Session 17 – The Mere of Dead Men

A half-orc patrolman named Breltora Red-Eye approaches the Party as they’re about to head out to Waterdeep. Grizzelda vouces for him, letting the party know that he was orphaned as a child and grew up in Leilon. He was set into the Mere of Dead Men as part of a regularly scheduled patrol of the stretch of the High Road that runs along the edge of the terrible swamp to ensure that no dangerous creatures have established lairs there.

Since the reestablishment of Leilon, none of these patrols have spotted anything more dangerous than a nest of snakes or a random alligator. For the first time, however, a patrol has failed to return in full. Only Breltora made it back and the other four members of his group has been taken hostage or killed by a group of Lizardfolk.

As the party moves south on the High Road from Leilon, they don’t find anything of import right away. Once they find evidence of trouble, they must move off the main path and deeper into the Mere of Dead Men to investigate. They take turns trying to track the group of Lizadfolk deeper into the Mere.

Burr leads the party into a quicksand pit filled with crocodiles. Kali leads the party into a Giant Snake infested thicket. Finally Diz is able to find tracks for the Lizardfolk and they stealthily come up behind the Lizardfolk camp. Ahead of them, the sound of murmuring and hissing voices rises above the droning of insects. Several carts fitted with sled rails are being pulled by giant snails with thick appendages protruding from their heads. Most of the carts carry lizardfolk of various ages and size, but two of them bear cages. Each cage contains four humans, and you recognize four of them, by their uniform, as the soldiers you were sent to rescue.

A tall lizardfolk addresses the fifty or so of his fellows, and they scatter, performing the tasks of setting up camp. A larger, bestial-looking lizardfolk moves closer to the leader, as if waiting for directions. Diz sneaks up to the cage with the soldiers and with ease, picks the lock releasing them. Unfortunately in their excitement of being released they all attempt to push out of the cage at the same time. They almost catch themselves, but slip in the snail slime surrounding the cart falling prone and causing the entire camp of Lizardfolk to turn and focus on the Party.