GM: Dennis Jordan
Players: Regina Joyner, Karen Twelves, Eric Fattig, Mia Blankensop, and Sean Nittner
System: Pathfinder
Adventure Path: Kingmaker
The story of our heroes held aloft by their triumphs whilst their nation was brought low by enemies a far.
Basking in our Glory
YEAH!
HELL YEAH!
PRAISE GORUM, YEAH!
We totally destroyed a lich. Sure, an old-busted-janky lich who lost half his wizard levels and suffered from 10,000 years without his twitter feed, but no matter, we killed a lich and everybody knew about it.
Xamanthe Silverflame, the last Centaur Knight knew about it! The Noben centaurs knew about it. Tad knew about it. And soon, pretty much all of Aldoia (and possibly parts beyond) knew about it. For once we came home and instead of folks asking what we had be off doing while they were dealing with bad weather, or two farmers filing grievances over property lines, or monstrous owlbear attacks. You know, little things. For once we came home and people cheered us. Lich killers! Woots.
Tending to the Kingdom
Knowing our recent discoveries would quickly perish if we didn’t secure them we focused our efforts in branching out both east to Varnhold and south to the Dwarven outpost. Annexation of Varnhold was costly (as Giovanni liked to remind us over and over) but a great boon to the kingdom overall. It’s next to plains and was at one point a thriving settlement, that we could benefit from investing in.
Kingdom Turn – 30
Claim Hexes E8, E9 (going towards Varnhold)
Build Farms in E8
Roads in E8,E9, and E7
Build a Market and two houses in the Tusk
Raise a new army to protect Varnhold (Commanded by Vettick)
Event: Monster attack. The Green Dragon attacked Ogelton and was only driven off by the efforts of the 2nd Aldorian infantry. Rombilard returned with information about it. It is no mere dragon, but a also a creature of the fey, that can pass between here and the First World. It lives in the “Heart” of the forest.
Event: There was also civil unrest in Varnhold, the locals complaining about Aldorian’s taking control of the town. The matter was settled (for now at least) with a town hall meeting.
Kingdom Turn – 31
Claim Hexes E10, E11 (Varnhold), and H4
Farms built in E9 and E7
Varnhold annexed and Lilly Tuskerton installed as Lord Mayor
Diplomatic Envoy: Domingo came to the Tusk with a missive from afar. The good news was a powerful country wanted to open up diplomatic negotiations with us and install an embassy in the Tusk. The bad news was the country was Chelliax, Empire of Devils. Great! We declined the offer and asked that they send one of their own to the Tusk so we could speak with them directly. So they’ll be sending a Hellknight over. Wow, these people!
Event: A natural blessing, the fire in the watchtower of Varnhold lit itself signifying a good open upon the new settlement.
Event: The soldiers of the Tusk are restless and want a “dancing hall” (read brothel) built!
Kingdom Turn – 32
Claim Hexes I3, I2, and J2 (Dwarven Watchtower)
Built a Fishery in E10 and E11
Built Sawmills in J2 and J3
A Dance Hall and Pier built in the Tusk
Cobb came to visit Miquela in the castle (disguised of course) to inform her that Issaian spies, disgruntled by the Family leaving their service is not putting more pressure to push out the Aldorian spies Cobb has established up there. Miquela instructed him to hold strong.
Our leaders traveled north to the Temple of the Elk and spoke with Jahad, at first coyly and when that did not suffice, very bluntly about the Oculus of Abaddon. He lost his composure some when he realized we actually possessed it but was greatly relieved when Miquela pulled it out of her backpack (though I do think it might have been a good idea to just pluck out one eye and wear it, I mean, don’t look a gift horse in the eye socket, right?). Though Akiros was ready to plunge out his own eyes, Jahad stayed his hand “You still have more work to do…more atoning to do.” Serenely Jahad put his hands in the holy water of the lake, put them to his eyes, and when he pulled them away, his eyes were white. Blinded by the same waters that healed Elara of lycanthropy.
Event: Political calm… (before the storm)
Changed in our characters
During these intervening months, our characters changed substantially. Most of this by dint of hitting level 9, but also through purchases made and time dedicated to the kingdom.
Miquela
- Learned Draconic and Sylvan so that should could speak in native tongues to our neighbors the Sootscale and the Nomen.
- Gave her Mithral Full Plate to be further enchanted (now +2) by Elara
- Gave the Talden Blade (Cold Iron Fey Bane) to Elara to be repaired. Now Miquela weilds Varn’s sword in one hand, the Talden blade in the other.
- Now wears Belt of Physical Might
Merrowyn
- Much of her arms arms and armor enchanted by Elara (Mithra Cestus and Armor)
- Armor also taken to wizards to have a shadow glamor placed upon it (it darkens now when she attempts stealth).
- Commissioned a ring of tactical mastery, with it, and her new dedication to learning the arts of war, has been training the First Aldorian Heavy.
- Claimed from our bounty the Silver Raven figuring of wondrous power for conveying messages to the troops.
Elara
- Trained by the Nomen on enchanting weapons and armor she set to work improving the enchantments of her allies, but most miraculously enchanting her own Blue Drangonscale Breastplate to be “Wild” so that it will now shift with her as takes the form of animals, plants, and elementals!
