Barty's "Hoard of the Dragon Queen" (Tyranny of Dragons Part 1)

“Wait!” Merric whispers with a hiss. “They are taking us off of the trail, and leading us deeper in the swamp.  Are you sure we want to follow?”  Watching Rogram plunge off the trail and resolutely follow behind the lizardfolk with the others, Merric shrugs, takes note of any surrounding landmarks that may help them find the trail again, and follows closely behind the others, sloshing through the water.

Rachael had not immediately followed Rogram. Noting Merric's comment, she too will try to take note of landmarks and keep track of their route as they go. (Survival if needed: 7)  Coming up beside Merric she whispers, "We should probably learn where they're going. Not sure if we can keep up. Or if it's even safe. But we can always try to track them."

Merric Survival: 19

The lizardfolk move through the swamp as easily as breathing, threading the channels between islands like they don't have to think about it. For a few minutes, keeping pace is manageable. The fog and cypress trees provide cover for you, and the group doesn't seem to be watching their rear.

One of the creatures seems to be complaining, its words in a harsh and guttural language. Another cuts him off with a response before a third quiets both of them.

Eventually, the channels begin to narrow, thinning your cover, and the gap between you and them becomes harder to maintain without making noise. The group gains distance on you, and shortly after, the channel splits at a fog-covered intersection. By the time you are through the fog, the silt seems churned equally in all directions, and the group you've been following is gone.

Fortunately, Merric was able to keep track of enough landmarks to return you to the trail, even after Rachael loses track of your route in the monotonous swamp.

For Hono:

Rogram pauses at the intersection, looking back and forth several times, and even looking as though he has made a decision twice while ultimately remaining where he is. Finally, he looks at the others. "Right? Left"?

"Left, right?" Hono said sarcastically. "Well now that we've put plenty of distance between us and our pursuits, best I could make out is they are a very whiney bunch but have a good taskmaster. They are headed to Rezmir in a hurry not to be harassed by fat toads." He paused and waited to hear a reaction from tbe others.

Karib freezes and slowly crouches down when he catches sight of the lizardfolk. Having never been one for stealth, his only solution in such circumstance was to stop moving and reduce his profile. Scouting was most certainly a job for others.

"Following them might be our only lead in this muck," he says, grimacing at the mud that covers his legs. "Them being here can't be a concidence. And we already know their kind are in league with the cult."

"Rezmir?" Rogram looks at Hono and Rachael, then Merric and Karib. "Where's that? Do you think that's where they've got my Pa?"

OOC: Rezmir may or may not have been mentioned before <_< Not saying it has, but it definitely may have been >_>

I may not have worded it clearly enough, but the group you were following has truly been lost, they're gotten too far ahead of you and you're unable to find any tracks within the foggy water. Merric had been keeping an eye out for the trail you had been following, and passed his Survival check, so you were able to get back to that trail.

Merric leads the others back to the trail after they lose sight of the group of lizardfolk, sitting down on a rare piece of dry ground, he pulls off his boot and empties a half inch of water back into the swamp with a grimace. 

“I have never heard of Rezmir, but that group we just saw was probably not the one we were following.  Our best bet is to keep following this trail, someone made it from the camp to lead somewhere, and it’s probably our best chance to find your father.”  

He glances over at Hono "Fat toads, whatever could that mean?" and he searches his memory to see if he knows what they are describing.  Nature 17.

.

Having lost the trail, Rachael sees no choice but to retrace their steps. Fortunately, Merric is able to direct them as she had lost track. "Let's continue on our path and see what we find. But do any of you know where Rezmir might be? It certainly seems like a good next lead to follow up on." 

OOC: Let's leave it up to chance whether Rogram's memory is jogged: Rolled a 15 INT check. That's pretty good.

Rogram stops, his jaw dropping. "Rezmir," he says in a slightly different pronunciation than how Hono mimicked the lizardfolk.

