Kingmaker: Ep. 23

The Owlbear Adventurers awoke in the funerary room of Vorodokai’s tomb to find Brother Carl had vanished, leaving only a cryptic note scribbled on the wall. Pressing onward, they came to a large chamber dominated by a bubbling tar pit. Across the chasm, a skeletal guardian in tattered robes warned them not to cross by order of Vorodokai. When asked for an exit, the guardian pointed to a faint crack in the wall, accessible only by traversing the scorching tar. Ashla bravely charged through the searing pit, taking heavy damage before smashing open the hidden stone door with her mace.

Thinking quickly, the party used the broken door as a makeshift bridge, allowing Yohei, Izzy, and the centaur princess Xanthe to cross safely. They ascended a long, winding staircase, emerging into a cave high on a cliff face. Inside, they found themselves in a massive wyvern’s nest, complete with two younglings and their drowsing mother. The ensuing battle was fierce; after Yohei missed a shot, the beast awoke and tore into Ashla with its claws. Izzy blinded the creature with a spell, giving the party a crucial advantage as they fought for their lives. With coordinated strikes and Ashla landing the final, decisive blow, they slew the mother wyvern.

Searching the nest, they discovered the remains of a Hell Knight, clad in black adamantine plate mail and clutching a magic warhammer that dripped blood. After retrieving their gear from the base of the cliff, the party escorted Xanthe back to her village. There, they were greeted by her mother, the chieftain Silvermane. While overjoyed at her daughter’s safe return, Silvermane was bound by tradition. She formally exiled Xanthe for her transgression of entering the sacred Valley of the Dead. In exchange for rescuing her daughter, however, Silvermane forged a powerful alliance, declaring the adventurers friends of the herd. The session concluded with the party’s return to Fort Owlbear, where they learned a hobgoblin army was marching toward them, setting the stage for an imminent invasion.

OUTLINE:

The Tomb’s Last Guardian

The party awoke to find Brother Carl had vanished, leaving a cryptic note.
They discovered a large chamber with a bubbling tar pit, blocking their path.
A skeletal guardian forbade them from crossing and warned them against defying the orders of Orotakai.
When asked for an exit, the guardian pointed to a secret door across the tar pit.

Escape Through the Tar

Yohei charged through the scorching tar, taking six points of damage.
He successfully smashed open the secret stone door with his mace.
The party used the broken door as a makeshift bridge for the others to cross safely.
They ascended a long, winding staircase hidden behind the door.

The Wyvern’s Lair

The party emerged into a cliffside cave, which was a wyvern’s nest.
Yohei’s missed shot awakened the mother wyvern, initiating combat.
The wyvern viciously attacked Ashla, dealing heavy damage.
Izzy successfully cast Blindness on the creature, giving the party an advantage.
After a difficult fight, Ashla landed the final blow, killing the wyvern.
They found the corpse of a Hell Knight with adamantine plate mail and a bleeding warhammer.

Xanthe’s Exile and a New Alliance

The party descended the cliff and guided Xanthe back to the centaur village.
Chieftain Silvermane greeted them, overjoyed her daughter was alive.
In a solemn ceremony, Silvermane exiled Xanthe for breaking their laws by entering the Valley of the Dead.
As a reward for the rescue, Silvermane declared the three adventurers allies of the Centaurs of the Swordlands.

A Looming Threat

After nearly a month away, the party returned to Fort Owlbear.
Xanthe, now without a tribe, rode off into the forest near the fort.
Milo, the captain of the guard, informed them that an army of 200 hobgoblins was marching on Fort Owlbear.
The hobgoblin army is expected to arrive in seven days.

