Lords of Themselves: A Kingmaker Adventure Path.

Game Master Red Ramage

GM Red Ramage officiates the wanderings and epic deeds of a party of cute badasses... and an elf.


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Female Human Sorceress (Draconic) 2 |HP 16/16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|AC 16 T 12 FF 14 (Mage Armor) |Speed 30'|Resist Acid 5||CMB +3/CMD 15| HP 16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|Base AC 12 T 12 FF 10|Initiative +2|Concentration +6 (+10 to CD)|Perc +5 , Bluff +4, Diplo +4, Hnd An +4, Intimidate +8, Know(Arcana) +6, Ride +2, Spellcraft +6, UMD +8, |
Spells Used:
First level: 0 of 5 | Second level: 0 of 8 | Third level: 0 of 5 | BW: Used
Kivan Corsan wrote:
I would just like to say this before anybody else can. Kill steal!

Spoken like a true team player! ;-P

But then I know how disappointed you were to not find an enemy mage to drink, poor guy... *gags*

For a moment she stood there, hardly believing the monster had fallen. She held one arm in tight at her side, protecting the deep slash there and used her other to hug Idris and then Maja as she came to tend to her wounds. "So that is what a real battle is like? To be honest, I think I was expecting worse. Thank you, Bara. We could never have pulled this off so cleanly without your information and aid. I know you're an adept death dealer, but know that you preserved life today as well. For that I will always be grateful." She caught the half-orcs hand and squeezed it warmly.

Everything had taken on a sort of surreal bent and she wasn't completely sure she wasn't unconscious and just dreaming this. She moved, dazed like, beside Maja and aided her in pulling off the brute's stag-skull mask and stood by to determine if they should bind him or if he was beyond stabilizing for the River Wraith's vengeance.


Inactive

Let's assume the channel energy includes the Stag Lord, if it'll help keep him alive.

Grand Lodge

Kingmaker World Map Encounter Map Lords of Themselves Kingdom Tracker

unmasking the Stag Lord

The Stag Lord's helm is difficult to remove. A strap buckled under the chin holds it in place, but even after that's done the helm sticks to the man's head. With some force, you pry it off, revealing matted, greasy hair and red, sore skin. It looks like he never took this helmet off at all. The smell is stomach-turning. The face beneath the mask is rather ordinary - a man in his middle thirties, who's obviously seen hard fighting and hard drinking. The Stag Lord bears scars across his face similar to those on the rest of his body, and his nose has been broken and re-healed many times.

Room descriptions - see encounter map for reference

Z1 - The Yard
A small, dusty yard separates the palisade from the inner structures. The ground here is of hard-packed barren earth. Dozens of barrels lie stacked against the inner wall of the palisade, each with a wooden or metal bucket sitting nearby. Upon examination, the barrels are found to contain water suitable for drinking.

Z2 - Walkways
Two wooden walkways exist in the fort. The northern one allows access to the northeast watchtower and the central roof. The southern one allows access from the yard to the southwest and northwest watchtowers. Both walkways are 20 feet high, and the stairs leading up to them are quite steep. Both walkways are creaky and of questionable construction.

Z3 - Watchtowers
The bandits erected these three watchtowers to give themselves a sheltered place to keep watches. Each watchtower is 30 feet high and surrounded by a 2-foot-high wooden railing wall that grants those within the tower cover from outside attack. When all three are manned, total coverage of the approaches to the fort can be made. From the mess and smell in the northwest and southwest towers (and the covered walkway between them, it seems that the Stag Lord had claimed those areas as his own. When in his cups, it left the fort with significant blind spots.

The southwest tower appears to have been his primary haunt - a rude bed has been constructed from piles of stinking furs, and the multitude of bottles attests to many long binges spent staring out at the waters of the magnificent lake to the south. The floor of the room is covered in shards of broken glass, and splotches on the wall indicate where nearly empty bottles were hurled against it with great rage. The two jugs of whiskey that were left in your bait lie toppled to the floor, empty. If the Stag Lord fought like that with nearly two gallons of hard liqueur in him, imagine his prowess when sober! The entire room smells of stale alcohol and sweat.

The northwest tower was the site of the Stag Lord's budding coin mint. Sacks of raw silver nuggets, likely stolen from the Sootscales, line one wall of the room, alongside cords of seasoned firewood. A small wood-fired smelter occupies a workbench alongside a set of steel molds. A sack of shining, new silver coins bearing the Stag Lord's stylized likeness lies spilled off the end of the table.

Z4 - Central Tower
At the center of the ruins, thick stone walls surround a cracked and crumbling platform of heavy stone. Huge chunks of the roof collapsed long ago, shattering into the rooms below. Sediment collects in cracks and along corners of the remaining roof, sprouting tiny blades of grass and rivulets of moss. A bedroll on a pile of straw sits in the center of the platform, a small collection of toy knights and dragons surrounding it.

Z5 - Common Room The edges of this drafty room are crammed with crates, barrels, and boxes. Hammocks strung on wooden posts denote sleeping areas, while dirty bowls and utensils rest atop rickety and makeshift furniture. Elsewhere, chamber pots sit tucked into corners, while a large iron gate is wedged into a ten-foot-wide gap in the western wall. Chips of ancient plaster flake from the walls, exposing the stone construction; whatever plaster still clings to stonework is covered with
strange and erratic scribbles and pictographs. The floor consists only of hard-packed earth.

DC 20 Linguistics check:

The wall markings are ancient graffiti that makes reference to a cult of Gyronna.

