DM Jesse's Kingmaker PbP (Inactive)

Game Master Jesse Heinig

Vallen sizes up the Mivoni nobleman as he comes into the office. The dwarf crosses his arms over his blonde, twin-braided beard draped over his ceremonial leather apron, rocking back and forth on his heels while he silently judges Vladric's character.

Seems like a typical human noble from the northern realms. Ready to stick a sword in whatever is offending their honor today. He'll do just fine. He muses before his gaze shifts to the rolled up charter presented by Vladric.

Vallen takes the parchment and unfurls it, scanning over the script. A few moments pass while Vladric explains his past and Vallen reads the charter. Lowering the scroll, Vallen offers it to anyone that wants to read it next.

"Well, you certainly have the right documents and seem the type. I believe you. But I think you're under the wrong impression." The dwarf gestures to Cassandra, himself, and Jenya. "We're not nobility. I am Vallen Silverclasp- proudly a priest of Torag and stonemason by trade, sent by House Garess to oversee the planning and architecture of this newly founded city. I just happen to be the Grand Diplomat because no one else is. As you humans say, we're having to wear a lot of hats around here. Due to the remoteness of the location there's a shortage of qualified bureaucrats, right now... so I for one am glad true noble blood has come to lend actual authority to our rulership. If you hadn't arrived when you did we'd have difficulty justifying our kingdom's existance." He speaks bluntly, with little excitement. In all, the priest seems exhausted with the whole situation.

Vallen gathers up the pile of reports he was planning on going through. "We've spent the past week or so making contact with a lot of the native fey in the Narlmarshes and beyond, offering them protection and cooperation. Ilystria is, perhaps, the epitome of this effort, as she has offered to spend some time with us to better facilitate relations between our kingdom and the denizens of the First World."

With a sigh he starts to move towards the door, gesturing at the Fey Queen to follow. A report flutters out of his arms, which he bends over to pick up, causing another to slip out from his arms, and so on, while he speaks."On that subject, it's technically my duty to have a conference with you about the matters we discussed on the ride back. So Ilystria, if you'll follow me to my office..." The priest was clearly excusing himself to get to work, and trying to cram in as many as his duties as possible. After several agonizing moments of literal paper pushing, Vallen finally gathers up the last escaped document and exits the room.

The mention of Mivon piques Jenya's interest and she starts paying more attention to the young noble.

Vladric sees the human girl with black hair, goggles on her head, and a ramshackle looking firearm of some sort tucked into a holster on her belt perk up as he goes through his introductions.

Vladric... Vladric Zharatov. I've heard of you... she says squinting at the newcomer before snapping her fingers. That's right! You got the tar kicked out of you in a duel didn't ya? Hah. That was such big news that even Jovvox was talkin' about it for days and we don't really pay attention to what your nobles get up to. Jenya winces in sympathy. You really got a heckuva hidin' huh?

Ilystria furrows her dark green brows—closer to soft, finely textured blades of grass than hair—at Vladric's explanation of her companions' reluctance about accepting his help. She had only been acquainted with the mortals for a short while herself before they eagerly accepted her offer. She is about to refute his explanation by telling him so, but at the last moment thinks better of it. There was no need to hurt the man's feelings. Best to let him go on thinking it is the group's unfamiliarity with him that had them all hesitant to welcome him. And anyway, their circumstances weren't exactly comparable. Whatever the striking man's qualifications are, she is the mighty Queen of the Narlmarches and protector of the demesne of the fey. Not to mention the trove of wondrous items she had brought with her. Of course the mortals would want her assistance.

"I like him," Ilystria readily admits to the three whose company she finds herself a part of after Vladric makes his introductions. She acknowledges his courtesy with a regal nod before giving the kneeling nobleman's a smile of her own, warm like the rays of a gentle sun and child-like in its innocence despite easily being the oldest creature in the room. She listens to the rest of the exchange between all parties, most of which takes place literally and figuratively over her head, only interjecting when one specific comment rouses her curiosity. "Your right to rule comes from your blood?" Ilystria asks, baffled, looking from Vallen to Vladric. What an odd standard to determine one's sovereignty! If he spilled it, did that mean he was no longer fit to rule? If someone took it, would that person then be the new ruler? Mortal kingdoms had even stranger customs than Ilystria thought if that was the case.

The change in the fey queen's demeanor is visible as Vallen bids her to follow; cheeriness turns to disappointment and her wings droop enough that her delicate feet finally touch the floor. She looks from Jenya to Vladric, then back to Vallen's retreating form. "But that sounds like an interesting story," she grumbles. Nevertheless, she knows that, occasionally, duty must come before enjoyment, and so she follows him from the room. Just before crossing the threshold, she turns back. "I hope my friends here decide to keep you on, Lord Vladric. From what I have gathered so far, I think they could use all the help they can get." Ilystria offers one last warm smile before turning and striding from the office.

"Your right to rule comes from your blood?" Ilystria asks, baffled,

Vallen's response is measured, like a teacher giving a lecture. "Uhh.. yes. The concept of The Divine Right of Kings exists in most kingdoms around the known world. Essentially, the ability and right to rule a kingdom exists as a blessing of the gods. This blessing is passed down through the bloodline of the one that was originally blessed, and loyalty to them is loyalty to the gods."

He thinks for a moment before stating: "I suppose we don't have a primary diety watching over us here, but I pray every day for Torag to keep us safe and allow us to be a prosperous instrument in his Grand Plan. I am sure the other gods of civilized society, like Abadar, have also noticed our endevours. In any case, it can't hurt to have some qualified noble blood to smooth things along, eh?"

The dwarf is a little surprised that Ilystria actually follows him when asked. "You're not like the other fey, are you? You seem to respect the idea of responsibility." Vallen says bluntly.

"Will-o'-wisps!" Ilystria blurts as the colorful-haired man talks about lights seen in the swamps. "You should introduce yourselves to them soon. They enjoy playing little tricks on passersby, but I don't think your people will appreciate their humor," she advises before her attention is stolen away by the thunderous sound of stone crashing against stone overhead.

