Syllian you a solid individual, I am proud to be your friend. The fact that you care so much for these strangers that you buried them. As they begin the next part of their journey I am certain that you have got them started in the right direction. 

A Song inspired by Syllian

Syllin's a lover of life, willing to give and give. When my breath begins to slip, I hope she is close to my grip. She will ensure that I have the right ship to set sails into the gales that whirl and whip. Syllin has laid Cromm's body to rest, those toadies put  him to the ultimate test. Cromm's men were measured and found to be lacking but on we go to the toadies we will be sacking!

If you all are ready I think we need to get on with tracking these things down. 

I'm going to snag a few of those blue feathers from the dead toadie's necklace and put them in my pocket. I'll lead the way, friends, following the path they took. 

And, hey, Edward, nice tune. But it's stuck in my head now, so I've got that going for me.

The four of you ride on from the burial site, and before very long you hear the sounds of distress ahead of you! It sounds like two voices, male and female, in danger of some kind. You strain your ears to hear what they are saying, but the constant buzzing of small insects and the thick undergrowth prevent you from making out any specific words.  

(Do you want to approach? Are you trying to be stealthy, or just riding in as quickly as possible to help out? Do you stay on your horses, or dismount, tie them to a stunted tree, and proceed on foot?)

I am going to attach my horse to a secure spot in the marsh. Then I am going to use my super sneaky stealth mode to approach the sounds. I am encouraging the party to do the same. I suggest that we take up a line type of formation (if terrain allows) the intent here is to ensure those with bows can attack in unison. If we rush into this battle we may end up like Cromm.

Stealth 19 

Good plan, Edward. I, too, prefer the stealthy approach and take up my short bow.

Stealth: 20

(Cool - Annabella and AwesomeDawg - please also make stealth checks =)

I quickly follow Star and Edward through the swamp, moving as stealthy as I can. Seeing Star's bow out, I take mine out.

Stealth: 1

Edward moves along the path without making too much noise, while Star follows behind like a breeze through the swamp. The Syllin comes in like a wrecking ball, managing to hit every root and dead branch! 

After one particularly loud crack, you hear a voice ahead call out, "Help! Help me! She's stuck in the sand!!"

Aoeer & Ea:

Does anyone have a rope that we can throw to her. I had some but I have lost it in an unfortunate wagering encounter back in town. I am thinking we can throw her a rope and then all of us play tug of war with the sand to help get her removed from this sand.  Once out we can figure out if they are interested in helping investigate Cromm, or determine that they are part of the raiding party and hold them accountable for their actions.

I have a 50-foot hempon rope in my dungeoneer's pack!  Here, let's tie it to the lass stuck in the mud. Come on, gang, let's pull her out of there!

I'm not the strongest in the bunch, but I'll give it a roll:

Strength: 21

I also help Star in using the rope to pull the person stuck in the sand out.

You come upon an elf in chainmail trying to reach a female tiefling who is about waist-deep in a patch of quicksand! The patch of quicksand appears to be about 10 to 15 feet wide, and the girl is far enough in that you can't reach her by hand. (Aoeer and Angelisa, last chance to check in!)

Star grabs the rope from his backpack, and tosses an end to the tiefling. She grabs the end, and the group works together to pull her out. (Everyone roll a Strength check please - d20+Str modifier)

Thank goodness I took that rodeo class and learned how to toss a rope!

Strength: 5

I am a lover not a strong man, but I will give this all I've got Jim. 

Strength 5

Star and Edward prove the stereotypes for their classes are mostly right, and fail to move the tiefling any closer to the edge!

The girl is frantic, struggling to get out but only sinking deeper into the muck. She is shoulder deep now - you can only see her head and arms! The elf (52) gives in to his despair and falls to the ground, sobbing and exhausted. Syllin and Fawn watch on in dumbstruck horror, apparently too shocked to move or help. 

(Everyone make another STR check to pull the tiefling out...)

Strength: 24

Thank goodness I carry protein bars in my pack. I eat one and see if I can muster up some strength to get her outta there!

Strength: 6

If I can see it in my mind, I can believe it in my life. I envision the Tiefling being popped right out of the sand and sailing through the air, only to land gracefully out of harm's way! With this thought in mind, I pull and pull.

Strength 14

Fawn grabs the end of the rope and puts her whole body into pulling - almost freeing the tiefling on her own! (Nice nat 20!) Star is about useless in this tug-of-war against nature, but at least she doesn't slip in herself! Edward's second attempt is just enough to help the girl onto solid ground. She rushes over to the elf, who embraces her and they cry and laugh in relief. 

After a few awkward moments, the elf turns to you and says, "Thank you for rescuing her. We thought that we wanted to be adventurers, and set off with Cromm and his men after the asault on his holding. But we got separated when our group was attacked by a group of lizards or toadies riding on giant frogs! We ran for our lives, only to blunder into this slow deathtrap. If you hadn't come along, my friend would surely be dead." He looks at here and gently tugs one of her horns and gives her a small, sad smile. "I don't think the adventuring life is for us after all. So, to thank you for saving our lives I want you to have this orb of direction. May it be of more use to you than it was to us."