Of Kings and Commoners - Kingmaker AP

Game Master RPGGGM

Power. That's what they understand.

"Oi, listen up!" Scarlet gathers a crowd. "The Stag Lord is dead. Here's his helmet, torn off his scraggly body."

"THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PREY UPON THE WEAK! Restov is en route to hang every bandit they see when they get here."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

"But I've got a better idea. Turn legit and guard our fort. You do that, and Restov will give you a meal and a bed instead of prison and a noose. A much better plan, eh? We have to clean this place of the zombies and a whole lot of cataloguin'. If you help, you get to eat. If you don't like it, take a hike and become a farmer. But if you're going to become a bandit you may as well let us kill you now."

"So, who's ready?"

Zokon not being skilled at all really in diplomacy uses his skills to keep a watch over the crowd, bow out and ready to engage any opportunists.

Diplomacy to Aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
"The Stag Lord was a blight on the commerce of this region. Not only through his acts of banditry, but of murder, destroying Oleg's Trading Post, and destroying Nettles' bridge. Bridges and trading posts! So I have passed Abadar's judgement on him.
Many of you know me and the work I have done in these lands the past few years. I understand it is hard work building a new realm in the wilderness - setting up businesses and trade routes - but that is why these actions are even more despicable. So much hard work undone.
Listen to Scarlet, and show your worth. We can build prosperity here!"

Power. That's what they understand.

"Oi, listen up!" Scarlet gathers a crowd. "The Stag Lord is dead. Here's his helmet, torn off his scraggly body."

"THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PREY UPON THE WEAK! Restov is en route to hang every bandit they see when they get here."

"But I've got a better idea. Turn legit and guard our fort. You do that, and Restov will give you a meal and a bed instead of a prison and a noose. A much better plan, eh? We have to clean this place of the zombies and a whole lot of cataloguin'. If you help, you get to eat. If you don't like it, take a hike and become a farmer. But if you're going to become a bandit you may as well let us kill you now."

"So, who's ready?"

Diplomacy Aid: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12 +1 to those who may find the gnome attractive!

"Join us and not only will you be able to work legitimately, but you'll never be hunted again! You can start up your own lives and you won't be in danger. In this life, you rarely get a second chance, if ever. Take up arms with us and start up your new life! Join us for this once in a life-time opportunity." he comments up too, attempting to bolster the speech

Diplomacy Aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

After the speeches, promises and threats Illthir plays a few happy and hopeful songs. The bandits shouldn't feel that this was a dark moment. It should be a bright one, a turning point in their lives. When things finally started to work out. And who didn't like a little song?

Victoria is caught in the sway of all the speeches. She has nowhere else to really go anyway, and these people make it seem a little less like the ass-end of nowhere. They also seem like the best way for her to find and put down the dark elf that kept her prisoner. She still has a score to settle with him.

"Oi, listen up!" Scarlet gathers a crowd. "The Stag Lord is dead. Here's his helmet, torn off his scraggly body."

"THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PREY UPON THE WEAK! Restov is en route to hang every bandit they see when they get here."

{Shocked communal inhale.}

"Many of you know me and the work I have done in these lands the past few years.... Listen to Scarlet, and show your worth. We can build prosperity here!"

{Group muttering.}

Posh pipes up, and there's a loud wolf whistle from somewhere in the back.

"But I've got a better idea. Turn legit and guard our fort. You do that, and Restov will give you a meal and a bed instead of prison and a noose. A much better plan, eh? We have to clean this place of the zombies and a whole lot of cataloguin'. If you help, you get to eat. If you don't like it, take a hike and become a farmer. But if you're going to become a bandit you may as well let us kill you now."

{Shocked communal inhale again.}

"So, who's ready?"

{More muttering.}

After the speeches, promises and threats Illthir plays a few happy and hopeful songs. The bandits shouldn't feel that this was a dark moment. It should be a bright one, a turning point in their lives. When things finally started to work out. And who didn't like a little song?

Then Illthir cuts in with a folksy, future-facing, inspirational song!