"Do not introduce yourself!" Cassandra yells as Ralan leaves to take care of things. She gives the fey queen a horrified look at her suggestion. Will-O'-Wisps were dangerous. False guides in the dark that lead people to terrible situations. Nothing was humorous about that. She was about to give the flying woman a piece of her mind when Vladric walked in. And as first impressions went she wasn't impressed. He looked like a lot of the pompous nobles that would sometimes visit the Medvyeds. The head of the house loved to have them meet him out on a hunt or in the fields and watch their discomfiture at having to slog through mud, bugs, and wilderness. Vladric looked like he might be able to handle it though. Maybe he wasn't so bad.

Then followed a lot of words Cassandra wasn't quite sure the meaning of. All she gathered was that Alexi was gone and Vladric was taking his place? That he was definitely a noble and part of the same sword-pact that had sent them here. That was good right? But she knew where Alexi stood with her and her...heritage. This guy was a question mark. How would he react? Would he be okay with more like her? How open-minded was he? A test maybe?

"So you are taking over from Alexi?" she asks with no small amount of uncertainty. "Okay. Our treasurer and councilor don't want their jobs because they moved out her to get away from civilization. We only have one trader coming this far south. We have a large influx of people, some which are former bandits who may or may not cause trouble. Rumors of trolls to the south and Lizardfolk to the west. A fey dignitary," she says indicating Ilystria. "An excitable gnomish explorer. And as we spread out we're starting to encroach on some monstrous creatures, a hodag and an owlbear so far. And all we have so far is a castle only partly built and a tent city. Oh, and we've already dealt with a werewolf." She pauses to take a breath and let that all sink in. "Still up for it?"

Weird "order of operations" head-canon, Vallen's response goes first, followed by Jenya's struggle to recollect her memories of Vladric's name, then followed by Ilystria's response and surprise upon learning human royal customs with Vallen giving a brief lecture/lesson for the Fey queen's edification, mostly; both Vallen and Lily leave to finish up some diplomatic details, then Jenya remembers about Vladric's dueling loss (this could occur even after Cassandra's response as an alternative too), and finally ends with Cassandra's response. :)

The Dwarven Forge-priest's mindful but subtly sarcastic response was something that Vladric was already all too familiar with (having had dealt with similar such sentiments during his tenure with the Mivon River Patrol) so it really wasn't anything that would have fazed the Mivoni Nobleman all that much although Vladric did make a something of uneasy sounding apology of "ah, I stand... corrected, Priest of the... forge...?" in response to both Vallen's strident correction about the Ruling Council's noble status (or rather lack there-of) and the Mivoni nobleman's nagging unfamiliarity with ecclesiastical hierarchy.

During Vallen's brief lecture in response to the Fey Queen's openly dumbfounded surprise at Human Nobility tradition, Vladric took in that opportunity to briefly give Akiros a questioning glance but otherwise did not add anything further. The Dwarven Priest's lecture was fairly correct though- but Vladric had found himself glumly ruminating more than once over the fact that Mivon itself had chosen a more forcefully direct manner in which to determine the right to rule since the subject of noble succession was not quite as clear cut as it was for such places as Taldor or Cheliax due to Choral's complete conquest of Brevoy.

But it still, it wasn't too bad of a situation, as Vallen had been the first to examine the newly amended Charter (along with giving something of a grudging acceptance to the Mivoni Nobleman's entry to said Charter) and the Fey Queen Dignitary did offer her words of tacit conciliatory support directly to Vladric before the two shorter of stature duo had to make their departure from Akiros' office.

The darker haired, be-goggled (well technically, those googles had been ensconced into position upon her forehead instead!) young girl... or rather, young lady- well, most likely in the non-nobility based sense of that term perhaps- hadn't really said much of anything further ever since Vladric had took the liberty of introducing himself to the returning members of the Ruling Council.

She was also in possession of an unusual-looking but still recognizable type of a rarely seen weapon though, which caused the Mivoni Noble to do a minor bit of a double-take upon noticing it. A firearm!? Why would somebody from distant Alkenstar be here in the Stolen Lands, of all places, so far from home...?

The squinting, youthful lass seemed to be engaged very deeply in some sort of consideration or thought- even apparently throughout the entirety of Vallen's impromptu lecture; She had this general appearance of doing her utmost darnedest to recall something digging at the back of her mind when she suddenly gets an epiphany of sorts as she blurts out about Vladric relatively infamous loss during the List of Suitors to the person that would become his mentor in the founding traditions of the Aldori Swordpact, the Grand Dame Eowyn Alderthane, with a triumphant snap of her fingers- her own personal revelation of actually hailing from the Mivoni Gnomish town of Jovvox notwithstanding perhaps!

It was clearly Vladric's turn to be dumbfounded with surprise at this bit of revelation from the now-revealed, fellow Mivoni expatriate although how she ever came into possession of one of the most often zealously guarded open-secret of the Alkenstar Duchy remained unclear but Vladric had this sneaking suspicion that the strange Gnomes of that town were heavily involved- even the most hardened of criminals and ne'er-do-wells from Mivon's seedy underbelly were loathe to incur their gnomish ire.

With a timely and rehearsed bit of coughing and throat-clearing, Vladric adroitly attempts to recover from the unexpected mention of his past public failure with a reply to Jenya's following sympathetic query of, "Why yes, it was rather ...quite a bit of, as you so colloquially put it, a heck of a hiding". Those early memories of that life-defining event came welling up unbidden in the Mivoni Nobleman's thoughts as he recalled the circumstances leading up to that infamous challenge.

At the time, having been caught up in the "new paradigm ideals" of the Rostland Bravo (from that very city of the same name!), Vladric, in his typical youthful bravado and arrogance of one at the cusp of age at twenty-three winters, attempted to lay challenge to the very foundations of the traditional Aldori style, by choosing to publicly give challenge to a very high profile target- the Grand Dame Eowyn Alderthane herself, who had once trained under auspices of the Premier Aldori Blademaster himself, Garen Aldori; she was among one of the very few students of his to have earned his (rarely given!) praise.

