(Ah, sry. Didn't notice you posted. It seems I have accidentally unsubscribed from the thread :/ )

Limine stands in her place, rubbing her hands on her arms to warm up a little. Seeing that the others are searching for the lost trail, she tries to do so as well. "Now, where does a half-monkey with a baby in their arms disappear to..." as the realisation strikes her, she quickly looks up to the trees, ready to jump away at the first sign of danger.

Taking the Dodge action. If she also needs to roll to spot something in the trees, Perception: 2

(Ignore the above, didn't see that DM posted. Will edit with a reaction to DM's post soon.)

(Edit 2: Scratch that, the situation didn't change much. Limine still acts the same way.)

Dex Save: 22

Jack nimbly snatches his out of the bear trap as it snaps around empty air. He notices that the bear trap was carefully concealed in underbrush just under the boot, and was set such that lifting the boot triggered it. He sees a thick grey fluid flowing down the edges of the trap as well. 

The boot itself fits Rutherford's size, though this one appears to be especially worn down and broken. Otherwise, there doesn't seem to be much that's significant about it. 

What does the party do now? 

Sulskan looks impressed at Jack's reflexes and mutters to the group, "I can't seem to find this trail. Sorry. But does anybody else have an idea where to go next?"

Vadania's attention is snatched away from the canopy overhead towards Jack as she hears the loud snapping noise of the bear trap. She approaches Jack and asks, "Are you alright?" To Sulskan, she points up to the canopy and says, "Our target took to the trees and traveled further that way. We can follow the trail of ripped leaves and snapped branches in the canopy above."

As Limine looks up, unable to find the trail Ruth mentioned, but above all else eager to move. Turning into a statue of ice was not her goal in life. "Will you lead the way then?" she asks, making a gesture towards... probably the wrong direction. "Just be wary of traps, it seems like our foe is not only vicious but also cunning."

Sulskan nods at Ruth and gestures forward, "We aren't sure that our quarry is what set the trap. It could have been there before after all." He follows as Ruth (presumably) leads them in the right direction.

Examines the thick grey liquid on the trap. (Has he seen anything like it before? Is it organic? or like, oil?)

Investigation: 8

To Vidania. "Yes, I'm fine. Take a look at this..." Points out the grey goop.

Vadania uses her sharp nose to sniff it. Maybe she would be able to figure out what it is or offer some insight as to what it might be.

Want to Help Jack investigate the grey goop to give him advantage.

• Pick any skill you are proficient with, and try to come up with a way to use that skill to help travel through the Corrupted Forest. Make a check with that skill against a DC of 14.
• Whether you pass or fail, write a little story about the result of your efforts.
• Wait until each player attempts one skill check before you make a second one (only if needed, and if you do make a second one it must be with a different skill).
• The goal is for the group to accumulate 3 total successes before accumulating 3 total failures.
• If the party accumulates 3 failures, they may encounter something on the way...

• Because you are following a trail, at least one player must roll a Survival check
• You can use an Adventuring Gear to grant advantage on your skill check. Be sure to explain how the chosen tool or object helps out in your story.

Limine will try to use Intimidation any time they encounter anything that's moving by shouting at it, using magic to make her voice three times as loud. (Because Deception wouldn't work with a party, Stealth is not interesting (and only +2) and Performance... tell me if you have an idea how it can be used without any instrument in this scenario.) Intimidation: 17

Maybe it's not the stealthiest approach, but loud noises do scare animals away. Be it a rabbit, a bird or a tortoise; they did not fight, at the very least. Brimming with confidence Limine marches forward, leaving the rest of the party to wonder what the small animals did to deserve this treatment. When asked about it, she'll just say: "Well, nothing attacked us yet, am I right? If I wasn't here, you would have been attacked countless times by now. If anything, you should be happy I saved your lives." And walk away, leaving the would-have-been-defeated-by-the-deadly-squirrel-if-it-weren't-for-me party behind where they could follow their amazing leader... Or see her tail coiled around her left leg so tightly you're not even sure if blood still runs in it. She then quickly lets some of the others pass in front of her so she's in the safest place - the middle of the party.