In the end many of the bandits take up the song and soon the idea of building a life in the wild Stolen Land takes hold with a majority of them.

{Hugs Scarlet.}

{Shakes hands vigorously with Durgan.}

{Wipes tear from eye.}

{Smiles down at Victoria.}

"Alright, alright. No need to get too sappy." Scarlet returns the hug and starts giving more inspirational advice.

I wonder if I won't have to run again...

{sniff, sniff. Sad kobold eyes.}

Posh, Scarlet, Zokon: 1d3 ⇒ 1 Alia's inside the fort, rummaging through the Stag Lord's treasure.

The little black-scaled kobold grabs Posh and tugs at his arms trying to drag him away from the growing bandit celebration all the while yapping in his uncouth Draconic dialect.

Meanwhile, back at the fort, Alia is quietly tossing the Bandit Cheiftain's chambers, when from just over her shoulder.

"KNIFE EARS!" shouts Erevenywg with joy bordering on mania. "IS IT NOT 'THE GRAND!' We have slain the Huntsman and rescued the Young Prince! We should be dancing! Come!" And she too tries to drag off a party member.

If no one else has, the tall fey woman has surreptitiously healed Arris the fox of all of his remaining ills. After petting him and scratching behind his ear.

Back at the bandit party.

"So now what? We just march up to the outpost and say let us in? Won't that look a bit--I dunno--suspicious?"

NSFW howabout this Song for brute thuggish types ;o)

Zokon has no idea what to make of what's going on his tries to gauge the mood of the bandits Sense Motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Scarlet lets them cheer, lets them celebrate. She has no idea how Restov will react to the bandits. The worst ones were killed already. Restov's bounty has been fulfilled. Poor people looking for a place to live now turned into farmers? Those stuffy nobles will ruin everything if they get the chance.

Benzen needs to go to his home.

The nightmares need to end.

The witches holding those girls need to pay.

She needs to find her Company again.

"Grr, noH! YAP! pa' veS Ha'! ghob'e' ghoS DaH!" yaps the little kobold still insistently trying to kidnap the gnome away from the celebration.

Although she's interested in the discussion about what to do with the bandits, Victoria finds it hard to concentrate over the sound of the kobold. She's a little surprised to see one here at all, but who is she to judge? As the critter pulls on Posh, she comes over asking, "What is this war you speak of, little one? Speak plainly."

Arris is happy to have the attention of the pretty lady (Erevenywg) and makes cute little chirps and barks as she scratches him. He'd been almost fully healed by the cleric's channels, but he pretends his paw hurts just to have her pay him special attention. Victoria thanks the lady and rolls her eyes at his antics.

[dice=Posh, Scarlet, Zokon]1d3 Alia's inside the fort, rummaging through the Stag Lord's treasure.

The little black-scaled kobold grabs Posh and tugs at his arms trying to drag him away from the growing bandit celebration all the while yapping in his uncouth Draconic dialect.

** spoiler omitted **

"Guys, the kobold here says we have something important. Something about war is coming and I need to bring the smooth skins with me." he shrugged but wasn't sure what to say to the others as he was thinking about what to do or what the group should go before attempting to speak back to him in a more refined, but not dragon perfect draconic.

"There's always a war." Scarlet stands up. "Ask Mikmek to be more specific. Who are we fighting next?"

Mikmek stops trying to carry Posh off (mostly because he is too heavy). The kobold catches his breath and points to the northwest. Between the two women present he looks up at Scarlet, and solemnly says. "Grr, In Hab wa' WOOF! laHvetlh ghIgh yIlan nuvpu'! Grr YAP Nakpik 'ej qaStaHvIS 'oH *whine* *whine* WOOF 'ach nargh jIH! ghu'vam jatlh Woof Sootscale net tlhop--vay' 'ej ma'rIch noH! latlh tuq pong ghaH! tu'lu' chaH pong DaH! SoH, 'ej cha' Grrr *snarl* Suq Ha' jIH! Sov je Woof Woof veS! qul tIn legh Yap!"

