Post by Dead Greyhawk on Sept 24, 2004 12:48:21 GMT -5
At this point, the rest of the party is wondering what is going on inside, and Will Stoutly, who can see in through the door, says that they're all going to die. Rook and the lizardman agree that only a few of the lizardmen will exit the lair to talk outside. Rook and Raven tell people to back up, and begin exiting the corridor. Remo runs further up the promontory to gain a height advantage with his bow, should combat with the lizardmen occur. He also looks for lizardmen coming up the trail by the river, but sees none.
Once the party is outside, the lizardman wearing the armband and five more exit the lair. Rook tries to talk to these lizardmen, again saying that he is an arms trader who wishes to sell weapons to the lizardmen, but he is cut off by the lizardman with the armband, who says that someone is coming to talk. After several more minutes, a delegation of lizardmen come outside, including a large lizardman wearing a torque and an armband and what appears to be an aged lizardman. A smallish lizardman brings a chair for the aged lizardman to sit in.
The aged lizardman speaks rather good common tongue and inquires what the party is doing in his home. Rook now has the opportunity to tell his story. He explains that the party is a group of rival arms dealers who attacked and defeated the arms dealers that the lizardmen bought weapons from before. He says that they possess the weapons that the lizardmen had bought before, and are happy to sell them to the lizardmen. The aged lizardmen hisses a bit with the other lizardmen and agrees that they knew of the attack on the smugglers' ship. He does think it a bit odd though that the lizardmen would pay twice for the weapons, since the party must now be in possession of the lizardmen's payment as well as the lizardmen's weapons. The aged lizardman asks if they do lots of business in the area. Rook says that they are new to the area and Raven chimes in that they'll do business with anyone in the area. Various pained sounds are made by other members of the party during this conversation.
The aged lizardman comments on how his understanding of the human gods must be flawed, as he thought that humans considered arms trading as a somewhat dishonorable profession, but now sees that a cleric of Cuthbert could be a member of this profession. Some consternation occurs among the party, with Rook eventually agreeing that the aged lizardman must have a flawed understanding. The aged lizardman says that his king would certainly be interested in negotiating for more weapons, and invites the party inside to talk directly with the king, since it would be rude for the king to come outside. Rook wants to know what the weapons will be used for, and the aged lizardman assures him they are for defense of their home against mutual, aggressive enemies. Rook asks if the lizardmen know of the frog men. The aged lizardman says that the frog men live further into the swamp, but they, like many humans, do not keep their promises. The lizardmen do not trade or trust the frog men. The aged lizardman is curious if the party had encountered the frog men, and Rook confidently states that the frog men were no difficulty. The aged lizardman squints at a large frog man bite on the side of Oceanus's face and nods in agreement.
Several rounds of discussion occur with the party trying to get more information out of the aged lizardman and the aged lizardman inviting the party inside. The party consistently refuses to enter the lair until finally Ross suddenly says he'll go in. The party is ready to let him go in and be the sacrificial cleric, but then Winthrop also says that he'll go. They are escorted inside by a lizardman with an armband and then, once inside, by a group of a dozen lizardmen. The aged lizardman outside enters into an esoteric discussion on marshland vegetation with the party.
Ross and Winthrop are lead through a winding passage containing several cross-passages, all of which end in doors, until they arrive at what looks to be an impromptu throne room. They notice during their travel through the tunnels that there is not a great deal of soot markings from the torches on the walls, and that the tunnels are reasonably well maintained, but fairly dusty and dirty. The throne is occupied by a large lizardman who has a metal cover across one side of his head and a three-pronged rake replacing one hand. The room is filled with lizardmen warriors and there is a lizardman in robes, possibly a shaman or cleric, advising the lizardman on the throne, presumably the king. On two of the walls are crossed tridents and barbed nets.