She further honed that deadly skill of hers throughout the countless duels in the Mivoni List of Suitors, despite the public changing of both her well-earned Aldori surname and her own noble heritage from the Rogarvian-Surtovan line, distant as it was (but quite distant enough to avoid the mysterious disappearance that befell all of House Rogarvia); Many of those duels involved Would-be "Suitors" in both name and intent, who had wished to establish a new Ruling Dynasty in the aftermath of Brevoy's sudden power vacuum but such attempts always ended to no avail against her considerable skill and experience... Vladric's own misguided challenge would prove no different, even in spite of his extensive usage of magical enhancements.

But unlike those times where she either disfigured, crippled, or even outright slew those hapless, losing Suitors (depending upon the severity of spoken offenses leveled against her), she instead not only spared Vladric but she even actually deigned to mentor him- but not before "drafting" him to her own personal project, the Mivon River Patrol, as it then came unto fruition. Indeed, of those who became 'Failed Suitors' in Mivon, their fates would always be in the hands of the victor and the cautionary tale of one such instance where the loser of a Mivoni public duel was magically transformed into livestock and served as a meal to their own families as a very cruel sort of punishment still proves quite apocryphal in the minds of many a Mivoni noble.

Giving a wan smile to Jenya, Vladric adds, "...Still, all things considered, I suppose I came off as quite fortunate, even for one who had ultimately became a 'Failed Suitor'."

Of the taller of the two human women that were still present in Akiros' Office, Vladric turns to regard the uncertain, possibly even quavering tone of query about the absent Noble, Alexei, coming from the one with strikingly stark-white colored, tied-back hair. Given the informal way she mentioned of this Alexei...perhaps those two had somehow been close with each other? I should tread most very carefully upon that subject.

But rather than asking the Mivoni Noble of what had become of this "Alexi" and where he had ultimately departed to (answers to which Vladric had no earthly notion or idea of, at any rate), the one called Cassandra then catches him by surprise as she suddenly goes into listing off the more specified details about the various pressing issues that had cropped up around the fledgling city.

Apparently, at least two others of the Ruling council are ambivalent about their present positions that neither of them sought and trade has been far and few in between- no real surprises there given the near stranglehold of the monopoly held by the League of Merchants to the south of these stolen lands; add in the variety of monstrous challenges to be had with an incomplete city plus a sudden influx of those with questionable... reputations. Still it doesn't seem all that bad with our visiting Fey Royal Dignitary and a gnomish explorer- quite possibly also from Jovvox too?

And then the athletic taller woman brings up the subject of that recent Werewolf problem that Emeria had in a sort of casual, off-hand manner. It had been- and still was, as a matter of fact- quite the talk of the town and how it had been peacefully resolved... all thanks to that very same lady that was speaking to him now; the only one among the Ruling Council, with some lycanthrope blood in her ancestry, that had the foreknowledge to solve that Werewolf problem to its' merciful conclusion. That much, Vladric had picked up from his conversation with some of the more talkative townsfolk in the past two days here. All this followed by yet another question posed to the Mivoni Nobleman.

It held a hint of a dare... just the barest of hints from a personal challenge of sorts- would he still be up for this seemingly insurmountable task?

It was the same sort of a challenge that was given to Vladric about seven years ago when he took up the task of serving in the newly established Mivon River Patrol- something not too dissimilar in difficulty though the locales were decidedly different. That and the circumstances as well, given that patrol had found itself increasingly working at cross-purposes with the very corrupt League of Merchants despite being supposedly ostensible allies with a shared purpose.

That final question did, coming from someone who had initially speculated upon about Vladric's own trustworthiness, hold much in the way of promise. That Cassandra could've just glossed over the various issues facing the newly established kingdom and Vladric might've been none the wiser (for a short period of time at least- though such things could never be covered up indefinitely); that she could've never even bought up that subject of the Werewolf as it was an issue that had already been successfully resolved. Yes, I am up for this- insurmountable challenges and all. Of course, there was no reason why he couldn't add in just a little caveat of his own...

Giving a slight nod of his head in assent, Vladric says in a solemn manner, "Of course, I humbly do accept these challenges- knowing full well that they may never truly cease." as he looks directly at Cassandra.

Giving a slight pause, Vladric then continues with, "In turn, I only ask that we all commit to this... blessed venture wholeheartedly as one; that we will not work against one another at cross-purposes, ever." although he seems to look towards Jenya and Akiros as well. Sheepishly, the Mivoni Noble adds in with a more confiding tone of voice, "I've had my fill of such... unfortunate things in the past."

Cassandra hid her true thoughts behind a mask of critical analysis as she looked at him. At first it was surprise and confusion. That was not the answer she expected. He didn't address any of the very pressing concerns weighing down on their fledgling city. He just called for unity which was depressingly cliche really. But the more she thought the more she realized how stupid it was to expect solutions. He didn't know their city or their problems well enough to make a judgement call. A smart choice actually. And the call for unity? Expected but...he didn't say it solely because it was expected. He meant it. He was up for the challenge.

Good, cause they needed all the help they could get.

"Well, then. Let's get to work."

"Succulently put, Miss Lupin," a voice says from outside the ring of rulership. A man stands outside the group, leaning lightly on a cane while holding several rolls of parchment. He's old, slightly over weight, and almost completely bald. What hair he does have is combed and cut with meticulous precision. He's suit is likewise, fitted, wrinkle-free, and every bit as clean and neat as the rest of him. But the most notably aspect is the almost youthful energy about him and the twinkle of purpose in his eyes. He is a man who has found new reserves of life and energy despite his advanced age. He picks up his cane and holds it in his other hand so he can reach out to shake Vladric's.

