GoSR-Session 4: Swamps & Spies

After his meeting with Marin, Oceanus was suspicious of the odd sea elf representative. Explaining his worries to Grey and Molly, they determined to re-visit minister Sauriv for advice, adn to reconvene with BowBow, who was studying with the old lizardfolk scholar.
As they trekked back through the fort, they had the misfortune of running into 3 Koalinth warriors. The green skinned sea-goblins were aggressive, bored, and bigoted against Oceanus and his race for a long passed tragedy. After it became clear the warriors had no interest in talking, a fight broke out. The koalinth jumped the adventurers and struck some quick blows, but Oceanus unleashed his magic and scarred the disgruntled goblins into fleeing.
After returning to the minister they asked for more details about him and shared that they suspected he was an imposter. With the alliance negotiations starting the very next day, without sufficient proof such an accusation could tear the alliance apart before it had a chance to form. Sauriv advised that they work quickly to find conclusive evidence to support their claim. They decided they wanted to track Marin's movements and find a way to search his quarters. Saurive gave them a potion of water breathing to assist their investigation.
To begin they wanted to know of Marin's daily movements or if any lizardfolk had noticed anything odd about the representative. They went to talk with Captain Irthos who was running drills in the barracks along with the koalinth sergeant they and run into earlier. Before thye could get much info from the captain, the koalith began throwing accusations, and claims of black magics. To settle this argument and to pass time while info on Marin's habits could be obtained, the captain decreed a contest of martial prowess in the traditional lizardfolk way. Giant Lizard Mud Wrestling!
Leading the party, the angered koalinth, and a small crowd of warriors, the captain took them to a large cavern that faced west into the swamps. Here six giant lizards wallowed in deep mud, and some handlers brought two of the larges forward. The contest was simple, the koalinth and one of the party members would each have to grapple a lizard. Whoever could hold on the longest as it thrashed and rolled through the mud would be declared the winner.
Grey volunteered to the contest, but BowBow slipped him a catalyst of Enlarge. As the koalinth stepped up to boast and gloat of his superior strength, Grey took the potion and sudden grew to twice his normal height. The lizardfolk found this hilarious. Stepping forward to grab their lizards, Grey had little difficulty holding the beast down with his boosted size and strength. Attempting to use his skills with wild beasts to keep the creature calm. Still the lizard put up a valiant effort to toss him, and at one point her felt a sharp pain in his foot as it seemed to brush something sharp buried in the deep mud. Silver acted to assist his brother by swooping down and harassing the struggling koalinth, the distraction worked and the sea-goblin was thrown far to splat in the mud. With a final show of prowess Grey lifted the lizard high and suplexed it into the cavern floor with a great splash.
The lizardfolk hooted and cheered in admiration, and soon the runner sent to answer their questions returned. Captain Irthos told them that the only things of note on Marin were that he drank far too much wine, and the he would go for a swim in the lake outside of the fortress every dusk. As the Captain was explaining this, Molly trudged out into the mud to find what had cut Grey during the match.
Reaching into the thick muck, her fingers found cold metal. Pulling to forth she found a bright and shining longsword. The mud seemed not to cling to it's metal and she noted with some concern a decorative crest engraved just above the hilt. She was unsure of the exact provenance, but knew instantly that it was the crest of an Odeccan trade house. Worried by what the sword of an Odeccan noble could be doing here, she nonetheless recognized is quality and gave the pristine sword to Grey.
With info about Marin's routine, them made a plan. At dusk Oceanus waited int he reeds outside the fortress to tail Marin on his evening swim. Once the time came, and he spotted the shady sea-elf, he used a message spell to alert Molly and the two pronged plan began. Molly took the potion of water breathing and snuck into the waters of Marin's quarters, while Oceanus tried to follow Marin undetected into the depths of the lake.
