DM Aron Marczylo's Kingmaker - Part 1: Stolen Land (Inactive)
Game Master overfiend_87

Carina looks over at Ganit and frowns: The statue will not be in its honor, rather it will be in its likeness. It will be in the honor of the fey, their friendship, and the hope that we will be able to work together to better this land.

"Whose to say it wasn't the feys who killed her?" he asks insolently. "I'd be soon done with this place but given the time we've spent prattling on, we're stuck to make camp. Keep your eyes sharp and swords sharper. Gods only know where the beast's killer is."

"Whose to say it wasn't the feys who killed her?" he asks insolently. "I'd be soon done with this place but given the time we've spent prattling on, we're stuck to make camp. Keep your eyes sharp and swords sharper. Gods only know where the beast's killer is."

*raised hand* Oh, I know, I know! Oh wait, that would be telling.

As you are setting up camp you all feel as if being watched by something, however when you look back at the grave it appears as it a small sapling as already started sprouting over the grave of the unicorn and weeds growing around the sword, wrapping around it like some kind of artifact from ancient stories. It's unusual that plants would ever grow that quickly. Clearly something is influenceing this growth.

"I'd be soon done with this place but given the time we've spent prattling on, we're stuck to make camp. Keep your eyes sharp and swords sharper. Gods only know where the beast's killer is."

Once the unicorn is laid to rest, Zorestar take a seat on the edge of his caravan to amuse himself, passing the time with ink and parchment as he writes out mathematical equations and diagrams to investigate a perplexing problem.

Suddenly he notices the growing plants.

"Oh how curious?! What is this?!"

Zorestar moves his hands in somatic gestures and says,"Sihirli bilinsin." to cast Detect Magic.

Spellcraft 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

Carina spends the evening chatting with anyone not engrossed in mathematical equations.
Looking up at the sky: I imagine that fey powers are looking down on us and smiling right now. I only hope that those in the woods follow suit.

"I imagine that fey powers are looking down on us and smiling right now. I only hope that those in the woods follow suit."

"Are you trying to tell me that there are fey up in the sky looking down on this grave site of a dead unicorn?"

Who know what is up there. Carina points at some of the stars. Those are Erastil's bow. And, those over that are Torag's hammer. They are watching their people all the time.

Carina looks over at Zorestar: I do not know them all, but with so many stars, I am sure that some of them are great fey watching over their lands and their flock just as Erastil and Desna and the other deities of this land do for humans and similar races.

With detect magic you don't find any direct magic that has been applied, but you do know that supernatural effects are known not to show up under detect magic, but it depends on the effects. There appears to be nothing else that's happening besides this growth which stops as the sun sets.

While the others talk, the world weary ranger strings his bow and lays it across his lap as he watches the woods suspiciously.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15 (+2 vs humans)

*EDIT - added... GRAMMAR!!!*

"Wake me when you tire of watching Ganit."

With that Jameson moves to his tent and sleeps until his watch.

"I may as well retire for the evening as well. I plan to read in bed before I go to sleep, but I will see all of you gentlemen in morning, and you too, Carina. Good night everyone." Zorestar enters his caravan, undresses, and climbs into his featherbed for a wonderful night's rest.

1d20 ⇒ 11

Come morning you notice by the makeshift grave appear to be a few flowers blooming. Beautiful and rare flowers. Those on watch remember seeing a beautiful young woman approch the grave from the flowers and leave them on there. She had a strange and unearthly beauty about her.

Knowledge(nature): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Once she sees the dryad, Carina quietly watches her until she is gone.

Once the dryad has returned to its place: Wasn't she beautiful? These fey are all so amazing. I do believe that this place should be dedicated to them in some fashion. We will not be able to do it this month or next, but hopefully within a year or two we will have the resources.

Carina continues to watch where the dryad planted the flowers and then returned to the woods.

I wonder where her tree might be? We will have to protect it from those who would attempt to trap her or cut the tree down.

Telias arches an eyebrow at the suggestion. "Best not to ask that question. She kin handle 'erself."

Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

She can take care of herself. If you wanted to protect her tree than you'd have settled your kingdom elsewhere. Not all those citizens of yours will share your beliefs. They'll chop her tree down to build a home and take her as an unwilling wife. Feys are as beautiful as they are dangerous, who could blame them. Their world is coming to an end.

Not feeling like starting another argument and further slowing progress, Ganit simply disregards Carina's musings as he packs his gear into Felicity's saddlebags and prepares for the next step in their unnecessarily prolonged journey.

"We should start moving east, not much left to be done here."

From Dead Unicorn -> Tatzlwyrm Den -> Southernmost Uncharted -> Final Uncharted

*EDIT* Telias, we should hang out more

"As they say Carina, such a creature no doubt has her own protections and wouldn't take kindly to our help. Safer if we leave this area to the fey."

This place has changed me. Perhaps there is something better about the wild places than civilization?

Onward and eastward. Lets finish the last two hexes and get to building a nation.

A rough travel with Zorestar's portable home, but you get to this new area. As you enter you hear the yipping and barking of a canine animal of somekind nearby.

You come to a pit where a wolf-like creature appears to be trapped at the bottom and starving having been left here for quite some time as you can see it's ribs from being so starved and trapped here for so long.

Knowledge(nature): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Who would so cruelly trap a Blood Cougar. It appears to have been here for a while. Perhaps someone from the Stag Lord's fort trapped it, and never came back for it once we destroyed the Stag Lord.

Looking over at Ganit and Telias: Would either of you know how to help the poor thing? I am sure that it just wants to be freed.

Bronwyn suggests:

Maybe another hunter like the one we found before? Perhaps even that same person, since nobody came to claim it. I think this animal may be too famished to avoid from attacking us if we rescue it, but I'll concede to Ganit and Telias' expertise on this.

"Should we free it, or do you think it would simply attack us if we tried. Maybe I'll just stay up here on my caravan and simply advice you from a distance!"

Knowledge(nature): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

"Looks hungry. Less you feel like feeding it your horse I suggest we put it down."

No one has handle animal skill? lol

I think someone might. ;)

"Allow me to attempt to calm it Ganit."

Jameson dismounts and moves to the pit, attempting to calm the creature.

Handle Animal: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Telias shrugs. "Yup. Might be good eatin though."

I think someone might. ;)

"Allow me to attempt to calm it Ganit."

Jameson dismounts and moves to the pit, attempting to calm the creature.

[dice=Handle Animal]1d20+7

Though at first it does seem very hungry and desperate it calms, reguarding you somewhat as a friend and stops it's hungry look. You can tell that if someone did go down there without trying to tame it useing your skills with animals, it would've taken the first chance to attack due to how desperate it is.

Well you've more-or-less domesticated it. Now you just have to hoist it up. It's tame for the moment, however animals won't be instantly tamed so if you wished you could look after the creature and it could be your personal pet/hunting companion.

No one has handle animal skill? lol

Animals ain't fer handlin! They're fer eatin and mebbe befriendin! Mebbe I should jes "handle" you mr. hoidy toidy wearin a hoodie?

Hmm? James sure does seem to have a way with the animals, but how can we be sure that the beast is ever tame?

"Jameson, are you sure you know what you are doing down there? I am not sure you can train wild wolves like that, and even if you do, how can you be sure that they are safe to keep around as pets! Maybe you should just free it and let it go wild back into the wilderness. Hopefully in the other direction from us, naturally!"

"You can never tame the truly wild hearts Zorestar. But you can allow them to be free."

Casting about for a piece of wood to lower into the pit Jameson will form a crude ramp. If no log is to be had he will use his lance.

"Take the horses back there and allow me to free the creature. We shall see after that how the beast reacts."

Jameson will calmly get the creature out of the pit. Not sure about taming, I don't want it to wither in captivity.

2 more levels until Hunter's Bond. Hmmmm....