"Bartholomew Baxter, at your service Mr. Zharatov. Or Bob if it suits you." Feeble as he might seem, his handshake is as firm as any mans. "I regret that we haven't had a chance to meet these past few days you've been here. I wasn't actually sure about the reason of your visit. Too busy looking to the future to notice the present I guess. I help manage the day to day affairs of the kingdom and advise future growth. I have brought a few ideas to pass along to our illustrious guardians." He places the parchments on Akiros' desk and spreads a few out.

"I managed to talk Master Silverclasp down from his grand ambitions for the smithy to something more reasonable but no less worthy of a dwarf's time. With Lord Orlovsky's untimely abdication, the next project will be an important one. We could address the current needs with a Mill or Tannery, both excellent options to boost economy what with the new farm and ample trade with hunters. Or," he says rolling out a few more parchments with blueprints on them, "we can make a statement about the future. For instance, a library or a park. What we build now sets a precedent for the future. A library could mean we value knowledge, a park could mean we value respect of the land and nature, and a Mill would say we value comfort and trade. Just a theory I've been working with really. But with a transition of leadership, things will naturally become chaotic. And the actions we take during these times will be important. They will be remembered."

Akiros nods and rests his hands in his belt once more. He says, "We've had a rough go of it here, and worse still, the Stolen Lands have a reputation for chewing up new settlements. Every few years someone tries, and then things fall apart. People are skittish. The defeat of the Stag Lord has given them a glimmer of hope, but this settlement is still fledgling. Too many rough changes and people will start to leave. We must give them hope - a reason to stay, something to look forward to. Whatever you decide upon, we should make it well-known to the public - let them see that their heroes and leaders have matters well in hand, have plans and contingencies, and will not fall in the face of adversity." His face falls solemnly at the last part, as it reflects ever so personal relevance to him.

Ralan shouts back to Cassie, "Got it!" as he saunters out. He pauses at the doorjamb to give a hip-bump for her benefit (or embarrassment, depending upon your perspective).

I've updated the Quests list on the Campaign Info tab with new information!

In addition, you've completed the quest to map and pacify the Greenbelt, and established a capital city, which together net the party another 400 xp. Your next kingdom xp bump is for reaching size 5.

With Cassandra's simple declaration of "getting to work" given, Vladric felt as if he had just gotten past a few major hurdles in getting accepted by the rest of the group, at the very least.

With the timely addition of Mr. Baxter's auspicious entrance into the office of Akiros, Vladric heartily returns the elderly (unofficial?) Advisor's proffered handshake; "Well, Mr. Baxter... Bob, a pleasure to have met you as well; if nothing else, I'd say that was the warmest welcome I've gotten since arriving here, apart from Akiros and our Visiting Fey Queen." Of course, Vladric idly notes the conspicuous omission of any noble titling attributed to himself from Bob (as opposed to the mention of Lord Orlovsky- this likely being Alexei's official noble title in question) from such a warm welcome; but the Mivoni Noble didn't bother to hold it against the elderly man for it was innately understood that such respect would have to be earned the hard way. "I'd imagine that the reasons for my visit would not be privy to all but for a select few; still, I did arrive to personally see for myself just how safe the area is now; thanks to the efforts of those present, as well as those who have preceded before me."

Ralan's obviously directed hip-bump does cause Vladric to upraise his right brow just a slight bit but the Mivoni Noble keeps silent upon the matter while quietly pondering if it, a three party attraction, might partly be the reason for Alexei's departure... Yay for appropriate avatars? ;)

Listening intently to Bob's succinct summary about the various plans for the future of this fledgling Kingdom- in addition to nodding in agreement (plus a remark of "Well said.") at the boldly declarative statement given by Akiros, Vladric pauses briefly as he considers the various options laid out before him for the Kingdom's benefit. "Between the choice of either the Mill or the Tannery, the Mill seems like a solid choice; I've heard that a Tannery needs a bit more planning so that it doesn't interfere too closely against a populated area in its' daily operations."

"Still, I do like the idea of establishing a Library- knowledge is always useful... no matter the location; Magical aptitude, a by-product of acquired learning, will be of great help against such things like an attack by dragons- not that we'd ever be that foolhardy pick a fight with one." Guess that would be my Mivoni Noble's upbringing... worrying about dragon attacks... coming through with that remark!

"As for the Park, I'd say we should hold off on it for now; at least until an official, lucrative treaty between our Kingdom and That of Her Majesty Ilystria's has been firmly established. As I've understood it, this would be our Kingdom's very first establishment of diplomatic ties with another local power?"

Looking over to both Cassandra and Jenya, Vladric asks them, "You were both there, along with Forge-priest Silverclasp, as part of the Diplomatic Overture. Is there anything that the both of you could tell us about her demesne and lands? The people there, their defenses, possibly even trade opportunities, if any?"

Probably will ask Akiros about any copies of the previous charters at some point too- maybe the town's defenses will also be bought up at some point too.

Jenya grins at Vladric. They're fey. Basically we leave their area be and they won't prank us too much in return. If gnomes are any guide to how they'll behave. I wouldn't expect a load of economic activity or soldiers paradin' about.

Cassandra yelps in surprise at the hip-check and takes a swipe at Ralan as he heads out. She of course misses and when she turns back to the others her cheeks are clearly a but redder than average. "Right. Mill. Sure," she agrees. Thankfully, Vladric carries on giving her a bit collect herself. She could have words with Ralan later. And sharp pointing things. And dinner if he apologized. The awkwardness is mostly gone when Vladric addresses her and Jenya with a question.

"Her...lands are deep in the forest to the west and the people currently seems to be two fae pranksters we've met before. They were thankful we removed the bandits that occupied this area." She pauses and hesitates for a bit before saying. "And I am not sure about the queen part either. She tried to offer us rope, a healer's kit and other adventuring gear as if they were fantastical artifacts. Might be a fae thing but she sounded more like a terrible merchant." She shrugs not sure what to make of the odd encounter still.

Feel free to RP as you wish; when you are ready to continue, let me know if you want to chase down one of the quests or rumors, or if you want to try to address your kingdom's change of leader issues and see if you can mitigate the penalties via personal action.

