Veronica lines up another attack with her bow, while Moondancer lashes out at the owlbear as it creates an opening.
As they seem to be effective, Seres sticks with archery against the massive beast.
;
Larisa reloads hastily, shooting the enraged beast.
The combined assault from Veronica, Seres and Larisa pierce the enraged owlbear through the neck and head with multiple bolts and shafts. The gigantic beast gives a violent shudder and then collapses to the ground in a bloody heap.
Seres breathes a sigh of relief, then approaches the beast cautiously, arrow drawn in case the thing is not truly dead.
Larisa relaxes as the beast falls. Quickly she dismounts and heads over to help Connor up. "You okay?"
Dazed from the fall and the time distortion from the hit, Connor accepts Larisa's offer groggily, "It feels like it's been weeks. Hard to fight through the crippling damage."
The cavalier steadies himself and after checking on Cinder looks to the creature.
"We should plan to drag the carcass back to town to encourage the population. But first..." he pulls the great axe from the saddle, "We need to ensure there isn't a mate or offspring."
Larisa looks sadly at the downed behemoth. "Such a specimen, I wonder what made it attack our town." She says, laying a hand on it's head as she grips the Green Man's Ankh. "We did what we had to do, I'm sorry." As Connor walks past into the cave Larisa follows, preparing her own weapon.
Seres gives Larisa a sidelong glance, not sharing her sentiment. "Creatures of the First World are often larger, faster, more feral... like rough, prehistoric versions of our own fauna. But owlbears are magical mutations, not natural animals..." He shakes his head, shrugging.
As you study the slain owlbear, you note that it wears remnants of studded leather barding.
Descending further into the caverns, you eventually finally the lair of the beast. The ceiling of this huge cavern arches thirty feet into the air. A murky pool of water stands in the western portion of the cavern in front of a narrow passage, little more than a crack, that opens in the wall. Wider, sloping tunnels lead out of the cave to the north and southeast. A jumble of bones, rocks, fur, and feathers sits piled against the southern wall.
Searching the area, you find the body of a slain human barbarian. A search of the body turns up a map of the Greenbelt with New Town and the owlbear lair clearly marked. The body is still outfitted with his gear: a chain shirt, a longsword, a ornate ring, fine leather gloves, two masterwork throwing axes, two potions, a jar of ointment, a vial of antitoxin, two smokesticks, a tanglefoot bag, two thunderstones, and 34 gp. In addition, you find coins worth 220 gp around the lair.
As you search the lair, you hear a sad chirping from a nearby cavern. A malnourished owlbear cub waddles into the lair and looks at you inquisitively.
After detecting magic and studying the loot you are able to identify the magic items as follows:
+2 chain shirt
+1 longsword
ring of bestial friendship
two potions of speak with animals
a jar of restorative ointment
gloves of swimming and climbing
"Let's take the body and see if anyone knows the man. Barbarian, though? Highly unlikely. Wonder if he was using this ring to control the creature."
Connor goes back to the wilderness and starts to cut down a tree or two to use as a makeshift litter to drag the owlbear carcass back.
"The cub? What do you think, Seres? Any chance of raising it safely? Let Jax and the boys figure out a way to use it as a warbeast or a guardian? Other options are to leave it on its own or ... not."
He looks down at the cub sadly.
Larisa looks over at Seres expectantly. "You guys are raising worgs, what's one more magical abomination?" She says.
Seres looks around, as though he just realized he'd forgotten to bring something. "Where are those pesky pups, anyway?"
New Hope's great capital city slowly returns to it's usual tranquil pace in the days following the olwbear rampage. In time, the city will have forgotten all about the attacks of the marauding trolls and monstrous owlbear. Naught shall remain but tall tales that, in time, will become dark legends - nursery rhymes to be used to frighten children into eating their supper or minding their language. Lest Hargulka come for them...
