Gerrard:

Getting up and stretching after a restless night, Gerrard sighs in agreement with Peri, saying,  "Adventures are not nearly as glamorous as the stories would have us think, are they Master Fenwader.  Let us be done with the swamp as swiftly as we may."  Bleary-eyed, the young noble hefts his side of the croc-head-sling and trudges forward.

Kei 

"Yaaaaw" he wakes with a yawn. The bugs mostly left him alone through the night. Rested he rises to see everyone trudging around with sunken eyes. "How was your mudhole Gerry?" he asks with a chipper tone. "You look like you've been dragged through the entire marsh. Let me take that side for you. You take the lead with little Croc Killer." He sides upto the noble and takes the load from him. "Go keep an eye, or both, on the little trouble maker. See if your grace and guile will rub off on him." 

Dwal

Trudging along in the muck, Dwal will say. "I will need a bath meself. We will have to add a bath onto our little cottage by the sea as well."

It is early afternoon by the time you reach the lizardfolk lair. You are thoroughly exhausted, filthy, cold, and covered with welts from the insects. You had followed the rats' trail for a short time but did not see them again, and at another point a massive swarm of wasps required a detour. But you made it back without further incident.

Upon reaching the cave, Valigant dismisses the surviving lizards who come out to investigate with a single word, and you are met with a small party of lizardfolk, who gather, very curious and perhaps awed by the massive head., although its difficult to read the reactions of these humanoids.

You are ushered in to meet the Queen.

Peri:

Before they enter the underground stronghold, Peri asks Valignat, "Are you sure the Queen is gonna want to see us like this? I notice that while your folk don't cover themselves with fripperies, they do seem to prize cleanliness, and right now I'm about as far from that as I've ever been." He looks to Gerrard and Kei. "You two had oughtta do the talkin'. I wasn't much use the last time we spoke to Her Majesty, and that was before I spent two sleepless days squelchin' through the backside of nowhere, no hot meals, and got squeezed near to death by a snake bigger than the first boat I crewed. I don't think I'm in the right state of mind for diplomacy, unless it'd amuse the Queen to hear some colorful sailor talk."

Peri will follow sulkily behind the others, his boots squishing out foul swamp water with each step. If he happens to see the hatchlings, even in his crabby mood he will be a little cheered and will carefully offer more candies.

Gerrard:

”Use your best judgement when dealing with the Queen, but I suggest a respectful silence is a good alternative if you don’t know what to say and haven’t been asked a direct question,” suggests Gerrard wearily as they are finally relieved of their burden and are ushered in to see the Queen.

Valignat looks carefully over the haggard, foul-smelling party. 

"Your people are always filthy. She won't know the difference."

Gerrard:

Gerrard looks at Valignat, not sure whether or not to be offended.  Shrugging, he looks at Dwal, asking, "Could you use your magic once more to make us more presentable, Brother Fiercehammer?  For my own self-confidence, if not for the Queen's sensibilities."

Dwal

Dwal will use Prestidigitation to help clean the party up a bit. 

"There." Dwal says. "Now ya can make googly eye at her and she won't be too put off."

Oceanus is uncomfortable, but willing to join you inside the cavern complex. A group of lizardfolk arrive to take the head from you.

Valignat excuses himself. "I speak with the Queen first." He disappears down a corridor.

Your new chaperones include a five or six lizardfolk, including one wearing a brown robe.

Gerrard:

Gerrard will give a small bow and wait patiently, hopeful that this will go well, but concerned that in his exhausted state he will make an error in protocol.  While waiting, he leans aganst the wall and takes rest while he can.

Kei 

Having rested overnight, he feels much better. Certainly better than the others. He watches a Gerrard slumps against the wall. "You know, this reminds me of the negotiations I once witnessed between warring Uthgard tribes. One tribe wanted....." The tale drags on for quite sometime while they wait. Gerrard is assaulted with name after name that it begins to wear him down even more. Strangely, when Kei finishes his tale a sense of relief washes over the noble (granting him Bardic Inspiration for having stood through the utterly boring story)

(Take a d6 Inspiration)

Dwal

Dwal will wait patiently, entertaining himself by looking over the staff once more or petting Bjorn. Dwal will not say a thing once the Queen arrives but will keep his eye on the Lizardfolk. 