Following Jenya's line of thought upon the nature of the fey, Vladric amends his thinking on the kingdom's prospective alliance with Ilystria's Fey Dominion with, "In other words, it would be far better for us to have them upon our side rather than against. Fair enough, let's hope that our Grand Diplomat and our visiting Fey Queen come to a fairly mutual agreement of alliance then.", after giving that a nod of consideration.

Guess Ilystria and Vallen could play out their agreement of alliance or maybe have it hand-waved for later? ;)

In following Cassandra's line of thinking, Vladric listens carefully to the lycanthrope-descended Marshal's observations before adding in his own thoughts on the matter, "Just the mundane rope and healer's kit... nothing else of any note about the other gear offered? And who are these other two fey pranksters that you've already met before?"

Once he gets those two questions answered, Vladric would pause to collect his thought before continuing on with, "Assuming that we take her at her word that she is indeed royalty, your mention of her sounding quite... mercantile, it does somehow remind me a little bit about the Qadiran Merchant-Princes; because their inheritance are usually run through the matron-lineal lines instead of the other way around, many males of Qadiran noble descent would resort to becoming actual Merchants to remain financially solvent. Might there be something similar going-on for the Fey?".

If/when that query gets answered, Vladric will add in, (if he gets suitably informed about the Faerie Dragon and his Grig friend or not), with a rhetorical comment of, "Still, it might not be a bad idea to put out some inquiries about our visiting Fey Queen to the other local fey about this; see what they think of her... presuming that they'd be open to talking about that subject, of course."

At some point, Vladric would ask Jenya, "I couldn't help but to notice that you carry a most... unusual weapon. By chance, have you ever spent time over in the Grand Duchy of Alkenstar?" Possibly as an aside conversation or during part of the discussion? Not sure yet on how it should be played out.

Also, at some other point, Vladric will also mention to Akiros, "I had originally stopped by to visit your office to see if you had any of the older copies of the various Charters as they were amended down- all the way through to the very first charter. But now that I think about it, I wanted to ask you," then the Mivoni noble looks over to Bob, Cassandra, and Jenya , "please do feel free to comment in as well; apart from Lord Orlovsky and myself, are there any others, either as part of the ruling council or those listed by the charter, who could be considered as part of the nobility? It doesn't necessarily have to actually be of noble blood- something like an elected Andoran States-person or a high ranking Kalistocrat would also qualify... maybe even something like those Qadiran Merchant-Princes that I mentioned of earlier."

May just have Vladric put the "feelers" out for ennobling others and save the "right of refusal" stuff for another day. ;)

At another point, Vladric will ask Cassandra, "Earlier, you mentioned something about an Owlbear and a... Hodag. I've some vague notion about what an Owlbear is- although I've never personally seen one alive or whole. Never heard about this Hodag creature before. What are they?"

Gotta start that Hodag stew somewhere. ;)

Hodags are magical beasts, so Knowledge (arcana) DC 16 to get pertinent info. You can take 10.

When Vladric comes with questions, Akiros answers crisply, "Technically speaking, the only individual here with a distinguished lineage - of which I am aware - is Kesten Garess, our militia captain. He is from an influential family, but came to the frontier after certain... indiscretions. Neither Miss Lupin, Miss Jenya, or Master Silverclasp are of noble lineage." He rummages through a well-organized file and brings out the earlier versions of the charters. "My understanding is that the Swordlords have always had one member of noble lineage here to guide these undertakings, and the other members are here to support in those endeavors and take on responsibilities as suited to their capabilities."

"Very good. I shall pass along the request to our Diplomat slash Architect. Should make him less sullen." Bob gathers the papers and hobbles off to Vallen's office with the good news. The dwarf got to build again.

"Thanks again," Cassandra says as Bob walks off. She turns back to the conversation, Vladric in particular.

"Perlavish and Tig-Titter-Tut," she says and goes on to describe to the two small fae. "I don't think you can really apply anything human, or anything from our world, to fae. They just, are." She always been told fae were unknowable because they came from a different world, with different rules and different values. They had courts and seasons and all manner of strange things. They were just strange. The two fae didn't seem so bad but they were still hard to figure out. Especially the new "queen".

"All I know is that there is a real threat here and one that I need to see to. I know Owlbears but not Hodags. I think it's magical or something." She looks around for someone to speak up about it. All she knew was that it was a threat.

Don't know much about magic stuff myself Jenya says scratching her head. How'm I going to protect folks from stuff if I don't know the first thing about 'em? the young woman thinks to herself, frustrated.

Akiros shrugs as well. "I'm afraid that the lore of magical beasts was not part of my training," he says apologetically. "But if it was stabbed with a magical spear and simply went on its way, it is probably safe to assume that it is more dangerous than a wolverine or mountain lion."

You lay in some provisions and decide to try to track down the hodag by following the directions given by the lumberjack, Stas.

Loading up your horses (or your pack, in Cassie's case), you set out to the northwest, following the Skunk River through the woods until you come to the nixie pond. Following Stas' directions, you then break west and go through the dead part of the forest where the scythe tree dwelled, and reach a spur of the Murque River. Crossing at a narrow ford, you reach a break in the forest where the land is flat and grassy for a few miles - perfect farmland, well-watered, with dark soil. You camp here and spend a night under the starry springtime sky.

After spending a day exploring this area and determining that it's just forest, you add it to your map and carry on.

The next day you continue west, heading into unkonwn parts of the Narlmarches. The forest is darker here; you follow a narrow lane through the trees, about a mile wide, with the forest visible on either side, looming over you like a green valley. Your path arcs northwest again and you reach a murky, muddy part of the woods - no surprise, as much of the Narlmarches has that kind of terrain.

The area you enter has numerous cave-like hollows and deadfalls. While exploring you find a large, deep cavern, from which Cassie can smell a distinctive turtle-like smell, as well as the putrid stench of decaying flesh and bones.

