Lizardfolk of the Mire
Type: NPC Group — Indigenous inhabitants of the Mire of Dead Men Role: Guides; reluctant allies; cultural occupants of the swamp Status: Allied (temporary) — brokered peace deal in [[Session 042 - [No Recording]|Session 042]]; completed guiding contract in Session 043 First Mentioned: Session 041 (implied via swamp context) First Met: [[Session 042 - [No Recording]|Session 042]]
Description
A community of lizardfolk native to the Mire of Dead Men — experts in swamp navigation who know every channel, lair, and danger in the region. They transported the party by flat-bottomed skiff through shallow waterways, avoiding all known monster ambush sites. Their knowledge of the Mire is comprehensive; without them, the party estimated a dozen ambush encounters before reaching the Tomb of Orcus.
Their language is presumably Draconic among themselves. The lead lizardman speaks broken Common — single words, occasionally a short phrase. Communication is terse, utilitarian, and rarely clarified. "Strong raindrop" was his full description of the campsite with the magical sphere.
They are pragmatic in their hospitality: they forage as they travel, eat on the move, and pass any surplus catch (frogs, small lizards, swamp weeds) to the party without ceremony.
What the Party Knows
- Ancestral castle seized. The lizardfolk's castle — their ancestral home — was occupied by the injured black dragon Varagamanthir (Voaraghamanthar), who used it as a lair while recovering from a wing injury. They could not reclaim it alone.
- Crown #1 found. They had located the first Twin Crowns of Myrmoran for Voaraghamanthar as part of an earlier deal — but he double-crossed them (did not leave the castle as promised).
- New arrangement brokered (Session 042). The party negotiated: the lizardfolk return to the castle with Voaraghamanthar as a recovering guest/charge; they provide him care while he heals; in exchange they guide the party safely to the Tomb of Orcus.
- Guides to the Tomb. They transported the party by boat for approximately two days through the Mire, detoured around every known hazard, and delivered the party to the Tomb's base.
- Waterline drop-off. They docked at the water's edge at the Tomb's hill and did not get out of the boats. "This is as far as they'd promised." They watched Moist obliterate bog zombies at the water's edge and said nothing.
- They named the campsite. The "strong raindrop" was their term for the hill campsite where the party found the magical protective sphere. Once Moist destroyed the sphere, they quietly noted the name would have to change.