DoomCrow's page

I wrote that up yesterday in a short span yesterday and didn't consider things like tropes and such. I was too busy making Tar-Baphon in Hero Lab to be concerned with gender sensitivity concerning the characters in MY game.

Maybe Kendra hangs herself in grief from the steps of Lepidstadt University over the loss of her daddy instead? I'm sure Petros could find somebody else. Maybe little handicapped Timmy who's had black lung from working in the mines? Just for you...

Honestly I don't care if it's Kendra the daughter or Kenneth the son. In my game they are the offspring of a demented and twisted Necromancer who would just as easily spawn and raise their own child to be sacrificed in a dark ritual as they would send them off to boarding school. Gender is a descriptor for the tools I use.

But now that you've made me aware of how irritating those tropes are, I will be sure to overuse them as much as possible. Again, just for you.

Adivion Adrissant was one of the most brilliant students Petros Lorrimor had ever seen, nearly reaching the same level of his own brilliance. He saw the young man's struggle with academic boredom, as nothing ever came close to piquing his interest as it all seemed paltry and uninteresting - until Petros took him under his wing and showed him the darker side to history and the arcane.

The townspeople of Ravengro who attacked the Lorrimor funeral claiming the man to be a Necromancer were absolutely right. Somewhere along the way, Petros' study of the obscure, dark and magics of Ustalav led him to Necromancy and eventually to the Whispering Way. Adivion became his star pupil, and he showed him the dark abyss that is the lore of The Whispering Tyrant. Petros, already a powerful Necromancer in his own right, was the master and Adrissant the apprentice. The pair had their own theories as to how to free Tar-Baphon, and with Petros' help Adivion pieced together his plan to create the Carrion Crown Elixir. Petros, however, knew that creating a false imitation of The Whispering Tyrant was not enough. He needed a grand sacrifice to open a crack for his master to slip through into freedom, the scale of which transcended good and evil. It required the deaths of not only powerful good beings, but powerful evils ones as well. The sacrifice of the innocent as well as the corrupt. So Petros planned, and plotted, and put together the pieces in his head.

Over the course of his travels in his facade as a goodly professor of the arcane devoted to stemming the tide of the undead prsence in Ustalav and around Golarion, he had met several individuals who showed a certain spark of promise that in hindsight would be excellent candidates for his sacrifice. However, in their current states they were raw, unpolished and useless to his plans. He needed to bring them together in a singular event that would set them on a path that would forge them into the heroes that he required. Adivion had already recruited his own minions in Auren Vrood and his cronies, who Petros ensured never physically met, and so he would use them to set things into motion. He began making the necessary preparations that would allow him to become a lich, all while writing in his journal entries that cast a light of suspicion on cultists that were obsessed with undeath known as The Whispering Way and creating the last will and testament which would draw those he had chosen.

When he knew Vrood was at Harrowstone, he left his darling daughter at home to go investigate. Knowing they would kill any who stumbled onto their ritual, he played the part of doddering scholar, not making any effort to hide his active search of the prison's perimeter. Sure enough, Vrood killed Petros and made it look like an accident. However, Petros' soul did not pass onto the afterlife. Instead, it passed into the body he had prepared via Clone. He watched his own funeral from afar, delighted to see those named in his will arrive to console his daughter and pay their respects to his inert, lifeless remains. After the funeral, the spirits of Harrowstone began bringing back the dead as zombies to assault the living. Petros thought it appropriate to help things along and cement his status as a victim in all of this when he animated his own remains as a zombie and sent it to his own house to attack Kendra and his chosen champions. He knew that eventually they would become involved due to the unstable nature of the prison and catch Vrood's trail. Their sense of duty would drive them to pursue the cultists and in the process, forge them into what he needed.

With that aspect of his plan set into motion, Petros turned his attention towards his apprentice. He had kept Adivion in the dark about his plans, as the Magus was the second sacrifice he needed. He knew that Adrissant was black as coal, and would make an excellent candidate for the sacrifice so long as he was guided in the right direction. Using the elixir on a descendant of Tar-Baphon would be an excellent turn of events, but for Petros' plan he needed the host soul to be completely evil. Count Galdana was anything but that. Indeed, Petros would have to manipulate events so that his champions made it impossible for the elixir to be used on Galdana. He knew what kind of man Adivion was, and that if pushed to the limit he'd most likely use it on himself. That kind of transformation was what was needed for him to fulfill his destiny as the evil component of Petros' ritual; a corrupted soul which had become wholly evil.

