Samael gets a rhythm down, and slogs his way over to the dry spit of land that should carry them back to the head of the river.

(Another athletics roll for Horatio?)

Morn pushes on, focusing on the ground as he does. At the other side he turns around to check if anything follows (Perception: 23), then gets his mage hand to offer some aid to Horatio specifically, before he peers into the future slightly to see Horatio's path across (using my last portent to make Horatio's Athletics roll 14 + his modifier).

that would be a -2

Sirq Athletics: 11

Frankie Athletics: 4

Sirq and Frankie get mired just as quickly as Horatio, as Trinjya slowly makes progress, as does Morn, while Samael is right at home in the muck and has no issues at all, arriving on the far side to wait for the others. Frankie begins making a high pitched whine, flailing wildly trying to get free.

((New round of rolls from Horatio, Sirq and Frankie, replacing Horatio's with Morn's gift.))

Sirq Athletics: 1

Frankie Athletics: 7

Frankie's starting to panic, clinging to Sirq and hampering him now too. It's at this point with, with the party strung out crossing the muck, a couple of your number mired, that the frogman king leaps at the party!

((Roll initiative!))

Frog King Initiative: 5

Frog King Stealth: 17

((Morn's able to spot something swimming rapidly towards the party and has time to shout a warning to prevent you all from being surprised.))

((Trinjya would have stopped when Horatio got stuck, because unlike other people, she sticks to the plan (to keep herself save mainly). Would she have to make a second athletics roll too then?))

Initiative for Trinjya: 8

Morn's Initiative: 11

(OOC - it's not so much that Morn isn't thinking of anyone else, it's more that he's not the strongest fellow. So getting to the other side and utilising his magic and watching out was what he thought was more useful :) )

(EDIT: though I might have helped Frankie over Horatio had I seen that roll first - oh well.)

3 initiative

(distance to party for frog-king? and my distance?)

Ini: 19

(Ha!)

Fittingly, Morn has been paying attention, and as soon as the Frog King leaps from the water in a trajectory towards Trinjya, he notices!

((Morn's up!))

((Playing a bit loose with positioning, but your all within 60 ft, he wasn't able to surprise you and a few of you get to act before he can resolve his attack on the party.))

Morn > Trinjya > Samael > Frog King > Horatio > Sirq > Frankie

(OOC - Let me know if the king would be within 5ft of any allies as I'd rather not fire an ice spike to blow up on party members. Figured I saw him before he got close, but happy to rearrange movements/actions if I've got it wrong in my head.)

Morn sees the frog king making his approach, and summons forth an ice knife and throws it at the king.

Ice Knife Attack: 10 Damage: 3 piercing, then Dex Save DC 13 or 4 cold damage.

(EDIT - what a time to get a crit!)

((Nice! You totally saw him before he was able to get close!))

As the frog king leaps towards Trinjya bellowing an enraged croak, Morn dips a finger into the swamp water and flicks it at the king, a dagger of ice darting forward and sinking into his chest, detonating with a frosty crack and sending chunks of chilled frog spattering down around Trinjya. 

The quiet in the aftermath is broken by Frankie's frightened sobbing. He's sat down in the muck and is clinging to Sirq's leg. Horatio, you'd be the first to notice that the ethereal flames are no longer licking out through the fabric of Trinjya's pack.

(OOC - yeah, that was a pretty clutch roll haha!)

Seeing the frog splatter all over Trinjya, Morn calls out, "Sorry about that, Trinjya! We'll be home soon enough and you can soak that out!" He smiles awkwardly, not that anyone would like see it.

"we wanted to avenge ourselves......but it seems you claimed his head after claiming his mind. well done."

(also, xp distribution after that entire brouhaha?  i have a lot of kills that need rewarding from the first swamp hold up to the confrontation that rescued frank.)

"Hey, Trinjya! I think the King's mace has stopped glowing - what are the odds you give it a test squeeze to see if it still tries to scramble your brains. Also, somebody help me out of this muck!"

21 athletics

"very well, i'll try."

Samael's starting to get right at home in the swampy muck, leaving the dry ground on the far side, passing Morn and Trinjya to haul Horatio out of the mud, toss him over his shoulder like a side of beef and slog back, passing Trinjya again, and depositing Horatio on dry ground.

Sirq and Frankie give it another go once Sirq hums a lullaby to calm Frankie down enough.

16

12

With near constant encouragement and coaxing from Sirq, Frankie makes it eventually to dry land and collapses, physically and emotionally exhausted and wrung out.

Samael's taking to the swamp like he belongs there, and has really hit his stride. Probably not helping put that "Toadsie" nickname to bed, but anyone calling him it is going to be doing it as he passes them. He's able to slog back out and haul the king's body chunks to land as well.

((You can give me an Investigation check on his remains, if you'd like, otherwise, you guys are good to set up camp, set up watches and do anything else you'd like to do with your evening.))

Morn uses his mage hand to pick the pieces of frog innards off Trinjya as she trudges over. Then gets it to set about clearing off the area for their camp while he keeps watch (Perception: 11). "Someone should stay with Frankie at all times tonight. The last thing we need is him wandering off in a panic or nightmare. I'm probably better suited at taking a watch as the sun sets or rises," he taps the side of his head and adds with a smile, "Not made for seeing at night like some."