Under the Mountain, Outside again.
The party, after their dangerous encounter with an Umber Hulk, decided to hunker down for a short rest with Kronk as a lookout. The party licked their wounds and began exploring the caves again once they were refreshed. To the Northwest they found a path that looped back south and followed that. As they progressed they were attacked from behind by a Grick which lashed out at Stuu with with tentacles. Stuu was quickly on deaths door after this ambush and his friends rushed to his aid.
They fought the Grick, a large worm like creature with a beak and tentacles, and in the confusion of battle Kronk was attacked and grappled from behind by a strange creature. The party's light gleamed off its pale damp brain-like body and its tentacles grazed the floor as it hovered away from the battle with Kronk in its grasp. Poison and paralysis from one of the creatures many barb tipped tentacles shot into Kronk and left him mute and unable to move or defend himself.
Our heroes quickly rushed to help their incapacitated friend, with Hada staying behind to keep the Grick at bay in the crossroads of the tunnel. Stuu fired a grasping arrow at the floating brain to slow it down, and Kronk was able to break free and run back to the party. Just then, another Grick came into view and lashed out at the party.
After a few tense minutes of close quarters combat in the claustrophobic cave the party emerged victorious and looted the surrounding areas, Hada finding a mysterious cloak with many strange pockets, and Kronk pocketing some gemstones that were found among the now owner less bone fill grick lair.
The party now thoroughly lost, retraces their steps in search of their missing benefactor, but to no avail. The party, after going down what seemed to be the same passages over and over, stopped and reassessed the situation and ultimately opted to check the front of the cave just in case something was missed. To their surprise they found some small dwarf sized tracks leading out of the cave, which started to morph and change the further they got from the cave.
Instantly the party became angry and wondered if the dwarf that they followed into the cave was even a dwarf at all. Could it have been some shape shifting monstrosity leading them into a trap? The party followed the trail to the best of their abilities and after an hour or so stumbled upon what looked to be an ambush for them. The party bickered about what to do, and decided to plan an ambush themselves.