The last aspect of his sacrifice would require a truly innocent soul, one unstained by the kind of hard decisions adventuring would bring about. No, there was only one person who could be the last part of his master plan, and he knew exactly who it had to be; Kendra Lorrimor, his own precious daughter. Once Petros left Ravengro and started the process that turned him into a Lich, any minuscule amount of doubt he had about sacrificing Kendra vanished. When the time was right, his agents would seize Kendra and bring her to Gallowspire, where she would be sacrificed to The Whispering Tyrant over the corpses of the fallen Adivion Adrissant, slain by the righteous heroes who championed good, who Petros would finish off as the battle with Adrissant wound down to a close. Such an epic battle with titanic forces of good versus evil, capped by a massacre and a sacrifice of pure innocence would open the seal just enough for Tar-Baphon to slip through and finally be free. Unlike Adivion, Petros had always known who his true master was and would always be.

So.. thoughts? My party is beginning Book IV, introduced with the Carrion hill module, so Petros is undergoing his transformation into a lich or has just completed it. He will continue to scry on the party and make sure they get to where he needs them to be. He knows Adivion will do his part because he trained him well. Getting Kendra will prove an easy task for him, as the party left her in Lepidstadt to study at the University and has been left alone for a while.

It's been a while since I've posted on the forums. YES, my Carrion Crown group is still going, but the party has changed significantly since last I updated you good folks. We just started Book IV, and I am prefacing with Carrion Hill as they travel from Feldgrau to Thrushmoor. The party is level 8.

Current party makeup:

Brask Blackadder (CN Half-Orc Barbarian) - One of the original members of the group. Due to a run in with a Dimensional Shambler during their overland travels and a mishap when the creature used it's Shift Planes ability with Brask in its grasp at the same instant another party member struck the killing blow. The ensuing mishap (to the rest of the group, Brask seemed to blink out for an instant and then reappear, but to Brask he was sent somewhere in the Dark Tapestry where he floated in the ether for a year being exposed to all its maddening wonderment) left Brask afflicted with madness (Multiple Personality Disorder). He came back with his original mind, a personality that thinks it's constantly shooting a nature documentary, an evil personality akin to Kenpachi Zaraki (bleach reference), a doom and gloom nihilist that bemoans everything he does as futile since they're all going to die, and Richard Nixon. In a near-death experience at the Stairs of the Moon, where he fell off the edge of the top with Mathus, he found himself in the Boneyard, where he was able to destroy the gravestone of the nihilistic personality and drive it from his mind. He has also contracted Lycanthropy from the Vilkacis. - 0 Deaths

Vincent Koilos (LG Human Undead Scourge Paladin of Iomedae) - Another original member of the group, Vincent has endured a great many trials and seen many friends fall. His brother was killed by vampires but has not yet had the opportunity to get his hands on any bloodsuckers yet. I have created an organization of Vampire Hunters called the Brotherhood of the Twelve who have been keeping an eye on Vincent and will contact him directly when he nears Caliphas. - 0 Deaths

Detective Inspector Bastargre Pierrot (CN Gnome Detective/Alchemist) - An original member of the group, Inspector Pierrot has been the source of knowledge and most observant of the group. During Book II's encounter with the juju zombies who had been experimented on with the black fluid, talks with the zombies broke down as the undead-hating members of the group attacked them while the others tried to parlay, and in the ensuing melee Pierrot was stabbed in the brain with one of the syringes and the black fluid was injected directly into his brain. The resulting necromantic fluid in his brain has been slowly changing his personality, interfering with his ability to feel remorse, turning him more towards cold logic. The dirty syringe was also contaminated with Mi-go spores, and now they have been gestating in his brain, providing him gradually with a connection to the alien beings in the form of a 'Dark Passenger' who has been slowly convincing him to do things he otherwise would not do. As we begin Book IV and he draws nearer to the Mi-go, he'll solidify his status as one of their sleeper agents, all while he frantically searches for some kind of alchemical cure to his condition. - 1 Death (via Auren Vrood's circle of death)

Talena Raducan (CG Half-Elf Inquisitor of Desna) - Talena's player is an original member of the party and was with the group through Book I but gave birth to a baby boy and has been absent on maternal leave since. We look forward to her return soon. Talena was the recipient of the dreams connecting her to the Whispering Way cult that one of our good folk here on the board came up with. - 0 Deaths

