Of Kings and Commoners - Kingmaker AP

Game Master RPGGGM

"Aye.", Alia responds to Zokon.

After a rest, and collecting up 1d4 of the missing horses,

Did we recover horses from the bandits? And was Illthir's heavy horse lost or was it the one we recovered?

It wasn't the best rest.
That man's laugh stayed in her thoughts throughout the night.
The drowned man continued to haunt her, but not to the point of fatigue.

"So, what now? We continue on? Or get closer?"

RPGGGM wrote:

After a rest, and collecting up 1d4 of the missing horses,

Did we recover horses from the bandits? And was Illthir's heavy horse lost or was it the one we recovered?

Sure. It was the most expensive, it probably came with Lojack.

Yay!

"Aye okay." Illthir mumbles.

Then, the next day, her high spirit quickly returned as they found her horse again. I knew you wouldn't force me to walk Walker!

Walker playfully attempt to eat Illthir's hair.

So, dusk, rough vale, spotty campfires, hill fort. Plan?

"Nawww. I'll get you extra carrots next time we're in town!" Illthir chuckles and tries to save her braid from the nomming horse.

---

"Huh, I'd expect them to be up and about getting ready to go out to look for us at least, if not on alert. I mean I'm almost wounded by their inconsideration!" Illthir comments when they summarize their scouting. She doesn't look unhappy about the lack of bandit hit squads thought. "Hmm. Could it be that those two didn't make it back here? How long does that Mount spell last anyhow...? But the other had a horse ... Hmm. Could it be that they aren't really keen to share that they got jumped in the woods? If they don't want to admit that failure they might not inform anyone ... Or the Stag Lord might simply assume we aren't a real threat?"

"It is pretty quiet. I thought they would be on alert by now. Can we get an estimate on how large the force is? And what their entrances or exits are?"

These would be things that would require getting closer to find out.

Sooo, volunteers?

"*Uhmrmhm*" Illthir wiggled and made some evasive noises. She wanted to point out that they would have to get closer but also mention that *she* really didn't feel comfortable sneaking up on a bandit camp to take a look. Even if the bandits seemed quite lazy. "Ah - anyone has a spyglass maybe? Then we could take a better look..."

"I'd be willing to sneak in and have a look, but i'd need a mount nearby in case the situation required a getaway."

Zokon will then sneak in to get a better look making use of cover and such to see

Stealth: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

I'm going to assume you do this while there's still some light out.

Well lets go away from camps as is possible and then to the fort. Going through between spaces as necessary.

"We have a few things which could help us get close. We should consider carefully how they can be used."

Numalar goes on to explain that some of the magic items we have found could be used to assist stealth.

We have:
* A scroll of invisibility in the party pool which will work for 3 minutes.
* Zokon has a potion of reduce person which will work for 1 minute and will grant a net +5 to stealth (+1 DEX, +4 size).
* Numalar has a scroll of disguise self which will work for 10 minutes.

Scarlet strokes her chin. "Zokon... I don't know how to use these scrolls. I think only Numalar and Alia can?"

"Maybe focus on the best ways to approach for a small strike team or a small army."

Well lets go away from camps as is possible and then to the fort. Going through between spaces as necessary.

So I'm getting the hint that more than just Zokon is going (or at least that's what he hopes. 'Let's' is usually short for 'let us' and so on. So who beside Zokon, if anyone, is going? Speak now or forever hold your peace... at least until after the annulment.

Scarlet strokes her chin. "Zokon... I don't know how to use these scrolls. I think only Numalar and Alia can?"

I can cast invisibility on anyone using the scroll, and so can Alia. The disguise self scroll can only be cast on the person reading the scroll.

"Let's see how close we can get using what cover there is, and take a look from there."

Stealth Take 10: 10 + 6 = 16

Let's keep a good distance between us and them at first until we can get a lay of the land.

So, Numalar and Zokon advance; Alia and Jhod off to one side holding the horses far, far off.... Going.... Going....

