Korrik frowns while he ponders where the lizardfolk may have fallen on those battle lines.

"Guess we can inquire... if the frog folk and lizard folk are at odds, we may have just scored a diplomatic win! But if they're buddies... tomorrow might not go well."

Ben scoffs at Kay's implication that his work isn't always good.

He gives Ash a friendly pat on the head after the cleanings are done and heads to check the bodies.

"Ess, help me out here. Make sure none of them sneak back here while I'm searching."

((So we are at B on the map right? Does heading to A to camp for the night seem far enough away? Or should be back track a ways and then head to the coast to camp. Is the coast a cliff or does it drop into a beach?))

((OOC: where’d the abc map go? Is it on the docs? I can’t see it)

Oh, and Ben grabs his bolts while he does his checking.

((LOVE the RP as usual! All of it, every post!))

"Yeh sure will do, homeboy." and Ess would also retrieve half of the darts that Korrik threw. (I am sorry I don't know the amount!) When he gets back he sees Ash drop to all fours. He'd do his best to comfort her, but it's probably horrible and provides no comfort at all. Probably more annoying than anything. "Ash-br.. sis... Ash are you ok? Yeah boys we should all rest, look at her. And Korrik man you must not feel good after all of that. The damn things got me pretty good too. Good thing I had that potion eh guys!?!" and then he just shuts up realizing that Ash and Korrik look worse than he does. 

Ess would also take a 'Ben Bath' "DUDE. Thank you. Damn dude that was a close call yeah bro?" 

Ess says to everyone "Yeah come on like no forking kidding about the lizard guys not knowing about this! Fork you see I never trusted them from the beginning. Betcha they knew we'd get ambushed by them. Bunch of forkers. Remind me, er, remind Ben when we get back to ask them about it. Betcha they start to stutter on their long tongues when you ask them about it."

Ben, Ess would make sure that no one else sneaks up on you as you search the bodies and the general area of the ambush. Ess eventually also helps you after confirming that no one else is around, and the two of you are able to assess the scene and gather the following information and items.

You confirm that the frog people seem to be a formalized group by their clothing and armor. It all looks the same. You find some armor that likely wouldn't fit properly but you never know, there's also a few shields, some spears and the one mace that the leader was using. If you guys plan on taking any of the weapons and armor, let me know and I will get more specific with the numbers and with the mace.

You get the sense that this group of frogs had set up some type of defensive camp here because they have happened upon a considerable treasure. It's your guess that the leader was on his way to get the treasure when the peons ambushed the party. Who forkin' knows. 

You find 325 pp and a brass helm jeweled with blue stones in which the platinum pieces are contained. 

It looks like this. (please assume the stones are blue)

Ess says, referring to the coins inside the helmet (he doesn't seem to care about the helmet) "DUDE. Umm... so like bro how much is that?!" 

- So we are at B on the map right? Yes, we are at point B on the map. 

- Does heading to A to camp for the night seem far enough away? Or should be back track a ways and then head to the coast to camp. You can camp at point A if you'd like. Or, you could camp further back along the coast. Either way, we will have to roll an encounter check for the evening. Let me know where you want to camp (which terrain? the marshes, or the coast) and the desired watch schedule. If you travel back further south out of the marshes to the plains to camp in a better area, you won't have enough time for a full nights sleep once you get to the plains. 

- Is the coast a cliff or does it drop into a beach? it drops into a beach.

Let me know if I missed anything!

"Thanks Ess, one's better than none!"

"I say we take the shields, spears, mace, all of it. If they're the reason the lizardfolk want weapons, we might be able to turn these into good will, profit, or both!"

Ben nods to Ess's thanks as they walk out,

"It is for my sake as much as for yours. It was close but I think it would have been a far simpler fight had they not ambushed us or all simply rushed us. Depends on perspective. We will be having a chat with the lizardfolk when we get back. It might be a long talk, depending on how the meeting with the queen goes."

Upon finding the helmet,

"Well, this is quite the find."

He looks around again for one of the frog people,

"Unfortunate we can't ask them where they got it from... One thing at a time."

He will have Ess carry all the weapons and shields over to the other two while he carries the helmet and coins. To Kay's idea,

"I agree that, if the lizardfolk don't turn out to be a threat, we should try to sell these items to them. A desperate buyer is the best kind. Unless they are too desperate."

He will also ritually cast detect magic and give the area a once over.

((Everyone gets 81 platinum and two gold and five silver except for Ben who will take 82 platinum and pay the 7.5 gold to everyone else from his own bulging purse.))

Ash’s eyes light up a bit at the treasure. “No wonder they fought so hard!… hmmm… I don’t feel bad though: they ambushed us after all! They picked on the wrong crew, that’s for sure!”.

”And maybe the others, that ran off, will warn their friends about the king-slayers!”. Even in her pained state she manages to smirk at Ben. She knows he appreciates her spur-of-the-moment nicknames!

“The frog-thumpers?”, she offers, making herself chuckle in spite of the situation.

Ash gladly accepts her share of the platinum, thinking how fortunes can change in just a couple of weeks.

And her spirits have lifted enough that she helps carry a share of the weapons, if need be, onward to the shore, once everyone has finished up here.

Ben answers Ash's name suggestions with tired resignation,

"While king-slayers does strike a cord I doubt it would take hold given that sorry excuse for a king."

He won't even dignify 'frog thumpers' with a response or even acknowledge she said it.

As they head to the beach, letting Ess carry weapons while he considers the helmet,

"The bag of holding is filled to the brim, or near enough, with silks and weapons. For the weapons we may soon have a buyer, for the silks though... We could sell the silks individually, but that would take time. We have enough to attempt to sell them wholesale." He turns the helmet to squint at the gems in the fading light. "Ash? Did your contact in Helmshold deal in silks?"