Cassandra Asheart (LG Tiefling Hospitaler Paladin of Sarenrae) - Born into a diabolist cult, she was rescued by the priests of Sarenrae who murdered her parents and raised her in the name of redeeming the wicked's spawn. She was originally written up as a Divine Hunter, but that proved to be too overwhelming and unbalanced the party (nobody got a chance to do anything as she was killing EVERYTHING in one full attack) and then switched to Hospitaler and has been very effective. She always tries to talk to the evil foes or intelligent undead to try and redeem them. - 0 Deaths

Aislin Feralon (CN Human Ranger) - Having traveled from Lastwall, Aislin has come to lend her hatred for and skill at killing undead to the party. She and her tiger animal companion have proven to be a boon.

Vjorgomir Bjystolin (NG Aasimar Oracle of Ancestors) - Vjorgomir met the party in Lepidstadt when he arrived for the funeral of his fallen cousin, Ymwodir. He has an extreme prejudice towards undead, which have slain many members of his family.

Xurodus (Gnome Wizard) - Crash-landed in Lepidstadt during an ornithopter voyage with gnomish inventor and literally falling into the encounter between Grine and the party, Xurodus has been with the group ever since, unable to leave this "god-forsaken country". He is currently in possession of the Pnakotic Manuscripts.

Former PCs still active:

Resa Hawthorn (NG Human Rogue) - An original member of the group, Resa was driven mad by a Ghastly Whispers haunt, which afflicted her with Multiple Personality Disorder. With her own personality, a Zon-Kuthon worshiper obsessed with torture and a self-preservation minded serial killer, she made it a point to seek out NPCs who had interacted with the party in the past and murder them, as well as draw up dissent and dislike towards the party among the citizens of Lepidstadt. When Cassandra and Vincent tried to apprehend her, she escaped and is currently at large. - 0 Deaths

Angus Ironhammer (LG Dwarf Fighter) - A brewer who came to Professor Lorrimor's funeral. He soon left to pursue his dreams of opening his own tavern, and eventually secured financial assistance from benefactors in Caliphas to open a new tavern and brewery there (player dropped group due to work schedule). - 0 deaths

Eliana Makhel (CG Catfolk Oracle of Life) - Attended Professor Lorrimor's funeral but soon found Ustalav's prejudices too much for her and returned to Varisia to assist with an outbreak of Mange among her people. - 0 Deaths

Waikuhido Oshiyabe (NG Kitsune Bard) - Attended Professor Lorrimor's Funeral but soon left due to feeling extreme guilt over thinking he summoned the stirges that terrorized the tavern in Ravengro by playing a musical number for the crowd. - 0 Deaths

Dr. Vykos (CG Human Alchemist) - A colleague of Professor Lorrimor, he attended his funeral and soon left to return to his studies. - 0 deaths

Fallen Characters:

Ysowir Caltril (NG Aasimar Cleric of Gozreh) - Slain during Book I by the Gray ooze when he ran into an unsearched room during the fight against the Splatter Man.

Ymwodir Vyspolin (NG Angelkin Aasimar Oracle of Ancestors) - Killed by Brother Swarm.

Wargen Gorlash (CN Half-Orc Druid) - Killed during the zombie outbreak in Ravengro. When everyone went to the Temple of Pharasma, Wargen adamantly ran off alone to the marketplace. He and his wolf companion were killed by a Zombie and had their brains eaten (player was removed from the group a few games after due to altercation with another player).

Thedren Brinetoes (Gnome sorcerer/cleric) - Killed by Brother Swarm.

Lisette Bardaeux (Human Wizard) - Killed by Brother Swarm.

Here are a few from my Campaign

Drosk Ruellis (Human Necromancer ?? / Agent of the Grave 5) - Member of the Whispering Way and puppet master of undead activities in the Stolen Lands. Has been looking for an artifact long-lost in the depths of the Hooktongue Slough, designed by Tar-Baphon: the Necrosis Configuration. With it, he can reform the remains of anyone or anything that has ever died within the radius of the Configuration's pulse when used, and create a massive horde of undead.

Shamus (Human Wizard ?? / Chronomancer ??) - A jovial spellcaster who pops in when he wants and leaves just as suddenly. He keeps the true nature of his magic a secret, but has given knowledge of a spell or two to those he deems worthy of knowing.

Hello all! It's been a while since I posted here, my apologies for it's been very very hectic around here.

