How It Happened

Not long after the party left Captain Hagen near Store Stokka (remember him?), a combined entourage of 950 men, from the Prince of Sweden and the Ordforer (mayor) of Stavanger.  This group had very little time to settle in and fortify, when they were hit by hundreds of froglings, the same wave that the party hid from, as they rushed past.

That battle went on for about an hour.  It occurred while the party was fighting the froglings in the forest, and ended as the party reached the edge of the burnt out area.

The Swedes and Norwegians were unable to move as fast as the froglings; and though they knew about where they were going, there was no certainty about how many more froglings there might be or what fortifications there were.  So the forces held back and began to gather information.

Captain Hagen informed the war council about your party scouting ahead towards the enemy.  He could not remember your names, but he did remember that Engelhart was a cleric.  After some communication with other clerics from Stavanger, Engelhart's description was recognized and your name known.

At that point the Prince produced a stone figurine from his pouch; this was a bloodhound that could track any person who was known by name and by face.  The figurine was passed to Captain Hagen, who then led a company along your trail.

They encountered the slaughter at the pathway; your names were passed from person to person and news was sent back that you had lived through this battle and gone on, straight towards the burnt out area.  No one knew how you had survived the wave of the froglings.

They reached the clearing and had a short skirmish there with several froglings who had survived from the battle.  Then your trail led to the storeroom, above the water room.  By that time, you had killed the dog-headed beast and had gotten aboard the boat.

However, the whole army was called to the clearing and within an hour the Swedes and Norwegians poured into the lair, following your trail.  This was a backdoor into the frogling lair.  They found the kitchenware, they found the dead giant frog.  They dispelled the wizard lock on the kitchen door, then began to slaughter the surprised froglings.

Meanwhile, they found the dog-headed beast you killed.  They assumed you had done the whole job, and that it was you that had killed all the froglings in the kitchen.  But your trail led down to the water, where the bloodhound could not follow.

A cleric was summoned for augury.  Did they swim?  Was there a boat?  Yes there was.  Were you safe?  The answer came back that you were not.  A mage was summoned, who sent a crow familiar down the passage.  The crow did not find you.

Much discussion followed.  The frogling lair, being cleared out, took the attention of the Ordforer, but the Prince was intrigued.  It was guessed that you would drift out to sea; immediately a runner was sent to where horses were waiting.  Horses rushed with orders to Stavanger.  A boat in Stavanger, at midnight, put to sea with a mage, a cleric who knew Engelhart (His name is Magnus Hafnson) and an officer.  The boat made 7 to 8 knots in the dark, but the pilot knew the waters excellently; they guessed where you might be if you were under sail and did not find you.  They guessed where you might be if you had oars and did not find you. By then, Magnus had no means left to find you.  The pilot reached where you would drift if you had no means of managing a boat.  The mage cast pyrotechnics ~ which you saw.  And that is how you were rescued.

You're the reason the froglings were found and destroyed.

You're heroes.