Of Kings and Commoners - Kingmaker AP

Game Master RPGGGM

"Nah, not yet." Scarlet picks up her dropped shortsword. "A bear and flock of bats attacked, and now some girl is tryin' to creep us out."

Serena casts light on her sword and proceeds in the direction from which the bear came.

Durgan moves next to Serena, axe in hand, relying on his Darkvision.

As he gets up the stairs "I heard diging from the east, so he's probably or at least something is escaping that way... "

Zokon wll look around to what have been east and look around inside the fort trying to find a dig hole or something

Using the light and the shelter of the others, Victoria steps down off the stairs and heads over to see if any of the detritus around here might be something useful (like her gear).

"Huh? Who is escaping where? The old man? What about the girly giggling?"

"No idea about that, could be a ghost or magic or something, i'm trying to catch something I can deal with."

"Did you kill him?" says an old, tired man's voice that echoes through the cellar. It low too like far off thunder. "The monster. Did you kill the monster who took my lovely young wife. Well!?"

There's no body though to put to it.

"Who- who are you? Yeah, the bear is dead." Scarlet calls into the darkness.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15

"Why would he be this worried about some poor bear?" Illthir swallowed hard and wringed the hammer in her hands.

"Do you mean the Stag Lord? Yes, we killed him."

"Was a bad seed from the start, killed my young love. She was so young.... She was all I had, and me so old. I put him to the trial, but he was never anything but a bad seed. So I marked him, the little monster. I made him ugly so people would know.... It's good he's dead. I should have killed him myself before it was too late, but then he grew and grew and grew...." says the man's voice trailing off.

A girl laughs from somewhere and then two others giggle in response, like girls do when they are sharing secrets just out of sight.

"She's always watching me now. Always watching me like the hill dead. They always watch from the walls. The eyes in the walls."

The three girl's voices all begin to sing a dark children's rhyme. Their voices circle around the cellar and its textured, slime-covered walls, like girls circling around a maypole.

The old man's voice groans at the sound of girls' song.

It's no wonder this fellow is mad.
"Sir, where are you? Can we help you?" Victoria calls out softly. Arris' hairs stand on end as he wraps himself closer to her skin.

"Are those girls' voices the spirits of your 'lovers' as you say? Or, rather, your victims? Did you hurt children?"
There is an angry edge in Durgan's voice.

Scarlet keeps her swords ready. No way is this going to end without bloodshed.

Whether he hurt these children or not, he also mangled the Stag Lord. He is a tortured victim, but he's not innocent.

"Are those girls' voices the spirits of your 'lovers' as you say? Or, rather, your victims? Did you hurt children?"

"HE WAS A MONSTER FROM THE MOMENT OF HIS BIRTH! A KILLER! I COULDN'T EVEN BURN IT OUT OF HIM!" cries the old man's voice.

"I have a mind to burn this whole place down all over again. The undead outside, this. We should purge it with flame.", Alia comments, slowly moving forward.

Scarlet just nods. Putting the man out of his misery is the best course of action at this point.

"Well, we need to put and end to the immediate problem. I can try to purify the site later."
Can Durgan tell if the little girl voices are a haunt or a particular form of undead?
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

"Well, we need to put and end to the immediate problem. I can try to purify the site later."

Can Durgan tell if the little girl voices are a haunt or a particular form of undead?

Not without more information.

Alia and Scarlet plum the last tunnel. It too is crowded with boxes of supplies and piles of tools spades, axes, and hammers. So much stuff you could build a small hamlet with it. The walls here are mucked over stone like much of the place. The filth covering over whatever dappled design lies beneath. The end though is moist earthwork with an ancient wooden frame holding up the ceiling. Worms slide smoothly along its surface.

The man is muttering again. A spell of some kind.... Serena can here it clearest of all--a animal call of some sort.

It is too far away for those with the know-how to understand such to get a feel for it, because the voice seems to be coming from the the northeastern alcove. Meanwhile the girls voices finish their song. There is a pregnant pause as if everyone is waiting for hammer to drop. Something snuffles from the base of the stairwell.

Something snuffles the air at Illthir's and Victoria's elbows--a bear! The bear! It's behind you!

"I have a mind to burn this whole place down all over again. The undead outside, this. We should purge it with flame.", Alia comments, slowly moving forward.

"Yes. Fire. Fire will do it." whispers the olds mans voice mostly to himself from somewhere down the northern-most tunnel.

