"Thank Draxt for us," Lathan tells Arixos. "And find out if there is anything else we should know about this dragon and how far away its lair is."

Draxt is silent for a moment, apparently thinking. Then he says to Arixos, [Language unknown: "E hath to lat outteryin-rutvor u Pataro'heiv ngalun, th a ad ticio wianckes ti unugh le and ivmanc. Tha ngevas out ss in overeaonsrom, at stias ble ertho lin nc plniun ou werce ch ica itur m ladi."]

Arixos smiles, [Language unknown: "Ma hasbutrom itinweec e tho larmo e korderons ionili setomende un houartwil larun vir, thual k ekhere ithri."] He said to Draxt. He went and got the map from where it had been kept in the camp, before bringing it to Draxt. "They said something about perhaps bringing her an offering to make it worth her while, so perhaps if we can hunt something on the way there. I'll get directions to her lair, but they said they wouldn't come with us, they have to go back to their village." He told the party. He turned back to Draxt. [Language unknown: "Tedei n k allne us whe seutul n ul wiec il ll sheatifor, ousearome lar eraou ee ous p caove ven? T mast llmois eeore hi wa trpre niaire, es nefor folar ma aveoutsta restinithsan. Nihou Li untrunerho ill ilstle din ro thu haieilss ek werat theicater, osun i roiver isalcama ou moti ntekorlestic me perola ie sscare anythiareant rat nteichsan ha ushas tedartshe."]

"I wonder what kind of offering is appropriate for a swamp dragon," Lathan thinks aloud as they prepare to leave. "I hope we're not the offering."

Draxt makes a mark on Arixos' map, in the far southeastern corner of the Shrieken Mire. [Language unknown: "Thota it fomaou ilect was ain Venoulprehisugh adckha. Icwe thee ous hesintpr stisomiou ecchma lin ivere. Lipoil caet iothe. Li loof ounven'somter, eiripe nti stasit p dayoulven som wittheher. Le iou."] Draxt and the other lizardmen then turn and head back the way they came, leaving the party alone in the swamp again.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:13, Mon 02 Apr 2018.

Arixos nods when Draxt makes the mark, looking at where they are on the map and thinking about how long the journey to the dragon would take. [Language unknown: "Strmennde era ss ec lice Ouroerles. Ad lin ee ughil dinourent hielng Manectsanrat, ilun ol tedas ectee dermo thuhatthi iousomure. Loom li ad hose warontpl."] He said, waving them off. Arixos turns to the others with his newly edited map, showing them where the dragon lived. "This is where Draxt tells me Inzeldrin's mound is, where she lives. We can go and talk to her, maybe gain her aid. Then we return back towards here, they will find us again, hopefully with the location of the giants, and we go and solve the problem." He explains his plan, happy that the meeting with Draxt has made it simpler than searching the entirety of the swamp.

Under his breath and more to himself than anyone else, Lucien says: "Assuming we aren't the dragon's next meal of course." He seems to have resigned himself to at least trying to gain the dragon's assistance in the otherwise nearly insurmountable task of dealing with the giants. His next words are spoken at his more normal, if still somewhat quiet tone. "Very well. We had best not waste any more of the day then."

Lathan looks at the map and spends some time orienting himself while everyone prepares to leave. He then heads off in the direction of the mark indicating the dragon's lair.

After traveling the rest of the morning, the party spots a large mound in the distance. As they approach, they can see a green dragon resting on top of the mound. When they are about 200 feet away, the old dragon flaps her wings twice, stretches, and perks her head up slightly but makes no other movement.

Karon keeps his opinions about chatting to a dragon to himself. If the others feel confident in their abilities to keep the dragon from eating them all he decides not to undermine their confidence by voicing his concerns. As they finally see the dragon he stops for a moment. Until now he's been thinking about how to fight the dragon, should it come to that, but as he sees the beast he realizes how futile that would be. Lucien's silver tongue had better work, he thinks, as he tries to stick to the back of the group. Should the dragon be prejudiced towards Half-Orcs there is no reason to aggravate the monster just now.

From so relatively close, Lucien decides against any last minute group conferences to discuss how to approach the dragon. Not only is she likely able to hear them perfectly from this distance, but she is clearly already aware of the group and it is a bad idea to keep a dragon waiting. With one more glance at the others, he begins to approach the mound at a pace which he feels is a good compromise between not so fast as to appear aggressive and not so slow as to try the dragon's patience.

Once he is perhaps 50 feet from the base of the mound, Lucien bows low to the dragon. As he rises from the bow, he is wearing the trademark smile and easy demeanor of Seliar Silversong instead of his typically dour countenance. "Greetings great and mighty Inzeldrin! We visitors to your domain beg an audience with your auspicious person."

Lathan stays back as Lucien approaches the dragon. He keeps his weapons sheathed and focuses on observing the dragon's response to Lucien.

Inzeldrin raises her head further when Lucien speaks. "Who are you? And why should I grant you an audience?" she asks, watching Lucien and the rest of the party carefully.

