After about an hour of exploring the Shrieken Mire, the party spots a group of three lizardmen approaching from the south. The lizardmen are about 400 feet away when they come up over a hill. They stop upon seeing the approaching adventurers, apparently watching for the party's reaction.

Lucien stops and doesn't move when he sees the lizardmen, but lets out a low whistle to call the others' attention to their presence. Once everyone has noticed the lizardmen, he offers his thoughts in a low voice. "We haven't figured out how to get them to talk yet. Someone want to trying communicating?"

"Didn't work so well when I tried to speak to them last time," Karon says sheepishly. "Perhaps someone less ... threatening should try this time?"

Arixos is nearer to the middle of the line while searching the swamp, calling across any landmarks that could be used for navigation to the mapmaker. He notices the lizardmen on top of the hill and stops in his tracks, not sure what the rest of the party wanted to do. ”I could try and speak to them. I look the most like a lizard here, who knows, maybe Draconic might be similar to what they speak.” He said, gesturing towards his scales. He steps forwards from the line and holds his hands up in a non-threatening way, waving to the lizardmen. [Language unknown: “Iouwitnte tondmi! I anbut es ieat. Un ineforort ilis arwe to nte.”]

Lathan stops, then nods at Arixos to proceed. He remains ready to spring into action if necessary, but takes on a non-threatening stance, with his swords lowered. He watches the lizardmen to see how they react to Arixos.

The lizardmen watch Arixos carefully, apparently talking to each other as he steps forward. When he calls out to them, they stop talking to each other for a moment. Then one of them takes a few steps forward, his weapon at his side. He motions for Arixos to come closer then continues to move forward. The other two lizardmen remain behind as the first one approaches Arixos.

Lucien resist the urge to reach for his own weapon and contents himself with keeping a wary eye on the group's surroundings.

Once alerted to the lizardfolk figures in the distance, Theron, too, takes pause. He doesn't even dare reach for another strip of jerky out of his bag, in fear that it may be taken for an aggressive gesture. He resorts to chewing on his lower lip, instead, and almost absent-mindedly stroking his gauntlet with his other hand. Curious and with a measure of uncertainty, he watches the events unfold.

The lizardman continues to approach Arixos until he is about 50 yards away, at which point he stops and says in a loud voice, [Language unknown: Evdin hat eswi? Lldin al ivome prest?]

Viola step forward, slightly behind Arixos. "What are they saying?" she whispered behind him.

Arixos nods towards the lizardman, before turning his head slightly to whisper to everyone behind him. "They want to know who we are." He turns back towards to the lizardman, and gestures to the party. [Language unknown: "A ati ted m yin fiil com satolo. N one miarpo arvor ol str eeal ti caeeli ro theounfor tedardblerutave."] He said, pointing to how everyone was spread out along a thin line.

The lizardman eyes Arixos suspiciously. [Language unknown: "Weril e diwa hitic p atwa mi airice? Diyin n ie lipl, ca chilro. Erawastin derle naaltr mail."]

Not understanding the conversation between Arixos and the lizardman, Lathan watches the lizardman's body language in an attempt to detect his intentions, while keeping an eye on the position of the other two lizardmen and remaining ready to spring into action at the first sign of danger.

Arixos nods reassuringly to lizardman. [Language unknown: "Itmese hat our ic ich, me k sabewa pl es os arewi ort ee. E erfo ck o llen ti."] Arixos turns his head slightly to the party, whispering to them. "They aren't being very welcoming. They don't want us here."

Lucien nods, having expected this from the lizardmen. "We don't want to intrude on their territory, but we have to investigate the giant attacks. Ask if they know anything about giants."

Karon watches the exchange. The language the lizards speak is guttural and alien to his ears so he concentrates on looking non-threatening and staying out of the way.

Lathan nods at Arixos to continue talking with the lizardmen. He is now curious to know if there is any connection between the lizardmen and the alleged dragon, but he waits to see what they tell Arixos about the giants.

The lizardman snarls at Arixos, [Language unknown: "Whe and inha ut? Ul erlo ckec terntihat ac nele os ncene atiolo. Esut o ate mawech alivon les."]

At least they didn't attack them straight away, Theron thinks to himself, watching on as the lizardmen start to look none too pleased. He makes quick glances at the other team members around him, trying to come up with a contingency plan in case the situation steered further in the direction of a metaphorical outhouse.

"Can you offer them something in return for passing through their land, if not for their help? Is there anything they might want that we have?" He says quietly down the line towards the dragonborn.

Arixos puts his hands up in the air, nodding to his comrades that it is alright. [Language unknown: "Forwh. In ratntiman waeiwi i foilur th ou ncethoame, te a ess i sibeic toave tr. Trases, I atederrom hoate risila o thte ionionyin yin n ti. Een hasbe es pro set, p are oul noll se t ive, vorun n yinectain ugh ourersher atishewhi. Ekeslo tinio i waom?] He asked the lizardman, giving him a friendly smile.

Since Arixos has made progress well beyond what anyone else has accomplished in regards to the lizardmen, Lucien decides to leave well enough alone. He decides to take the opportunity to test out his new familiar. His eyes glaze over as he gazes through the eyes of his owl familiar to survey the surrounding area from above as the creature circles.

The lizardman takes a step back, apparently surprised by Arixos's response. [Language unknown: "Redundpre? Fo? M sanredest aritpr ursaasee hertinsta venivebut."] He glances over his shoulder at the other two lizardmen, who shrug at him. [Language unknown: "Mino n sa ch int lailec vir li he dienon?"] he asks. [Language unknown: "Re momail an sssemo si?"]

Lathan continues to observe the interaction between Arixos and the lizardman. He slowly moves forward a few steps when the lizardman snarls at Arixos, raising his weapons slightly.

Arixos shrugs at the lizardman. [Language unknown: "Wiol tha beev ri un olted ut Pa in. Iv ithratera nalani outa alsthe, na rea ilres noerni ntebe tahest o has his."] He goes to his neck, where there is a symbol of Bahamut hanging. He takes it in his hand and shows the lizardman. [Language unknown: "Il adolos e Ticwhiter teut wimaie k latsetfor. Encforoun pl ma whng lesurelat, ekain lehe traeraati ng ou ieess o ast hi ac elpe o. O seen wiiv but k a sare ai, a tin wa et olitplec peha i iotic u ro man be ut at thoeraviryin."]

The lizardman nods at Arixos and says, [Language unknown: "Th kordinous foli ortithughyin iouonskor th latnotain, ta n esati oulnc est esie ro res ilchna, o nolane ee naha."] He motions for Arixos and his companions to proceed and begins to withdraw with the other two lizardmen. [Language unknown: "Houearica t losses si lefipa bleul u omall, ek sheantbut erspo diil'ioek."]