The passage through the bugbear complex was simple…not complex at all. It appears there is some sort of territorial feud going on ‘twixt bugbear and goblin. This is confirmed in a rare moment of parley, when the intrepid adventurers entered a massive room used as a staging ground for the core of some kind of goblin resistance. What? Who knows.
What is clear is that the rene-goblin wants the party to slay the current goblin king, and if this is done the party will be escorted to the edge of the goblin area of influence. Zaal really wants to fireball everyone in sight, but the cooler heads prevail. The group produces the crown and scepter of the previously slain and looted slain goblin king and there is an impromptu celebration before the group is escorted to the edge of the goblin domain. They are informed that they are headed into a region shunned by all sane folks – The final option! If the party members were sane, they wouldn’t stomping around underground and would be enjoying the lavish lifestyle of the rich and partially famous, sooo…yeah.
They move into another section of the absolutely massive complex. They wander about and see no real signs of life. A lot of traps, yes. Signs of life…not so much, though there are a couple of early encounters with terrifyingly strong bat things with nipple tentacles and a massive black pudding / ooze / deadly jelly. There are also some severed heads with strangely distorted shrieking mouths that they have to battle. They run across a pack of gnolls that provide refreshingly simple tactics to defeat…fireball! Lightning bolt!
Treasure? Some, but remaining ultra-cautious they spend very little time looking for loot and more time fixated on the prospect of escape. They overnight, again. This brings their stay to about the six-week mark and there is a palpable dismay at the duration of their exploration. They find a hidden room, but decide not to explore and eventually find themselves in a chamber that is chock-full of various keys. This will provide hours of entertainment – and perhaps something of greater import. Or maybe not.
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