So, I come to you as I am in need of assistance from my fellow GMs. Since I started my Kingmaker game, I have asked my players each week on my campaign's forums a question for them to answer in character. I do this in order to help them further develop their character as well as to pluck and develop hooks to help immerse their characters in game. This Player Participation, an idea that my friend Robert Brambley inspired me to do with my campaigns, is totally optional. I add incentives by offering in-game bonuses to their character that are effective for the next session only, plus an extra boon for the entire party should everyone complete it before the beginning of the next session.

I have been fairly consistent in posing questions, however I am running out of things to ask!! I turn to you, my fellow GMs, for assistance in questions that have eluded me thus far. Below I will share the questions I have already posed to my party so please feel free to use them for your games if you are doing something similar or would like to start.

Questions:

Who or what do you fight or fight for?

What are your character's limitations?

What mysteries surround your character?

What triggered your desire to go adventuring? How did you happen to take up a sword, lockpick, or spell book and go looking for trouble?

Which god do you worship and why? Come up with a short phrase, prayer, poem etc in the gods honor or describe some sort of daily ritual that your character performs in your gods honor. How often do you pray and is there a specific time of day that you do so?

Describe a 'tic' that your character has.

What item do you carry with you at all times that is very special to you? What does it look like? Why is it unique? and Why is it so important to you?

Describe your birthplace. Were you born in a population center such as a city, town or village or were you born into a nomadic family that traveled to many places? Did you grow up there or did you move away? What is the culture like there? What deities in the pantheon are favored the most? Is there industry there? What's the local government and/or nobility like? What's the geography and weather like? What was it like for you personally to grow up there, or if you didn't, what was it like growing up never having a stationary place to live? 

Who is your nemesis? Someone you consider either a rival, or enemy. What is the reason behind this? How did you come to feel this way about this individual? Were you friends or allies before and then had a falling out? Tell me a little about this person. From where does he/she hail? What do they do?

In a morally grey situation, which side would your character fall on when the time for tough decisions had to be made? How would he/she react?

Create an idea for a Law for the Kingdom and a suitable punishment for breaking said law. It will then be voted on by the ruling council to determine if it will be written into law. You may come up with multiple ideas.

As a leader in the kingdom you are building, what are some goals that you would like to see achieved for your Capital City and nation as a whole?

What are some activities that you'd like to have at the Founder's Day Festival and why?? 

Eulogize someone who has died in the Carnival of Tears massacre.

Create two NPCs; the first will be related to your character in some way. Could be a relative, a friend, someone from your past, a business associate, an enemy, guardian, lover, whatever. It must be a NEW NPC (ie, not someone mentioned in your background already).  The second NPC is one of the 3,750 people living in Crimsondale, a normal citizen. 

Was there anyone you looked up to growing up as a child? A hero or role model that you knew of, or someone in your life that affected you in such a way that you wanted to take after them? Who was this person and what were they like?  If you didn't have anyone like this, why not?

Why did you choose the deity you currently call your Patron? What events if any led you to this spiritual calling? Were you born into the faith or was it something else?

As a player, if you could, what advice would you give your character? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice...

What do you do for relaxation? What things do they do for enjoyment? What interests do you have? 

Describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life.

If your life were to end in 24 hours, what 5 things would you do in those remaining hours?

What should Falconcrest's flag look like?? What colors, symbols and patterns would you include? What do they represent? 

List any past serious relationships that you have had, and give a brief overview of the relationship(s). And just in case your answer is a clever 'none', there's another interrogatory!! Name seven things you hate in others. 

This one was structured as an interview by the NPC in charge of the kingdom's newspaper:
Growing up were you in the majority or a minority of races where you lived?
How were you treated by other nearby races? 
Were you persecuted for your race?
Did this impact your outlook in any way?
Did it affect your personality?
How do you feel about other races?
Do you have any justification from your past experience for holding such views?

When was the first moment you realized you lived in a world with monsters living outside your door? Describe how this realization came to be. 

Describe the first time you killed another sentient being. How did it make you feel? Do you regret it, or does the decision haunt you to this day? 

Do you have a good luck charm? Describe it, how you came to get it and why you think it brings you good luck? If you don't have one, why not? Do you not believe in luck? Why or why not?

Do you have any sort of criminal record?  Elaborate if so. If not, were there any close calls?

Tell us what your favorite food and drink is, whether it is hard to make or contains rare ingredients, or if it's made by someone special. Is it a food or drink made In only one tavern, or can it be found everywhere?