Searching the representative's room, Molly first found an odd assortment of valuable game pieces, pocketing a pair of scrimshaw dice, she moved to a wardrobe. Inside were a number of luxurious garments and a pouch containing a number a gemstones and a small key. Pocketing those as well, she them proceeded to the footlocker at the end of the bed. Finding it locked shed pulled out her thieves tools and quickly bypassed the device, but unfortunately she hadn't detected the cleverly hidden alarm trap. Upon lifting the lid, a billowing jet of black ink rushed forth, filling the room with impenetrable blackness!
Meanwhile, Oceanus trailed Marin for a time, but the representative was sharper than he looked, and coming over a drop in the lake floor Oceanus found Marin waiting for him. Oceanus talked quickly and casually, explaining that he too was out on an simple evening jaunt. Marin acted like hos usual, cheerful self and recommended a spot on the other side of the lake to visit, but that he liked to take his swim alone. Unsure what the suspect would do if pressed, Oceanus let him swim away, trying to think of a way to resume following undetected. Spotting a nearby catfish, Oceanus tapped into his newfound powers and formed a mental link with the creature, guiding in to follow after Marin and seeing through it's eyes. Coming around the roots of a long drowned tree, Oceanus found Marin waiting in ambush, a hair-thin garrote wire ready to catch any followers, but unsuspecting of the passing catfish he quickly continued on his way.
Following the suspect deep into a shadowed bank, Oceanus saw him stop and pull out an polished and rune carved stone. Listening carefully he heard Marin speak in Aquan. "There's been a development. Another sea-elf, with companions from Saltmarsh has arrived. I suspect they are on to me. Please advise.", and after a long moment of silence he said gravely, "Understood, it will be done." With this Marin put the stone away and began swimming back to the fortress.
Oceanus broke off the link with the catfish, and alerted Molly of Marin's imminent return. Knowing she had to act fast, Molly grappled with her own fears. The now pitch black waters of the chamber filling her head with half remembered terrors of dark waters and darker stone, but she steeled herself and, closing her eyes tight, pulled herself into the inky blackness. Moving by touch across the floor and to the footlocker, she desperately groped at it's contents. Under more billowing garments her fingers found a small lockbox. Grasping it she swiftly swam for the surface, and pulling herself from the stained waters she found a nearby shadowed nook to hide in. Oceanus quickly returned ahead of Marin, and used a Destroy Water spell to clear the inky water from Molly and her footprints.
Upon opening the box, they found two objects. A old child's doll of some kind of oceanic knight riding a seahorse, and a strange amulet. The amulet was strung with two pointed shark's teeth, and the medallion at it's center bore a stylized symbol of a shark with two heads.
Rushing to deliver their findings to the minister, they found him deep in study. He was spending the night consulting his sources, trying to find and information about sahuagin somehow using sea-elf spies. When they shared the amulet with him, he told them that it was most likely a sahuagin religious symbol, but unfortunately not one her had ever seen before, making it's value as evidence poor.
The day was getting late and night was quickly descending. The party began planning and debating what their next move would be. They decided they would have to confront Marin before the queen, and attempt to catch him in a compromising lie. To prepare for this, BoowBow proposed crafting a truth serum, and getting both Oceanus and Marin to take it in front of the queen. Then both could be questioned about Sea-Elf lore, and their knowledge compared in an impromptu trial.
With this plan in mind, BowBow, with Silver's help, ventured out into the swamp to find the last ingredient he needed for the serum, Ebony. Meanwhile Grey, Molly, and Oceanus went to go keep an eye on Marin in case he was planning to act that night. Unfortunately, while they had been debating this in Sauriv's chambers, Marin had retuned to his quarters to find his inky alarm triggered and his belonging stolen. He had rushed to see the queen, and had accused the Koalinth of ransacking his belonging and an act of aggression. He demanded more guards be placed around his and the Koalinth's chambers, and that he not be disturbed in his chambers again.
This blocked the party from being able to keep a close eye on Marin, but they were able to talk the the guards into letting them stay nearby to his chamber.