Bat droppings
Lindy’s mis-step in the pond quickly turns the two giant frogs onto the offensive.
“This is the training pond I was talking about.” Gill explains to the party.
Not caring about someone else’s pets, Scarlette jumps down off of the wall to sink her claws into one of the frogs. A couple of rounds of combat ensue before the battered frogs take their chance at swimming deep into the pool and away. The party lets them go and regroups on the other side of the pond.
The cavern splits, to the left is a small cave full of bat droppings. Larkin shows off their longbow technique by skewering a few and collecting them for later. This prompts a cloud of bats so fly out of the small cave and past the party. The noise alerts a group of mercenaries. Pausing from their training exercises, they meet the party down the passageway to the right.
A squat dwarf, bald but with a well kept grey-black beard, approaches the party. Chadrae immediately calms the dwarf’s emotions and charms them.
“We wish to pass through here and speak with Hulil.” She cooes.
The dwarf nods amicably. “Sure thing. You just have to deal with Old Croaker down there.” He gestures past him and his training crew, down a carved passageway that bends and dissapears around the corner.
Ushering everyone to come quickly, before her spell fades, Chadrae leads the group down. Larkin picks up a bucket and dumps the bats they caught into it, thinking they might need them for ‘Old Croaker’.
Old Croaker
“Croaker,” Larkin calls. “Croaker, we have some snacks for you!”
A gigantic frog, at least twice the size of the large ones they fought earlier, peers at them from the center of a large pond. Knowing Hulil must be on the other side, Larkin waves bat pieces around to get the frog’s attention.
Croaker’s eyes track the bat pieces back and forth. Wicked quick, a tongue snaps out and snatches the food from Larkin’s grasp.
“Okay, so he likes bat. That’s good.” Larkin exclaims.
Chadrae and Larkin coax the beast closer to the shore and continue to feed it bat parts. When the bucket is empty, Croaker turns and waits.
“I guess he will take us across now?” Xavi suggests with a shrug. Tentatively, he steps out and finds a seat on the gigantic frog’s back.
The rest of the party piles on, and Croaker swims across the frigid pond to the other side. Once again he turns around, allowing everyone to disembark carefully.
The flicker of firelight can be seen down the hall, lighting up the cavern’s icy wall. The party feels the heat before they see the blazing fire. A well-bundled dwarf sits next to the hearth, her eyes closed. Pulsing blue veins can be seen on her exposed face and neck.
“Hulil Lutan?” Chadrae asks.