while you walk, so you resume your path, Azaka taking lead, steering clear of the undead creature as she walks to the front of the group and leads east.

The group continues plodding through the jungle, up, and down, up and down. A light mist falls, not enough to stop to fill water containers though as you press on.  It seems you've re-emerged in early morning. An hour in, Azaka crouches on a rise and waves the group forward. On the far side of a bubbling creek, in a small clearing are a dozen dinosaurs. These ones appear to be two legged, with large forearms, and a bill like mouth with a long bony protrusion on the back of their heads.  As you watch you notice several small ones wondering around in and out of the water.  Azaka whispers, "Hadrosaurs."  The zombie with you had been staring at Hamma for much of the journey, now stares down, "Thith plathe is methed up." 

Azaka leads you around the dinosaurs and you continue your trek.  After your stop for lunch you are moving on when Silas calls a halt, seeing something unusual to the side of the trail. The group approaches cautiously and find, concealed by bushes and wrapped in vines a ten foot tall statue of a stylized king.  Azaka bows her head briefly, "Ubtao.  The old god of these lands." At the base of the statue is a pile of skulls. They appear to be small, perhaps kobold or goblin, along with some odd ones that Azaka identifies as Grung, the frog creatures. Two wooden tubes sit amongst the bones. The group cautiously retrieves them.  Inside each contains a roll of papyrus that tingles with magic.  They are scrolls of magic, one of magic missile, and one of ray of enfeeblement. 

 "Well this is not expected," Silas stated, "mister badager, do you wish to transcript these spells?"

Kasaaptu would like to copy the ray of enfeeblement scroll into her book if it is usable for a warlock

 Only a wizard can copy a spell from a scroll into their book.  Though Kasaaptu could use the scroll since Ray of Enfeeblement is on the warlock's spell list. 

Continue on your way after handing the scrolls out? 

Sickle is ready to go on if the others want.  In the meantime, he will ask Azaka what she can tell them about Ubtao and specifically when worship of him stopped, and if she knows anything about why the skulls are here.

Badger accepts the magic missile scroll, and seems a lot calmer as the day progresses.

The group continues onwards as Azaka talks loudly, telling a bit of history about Ubtao. "Ubtao is a greater god and he long protected the land...and the Chultan civilization. Unfortunately the people of chult grew fat, lazy, and warred over petty differences. They called upon him all day every day to solve every minor inconvience they might have. Ubtao, heal my broken toe, Ubtao, make my corn sweeter, Ubtao, scratch my back I have an itch."  She sounds genuinely put out with the Chultans of old.  "Ubtao grew angry over their endless warring, and their reliance on him to solve all of their problems. More than a century ago, Ubtao simply abandoned Chult, and his influence hasn't been felt since that day. When he left, Chultans suffered a crippling spiritual blow, but eventually united, warring tribes learned to put aside their petty conflicts and unite as one people. To this day, the dinosaurs of Chult are still revered as Ubtao's sacred children by many Chultans, even though Ubtao himself is no longer......popular. With Ubtao gone, the Chultans turned to other dieties, including ones introduced by missionaries from your homelands. Waukeen, a goddess of trade, is revered in Port Nyanzaru. Other dieties with shrines in the Port include Gond, Savras, Sune, and Tymora. Unfortunately, besides spreading word of their dieties, too many foreign missionaries also exploited Chultans and our land for profit, which led to conflicts.  Foreign missionaries are no longer looked upon kindly and most of the clergy are Chultans now."

The day runs into night and the group sets up camp. It's a far cry from the evening in the gnome paradise, but nothing tries to eat you and aside from a few ant stings on Sedrik, which he curses for a good hour, nobody is harmed. The next morning the group breaks their fast and camp, and continues on their way. A cool breeze welcomes the morning walk, but you've started to learn that this means rain. Sure enough it comes down hard.  The group stops to catch rain, and then sits for a while before Azaka calls for the group to continue. Miles march by as the rain sheets down.  With all the twists, turns, gullies, cliffs, and rivers you've learned to respect Azaka's guidance, though you're sure you're probably traveling twice as far as if you'd gone in a straight line. 

