Tarek's attempt to free himself from the toad's crushing grip fails once again. But just then, Ulben's stick comes crashing down on the toad's head, causing the toad to drop Tarek from its mouth in surprise. As it turns its attention to Ulben, the cook's kick collides with the giant toad's body, cracking its ribs and breaking its bones in several places. The great beast freezes, a shudder going through its body, as it falls over into the mud and lies dead.

The other toads are continuing to run, having encountered a potential meal that has proven too dangerous for them. The nearest of them is 40 feet from Fluin and retreating quickly. The other three that you can see are on the pool's opposite bank and are receding into the trees on the other side. Aluzira, Fluin, Torrent, Anakis, what do you wish to do (if anything) before the toads disappear from view?

"We eat good tonight!"  Fluin shouts as he stabs his rapier into the dead toad with a grin to the others.  He will not chase the fleeing toads.

Aluzira immediately runs up next to Tarek and lays a hand on his shoulder, casting Cure Wounds for 4 Hit Points.  "I'm so glad your still here," she says with relief.  "and nice swing Ulben!"  Looking back to Tarek, she says, "I have one more healing spell if you need it, you took a lot of damage."  Then looking around at the others asks, "Is everyone else alright?"  She grins in response to Fluins statement it would be good to eat well before chasing after more toads.

Tarek, relieved that he is still alive, picks himself off the ground. "Ah, thank you, Aluzira." He will also stab his rapier into the dead toad, out of a sense of vengeance. "I am sorry that I tried to be the hero. I guess today I found out that I'm no Byron Strongheart, at least not yet." (Can Tarek use his Lay on Hands ability on himself? I assumed he can't, but I could be wrong.)

Torrent looks at the people surrounding him.  Good fighters, it seems and solid comrades.  He also feels a sense of shame that they Tarek was hurt as much as he was.  "I'm sorry, folks.  I shoulda been more prepared.  I admit that I was not expecting that many'a them."  He breaks off, looking pained.  "Alas, there're still five more that we'll need ta take care of."  Pausing again, he says, "That kin wait!  I think that this was good work, though.  Also yer right, Fluin.  This beastie's legs'll make a fine meal tonight!"

Torrent will look at the toad, appraising it for any useful parts (including something small but identifiable which could be used as a trophy for claiming a reward)

Additionally, he will try gauge where the toads are retreating to, so they can be chased in the morning. 

(Just dropping a couple skill checks here, so you can use them however)

Survival 23

Nature 14

Anakis fires off a Ray of Frost at the closest toad to slow it down from within the thicket (Attack: 15 Damage: 2).

She then runs after it, but stays out of the water (she'll go around the pool if she can).

Tarek, yes, you can heal yourself using Lay on Hands.

Anakis' frigid beam blasts the hindmost toad which then swims along the left edge of the pool and hops up onto the far bank, following its companions as they leap through the spruce trees and out of view. It's now 65 feet away from you Anakis, and you're still about 55 feet away from rounding the pool, moving with difficulty through the dense brush.

Is there anything else that anyone would like to do before the last toad disappears?

OK. Tarek will use Lay on Hands on himself for 2 extra hit points. "We'll be back for you!" Tarek yells at the toads that are running away.

Ulben will try and see if there is anything he can cook off the Toad.

20 this is just a proficiency roll, the only other things that I can think you would want all also have a +2 or nature and investigation are 0, so it would just be 2 less.

Can Anakis still see any of the toads? & also is she able to see/tell how injured they are? She’ll try to fire off a Fire Bolt at them, preferring a severely injured one (Attack: 18; Damage: 5). 

(Sorry for attack roll mess - am on my phone typing out stuff rather than on my pc)

Aluzira sees Anakis still chasing the toads and uses her full movement to catch up to her "Anakis? are you still chasing the toads?"

Fluin is staying put.

Tarek will also try to find and pick up his javelin that he threw at the toad.

"They're getting away! We need to get them, don't we?" Anakis replies to Aluzira while watching after the toads as they retreat.

"Yes, but not right away; everyone needs a little rest and some time to think of a way to fight them better.  Also, I think Ulben is going to try making food for everyone from the toad we just hunted."  Aluzira says.  "Why don't we tell Torrent which way they went? That might Help him find them again, and then we can attack all together" she adds, watching the toads with Anakis.

"Okay then," Anakis says as she watches the toads hop away. "Do you think next time I should use one of my bigger spells? I can do a lightning one, but I wasn't sure if I should use it straight away. I haven't been out in the bog like this before, so I don't know what to expect."

As they go back towards the group and Anakis sees the giant dead toad and Ulben working on it to make the group some food and says out loud, "I've never had toad before. Is it safe to eat? And what does it taste like? If you cook them the right way, rats taste okay, as long as they haven't been eating heaps of rotten food that's been thrown away."

"You really know a lot of cool spells," Aluzira says with a smile.  "Me either; this was my first time fighting anything.  I think it's good to save bigger spells for situations where you really need them, but its also true that you could avoid those situations by using them first,"  After thinking for a moment, she adds, "I personally would save big spells for last, but you should find which way works best for you, or at the very least ask someone with experience in fighting what they would do."   When they reach the group she sits down and watches the others relieved that everyone made it. 

Anakis' fire bolt flies over the head of the last toad, hitting the cranberry bushes behind it instead. The toad then leaps away through the smoldering bushes and retreats through the light wood and into the swamp too far to be seen or heard.

The most useful part of the dead toad seems to be the meat of its legs, which is abundant and along with the cranberries will provide a feast for everyone as long as time is taken to harvest and cook it.

Tarek's javelin is nearby on the ground where it fell after hitting the toad. Other weapons can be retrieved which were thrown.

The morning is drawing on and the frost is starting to thaw, the light drizzle forming pools in the mud. You find the ground among the stand of spruce trees is more firm and dry and that there is plenty of fuel for a fire there. 

How does the party wish to spend the rest of the morning?

Torrent watches the last of the toads disappear into the woods.  "Well, not graceful, but it weren't bad neither.  Y'all did a great job, I think.  This was a good start.  And we got one!  This fellas legs will make for a great meal."  He looks at the group, "I think we kin better take 'em down now.  There's less of em, and they're decently hurt.  Tarek, ya looked like ya got the worst of it.  How ya feelin'?  Anyone else really hurt?"

He looks at Anakis, "Those're some fancy spells.  I'm real impressed.  If you think you may be able to do more, I trust yer judgement.  My icy explosion took up much'a my energy, though I oughta be able to pull out one more nice trick in the next few days.  For the rest'a us, I think we should be able to sit and take a breather for lunch, then follow the beasties this afternoon.  I think they're hurt, and it'll be a bit before they're recovered from today.  Plus, they're more scared'a us than we are of them.  We should be able to find em again pretty easy, and then we can gang up on one at a time to kill it before it flees again.  What does everyone think?"

"I can go and keep an eye on them if you want?" Anakis brushes some of the muck off her poncho. "I'm small and can be pretty sneaky. I'm feeling pretty good, so I don't think I need a rest just yet."