As the five heroes wearily make their way northwest across the rolling Kamelands, they soon spot the first signs of civilization rising from the wilderness. Newly established farms on the country's borderlands become more and more dense - testament to the prosperity of their fledgling country. Eventually, the party reaches the edge of New Hope city, where the pastoral lands give way to a growing urban vibrancy.
A red-orange sky graces the western horizon as the party leads their mounts to the city center. As the heroes take in the day's last rays of the sun, they are stunned by the majestic beauty of New Hope's capital city. Beneath the fiery red sky rests the outline of the city's ancient castle - formerly the Stag Lord's keep, and before that, a bastion of Taldan colonial lords.
While enjoying the glorious sunset, the five heroes cannot help but ponder the greater forces behind the recent troll and owlbear attacks. What role did the unseelie fey queen Narissa have in these events? What should be done about her vassal, the Stag Lord, and the dark theocracy that he now rules? What evil lies dormant in the Narlmarches or on the edges of the vast reaches of the Kamelands? But these are challenges for another day. For now, law and order have been restored and an uneasy peace reigns over the Greenbelt. The heroes take stock of their fortunes and devote the coming years to the governance of their lands.
In the days to follow an envoy from the Restov Swordlords arrives with payment for the defeat of the trolls plaguing the southern Greenbelt and the destruction of the troll leader Hargulka. The payment consists of 2000 gp and wagon loads of lumber, steel and other building materials (+10 BP for your kingdom).
It's an usually cold day that heralds the arrival Kess, drawn to the Stolen Lands by ominous portents from her mysterious patron. She arrives as part of a trade caravan from Restore, having bartered her skill in healing as payment, speaking little to the others only keeping the company of her Raven Ishai.
Her arrival attracts some attention, talk circulates of the pretty woman with white hair and striking blue eyes, an ice witch from the frozen north who's purpose in the town was shrouded in mystery. The stranger quickly approached the infamous ex-lord Larisa, noone can rightly say what words were exchanged but the witch has not been seen far from Larisa's since.
Between the recent encounters and the XP from kingdom management you all will have enough to level. Yes, it will be several years of down time.
Time passes and the kingdom of New Hope expands and grows stronger. To the east, New Hope's farmlands extend to the borderlands of the Sootscale Kobold tribe - currently governed by the vassal Mikmek. In the south, the kingdom sends their intrepid settlers to colonize the western shores of the Tuskwater and Candlemere lake. To the north, the kingdom incorporates the rolling grasslands of the Kamelands until New Hope eventually annexes Bokken's Apothecary - formerly Oleg's Trading post. In the west, New Hope pushes into the Narlmarches - until New Hope's rangers are turned away by heavily armed soldiers wearing black armor and skull insignia on the borders of the Stag Lord's blighted lands.
The heroes of New Hope soon settle into their roles as lords of the land and spend their energies focusing on the demands of governance. Connor learns that New Hope's populace has forgotten their moment of doubt during the Grigori incident and is now generally content and eager to follow his lead. He also quickly finds that he must delegate more of the responsibility of kingdom management to his fellow lords if New Hope is to reach its full potential. With the investigator Raff missing, the people demand a new marshal - many clamor for Larisa to resume the role. Larisa, and the witch Kess, successfully seek out the family of Corax, and are able to find evidence of ley lines traveling to the west and south through the Narlmarches. Seres in the coming months also finds many similar cracks and fissures in the Narmarches where the boundary with the First World is wearing increasingly thin. Veronica discovers that New Hope's populace enthusiastically embraces the tenets of the Church of Erastil and seek a deeper spiritual connection with the God that embodies their ideals of trade, farming, hunting and family. Veronica is also surprised to find a bond forming between herself and the worg puppies, which are now fully grown.