Meanwhile, the beast roars and rears!

Round Surprise & 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Victoria (surprise round actions only)
__ Serena -4 hp (surprise round actions only)
__ Scarlet (surprise round actions only)
__ Da Bear! (surprise round actions only)
__ The Unseen Man (surprise round actions only)
__ Victoria
__ Serena -4 hp
__ Scarlet
__ Da Bear!
__ The Unseen Man
__ Illthir
__ Posh (1 round of vanish left)
__ Zokon
__ Alia
__ Durgan

Map updated

Serena attempts to disbelieve the illusion of the bear.

Will save: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20

"Watch out, it's back!" Scarlet moves around the corridor to get in melee with the bear.

"Unbearable!" Illthir blurts out without thinking. It would have been more useful for her to raise her weapons again, but that was not the choice her instincts made.

Victoria moves away as quickly as she can. if she can only take a 5', that's fine, but I think she can take a full move "Look out!" she cries.

Victoria moves away as quickly as she can. if she can only take a 5', that's fine, but I think she can take a full move "Look out!" she cries.

Vic has the jump on the bear that has the jump on practically everyone else. It doesn't threaten anything until it gets to its turn, so she can take any action you could ordinarily take in a surprise situation (usually a single move action or standard action) as well as actions, like speaking, that are essentially free.

bear claw! v Illthir: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16 damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9 miss

*WHOOOSH!!* goes the claw.

The sound certainly sounds real to Serena.

Then there comes a flickering torchlight from down the northern tunnel. The light comes from the hand of small man made of earth half-sunken into floor amid the stones, at the end of a line of haphazardly stacked boxes. His long beard runs down his chin like loose scree.

Round Surprise & 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Victoria (surprise round actions only)
__ Serena -4 hp (surprise round actions only)
__ Scarlet (surprise round actions only)
__ Da Bear! (surprise round actions only)
__ The Unseen Man (surprise round actions only)
__ Victoria
__ Serena -4 hp
__ Scarlet
__ Da Bear!
__ The Unseen Man
__ Illthir
__ Posh (1 round of vanish left)
__ Zokon
__ Alia
__ Durgan

Map updated

"Fire, the Great Purifier...." says the little dirt man staring at his flaming hand.

Convinced now that the bear is real, Serena moves forward to combat the creature.

Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Victoria does NOT like the fire blazing in his hand. And the bear is just complicating everything. She tries to keep her voice calm and monotone as she speaks to him. "Oh please, sir. We aren't here to fight you. We just want to talk." The cadence of her voice seems to have a soporific effect. She really wishes they had met him under less hostile circumstances.
slumber hex, DC17 will save or falls asleep

Scarlet lets the fire within take over as she hacks into the bear.

Cold Iron Masterwork Longsword, Bloodrage, TWF: 1d20 + 8 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 8 + 2 - 2 = 25
Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 2 = 12

Masterwork Shortsword, Bloodrage, TWF: 1d20 + 8 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (5) + 8 + 2 - 2 = 13
Damage: 1d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 1 + 2 = 8

Realizing she is in a dead-end, Alia turns around, moving towards the northern alvoce.
"Stop this now. If you call one more beast into service, I swear I'll pay that necromancer to animate your son so he can keep torturing you beyond death."

bear will save slumber: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 The bear slumps to the ground.

"No more monsters. Only fire." The small man made of dirt shakily flings the embers burning in his hand across cellar at the sleeping bear. AOO Alia.

produce flame v bear: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14 fire damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

They hit the bear waking it immediately.

The bear rises up again.

AoO Scarlet, Serena

It moves to maul its elusive prey.

bear claw! v Illthir (v flat-footed): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11 damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7 grab?: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26 miss

Round 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Victoria
__ Serena -4 hp
__ Scarlet
__ Da Bear! -9 hp
__ Little Dirt Man
__ Illthir
__ Posh (last round of vanish)
__ Zokon
__ Alia
__ Durgan

Map updated

Durgan moves and activates his Aura of Deflection.
20-ft aura (same as the light on the map, I guess), all allies get +2 deflection bonus to AC (and therefore to CMD). Will last 4 rounds.

"What the-?" Scarlet watches the bear fall asleep, only to get singed and wake up.

Cold Iron Masterwork Longsword, Bloodrage: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 2 = 25
Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 = 11

She swings as it stands up.