Name one trait your character would possibly change about themselves, physically or otherwise, and explain the reasoning behind it. 

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? What is your reasoning behind this and why?

What do you think awaits you in the afterlife?

Does your character wear any jewelry? If so, what kind? (bracelet, non magical rings, crowns, necklaces, earrings? What are they made of? If not, explain why your character chooses not to wear jewelry.

Does your character frequent a town tavern? Do you have a "reserved" seat at the local restaurant? Are you a frequent visitor to the Brothel? If so, tell us about it!  What days you frequent the establishment, what you do there, any other pertinent information.

Tell us about your character's education. Do the have any formal schooling? Who taught them how to read or write, if they can do so? Is there a favorite teacher or mentor that your character had? If so, where are they?

Introduce me to your first born child; imagine your progeny, if you will, as you envision them at their twentieth birthday. Describe what they look like, tell me their names, tell me who you think their other parent could be, tell me what their hopes and dreams may be. Tell me if they followed you down the path of the adventurer, and if so, what kind of adventurer would they be? If for some reason you can't have kids or don't fathom any reason why you would, then this progeny could be adopted, a ward, or disciple you take up in the future.

Tell me one location your character has never been to and would like to visit once before they die. Why do you wish to go there? How did you come to know about this lace? Does the journey/destination have any special meaning to you?

Cheers,
DoomCrow

DoomCrow wrote:

I made the red kobold tribe rivals of the Sootscales. Hargulka has recruited the red scales into his monster kingdom.

Which hex did you put them in?

They are in Hargulka's Hex, inhabiting the abandoned Dwarven Monastery, where they train as Monks and Ninjas for his fighting forces. Hargulka, of course, has long since moved out of the Monastery and resides in his capital city.

This began with Leo, a player, lamenting his group's lame encounter with the Jabberwock, as he put it. His GM is nowhere to be found because he either doesn't post on Paizo's boards or doesn't know his players criticize his ability to run a game, or both. Thus far we've only heard one side (Leo's) of the story.

In said encounter, Leo's group took out the Jabberwock in the first round of combat at 16th level before the creature even took it's turn through a series of improperly played actions on both sides of the table. Regardless of what call a GM makes about their interpretation of DR and Smite, you cannot Smite at all in a round in which you've already taken a Swift Action. There were so many things wrong with that combat from tw get-go that it's not even worth picking apart any longer.

The fact is that a player who may have never GM'ed at all is harping about rules to a community of GMs for the sake of arguing. I already said what I wanted to say about antagonistic players so I won't repeat myself.

Maddigan, you can say what you want but the RAW is there to provide the groundwork for a GM to use during a game. I don't really care if the RAW says this or that as long as my players have fun and the game goes mostly according to the rules so as to not break the game. I GM on the fly, always have for years, and I adapt the game and make calls as they happen to keep the flow of the game going. I have the groundwork of the rules in my head and go from there. If I miss something, I have players who will remind me of it and I'll adjust accordingly, and vice versa. If after the game I go back and look at the rules and see something was wrong, I make a note of it to be correct for next time.

I don't need to argue with anyone on rules. It's needless and annoying. I don't tolerate it at my table and I'm done with it here. It creates drama and it leads to flaming, which is ridiculous. Rules are there for GMs to run with as they will. You do it your way and I'll do it mine. I don't buy Paizo material so I can follow what they say to the letter of the RAW, I buy it because it compliments my style best and I enjoy their story flavor and ideas.

I've listed rules and cited pages and I could continue to do so all day, but in the end it's not worth it. Some people are too unyielding to see the other person's point despite being in disagreement with their argument.

If it'll make you happy, I'll equip my Jabberwock with a Eyebeam Ray Gun so he can use Vital Strike with it. Then it'll work, right??????

Also, coming to the community, complaining "The encounter was lame and too easy" and then getting upset when they point out the errors made during the encounter ( be it now on the side of the GM or your group ) is positively Ravingdorkian.

Some players just like to argue, and in my experience most of them cannot fathom the concept of them being in the wrong, to the point of constant denial.

Leo, we are trying to give you advice so that your group doesn't encounter these lame encounters again, but it's a moot point when players don't listen. This game is a symbiotic relationship in that it requires both sides contributing to the game and looking out for the other. The GM runs the game and helps the Players with character development, party cohesion and provides a little push now and then when they need it. The players in turn, help the GM sometimes when he misses something so the game moves along in a fair and smooth fashion. This is just a small part of what GMs and players do but it's one of the most important. This kind of symbiosis is needed to keep the game fun for everyone (including the GM) and keep it running without any major problems.

