Fighting the snakes
The group found themselves surrounded on all sides by both living and somewhat dead venomous snakes, as well as a huge constrictor, all intent on killing the threat to their territory. Thankfully with the aid of strategic manoeuvres, and careful use of healing, fear, and precise damage, the Leilon Five were quickly able to decimate the attackers.
Unfortunately, in his desperation to get rid of a swarm of snakes that had overtaken his body, Idris lit his sword, and in the midst of swiping at the multitude of attackers, the flames danced off the end of the blade and disappeared into the midst of the foetid water around them. It was Siax who noticed the bubbling in that water had stopped. A moment later, with the nearby snakes scattering away from the area, the fire-lit water suddenly exploded in a huge fireball. Idris, barely standing from the damage, quickly surveyed the area, and it was with growing horror that the group noticed how many other areas in the swamp around them had also stopped bubbling.
It was a mad dash then to have the group move to a safe spot, with Siax readying himself to try and ward off the heat, while Arya summoned a great wave to beat back the explosion to come. And come it did, as group were surrounded by a further six explosions, ones whose flames were not dying back afterwards.
Eager to be away from the area, one that marked their location for anything nearby with ease, they found a safe place to have a short rest, for Idris especially was worse for wear. Thankfully nothing attacked, however Pine did notice a figure that seemed to be watching them from the southeast [hex 57], something like a large snake with arms. Idris speculated that it might be an adult form of a lizardfolk, while Siax postulated that it may well be a [yuantee], a snake-like people who were generally part of evil cults.
Rested as best they could be in that place, the group moved swiftly onwards towards their goal. It was not a particularly difficult journey, but the swamp was easy to get lost in.
Meeting Davran D'Aevar
It was during one of the times they had to try and retrace their steps to once more pick up the lizardfolk tracks that a voice called out, politely telling them to stop. They were met by who appeared to be an elf or half elf, one who called himself Davran D'Aevar, a historian searching the swamp for information on the ancient elven empire that once sat there, who it seemed had been warning them that they had been about to step in quicksand.
No matter the friendliness of the man, the group were suspicious, not only because he was travelling alone in such a place, but also because of the doppelgangers in the area. Idris seemed to recall the name as the same one that they had heard of from Axeholm who had stolen the Arc Stone there and started the events that led to the city's downfall, however the man seemed to be genuinely unknowing of that as far as they could tell.
Davran tells them that he is looking for signs specifically of carvings of a triangle cut into stone with a skull with fangs in the middle. Although the group had not seen any, Siax remembered the symbol from his education, one that seemed similar to one evil druids used for their worship, linked with dangerous things in nature, divination magic, and spying on people.
Both sides realising that there was little else to be had with the distrust between them, decided to move on, but Davran offered Effie a scroll with his contact details on it, one that included a rune to aid in contact from sending spells and the like. Pine was far more suspicious and cautionary than the others, used an invisible cast of mage hand to hold the scroll for Effie to copy, before handing it back to the man, and the group parted ways from the historian, and continued on.
Trying to find the Lizardfolk camp
Realising that they have veered south from their intended route (onto Hex 71), and the light of day waning, they decided to rest for the evening before attempting to approach the lizardfolk's camp. Before resting, Pine sent a message to Rhogar letting him know the situation with the guards and promising more news the next day, trusting the dragonborn more than others in the camp not to be an infiltrator. In return, the other cleric let him know that those rescued from the tower had now awakened.
Rot Troll
The rest was not ideal, not in the Mere of Dead Men, but with Idris's presence amongst them, everyone managed to sleep fully, and woke up ready to tackle another day. This was needed, for it was not long into the morning that Idris noticed some large footprints, and then a voice called out to them, "I smell food!" and they were confronted by what appeared to be a troll, or had been once, but this one was visibly rotting, with huge pustules and ragged flesh clinging to it, one that its strong regeneration was holding at bay from death.
Although Idris attempted to be civil, introducing himself much as he always did, the Rot Troll was far more focused on attaining another meal, and leaped towards him, and in a disturbing action slit its own throat, something that spewed foul bile and acid all over the paladin, decimating his health. The danger soon escalated further as he then lept towards Pine far faster than anyone could react, managing to hit and poison him too. The group realised that this troll, disgusting as it was, was a far more formidable foe than they had even been anticipating as it then went after Arya in her lizard form, hitting so hard that the shapeshift left her.
As Pine used his spirit guardians, he moved over to Idris, and was soon followed by Effie, both of whom decided that staying at range was probably a good idea. Effie messed with its mind, the dissonant whispers causing it to flee, however it had grabbed Arya and made off with her too, before turning and throwing her with great force at the group. Thankfully Siax managed to halt the trajectory with a skillful use of a magical arrow, and then focus fired upon the troll. Arrow after arrow he sent to the troll, and much as in the past, his skill managed to both outdamage the troll's regeneration, but also take it down. It fell with a heavy, meaty thump on the sodden ground and was no more.
It was then that a group of lizardfolk emerged from the swamp and started pelting firebombs at the corpse of the troll, even going so far as to dig out bits that may have fallen in the water in order to ensure that no pieces remained. They seemed to be well practised at dealing with those sorts of trolls and were taking no chances. Idris, with a still flaming blade of EEfie in his hand, went to help, telling them they were doing a great job.
Negotiations with LIzardfolk
The lizardfolk looked to be leaving them there in the swamp when the task was done, but Idris called after them, still speaking in draconic, the language they used. Introductions were made, and they were told that yes, they had people in their camp they had taken, seemingly discontent that people ere coming into the swamp and generally causing devastation in their wake.
The group attempted to try and get the hostages released, but found that this lizardfolk wasn't high enough ranking to make such a decision. If they wanted to speak to [Hissain], (presumably chief?) they would have to undergo a purification ritual, to ensure that they were not deceivers. Understanding that the ritual appeared to be to avoid letting doppelgangers into the camp, the group agreed, intrigued by the method.
It seemed as though they had a tree called the [eleven] tree, whose branches would be used to strike the people five times. It was meant to show a person's true self, breaking illusions and spells on a person, and forcing a shapeshifter to show their true form.
Effie didn't really like the sound of getting beaten like that, and attempted to negotiate it down to one strike, stating that she was very weak and it might kill her. Unfortunately her acting skills failed her, and the lizardfolk became more hostile towards her, calling her a deceiver, something that was not helped when Idris attempted to stand up for her. Thankfully hostilities were negated as Effie managed to talk them down, and they admitted there was another ritual that they could do. They could put her in a cage made out of the branches, and the leader would be able to tell if she was a deceiver or not, although warned if she was, the cage would be burned, with her in it. Effie agreed and was put into the branch cage, while the others stripped off and were beaten with sticks, all of them coming out unscathed.
As the lizardfolk and the Leilon Five made their way to through the swamp to the camp, Idris asked if he could take one of the sticks, considering it useful in future. He was granted one, but was warned that it had only a short usefulness once taken from the tree. Siax considered this as Pine murmured to him about his bo, looking thoughtful.
What would the group find in the lizardfolk camp? A fiery death? Aid? Hostility? They were soon to find out.