Z6 - Owlbear Pen
This room is little more than an atrocious-smelling cave dug out of a pile of rubble. Large bloody bones, likely from horses or elk, lie scattered on the ground. A rusty iron portcullis has been jury-rigged into a crude gate across the entrance.

Z7 - Barracks
Crude but serviceable bunk beds line the walls of this room, providing resting places for those of the Stag Lord's men that were assigned to guard his fort. Small, locked chests contain personal effects.

Z8 - Commander's Quarters
This cramped room is packed with a large number of crates, bags, salvaged lumber, and food. A cot lies amid the stored goods, a small lantern sitting on a nearby crate. Under the bed, you find a logbook penned in a tidy, fastidious hand that details the accounting of the Stag Lord's operations. Goods from raids are logged and organized, payments to bandits deducted, and times of departures and arrivals of bandit groups at the camp are noted. From analyzing the data in this book, it seems that between the group you wiped out at Oleg's Trading Post, the group you wiped out at the Thorn River camp, and the collected bandit forces here at the fort, there's only one group of bandits unaccounted for. A force of marauders was dispatched two weeks ago into Brevoy to make contact with a band of mercenaries. Chillingly, the bandit noted as the leader of this expedition is recorded as "Xen".

Z9 - Armory
Though ruined walls still separate this area from the other rooms, most of the ceiling has collapsed. The only remaining bit of roof covers the inside corner. Hides strung from a wooden frame partition this corner off, creating a dry storage area. Under these hides are a stack of unlock chests containing longbows, longswords, and leather armor. Identical to the gear you've found on the bandits in the past, it seems this room was dedicated to equipping the Stag Lord's fighters. There is enough equipment here to fit out a fighting force two dozen strong.

Z10 - Roasting Room
A shallow, stone-lined cooking pit containing ash and partially
burnt logs sits in this rubble-filled room. The room otherwise appears completely unremarkable.

DC 20 Perception check:

A pile of burnt logs has been purposefully heaped over a specific spot in the floor.

And now, the part you've all been waiting for, LOOT!
On the corpse of the Stag Lord, you find his helmet and armor. both are unique magic items, check discussion thread.
In addition, he had a +1 longsword, +1 composite longbow (Str +2), Amulet of Natural Armor +1, and a single +1 human bane arrow.

On Akiros, you find a suit of +1 chainmail, a +1 longsword, a +1 heavy steel shield, a masterwork longbow with three +1 beast bane arrows, and a tarnished silver holy symbol of Erastil. It is engraved on its back face with "Initiate Akiros Ismort, Karysgoral"

DC 15 Knowledge: Local:
Karysgoral is a small town about a day's travel on foot east of Restov.

On Dovan, you find a +1 rapier and his disturbing armor, which functions as a +2 silken ceremonial armor.

From Auchs, you take a +1 club.

None of the rank and file bandits had unusual or worthwhile gear, though their combat equipment can be added to that found in the armory to make gear for a fighting force 40 strong.

The personal effects, pocket money, stag lord amulets, and various other small treasures picked off of bodies sum up to 7,000 gold pieces.

The recovered stolen goods (timber, hides, silver nuggets, tobacco, spices, jewelry, traveling gear, etc) that you've found sum up to 5 Build Points explained in the discussion thread


Male Elf Wizard (Shadowcaster) (Conjuration Specialist) (Teleportation) 6
Stats:
AC 14 18 MA | Touch AC 14 | FF 14 |15 temp HP 37/37 | Int +4 | Perception +7 | Fort +4; Ref +8; Will +6; (+2 vs. Enchantment Spells/Effects) | Sense Motive -1

lingustics: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28
perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
k. Local: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

Kivan seems sad that he cannot question the old fighter, but then he remembers the powers of clerics.

"Maja, we know Xen was here but we don't know about his mission. Would you mind speaking to the dead human through magic?"


Inactive

"So Xen joined forces with the Stag Lord. That could explain why Welden would have fallen into his clutches. I will pray that Erastil lets me track down another one of Welden's killers, but to speak with the dead... I've never done anything like that before." Speak with Dead is a 3rd level spell. Did you have something else in mind?

Maja looks mournfully at the symbol of Erastil. "Karysgoral, is that a town somewhere around here? I wonder how this man strayed from his true path."


Female Human Sorceress (Draconic) 2 |HP 16/16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|AC 16 T 12 FF 14 (Mage Armor) |Speed 30'|Resist Acid 5||CMB +3/CMD 15| HP 16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|Base AC 12 T 12 FF 10|Initiative +2|Concentration +6 (+10 to CD)|Perc +5 , Bluff +4, Diplo +4, Hnd An +4, Intimidate +8, Know(Arcana) +6, Ride +2, Spellcraft +6, UMD +8, |
Spells Used:
First level: 0 of 5 | Second level: 0 of 8 | Third level: 0 of 5 | BW: Used

With her nose wrinkled against the awful smell, Seraphina held the Stag Lord's bone helm it one hand while she cleaned it thoroughly by casting prestidigitation on it with the other again and again, until she had removed every whiff of the man's foul stench from the item.

"I suppose now we know why he refused to take it off. It is rather more remarkable than his face. I've cleaned it as thoroughly as possible, maybe we could remove the antlers and it would be usable to someone?"

She then turns her attention to Auchs. She didn't think they should heal and rouse him yet. It would be better to wait until all the carnage of the battle had been cleared away.

"Maja, can you sew up the big guy's wounds? We'll want to talk to him when he wakes up. We need to decide where we can keep him. Maybe the Owlbear Pen if I give it a little magical scrubbing too?" She wasn't sure bindings of rope could hold the big brute so she began looking for iron shackles among the supplies.

