Kingmaker: Ep. 5 – Online

Last session, the adventurers sifted through a handful of bounties at Otto’s trade post—fangberries for a priestess, tatzlwyrm heads for salves, even word of a boar that took a man’s leg—before fixing on the boldest thread: recon the Stag Lord’s hill fort for Lady Kremenko. They set out under gray skies, mid-50s by day and near-freezing by night, with Brother Tiberius loud in his praise of Madeira and Danos flexing a new warhammer itch. South of the post they glimpsed a lonely watchtower on a ridge and chose to steer clear.

A pair of black-striped, coyote-like scavengers ghosted from the brush. The party answered with growls and howls until the beasts slipped away—an omen, as it turned out. The fort’s hill soon rose ahead, crowned by a palisade with its gate on the north face and the last 300 feet scraped nearly bare of cover. Boulders, thorn clumps, and suspicious mounds of dirt dotted the slope. Glix volunteered to scout. He crept from rock to rock in moonlit shadow, felt the ground shudder, and scrambled up a boulder as a desiccated arm shoved through the soil.

A bullseye lantern flared from the fort and a voice snapped get the crossbows. Then the earth broke open in multiple places. Zombies hauled themselves upright and lurched toward the intruders. Danos met them head-on, warhammer crunching ribcage and skull. Brother Tiberius thrust out his holy symbol, called Madeira’s blessing over Danos, and sprinted toward the fallen as needed. Muffy dove into the mess, was dragged under, and somehow lurched back up, battered but breathing. Fijijit flung dagger after dagger into the dark, then misfired a spray of color that stripped every hair from his head, eyebrows to beard, in an instant. Glix anchored the far flank, dropping one corpse with a bolt through the face and reloading fast as the dead refused to stay down.

Crossbow bolts hissed from the palisade, sparking on stone and kicking dirt around the boulders. One stubborn zombie absorbed blow after blow that should have ended it. With the fort roused and more dead rising, the group chose survival over glory. Tiberius hauled Fijijit up by the collar and sent him running, Danos smashed another skull, and the company fell back in a staggered retreat while the bandits jeered and vowed to scour the slope at dawn. As Glix peeled away, the zombies sank back into the earth as if leashed to that barren killing field.

They marched by lantern all night, skirting a forest draped in webs and pale cocoons twisting on long strands, and reached Otto’s after two cold days. There, an elven-guided gnomish caravan bartered fine cloth and confirmed what rumor had promised: a revenant haunted Labrod’s Ferry and would brook no repairs until the Stag Lord’s body was given to the river. The party traded stories, then partied too hard; a brawl broke out and Otto, despite warming to Muffy, banned further revelry until tempers cooled. Even so, the party left with sharper intel on the fort’s undead guards, a new mark on the map for spider silk, and leads ranging from tatzlwyrms to a vengeful ghost—all pointing toward the Stag Lord and how to cut him down.

OUTLINE:

Choosing the target and setting out

• At Otto’s trade post, the group reviewed local bounties and rumors, then chose to scout the Stag Lord’s fort for Lady Kramenko.
• Introductions clarified roles: Danos the half-orc bruiser, Muffy the fox-blood noble brawler, Brother Tiberius the zealous inquisitor, Glix the acrobatic goblin-monkey thief, Pepper the hard-bitten crossbowman, and Fijijit the prank-happy gnome illusionist.
• They marched south through hills, noting a distant watchtower and choosing a route that avoided it.

First omens and the bare hill of the fort

• Two black-striped, jackal-like scavengers tested the party’s nerve before fleeing.
• The fort crowned a hill with a palisade and a north-facing gate; the last 300 feet were scraped bare but for boulders, thorn bushes, and odd dirt mounds.
• Glix advanced to scout under moonlight while the others held back.

Undead erupt and the fort wakes

• The ground quivered and a desiccated arm clawed up; more dead erupted from shallow graves across the slope.
• A bullseye lantern blazed from inside the fort and bandits shouted to fetch crossbows while bolts began to rain down short of the boulders.
• Danos smashed into the undead as Brother Tiberius blessed him; Muffy was dragged down and then staggered back up; Fijijit threw daggers and suffered a bald-making miscast; Glix dropped one zombie with a bolt to the face and kept firing from cover.
• One zombie absorbed multiple killing blows before finally dropping; more pressed in as the bandits jeered.

