Halbard finishes his long rest some time before the rest of the group, and he spends the wee hours of the morning seeking information from the temple of Sarenrae. He gets information about their dogma: that the Everlight is a patron of compassion, redemption, and second chances, but with a fierce protective instinct. He returns to the Blade and Bow and keeps watch until the rest of the group awakens, during which time he sees the figure of a middle-aged human man approach the inn, walk around the back, and greet Thorne. He follows the two through the back door and into the inn, where a short time later, the rest of the group comes down for breakfast.
The older human man introduces himself as Farmer Greene, and thanks the party for saving his boy's life. During the night, his son Rowan tried to play hero and go searching for the serpent nest, which he managed to find. Snake-bitten and seriously wounded, he managed to return home, and- thanks to the venom sacs harvested by the party, turned into antivenin by Hazel- he was treated and is expected to survive. Farmer Greene demonstrated his gratitude with a book of notes, blessed by his wife, a devotee of Melora, and with three small uncut rubies. Bel then brings forward the payment for completing the mission- a small pouch filled with coins. Coratana swiftly claimed the book of notes and Audir investigated the pouch of the rubies and quietly pocketed it. The party split the coins evenly among the group, and started a communal stash.
Farmer Greene leaves shortly after that, and the party debates the merit of investigating and exterminating the snake nest now that the location has been discovered. They do not feel as though the mission is truly complete without doing so. After a brief discussion with Bel, the group heads toward Farmer Greene’s land - on the outermost edges of town- to get more explicit direction to the nest. They meet Hazel there- staying close to Rowan in case her skills are required. They group gets directions to the nest- located about three miles into the woods in a cave what entrance is hidden behind a small waterfall.
They head that way following Halbard, whose experience in forested terrain lends him an advantage in tracking and pursuing the serpents. A bit over halfway to the waterfall, Halbard stops the group and points out an area where multiple snakes have left tracks into and out of the water. They continue on for approximately another mile, and emerge from the forest into a clearing, the middle of which is taken up entirely by a large pool. A waterfall about ten feet wide pours over an overhang about twenty-five feet up, hiding a tunnel that leads into a small cave system.
Shenanigans ensue while everyone tries to get into the cave without giving themselves in the pool outside the entrance. It comes to light that while Gribble is fascinated by water, he is entirely unable to swim.
Eventually, everyone manages to get into the cavern entrance, where they regroup and start sending how best to explore the area. They decide to split the party, sending Coratana, Halbard, and Quaesitor to explore a smaller side tunnel while the rest of the group heads down the main cavern tunnel. The larger group quickly finds a side cavern occupied by two large serpents. The sound of their combat catches the attention of the smaller group, who turns and darts back to help. Unfortunately, Quaesitor is unable to move as quickly as either Coratana or Halbard and is left behind. He is ambushed by a snake that had been hidden around a curve in the tunnel that the three had not gone far enough to expose. The snake attacks him and, when he is rendered unconscious, wraps him up and behind to draw him back the way it had come.
After finishing off the two snakes, the group runs back to rescue Quaesitor, managing to resuscitate him and finish off the snake. Investigating further, they realize the snake had been dragging him back to a nest filled with recently hatched snakes. After a brief debate, they decide not to kill the young snakes just yet. They pull the bodies of the adult serpents over in an attempt to block the nestlings into this area and return to the side cavern to take a short rest.