She looked for Bara, "There will still be men out on their missions that will return here, correct? Do you have any idea how soon we could expect them to report back?"


F Human Fighter 4/Monk 1/Aldori Swordlord 1 | AC:22 T:15 FF:17 | HP: 24/54 | Init: +4 (+6 when holding aldori sword) | Perception: +5 | Fort:+8; Ref: +9; Will:+6 (+1 vs fear)

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Knowledge(local): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

"Sounds familiar, but I'm not sure."

Linguistics, yes I actually have a rank in it: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

"These scribbles are weird. Anyone know what they say? They might be from before the bandits took this place over."

When Sicarius is done with the owlbear and seems full and happy, Idris approaches him carefully, and starts gently scratching the dinosaur's scaled skin. Handle Animal: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

Examining Auchs

"What are we going to do with this big guy? You said he was simple, Jegred? Maybe we can get him to do what we say instead."

Numerically, the +1 bow should go to Maja, but she may want to keep the bow that is linked to her backstory, and maybe get it magically enhanced instead. If so, Idris will take it, and Maja can have all the special arrows. Idris would like the amulet of natural armor, and Pretty can keep the ring of protection. The +1 chainmail would work best for Maja, and if she wants it, the helm would be appropriate as well. The silken ceremonial armor would work for Kivan or Seraphina, though mage armor would override it of course. The goth look could be fitting for a shadowcaster elf, but I don't know if that's what Kivan wants. Selling it could work too. The +1 longsword, +1 rapier, and +1 shield could probably be sold. +1 club could be as well unless we use it as a way to induce Auchs to be on our side.


Inactive

"He'll probably be very mad when we wake him. Might be hard to convince him that we're the good guys." Maja does her best to ensure that Auchs is stable, though she is loathe to spend her magics until the party is ready. Heal: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25

Yep, Maja would like to enchant her existing bow. She will take the special arrows and chainmail. Helm depends on whether Pretty wants it - it is awfully good for Pretty when she needs a ranged sneak attack. She will also take the +1 Longsword for now as a backup melee weapon.


Female Human Sorceress (Draconic) 2 |HP 16/16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|AC 16 T 12 FF 14 (Mage Armor) |Speed 30'|Resist Acid 5||CMB +3/CMD 15| HP 16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|Base AC 12 T 12 FF 10|Initiative +2|Concentration +6 (+10 to CD)|Perc +5 , Bluff +4, Diplo +4, Hnd An +4, Intimidate +8, Know(Arcana) +6, Ride +2, Spellcraft +6, UMD +8, |
Spells Used:
First level: 0 of 5 | Second level: 0 of 8 | Third level: 0 of 5 | BW: Used

"Maja, can you detect if he carries evil in his heart while he still sleeps? I have an idea of how we might handle him if he can be salvaged. My aunt had a child with a simple spirit; good clear rules and religious guidance can go a long way toward providing a structured life for them. Perhaps he could be turned toward Erastil after serving this false 'Stag Lord' for so long?"

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

I don't suppose we could take 20 for that pesky spoiler? I can't even manage an aid...


Male Elf Wizard (Shadowcaster) (Conjuration Specialist) (Teleportation) 6
Stats:
AC 14 18 MA | Touch AC 14 | FF 14 |15 temp HP 37/37 | Int +4 | Perception +7 | Fort +4; Ref +8; Will +6; (+2 vs. Enchantment Spells/Effects) | Sense Motive -1

If we were willing to search the entire place top to bottom (take 20 on all rooms) I think it would be okay. Kivan will not be doing that as there is no sign of arcane magic here so he doesn't care enough to search long and hard.

"The marking are from a cult of some religion. For the other question, the town Karysgoral is only a days travel east of Restov."

K. religion: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31 Just to see how much Kivan actually knows about this cult of Gyronna.

Auchs

"While I do feel sorry for the fool I do believe that we were going to execute the bandit leaders for their crimes. I believe that the only one we were going to spare was The Stag Lord so we could put that river warden to rest, so I think he should be hung."


F Human Fighter 4/Monk 1/Aldori Swordlord 1 | AC:22 T:15 FF:17 | HP: 24/54 | Init: +4 (+6 when holding aldori sword) | Perception: +5 | Fort:+8; Ref: +9; Will:+6 (+1 vs fear)

Idris isn't afraid of getting her nails dirty. She'll search everything and everywhere, taking 20 if allowed.


Loot Table || Knife Master 6 || Perc +8 | AC 23++ / T 16++ / FF XX | HP 49/49 | Saves F +3/R +10/W +2

Linguistics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
K.Local: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

After they dealt with the loot, something called Pretty's attention. She took some burnt logs off the floor, ignoring any effect they could have if still hot, checking what it was that the logs covered.


F Human Fighter 4/Monk 1/Aldori Swordlord 1 | AC:22 T:15 FF:17 | HP: 24/54 | Init: +4 (+6 when holding aldori sword) | Perception: +5 | Fort:+8; Ref: +9; Will:+6 (+1 vs fear)

"Well, there were a few kids like him at the orphanage. No matter how old they got, they acted like 5-year-olds. Would we execute a 5-year-old kid because he was told by the bandits to do something? I don't think it's fair unless we at least give him a chance to do better, like we have Bara."

Speaking of Bara...

Whether the party rests here at the fort, or when they make camp, Idris will suggest a sparring match between herself and Bara. Swords using the flats of the blades, fisticuffs, or wrestling, whatever the half-orc woman would prefer, but Idris is in fine spirits, and when she's happy like this, she likes to fight.


