Kingmaker: Ep. 7 – Gongaii

The company made good on their boldest plan yet: walk straight into the Stag Lord’s Fort as ‘trusted’ suppliers. Cloaked in bandit garb and pushing a cask on a handcart, they climbed the dirt switchbacks beneath a ragged sky and tossed down the password—by the bloody bones of Gilmog. The gate swung wide. Ox, a mountain of a man, lumbered down the stairs, and Dovan, all teeth and calculation, hovered beside him. The sight of bottles promised a warm welcome for their lush of a lord.

Berk the Bard turned the dusty yard into a fete. He tapped the keg with flair, handed out savory bites from the astomoi scald’s cart, and spun a tale that glued a half-dozen bandits in place with cups half-raised. Beyond them, an owlbear prowled in a makeshift pen of iron, its hoots rattling the horses and the men alike. Meanwhile, Dovan led Yohei, Ashla, and Izzy up a creaking stair to a door muffled with furs.

Inside, the Stag Lord lounged amid ankle-deep bottles, hair trimmed and eyes fogged, his antlered helm tossed upon the bed. He demanded the ‘good stuff.’ As Yohei uncorked a bottle and Ashla smoothed the way, the moment sharpened—Yohei’s pistol spat fire, Ashla’s mace crashed home, and Izzy pressed a whispering hand into the tyrant’s chest. The Stag Lord toppled, a dark mark seared over his heart. Dovan, quick as a rat, stabbed Yohei from behind and dived through the window into the yard.

Below, Berk’s drumbeat found a feral counterpoint. The astomoi scald matched cadence and slipped to the winch; iron screamed, wood splintered, and the owlbear burst free like a thunderhead. It carved a path through the garrison as men shrieked for the gate. The skald heaved the bar; both beast and bandits poured into the wilds.

Outside the Stag Lord’s window, Izzy hit the ground, staggered up, and ran Dovan down at the threshold. He laid a palm upon the lieutenant’s bare skull and left him still with a final sigil. A barred door within the ruins groaned open: Akiros, bruised and righteous, emerged and confessed he had chosen ‘now’ to end Ox. He yielded and asked for judgment.

They swept the fort: chests of coin; heaps of stolen pelts, tools, and arms; a masterwork longbow; the antlered helm; and an eerie lock of green hair bound in red twine that hummed of older magic. In the cellar, they found the Stag Lord’s deranged father, spatting oaths through a ruined eye; mercy sent the old wretch stumbling into the brush. With the gate barred and the palisade quiet, the company christened their prize Fort Owlbear and carried proof and spoils to Otto for the bounty. One last rite remains: bearing the Stag Lord’s corpse to the river, and with it, a promise that the Swordlands’ worst days are truly done.

OUTLINE:

Approach in Disguise and Entry to the Fort

• The party dressed as bandits and pushed a cask and bottles to the Stag Lord’s Fort.
• They gave the password “by the bloody bones of Gilmog” and were admitted by Ox and Dovan.
• Wind-scoured yard, caged owlbear hooting; bandits on the palisade; leaders identified (Ox, Dovan, Akiros).

Distraction in the Yard, Ascent to the Stag Lord

• Burke tapped the keg, served food, and captivated a ring of bandits.
• The Astomé scald worked the “food vendor” cover near the owlbear pen.
• Dovan led Yohei, Ashla, and Izzy up to the Stag Lord’s quarters; the lord was deep in his cups amid ankle-deep bottles.

Assassination of the Stag Lord, Flight of Dovan

• Yohei offered wine, then opened the fight with a shot; Ashla pressed in; Izzy felled the Stag Lord with a deadly blessing.
• Dovan stabbed Yohei and hurled himself out the window; Izzy leapt after, pursued to the gate, and slew him, marking his skull.

Owlbear Unleashed and Rout of the Garrison

• Burke’s drumming riled the owlbear; the Astomé scald worked the winch.
• The pen burst; the owlbear rampaged through the bandits; the gate was opened; survivors fled and the beast escaped to the wilds.

Aftermath, Akiros’ Surrender, and Claiming the Fort

• Akiros emerged, bruised, confessed to ending Ox, and surrendered.
• The party secured the fort, found coin, stockpiled trade goods, a masterwork bow, the stag-horned helm, and a lock of green hair bound in red.
• In the cellar, they found and released the Stag Lord’s deranged father.
• They christened the stronghold Fort Owlbear, collected the bounty from Otto, and prepared to carry the Stag Lord’s body to the river.

NPCs:

• Akiros: Blonde, haggard lieutenant whose conscience finally rebelled. He chose his moment, killed Ox, surrendered, and pledged to face judgment—and perhaps a different path.
• Dovan: Weaselly lieutenant with a razor smile and quicker knife. He stabbed Yohei, dove from a window, and was run down at the gate, left with a black sigil on his skull.
• Keston: Captain under Lady Kremenko, measured and lawful. Agreed to hold Akiros under watch and train him among his men pending judgment.
• Lady Kremenko: Patron of the Swordlands expedition, seeking a foothold of law and trade. Her banner stands behind the party’s claim to the fort.
• Otto: Pragmatic master of the trade post who stakes the party with gear and expects square settlement. Paid the bounty and stands ready to help move stolen goods back to their rightful owners.
• Ox: The fort’s towering bruiser, more brawn than subtlety. When the dust settled, Akiros revealed he had put Ox down during the chaos.
• Stag Lord’s Father: A deranged, half-blind old man kept in the cellar. Spat curses at all and was released to the wilds rather than caged or killed.
• The Stag Lord: Once-dreaded bandit-king of the Swordlands, a cruel lush who ruled from an old abbey’s heights. Found amid a sea of bottles, he wore an antlered helm and died to wine, gunfire, mace, and a final dark benediction.