{Sad kobold eyes.}

Scarlet nods. "Hmm, a new front. Another war." Scarlet leans back. "It's never over, is it? We gotta bring the Stag Lord back to Restov."

"No, it isn't," Serena answers Scarlet, oiling her blade.

"We need to take his body to the hainted ferry then prove he's finished to Testov and then get those that need, added to the charter unless yall want someone a bit brash and permanent with solutions as leader?" he says with a wistful smile

The charter does not actually make Zokon the leader, it just gives him policing powers granted him by the Brevic royalty. Folks might wish to be added to it, but confidentially, in the overall meta of the campaign, there isn't much need. As a document, the charter has served it's purpose. The bandits in the region have mostly been tended to. There's more mapping to do, but some of that can happen off screen at this point.

The choices as they stand are: Return to Nettle's Crossing and put an end to Scarlet's (supernatural) nightmares; Return to the outpost to claim your bounties, and put an end to the "War" and the local kobold tribes; You could chase after Salzarus the dark elf and any fleeing bandits (not all of them are coming with you); Ignore all that, hang out at the fort some more or do something else. As there are a lot of you, you might even split up.

Scarlet prepares to bring the Stag Lord to Nettle's Crossing. Every night those nightmares continue to drown her.

Mikmek's reaction.

"I am with you, Scarlet. That task is my highest priority. Putting Nettles' spirit to rest. After that, we should check in at at the Outpost. Let them know how things have been resolved. Perhaps there are priests or scholars at the Outpost who can help me purify the hill."

Fine with doing the kobold's thing after that. Don't want to split up.

Well I was kinda thinking that seeing as Brevoy would be sponsoring the further resources, they would want an Overseer of their investment that was actually beholden to them via the charter, rather than just giving it to a bunch of explorers they don't know.

"Hmmm.. While I sympathise with Scarlet, she is a tough sort and can potentially deal with the discomfort for a short while longer? While we check out the war that is potentially happening and may damage potential allies in the area. What say you Scarlet, you know if you can take it or not?" he says looking wistfully at Scarlet

"A 'short while longer', Zokon? To fight a war?"

"A 'small' war." Illthir corrects Durgan and gives a handkerchief to their small scaly friend. She didn't know him well at all - but if he too had been in those dungeons she felt that they had a connection. "There, there. We'll fix it."

"I'd say Scarlet and a few more head to the crossing and take our spare horses. The rest of us can head back - they'll catch up if they can rotate mounts."

I don't think the spirit will try and eat you - and it might be good to get to the outpost before someone else explodes!

"A 'small' war." Illthir corrects Durgan and gives a handkerchief to their small scaly friend. She didn't know him well at all - but if he too had been in those dungeons she felt that they had a connection. "There, there. We'll fix it."

Illthir probably never encountered Mikmek before her rescue from his people, because he himself was a prisoner of the "blue meanies" under the Ol' Sycamore Tree at the time. After her rescue Chief Sootscale ordered Mikmek and Nakpik to accompany the group back to the Outpost to act as 'diplomats' of a sort. Most the folks in the Outpost where not happy with the idea of kobolds wandering around the place, but let it slide at least while the party was present.

I should also probably make clear to those who might not have read the spoilers above that the 'war' as described is between the local kobold tribes, and Oleg's Outpost (the only wooden fort in the direction Mikmek was pointing). The 'sunlit dungeon' he references in his story sounds like the midden pits (see the outpost map). Kobolds of course, don't like bright light, and probably don't like living in midden pits.

So you seem to be saying the idiot kobolds are attacking our base of operations in Olegs fort?

Returning from below the keep, Alia chimes in: "First of all, we should by all means hold on to the gunpowder. They have plenty of it here, and there's a great many uses we can put it to, in construction as well as...otherwise."
Taking a look at the map on the table, she traces a line(thick green) with her finger:"We should head this way...we can cross over there, head to Nettles to stop Scarlets nightmares, then swiftly move over the plains up towards Olegs to report about the Stag Lords demise."
Without turning to address him, Alia continues:"Mikmek, by what Posh explained about this war, it sounds like you are in conflict with the guards of the trading post? Come with us and we can hopefully avert this war right there - if not we can double back to the mines on our way back here."