Inactive

Maja takes a long look into Auchs, to see his true nature. Detect evil.


Male Tiefling (Oni-Spawn) Druid 4 | AC 19 (21/Barkskin) T 12 FF 17 | HP 31/31 | F +5 R +3 W +7 | Init +2

" I am all for executing the bandit leaders, but somehow, I don't think Auchs did much of the thinking. Like Idris said, if you hit a kid enough, they tend to act badly. I think that even if there is a bit of evil in his heart, it is not deeply ingrained. He seemed to view the fighting as a game, so I am not even sure if he realized the permanancy of some of his actions. "

Taking 10 on perception, so I get the 20 required

Jegred inspects the curiously piled logs, trying to see why they might be arranged in a certain way.

Sicarius growls slightly at Idris' touch, but Jegred reassures her that it is the dinosaur's equivalent of purring.

Grand Lodge

Kingmaker World Map Encounter Map Lords of Themselves Kingdom Tracker

Bara remains quiet as Jegred makes peace with her and Seraphina rejoices at the battle's successful conclusion.

Maja focuses her mind on the unconscious Auchs, and gets the subtle ache in her temples that signifies her target is of an evil nature.

The pile of bunt logs is rolled aside easily enough. The logs are old and cold, and chunks of scorched wood flake off in clouds of ash as the obstruction is cleared. Beneath the pile, you find a concealed trapdoor. It is five feet by five feet in area, made of thick wood, and reinforced with iron bands. Curiously, holes have been drilled through the wood in several places. The loamy smell of dank earth rises from this ventilation. The trapdoor is secured with a padlock set through a ring. This security measure proves short-sighted, as the matching key lays atop of the door it supposedly guards.

if the door is opened:

The lock is crude and sticks, but you force the key to turn and it snicks open. Pulling up the trapdoor reveals rough-cut steps that descend into the earth for twenty feet before ending at a wooden door.


F Human Fighter 4/Monk 1/Aldori Swordlord 1 | AC:22 T:15 FF:17 | HP: 24/54 | Init: +4 (+6 when holding aldori sword) | Perception: +5 | Fort:+8; Ref: +9; Will:+6 (+1 vs fear)

Idris continues to scratch Sicarius for a while, enjoying the feeling of the rough scales, reminding her of the lizards she used to catch and play with at the orphanage. "What a good fellow you are, yes..." she mutters gently to the dinosaur.

When the trap door is opened, Idris peers into the darkness. "I'll go first if you want me to... unless someone else prefers to."


Male Elf Wizard (Shadowcaster) (Conjuration Specialist) (Teleportation) 6
Stats:
AC 14 18 MA | Touch AC 14 | FF 14 |15 temp HP 37/37 | Int +4 | Perception +7 | Fort +4; Ref +8; Will +6; (+2 vs. Enchantment Spells/Effects) | Sense Motive -1

"I have no objections with the warrior among us going first as that would be the safest way to start our descent."

Kivan seems tired after the fight, and doesn't seem to have much to offer at this moment besides the wand.


Female Human Sorceress (Draconic) 2 |HP 16/16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|AC 16 T 12 FF 14 (Mage Armor) |Speed 30'|Resist Acid 5||CMB +3/CMD 15| HP 16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|Base AC 12 T 12 FF 10|Initiative +2|Concentration +6 (+10 to CD)|Perc +5 , Bluff +4, Diplo +4, Hnd An +4, Intimidate +8, Know(Arcana) +6, Ride +2, Spellcraft +6, UMD +8, |
Spells Used:
First level: 0 of 5 | Second level: 0 of 8 | Third level: 0 of 5 | BW: Used

"What is down there, do you think? You don't suppose he kept prisoners? Or more pets? Kivan, I think we should try out our new wand." Sera will cast Infernal Healing on herself and anyone else who needs it.

UMD: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
I don't think I need UMD for this, but just in case. 10 hp restored in one minute.


Loot Table || Knife Master 6 || Perc +8 | AC 23++ / T 16++ / FF XX | HP 49/49 | Saves F +3/R +10/W +2

"I'm right behind you, Idris! I believe they are keeping the women down there..." Pretty has her daggers drawn, in any case...


F Human Fighter 4/Monk 1/Aldori Swordlord 1 | AC:22 T:15 FF:17 | HP: 24/54 | Init: +4 (+6 when holding aldori sword) | Perception: +5 | Fort:+8; Ref: +9; Will:+6 (+1 vs fear)

Yes healing would be good, Idris was down 11 so I'll assume 1 use of the IH wand. Whoever has it, please mark that off.

Idris walks carefully down the little tunnel, sword at the ready.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21


Male Tiefling (Oni-Spawn) Druid 4 | AC 19 (21/Barkskin) T 12 FF 17 | HP 31/31 | F +5 R +3 W +7 | Init +2

Jegred and Sicarius follow Idris, creeping along into the subterranean chamber.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12


Inactive

"Auchs may be a simpleton, but I can sense the evil in him. Perhaps the corruption can be cast out in time. He does seem to have a sense of "fairness," as he put it."

Maja's head feels a throb as Sera uses the wand of Infernal Healing. "I prefer not to use that wand. I know you mean well, but there's a taint to that magic. You would be wise to use it sparingly, if at all." Once Auchs is secured from escape, Maja conjures forth light and follows along.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19


Loot Table || Knife Master 6 || Perc +8 | AC 23++ / T 16++ / FF XX | HP 49/49 | Saves F +3/R +10/W +2

Pretty is having fun when seeing the others mess around with the Infernal Healing wand. "I hear that healing method infuses a drop of demon blood on your body, and that's why you heal. Perhaps we will all become tieflings, given time?"