"Good luck, you two. I'm no good at subtlety, which I'm sure you guessed already."

"Shhh." says Shepherd Jhod.

"Mm..." Illthir nodded, agreeing with the plan of not sending her off sneaking. Not much to do now except hope the bandits were exactly as attentive as they looked.

"Ahem, Numalar.... Hit points!?" Plus folks have had a night's rest, too. Anyone need more after that. Jhod prays in the morning at sunrise, so he can blow through this stuff the night before.

cure moderate wounds v Numalar: 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (2, 4) + 4 = 10
cure moderate wounds v Numalar: 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (8, 2) + 4 = 14

"Agh, stop fussing, shepherd! I'll be fine!" :)

Illthir is missing 12hp. So not in the worst of shapes, but if there's healing left over ... :-)

There should be. Lemme take care of that when I get home later.

The scouts move up between the camps and to the edge of the naked hill under cover of foliage.

Remember it is still light out.

Remember it is still light out.

This is a new day, isn't it?

That's about as far as Zokon goes, he's not going to try sneak into a fort and going across open ground is a major sneaky no no

He has a good look around and then he signals to Numalar that it's time to go.

RPGGGM wrote:

Remember it is still light out.

This is a new day, isn't it?

This is the late afternoon of the day after the evening battle with Salzarus, Auchs, and Ayles, so about 18 hours later. Oh and status line, hit points.

A path of hard-packed earth winds up the hillside approaching the Stag Lord’s fort—this path is 30 feet wide, 300 feet long, and provides no cover. The remaining hillside surrounding the fort is a swath of
hill devoid of shrubbery save for isolated thorny vines, but periodic large boulders provide better cover for a stealthy approach.

The fort's palisade is 15 feet high, consisting of logs with gaps no wider than 6 inches. Beyond are a set of ruins to which the bandits have apparently added three crude covered watchtowers (20' tall with a peaked roof 10' higher above). Each tower is manned by a brigand.

Map updated, and note: you are approaching from the north. The south edge of the map changes from a hill into a cliff that drops into Lake Tuskwater below.

From just to your east a pair of well-appointed horsemen ride into the clearing, one of them bearing a pennant. Their horses advance skittishly up the path. Though they look nothing like the scruffy bandits or men camped about the hillside, they are given leave to approach by one of the watchmen, and the thick wooden gates are opened to allow them in.

Zokon will now that he has gained Numalars attention leave the area of the fort with subtlety

stealth: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

Illthir squints and does her best to try and follow the advance party with her gaze. Wasn't easy - hopefully the bandits felt the same! "Let's hope they find less invisible bandits lurking about ..."

As the sun sets the scouting party returns to base camp.

Plan? Choices include: more probing of the fort, heading back to the outpost, heading to Mivon for more soldiers. I would hate to invite a new person in and not have anyone here to greet them. ;)

Scarlet spends her time making sure Alia and Vega are doing well. She's been pretty quiet as of late...

Once the scouts return, Scarlet gets even more curious. "So who are those fancy types? Sounds like someone big is sponsoring the Stag Lord." She thinks.

"So, where to next? Off to the Company? Back to Oleg- the trading post? Or you thinking about going in?"

"So who are those fancy types?"

Roll once and open all that apply. Those untrained in Knowledge (nobility) can gain a maximum result of 10.

Int: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

"Uh huh. Uh huh. That sounds like the pennant of the Rostland noble houses. At least, what was left of them. Two hundred years ago they fled when Choral the Conqueror came knocking."

"Mivon used to be filled with bandits, you know? Now it's a duelist meritocracy. May the best fighter win and all that nonsense. The current Lord Mayor of Mivon is Raston Selline."

Scarlet scratches her head. "This just got a lot more complicated, didn't it? You know I want to check out my Company and make sure they are doing well, but I defer to you as usual."

