Chapter 4: Red Cat Cave

The next two days goes by without events, and you find yourself some rare time to relax and take part in camp activities. The elderly and the hurt appreciate a couple of days to catch their breath and get some much needed rest.

When it is time to move on the following send you north to the red cat cave, and it takes little effort on your part to find it.

Two upthrust pinnacles of red rock, like long fangs, frame a narrow cave opening. A protruding overhang with a notch in its center enhances the entrance’s resemblance to the maw of a great stone cat.

Igbork finds tracks in the area. The tracks seems to be the mammoth hunter you encountered a few days ago. As you near the rocky overhang they seem to disappear. Once at the overhang however, you notice series of large, web-toed tracks leading into and out of the cave.

The ground beneath this rocky overhang is sheltered and dry. A narrow cave opening punctures the overhang’s wall, just outside of which is an old stone fire ring. On the stony wall just beside the fire ring, the faded outline of a painted saber-toothed tiger looks poised to pounce.

As you head into the cave, you can hear a gentle sloshing sound coming from further inside. Ten feet ahead the cave splits in two, and one tunnel leads north and one lead to the south. Without the light from outside, the cave is in complete darkness. In the southern tunnel Igbork can see four bright spots, almost like eyes peering out of the darkness. If it is indeed eyes, Ibork remains unseen for now.

Haitih soon returns to you and explain that there's two creatures in the side room ahead. He explains they resemble stubby humanoids with oversized, frog-like heads and bulbous eyes. Their feet ends in web toed claws. Their eyes emit a soft glow. He is quite certain he was not discovered by them.

Artesia can recall creatures matching Haitith's descriptions. She has read about something called Blindheims. Grotesque, frog-like creatures that dwell beneath the surface, subsisting on meals of fungi, rodents, and other underground creatures. Their eyes emit a soft glow at all times, but a blindheim can draw back the heavy membrane that normally covers them to emit an intense light as bright as day. They make their nests in damp caverns, especially grottoes next to underground lakes or bogs. An ideal nest rests in a cozy cavern with plenty of fungus to eat, a few fish swimming in a lake, and the comforting drip of water from the ceiling. They are neither particularly good or evil and they are about as intelligent as smart dog.