"You don't need to be so worried with the next door folks. Logic dictates that whatever is down here isn't dangerous enough to be needed in the defense of the keep. So rest easy."


F Human Fighter 4/Monk 1/Aldori Swordlord 1 | AC:22 T:15 FF:17 | HP: 24/54 | Init: +4 (+6 when holding aldori sword) | Perception: +5 | Fort:+8; Ref: +9; Will:+6 (+1 vs fear)

"There might be a trap, though. I don't think I see anything..."

Grand Lodge

Kingmaker World Map Encounter Map Lords of Themselves Kingdom Tracker

Pretty's reassuring words are proved true as nothing ill befalls Idris as she pushes the door open to reveal the room beyond. The door is old, partially rotten, and swollen in its frame - necessitating some force. With a dull scrape and a thump, the door pops open. Through the portal you find what once must have been the start to a fairly extensive underground complex carved underneath the defunct fortress. The walls are unfinished, and the floor simple flagstone. The room is large, forty feet wide by eighty feet long, with three sets of opposing corridors leading off into the darkness. A couple dozen feet in to each passageway, the hallway supports have crumbled and the hallways rendered impassable by a cave in of the thick, loamy earth. Boxes and crates of recent manufacture have been stacked against the perimeter of the room. Trade marks and bills of lading are still visible stamped and nailed to the trade goods. Pretty recognizes some marks belonging to large mercantile interests in Brevoy. You appear to have found where the Stag Lord stashed the majority of his ill-gained loot.

A dry, rattling cough draws your attention to the far side of the room, where a decrepit old man huddles under the cover of a makeshift shelter constructed from crates and pallets. The man is filthy, with dirt and grime caked on every inch of skin that his rude smock leaves uncovered. His balding head bears several grotesque warts and long, straggly hair, and he shades his eyes from the light of Maja's spell. An iron spike has been driven into the flagstone floor of the chamber, attached to a cruel combination of manacles and neck yoke. The man's arms and face bear deep mottled bruises, purple at the center fading to a sickly green at their edges.

"I don't know you..." the man rasps out in a thin and creaky voice. "And you're here without him." The old man sniffs at the air like an animal. "You smell of blood and sweat and gore. You killed him, then? You killed my boy?"


Loot Table || Knife Master 6 || Perc +8 | AC 23++ / T 16++ / FF XX | HP 49/49 | Saves F +3/R +10/W +2

"Oh gods..." Pretty just stands there, waiting for the others to speak with thing that looks like a man.


Male Elf Wizard (Shadowcaster) (Conjuration Specialist) (Teleportation) 6
Stats:
AC 14 18 MA | Touch AC 14 | FF 14 |15 temp HP 37/37 | Int +4 | Perception +7 | Fort +4; Ref +8; Will +6; (+2 vs. Enchantment Spells/Effects) | Sense Motive -1

"Yes, I killed him, and yes he was deserving of death. Why did he keep you down here?"

Kivan looks at the man unafraid to tell this man that his son was a monster. He probably knew it already.


F Human Fighter 4/Monk 1/Aldori Swordlord 1 | AC:22 T:15 FF:17 | HP: 24/54 | Init: +4 (+6 when holding aldori sword) | Perception: +5 | Fort:+8; Ref: +9; Will:+6 (+1 vs fear)

"Where's the curing wand? And some water?"


Inactive

"By the gods!" says Maja. "We need to unchain you. Where are the keys?" Maja goes to tend to his wounds. Heal: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13

Grand Lodge

Kingmaker World Map Encounter Map Lords of Themselves Kingdom Tracker

The old man cackles at Kivan's comment, laughter quickly turning into a horrid rattling cough.

"hehhehhehehhaaarrch! I always told that little shit I'd see him in his grave. Just like his mama. Key? He had the key. Come let a poor old man out of these chains. Ehehe!"

Bara speaks in a low voice from behind you. "That's the Stag Lord's father. There was no love lost between them, that was clear. I suspect the old man had something to do with the Stag Lord's condition. He has some skill at healing - some of the men had to come down here to receive attention or stitches."

GM dice:

1d20 ⇒ 20
1d20 ⇒ 14
1d20 ⇒ 12
1d20 ⇒ 13
1d20 ⇒ 2
1d20 ⇒ 4

Pretty:

nat 20 on perception The manacles and neck yoke restraining this man aren't actually locked.

Idris, Maja:

The old man is lying about the Stag Lord having the key


F Human Fighter 4/Monk 1/Aldori Swordlord 1 | AC:22 T:15 FF:17 | HP: 24/54 | Init: +4 (+6 when holding aldori sword) | Perception: +5 | Fort:+8; Ref: +9; Will:+6 (+1 vs fear)

"We found no key on the Stag Lord, old man."

Idris narrows her eyes. Something seems off.


Loot Table || Knife Master 6 || Perc +8 | AC 23++ / T 16++ / FF XX | HP 49/49 | Saves F +3/R +10/W +2

Weird - is the only word Pretty could use on this man, taking his condition. "And what do you think of him, Bara?"

Seeing no weapons on the man, she approaches him slowly, checking his mental condition. "And what else are you, sir? I mean, aside from the Stag's father? Why did he keep you here? Just answer our questions truthfully and we'll get you out of here."