Ezekial's spy network confirms that the group's nemesis, the Stag Lord, has aligned with the Will-'o-Wisp oracle Sivvious, the necromancer Nugrah and the hobgoblin warlord Kurtan to form the Theocracy of Yog-Sothoth. Ezekial's spies determine that the Stag Lord's seat of power is in a blighted city, located at the Temple of the Elk, named Harrow's Deep - and that he command's a large army of zealots. What is more disturbing, it appears that the Theocracy has aligned with the river kingdom Pitax, as well as the Tiger Lord barbarian tribes to the the west. Connor's military commanders advise him that the Stag Lord and his allies are too strong to be directly challenged. New Hope must expand and grow stronger before it can survive a military conflict with the Theocracy of Yog-Sothoth.
Seres joins Larisa and Kess on their expeditions to map the ley lines in the region, and tries to map out any specific places where the First World boundaries are 'thinning' and any known breaches. He pairs that information with what Larisa discovers about the ley lines and looks for any confluences.
He also takes some time to act as an ambassador between New Hope and any fey living in the territory, with a goal of building bridges and community between the new settlers and the fey. If any disputes arise, he engages to reach a common understanding. But he also has no tolerance for abusive fey like Melianse.
Seres will go to meet with Old Beldame and discuss what they've discovered. He respects her knowledge and request any advice on how to deal with the First World difficulties.
Lastly, he will continue to strengthen his devotions to Ng.
Larisa is disturbed when Raff goes missing but as the people raise their voices in support of her she takes back the postion of Marshal. In between her duties, mapping the leylines, rehousing Corax's family and leading the efforts to clear candlemere lake with the help of Sere's, Kess and the Greenbelt Rangers she loses track of the missing investigator, assuming his wanderlust carried him off into the sunset.
Over the coming months Larisa and Connor grow close, spending many evenings together behind closed doors whenever she returns from her duties. Rumors inevitably swirl, especially when it becomes known that Cinder had been given to her as a gift, and talk of marriage and children soon follows.
In time Larisa returns to Old Beldame as the colonists expand into her territory, overseeing the construction of the farms there, bringing the old crone the mushrooms she had requested. Kess especially finds Sere's aunty enlightening, pressing the woman for information about her mysterious wintery patron.
As the kingdom expands into the surrounding lands Larisa keeps true to her promise to Melianse, advocating for the local fey and policing abuses by both sides. She even leads the movement for the fey protection laws prohibiting the taking of natural resources in fey inhabited areas, outlawing the acts of sport hunting, commercial fishing, and taking of lumber or mining of the earth in those areas.
As for the watery fey Larisa finds herself drawn to the lake, spending much time there in conversation with Melianse about the first world and the nature of mortals. She develops a wary respect for the fey, understanding her desire to protect her home. Often her thoughts turn to the garden and the wonders left to uncover there.
As the years go by Larisa feels a tug between the civilization she helps to build and the call of the wild, torn between Erastil and the Greenman. When ever she is seen in the kingdom's cities she seeks out Veronica, often conversing with the priestess for hours about how best to serve her twin faiths.
When news of the Theocracy arrives Larisa is among the first to begin proposing new constructions, the levying of a professional army and the possibility of seeking greater ties with Brevoy. Going so far as to personally escort the first trade mission and agitating Czetka for an embassy to be constructed.
Quietly, almost as if she was always there Kess slips into the role of mystic adviser for the marshal, counseling her towards diplomatic ends whenever Larisa seems close to stepping towards the same rash action that ended Grigori. The other lords who approach her find the witch to be pleasant conversation, if a touch distant. Kess comes alive however as the grasp of winter comes over the stolen lands, when she thinks she's not being observed the witch can be caught frolicking in the snow, vehemently denying when called on it. She also takes a keen interest in Sere's research into first world breaches.
Often not seen far from Larisa, the rare times she is are when she is visiting the ill and injured in New Hope and Leveton whenever the duo stop in the cities, providing healing and relief from disease where she can.
Kess takes a keen interest in Sere's aunt, seeking information about her patron, suspecting relation to the seasonal courts of the fey. She also seeks old elven ruins during her expeditions into the stolen lands after finding a memo in Raff's office about a missing statuette for one Lilly Teskertin that mentions a mysterious reward, making a note of the strange wording and quotations around the words 'magical'.