I've updated the overland map with your route; you incidentally explored another hex on the way (100 party xp). Let me know your plans to prep for entering the cave! 10' cave mouth.

Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

Ilystria mentions while you travel, "These 'hodags' as you call them, I have seen before. They are large, ornery beasts with horns! And a spiky tail! They are ferocious and tough and they toss their prey around with their horns. Fortunately they do not have any charms or glamours. Your fire-sticks should be perfectly adequate to tickle one."

"What if we want to do more than tickle?" Cassandra asks, concerned about her effectiveness in this encounter with a bow.

**On the way**
Finally managing to struggle her way through Torag's teachings Jenya returns the book to Vallen.

Yeah, you were right. Sure some of the stuff in there makes sense. Family and all, but is it really so important how sturdy the materials are to be and how many rivets are acceptable or not acceptable to use in the construction of a wheelbarrow?

Jenya sighs and looks up at the stars. They were a whole heck of a lot easier to understand. They were there. They were pretty. And they filled her with wonder. That felt more real then the traditions and procedures that Vallen put so much stock in.

**Outside the cave**
Fire sticks, right, I can do that Jenya says readying her pistol. Stay away from the horns and shoot at it

On the way

Vallen accepts his holy book with the gentleness of a newborn, sliding it into the holster on his hips opposite of his pistol. The dwarf felt much better walking around- without the book he felt off-balance, literally and figuratively.

The priest gives a hearty chuckle at Jenya's reaction, bowing his head in reverence to the passage he is about to recite. ""Bless this wheelbarrow, O Forge Father, that with it thou mayst haul your sacred Mithril, in thy industry. And the miners did rejoice and did feast upon the beers and breads and lichens and bats and and cave crustaceans and purple tubers and the Five Mountain Oysters..." Vallen looks up sheepishly. "That part goes on a bit.. I'll skip ahead."

He takes a breath and continues. "Now did the Forge Father say, "First thou gatherest the Holy Rivets. Then thou must count to three. Three shall be the number of the rivets and the number of the rivets shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count two, excepting that thou then proceedeth to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the number of the rivets, be reached, then hammerest thou the Holy Rivets in the overlap of thine sheet-metal, who, being naughty in my sight, shall bind it."

Vallen lifts his head and shrugs. [b]"It is one of the earliest passages in Hammer and Tongs... While we have a proud tradition of passing on exact texts, much has been lost since The Quest for Sky, so perhaps it shouldn't be taken literally. Obviously wheelbarrow construction for hauling mithril ore, our most sacred of metals, was of great importance to ancestral Dwars and perhaps a holy ceremony was involved. You may scoff at the thought of constructing a ceremonial wheelbarrow, but to this day any time a new batch of mithril graces our smelters it is a cause for celebration!"

Outside the Cave

This poor Hodag doesn't know what's about to hit it.

What kind of light source are you all using? We have some humans along after all.

Dismounting from his horse, Vallen sizes and tightens the belt holding onto his pistol holster. "Right. Fire-sticks. Ugh, Firing a gun in an enclosed space is not a pleasant experience. Cass, you may want to put some cotton in your ears..."

After dispensing advice Vallen begins to dispense blessings. He goes from person to person, the power of Torag enveloping them.

Vallen casts Aid, Shield of Faith, and Bear's Endurance on Vladric

Vallen casts Weapon of Awe on Cassandra's bow and Jenya's gun

Letting his silver holy symbol fall between his braided beard, he reaches for his pistol and draws it from the holster, carefully loading a ball. "Torag's blessings should last approximately four minutes. Let's get in there, end this threat, and go home."

Well I can see why you like Mithral Jenya says fingering the links of her chain shirt which is made of the wondrous material. But yeah. Let's get this done with.

Ready. Jenya's probably second in marching order if Vladric's in front. Jenya also has her own Ioun Torch so that'll provide illumination.

"and cave crustaceans and purple tubers and the Five Mountain Oysters..."

...and orangutans. Your quotes are getting better and better.

On the Way

"That can't really be what your book says?" Moira asks, incredulous. No wonder it was so big. It rambled on for no reason.

Outside the Cave

Moira looks at the cave as she strings her bow. Ilystria had not been forthcoming with anymore info on this Hodag and Moira didn't know what to expect. But considering their group, fighting in the cave would not go well. At least not as well as it could if she flushed it out first. Just like the boar they fought when they first got here. "I'll flush it out. When you here the Thunderstone get ready." She reached into the pouch at her side and palmed an unassuming rock as she stalked forward.

Shift for +2dex and darkvision. Don't forget scent.

Stealth: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

***During the travels***

Know:Arcana, building upon what Ilystria had said: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22.

"Your Majesty, the mention of such a creature using its' horns and having a spiky tail- it does bring back some kind recollection that I had of such a beast..."

***Hodag-Home***

Thank you Vallen, the Buffs will come in most handy indeed. In terms of light sources, Vladric will also make use of his Ioun Torch.

"Much appreciated, Forge-Priest Vallen. With the blessings of your god, we will be in a much better position to finish off that beast."

Vladric will have either his Boarding Pike out (great for bracing against sudden charges or attacking with reach) or his Living Steel Aldori Dueling Sword out (if there's no room to wield that pike).

"Splendid idea, Cassandra; that should make the creature come out to fight on our terms instead of having the advantage by being in its' lair."

***In Akiros' Office, 2 days ago***

Upon listening to Cassandra's description of the two fey courtiers of the visiting Fey "Queen", Vladric says to the Lycanthrope-blooded Marshal, "Duly noted and thank you for that honest assessment; for the moment, we may have to take their word for it until we know otherwise."

Know:Nobility, what did Keston do to get sent out here?: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20.

After hearing Akiros' answer about the nobility, Vladric nods and says, "I see; I'm a bit surprised that there hasn't been more of the nobility sent out on these sort of expeditions; they tend to be ideal for sending off unwanted nobles- whether it be to test their mettle or to deal with their...indiscretions, as you had mentioned."