Valigant eventually returns, and beckons you to follow. 

The party is led down the series of rammed earth corridors and into the throne room, where Peri had previously found the hatchlings.

Two sets of three pillars flank a central area. At the far end of the room, a wooden throne stands on a low, stone dais. Carvings of reptiles decorate the throne, and glints of reflected light hint at the presence of inset gemstones. The heads of several creatures hang on the walls, mounted on plaques of wood for display as trophies.

In the wooden throne sits Othokent, the tall, powerfully built lizardfolk Queen. Nearby stand several of her heavily armored warriors, together with the lizardfolk dressed in the kelp-colored robe holding the long, polished tooth.

"Welcome, strangers," greets the Queen in Common. "You have done us good service."

"Your feat was impressive," continues the Queen. "I reconsider my previous assumption regarding the inability of humans and their ilk to render worthwhile assistance. An alliance with your village is agreed to. You may report this to your leaders."

"We form a coalition - an army - to expel the sahuagin from this area, once an for all. We ask you to join us. I will dispatch two scaleshield officers, Garurt and Vyth, to accompany you back to your tribe as ambassadors. Together we will succeed in our attack upon the sahuagin fortress."

"I thank you again for your service to our people."

Gerrard:

Bowing deeply, Gerrard responds, "We are grateful for your kind words and will carry your agreement to an alliance to the Saltmarsh town leaders.  I know not how many forces the town may spare to aid in your quest to reclaim your home, but my friends and I will certainly return to help."

Deciding not to mention the weapons again, hoping that with this agreement he can secure their release to be returned by the ambassadors, Gerrard dares a further question.  "If I may, Queen Othokent, I would ask a further boon from you that may help with our negotiations in Saltmarsh.  As you know, our town was recently attacked by gnolls and a mage claiming to follow Xolor, and much harm was done to Saltmarsh.  I expect the town council will be reluctant to send many warriors to help your cause while the risk of another attack remains imminent.  Could you send along whatever information you have on the Xolor cult and their current plans against Saltmarsh, that we may be better able to come to your aid in reclaiming your homeland?"

Peri:

Bedraggled and grumpy as he is, Peri has to admit that being thanked by a queen is a pretty gratifying experience. And making peace between Saltmarsh and her neighbors -- heading off a needless war based on prejudice and misunderstanding -- does make their tribulations feel much more worthwhile. But he's not sure what role he and the other terrestrial townsfolk can play in an underwater war against the sahuagin. Still, his mood is somewhat brightened and he feels like a hot bath, a hearty meal, and a good night's rest will set him right.

"Xolor is a powerful entity far to the east," replies the Queen, "but the tips of its tentacles reach even here. Their minions seem placated with trivial tributes. I would be surprised if they were commanding armies of gnolls. Still, they are evil and unpredictable. If we learn more, we will share our knowledge."

"But our interests lay west. We have negotiated alliances against the sahuagin with the merfolk and the locathah. The koalinth were also approached, but we learn today they have refused to join our alliance. So we are in need of you and your people to expel the sahuagin and regain our ancestral home. Even if you cannot spare soldiers, we have need of weapons and ships." 

Gerrard:

"Thank you, Your Highness.  We will leave to inform our town of your wishes as soon as we are able to travel," responds Gerrard, though he hopes they will get to rest this evening before moving out.  Given how tired he is, Gerrard worries he might fall asleep in the middle of the return trip if he were to try it tonight.

Kei 

"Well that's that then!" Turning back towards the entrance Kei is quick to leave. Obviously there was no reward to be had for slaying the fierce Thousand Teeth, and being in the company of royalty had always made him feel nervous. To him it was akin to being Infront of the magistrate or other law abiding leader.

Once outside, noting how tired and drained everyone else is, he will strike up a fancy melody with a quick tempo - trying to put pep in their steps.