Troll Troop: Search for the Crystal Kitten

By Joseph D McKnight

Troll Troop begins with King Bainbridge being comically roused from his sleep by Niles, his aide, with news of a spy who is "dying to tell" him about King Rutherford's latest goal to aquire. Before Niles can fully explain, they are interrupted by Sir Herbert, captain of the guard, who reports a grievance from the troll union: they are tired of being used only for "bang, bang, drag, drag" manual labor. This is followed by a messenger dramatically announcing that the "candle of destiny" has flickered and points north, hinting at impending danger.
It turns out King Rutherford desires a small glass kitten, and King Bainbridge intends to intercept it. To create a diversion, Bainbridge devises a mischievous plan: he will send a group of five trolls on a fake quest to the north, believing they will quickly perish, but distracting King Rutherford's adventurers and giving his own elite adventures a headstart. These trolls-Pai (holy knight), Rap (shadow walker), Mei (mage), Dit (forest guardian), and Kea (healer)-are given common, non-magical gear and books about their "professions". Since trolls can't read, Mage Maelstrom is reluctantly tasked with enchanting them, using a risky amount of magic to accelerate their intelligence and unlock their magical potential, with a high chance of them exploding.
Unbeknownst to the king, Gunther, the cunning gnome troll union chief, has bribed the mages to give the trolls even more magic, hoping their success will open up new, lucrative "adventuring troll" contracts for the union. Additionally, Maelstrom, at Gunther's secret request, makes the trolls untraceable to the king's mages, allowing Gunther to claim "hazard pay" for their presumed demise.
The trolls, largely oblivious to the grand schemes, struggle with their new roles and human customs. However, the fleas places on the trolls to make them untraceable become the unwitting recipients of the magic that was put into the trolls. The fleas, to protect their hosts, act as their "inner voices" and enabling them to read and process the information in their books. These fleas are also telepathically linked and work together to secretly guide the trolls, pushing them to become true adventurers.
The trolls soon find themselves in the town of Himinn, a famous adventurer hub, where they encounter Gunther again. Gunther further enhances their magical capabilities, giving Dit a magical rabbit to help him connect with earth magic and Mei a problematic magical wand, both of which teach them to harness their powers. They undergo training in a "rat lair," where the fleas observe their teamwork and plan to extend their lifespans using the trolls' magic. Dit even discovers how to create "magic bread" that restores mana.
Meanwhile, King Bainbridge's actual elite adventurers are dispatched to retrieve the crystal kitten, which is, ironically, in the south. They are a highly skilled group, showcasing their abilities in an arena fight against a "beardog".
The troll party, now enhanced by the fleas' guidance and their developing powers, travels north and soon encounters goblins and ogres led by a powerful man named Borenstein. Borenstein has captured Gunther and reveals his plan to use the united the northern lands to conquer the kingdom. The trolls are imprisoned, but Dit, in a surge of anger over his rabbit being hurt, unleashes a powerful display of earth magic, destroying the pen and allowing them and other prisoners to escape. The story ends with the trolls escaping and the fleas pondering their future and their newfound ability to thrive by feeding on the trolls' magic.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FX27VTDH
• ISBN13: 9798270319618
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.0" x 8.0"