The king addresses Ross and Winthrop and wants to know their purpose here. Winthrop and Ross relate a more truthful version of events, starting with the attack on the smugglers and the concerns of the town that these weapons might be going to lizardmen ready to attack Saltmarsh. The king assures them that the weapons are not for that purpose, but instead to protect the lizardmen from invading shark people, who have pushed the lizardmen from their home, further south along the coast. The current lair is described as an old fortress that was abandoned long ago when humans moved too close for the comfort of the lizardmen. The king questions whether they came by boat or by foot, and when told that they came by boat, instructs them to bring their boat around into a sea cave on the side of the promontory, where further discussion can be held, likely to the mutual benefit of all. He then dismisses Ross and Winthrop, and they are escorted to the surface.
After being reunited with the party, Ross and Winthrop relate their conversation to the party as the lizardmen file back into their home. Tom and Will Stoutly are told to go collect the boat and to pick the party up at the base of the promontory. Tom and Will Stoutly head off and the party follows the trail down to the mouth of the river, where a broad, muddy delta inhibits access to the river itself. About forty-five minutes later, the cutter arrives, picks up the party, and sails into the sea cave on the other side of the promontory.
The sea cave is quite tall, almost twenty feet high at some points, and becomes a tunnel into the promontory, where it opens up into a series of caverns linked by water. A ledge runs along the side of the caverns, and a set of carved stairs descends into the water. A group of lizardmen, one wearing a silvery armband, awaits the party. As the boat approaches, one of the lizardmen enters the lair from the ledge.
The party remains in the boat as the aged lizardman, along with his assistant, the large lizardman with torque and armband, come to the ledge. There, he relates the story that the lizardmen were, several months ago, forced from their home by invading shark people. They relocated to this abandoned fortress, and are planning to retake their home. To meet this end, the lizardmen have forged an alliance, including the mer-people and the eel people. He also says that the sea goblins were invited to join, but that they have declined. The aged lizardman claims that the threat of the shark people is a threat to all who live in or near the sea, and that, while he had not thought that a race unable to breathe water could be of assistance, the lizardmen wish to invite the town of Saltmarsh to join them. He also extends an invitation to the sea elves, now that their historic enemies, the sea goblins, have declined to join. He wishes the party to return to their town with his message and bring back someone able to speak for the town. To prove the truth of his words, he motions to the water, where several mer-people and eel people break the surface.
The party agrees to bear his message back to the town, though they do not guarantee any success. Tom and Will Stoutly guide the cutter back out of the sea cave, and they sail the journey back up to Saltmarsh unmolested. Upon arrival at Saltmarsh, they are met by the Constable, who, as usual, asks them to present their story to the town council later that night.
Once the party is outside, the lizardman wearing the armband and five more exit the lair. Rook tries to talk to these lizardmen, again saying that he is an arms trader who wishes to sell weapons to the lizardmen, but he is cut off by the lizardman with the armband, who says that someone is coming to talk. After several more minutes, a delegation of lizardmen come outside, including a large lizardman wearing a torque and an armband and what appears to be an aged lizardman. A smallish lizardman brings a chair for the aged lizardman to sit in.
The aged lizardman speaks rather good common tongue and inquires what the party is doing in his home. Rook now has the opportunity to tell his story. He explains that the party is a group of rival arms dealers who attacked and defeated the arms dealers that the lizardmen bought weapons from before. He says that they possess the weapons that the lizardmen had bought before, and are happy to sell them to the lizardmen. The aged lizardmen hisses a bit with the other lizardmen and agrees that they knew of the attack on the smugglers' ship. He does think it a bit odd though that the lizardmen would pay twice for the weapons, since the party must now be in possession of the lizardmen's payment as well as the lizardmen's weapons. The aged lizardman asks if they do lots of business in the area. Rook says that they are new to the area and Raven chimes in that they'll do business with anyone in the area. Various pained sounds are made by other members of the party during this conversation.
The aged lizardman comments on how his understanding of the human gods must be flawed, as he thought that humans considered arms trading as a somewhat dishonorable profession, but now sees that a cleric of Cuthbert could be a member of this profession. Some consternation occurs among the party, with Rook eventually agreeing that the aged lizardman must have a flawed understanding. The aged lizardman says that his king would certainly be interested in negotiating for more weapons, and invites the party inside to talk directly with the king, since it would be rude for the king to come outside. Rook wants to know what the weapons will be used for, and the aged lizardman assures him they are for defense of their home against mutual, aggressive enemies. Rook asks if the lizardmen know of the frog men. The aged lizardman says that the frog men live further into the swamp, but they, like many humans, do not keep their promises. The lizardmen do not trade or trust the frog men. The aged lizardman is curious if the party had encountered the frog men, and Rook confidently states that the frog men were no difficulty. The aged lizardman squints at a large frog man bite on the side of Oceanus's face and nods in agreement.