Lucien plays up acting nervous by loudly clearing his throat and standing a little too still. Of course it's only half acting as any sane person would be deathly nervous in such a situation. "My name is Seliar, Seliar Silversong. We are visitors from the town at the edge of the mire and we have been asked by the people there to help them stop giant attacks that originate from the mire. We spoke with the lizardfolk of the mire and they too have had troubles with the giants. We have come before you now to ask for your assistance in removing the giant threat in whatever way seems best to you." As he delivers the explanation, Lucien appears for all the world like someone trying his best to be confident and supplicant at the same time.

"Giant attacks?" Inzeldrin asks skeptically. "I've heard nothing of the sort. What makes you so sure these giants attacks are coming from the Mire anyway?"

Lucien has the presence of mind to look sheepish as he replies. "They do appear to be a recent development. It was the local villagers at the edge of the Mire who first reported the attacks. We observed the site where one was reported ourselves. However as we have traveled through the Mire in search of the giants, the lizardfolk who live in the swamp itself have also told us of an attack. They say they know where to find the giants' camp as well."

"If you know where these giants live, why don't you go take care of them yourselves?" Inzeldrin asks. "None of this concerns me anyway."

Lucien clears his throat in a clearly self-conscious manner. "We had intended to simply investigate at first. Even before we knew their numbers we doubted that giants were something we could handle on our own. When we learned of your presence, we thought you might in your benevolence see fit to rid the Mire of the interlopers. The lizardfolk also suffer from the actions of these giants and they too hoped you might be willing to grant a boon to help rid them of the threat."

Karon watches the exchange silently. The dragon has a point. Why would he... or was it it? Why would it care about a group of giants that don't threaten it at all? The half-orc doesn't know much about dragons. Only that they are immensely powerful, vain and wrathful. Perhaps he could use one of those attributes against it? Assuming the fairy tales he's heard about them are even true.

"See, Seliar? I told you the dragon wouldn't help. What can a single dragon do against a group of powerful giants anyway? No, we need to seek a more powerful ally," he whispers to Lucien. Well, whispers might be an overstatement. His voice is loud enough for the others to hear, and presumably the dragon as well, the voice of someone who learned how to whisper in the middle of a raging storm.

OOC: Karon is trying to use a bit of reverse psychology to get the dragon to do what he wants. In a fairly naive way, since all he knows about dragons is from exaggerated stories told to youngsters around a campfire.

I'll throw in a Persuasion check, in case it is needed:
14:14, Today: Karon rolled 22 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 18.  Persuasion speaking to dragon.

Holy smoke, not a bad roll. Not bad at all.

Inzeldrin listens to Lucien and Karon. She is silent for a moment before speaking again. "What is in it for me if I take care of your giant problem for you?"

Lucien resists the urge to flinch when Karon baits the dragon and instead lets out an exaggerated sigh in appearent agreement with the half-orc's assessment. When Inzeldrin asks her question, he looks back up at the dragon with a doubtful expression. "Well, apart from reasserting your claim over your dominion, you will prove to my friend here and the surrounding lands that there is really no comparison between dragons and giants. Not to mention claiming whatever loot the giants have claimed in their raids."

Arixos watches the green dragon with interest through the exchange, staying quiet for the most part. He steps forward and bows towards the dragon, speaking in a language that would hopefully inspire trust in the dragon. [Language unknown: "Ad An tita notverntiing butithtio, Preorethe se st Ore. I ac Wasardart Thekorreahat, al Thmaon fiilck tiermi. K nehe nd re ersnceres la ati ta eronat us Eeilit, ss hisredugh pe sitic larwheintter ichredter as anou noturestr ainmenbut ei any sti. Fi strsonoun not insa n cain i art ardre, al pa ntetedsan ishe usatee. Siwil plstus os liatives fice-onho somstiomeeen setverout rediad amemo ofhi-sean wautmi ionherdin, con ouess adriul wh eisan."]

Inzeldrin snorts. "My dominion is not threatened by some giants. It sounds like it is the lands of the humans and the lizardmen that are in danger."

She cracks a smile when Arixos addresses her in Draconic. "If you think simply speaking Draconic will earn you my support, you are wrong. I don't know who this Draxt is, but he is wise to respect me." She pauses for a moment, thinking. "What do you or the lizardmen have to offer me were I to dispose of these giants for you?"

"We are simple mercenaries, your mightyness," Karon replies, trying to recall all the fancy titles used when talking to a dragon from the stories he was told as a child. "And from the looks of it, the lizardmen weren't laden with valuables either. All we can offer is our service in the pursuit of a worthy goal," he says, careful to add a clause to make it clear that he is not committing to anything, not yet.

Lathan's eyes light up as he is struck with an idea. He steps forward and clears his throat before addressing Inzeldrin. "I think I have an idea," he begins. "Neither we nor the lizardmen have much to offer you, but I bet the townsfolk do, and they are ultimately the reason we are here--they asked us to stop the giants.

"Your majesty, I'm assuming there isn't much tasty food for you in this mire and that you might have to travel some distance for a good meal. What if we could arrange for the townsfolk to provide you with regular food in exchange for you ridding this land of the giants? We know a very wealthy lord who could surely arrange for a fat cow or sheep to be left out for you at regular intervals.

"I can't guarantee that he'll agree to this but I suspect he would be amenable to this deal, as it would take care of the giants and also ensure that there is no conflict between you and the townsfolk in the future.

"If this sounds like a fair plan, let us know and we will approach him and propose it."