As a player, you need to help your GM if he's not pulling his own weight. The GM needs to clarify rules like these so it's out in the open. It's not a player's call to guess how many free actions he can take in a round. If you don't know, then ask. By not asking and just doing whatever until the GM says something is just irresponsible and taking advantage of the GM.

By the way, was this your GM's first campaign that he ran? How long has he been a GM?

Here are the Dwarf Clans that the dwarves in the surrounding regions take their names from:

Axehaft
A clan of miners and smelters, these dwarves are beardless by choice, which is very strange to other dwarves. Clan Axehaft has members of the clan experienced in finding veins of ore, as well as gems. They are said to be able to smell ores and gems, and their practice of tapping the rock walls brought about the rumor that the stone tells them where veins and deposits are located.
Symbol – an axe and a cut diamond.

Brawnanvil
The most skilled clan with respects to smithing. These dwarves start working the forges at age 5, as soon as they can lift the lightest hammer. Brawnanvil is known to craft everything (even swords for humans and elves), although their work on axes, hammers, and maces is considered to be beyond comparison. Generally, however, they are considered to be some of the least skilled warriors in the dwarven nations. Known for keeping copious records of dwarven lore.
Symbol – a forge hammer in front of an anvil.

Ironbrew
Brewers and vintners, primarily, as well as glassblowers. Clan Ironbrew creates the world’s finest dwarven spirits (though generally do not allow them to be brought above-ground – the light ruins the potency). They are known for delicacies like mushroom ale, blackwine, and the most potent rye whiskey of all the clans.
Symbol – a bottle next to a mug.

Shalebreaker
Clan Shalebraker is known for it’s ability to excavate tunnels and mines with ease. Known also for their master Earth Wizards, Shalebraker fields brigades of tunnel hunters, dwarves specialized in clearing mines and caverns of vermin and enemies.
Symbol – a hammer amid a mine entrance.

Graygore
A clan mistrusted by all others. Rumors of deals with dark dwarves and dark elves abound, but have never been substantiated. As well, the practice of Necromancy has been rumored to occur within clan holdings.
Symbol – a bloodied fist, dripping blood into a pool.

Foehammer
Oldest and most respected of the Clans back in the Kingdoms of the Five Kings Mountains. This clan is famous for one primary reason – if they ally with another clan in battle, they always demand the vanguard. They specialize in both above- and below-ground combat styles and strategies.
Symbol – a bloodied axe.

I came up with the names (except for Axehaft, which is one of my players and Brawnanvil, which I got from Robert Brambley), and I unearthed some descriptions that matched what I was looking for.

My Kingmaker game has been going on 3 months now. The party is level 7 and in the thick of RRR. I'll get you up to speed on my campaign thus far.

The campaign began in Restov, where the party attended a ceremony during which they were given their charter. They met the other adventuring groups who were also chartered. I took my own liberties with the Iron Wraiths and the fourth group who was hardly even mentioned.

Iron Wraiths: Led by the gallant Ser Warner Lionheart (an homage to a former player of mine, fellow GM and dear friend, Robert Brambley), a Paladin of Iomedae. His group eventually found the monarchy of Galanor in the Glenebon Uplands.

Souls of the Radiant Sun: Led by Dalaegar of the Eternal Flame, a Garundi man from Osirian who claims to have been given divine visions from the Dawnflower. In them, he was tasked with venturing into the Stolen Lands and found a kingdom, from which a holy crusade will be launched that will stave off the tide of an ancient undead horde that will awaken in the region and cause great havoc and suffering. His group of devout followers of the goddess found a theocracy called the Lambent Barony, at the northern tip of Lake Hooktongue.

Varnling Host: didn't change much about his group, however I made up a rather extensive Varn family that holds a great deal of power in the government. I also increased the standing of Maegar and his family within the swordlords as time progresses.

The party ventured out into the Greenbelt and did some exploring using Oleg's as their base. They befriended the Sootscales, found out that Svetlana is into Varisian curses when it comes to Kressle, liberated the temple of the elk, exterminated the Mites, and made friends with Tyg and Perlivash before taking on the Stag Lord.

When it was time to deal with the bandits, they infiltrated the Stag Lord's fort and slit his throat in his sleep and made short work of the rest. Only Dovan escaped.