Know:Nobility: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Illthir squints in the direction of the 'fancy types'. "Uhh..." Well she felt like she should at least recognize those. So who really likes fried fish that much...? Well it was certainly tasty, but... Eh. Scarlet were probably right. "But it's not like we got fewer reasons to visit Mivon now. Hmm... There weren't *that* many roads there right?"

The Skald let the question hang in the air a bit while her grin widdened. "Maybe ... Maybe we should tag ahead so we can say 'hi' to those nobles. I mean this region is known for it's budding bandit problem and it's not like they can say 'no that can't be it since we're so chummy with the bandits' right?"

Knowledge Nobility +2 Heritage Book: 1d20 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 14 + 2 = 20

"That's not Raston Selline's banner. There's a difference there. Someone else from his family, most likely. I don't recall what cadency Mivon uses in their arms to distinguish other family other than the head of the line... they deviated from Brevic usage a while ago."

"Hang on..." Numalar digs in his pack and pulls out a book titled Heraldrie of Brevoy and her Neighbouring Landes.

I've had this book since Restov... totally forgot I had it! :)

"Ah! Here it is. Yes, that little crescent means that this must be Raston's son, Hotspur. A real devil, that one. If we could get him and Tybolt to spit each other that would solve two of our problems at once."

GGGM: A couple questions:
* Is Hotspur the eldest son and heir?
* Is there also a King of Mivon or is the Lord Mayor also the ruler?
* What is the current phase of the moon? How bright will it be at night?

"If Mivon is allied with the Stag Lord, then that does change things. I wonder if they support him openly? For a Selline banner to fly like that at the Stag Lord's fort... I don't like it. Perhaps it is a delegation."

"Getting close could be tricky, but I see some boulders that would work as cover. The southern face seems the least well covered by the watchtowers. The fort doesn't look that big... which is probably why all these camps are outside."

GGGM: A couple questions:

* Is Hotspur the eldest son and heir? Yes.
* Is there also a King of Mivon or is the Lord Mayor also the ruler? The Lord Mayor is the ruler of Mivon.
* What is the current phase of the moon? How bright will it be at night? Waxing cresceant. Regardless of clouds, it will be dark out tonight.

kn nob: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

He nods and takes Numalars word for it.

Responding to Illthir " I'm not sure we want to try and "talk" to the noble on the road, they will only lie anyway about any nefarious involvement and we don't want to molest them and get Mivon really motivated to take an interest in the area."

"I'm not sure we want to try and "talk" to the noble on the road, they will only lie anyway about any nefarious involvement and we don't want to molest them and get Mivon really motivated to take an interest in the area."

"I'm inclined to agree. And this Hotspur Selline would probably alert the locals to our presence. But..." Numalar rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I would very much like to hear what he and the Stag Lord have to talk about."

"Oh I was thinking of just not letting them home until this business was taken care of. But you are right, maybe not the best of plans. I was just inspired by the mood!" Illthir sighed. Wouldn't really have made a good song anyhow.

"So! How do we eavesdrop on the Stag and the devil?"

"No Idea.. I sneak around in the woods generally, that sneaking around people and tents and castle walls was a little harrowing, i'm not sure I could get through it again." Zokon looks a little nervous

So sneak into camp and evesdrop?

"Hmh. I should really get a spyglass. We could read their lips!"

Zokon will muster his courage and give it a last go..

He will take one of those Stag Lord amulets that the group has

"I'll go eavesdrop and try and see what I can find out. eel free to come rescue me if I start screaming."

He approaches the tents and tries to find any information.. moving between if it's plausible.

Sneak: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

He approaches the tents and tries to find any information.. moving between if it's plausible.

Sure. The camps haven't changed position from the last time you moved up to the fort. The camps are far enough away from each other that you can slip between them--note though that you are going to need a light source at some point, which in the open will give your position away. It will be dark out by the time you get to the fort assuming you sneak straight there. Also, the hillside the fort is on is mostly naked of cover, there are some boulders you could use assuming you could see in the dark well enough to find them after night falls.... This might be a job for someone with darkvision.