Several rounds of discussion occur with the party trying to get more information out of the aged lizardman and the aged lizardman inviting the party inside. The party consistently refuses to enter the lair until finally Ross suddenly says he'll go in. The party is ready to let him go in and be the sacrificial cleric, but then Winthrop also says that he'll go. They are escorted inside by a lizardman with an armband and then, once inside, by a group of a dozen lizardmen. The aged lizardman outside enters into an esoteric discussion on marshland vegetation with the party.
Ross and Winthrop are lead through a winding passage containing several cross-passages, all of which end in doors, until they arrive at what looks to be an impromptu throne room. They notice during their travel through the tunnels that there is not a great deal of soot markings from the torches on the walls, and that the tunnels are reasonably well maintained, but fairly dusty and dirty. The throne is occupied by a large lizardman who has a metal cover across one side of his head and a three-pronged rake replacing one hand. The room is filled with lizardmen warriors and there is a lizardman in robes, possibly a shaman or cleric, advising the lizardman on the throne, presumably the king. On two of the walls are crossed tridents and barbed nets.
The king addresses Ross and Winthrop and wants to know their purpose here. Winthrop and Ross relate a more truthful version of events, starting with the attack on the smugglers and the concerns of the town that these weapons might be going to lizardmen ready to attack Saltmarsh. The king assures them that the weapons are not for that purpose, but instead to protect the lizardmen from invading shark people, who have pushed the lizardmen from their home, further south along the coast. The current lair is described as an old fortress that was abandoned long ago when humans moved too close for the comfort of the lizardmen. The king questions whether they came by boat or by foot, and when told that they came by boat, instructs them to bring their boat around into a sea cave on the side of the promontory, where further discussion can be held, likely to the mutual benefit of all. He then dismisses Ross and Winthrop, and they are escorted to the surface.
After being reunited with the party, Ross and Winthrop relate their conversation to the party as the lizardmen file back into their home. Tom and Will Stoutly are told to go collect the boat and to pick the party up at the base of the promontory. Tom and Will Stoutly head off and the party follows the trail down to the mouth of the river, where a broad, muddy delta inhibits access to the river itself. About forty-five minutes later, the cutter arrives, picks up the party, and sails into the sea cave on the other side of the promontory.
The sea cave is quite tall, almost twenty feet high at some points, and becomes a tunnel into the promontory, where it opens up into a series of caverns linked by water. A ledge runs along the side of the caverns, and a set of carved stairs descends into the water. A group of lizardmen, one wearing a silvery armband, awaits the party. As the boat approaches, one of the lizardmen enters the lair from the ledge.
The party remains in the boat as the aged lizardman, along with his assistant, the large lizardman with torque and armband, come to the ledge. There, he relates the story that the lizardmen were, several months ago, forced from their home by invading shark people. They relocated to this abandoned fortress, and are planning to retake their home. To meet this end, the lizardmen have forged an alliance, including the mer-people and the eel people. He also says that the sea goblins were invited to join, but that they have declined. The aged lizardman claims that the threat of the shark people is a threat to all who live in or near the sea, and that, while he had not thought that a race unable to breathe water could be of assistance, the lizardmen wish to invite the town of Saltmarsh to join them. He also extends an invitation to the sea elves, now that their historic enemies, the sea goblins, have declined to join. He wishes the party to return to their town with his message and bring back someone able to speak for the town. To prove the truth of his words, he motions to the water, where several mer-people and eel people break the surface.
The party agrees to bear his message back to the town, though they do not guarantee any success. Tom and Will Stoutly guide the cutter back out of the sea cave, and they sail the journey back up to Saltmarsh unmolested. Upon arrival at Saltmarsh, they are met by the Constable, who, as usual, asks them to present their story to the town council later that night.