Since then they have established the city of Crimsondale (no name for the country yet). After 2 and a half years of in game time the city is two districts. Tatzlford has been founded, as has the town of Glimmerscale, located in the Sootscale hex. The kobolds have been made citizens and live in Glimmerscale and in exchange they work the silver mine.

A major event was the 1 year anniversary of the town being founded, which when I ran the Carnival of Tears module. A third of the town's population was wiped out and the party's Magister Iorweth was killed in the battle. In the limbo between death and moving onto the afterlife, Iorweth was visited by a hooded figure cloaked in yellow. He offered to bring back those townspeople who had died in exchange for an unnamed price which he would collect in 10 years, to which Iorweth agreed. The slain townsfolk were revived that night, and only the party members remembered what had actually transpired.

There have been multiple encounters with dark fey that has caused a deep seeded hatred for fey to grow within my party. The Carnival of Tears was particularly excellent at accomplishing this. Oddly enough, the party is still able to give fey that they meet the benefit of the doubt, due to relationships they developed early on from benevolent fey like Tyg & Perlivash, Tiressia and Miri.

They have also encountered Hargulka, who I've made an Advanced Half-Green Dragon, Half Troll. I incorporated DM Dudemeister's fantastic ideas of having him establish a monster kingdom and going out and recruiting monsters to his realm the group encountered him at a banquet the Sootscales held, where he tried and ultimately failed to turn them against the party. The players have discovered the border of his kingdom in the south but have left him alone for over a year now. He has gathered Spriggans, a red scaled kobold tribe, Quicklings, Merrow and Grindylow to his cause thus far.

The players have made a lot of enemies but have also gained allies. They attempted to kill the Old Bedame (unsuccessfully) after breaking into her home while she was on her way home from gathering herbs. They managed to interrogate and turn Grigori into their double agent, having him feed false information to Fort Drelev via carrier birds while actig as town crier for Crimsondale. They have friendly relationships with Mivon, Gralton and Daggermark (to a degree). Galanor is also friendly, with Varnhold and are Lambent Barony on the neutral side for now. They are all still colonies of Restov (Rostland), and I am planning on introducing NPCs from the Brevish noble families and agents thereof soon to stir up some political intrigue as tensions and suspicions in Brevoy grow.

I also took the Old Margreve and inserted it to the south ofthe Greenbelt. It connects the Nalmarches, Embreth forest, and the forest south of Mivon all into one large forest being the Margreve.

There are many more details I've left out so please feel free to ask questions. I'm not at home right now so I can only post so much content without having access to all the details. I plan on elaborating later in future posts in this thread to provide updates and thoughts on future plans for hooks and story ideas.

I'd love to hear any feedback or suggestions. There are a ton of great ideas I've already seen on the Kingmaker boards and plan on incorporating and much as I can, but in the end it's really the players who'll decide which options they want to pursue so we'll see!!

I forgot to mention that for my game to create a greater challenge down the line I made Hargulka an Advanced Green Half-Dragon Troll.

I too do not want his kingdom overwhelm and overtake the PC's kingdom as their growth is slow; the kingdom's size is only 5 after one year.

First of all, awesome stuff!! I'm totally snagging for my game.

I have a question about Hargulka's kingdom, however. Did you use the Kingdom Building rules to create a kingdom on the map? I spoke with my friend Robert Brambley and he has Hargulka's kingdom at one hex where his lair is located. Did you do something similar or did you make it bigger for your game?

In my game I made up the two other adventuring groups that were given charters to colonize the Stolen Lands besides the party and Varn and have them colonizing their own territory before the events of the later books (my group just started Book 2 and are about to celebrate their 1 year anniversary). I am also using the Kingdom Building Rules for Varn and the two other colonies.

Anyway I was thinking about having Hargulka, having been given resources by Narissa, built a city of his own a year or two before the PCs got their charter and having some territory in the south. Under his rule are a tribe of red scale kobolds, a tribe of Spriggans (who, once Hargulka is defeated, will end up being the Spriggans in Varnhold Vanishing), a small nest of Harpies, a Merrow who inhabits the Murque River and leads a small tribe of Grindylow, a Hag, some Dark Creepers, Redcaps and some Ogres. The party also robbed and almost killed the Old Bedame in the last session but escaped so I'm having her end up being used by Hargulka against the PCs so she can try and get revenge.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what I am proposing and to see what you have done.