The half-dwarf turns to Karib. "The camp. The cult. Where we found you!" He starts nodding, a grin brightening his dirty face. "Rezmir is leading the cult. She's one of its leaders. Maybe THE leader."

He stops, and his shoulders droop. "That's not new information. We already knew the lizardfolk were working with the Cult of the Dragon." He sighs.

When Rogram turns to Karib he sees that the priest's face has drained of all blood. He stands still for a moment, looking back toward the south.

"Aye," he says slowly. "The name's familiar."

Memories of his failed rescue of Rogram's father followed by being beaten then hung from the roof awaiting death flood back. Drawing a deep breath, he removes his hat and rubs the top of his head before turning has gaze back to the group.

"He's the one that led the looted gold 'north', or so our prisoner from the camp said."

"North," Rachael repeats. "Was that north of here?" she asks, trying to piece together where these folks had been before she met up with them. "If this is a leader of the cult, and the lizardfolk are talking about her, does that mean she is located nearby somewhere?" She looks at Hono. "Seems a potentially useful bit of knowledge you overheard there.  For now though, we should continue on the path we were following." 

Karib grunts, "North from a mercenary camp a a few days journey from Greenest...where this all seems to have started."

"They looted towns, tortured and killed locals, then took the loot in carts....the same kind of carts that we are now following. Rezmir was one of their leaders and went with the carts, or so we were told."

"This all happened far south of here."

Rogram looks back and forth between Rachael and Karib, at first surprised that they are continuing to talk about what he thought everyone already knew. But as soon as Karib mentions the carts of loot, the half-dwarf chimes in, "And my Pa!"

He frowns. "What did the Lords' Alliance tell you?"

Merric pulls his boot back on and stands up. “So Rezmir is not a where, but a who.  But it does make sense.  These cultists transport their ill-gotten gains, gold and people, under the disguise of a caravan.  We knew that much and followed them here.  They transfer the loot to the lizardfolk at the outpost, and they take it the rest of the way to Rezmir.  If they are here, we must be close.” 

He nods to Rachael. “We will get lost blundering around in the swamp, Rachael is right, the best bet is to keep following the path and see where it leads us.”

"No matter, we can't follow them to Rezmir now. Lead on, I for one will be happy to put this swamp behind us." Hono shakes off his boot, knowing his next step would replace anything shaken off and then some. 

"Right. At least this confirms we're still following the right trail," Carlon says. "Hard to believe how long you've been on their tail. It's impressive."

After around seven miles of progress through the swamp, you come across a campsite set alongside the trail you have been following.

It isn't much of a camp - just a clearing that's slightly drier than the muck you have been wading through - but four wicker lean-tos and a stone platform (for lighting a fire above the soggy ground) command attention in this wilderness. Three dugout canoes are drawn up near one of the lean-tos.

A few dozen yards behind the campsite, further along the same direction you've been traveling, dry land ends. Other than moss-covered trees, fallen logs, and thick clumps of reeds, nothing else rises above the still, black water.

"Looks like this is our last chance to camp," Jamna points out, gazing into the distant water. "And whoever usually travels this trail feels the same." Her gaze moves upward, to the treeline. "Hard to tell with the fog, but the sun must be close to setting."

Merric slows as they approach the campsite. “Yes, it is a good spot to camp, but whoever usually travels this trail is who worries me.  What happens if they stumble upon us resting here?  What if they left traps? Best be on our guard. Check out the huts and the canoes, I will check the perimeter.” 

Merric makes a wide sweep of the campsite, looking for any signs of tracks, recent habitation, or traps. Survival: 22.

.

Rogram, who marched right into the campsite and began looking around — exploring the huts and canoes without a second thought — halts after Merric expresses concern for their safety. He looks around and smiles. "It's okay, Merric. Who would have left traps here? Now, what can we use for firewood?"

OOC: DM, could Rogram use prestidigitation to dry the wood he would find in the swamp enough to get a fire going?