"Maybe we'll run into Shalelu once we get to Brinestump," Hikari opined hopefully. The elven ranger had a particular hatred for goblins and hadn't been seen in Sandpoint ever since the attacks started, which was a shame, because she would have been a wonderful addition to the team.<br/><br/>The road from Sandpoint to Brinestump Marsh was only a few hours long, and time and distance passed uneventfully. Soon they arrived at the outskirts of the marsh, which was located at the delta where the Soggy River spread before it ran into the sea. The marsh itself was relatively small and the Lost Coast road lost little time veering around this obstacle and bridging the river further upstream. Coming south from Sandpoint, though, Siri and Hikari didn't need to go even that far. The New Fish Trail veered off from the road at the northernmost point of the wetlands and began snaking between short stretches of wet bogs immediately. A sign read "Danger" at the intersection for the benefit of strangers and visitors, ignored by the local fishermen whose footsteps were clearly imprinted in the muddy trail, heading both in and out.<br/><br/>Footsteps proved that the New Fish Trail was regularly traveled; their mostly undisturbed nature proved that regular was not to be confused with frequent. The land was always wet and muddy, frequently dipping below the waterline into shallow pools, and overgrown with reeds and other swamp plants that thrived both submerged and in the air. Travel off the trail was extremely difficult as a result, and travel on the trail itself was no cakewalk; the mud sucked on shoes, boots and feet making every step an effort. Insects buzzed about in numbers, some of them harmless, others decidedly biting nuisances. Trees plunged their roots deep into the wet soil and spread their branches wide in the canopy overhead, blocking the view of the sky with a blanket of broad leaves, making even the noontime day a dim and gloomy affair at ground level.<br/><br/>Many shallow creeks split off from the Soggy River and made their windy way into the sea. The New Fish Trail crossed several of these waterways, either with stones thrown down onto the creek bed raising its level until the water was forded by a path only ankle deep, or by crudely constructed bridges overgrown with moss and missing a few planks more often than not. So far Siri and Hikari hadn't met a creature larger than a rat, until they crossed the the second such bridge on the way to the end of the trail and Walthus's place.<br/><br/>Under the bridge and partially concealed in a thick patch of reeds was the carcass of a deer. Its sides were slashed open until the rib bones jutted out, but strangely enough the swarms of scavengers and insects that should have jumped at the opportunity provided by such a corpse were conspicuously absent.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">Movement on the trail is reduced to 3/4 speed, five foot step is possible.<br/>Movement off the trail is reduced to 1/4 speed, five foot step not possible.<br/><br/>Whether Siri investigates or moves on, roll a Perception check.<br/></div></div>