Male Tiefling (Oni-Spawn) Druid 4 | AC 19 (21/Barkskin) T 12 FF 17 | HP 31/31 | F +5 R +3 W +7 | Init +2

Jegred's eyes narrow at this foul man, and Sicarius lets out a menacing growl beside him.

Jegred felt no love for this man's captors, but somehow this bloodthirsty man did not seem deserving of mercy, much less pity. No wonder the Stag Lord was such a bloodthirsty drunk. If I had been raised by a man who celebrated my mother's death, I would probably be pretty bitter too. Some skill at healing? Perhaps he is a cleric of some sort, although what god would let their servant live in such squalor is beyond me. A druid? An oracle?

Jegred knew that even if he was not a cleric serving an evil deity, that a few of his own kin, the druids, reveled in the wanton destruction that Mother Nature sometimes wrought. And who knows if this man is some sort of foul devil worshipper, or even gained his powers from a more destructive being.

Trying to at least determine if this man is part of his order, Jegred mutters some words at the Stag Lord's father in a strange tongue, and studies the man's face to see if there was some sort of comprehension.

Druidic:

" What sort of situation led you to be chained down in this basement? "

Grand Lodge

Kingmaker World Map Encounter Map Lords of Themselves Kingdom Tracker

Maja'a practiced healer's eye can tell that the old man's injuries are not serious, merely superficial. As she attempts to render aid to the man, he shrinks away from her touch and hisses.

"No! Keep your clammy hands from my body. I'll not be handled by the likes of you!"

The man's loud protests prompt another bout of coughing. He recovers after a few moments, and chuckles weakly at Jegred's words.

"eheeheh! You're a sharp one, you've the right of it. I've learnt from Gozreh, Lord of every lamb torn apart by wolves - King of poison-snakes in the watering hole, He who Starves the Deer in Winter! Oh, the lessons he's gifted upon me! Ehhehh!"

The old man slumps against the wall, sliding into a seated position.

"How'd I come to live here? Oh, it's a hard tale. I wasn't always so learned, young master druid. I was once like you - wonders of nature, the gift of life! All that rubbish! Gozreh's gift, life! His better gift - the womb that won't stop bleeding! She died, see, she died in childbirth. First thing that wretched boy did was cost me my love. But what is Death, when you worship Life? Oh, death would have no hold on her. I brought her back! I TOOK her back! You see, there are powers to study - fair ones - old ones. Trade a life for a life, they would. So I found one, a sick man, worthless, useless, a waste! I took his life with my teeth, I did, and I held my part of the bargain. I was a wolf! The wolf takes the sick deer, the old deer, that his mate might feed, that his cubs might live. A wolf! I was no different! As I sent that wretch to the beyond the powers I'd bargained with drew my love's spirit back to me. She rejected me! That b!!*$! She cursed my name and her spirit fled. Worse - my Grove felt the taint of my act and dared to exile me! I departed with naught but my robes and a few things, and my boy. I shared that lesson with him - the ones you love hurt you the most. He learned, and learned well. So here I am."

The old man trails off, exhausted by his rant. Bara breaks the silence.

"He's a lunatic," she says, hefting her blade. "I'll put an end to him and we can get on with this."


F Human Fighter 4/Monk 1/Aldori Swordlord 1 | AC:22 T:15 FF:17 | HP: 24/54 | Init: +4 (+6 when holding aldori sword) | Perception: +5 | Fort:+8; Ref: +9; Will:+6 (+1 vs fear)

"He's a murderer by his own admission, and boasts of it too. A swift and merciful execution is appropriate. "


Female Human Sorceress (Draconic) 2 |HP 16/16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|AC 16 T 12 FF 14 (Mage Armor) |Speed 30'|Resist Acid 5||CMB +3/CMD 15| HP 16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|Base AC 12 T 12 FF 10|Initiative +2|Concentration +6 (+10 to CD)|Perc +5 , Bluff +4, Diplo +4, Hnd An +4, Intimidate +8, Know(Arcana) +6, Ride +2, Spellcraft +6, UMD +8, |
Spells Used:
First level: 0 of 5 | Second level: 0 of 8 | Third level: 0 of 5 | BW: Used

Seraphina shook her head, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. A low, angry rumble sounded in the back of her throat as she spoke.
"Your wife gave her life bringing your son into the world and you honored her sacrifice by profaning her spirit and brutalizing the child of your love? Was it you that scored his flesh with acid as a sword-smith etches a blade? You turned the love and devotion of a child into a terrible, aching void that could never be filled with enough blood or booze to dull his pain. You made your son into a monster, but you are an abomination! A merciful execution is too gentle a justice for you!"
She extended her claw and fired off an acid splash at the man's feet.

"You will tell us what you know, old man. How many of your son's bandits are away from the fort and where? What is the hazard that surrounds this place? What is your name and what did you call your monstrous son?"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Ranged Touch Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21 Acid Damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Thought it was worth a try before we dispatch another possible source of information.


Loot Table || Knife Master 6 || Perc +8 | AC 23++ / T 16++ / FF XX | HP 49/49 | Saves F +3/R +10/W +2

Pretty lower her eyes and shakes her head. "Why do we only find trash down the road. Even their prisoner is a demented diabolic person... Makes me miss the Owlbear..."

After he had answered Sera's question, she will ask one last.
"Your chains are unlocked. Why didn't you get out of here?"


Inactive

Maja realizes that this man is truly insane. She steps back a safe distance, and eyes the man warily. "You're a monster. In your vain attempt to save your wife, you have caused so many others to suffer and die. How many widows have you created?"


