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"There is only so much that magical healing can do," Jocelyn says. "I can heal up Brock easily enough, but I can't do anything for Val until she has rested. Almost dying is not easy to come back from. And we can follow the troll, but I don't want to get into another fight with them."

Thaddeus sighs. "I suppose either way then, we should proceed to the south then? That's the direction of the mansion and the direction the troll fled, after all."

Brock sniffs. "I'm fine. Don't need to slow down on my account."

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(OOC: The compass only grants a +1 to navigation or cartography proficiency checks.)

"OK, lets move on. Val if you get tired tell us and we will stop for a short rest." Baeros says, eager to finish off the creatures that almost ended two of his friends life.

"We have to change our marching order to protect Val" Ouragana remarks. "Bearos, why don't you go first with your dogs, then Thaddeus and me, then Val and Jocelyn, then Grey and Gallath, with Brock at the rear? When he's healed up, I mean? Oh, and I guess we should keep some fire ready."

Dhan hands Ouragana his Greek fire. " I'll scout ahead a bit, see what I can find, and warn you guys if I see anything dangerous."

"Keep the wounded near me," Jocelyn says. She walks up to Brock, and places her hand on his shoulder. She takes a few moments to pray to Octhanus to heal Brock's wounds

OOC: Cure Light Wounds

"Sure." Baeros says, "Are you all ready?" and with that he starts ahead with quick strides, toward the position where the troll disappeared in the trees line.

Ouragana accepts the greek fire. "Be careful, and good luck" she whispers to the gnome. When the group starts to move, she nervously takes her place near the front.

After rearranging their ranks, the party moves forward. Dahn hands Ouragana his flask of Greek fire and Jocelyn casts a minor cure spell on Brock, but he remains critically wounded nevertheless.

The party crosses the beach and reaches the treeline. The canopy above offers a bit of shade from the sun, which is good news for those who are wearing long sleeve shirts and pants and even cloaks in the summer in the tropics. The squawking of birds can be heard overhead.

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New Marching Order
Baeros/Takit/Hopper
Ouragana/Thaddeus
Jocelyn/Val
Dahn/Gallath
Brock

Dahn gives Ouragana his Greek fire flask.
Jocelyn casts Cure Light Wounds on Brock, restoring (1d8): 3 HP.

(OOC: How far ahead is Dahn going to scout? Is Baeros going to track the troll's passage?)

Baeros looks where Dahn is going and shakes his head. He tracks the troll path, were it to mismatch Dahn direction he will call Dahn back.
Baeros combines his skills with Takit's to track the troll and uses the opportunity to train Hopper. "Here boys. Follow the stench of the monster! Do not attack him. Takit, watch over Hopper." and he points to the path.

"Let's be careful out here," Jocelyn says. "We don't know what else is out here."

Ouragana updates her map and the party continues south.

Baeros and Takit easily find the troll's trail and begin to follow it south, entering the light jungle that it disappeared in. It continues south, toward the mountains. A couple of playful monkeys follow them for awhile, hopping from treetop to treetop.

Thaddeus smiles at the sight of them. "Plenty of wildlife, at least. But I find myself wondering about the trolls. Were they already here when the Wyvern lived here? It's odd, because I can't imagine how else they could have wound up here. And why did they attack so soon? If they had waited a bit longer, they could have ambushed us up close."

"Trolls...are...stupid," Brock replies, wiping sweat from his forehead as he tries to keep up.

"True. But you'd think even they would have more sense than that," Thaddeus says.

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Baeros makes a tracking check on soft ground (+4) through thick brush (+3) with Takit's aid (+2) [15] (1d20+9): 22, pass. He finds the troll's trail.

"Or, they were hungry," Jocelyn points out. "So maybe they couldn't wait."

"Hey, the troll might be stupid, but there might be other monsters, less stupid, ambushing us! So shut up all of you until we find somewhere safer to discuss!" Baeros personality shines through the conversation.

~ what difference does it make to an ambusher if we talk or not~ Ouragana thinks, but keeps her mouth shut, listening in to thoe sounds of the jungle. The monkeys probably wouldn#t be where hunters are...