AoO: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11 Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

actually, the sleeping hex was aimed at the old man. But if you wanna keep that 2 he rolled as HIS will save, I'll take it :)

After hearing the commotion

Zokon moves back down the stairs and uses studied target on the bear

"Hold sir, we do not need to fight!" Posh shouts as he tries to calm the situation with his magic to try and enchant him.

Charm Person DC 16 Will

Illthir steps away from this grabby bear and tries to hammer it good.

To Hit: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Damage?: 1d12 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Also, where did those singing apparitions go?

actually, the sleeping hex was aimed at the old man. But if you wanna keep that 2 he rolled as HIS will save, I'll take it :)

At this point, I'm going say we are rolling with it as is even though I did do some rules research to see if he even needed to make a roll.

Little pile of dirt man - Will save v Charm: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Scarlet hits the bear a solid blow, but it only seems to make it madder. Other members of the party fare less well against the creature.

Illthir steps away from this grabby bear and tries to hammer it good.

Also, where did those singing apparitions go?

Present but now unmoving. There is a susurration of small girls' voices speaking in a conspiring tone that echoes around the room. The topic is too difficult to parse over the battle with the bellowing grizzly.

Round 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Victoria
__ Serena -4 hp
__ Scarlet
__ Da Bear! -20 hp
__ Little Dirt Man
__ Illthir
__ Posh
__ Zokon
__ Alia
__ Durgan

Map updated

When the old man does not stand down, Alia stabs forward. She would not underestimate the pathetic creature in front of her - the man was broken, but dangerous nonetheless...holding back could cost one of her friends dearly.
AoO: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 Damage: 2d4 + 5 ⇒ (2, 3) + 5 = 10
AoO confirm?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18 Crit damage?: 2d4 + 5 ⇒ (2, 1) + 5 = 8
"I said stop! Stand down, NOW! Yield."
Her blade was ready to flash forward again if he performed a hostile action.
Readied Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12 Damage: 2d4 + 5 ⇒ (3, 3) + 5 = 11

The dirt sculpture of a man recoils with scream as Alia sends her blade through his shoulder once. He avoids the second blow by ducking.

Round 2! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Da Bear! -20 hp
__ Little Dirt Man
__ Illthir
__ Posh
__ Zokon
__ Alia
__ Durgan
__ Victoria
__ Serena -4 hp
__ Scarlet

Map updated

Victoria winces as Alia stabs the little old man. "I'm afraid he's left us little choice," she mutters to herself.
slumber hex on the old man, DC17 will save

Scarlet continues wailing against the bear. "I'll slow this bear down- take care of that old man."

Cold Iron Masterwork Longsword, Bloodrage, TWF: 1d20 + 8 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 8 + 2 - 2 = 20
Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 = 7

Masterwork Shortsword, Bloodrage, TWF: 1d20 + 8 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 8 + 2 - 2 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 2 = 5

Serena pokes the bear with her scimitar again.

Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

will save v slumber: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

"FIRE WILL CLEANSE THIS LAND OF MONSTERS!" cries the halfling-sized pile of humanoid dirt.

The man sets his fiery hand upon the side of one of a stack of small barrels. It lights the coil of rope bound around it which begins to spark and hiss unnaturally.

Scarlet lands a pair of glancing blows upon the rejuvenated bear causing it to turn upon her. It grabs her and batters her a bit.

bear claw! v scarlet: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7 grab?: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31 hit, grab!

bear claw! v scarlet (both grappled): 1d20 + 7 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 7 - 4 = 17 damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10 grab?: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26 hit, grab!

bear bite! v scarlet (both grappled): 1d20 + 7 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 7 - 4 = 10 damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8miss, releases grapple.

Round 2! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Da Bear! -32 hp
__ Little Dirt Man -18 hp
__ Illthir
__ Posh
__ Zokon
__ Alia
__ Durgan
__ Victoria
__ Serena -4 hp
__ Scarlet -17 hp
Map updated

"I ain't no pic-a-nic basket!" Scarlet retaliates.

Cold Iron Masterwork Longsword, Bloodrage, TWF: 1d20 + 8 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 8 + 2 - 2 = 27
Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 2 = 13

Crit?: 1d20 + 8 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 8 + 2 - 2 = 11
Crit Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 = 7

Masterwork Shortsword, Bloodrage, TWF: 1d20 + 8 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 8 + 2 - 2 = 24
Damage: 1d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 1 + 2 = 8

"Bah, yer such a bother."