When the Croaks Get Closer, Things Get Colder

After the chaos at Tugli’s cabin, our party of intrepid adventurers finally regrouped. The late-night confrontation had yielded more than tense words and confiscated goods—it had confirmed a troubling truth: the strange illness plaguing Urgon was linked to relics from the fallen Netherese city of Mithral. The stolen dagger they now carried was but one of several items passed along to the thief’s sister, whose trail led beyond town.

The directions were as cryptic as they were unsettling:

“Look for the smoke… and listen for the frogs.”

But with night closing in, there was no chance of reaching the hills before dark. The group instead sought rest at the Wandering Wyvern inn, where simple plans for food and sleep derailed spectacularly into an upstairs sibling brawl. Nora, in her typical fashion, refused to call it a night, and soon Noah was dragging her toward her room while others joined in the effort. Doors were kicked open, spells were cast, and the situation only ended when magical slumber claimed the rogue mid-protest. The innkeeper, wisely, didn’t ask questions.

Morning brought strong tea, questionable ale, and a half-orc barkeep with useful directions to local shops. An arm-wrestling contest over breakfast kept spirits high, but the party’s real focus remained on their lead. Before long, they were headed east, following a single ribbon of smoke curling above the hills. As they neared, the unmistakable sound of frogs grew louder, each croak echoing against the rocky slopes.

The trail led them to the mouth of a shadowed cave. The air was damp and cool, the ground soft with recent snowfall. From within came the trickle of dripping water… and the throaty chorus of their amphibian guides.

Inside, the cave opened to a wide pool, dark and deep. Yami’s familiar, Winnie, flitted in for a closer look, spotting stalactites above, stalagmites below, and faint movement in the water’s depths. With Water Walk prepared, some stepped lightly over the surface while Noah, perhaps more curious than cautious, dove in to investigate.

What he found was chilling—literally. Two massive, frog-like creatures lay in the cold silt at the bottom, motionless but very much alive. One exploded into sudden movement, jaws opening wide. There was a bite, a rush of bubbles, and then… nothing. The surface stilled. Noah was gone, swallowed whole.

The Battle in Croaker Cave

The pool rippled once more before falling eerily quiet. Noah was gone. Panic spread, and in the silence came the echo of another guttural croak from below. The fight was on.

Yami reacted first, sprinting across the cavern floor, her fingers glowing with a dangerous purple light. She leveled her spectral “gun” and fired arcs of force into the water. Each blast cracked the surface with a splash, but the creatures below remained elusive in the murk.

Beneath the water, Noah struggled desperately in the frog’s gullet. Blinded, restrained, and gasping for air, he tried to summon the spark of electricity that might force the monster to spit him out. But spellcasting inside a creature’s throat was no simple task, and the pressure of the icy pool was relentless.

Bobby, ever reckless, was next. He charged across the water’s surface with axe in hand, determined to rip his friend free no matter the cost. Lazmr followed, divine vengeance burning in his eyes, blade raised high. On the shore, Nora paced, torn between diving headlong into the fray or unleashing her chaos from above.

Then the second frog surfaced. Its massive head broke the water, jaws snapping in the dim light, cutting off escape routes and forcing the party to split their focus. The cavern became a claustrophobic battlefield—every splash, every ripple hiding the threat of another attack.

From the depths, the bubbles stopped. Noah was gone from sight, consumed. His fate now rested in the hands of his companions.

The cavern erupted into full combat. Lazmr plunged into the water, his blade glowing faintly as he tried to draw the frogs’ attention away from Noah. The icy chill of the pool gnawed at him, but his strikes rang true against the slick hide of the beast.

Nora finally committed, vaulting onto a rocky ledge for position. From there she hurled attacks down into the pool, each strike aimed at the turbulence where Noah had vanished. Sparks and steel lit the dark water, briefly illuminating the massive shape thrashing below.

Yami pressed her advantage with spell after spell, her voice echoing through the chamber as magic cracked the air. Each blast shook the pool, ripples radiating outward as the frogs twisted and snapped in the depths. Bobby waded forward with reckless abandon, carving great arcs through the water, bellowing challenges in hopes of forcing the creatures to surface.

Noah, meanwhile, fought with every ounce of strength from inside the beast. Grappled, blinded, and pressed in darkness, he braced against muscle and bile, searching for leverage. Each attempt to summon power faltered against the suffocating silence, but still he resisted, buying precious seconds.

At last, coordinated strikes began to turn the tide. Blades bit deep, spells seared through the cavern air, and one frog let out a guttural croak of pain, releasing a violent shudder that shook the pool. The second predator circled, waiting for a chance to strike, its yellow eyes gleaming just beneath the surface.

The party closed ranks, determination rising against the fear that one of their own might be lost forever. Croaker Cave echoed with the clash of steel, the hiss of spells, and the guttural croaks of the monsters. The fight was far from over—but the heroes were not backing down.

Steel, spell, and stubborn determination filled the cavern as the struggle dragged on. The frogs lashed out with snapping jaws and powerful kicks, trying to drag more prey beneath the surface. Water frothed and splashed against the cavern walls, the air alive with the sound of battle.

Bobby landed the first decisive blow. Wading waist-deep, he swung his weapon in a wide arc that cleaved into the beast’s side, forcing it to the surface with a howl-like croak. The strike gave Yami her opening—she leveled her crackling hand and unleashed a surge of force that sent purple light rippling across the cavern ceiling. The frog shuddered, its grip faltering.

Inside its gullet, Noah felt the walls spasm. He braced himself, straining against the constricting muscles. Then, with a violent lurch, the creature convulsed and spat him out in a spray of bile and bubbles. Gasping, half-conscious, Noah broke the surface, hauled quickly to safety by Lazmr.

But the fight wasn’t done. The second frog surged up in retaliation, its jaws snapping inches from Nora as she danced back along the ledge. She answered with a flurry of strikes, steel flashing, while Lazmr planted himself between the beast and his recovering ally.

The tide finally turned when the entire group pressed their advantage at once. Nora’s blades struck true, Bobby carved another deep wound, and Yami hurled the final blast. The cavern shook with the crack of magic as the frog collapsed into the pool with a heavy splash. The remaining creature, badly wounded and outnumbered, retreated into the depths with a fading croak, leaving only ripples on the water’s surface.

Breathing hard, the party regrouped at the water’s edge. Noah, pale and dripping, sat clutching his side, but alive. The echoes of the fight lingered in the cavern air, each adventurer silently aware of how close they had come to losing him.

For now, Croaker Cave was quiet—but the mystery of the stolen relics, and the sister who guarded them, still awaited deeper inside.

Notable Moments

• Noah swallowed whole: The rogue-turned-ranger vanished beneath the water, trapped inside the frog’s gullet.
• Sibling drama carries into battle: Nora hesitated on the ledge before diving into the fray with reckless strikes.
• Bobby’s brute force: His devastating swing forced the first frog to surface, setting up the rescue.
• Yami’s purple blasts: Spell after spell lit the cavern, her force magic finally dropping one of the beasts.
• Lazmr’s shield wall: The paladin stood firm, dragging Noah free and holding the line as the frogs pressed their attack.
• The final retreat: With one monster slain and the other wounded, the survivors of Croaker Cave drove the last predator back into the depths.

Next Time:

With the frogs defeated and Noah pulled back from the brink, the adventurers turn their eyes deeper into Croaker Cave—where the thief’s sister, and the Netherese relics she guards, still await.