Retreat to the trees and eerie stillness

• With the walls fully roused, the company disengaged; Brother Tiberius pulled Fijijit to his feet and Danos broke contact while Pepper and Muffy covered from range.
• As Glix withdrew, the zombies sank back into the earth, suggesting they were bound to that barren slope.
• Bandits shouted they would search the field in the morning.

Return to Otto’s, new leads, and a bumpy celebration

• They traveled by lantern through the night, skirting a forest choked in webs and hanging cocoons, and reached Otto’s in two days.
• A gnomish caravan with an elf guide traded cloth and confirmed that a revenant at Labrod’s Ferry barred rebuilding until the Stag Lord’s body met the river.
• A rowdy night of carousing ended in a brawl, earning a temporary ban on revelry at the trade post but leaving the group with clearer intel and new leads: the webbed forest, tatzlwyrms, and the revenant’s demand.

NPCs:

• Elf Guide: A quiet, sharp-eyed scout leading the gnomish caravan between posts and forts. He reads trails as easily as other men read ledgers.
• Gnomish Cloth Merchants: A small caravan dealing in fine bolts of cloth and news from the road, accompanied by an elven guide. Friendly, savvy traders always ready to buy or sell the useful and the unusual.
• Keston: A stern captain of guards at the trade post who keeps a wary eye on troublemakers. He remembers who tried to burn down what.
• Lady Kramenko: The northern patron who issued the charter to explore and settle the Swordlands under her banner. Ambitious and practical, she measures results more than excuses.
• Lana: Otto’s capable partner at the trade post who sees to food, supplies, and a welcoming fire. She has a soft spot for friendly faces who pull their weight.
• One‑Legged Boar Victim: A hard-bitten man who swears a vicious boar took his leg below the knee and demands vengeance. He is willing to pay to see the beast brought down.
• Otto: Genial master of the trade post who feeds travelers and keeps the peace, until brawls go too far. He warms to competence and hard work, but has little patience for drunken chaos.
• Revenant of Labrod’s Ferry: A vengeful spirit barring the ferry’s rebuilding until the Stag Lord’s body is given to the river. Implacable and bound to its oath.
• Stag Lord: The infamous bandit chief whose hill fort dominates the region. His men jeer from the walls and let the dead do their dirty work.

ITEMS:

• Bullseye Lantern: A shuttered lantern that throws a narrow spear of blinding light across the dark. The bandits used one to sweep the hillside.
• Charter of Lady Kramenko: Written authority to explore, settle, and claim in her name—opportunity and obligation in one sheet.
• Crossbow and Bolts: Pepper’s preferred whisper in the night and Glix’s clean solution from a boulder’s edge.
• Fangberries: Sharp little berries prized by a local priestess for potent salves, if harvested from the right patches.
• Healing Salves: Hard-won restoratives traded for herbs and monster parts at the post.
• Longbow: Muffy’s reach when steel would be folly, sending arrows hissing into the dark.
• Spider Silk: Fine, strong thread hanging in ghostly sheets in the webbed forest. Valuable to the right hands.
• Tatzlwyrm Trophy: A severed head worth salves and silver to Otto’s buyers, if someone brings one in.
• Thrown Daggers: Fijijit’s vanishing assets, scattered across a zombie-haunted slope like silver promises.
• Warhammer: A brutal head on a stout haft, Danos’s faithful answer to most questions. It breaks skulls and stubborn problems with equal focus.

