The group sets up their camp (please let me know if you're placing up a hammock, like Sim posted, or what you're using any lizard oil on.  If doing neither, give me a CON save.  For Lafetha and Abigail, toss in whatever else you may be doing / flavor / etc)

Wilson: You investigate the three jugs of moonshine.  They certainly smell strong enough to light on fire; like any good proper moonshine.  Probably watered down a bit, making it drinkable rather than cleaning detergent.  You give it a bit of a shake - it isn't under pressure so it won't work as anything that could explode.  But.. with a bit of rope as a wick, breaking enough of the wax seal to slip it in... you'd have a easy time lighting it and tossing it over at someone.. that would work.  But as you work on properly melting and lifting up just enough wax, a hairline fracture along the side of the container forms. The contents will be lost overnight, frustratingly.  But, at least you'll have a good drink.  (Lose 1 of your jugs)

Morgan: You toss and turn the entire night.  (You do not heal from your long rest, so down 5 from max I believe?).  Fevers strike you hard, strange dreams following - induced by the fever.  When you wake, you feel absolutely exhausted (Gain 1 level of exhaustion).  Your nails have a pale reddish tone, and your glands are clearly swollen.  It's slightly difficult to breath, as you cough up bits of reddish flemgh that pulse on the ground as you slowly come back from slumber. (Contracted a unknown disease.  Long rests do not heal you.  Spending HD only results in gaining 1/2 rolled.)  Whatever this is, has hit you like a truck.

Sim: You study the casket gem, rolling it over.  Meditating as you reach out both with the ideas of what it could be and how to connect to whatever energies are with it.  There's a flash of a moment and a searing pain.  The gem flying into your chest, seeming to phase through your skin.  A needle-like feeling running down your arms and legs as the gem has vanished.  The pain intensifies before you collapse.... a few minutes later you wake back up.  Feeling weaker.  Small nodules have grown at various spots on your body; arms, legs, sides, chest, back, even along the neck.  Small clusters that won't go away... (only a remove curse spell can unatune this item). When you wake up the next morning, that pain is still there.  Making you feel... weaker.  But, you find your eyes itchy.  Red.  Apparently in addition to the gem, you caught what the swamp folk were talking about as well.

Morgan takes out the cure-all, "Alright, do you're stuff." and then chugs it. 1

Invigorating Water! +5 Temp HP. 

"oooh, this is refreshing... but I am going to murder that shop keeper."

As Abigail applies the lizard oil to her sleeping gear she notes, "Well, looks like we may have gone the wrong way, and I am not sure it is worth spending our time and resources on chasing what is likely a dead lead... I say we attempt to head back tomorrow to see if we can make it past the hydra to whatever ruins and ghost sounds were coming from that direct."

Abigail settles in and pulls out her flute and the rest of her opened jug of swampshine. "I will take first watch..."

Morning comes without incident, but no without it's own issues.  Sim, seeming to be getting ill as well as whatever the hell went into his chest... Morgan, visibly rather ill and worse for wear despite chugging some refreshing water.  

Still, a little bit of work and elbow grease and you all get your camp broken down.  Abigail's comments from the night before seeming to suggest maybe not heading to town.. but further along and around the bog in an attempt to find where the trail may lead.  

What do you decide to do?

If doing nothing but trying to find some of those flowers for the next 8 hours...

 If heading to town...

 If trying to find the tracks...

Something else?

Sim reviews the info Abigail shares about not having seen any big tracks and wanting to loop around further and agrees. He will be up front to help Lafetha. (Hope she cures us)

Lafetha puts her her hammock for the night hoping for a nice long rest.

After packing up camp, she notices that Sim has the Sight Rot, and without the Eyebright she casts Lesser Restoration to cure him before he goes blind. She also casts it on Morgan.

She also casts healing word on Morgan as well. 6  

Agreeing with Abigail, she moves along to find the tracks and takes the lead with Sim to see if she can spot any survival 25

Wilson looks at the two ill members of the party and figures the ruins and the path there are the best way to go nodding in agreement to Abigail.

Nature to try and find the flowers once we set out.4

Morgan clears their throat, "Lafetha, you can do that? You could do that this whole time? Why wasn't that put under your skill set in your resume? Well I definitely appreciate it, let me know if you need anyone assaulted, battered, blackmailed or killed." 

Morgan waterproofs their clothes and tent. 

When heading out Morgan checks for ambushes perception 9

Abigail keeps an eye out while the party moves through the bog... Last thing they need is to be surprised from something in the waters.
Perception: 18

Like a swirling breeze, Lafetha's magic washes over Sim and Morgan.  The itchy slightly burning feeling fades from Sim's eyes.  Morgan has a bit of a more violent reaction.  Hacking and coughing, spitting out bits of this red cloud like material that seems to dissolve once it comes into contact with the air.  Those same energies that were washing over; cleansing the reddish spores from reality.  Still a bit exhausted, Morgan at least feels like they can once again heal up.  The fever beginning to fade, just leaving a achy body.