She also informs Larisa that the 'green dragon' she killed was infact a green drake after being regaled with the tale, subtly reminding the Marshal about the bounty as well as the request for troll's blood by a local alchemist. Kess also slips a note to Sere's, requesting that he ask the local fey about an ornery hookjaw turtle nicknamed Old Crackjaw by irritated fishers on the tuskwater.
Seres takes the note from Kess and nods assent.
As they end up spending a lot of time together, Seres tries to learn about the new arrival. "What brought you to the Stolen Lands, Kess?
"The winter winds, visions of chaos that cannot come to pass." She responds curtly. "And you, a child of the first world, what brings you here?"
"Fate?" he replies with a smirk, not sounding convinced. "I... lost some years among the fey of the First World. I can't recall many details... imagine a decade spent in a poppy den. I managed to break free just over a year ago. I found myself in Restov with no memories, no money, and wearing strange clothes. I took the first job I could find that got me out on the road. And so now I'm here, trying to reclaim my very being and whatever's left of my soul, while at the same time trying to escape my past and the shackles of destiny."
"Light stuff, really. How's Baba Yaga?"
Kess cracks a smile. "Oh you know, doing witch stuff." Her raven lets lose a squawk from the tree tops, circling over head.
"You say pieces of you are missing? How much has returned, do know why you were drawn to the First World?" She looks at him quizzically. "Do you wish to return, is this why you map the breaches?"
Seres shakes his head, flashing a grim smile. "Quite the opposite, really. I hope to prevent any other unfortunate souls from getting sucked into the First World like I did."
He scans the sky absently in a moment of recollection. "In my younger years, I knew of the First World only through tales and recollections from my elders. They warned me, but I did not heed their wisdom.I left Kyonin to try and learn more about myself and my ancestry. I found a satyr's bacchanal in the forest depths and joined in enthusiastically. After that... the next thirty or so years of my captivity are foggy."
"The little bits I retain are like scattered pieces of an incomplete puzzle. My aunt, Beldame, tells me I was taken into Thousandbreaths, the court of the nymph queen, Nyrissa. I am told my fey blood is from her lineage, but she holds no great fondness for her distant, wayward great-great grandchildren." He looks up, adding with a rueful smirk. "I suppose we share that in common."
"Perhaps we should create a club for distant relations to ancient evil magical grandmothers. Your aunt sounds like a knowledgeable lady, perhaps you could introduce me?" Kess asks, staring at Seres arms where his tattoos are covered by cloth. "It seems our distant grandmothers both enjoy claiming their kin, yours more artistically it seems." She glances up at him. "Larisa told me."
Ishai alights on her shoulder, fixing Seres with a beady eye.
"He's a talkative one," Seres glances at the raven. "What is he saying?"
He pulls up his sleeves to show Kess the strange markings. "They appeared at night while I was dreaming. I still don't understand their significance. I escaped Thousandbreaths but it seems Nyrissa isn't done with me yet."
He adds a nod, "I'll take you to Old Beldame, if she's taking visitors. She can be acerbic, but I think you two will get along fine."
"Nothing good." Kess responds as the raven cries and flies away, it's shrieking sounding close to laughter. "Pay him no mind, he likes the sound of his own voice."
She examines the markings curiously, tracing a cold finger over them. "How strange, I wonder if this bond she's created can be exploited. First rule of magic, everything is connected." She straightens as Seres rolls his sleeves down and offers to take her to see Old Beldame. "I would very much like that, thank you Seres."
Seres laughs as the raven flies away, cawing its own laughter. He turns back to Kess and nods. "We can go whenever you wish. Her home is only a few miles outside of town. I believe Larisa needed to deliver some mushrooms, as well."
"I'll collect my things and inform Larisa." She replies, look up at the sky to gauge the time. "If we leave soon we can catch her before she retires to Lord Connor's chambers. Otherwise we'll have to go tomorrow." She says as she rushes off.
