Bugbear cave

The bugbear cave is a cave near the town of Osterhn in the Sürgün Günlükleri ("Exile Chronicles") campaign, during the town's war with the goblins. Its full name is not known; it began with Kızıl, "Red". By Kerbor's account it had once belonged to bandits, until Alistar cleared it out with a band of men; left empty, it was taken over by the creatures the company later found there.^{1 2}

Six guards

Piecing together what he had seen in the castle, Exalon said he had guessed where six huge guards of the enemy were kept: bugbear warriors, whose loss would, he argued, help the town more than the rescue of the captive soldier Kerbor. Ephorus agreed, but Kemp owed Kerbor his life, and Sarah would not leave him under torture. The company decided to free Kerbor first and deal with the six afterwards if they could.^{1 3 4 5}

The fight in the cave

With Kerbor freed, the company reached the cave at dusk, in light rain. There was no guard at the entrance, which an old wooden fence narrowed; inside were running water, small bridges and beds of furs. Climbing up with Kemp's help, Ephorus made out three bugbears within, and since he could not shoot from the lookout above, he slipped in through the entrance to loose the first arrow.^{6 7 8}

There proved to be six of them. The company held the narrow entrance while one bugbear climbed out through an opening above and came at them from behind. Ephorus was struck down but survived, and Kemp tended him; Kerbor, despite his own wounds, killed the last bugbear, and no other enemy was found inside.^{9 10 11 12}

The seventh bed

Searching the cave, Ephorus found supplies of food, fruit and meat, and among the beds the enchanted short sword Exalon had given him, lost when he was taken captive. He also recovered papers the company had earlier seen at the old tax office.^{13 14}

There were seven beds for six warriors. One was wider and more comfortable than the rest, though it bore the same bugbear smell. Exalon suggested it might belong to a commander who kept apart from the camps for his own safety, and the company wondered whether it was the goblin leader Borgar's. Burning the cave was discussed.^{14 2 15}