Klarg

Klarg is a bugbear chieftain associated with the goblin forces operating along the High Road of the Sword Coast, based out of a subterranean lair known as the Cragmaw Hideout. Characterized as “a not too bright Bugbear,” he served as the apparent leader of the goblins stationed at the hideout.

Association with the Spider and Blarg

Though Klarg operated as a key commander of the Cragmaw goblins, his employer, the Drider Nezznar (known as “the Spider”), held a low opinion of his intellect. In his personal journal, the Spider dismissed both Klarg and his counterpart, Blarg (the self-proclaimed “King of Cragmaw” based in the ruins of Highthorn), as “idiots.” Despite this disparagement, the Spider conceded that the duo ultimately succeeded in their primary objective: capturing the dwarf Gundren Rockseeker and securing the map to the legendary Spell Forge in Wave Echo Cave.

The Ambush of Gundren and Sildar

Klarg first came to the attention of a group of adventurers—later known as the Magnificent Five—traveling from Neverwinter to Phandalin. Operating under the Spider’s direct orders, Klarg’s goblin raiders successfully ambushed Gundren Rockseeker and his companion, Sildar Hallwinter. They dragged the captives back to their hideout. While Sildar was held hostage at the Cragmaw Hideout under Klarg’s direct supervision, Gundren was sent north to Cragmaw Castle. There, Gundren was eventually killed by Blarg, and his map was delivered to the Spider.

Following the ambush, the traveling adventurers interrogated a surviving goblin, learning of Klarg’s existence and the location of the Cragmaw Hideout.

Confrontation and Defeat

The adventurers tracked Klarg to his cave, slipping past his guards and wolves. Upon sneaking into Klarg’s camp, the storyteller Farwald attempted to parley, trying to trick the bugbear into believing he was a powerful wizard. Klarg was unconvinced by the ruse, famously reasoning that Farwald could not be a wizard because he lacked a wizard’s hat. However, the trickery successfully coaxed valuable information from Klarg, who revealed that the dwarf Gundren had been abducted under the orders of “The Spider” and taken to Cragmaw Castle.

Following the interrogation, Klarg and three goblin subordinates—who were holding Sildar Hallwinter hostage—immediately attacked the party. Despite the threat, the adventurers (comprising Gilmore, Hope, Erevyn, Nalini, and Farwald) coordinated their efforts. Using Nalini’s Entangle magic and Farwald’s spells to scatter the goblin forces, they slew Klarg, rescued Sildar, and reclaimed stolen Lionshield Coster supplies, a Jade Statuette of a Frog, and other treasures.

Aftermath

Following Klarg’s death, his absence disrupted the Spider’s communication network. The Spider sent several subsequent orders and letters to both Klarg and Glasstaff (Iarno Albrek) via his Phase Spiders. As these messages went entirely unanswered, the Spider grew increasingly frustrated. This silence, combined with the arrival of a red-cloaked human messenger bearing bad news, threw the Spider into a rage. He sacrificed the human messenger to Lloth, praying for vengeance upon the “Five” for slaying his loyal servants.