Male Tiefling (Oni-Spawn) Druid 4 | AC 19 (21/Barkskin) T 12 FF 17 | HP 31/31 | F +5 R +3 W +7 | Init +2

Jegred recoils at the old mans mantra in disgust, narrowing his eyes at his bitter words. While Jegred knew that what he was about to do might cause strife among his companions, some of whom might want to put the man on trial, the pure vileness of this creature overwhelmed his sense of druidic neutrality.

Upon hearing Pretty's words, Jegred flashed to action, yanking his greatsword from behind his back and slicing through the wretched man's clothes, and ripping through flesh. This only happens if the man is still standing. Upon seeing his master's action, Sicarius lets out a roar and mauls the man with fangs and claws. If the man goes down, Sicarius will stop attacking.

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20Damage: 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (4, 6) + 9 = 19

Bite: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Claw: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19Damage: 1d4 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Claw: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13Damage: 1d4 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

We can question him after he goes down. I will cast stabilize on him when he does. He could be dangerous, and it seems like a trap if his chains aren't actually locked.

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The old man looks on without emotion as Seraphina blasts the dirt at his feet with acid, even as the caustic liquid sears his flesh and enhances the already wonderful smell of the room with a chemical stink. "This used to be a monastery devoted to Gyronna, the Angry Hag. Some ill befell them, and their dead no longer rest easily. Set foot upon the hill if you wish to question their bones! As for my boy's tools, I have no knowledge nor care of or for them. I'm just poor ol' Nugreh, and my boy's never had a name. Never earned one, never needed one. Just 'Boy'."

Nugreh opens his mouth to answer Pretty, but Jegred's sudden attack interrupts whatever he was about to say.

"AAAAARRGH!" he screams, holding the bloody gash in his side. "you mean to end me - very well, let it be ended for all!" Nugreh's bloody hands grab handfuls of dirt from the floor, and words of power start to spill from his lips - then Sicarius pounces. The ferocious dinosaur rends and tears, reducing Nugreh to a bloody pulp on the floor.

Kivan, Seraphina:

Nugreh had been attempting to cast Soften Earth and Stone, which probably would have collapsed the entire chamber around you.

Nugreh gurgles on the floor, his racking cough propelling blood out of his wounds as well as his mouth and nose. "I...see...my end," he whimpers. His eyes, rapidly losing focus, widen as terror spreads over his features. "No! You... what are...you doing here. No! You... cannot! We... We had... a bargain! No! I did as...you asked! I promised you... the boy! He's... been claimed? What? ...Who? You bow... before a... nymph? ...Even you? No! We had a bargain! A bargain! NOOOOOO, NOOOOOOOOOOO, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Nugreh's body contorts painfully and unnaturally. His head snaps backward, eyes rolling back in their sockets. His pathetic screams are choked off suddenly and violently as his neck breaks and his back kinks upon itself with a horrifying crunch. Nugreh's eyes blaze with flame briefly, and the stench of brimstone is added to the olfactory bouquet of the fort's basement. Nugreh twitches a few times and then lays still.

Bara breaks the silence again, rolling Nugreh over with the toe of her boot. "I would not bother restraining one who could reshape his body as a beast," she muses. "It seems there were far stronger chains binding him here."


Male Elf Wizard (Shadowcaster) (Conjuration Specialist) (Teleportation) 6
Stats:
AC 14 18 MA | Touch AC 14 | FF 14 |15 temp HP 37/37 | Int +4 | Perception +7 | Fort +4; Ref +8; Will +6; (+2 vs. Enchantment Spells/Effects) | Sense Motive -1

"Well that escalated quickly."

Kivan walks up to the old man, and begins to collect a pint of his blood.

"Next time warn us before you decide to kill someone we are questioning. While they might need to be executed attacking them before we know anything makes it so we rely upon deathbed words that can't be verified."


Male Tiefling (Oni-Spawn) Druid 4 | AC 19 (21/Barkskin) T 12 FF 17 | HP 31/31 | F +5 R +3 W +7 | Init +2

" I apologize for the sudden attack, but he was clearly a threat, and the order of druids do not kick out evil members. To be kicked out requires a truly heinous act, one that this man seems to have performed. I have come to call all of you friends, and knowing the destruction a man like this could have caused had he time to react was a risk I could not take. I would gladly kill a thousand wicked men than have any one of you harmed."

Jegred checks the man's vital signs quickly.

Jegred would have been very wary when the man revealed that he was a druid who had been kicked out of the order. Pretty's revelation would have been the last straw for him, and no sense of mercy can overcome his reptilian reaction to danger, especially when he is actually afraid of what might happen.


Female Human Sorceress (Draconic) 2 |HP 16/16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|AC 16 T 12 FF 14 (Mage Armor) |Speed 30'|Resist Acid 5||CMB +3/CMD 15| HP 16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|Base AC 12 T 12 FF 10|Initiative +2|Concentration +6 (+10 to CD)|Perc +5 , Bluff +4, Diplo +4, Hnd An +4, Intimidate +8, Know(Arcana) +6, Ride +2, Spellcraft +6, UMD +8, |
Spells Used:
First level: 0 of 5 | Second level: 0 of 8 | Third level: 0 of 5 | BW: Used

Seraphina was shaking with shock and outrage over the scene. Stinging tears welled in her eyes that hissed and burned as they spilled down her face as she contemplated the Stag Lord's childhood under the tender ministrations of such a fiend. "Never even given a name... so he made one for himself." She shook her head, unable to sort through the emotional fallout of this nightmare, pitying the enemy she had long stoked her hatred for. The hollowness she still felt ached mockingly, reminding her that she had sought to mend the hole in her own heart through blood and death, just the same. The monster was slain, but her father and brothers were still gone. Never again would she catch up their hands in laughter and joy and love. All she was left to latch onto was that they had put an end to it all, and that would have to be enough.