Edit: @Zokon - could as well be idiot nobles trying to cleanse kobolds from the land(that part about letting freeroaming kobolds slide while the party was present-). Or idiot kobolds trying to protect Svetlana from a hostile takeover(Nobles trying to push her out and take over). Or anything really...I suppose overall heading to Olegs to find out whats really going on is a better idea than marching to the sootscales and prepping for war-
Second edit: We might also want to take the Benzen Boy with us and drop him off at home afterwards-

@Mikmek - ah yeah from my quick glance I though the soothscales had thrown him into their own dungeon, but I see now that he was locked up in the trading post. Derp

@War - Yah Alia's explanations seems plausible. While the kobolds haven't shown the most amazing social graces they're not nearly as volatile as stick-up-ass nobles.

"Hmm. It's not a big detour, but every hour gives someone the chance to do something even dumber..." Illthir shares her thoughts about the route.

Scarlet stands up and checks her weapon. "I like the route Alia suggested. We'll leave Akiros in charge of this place for now."

"ME!?!" protests Akiros.

"Yeah. You're one of the few people here I can trust. At least until we get back, anyway." She claps the man on his shoulder. "You used to be second in command, yeah?"

"Well, yeah, but that's only because the men didn't really trust Dovan--the man was a snake." says the man with the rag-covered Iomedaean longsword. "What do you even want me to do with them?"

"Well, yeah, but that's only because the men didn't really trust Dovan--the man was a snake." says the man with the rag-covered Iomedaean longsword. "What do you even want me to do with them?"

"For the moment I recommend start on making repairs to the fort and await our return. Even if all repairs are made, the defences need repairing, the dead need burying and without us you should have plenty of food." the Gnome spoke up as he hoped to calm his anxiety.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

The party* packs up and sets off, with a slightly dispirited Mikmek. They leave the slightly-conflicted looking Akiros behind to organize things.

* This (I will assume) also includes: The party's horses, the two mistreated horses the bandits had, Victoria and Arris, Erevenywg, Byron Benzon, your prisoner--Falgrim Sneeg, the mortal remains of the Stag Lord. If you are adding anyone, or anything else, lemme know.

Are you leaving that same day? The fight at the fort ocurred in the early morning. Talking with the bandits eats up the early part of the day so it is now mid-afternoon.

"So you want me to start rebuilding the fortifications here, until you get back from this 'war'?"

"Something like that, yeah. You'll be fine, Akiros. Just talk to them about the nature of mankind or whatever."

Alia nods to Scarlets answer, then adds: "If you are growing tired of reinforcing fortifications, feel free to gather and stockpile materials instead. There's at least a couple bridges that need to be built or rebuilt nearby, and that takes a lot of wood. Basically, make sure to keep the people who stayed busy and focused on a goal until we are back. We'll try to hurry up!"
Sound good to me. Unless we are short a horse and that would slow us down. In that case we could leave Erevenywg behind...

Alia nods to Scarlets answer, then adds: "If you are growing tired of reinforcing fortifications, feel free to gather and stockpile materials instead. There's at least a couple bridges that need to be built or rebuilt nearby, and that takes a lot of wood. Basically, make sure to keep the people who stayed busy and focused on a goal until we are back. We'll try to hurry up!"

Sound good to me. Unless we are short a horse and that would slow us down. In that case we could leave Erevenywg behind...

Posh nods, smiling at the chance to be on the road again, though possibly more so due to travelling with Alia once again.

"I can draw up plans for bridges and docks if you like - I have some skill at these things - or you can do as you see fit. But I do think that transportation infrastructure is a higher priority than fortifications. Of course, keeping the food reserves well stocked is important, so if some of the men wish to go fishing, that might be both productive and good for morale."

What time of year is it? Not sure if they can plant any crops.