LOCATIONS:

• Fort Drellin: A regional strongpoint and market farther afield where caravans can safely do business while the ferry remains closed.
• Labrod’s Ferry: The ruined river crossing haunted by a revenant until the Stag Lord’s corpse is given to the waters. Trade won’t flow until the dead do.
• Otto’s Trade Post: A palisaded waystation of warm stews, hard bargains, and stricter rules than the wilds beyond. The hub where rumors change from chatter into plans.
• Ridge Watchtower: A lonely tower on a neighboring hill that eyes the river and approaches to the fort. Best avoided unless you like being seen first.
• Stag Lord’s Fort: A hilltop palisade with a north gate and a bare, deadly approach seeded with shallow graves. Bullseye lanterns and jeering bandits keep watch by night.
• Tarka: The northern land that sent Lady Kramenko’s settlers south. Civilized order peering into a wild frontier.
• The Swordlands: A rough frontier of hills, forests, and river-valleys where outlaws and exiles disappear. It is where the party must make their mark, or vanish like so many before them.
• Webbed Forest: A stretch of trees draped in thick spider webs, pale cocoons dangling from long strands. Opportunity and danger both hang there.

FACTIONS:

• Faith of Madeira: A stern, law-minded church that empowers inquisitors like Brother Tiberius to bring judgment to the frontier.
• Gnomish Cloth Caravan: A traveling merchant band dealing in finery and rumors, watched over by an elf scout.
• Lady Kramenko’s Charter Company: Settlers and freeblades advancing a northern lady’s claim into the Swordlands, including this party.
• Otto’s Trade Post Circle: Traders, guards, and locals who keep the waystation running. Helpful, until the mugs fly.
• Stag Lord’s Bandits: The dominant outlaw force in the region, bold behind their palisade and cruel in their humor. They let the dead do the welcoming.

QUESTS:

• Avenge the One‑Legged Man: Track and slay the vicious boar that took a local’s leg; he vows to pay for vengeance.
• Escort the Gnomish Caravan to Fort Drellin: Guard the cloth merchants along the route while the ferry is down.
• Gather Spider Silk from the Webbed Forest: Harvest valuable silk from the spider-choked woods without becoming a cocoon yourself.
• Harvest Fangberries for the Priestess: Gather fangberries from marked patches for promised healing salves. One patch may hide a tatzlwyrm’s nest.
• Hunt Tatzlwyrms for Otto’s Bounty: Bring back a tatzlwyrm head to trade for salves and goodwill at the post.
• Lay the Ferry’s Revenant to Rest: The spirit at Labrod’s Ferry demands the Stag Lord’s body be cast into the river before repairs resume.
• Scout the Stag Lord’s Fort: Reconnoiter the hilltop palisade, learn its defenses, and find a way to crack it.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

• Brother Tiberius: A loud and fervent inquisitor of Madeira, goddess of law and justice, recently exiled for judging the wrong noble. He blesses allies in the thick of battle and rushes to gather the fallen, then prays even louder when things go wrong. His certainty can fill a field, and sometimes a tavern.
• Danos: A wary half-orc bruiser who meets danger head-on with a warhammer and a grim grin. He expects trouble at every turn and answers it with blunt force. Beneath the grit, he’s hungry to prove himself useful to the company and to whoever pays honestly.
• Fijijit: A gnome illusionist and inveterate prankster whose jokes occasionally blow back spectacularly. In the chaos beneath the fort he hurled knives and miscast a spell that stripped him bald; by dawn, his hair began growing back a new chestnut shade. He is curious, resilient, and always one trick from triumph or trouble.
• Glix: A goblin‑monkey acrobat turned thief, small, swift, and fearless on stone and wood alike. He scouts where no one else can, scampering between rocks and up palisades, and puts clean bolts into ugly problems. Mischief glints in his eye, but he keeps the party alive with sharp eyes and surer hands.
• Muffy: A light-blue-furred kitsune blood rager with a noble’s bearing and a survivor’s grit. Quick and audacious, he waded into the undead, fell, and forced himself back to his feet. He builds bridges with a smile and a shared drink, even as he readies the bow for whatever comes next.
• Pepper: A tight-lipped, money-first cutpurse who prefers the whisper of a crossbow to the clang of steel. He fades into brush, strikes from the edge of lantern light, and doesn’t waste words or shots. If there’s coin in it, Pepper is interested. If not, expect a skeptical look.