Tavern

Nimphora Baliae Daphymira Stumbleduck attempts to follow I Eldalië Nairii with an upbeat tune to lift the mood of the tavern. The majority of patrons find it in bad taste but a few let out cheers and donate their pocket change.

The party at last hear from Elro. He promises to pay for their accomodation and meal, and offers their payment in advance given their commitment to deal with the bandits at Croaker Cave.

After merrymaking and a good catch up, the party retire to their rooms to recover before tomorrow's adventure. Nimphora Baliae Daphymira Stumbleduck and Algernon 'Gerry' Dracovia experiment with the dagger, determining that it is a +1 magical weapon.

Croaker Cave

Entrance

The party discover Croaker Cave with relative ease. As they draw close to the cave entrance, they see frequent signs of tracks where bandits have been coming and going. However, there are no signs of patrols or guards. A plume of smoke rises from the ground beyond the cave entrance, venting through a narrow natural chimney.

They enter the dark, musty cave with weapons drawn.

The slow dripping of water sounds out where it falls from stalactites down into a murky pool that fills the rough tunnel ahead. Every few moments, a loud croaking sounds out from somewhere in the darkness beyond.

Jonora spots a frog lying in wait in this pool. After much planning, the party agree on a coordinated ranged strike. The frog dies immediately as Nimphora Baliae Daphymira Stumbleduck zaps it with lightning from her diamond. A second frog joins the fray - unnoticed by the party - and finds itself clubbed to death as it attempts to bite Algernon 'Gerry' Dracovia.

The party proceed across the pool, firing a roped crossbow bolt into the wooden plank at the far side which the bandits use to traverse the water. It buckles significantly under the weight of the heavily armoured individuals but does not break.

Bat Cave

This cavern reeks, and its floor is covered in bat guano. A swarm of bats sleeps inverted on the stalactites.

Nimphora Baliae Daphymira Stumbleduck briefly considers attempting to talk to the bats with her forest gnome abilities but thinks better of it.

Training Pool

The slow dripping of water from the ceiling flows to a pool in the southwest corner of this cavern. A large wooden bucket with a lid sits near the edge of the pool. A dwarf and two elves bundled in layers of winter clothing are throwing dead bats into the air. Two giant blue-skinned frogs leap up to snatch the bats in midair, seemingly as part of some sort of training session.

The party surprise the bandits. Jonora and Nimphora Baliae Daphymira Stumbleduck launch arrows and acid from afar, while Cairns Root and Algernon 'Gerry' Dracovia interpose themselves. One bandit is mauled to death. A second, with acid scars on its shoulder and an arrow protruding from its ribs, is shield bashed into the frigid pool.

The frogs are dealt with and the remaining bandit looses a well-placed crossbow bolt at Jonora before being knocked out. The party question them, learning:

• Hulil resides in the deepest cavern of the cave with her right-hand man Raegrin.
• They are both worshippers of Tiamat and are deep in meditative prayer to seek a cure for Hulil's affliction.
• Between here and there is Old Croaker's Pool. Old Croaker is an exceptionally old and large frog who ferries the denizens of the cave across his pool.

Old Croaker's Pool

Water dripping down from stalactites in the ceiling fills a dark pool that completely covers the floor of this cavern.

Nimphora Baliae Daphymira Stumbleduck, with her respectable knowledge of the wilderness, attempts to tame Old Croaker with the dead bats which were being used to train the giant frogs. She succeeds, and Old Croaker offers his back to carry her across the pool. He ferries the characters one-by-one, each befriending him with a bat which Nimphora Baliae Daphymira Stumbleduck leaves with them.

Hulil's Cavern

A warm rush of heat comes from a massive fire burning in the center of this cavern, its smoke venting up through a narrow stone chimney. The flames illuminate a rough painting of a five-headed dragon that dominates the north wall. A bedroll is spread out beneath the mural. Near the crackling blaze, a dwarf bundled in a heavy cloak sits on a stone chest beside an elf whose face is covered in dragon tattoos. The dwarf’s face is streaked with pulsing blue veins.

The party rush at the cultists. Algernon 'Gerry' Dracovia sedates Raegrin with a well-rehearsed shield bash and follow-up stab while the others focus on Hulil. Nimphora Baliae Daphymira Stumbleduck slows the dwarf's movement with frost to the point that she can barely muster the energy to shamble towards the party. In frustration, Hulil summons an imposing spectral maul above Nimphora Baliae Daphymira Stumbleduck which swings down at her and slams into her chest.

Jonora ducks into the cavern and takes up a safe position behind his friends. By their powers combined, the dwarf is brought down and taken captive.

Upon questioning, Raegrin claims to know the cure to the disease: worship of Tiamat. Cairns Root sees through this deception and brings his maul down on the elf's dragon-tattooed head with the fury of Bahamut.

Algernon 'Gerry' Dracovia attempts to open the chest. As he does, he notices that the stone chest is engraved with a dragon's head - and inside its mouth are pin-sized openings containing a blue powder. It is too late as the blue dust shoots out of the chest and into his lungs.

The chest contains:

• A gilded scroll case covered in a cosmological map of the multiverse.
• A jade statuette of a storm giant.
• A quiver containing six +1 arrows.
• A silver ring set with a jasper stone.

From Hulil, the party learn:

• She believes the disease is called Frigid Woe. Though she doesn’t know any more about the disease than its symptoms, she’s heard rumors that explorers in Eiselcross sometimes succumb to it.
• Hulil has guessed that her affliction was caused by one of the blue vials Tulgi stole from Pelc’s Curiosities, originally sold by Urgon Wenth. The vial was cracked, revealing that its lovely color was the result of a dark blue dust clinging to the interior.
• She is desperate to get to Shadycreek Run before the malady runs its course, hoping that she can trade the goods stolen by Tulgi for a cure.
• Hulil used one of the vials to trap the chest containing the other stolen items. Needing quick cash for the trip, she sold the other vial to Irven Liel, a human merchant staying at the Jolly Dwarf inn in Palebank Village while traveling with his family to Uthodurn.