In time your kingdom expands and annexes the west bank of Candlemere Lake. In the months following initial colonization, you receive numerous reports of strange ghost lights floating over the lake. You know that the lake known as Candlemere is notorious in the Stolen Lands for being haunted. Stories from fishermen, explorers, bandits, and tradesmen alike support these legends with eerie tales of strange lights dancing upon the waters, blood-curdling cries from what could be lost souls, and mysterious sightings of shapes rippling in the lake’s dark waters. Local fishermen on Candlemere’s shores seem to corroborate these legends and tell you of the otherworldly “Candlemere Lights,” flickering spheres of color that dance over the waves or along its shores. It appears that the island in the middle of the lake is particularly prone to these strange lights, especially at its low summit, where the ruins of a lonely tower stand. Your rangers report to you that the island itself is covered with thick brambles and stinging nettles. The scouts whom have ventured into the depths of the island have disappeared to a man.
Eventually the ghost lights venture inland and begin killing colonists. Fear begins to spread among Candlemere's fishermen - paralyzing the fishing trade and crippling a vital source of food for your kingdom. Something must be done about the ghost lights.
Seres nods grimly. "Agreed. We need to make sure we don't get zapped to death"
Time passes...
Veronica spends weeks at a time in the hinterlands, aiding farmers and hunters on the fringes of society, even in tasks so mundane as bringing in the harvest. She practices with her bow, plays with Moondancer, and raises the young warg pups. She becomes a frequently welcome sight in the places along the borders of the settlement, bringing her healing magic and her rural wisdom to many a farmer.
The warg pups grow with alarming speed and size, and she is stern but fair with them. As they go from playful to vicious she does not hesitate to use her spells to discipline them, to hold them in place or scold them, but also to reward them for good behavior. Like dealing with a psychopath she relies on keeping them on a short leash with their rewards only coming if they can moderate themselves.
Veronica's aim likewise improves, whether hunting monsters to protect the people or hunting hares for dinner. At last she seems to get the trick of firing into the bobbing, weaving morass of melee without accidentally sticking her friends or missing widely.
As a familiar face in the community she becomes more at ease - well known as a helpful figure and thus accepted for once, something she has rarely had since learning of her "condition" as a young girl.
Her connection with her friends remains as strong as ever - her friendship with Larisa still a connection reminiscent of two young ladies who came of age together and now still get up to mischief, one sensible but cautious, the other rambunctious but sometimes reckless. She remains wary of but fascinated by Seres and his connection to the Fair Folk, and a staunch ally to Connor, always offering advice regarding the law, the good of the community, and the commonsense solutions of rural living. Her relationship with Zeke is more turbulent, as he seems prone to doing things that frustrate her and leave her upset or annoyed, but in spite of her exasperation she never stays mad for long.
~~~~~~~~~~
"So... what do we know about the ghost lights, really? Can we banish them? Can we even hurt them?" she says as the topic of the threat of Candlemere comes up.
Larsia nods with Zeke, "Can't say I'm too keen on facing more of those wisps but the people need us. Forgive me if I pass on handing you easy money Zeke. I'll start packing." She says, giving Veronica a pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we've got Erastil watching over us."
Kess mediates with Ishai before setting off with the party, reviewing what she knows of wisps.
"I'm afraid that I won't be of much direct help, most my spells wont be able to affect the enemy if they are indeed wisps."
3
Ice Spears
Rime Winter Grasp
2
See Invisibility
Cure Moderate Wounds
Ironskin
1
Mount
Mage Armor
Snowball
Snowball
Cure Light Wounds
0
Dancing Lights
Read Magic
Detect Magic
Ray of Frost
"Based on what little we know about the one wisp we encountered before," says Veronica, "I don't think I can hit it with my bow. I can temporarily enchant Zeke's knives but that'll still be a tough attack to make, assuming they don't just fly away. I can protect us a bit from electricity, at least."