"I wouldn't have expected what animals would care about and what we would care about to line up much, but if they like you and you know what to ask--" She shrugs.

"It does take practice," he acknowledges. "Most people cannot get much out of them."

"I imagine they think a lot different then people do? I mean, different types of people think a lot different, and you'd think the gap would be even wider with animals."

"That is some of it. Though animals have many of the same base desires. Shelter. Satiation. Entertainment."

"...didn't realise they much liked entertainment."

"Varies with species, and some with individuals. Dogs get bored easier than snakes. But most animals like being entertained."

"Huh, you learn something new everyday."

He nods.

"Come on, let's keep moving."

"Yeah, the quicker we get out here the better."

She follows.

The crocodiles let them pass. 

There's an inscription in an unfamiliar above the door, which Carillia peers at, mouthing the words slowly. "It says something about Papazotl - one of the old gods here. Something about bowing - that's a conjugation of 'to bow', and then I believe an archaism for 'nothing' or 'no one.'"

She scribbles that down - "Sometime these sorts of things can help with later puzzles..."

"Right. Let's keep moving."

The hallway beyond is made of stone, which has been heavily covered in moss. It's dim inside. The mosaic floor depicts a tall bird using its long, pointy beak to pin a monstrous frog-like creature with tentacles sprouting from its shoulders. Set into the far wall is a set of heavy stone doors.

Well, that's freaky. Like, she's seen worse in the cheapo arenas she went to, but she's pretty sure this is the sort of place with mostly 'normal' animals? Maybe? "Are frog things... a thing here?"

"A froghemoth? Yeah. They mostly live in swamps and underground. They're native to some regions of Chult. Powerful compared to most people, but any of us could take an average one."

"Okay, that's less concerning. I mean, tentacles are always worrying, but if they can be shot and killed--" she shrugs.

"We should maybe set you up with something like Volo's Guide to Monsters. So you have an idea of what's local, at least."

"That could be worthwhile, yeah.

...though maybe try and keep it out of the hands of other Drukhari. They might take it as more of a shopping list than a field guide."

"We'll keep that in mind. For now, let's keep going."

The doors aren't locked, but are heavy, requiring two strong people to move each, though Liliane's able to move one on her own with minor straining.

There's a large square chamber beyond, empty of anything moving. An empty pedestal stands in the middle of the chamber. Six statues face it from alcoves on the walls, two on each wall except the entrance. They depict bare-chested humans with the heads of different animals. From left to right, the heads resemble those of a lizard, a jaguar, a lobster, a toucan, a bat, and a frog.

"Okay, definitely culturally out of my depth here: any significance to that--" she circles her hand around "--arrangement? choice? of animals?"

"I'd guess they'd represent the Trickster Gods, except the correspondences don't line up. Possibly servants or watchers."

"Is it just me, or does 'servants of the trickster gods' sound... not good."

"The Trickster Gods were - somewhat trickster heroes. Kind of. Each of the nine had a different alignment - we use a law-chaos and good-evil axis for that - but they were noted for having helped the Omuans. Papazotl was lawful evil, though, and generally noted as shrewd and conniving." She shakes her head. "Anyways, come on. There's bound to be clues somewhere in here. Either to where the key is, or where it went."

"Well, I'll follow your lead on how worried to be."

Zerri looks around the room for anything that looks out of place .

There's an inscription at the base of the pedestal, in the local trade tongue. 

Comes with sunshine

Leaves with night

Hides in darkness

Does not bite

Always joined to its caster

Never strays from its master

She calls out to the rest of them. "We've got a riddle over here! ...I think the answer is 'shadow', but something might be off with the translation."