The group considered sending someone down the narrow chute in the dormitory, but ultimately decided not to do so. Instead they headed over to the assembly hall, where they encountered a strange, three-legged, boulder-like creature with a taste for metal. After bribing him with some tasty gold, they learned that much of the Academy was in ruins, with collapsed tunnels that would take many hours to clear. The group discussed paying the creature - a xorn - to assist them in this task. The xorn seemed agreeable to the idea, provided it got lots of "tasties".
Other than a scuffle with some electricity-producing lizards in an old storeroom, this marked the end of the group's investigation of the Academy: while there are presumably other areas of the ancient facility that could be located and explored, any such undertaking would require an extended period of effort. The group preferred instead to return to the piercer cave and investigate the other tunnel.
This other tunnel proved to be protected by a pair of pit traps, and the group soon all found themselves "dropped in it", and under attack from a group of troglodytes. However, some acrobatics from Mei-Ling and some magical assistance from Zook and Will soon turned the tide of battle.
Pressing on, the group encountered a cave filled with troglodyte females and their young. After some agonising, the decision was made to let these noncombatants retreat unmolested, provided they headed deeper into the caves, rather than upwards. Will was the most reluctant to endorse this decision, muttering that it would "come back to bite" them.
Interrogating the females before they left, the group learned that the troglodyte leader, "mighty Benthoc" could be found to the west. So they set off in this direction.
Benthoc proved to be a large and powerful troglodyte, with a draconic cast to his features. Protected by zombies and a young - but still powerful - red dragon, the (seemingly quite mad) troglodyte leader proved every bit the challenge his females had suggested he would be. The resulting battle saw many of the group come close to death, and left Hugin blinded by Benthoc's magic. Ultimately, however, the group emerged triumphant ...
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