"Still, in light of the fact that this Kingdom doesn't have much in the way of other noble houses to balance out any social disparities, it may end up being a problem if the number of nobles with indiscretions were to suddenly increase as opposed to those merely testing their mettle. Perhaps we could take a page from the Taldans with their exultation ceremonies; Akiros, I'd want you to see if there might be some way of elevating certain non-noble individuals- maybe those, say, in the Ruling council- to the ranks of the nobility."

"In the interim, if an injured Hodag would prove to be more dangerous to the locals out here than not, then it would behoove us not to ignore such an opportunity to finish it off."

***During the travels/On the Way***

During the next morning, after all that of discussion of Torag's faith from the night before, Vladric will prepare some coffee for the party. "During my time in the Mivon River Patrol, this Qadiran-Garundi beverage, Coffee, was a favorite among most of the crew there."

Anything else could be gleaned about these Hodags from my roll?

***Hodag-Home***

Aid (+1 to attack, Vallen, do you want to roll for the temp hit points, or should DM Jesse Heinig?), Bear's Endurance (+4 Con=18, 8 more hit points to 44), and Shield of Faith (+2 AC=20) now in effect.

For now, Vladric will be in front, readying an action to either brace for attack (ie, low initiative) or attack when the Hodag shows up.

You can go ahead and roll for it, rolling dice is fun! I forgot to be honest...

Vallen's eyes light up at the sight of Cass' thunderstone. "Ah, lure it out! Your mind for tactics is a blessing from Torag's indeed."

Ready action to shoot at the Hodag if it takes the bait

Jenya takes up position to have an open shot when, whatever is in the cave, comes rushing out.

Ready action shoot

Sorry for the delay. New map up! New players, let me know when you've popped in and I can give you control over your character token.

Cassie smells it before she sees it - it smells like angry lizard. Not an unfamiliar scent. Her boots make shallow prints in the muddy cave flooring as she advances until she spots dim red glowing eyes in the dark.

Vladric: Initiative: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Jenya P.: Initiative: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23
Cassandra: Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Vallen: Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

Hodag: Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

ROUND 1
Battle order
Party <--
Hodag

Looks like you're all up before it can go, in a stroke of lucky dice!

On Touch with weapon of awe: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 9 + 2 = 31
On Touch confirm with weapon of awe: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 9 + 2 = 17

Jenya moves up to within 30 feet of the red glowing eyes and fires Misfire right at it. Misfire does not live up to his name in this case and the bullet flies very very true.

Damage with Up close and deadly: 1d8 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (7) + 2 + (5) = 14

If crit confirm additional damage: 3d8 + 6 ⇒ (7, 5, 5) + 6 = 23

Shit. Cassandra really wished Ilystria had given them more information. Because she was fairly certain it was looking right at her. Thankfully it seemed to be waiting for her to move before it pounced. Well it was in for a loud surprise. Cassandra tosses the Thunderstone with a quick underhand throw and runs.

To hit space in front of Hodag AC 5, second increment: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 6 - 2 = 14

Also, no one should be in the cave right now. Just me. Same tactic we used on the boar. Flush it out and attack together. DC 15 fort or be deafened for an hour.

Sure. I'm happy to retcon Jenya being outside of the cave and having a readied shot for when the hodag comes out of it. She'll be positioned twenty feet away from the mouth of the cave

Moved Vallen on the map, now outside of the cave.

Vallen flinches as the concentrated blast of sound roars from the cave. He sets his pistol into the notch on his buckler, pulling the hammer back with a thick thumb. Watch over us Torag, for we bring your Order to this forest today.

As Cass runs out of the cave and the dwarf trains his sight onto the entrance. The first thing that comes out is getting a heaping helping of lead!

Readied action: Attack Hodag when it is within 20' after it exits cave

Pistol attack vs touch ac: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

damage, point-blank shot: 1d8 ⇒ 5

No problem. Cass goes in first.

Cass hurls the thunderstone and it smashes to the floor with an echoing bang that fits its name.

Hodag: Will save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

The hodag shakes its head, roars, seems confused that it can't hear its own roar, and charges at Cassie - just as expected. Its thick, spiked tail drags behind it, leaving furrows in the ground and churning up the soil!

As the hodag bursts forth from the cave, Jenya drops the hammer on Misfire, and the gun belches and lead slams into the beast.

Hodag: Will save vs. weapon of awe: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Blood sprays out as the bullet blasts through its shell, sending fragments flying through the air. Regardless, the hodag completes its charge against Cassie, lunging at her with its enormous jaws. It snaps at her and tosses its snout upward.

The hodag has reach, so it can hit Cassie from this location. Only a single strike though, as it doesn't have Pounce.

Hodag: Charge and bite: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24
Hodag: Special combat maneuver: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (5) + 15 = 20

Hodag: Bite attack: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

The hodag's bite grabs Cassie by the leg as she's scurrying away from it, then it thrashes around like the angry lizard that it is and hurls her through the air. She flies about 10' and lands in a heap!

Falling damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Cassie is prone.

Vladric's turn, then I'll bot Ilystria!

You can go ahead and roll for it, rolling dice is fun! I forgot to be honest...

No prob, will do then. :)

temp hitpoints: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10.

10 temp hitpoints it'll be for a total of 10 temp/44 real. ;)

Got into the roll20 map- judging from his present position next to the Hodag, Vladric uses his Aldori Dueling Sword. :)

2-hands:attacking Hodag with Vallen's help: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28.

if damaging: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6.

For now, I'm presuming that making a prepared readied attack precludes using that free action to Bloodrage; will do so next round then.

Seeing the Hodag chase after Cassandra, Vladric waits until both Jenya and Vallen make their respective firearm attacks, then strikes at it from the opposite side of its' body with his Living Steel Aldori Dueling Sword while the Hodag's attention is concentrated elsewhere. Yes, I do recognize this creature, this so-called "Hodag"! We Mivoni have long hunted them but they're known to us as "Mock-Drakes"...

