Kingmaker: Ep. 8 – Gongaii

Last session, the company set out from Fort Owlbear with a cart, a corpse, and a plan. Lady Kremenko’s settlers needed the ferry reopened; Lobrad’s priestess needed fangberries; and Otto up north had loudly promised tinctures for a tatzlworm head. The hills wasted no time in pushing back. A fresh log lay across the track, and five men crouched behind it, calling for tolls. Ashla loosed an arrow that clattered wide, Kribera tested the range with a javelin and drew a yelp from a hillside lookout, and Axe strode forward, banging axe on shield before sending a handaxe whickering into a skull. The rest fled into the scrub, leaving silver and a dent in the road’s reputation.

They reached the old ferry by dusk beneath clawing branches. When they called out, a water‑slick figure slid from the Tamelo, peasant rags rotted through a rib‑deep wound. The drowned ferryman asked one thing: put the Stag Lord in the river. They heaved the body over the stones. For a heartbeat it twitched, then the water boiled the flesh away to bone—and as it did, the revenant crumbled, sluicing to nothing. The party trudged into Lobrad at four in the morning; Abel the innkeep yawned them into the common room, and the headman—still squinting at Krigra—paid them properly at first light and promised to find brave souls to garrison the fort.

North at the fangberry glade, red fruit gleamed in a sea of shrubs. The bushes shook. Two green, arm‑sprouting tatzlworms burst out hissing and spit twin streaks of venom. Axe folded at once; Emon’s earth‑born prayer wrenched him back. In the brush, Ashla smashed one worm’s skull with a ringing mace blow while Krigra carved the other’s head free. They filled sacks, dug two whole bushes—one for the shrine, one for home—and rolled back to Lobrad. The priestess of Yamath agreed to brew tinctures overnight and let them fill holy flasks. Later, the headman brought a clammy, river‑damp fishing harpoon that had washed ashore. Enfon, the village hedge‑witch and teacher, named it a ferryman’s harpoon, barbed to drag the struck. The Tatzlwyrm Tavern paid twenty gold for the spare head and plans for a jaw‑hung sign.

Otto’s post had grown into a muddy hive of fences, goats, sheep, and shouting. He traded a pony and wagon for the tatzlwyrm head and took his handcart back, then hoisted the trophy over his door. Back at Fort Owlbear, the party planted their fangberry bush down the hillside—outside the abbey‑hill’s eerie zone, where the restless dead rise at any approach but the road. On the return toward Lobrad a thunder of steps rolled over a ridge: an ettin, two heads hunched over two tree‑club arms, angling for the pony. Axe charged into the dark and got hammered flat; Emon hauled him back to breath; Kribera raised a burning brand to flood the scene with light and sank the ferryman’s harpoon, straining to rip the brute close; Ashla battered its knees until the hill itself seemed to wince. The giant crashed down short of horseflesh. In Lobrad, the priestess delivered tinctures and began tutoring Emon in seed‑to‑salve craft—he nearly nailed the method. The others celebrated their luck into the stocks for two days. Still, the ferry ran, a wagon and harpoon were won, a berry patch took root by their fort, and the Swordlands hinted at what would come next.

OUTLINE:

Ambush on the Hill Road

• The party left Fort Owlbear hauling the Stag Lord’s corpse toward Lowbrad and the ferry.
• A fresh log blocked the path; five bandits demanded a toll from cover.
• Ashla’s arrow missed; Kribera wounded a lookout with a javelin; Axe charged and killed a bandit with a thrown handaxe.
• The remaining brigands fled; the group looted silver and moved on.

The Ferry Revenant and Lowbrad’s Thanks

• At the river east of Lowbrad, the drowned ferryman emerged and demanded the Stag Lord’s body.
• They dropped the corpse into the Tamelo; its flesh boiled away and the revenant dissolved.
• The party returned to Lowbrad before dawn, received shelter from Abel and payment from the headman, who also agreed to seek fort recruits (after eyeing Kribera warily).

Fangberry Hunt and Tatzlworm Fight

• At the fangberry glade, two green tatzlworms attacked, spitting venom.
• Axe went down; Emon revived him; Ashla crushed one serpent; Kribera decapitated the other.
• They filled sacks, dug two bushes (one for Lowbrad’s shrine, one for Fort Owlbear), and returned to town.
• The priestess of Yamath promised tinctures and holy water; the headman later delivered a damp ferryman’s harpoon that Enfon identified as a barbed, pulling javelin.
• They sold a spare tatzl head to the Tasselworm Tavern.

Otto’s Tradepost and Fort Owlbear’s Garden

• Travel north to Otto’s bustling palisade full of livestock and shacks.
• Otto traded a pony and wagon for the tatzl head and his handcart back; the trophy went up over his door.
• Back at Fort Owlbear, the group planted a fangberry bush down the hill, away from the abbey‑hill’s undead ward.

Night Attack, Giant Down, and Downtime

• On the return toward Lowbrad, an ettin charged the camp, aiming for the pony.
• Axe charged into the dark and was clubbed down (twice), Emon kept him alive, Kribera lit the fight and harpooned the brute, and Ashla battered its knees until it fell.
• In Lowbrad, the priestess delivered tinctures; Emon began learning the recipe (first try fell short); the others caroused, embarrassed themselves, and spent two days in the stocks.

