The next day you realise that you have been heading the wrong way. The heavy rain had swollen the tributaries, and you had headed upone. However now that the rain has stopped the tributary has dried up leaving you stranded. You pick up the canoe and portage it back through the jungle the way you had come. On the way back you encounter giant spiders and manage to hide from more ghouls and ghasts as you camp at night. The next day you return to the river and head back in the correct direction. During this time you try and find out more about Azaka's background. She is not very forthcoming but you discover that she is the last of her family who all used to wander through the jungle. Travelling further south you are ambushed by a group of Lizardfolk, but manage to beat what could have been a very bad situation as they had a shaman who summoned crocodiles to join in the battle. As you camp for the night by the river you hear the sound of someone arguing. There is no-one joining in the conversation, but the voice is responding as if there is. A boat bends around the corner, and it is a man arguing with a small dragon-like creature that is rowing. You hail them and invite them to join you at your camp. They are Artus Cimber and his campanion Dragonbait. Dragonbait appears to communicate by means of various smells that eminate from him, but Artus talks enough for both of them. Artus reveals that he is running late for a meeting with his old friend Volothamp "Volo" Geddarm, the famous author who is due to be doing a book tour in Port Nyanzaru. He also reveals that he has been looking for the lost city of Mezro, where he lost his wife many years ago. He states that the entire city vanished with his wife in it. Since then he has spent many years trying to find it again. He tells you many stories of travels through the realms, which he says is how Volo sourced many of his stories. However you notice that many of the places or events he talks about are from long ago - some are even before the spellplague. You assume that the travels he talks about are exaggerations based on old books he has read. You also notice that he is wearing a very fancy ring which is strangely frosted over - even in the tropical heat. He mentions that he is planning to travel to Oralunga to discuss his situation with the Oracle. He has run out of leads and does not have any idea how to find his wife.
