26 - 08/04/25 : Cause for Alarm

As the Book Club neared the fort occupied by hobgoblins, they immediately noticed the bullete guarding the front, and immediately after began to consider different methods of breach for the fort. After discussing a few ideas of entry over the wall, Ezri suggested using Eo Nee's ability to turn invisible to have her scout the fort. Inside, she found a large number of armed hobgoblins, assisted by some goblin spellcasters, and a trio of ogres, as well as a broken wall in the back of the fort.   The party began their assault from this broken wall, with Myrtha casting Hypnotic Pattern to take the ogres out of the combat at the start. With their presence announced, the hobgoblin forces began to attack the intruders. While the small army managed to do some damage to even the sturdiest members of the party, they worked their way through the vast numbers and eventually succeeded in clearing the fort.   With the fort emptied, the Book Club took some time to explore. As Myrtha investigated one of the in tact rooms of the fort, she was ambushed by a mimic disguised as a large wagon. The party made quick work of the attacker, then looked through the room it was guarding. Underneath a floor board, Snow found a cache of useful items and gold that the hobgoblins hadn't found.   The group also found a doorway leading further underground, and after taking a quick break, they delved into the cavern. As they reached the bottom of the steps, they were immediately greeted by eerie noises coming from the room to their left. They also noted a bugbear who didn't seem to notice them, apparently plugging his ears to avoid the haunting noises. Snow got this bugbear's attention, and as he prepared to attack the intruder, Ezri convinced him to escape rather than fight them. While bugbears are not typically ones to flee combat, he had his doubts that their current leader was worth fighting for and decided to take the party up on their offer. When asked about the leader, the bugbear tld them how Kroburg had led the soldiers out of fey wild in a fiery explosion that was the actual reason they were able to defeat the storied mercenaries so easily. He mentioned that their troop has followed Kroburg in an attempt to escape from the Laughing Shadow. Ezri had heard of this fey in her research, an Unseelie Archfey thought to be loyal to the Lantern King. He also mentioned how the a few of the mercenaries were captured, and Kroburg had turned them into the monsters now locked in the other room, but how Kroburg seemed just as surprised and disturbed by the result as the rest of the troop did.   The bugbear gave Snow the key to the cell before leaving, which she immediately unlocked, revealing several gibbering mouthers and a lone mercenary in a stupor from the gibbering in his cell. The party destroyed the mouthers and Snow spoke with mercenary. Snow attempted to coerce the merc into giving her information, but her reputation as a "Girl Scout" in the Dread Raptors worked against her, and the mercenary called her bluff. But with no intention to return to the company after this, he had no reason to hide what he knew. He explained that the company's leader, Barbatos, had been present when the fiery portal appeared. Not only did he fly off leaving the mercs to die, but the mercenary noted that he looked like he enjoyed watching the carnage.   With information on Snow's old crew acquired, the Book Club continued deeper into the caverns. There, they found a goblin thief who had been captured by bands of light and hung up from the ceiling. The party freed her, and she introduced herself as Master Thief Flynt. She explained how she had gotten captured due to a magic item of hers gone wrong, showing the Lantern King's Bag of Japes, whose items were sometimes useful and sometimes harmful. She explained how she was out of Lantern Flames and had come here to try to steal some from Kroburg before her week was up and she had to face the penalty. Ezri reluctantly decided to help the goblin out, giving her one of her Lantern Flames. Surprised by the act of kindness, Flynt offered an alliance with Ezri during the Tourney and to help out with Kroburg (for a split of the Flames).   With Flynt joining them, the Book Club made the final push into the cavern, but as they crossed a bridge, Snow found herself attacked by a swarm of bats, alerting the goblinoid soldiers to their presence. The party fought their way through the last force of hobgoblins, bugbears, and goblins. The last goblin attempted to reach Kroburg and call for help, but he was not able to outrun the party.   With the cavern cleared, the party surrounded the door to Kroburg's chamber as Snow broke it down. Inside was not a hardened hobgoblin leader, but a cowardly youth who immediately begged for his life. He revealed that he had found a dead Lantern Tourney participant with some Flames, that he spent to try and escape from the contract of the Laughing Shadow, along with some other soldiers from the troop. He had no intention to be a warlord, but found himself stuck in the role after leading the force into Lloegyr and taking over the fort. He also explained that he had just intended to turn the captured mercenaries into frogs, not the aberrations that had resulted. Kroburg was releaved to no longer need to lead anyone and easily offered the last remaining Lantern Flames in exchange for his life. Ezri was disappointed by the pathetic individual in front of her, but accepted his offer. Before he could, however, another voice filled the room, claiming that he had let Kroburg cut his strings to entertain their King. Disappointed that the show would end so soon, the Laughing Shadow appeared before the party.