Once they get to the spot they'll camp Ben will pull Ess to the side and say,

"Ess," a pained look crosses his face, "Bro. I really think you need to be using one of these most of the time."

He reaches into the bag of holding and pulls out a shield.

"Bro, you can do so much more if you aren't dead. Shields will help with the you not being dead."

He presses the shield into Ess's hands.

"I'm not saying you always need to use it, but I really think it would be for the best. Yours, mine, the other two.  At least try it out."

He will then, since they are already chatting, pull out the potion of giant strength from his backpack. Lifting it up he goes to hand it to Ess before pulling it back and saying in lingo Ess seems to understand,

"Okay, I am going to talk the straight dope now, bro. This stuff," taps bottle, "is wicked sporking expensive. As much as your getting de-ratified. That means you need to be wise and decide when is the most important to use it on the same level, yes? For example if I'm in trouble. Tree removal, no bro. Bad. Also, my man, you see this-" he points out the floating thing in the bottle, "that is a sporking hill giant toe nail. You ever see a hill giant? Bro, they don't ever clean themselves. That toe nail is like, 70% sporking rot and spork. You feel me? Think long and hard before drinking something that has been in."

Ash responds to Ben, one of her eyes swelling painfully and almost closed, “No, not Helmshold, no… Terrifyingly little Trades presence there. Possibly none…”. She squints up at him.

Then she massages her jaw, ”Fidd might know someone, or at any rate the Trades would. I’d just need time back in Marshswamp to set it up… ..But that’s definitely an option I think… …Might not be market rates, but they can normally shift anything hot in bulk when they need to”.

”If we still have the stuff when we get back to town, I can at least put some feelers out and get a price”.

((If Korrik can make a check to recall from his smuggling days where one might offload silks...? History: 10))

"Silk was always too much bulk, w-- I never dabbled in trying to move it myself."

"Hmm. Maybe if we look south? What's that direction? Thornhold, yes? Either of you have any contacts there? Wasn't much of town but there was trade if I recall correctly. I was honestly in something of a hurry when I went through there."

History(?): 2

Ess takes his share of the platinum. "Sweet bros!" 

On the frogs you find:

8 sets of hide armor, which are built for frog people but seem they could fit most smaller humanoids.

8 shields

7  spears

1 mace, which doesn't seem to be an actual magic item based on Ben's spell, but it is much different than a normal mace. It is perfectly weighted and Ess has his eye on it from the moment he brings it back to the party.

Frog Mace: Melee, +mods to hit, one target. Hit: 2d6 + mods bludgeoning damage, or 2d8 + mods bludgeoning damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 STR saving throw or be knocked prone.

Ben, your detect magic returns some pings when you apply the magic to the helm. Transmutation comes into your mind. 

Ben, Ess responds. "Ok. Dude. Some real street talk here now bro. Dude, I hear what yer saying. Trust me bro I don't want to die and I'd rather not see you guys die either. I'll take it, ok bro? Heck, dude if you and the others would be willing to let me try out that frog mace, heck maybe I can just use it and the shield bro. I think I'd feel safer that way."

Then he takes the potion. 

"O  -  M -  G   bro!! Dude...." he just takes the potion and looks at the toe nail floating around for a few moments. Then he looks back at Ben "Dude. Again, all real talk here. My man Ben you can trust me. I think you know that by now. I know I'm a lil'... well.. different, but bro I kind of feel almost like, well, bros now. I won't let you down, man. Being de-ratted was the best thing that's happened to me and I have you bros to thank so I won't betray you bros. I promise. You feel me? Cool."

He takes the potion and the shield. Can he also have the frog mace?

With the silk, you'll just have to see as you aren't familiar right now with where you could get a buyer. Although they were for a royal trade mission so they are marked which will need to be taken into consideration. 

Ash, Fidd didn't ever sell hot silk before so he wouldn't know!

So - are you guys camping on the beach, like around point A on the map, maybe a bit south of that? Let me know watch order overnight. 

Also, will there be enough room in the bag for all of the weapons/armor/shields or can Ess hold all of that?

Ben gives Ess a solid bro nod and responds with a solid,

"Bro."

Ben is happy to let him take the frog mace.

((Bag is full, no room for all that stuff. It is going to need to be spread around.))

Ben can see in the dark so he can take whenever, but since everyone else is pretty beat up he'll take first watch for them to get a rest. Hopefully Kay can magic up something so it isn't on him and Ash to keep watch all night.

Watch perception: 8

((Probably south of point A half and hour or so for the camp. Spider, Grwobert?))

((OOC: Yup a little south of ‘A’ sounds good for camp. Ess can have the mace. Thanks, re: Fidd… I can RP that not working out when we’re back in town. For now, Ash has ultimate faith in the trades having a solution for marked silk))

Ash will gladly take next watch. Perception: 25 

((Sounds good. If Korrik can get in a short rest first, he'll give himself and Ess the shadow eyes before he turns in, then take his shift later in the night (anytime).))

"Maybe we stash the weapons somewhere? If things go well with the lizard folk, and we feel good about selling to them, we come back and get them? Might be good to keep Ess's new shield covered, and his mace out of sight until we figure out if we just killed the queen's best friend. But I'm sure you'll put it to good use, my bro dude!"

"Stashing it is a solid idea. Are you any good at that sort of thing Kay?"

"In general, but usually not weapons in the wilderness. I've mostly done stashing documents, heirlooms and gems on ships. But we find a hollow log, or even just dig a pit on the beach, we can tip them all in until we come back for it."

Ben looks at the waves coming up on the beach and suggests,

"Perhaps a bit back from the beach, I would hate to see hard earned profit get rusty and moldy."

((I am picturing a flat marsh without overly many trees but is it more like a swamp with lots of trees in it?))