With that, Sim and Lafetha head up and begin to once again circle the bog in an attempt to find tracks of this giant.  

The slog of moving through the terrain continues to prove difficult.  But after a bit of a hike, the crew comes to a bit of a crossroads.

A high mound of dirt is before you; about 20 feet high.  Like from below the ground simply grew and expanded out suddenly.  To either side of the mound of pushed up but solid seeming dirt are deep pits of water.  It certainly is not a natural terrain of any sort.  

While Morgan keeps looking around, mostly by the sounds of different kinds of hissing beetles; Wilson keeps kicking over a few rocks, not finding any of the flowers that he was searching for.  

Abigail's ears keep twitching.  Eyes constantly moving around.  A few bubbles from the depths of water beside the mound.  Possibly the slow release of air of some kind of creature.  The faintest of shadows of something large flying by above the treeline, but out of sight.  

Then, a few clicks of a jaw from the treeline.  Something is keeping it's distance from the mound, but seems to have noticed you all....

What do you do?

Morgan looks at the mound, and then looks at the tree line, then looks back to the mound, "Well, screw this, if the Hydra is scared of this mound, let's figure out why, and how to get whatever it is to work for us. Everyone, hide or take cover, Daddy's gonna make some bad decisions." They crack their neck and cast Armor of Agathys and sneaks up closer to the mound, will try to do a whole circumference, and then look into the pits. stealth 18 If nothing happens they go on top of the mound

Morgan wades through some of the water; the swamp and bog varying in depth from ankles to just about thigh.  It's lower near the base of the 20 foot tall mound of bulging dirt.  They walk along the baseline, careful with one step in front of the other.  The deep section of water is easier to feel.  No give, just a bottomless black void.  One on each side, seemingly with a few bubbles that blow up.  One thing is for sure.  It smells awful.  A sickening putrid scent.  

Heading over to the hill, still careful, they try to climb on the mound.  The earth itself seeming to give way.  They only make it a few steps up, before heading back down the same way they came. Never reaching the crest. Morgan being unsure how structurally sound this mound is to climb up and over....  One thing is for certain, climbing up and over it provides little to no cover.

(To cross the hill, it will be a athletics skill challenge.  3 successes to get over it are required.  Disadvantage on stealth rolls, if going that route)

Sim circles wide just enough to keep Morgan in sight but not so wide as to put himself in a bad spot for whatever is clicking its jaws. While he told the others it may be the hydra he listens attempting to be sure. 

stealth 17
nature 20 on the clicking. 

Sim moves around, but to circle the entirety of it from a point of safety would take far too long.  However, he has no idea what the sound is.

"Hummm... If it seems unstable to climb over, it makes me wonder if it is a trap of some sort." Abigail attempts to sneak (stealth 22) over to the mound where Morgan came back down in order to take a closer look for herself (Investigation 13). If she does not find anything telling, she whispers to Morgan, "Perhaps it would be best to go around it?"

Abigail takes the same few steps up on to the mound - and like Morgan - takes those steps back down.  The mound itself isn't very stable.  (Requires acrobatics to get up and across.  Skill challenge to cross; need 3 successes or bad things)

((Stealth isn't doing anything for you guys here btw))

In that brief moment, Abigail does take a quick look around. The sight lines go on for awhile.  Moving around could take quite a bit of time.  ((Requiring to sacrifice the 18 survival and roll again with the possibility of becoming lost))

Interested in the black void water Lafetha checks it out

nature 12

Lafetha, you walk over to the edge of that black void.  A few of the bubbles coming up and rising to your nostrils.  Whatever it is... that putrid smell... it isn't... natural....

But what it could be escapes you.

Sim breaks stealth and moves up to the water to inspect it and the bubbles.   He looks for dead things the water might have killed as well. 

nature 11

Sim walks over to the water, taking a look.  A few more of those bubbles rise up to the surface.  That putrid splash.  You and Lafetha both confer, it isn't natural.  The scent of decay is just too strong.  Something is down in the darkness.  The way it bubbles and how the deep water shifts and moves, it does give Sim pause.  The water surrounding here, and extending out from this point, might be all connected to whatever is here.

Gathering back together, the Crew knows they have a few options.

Try to get everyone hurried across the hill together.  Sending someone one at a time with a structure that unstable may leave one half stranded. (DEX / Acrobatics check.  3 success are needed otherwise the group fails.)

Swim through the water with whatever is lurking in the dark (STR / Athletics check.  Everyone is on their own)

Look for another way across where this deep water won't be as big of a issue.  Of course, that'll take some time... (New survival roll, giving up the 18)

What do you do?