Wiping at her eyes angrily, she said, "Don't scold him too harshly, Kivan. Had he not acted quickly the wretch might have seen us uttering our deathbed words buried under a mountain of dirt, as I'm sure you noticed. I'm afraid to even ask what you mean to do with that blood..." she then turned to Jegred, pointedly looking away from what the elf was doing. "But he's not wrong, Jegred. We need to know you are with us, not making decisions that suit only you and your purposes. Clearly, he was a threat, but we will wring no more information from him now."

She casts light and detect magic and scans around for anything of interest. "Bara, he seemed to think the hazard is undead buried in the hill... does that sound likely? Seems like a dangerous means of protection. Also, he mentioned a nymph, didn't you tell us something about the Stag Lord researching nymphs and dryads and other fey?"

As she turns back to face her friends in the now brightly lit room, they see that another change has overcome her. Her eyes were lined with tiny, shining copper colored scales, now exposed that her corrosive tears had stripped away the vestigial flesh.
Level 4 physical change = acid tears and draconic eyeliner! ^_^

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
Knowledge(Arcana) if aura located: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23


Inactive

Maja sniffs the air, smelling the scent of brimstone. "You may have wounded him mortally, Jegred, but it seems his death came at the hands of another. Perhaps the price of his bargain for his wife's soul? This nymph, though, it seems that she is even more powerful."

Maja examines Nugreh, to see if she can understand more about the mysterious force that killed him. Heal: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 11 + 1 = 22


Loot Table || Knife Master 6 || Perc +8 | AC 23++ / T 16++ / FF XX | HP 49/49 | Saves F +3/R +10/W +2

She shakes her head on Jegred's pitiful excuse. "Put some more thought on it before killing someone else, Jegred. Maja went close to him to check his condition and he did not attacked. The chains were merely a representation of a much harsher form of confinement: at the mind. We have too many questions right now, so we need to find some answers first. He may be really a shapeshifter or even a wherewolf, but that does not matter much, does it? We need to focus on the next target, that group of bandits who were supposed to get back soon."

Pretty moves past the man, checking the caved-in corridors. She evaluates if they could go anywhere, cause maybe the cave in did not affect the whole tunnel.
K.Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
After her evaluation she goes back to the surface, stealthily, just in case.

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Kingmaker World Map Encounter Map Lords of Themselves Kingdom Tracker

Maja's examination of Nugreh's body doesn't turn up too much in the way of answers. His neck and back are broken, and his body folded up as if an enormous claw had grabbed and squeezed him.

Pretty is fairly sure that the collapsed areas are limited and could be dug through with some time and effort. The hill and foundations of the fort seem solid, so it seems likely that the passages were deliberately blocked off and not obstructed by natural cave-ins.

Bara nods thoughtfully at Seraphina's questions. "I believe him. The Stag Lord's men never seemed concerned with security overmuch. Only the one guard tower was ever manned. Restless dead buried in the hillside would be a guard and an alarm at once."

Searching through the goods assembled in the room, you have found another 10 build points worth of trade goods and equipment.

Pretty leads the way back to the surface to find the fort quiet and still, but reeking of gore. The hour has grown late and your exertions have been many, and one half of your charter fulfilled. The question looms large in your minds: What next?


F Human Fighter 4/Monk 1/Aldori Swordlord 1 | AC:22 T:15 FF:17 | HP: 24/54 | Init: +4 (+6 when holding aldori sword) | Perception: +5 | Fort:+8; Ref: +9; Will:+6 (+1 vs fear)

"If there are restless dead here, I'd like to be away from them before we sleep. Maybe we can head off a ways and make a camp?"


Female Human Sorceress (Draconic) 2 |HP 16/16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|AC 16 T 12 FF 14 (Mage Armor) |Speed 30'|Resist Acid 5||CMB +3/CMD 15| HP 16|F +2 R +2 W +3 (+1 vs Fey)|Base AC 12 T 12 FF 10|Initiative +2|Concentration +6 (+10 to CD)|Perc +5 , Bluff +4, Diplo +4, Hnd An +4, Intimidate +8, Know(Arcana) +6, Ride +2, Spellcraft +6, UMD +8, |
Spells Used:
First level: 0 of 5 | Second level: 0 of 8 | Third level: 0 of 5 | BW: Used

"We are likely safer in here from them. Whatever the Stag Lord was, I doubt he left himself exposed to such a threat. I don't feel right about leaving so much of value behind, either. I think we should contain or dispose of the newly dead tonight and then find these undead in the hill and dispose of them tomorrow."

She considers for a moment, "We are not far from where the Sootscales live, perhaps we could rely on them to keep watch over the goods and supplies we have found until we can make proper use of them."

Sera is proposing we spend one more day cleaning house. Tonight we rest together where we can keep a watch using the guard tower and tomorrow we give the Stag Lord's body over to the water as an offering to the Wraith and clear out the undead next.


Inactive

"Perhaps we should offer the Stag Lord's body to the river creature before the sun sets. He may be the source of these undead. Afterwards, I agree that we are safer in this fort than we are outside its walls. We also should decide what to do with Auchs."

Anyone need healing? Maja has one spell left and could use it to revive the bandit.

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