====== Bats ======

{{ :creatures:bats.png?420|Bats}}

Cave and ruin dwellers whose sudden swarms can reveal hidden chambers, foul air, or something deeper waking underground.

===== In the North =====

Bats belong in caves, timber roofs, abandoned mines, sea cliffs, and old stone ruins. They make strong atmosphere for Hearthforge-like halls because they turn silence into motion without needing a monster immediately on screen.

===== Myth and Folklore =====

Bats are not central to Norse myth, but they fit the threshold between the familiar and uncanny. In a Viking-inspired game, they are omens because of where they live, not because every bat is supernatural.

===== Campaign Use =====

Use them to telegraph caves, rot, undead, sleeping predators, or a hidden ceiling route. A swarm leaving all at once is usually more important than a single bat attack.

===== See Also =====

  * [[:creatures|Norse Creatures]]

===== Sources =====

  * Wildlife of Norway: https://grokipedia.com/page/Wildlife_of_Norway

===== Game Master Notes =====

DM-only encounter details, stat blocks, and running notes are kept at [[dm:creatures:bats|Bats (DM)]].