NPCs:

Brother Kaarl: A companion of the party who mysteriously disappeared from their camp inside the tomb, leaving behind a cryptic message.
Bristle: A centaur scout and guide who led the party to the Valley of the Dead. He maintained a camp nearby and provided the starving adventurers with food upon their return.
Milo: The captain of the guard at Fort Owlbear. He delivered the grim news of the approaching hobgoblin army.
Reginald: The chef at Fort Owlbear, sent by Lady Kravmenko. His specialty dish is Head Cheese, and he is friends with the goblin cook, Fat Slasher.
Silvermane: The proud and powerful chieftain of the Centaurs of the Swordlands. She was forced to exile her own daughter, Xanthe, to uphold her tribe’s laws but forged an alliance with the adventurers out of gratitude.
Skeletal Guardian: A gaunt, skeletal being in tattered maroon robes who guarded the tar pit chamber within Vorodokai’s tomb. It spoke only to forbid passage but pointed the way to a secret exit.
Vorodokai: An undead wight of unknown power who the party fought and drove away in a previous session. His influence still lingers in the tomb.
Xanthe: The daughter of the centaur chieftain, Silvermane. After being rescued from Vorodokai’s tomb, she was exiled from her tribe for entering the forbidden Valley of the Dead. She now resides near Fort Owlbear, an angsty but capable warrior indebted to the party.

ITEMS:

Adamantine Plate Mail: A suit of black, fluted plate mail decorated with leering fiendish faces. It belonged to a paladin of Asmodeus and marks the wearer as a follower of dark powers.
Bleeding Warhammer: A +1 magical warhammer shaped like a fiend’s mouth. It constantly drips fresh blood while being held. It was recovered from the body of a dead Hell Knight.
Dragonfly Cloak: A magical cloak that allows the wearer to sprout dragonfly-like wings and fly for a short duration. Izzy used it to retrieve the party’s equipment.
Kell-Singer: Izzy’s signature sword, which can be ignited with blue flames upon speaking the command word ‘Degati’.
Wyvern Scales: A single pouch of scales harvested from the slain mother wyvern. They are damaged but could potentially be used for crafting.
Wyvern Stinger: The venomous stinger from the mother wyvern’s tail. Ashla was poisoned and knocked unconscious while attempting to harvest it.

LOCATIONS:

Centaur Village: A nomadic settlement of tents made from animal hides, currently located in the grasslands. It is the home of the Centaurs of the Swordlands.
Fort Owlbear: The party’s base of operations. A developing fortress that is now the target of a hobgoblin invasion.
The Wyvern’s Nest: A massive nest made of branches and small trees, located in a cave high up on a cliff face overlooking the river. It was home to a mother wyvern and her two young.
Valley of the Dead: A forbidden, desolate valley marked by stone cairns and inhabited by shambling undead cyclopes. It is considered sacred ground by the centaurs.
Vorodokai’s Tomb: A dark, ancient tomb filled with undead dangers and strange architecture, including a chamber with a bubbling tar pit. The party escaped from its depths.

FACTIONS:

Centaurs of the Swordlands: A proud, nomadic tribe of centaurs led by Chieftain Silvermane. They are now allies to Izzy, Ashla, and Yohei.
Hell Knights: Servants of the archdevil Asmodeus. The party discovered the remains of one of their paladins in the wyvern’s nest, clad in distinctive fiendish armor.
Hobgoblin Army: A force of approximately 200 hobgoblins reported to be raiding and marching west. They are on a direct course for Fort Owlbear.

QUESTS:

Defend Fort Owlbear: Prepare for the imminent arrival of a 200-strong hobgoblin army and defend the fort from their assault.
Investigate the Valley of the Dead: Explore the dangerous Valley of the Dead and uncover the secrets of Vorodokai’s tomb.
Rescue Xanthe: Find and rescue the centaur chieftain’s daughter, Xanthe, who disappeared into the forbidden Valley of the Dead.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Ashla: The party’s formidable front-line fighter, wearing heavy armor and wielding a warhammer. She bravely stood her ground against the enraged mother wyvern, enduring vicious attacks and dealing devastating blows in return. Ashla often takes charge and shows compassion, as seen when she offered her last ration to Xanthe.
Izzy: A cleric of the Far Walker who wields powerful divine magic and the flaming sword Kell_Singer. He proved instrumental in the fight against the wyvern by blinding it with a spell. Izzy is also the current user of the magical Dragonfly Cloak, which grants him the ability to fly.
Yohei: A daring gunslinger who acts as the party’s ranged combatant. He showed immense courage by charging through the searing tar pit to clear a path for his companions. Though his initial shot awoke the wyvern, his subsequent attacks helped bring the beast down.