Vladric's strike lands, but still the beast does not fall!

Who's up?

Ilystria, which means me. Busy weekend.

The faerie queen adjusts her position as best she can, then unleashes a wave of rippling air that blasts outward with a chiming of faerie bells. The bolt leaves destruction in its wake, blasting leaves and grass up and causing the ground to heave in a wave.

Ranged touch attack: Sonic blast, into melee: 1d20 + 5 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 5 - 4 = 15
Sonic blast damage: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 3) + 3 = 7

The hodag roars but somehow staggers on! It turns its formidable bulk to deal with Vladric.

Hodag: Bite: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30
Hodag: Claw: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
Hodag: Claw: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
Hodag: Tail: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

Vladric finds himself buffeted and impaled!
Hodag: Bite damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Hodag: Claw damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Hodag: Tail damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Party up! Ow! 29 damage to Vladric.

Vladric will spend 1 panache point to make an Opportune Parry and Riposte; he'll try to block the claw attack with an AOO-2 due to size difference.

Parrying: 1d20 + 10 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 10 - 2 = 14. Not successful though.

Before Vladric could even react (after Ilystria makes her fey-based sounding-attack upon the creature), the Hodag twists around with a speed that belies its' seeming bulk as its' bite, claw, and tail swipe easily strike home past the Mivoni noble's defenses, both passive and instinctive.

Wincing with each hit but still keeping upon his feet, Vladric figures that he'll only be able to withstand one more barrage of such attacks from the Hodag. I'd better make my next attack count!

Vladric will go into his controlled Bloodrage when he is up next...

Round 2

Vallen grimaces as Vladric gets savaged by the Hodag, and Cassie goes flying through the air with all the ceremony of a goblin feast.

With practiced precision he grabs an alchemical cartridge from his belt, rips open the paper with his teeth, and stuffs the whole thing into the barrel of his pistol with a ramrod.

Stepping to the side to get a clear shot on the beasts hide, Torag's Fire belches a glut of smoke, flames, and lead at the beast.

Move action: Load Alchemical Cartridge into pistol

Standard action Shoot!

pistol attack vs touch AC, point-blank: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 6 + 1 = 16

damage, point-blank: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Something hit her from behind and her world view changed rapidly in a very short amount of time. First it was pain, then green, then more pain, then sky, then green again, and settled on pain. But the pain was dulled thanks to adrenaline. For now, Cassandra didn't know the extent of the damage. There was just a vague throbbing in her foot and leg. That was going to hurt soon. But for now she was just slightly dazed. She gets up and avoids putting too much pressure on it (it probably wouldn't hold the weight anyway). She takes a few precious seconds to get her bearings and turns to the creature that tossed her like a rag doll. On instinct she draws her bow and adds some supernatural oomf to the end point.

Horizon Wind Lancet+PBS: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 8 + 1 = 13
Damage+Fire+Weapon of Awe: 1d8 + 3 + 1 + 1d6 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 1 + (4) + (3) + 2 = 19

Move: Get up (Ow). Swift: Change stance for 1d6 fire damage. Standard: Hprizon Wind Lancet Maneuver.

Seeing the dragon like creature cause major damage to Cassandra and Vladric causes the young gunslinger to grit her teeth. The only way out now was to end the beast's life. She relods her weapon with practiced motions very similar to Vallen's and then fires Misfire. The bullet flies true.

On Touch with weapon of awe Point Blank and Deadly Aim: 1d20 + 9 + 2 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 9 + 2 + 1 - 2 = 29

Damage with Up close and deadly and Deadly aim: 1d8 + 2 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 + (2) + 2 = 8

The massive beast clobbers Vladric severely, beating down his guard and forcing him back on his heels. He barely has a moment to catch his breath. Cassie leaps back to her feet and prepares to fire, as Vallen and Jenya simultaneously bring their pistols to bear and belch flame and smoke. The hodag lets out a tremendous roar as the bullets rip through its flesh and then it pounces once more at Vladic, nearly knocking the swordsman off his feet, only to lie dead inches from him. The tip of its tail twitches for several seconds.

The hodag's "lair," such as it is, is a shallow, muddy cave. Scattered about are bones (mostly human) from its prey, as well as remnants from people who were dragged to an untimely demise and turned into fewmets. Lumberjacks and bandits alike have fallen prey to its spiked tail and nasty bite.

LOOT!
From now on I will always tag with LOOT! so that you can find it with a thread search if you need an easy way to reference back. Also, I added a link to this post to the swag bag update.

Among the bodies you find:
* Three handaxes
* A masterwork greataxe
* A suit of +1 studded leather armor
* A +1 keen spear that apparently was rubbed against the wall several times before it dislodged from the hodag's back

Defeating the hodag earns each party member 320 experience points, and you will earn more when you report back to your settlement.

What's next?

Vallen has sunk his teeth into the next paper cartridge as the Hodag skids to a halt in front of Vladric.

The dwarf pauses, staring at the beast until the taste of gunpowder gets to be too much for him. Spitting out some paper and grains of powder, he wipes his mouth off and tentatively approaches the beast.

"It's uglier than one of Droksar's Forge-sworn. Seemed about as mean as one, too." He sighs, holstering in his pistol and taking up his holy symbol. "Make sure it's dead. "

Lifting the small silver hammer into the sky, Vallen calls upon Torag's might. Positive energy erupts from him in waves, closing the wounds of his companions.

Channel positive energy: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 1) = 6

Channel positive energy: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7

Channel positive energy: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 4) = 8

22 total healed

The priest pokes around the cave with a sour look on his face, identifying some of the magical equipment they found. "This must be the "legendary" spear. It's quite potent, but I don't think anyone is going to write songs about it."

How far away are we from the place the trolls were sighted?

The armor's nice Jenya notes But I think what I got on is just as good. So. she shrugs. I'm sure someone else can get use out of it and the spear. The young girl grimaces at the bones Thing was a person killer though so it's a good thing we put it down.