NPCs:

• Abel the Innkeep: Keeper of Lowbrad’s inn, quick with blankets in the small hours and quicker with town gossip. A practical host with a soft spot for heroes who actually help.
• Drowned Ferryman: The vengeful spirit haunting the ferry site until the Stag Lord’s body was given to the river. Dissolved alongside the corpse when justice was done.
• Enfon: Lowbrad’s hedge‑witch and schoolteacher. Curt with outsiders, especially hobgoblins, but willing to aid the party through intermediaries; she identified the ferryman’s harpoon.
• Lady Kremenko: An ambitious Tarkan noble funding settlement and exploration of the Swordlands. She has coin, plans, and designs on influence far beyond her title.
• Lana: Otto’s right hand in the yard and cookfires, keeping workers fed and the place running. She corrals chaos with pots, ladles, and sharp orders.
• Lowbrad Headman: A ranger‑captain who minds Lowbrad’s safety and purse. Suspicious of hobgoblins but fair when the work is done, he paid the party and promised recruits for Fort Owlbear.
• Otto: Master of the northern tradepost, a fast‑talking trader turning a palisade into a bustling hub of pens and shacks. He wanted a tatzlworm head for his wall and paid in transport.
• Priestess of Yamath: Lowbrad’s gray‑braided priestess of the Far Wanderer. She brews healing tinctures from fangberry seeds and welcomed the party’s gift of a live bush for the shrine garden.
• Tasselworm Tavern Keeper: Proud proprietor of a tavern with a stuffed tatzlworm in the lobby. Paid good coin for a new head to hang over the door.

ITEMS:

• Ferryman’s Harpoon: A river‑damp, barbed javelin from the drowned ferryman, keen to bite and drag what it strikes. It hums faintly of deep water and old duty.
• Giant Toes (Trophies): Two hefty digits from the ettin that tried for the pony; proof that some footsteps won’t be heard again.
• Healing Tinctures: Fangberry seed salves brewed by the priestess of Yamath. Bitter on the tongue, welcome in the blood.
• Holy Water Flasks: Consecrated water from Lowbrad’s shrine, clear and cold as the Tamelo at dawn.
• Pony and Wagon: A sturdy little beast and a creaking hauler that turned a handcart life into something like logistics.
• Tatzlworm Heads: Severed, green‑scaled trophies with tiny forelimbs and too many teeth, prized by traders and taverns alike.

LOCATIONS:

• Burned Watchtower: A scorched stone base and blackened ruin along the hill road, a reminder of past fights and future repairs.
• Camp in the Hills: Where the ettin came for the pony in the night, and fell to torchlight, harpoon, and hammering blows.
• Fangberry Glade: A wide, shrub‑choked clearing full of red fangberries and territorial tatzlworms. Rich pickings—and ambush cover.
• Fort Owlbear: The reclaimed stronghold once held by the Stag Lord, perched on a desecrated abbey‑hill where the restless dead rise off the road. Now the party’s foothold in the Swordlands.
• Lowbrad: A growing river village with an inn, tavern, shrine, and a wary eye for trouble. The ferry crossing east of town is its lifeline.
• Old Ferry on the Tamelo: A rope‑pull landing in the woods east of Lowbrad. Once haunted by a revenant, it now lies quiet and ready for rebuilding.
• Otto’s Tradepost: A wooden palisade outpost swelling into a village of shacks, pens, and mud. Livestock bleat, deals are struck, and trophies go up fast.

FACTIONS:

• Bandit Remnants: Scattered toll‑takers and ambushers left in the Stag Lord’s wake, not yet smart enough to quit the hills.
• Lady Kremenko’s Expedition: Settlers, scouts, and hireblades bankrolled by Lady Kremenko to claim, civilize, and profit from the Swordlands.
• Lowbrad Village: Farmers, fishers, and tradesfolk who rely on the ferry and the shrine—and have long memories about who actually helps.
• Otto’s Trading Concern: A growing market outpost where livestock, lumber, and rumors change hands, and trophies sell futures.
• Priests of Yamath: Wanderer’s clergy who tend roads, shrines, and the small miracles of travel and healing.
• Tasselworm Tavern: A proud, noisy house that turns monster heads into signage and stories into custom.

QUESTS:

• Bring a Tatzlworm Head to Otto: Secure a tatzlworm trophy for Otto’s post in exchange for useful supplies.
• Harvest Fangberries for the Shrine: Gather ripe fangberries so the priestess of Yamath can brew healing tinctures.
• Lay the Ferryman to Rest: Deliver the Stag Lord’s body to the river to end the haunting at Lowbrad’s ferry crossing.
• Make the Roads Safer: Thin remaining bandits so trade and settlers can travel without fear.
• Master Fangberry Tincture‑Craft: Learn the step‑by‑step of turning fangberry seeds into reliable healing salves.
• Plant a Fangberry Patch at the Fort: Transplant a live bush and start a garden to support future healing and trade.
• Rebuild the Watchtower: Raise a proper watch on the scorched foundation near the road.
• Recruit a Garrison for Fort Owlbear: Find locals willing to train and help hold the reclaimed fort.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

• Ashla: A steady former guard turned frontier fighter who naturally takes point in tense moments. Ashla mixes a level head with flashes of blunt honesty that sometimes sour crowds, but in a fight their mace and bow land where it counts. Pragmatic and protective of the group’s growing foothold at Fort Owlbear.
• Axe: A dwarven brawler who announces trouble by banging axe on shield and charging headlong. Axe fights with fearless aggression and stubborn endurance, often taking the worst of it and standing back up anyway. His straightforward courage makes him both the linebreaker and the lightning rod.
• Emon: An Oread cleric of Demeter with a stone‑steady demeanor and a healer’s hands. Emon shoulders the burden when allies fall, hauling them back from the brink and tending the land itself with equal care. He barters knowledge for growth, planting fangberries for the future and striving to learn tincture‑craft.
• Kribera: A hobgoblin slayer with a taste for thrown steel and dry quips, now wielding the ferryman’s barbed harpoon. Kribera’s presence unsettles some townsfolk, but in the field he strikes hard from mid‑range and isn’t shy about lighting the way and baiting monsters. Practical, sharp‑eyed, and unflinching.