- She also trained with the druids among the centaurs to change her form faster than she had ever before (retraining feat for Quick Wildshape)
- She crafted a score of Dragon Bane arrows to do battle with the green dragon with.
- Elara was able to purchase several items from the Tusk (now producing items of value equal to that if Restov), and Amulet of Mighty Fists and a belt of physical might!
Toti
- As it is befitting for a Daughter of Aldori to travel in mundane armor, her’s was enchanted by Elara as well.
- She also purchased living garments, silky robes made of spider silk of the finest quality.
- Took from our recent bounty the Gloves of Swimming and Climbing.
Oliveta
- Spent much time purchasing new scrolls and then studying them to add to her collection of spells.
- Met her father Giovanni. It was less of a disappointment than we all thought, though it seems she still harbored fantasies that he would get back together with her mother in Diobel,
- And her dream lover Leccio, significantly more of a disappointment. Totally smitten…by a hedgehog! It would be hard for anyone to take.
Tragedy Strikes, War is upon us!
While all of our character were away attending a kobold ceremony all hell broke loose! At the start of the game Dennis had give us each a sealed envelope with specific instructions not to open them until instructed to (by threat of level drain).
We were now told to open them and revealed new characters for us to play. Karen drew Rombalard, I had Domingo, Mia played Edward, Eric was Akiros, and Regina would play Hima. We spent sometime reviewing these character sheets and becoming familiar with their powers and abilities. After learning about their feats and tactics, we asked Dennis what was next.
Domingo was riding hard from Restov where he had just heard the word. A royal house Surtova tax inspector had a dispute with someone in house Strozi and was killed in the disagreement. Almost immediately by house Surtov and house Strozi called their banners. Staggio, unsurprisingly left Ogelton (as he said he would) to go fight in north. It looks like civil war might be upon us already!
When Domingo arrived he shared the news with Edward and Giovanni and they all decided to wait out the night until the swordlord and the others returned. No action would be taken until we determined if this was just a border skirmish that would die down, or if the war had really broken out. We didn’t have time to find out.
Ambush in the Tusk
That night as the leaders of Aldoria fretted, our enemies enacted a brutal plan. Hordes of invaders telelported into key regions of our home. Two by the park where the colic sickened Renato was being walked. One inside the castle where the young Floriana was attended by wet nurses and Hima. One on either side of the royal villa, one by the tavern, one in Edwards chambers, and possibly more.
The groups, alien to us, were composed of wizard, several fighters, and two rogues. Between the surprise, their trained expertise, and their vast numbers they overcame the cities defense (including Domingo, Akrios, Edward, Rombalard, and Hima, who died trying to protect Floriana). They took the children, Savia (from the noble house), and a few other family members. The also fireballed (there were a lot of fireballs) the Magister’s tower killing Leccio, and destroyed the Tavern (Cobb’s base of opperation), burnt it right down to the foundation, leaving nothing behind.
Damage done, hostages kidnapped, they broke small rods and instantly teleported back to whence they had come.
A bitter return
Leccio had just enough time before his death to send a message to Olivetta. She and Toti both teleported (along with the rest of the group) back to the Tusk.
What they found was wreckage and ruin. Quickly they sought the children and found Hima dead besides Floriana cradle. In a rage at the loss of her daughter Miquela commanded Toti to read from the scroll we had taken from Varn, and bring Hima back from the dead so that she could answer the questions all burning in our brains. Leccio was similarly brought back to life, but this time by Elara, who reincarnated him…into a half-ork.
In the morning thing were made clear enough. A messenger came with a missive from Noleski Surtova, King of Brevoy. When opened a giant translucent talking head appeared and the King himself (or a facsimile of him at least) addressed us and declared that by his account Aldoria was not a part of the war that had just broken out, and that he was happy to let bygones be bygones provided we didn’t perform any acts of aggression towards Brevoy.
Yah, after just kidnapping our children and loved ones…sure, like Gorums Rusted Boot we will! (Gorum’s boots never rust ass hat!)
Thoughts on this game
The interaction between Olivetta and Leccio was priceless. She just couldn’t win. She met him and he was a hedgehog… the he died and came back a half-ork… Well, stranger things have happened.
Speaking of stranger it was noticed by Toti first, but eventually by all of us that Tad and Xamanthe had maybe taken some interest in each other. Adorbs!
What to do now is a really good question. Scrying in the north or for the kids was block, so we’re blind at the moment. Go after the kids on our own? Stay home and build up our armies to prepare for an attack? Try and get more information (scrying isn’t working so possibly sending scouts or find and Issian turncoat).
It was good times playing our NPC counterparts for a session. Though I’ll totally admit that I was looking at their character sheets and thinking…could I take Domingo in a duel? Could I in two levels? (all the NPCs were 11th level, we’re 9th).
Miquela was pretty hard core in her interrogation of dead, recently raised Hima. “Where are my daughters? Like, now!”
After the game I sent Dennis about a million questions regarding what kind of armies we can raise and train. Here come some small platoons of Fighter/Rogues, devout Cleric/Barbarians of Gorum, the Tactical Alchemy Defense (T.A.D.) unit, and maybe some Druids wild shaping into Black Bears!