Slurb will persuade any sentient creatures to leave them alone if they encounter them. Persuasion 25

Any of the sentient beings Slurb talks to are persuaded quite swiftly. The biggest thing that they encountered was a small Abyssal who happened to speak common. It was a quite comedic thing, kinda like something from a comedy show. The thing went like this; Slurb: "Hello, please don't eat my friends or me." Abyssal: "Why not?" Slurb: "We don't want to die." Abyssal: "OK! No problem, and I make the big bad ones not eat you either!" Slurb: "Thank you!"

Sulskan keeps a close watch on anything that might approach the party using his sharp eyes to monitor any movement in the trees. (Figured Vadania can do survival and expertise gives me the highest modifier...)

Perception: 18

The voices in Sulskan's head have been oddly silent which has allowed him to focus on his watching exceptionally well and he points out every potential creature or danger in their path well before it even poses a threat. As he points out dangers that he got used to during his time in the forest, he begins to settle back into the cadence of the forest and his body begins to relax as well. He tosses both of his axes in the air and catches them with a smile on his face. It has been a long time since he felt this good, but he's not complaining!

Vadania uses her tall form to stay at the front of the party as she keeps her yellow eyes dart between the road in front and the trail of leaves overhead. She holds her large woodcutting axe in her hands, using it to swat away any thorny branches that might block the party's path.

Survival: 20

Her monstrous form thanks to her curse made her closer to the beasts that resided in the forest than the adventurer she was. Following the trail, which was not too difficult thanks to her knowing what to look for in the canopy and her sharp nose, she did not have to worry about getting lost in the corrupted forest. The spiky branches were quickly swatted away by her axe that was designed for felling trees. The few splinters and thorns that did make it to her skin were deflected away thanks to her leather jacket and her thick fur.

The party begins it's long trek through the Corrupted Forest, following the trail ahead. Limine uses her magically enhanced voice to frighten even the smallest of nearby woodland creatures on their path. Slurb uses smooth words to pacify any stragglers, and on the way the party encounters an abnormally shaped rock. Still, Slurb talks to the rock, urging the foul entity to abstain from eating him and his companions.

Sulskan's watchful eye allows the party to avoid most of the possible threats, his woodland experience shining through. Vadania leads the way, never letting the trail leave her gaze. She notices that despite the possibility a very large creature has traversed the trees above, the marks on the trail are quite subtle. Some areas even contain no physical marks, but with her keen sense of smell she's able to get the party back on track. 

One, two, even three hours pass as the party moves deeper in the Corrupted Forest. The dense shrubs and trees are difficult to negotiate, as if the land itself was straining against the party's progress, slowing their advance. Still, through a combination of skill and luck, the party will soon arrive at the trail's destination...

(Sulskan and Slurb rolled natural 20s! They both lose 1 Stress.

Given that a few hours have passed as the party is going through the woods, it's only natural that your characters would be talking with each other on the way. I will give you some time to roleplay, and next post will be up tomorrow!) 

Sulskan feels a little bit of pressure relief as he knows he did a spectacular job watching out for danger, but he was never that tense to begin with. The silence of the spirits was bothering him though. He'd spent so long getting used to them in his head that their quietness had been a bit off putting, even if it was their deal. Putting all thoughts of the spirits out of his head, he wanders ahead to speak to Vadania (Ruth), "Hey..." he starts, "So how di-do you know the farmer? You seemed pretty close with the family back there."

Vadania turns around to give him a glance, acknowledging the question before she turns back to keep her eyes on the trail. She does not want to lose sight of the road ahead or the trail. She answers still looking ahead as she moves, "Yes. I have worked on their farm on odd jobs before. Usually relating to plowing the farmland or harvesting the crops."

"Seems like you'd be pretty good at that..." Sulskan trails off so as not to distract the person guiding them along the trail. To nobody in general he asks aloud, "Do we really think that the farmer has some kind of Lycanthropy? Or is that just postulating?"

Vadania responds, "I think it is likely he is. Though I hope that is not the case. Lycanthropes... are difficult."