Ganit lets out a huff of a laugh, clearly impressed with the knight's ability. He approaches the pit carefully and looks down at James and his wildcat. "Aye, keep her calm while we get a tree or something for her to climb out on," turning around he adds, "Less one a you witches know a spell that'll do the same."

Leaning on his bow, the ranger watches the proud creature exercise an impressive amount of restraint as it paces mere feet away from what could be a fresh meal; he couldn't help but have some respect for that.

"Little bit longer there cougar and you'll be tearing into some elk."

What the hell, it's been about a year since we started this and I've yet to actually use this ability. So:
Wild Empathy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

Carina looks over at Ganit: All that accursed witchdoctor has "taught" me is to kill and maim. I wish I knew something that would help this beast.

Ganit seems equally able to converse with nature, grapsing the attention of the creature as it stays still and then as you both get the creature out of the pit, it doesn't make for a bite at any one and climbs out, moving away from the group and then stopping to look back for a moment.

If no one decides to grasp his attention, the creature runs off into the forest as it was now free to go hunting.

Assuming no one minds

"Go on now. We're not gonna follow," the ranger says as he waves the Blood Cougar away from the group.

Wild Empathy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

"Good work," he tells Jameson with an approving nod as the thylacine stalks off into the trees. "Creature like that's not likely to forget about this."

"Indeed! Very impressive indeed! I think that was not only kind, but also a wise gesture to let the beast go free. You can never trust a wild animal now can you?!"

I look over at Zorestar: You can trust wild animals farther than most people. At least the wild animal is predictable when it bites you, usually because it has been abused or is hungry.

Jameson nods at Ganit before allowing his eye to follow the cougar as it runs back into the forest.

"We should find the person who made this trap. I understand hunting to live but leaving an animal to die in a pit? Not something we want to encourage."

Bronwyn taps Jameson and Ganit on the shoulders, congratulating them on the rescue.

Well done, my friends. When we get the chance I'll ask the fey we encountered about this trap. Looks like the work of that trapper we found up north. Can anything be done to this pit so nobody falls in accidentally?

"Short of putting Carina in it I'm not sure how you'd convince others to stay clear. We could take the time to fill it."

Carina looks at James and frowns: More likely that would just attract good folk. On the other hand, I can make one or two of you larger so that you can knock down one of the walls making it easier to climb out of.

"Probably just catch the Bard. Go ahead and use your magic tricks, Carina. Sounds as good a plan as any."

Telias watches them at work finding little need to comment or interfere.

"Well done, my friends. When we get the chance I'll ask the fey we encountered about this trap. Looks like the work of that trapper we found up north. Can anything be done to this pit so nobody falls in accidentally?"

"Did you encounter a trapper that used this method of digging a pit and luring creatures into it? This seems like a very labor intense job simply to catch an animal. I suppose the one benefit to this method is that you may reuse the trap on multiple repetitions with very little work needing to be done to reset it?"

"Yeah but those pretty, harmless little fairies didn't leave much left of him," Ganit replies as he rolls a cigarette.

My father used to tell me of people like this. These evil trappers use this method to trap animals they want to sell alive. Catch the animal with minimal injury and then net it and tie it up and sell it to some horrid noble from Cheliax or Nidal or some other godforsaken land.

Carina spits this out in disgust.

Animals, just like people, should be free.

Well, let's hope this one doesn't come to bite us in our rear. We should raise camp and proceed southward; there is a bit of a cleaning job to be done in the fort before we're ready to host that many people.

I think that we have one more square to map, bur have already done the encounter there. Then we should be done with everything north of the fort.

Word. I'm ready to finish this book. ONWARD! YAWW!!!

"I will be working in my caravan. Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with." Zorestar returns to his caravan and continues with his reading, studying, and practicing his mathematics.

Jameson spends time staring after the Blood Cougar before moving back to Donal and patting him reassuringly.

"Not to crap on yer mood but Blood cougar's occasionally take livestock. Hope yer kindness doesn't come back ta bit yer arse. In a litral sense."