Striking out in the morning, the path struggles forward slowly. This section of the swamp is more actual swamp than volcanic mess, so there are lots of soft, narrow cassocks of earth weaving between pools of stagnant, slimy water. There is a dense fog early in the morning that makes visibility partially obscured, and refuses to lift as the day grows in the east. Not even the sun seems to break through the gloom.
The trail you are following is particularly soft, with many area that have you sinking two or three inches in with each step. Soon, they reach a dead end. The ribbon of earth they have followed at Imogene's direction has led to a bleak, raised cassock of mud that is otherwise surrounded by the murky water. Discouraged, and reluctant to rush back out the way you came, you take a short break to recover your energy. The raised section you are on appears more firm than most you've been on lately. There are a large number of muddy mounds scattered around the small spit of land (survival DC20 to notice they are a creature, not just mud). Perception DC16 will also notice a unusual stillness, even for the swamp, almost a sense of foreboding.
As it turns out, the mud mounds are actually 8 Mud Mephits that will arouse and attack if they are poked, prodded, investigated too closely, or just stepped on or too closely passed. They prefer to wait until the party is at rest and their guard is down, especially if they position themselves close to more than one. Another danger are 2 ghouls that rise out of the murk near the pathway once the party have settled into their rest.
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