Danger At Dunwater

General Summary

8th of Eleasias 1493 DR:

The discovery that a colony of lizardfolk lies near the small fishing town of Saltmarsh and is purchasing weaponry considered sophisticated by lizardfolk standards has alarmed the Saltmarsh Town Council. Greatly troubled and filled with apprehension, the councillors call an emergency meeting.

The Town Council sends for the Saltmarsh Six
They establish the Following three deeds the Adventuring Company has done:

• A smuggling ring operating out of an abandoned house has been disbanded.
• The smugglers were slain or jailed.
• The smugglers were supplying weapons to a tribe of lizardfolk that have established a colony near Saltmarsh.

This obviously has the town worried. Judging from a crude map found aboard the smugglers’ vessel and from information provided by the sea elf Oceanus (see Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh ) , it seems likely that the lizardfolk are preparing for war. The council members hope that the townspeople are not the intended target, but they greatly fear this possibility. The leader of the council impresses upon the characters that they are not required to act with hostile intent — in fact, quite the opposite. Their assignment is one of information gathering, with the additional hope that they can return with knowledge of what the lizardfolk are up to. A reward of 700 gp is offered payable upon successful return.
They spend the day resting up and buying provisions. 9th of Eleasias 1493 DR:
The Journey should take longer due to the difficult terrain of the swamp, but it is a saltmarsh and Carcharius shows the Party how to Navigate the terrain.
They are ambushed by 3 waves of Bullywugs. They scared the king off and claimed the treasure for themselves thanks to Jaegus angry performance. The Saltmarsh Six Sustained alot of damage though.
Carcharius helps them avoid many of the Hazards in the swamp. They avoid the Bog Pits. Jaegus scraped off Greenslime in time to only damage himself and a Dagger, and though Carcharius is very good in this terrain, they got trapped in Quicksand: Jaegus Sank but managed to free himself, Hasker was not so lucky and went right down. Carcharius immediately leapt after him and Oceanus and Jaegus grabbed him. Hasker started sinking more but Carcharius managed to pull him out.
Carcharius manages to mitigate the stinging mosquitoes and insects by setting up netting and giving his companions Balms. Everyone was still able to get a full rest. 10th of Eleasias 1493 DR:
They are greeted in the morning by Posionous snakes. They are hungry but Carcharius Speaks to them and convinces them to leave the adventurers alone. We are far too big for your venom to bother.
The Lizardmen Lair is near.
11am reach the lair.

1.

Shrubs and tall grasses conceal a large, stout wooden door.

They Open the door very quietly and enter

This room is bare except for two wooden benches, set opposite each other against the longer walls. A handful of lizardfolk stand at attention, ready to move into action.

The Lizardmen are surprised but Corfyn Sterling Introduces himself,and they offer their surrender. They are here on behalf of the village of Saltmarsh to Parley with the Lizardmen. They have their weapons seized and they are bound and brought before the Queen. (See Character Section)
12 PM conclude audience and Queen make it clear the Crocodile is a hindrance to them
They Reach room 40 and Talk to the Subchief. They ask him about weapons training and get to know him. After 3 hours he doesnt really warm to the party.
Area 52 Mermen. Jaegus COnvinces the Merman he is there for an alliance. They start discussing what the alliance is for. Area 42 they meet guards and they allow them in the cells. There Carcharius sees there is a Sahuagin Captive. In sahuagin Carcharius tells him many insults and he wishes the Sahuagin to rot.

38 This is a small, comfortable room. In the center is a circular wooden table on which lies a closed book. To one side of the table, an aged lizardfolk occupies a crudely upholstered armchair. To the other side, a plain wooden chair sits empty. In the northwest corner, a brass tripod supports a brass bowl filled with hot coals. The room is warm and smoky.

See Character Section. 11th Eleasias 1493 DR: The next day an alliance is agreed to. Queen Othokent reconsiders her previous assumption regarding the inability of the humans to render worthwhile assistance. An alliance with Saltmarsh is agreed to, which the characters can report to the town council. The lizardfolk dispatch two Common-speaking scaleshield officers named Garurt and Vyth to Saltmarsh to accompany the characters as ambassadors. The lizardfolk, impressed by the characters’ actions and their attempts at righting any wrongs they committed in the lair, invite the town to join in the attack on the sahuagin fortress. They are well received by the council, and the alliance is quickly agreed to when the council members learn of the situation regarding the sahuagin.
The town council recognizes the characters’ role in this negotiation and rewards them with the gold they were promised in the initial meeting.
The Queen Asks for an additional favor, bringing her the head back of the Thousand Teeth Croc. The adventurers agree. 9 am leave lair for Croc. Takes a half day.
They rescue a Treant from a swarm of rats
They encounter a wasp swarm but Carcharius convinces them they mean no harm and are bad food.
1 pm they reach the pool

The ground slopes downward into a tangle of marsh trees and a blanket of mist. Squishing your way into the shallow valley, you arrive at a large pool of brackish water. The pool is sixty feet in diameter and shaded by a canopy of vines and twisting branches. A gurgling stream at its northern edge feeds the pool.
A few yellowed bones are visible in the shallows, and you see a great muddy mound rising from the pool’s center.

The fight ensues, Jaegus is injured but they aquired the head and brought it back.
12th Eleasias 1493 DR: Make it back to Saltmarsh.

Rewards Granted

XP: 300+550+1300+250+100+ 1600+200+300+2300

• cp:
• sp:
• ep:
• gp: 700
• pp: 325

Missions/Quests Completed

Queen Othokent details the threat, telling the characters a story about a creature the lizardfolk call Thousand Teeth the Devourer. Roleplay a conversation with the queen, or summarize the conversation using the following information: When the lizardfolk returned to this long-abandoned lair, they soon discovered that a giant crocodile prowled in the marsh nearby. Crocodiles are sacred to this tribe and they regarded its presence as a good omen. The lizardfolk have much experience with crocodiles and thus perceived it as not dangerous. Their complacency was shattered when the giant crocodile attacked and devoured three members of a lizardfolk patrol that had paused near its lair. The difficulty facing the lizardfolk is that they cannot attack the crocodile, for its kind are sacred to them. Since the first attack, matters have grown worse. The giant crocodile has attacked lizardfolk engaged in routine patrols of the marsh, killing and eating many. Because the crocodile’s lair lies close to a possible route of approach of a sahuagin attack, the lizardfolk dare not leave the area unpatrolled. There would be no violation of sacred taboo if the adventurers were to kill the giant crocodile on the queen’s behalf. In fact, the queen demands the head of Thousand Teeth be brought to her so that she might add it to her collection.

Character(s) interacted with

Othokent is worldly for a lizardfolk. In her youth, she spent several years exploring the nearby marshes. She found human society interesting and observed caravans and villages in secret. She knows about the outside world but feigns ignorance in an attempt to catch the characters in a lie. She respects those who show her respect and treat her people as their equals, rather than as primitive fools to be mocked or patronized. Her experience with humans tells her that they can be useful allies, but she also knows that they can be duplicitous. During this meeting, the queen makes it clear how she feels about the characters’ behavior so far. She gives them a lot of credit for not killing any lizardfolk

the minister is satisfied that they are not in league with the sahuagin, and gives them information about the planned attack on the sahuagin lair. Further, he offers to arrange an immediate meeting between the characters and the queen, with the purpose of bringing humans into the alliance.

Notes

Points: 15 no lizardmen killed upon audience +5 Mermen Favor +10 Sauriv Favor +10 Shaman +5 In the Hatchling Nursery +5 Locathah

Report Date

06 Aug 2024

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