The rain is done by noon. Drenched to the bone, the group sits, working through damp packs to pull out food.  A while later you continue on.  The dripping of water and trickle of rivulets down hills continues.  Before camp time, the group is onset by a snakes that fly through the trees from branch to branch, and descend on the group.  It's a harrowing attack but the snakes are easily driven off.  Gregory sustains a bite, and though there is no poison, Sickle finds he's picked up a disease and cures him of it. 

Another day passes, with light rain, marching onwards. That evening the sky becomes black early as bats fly over, thousands and thousands.  The evening passes with only a few minor events.

The next day the group continues on.  It's early morning when you come across a wonderous and strange site. You come to a halt as a breeze of icy cool air runs through the group. Sir Darak literally sighs in relief from the stuffy heat in his armor.  Ahead of you the jungle glitters with frost, icicles hang from leaves and branches, everything is frozen solid and snow covers the ground. As you walk around you figure it must be an area over 200 feet across.  It has sharp edges in the shape of a large half sphere, that only a magical spell can create.  Putting one hand within the cold air is numbing and frigid.  It must be over twenty below zero within its boundary. 

?

Badger inspects the perimeter with interest, for about 20 yards each way, rubbing his nose in deep thought. He can recall nothing from his divinations that predicted this phenomenon or gave any clue about its nature or cause. Sitting at the frosty edge, he absently suggests that Krull do a fly-over, then sits rubbing his nose in thought.

Arcana to determine possible causes: 14

Kasaaptu will send Krull to fly over the phenomenon to see if there is a source that can be seen then she will say " So, this is what a cold day in hell is like...." She will wait and see if anyone picks up on the humor...." it's an old warlock joke, haha"

Krull flys over the sphere.  He can see into the wintery scape pretty easily and doesn't notice anything of particular interest at the center, or anywhere else.  Though it is over 100 feet through icy jungle to the middle.  

From what Badger knows....to create an effect like this....and have it remain...unless this was done in the past couple of hours....would have to be.....extremely powerful magic.  High level arcana for sure.  There are no spells he's heard of that create permanent icy domains like this.  

 The group looks around at each other after hearing Kasaaptu's joke, trying to see if anyone else gets it.  Gregory snorts. A strange wheezing noise comes from the Zombie, who says, "Haaaa.  Good one..." 

Badger wonders briefly if Kasaaptu is talking about Stygia, the frozen fifth layer of Baator, but shrugs and lets it slide. He then rises and walks over to the paladin, tugging on his robe to signal for a quiet word in his ear...

Urgh, excuse me ... Sir Darak. This icy marvel may hold some great secret. I wonder if you might ...uh ... persuade <ahem> lady Mandra ... to investigate. It may be that she can enter without discomfort where we cannot.

"Maybe it's an act of a new god? Is Auril worked here?" Silas probes the icy wall with his warhammer. Silas will not stand still as he seeks to keep himself warm. 

Sir Darak Darkhall: Shaking his head at Badgers request, the Paladin answers quielty, "I don't trust the...thing. Its story rings false. I believe it to be much more likely that it is a spirit sent to spy on and hinder us."

Turning back to the party, Darak says, "This magical ice was created recently - there are leaves on the trees. I suggest we rush the center of the sphere, attempting to catch whatever created it by surprise."

Darak activates Divine Sense

Sickle cautions, “Perhaps the cause of this is peaceful. We should be wary, but not rush to attack unless there is danger.”

SIlas look around the area looking anything else that's abnormal beside the frozen lands

Perception 20

Kasaaptu

"If the thing..Mandra is false, all the more reason to send her into the cold to check it out without risk to ourselves. What happens when you rush in there and your armor freezes to your skin?"

Badger shrugs at Sir Darak's reply. After Kasaaptu's comment he adds with a grin: 

Urgh, should you fail, would you object to your squire sending the zombie in to fetch your frozen corpse?