ITEMS:

• Chests of Coin and Goods: Mixed coin and a trove of stolen pelts, metals, weapons, and tools, marked by merchants’ hands.
• Keg and Handcart: A brewer’s bribe on wheels that opened gates and mouths alike.
• Lock of Green Hair (bound in red twine): An uncanny keepsake with the tang of old magic about it. Whatever its origin, it mattered to the Stag Lord.
• Masterwork Longbow: Finely made and well-cared-for despite its owner’s vices. Its pull is smooth and its shots true.
• Silver Amulets of the Stag: Stag-head pendants worn by the lieutenants. Badges of a fallen crew, now useful proof.
• Stag Lord’s Helm: A brass-and-steel helmet crowned with stag horns. A symbol of command now turned trophy—and more than a little uncanny to wear.
• Turquoise Earring: A single bright stud taken from Dovan. A small flourish from a small man.
• Wine Bottles (the ‘good stuff’): Well-traveled but persuasive vintage. Bait for an audience—and a prelude to a coup.

LOCATIONS:

• Burned Watchtower: A charred landmark on the approach, reminder of the wider bandit war. Passed at a distance on the way in.
• Cellar Beneath the Abbey: Damp, shadowed undercroft holding chests of coin and a ranting old man. Secrets and salvage stacked together.
• Fort Gate: The heavy timber gate and winch that held fear in and let fate out. Where Dovan fell and the owlbear fled.
• Otto’s Trade Post: The region’s lifeline for supplies, news, and barter. Where bounty was paid and goods will be sorted back to rightful hands.
• Owlbear Pen: A crude enclosure barred by a scavenged iron portcullis. The hinges screamed once—and then the beast was free.
• Palisade Yard: Hard-packed earth within the walls; barrels, buckets, and hitching posts. Site of the keg, the bandit crowd, and the owlbear’s rampage.
• Pohad Foothills Road: A rugged dirt track climbing by switchbacks to the fort in the wind. The only sure path that avoids restless dead.
• Stag Lord’s Fort (Old Abbey): A ruined stone abbey capped with timber walkways and a palisade, perched on a hill above the Swordlands. Now cleared and claimed by the party.
• Stag Lord’s Quarters: Fur-draped den ankle-deep in empty bottles, with a bed strewn in silks and the antlered helm tossed aside. Scene of the assassination.

FACTIONS:

• Keston’s Guard: A disciplined cadre of soldiers under Keston’s command, sworn to Lady Kremenko. Law’s thin edge in a wide wild.
• Lady Kremenko’s Expedition: Settlers and sponsors pushing civilization’s line into the Swordlands. They want roads, outposts, and order.
• Otto’s Trade Post: Independent hub whose owner balances risk and reward to keep the Swordlands supplied. Often the first to profit—and to invest in bold schemes.
• Stag Lord’s Bandits: A loose but brutal confederacy that preyed on caravans and settlers from the fort. With their lord dead and lieutenants fallen, the crew is broken and scattered.

QUESTS:

• Break the Garrison and Secure the Fort: Scatter or subdue the remaining bandits, deal with the lieutenants, and bar the gate.
• Deliver the Stag Lord’s Body to the River: Bear the corpse to the river as promised to fully close this chapter.
• Establish Fort Owlbear as a Base: Refit the old abbey as a friendly stronghold and trade link for the Swordlands.
• Infiltrate the Stag Lord’s Fort: Enter the palisade under disguise and gain access to the leadership’s quarters.
• Return Stolen Goods Through Otto: Sort and route stolen cargo back to rightful owners—or into the war chest for the frontier.
• Slay the Stag Lord: End the bandit-king’s reign and take proof of the deed.
• Win Over or Remove the Lieutenants: Confront Ox, Dovan, and Akiros; remove threats and turn what allies can be saved.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

• Ashla: An Aasimar fighter whose poise and resolve anchor the line. In the throne-room brawl, Ashla closed the distance and struck true, weathering knife-work while helping put the bandit-king down. She fights to claim space and protect her own in the thick of it.
• Astomé Scald (unnamed): A faceless, Vantablack silhouette whose voice echoes in minds more than ears. Posing as a street-food vendor, he fed, soothed, and slyly guided the mood of the fort, riling the owlbear with rhythm and timing the winch that loosed it. He opened the gate, handed out gourmet rations, and named the freed beast ‘Albert’ with a quiet kindness.
• Burke the Bard: A human bard whose charisma hits like a hammer and whose wit is sharper than a dagger. He turned a keg and a drumbeat into a spellbinding distraction that held a yard of cutthroats enthralled. In the fray’s shadow he helped unleash the owlbear and shepherd the chaos that cracked the fort wide open.
• Izzy: An oread priest with skin like cracked earth and a silver torque set with an eye wreathed in tendrils. In the Stag Lord’s chamber, Izzy ended the tyrant with a whispered, terrible benediction and later pursued and marked Dovan at the gate. He favors decisive mercy and grim symbols that linger.
• Yohei: A Kitsune gunslinger and gifted masquerader who carried the ‘good wine’ and the plan to the door. He fired the shot that opened the duel with the Stag Lord, fell to a treacherous knife, and rose again to put another round into Dovan before justice caught up. Charm and audacity are his stock-in-trade.