Kingmaker: Ep. 24

The Owlbear Adventurers’ brief respite at Fort Owlbear was shattered by the arrival of a halfling messenger, who collapsed after warning of a hobgoblin army marching towards them. With only a week to prepare, the party scrambled to rally their allies. Brother Carl journeyed to Otto’s Trade Fort and, with some reluctant persuasion, secured the aid of Keston and his garrison. Meanwhile, Izzy and Ashla rode to LeBroad, where they successfully convinced the indebted lumberjacks to join their cause, though the town’s official militia refused. The duo then split, with Izzy negotiating an alliance with a nearby kobold tribe by promising them glory and treasure, while Ashla ventured to the centaur clan. As a member of their tribe, she was immediately granted their support, and the fierce warriors prepared for battle.

As allies began to converge on Fort Owlbear, the heroes prepared their defenses. They barricaded the main road, hoping to funnel the approaching army into a field of restless undead they had previously discovered. A plan was hatched to use a Wand of Fabrication to create temporary walls, though the kobold wizard tasked with the job failed to activate the magic item. The battle began with a brutal skirmish on the plains. The centaurs harried the hobgoblin flanks but took heavy losses and were forced to retreat. The hobgoblin and warg-riding goblins then advanced, triggering the undead trap. The zombies rose and attacked indiscriminately, but they were quickly overwhelmed and destroyed by the disciplined invaders.

The full force of the army then crashed against the walls of Fort Owlbear. The defenders, bolstered by the lumberjacks and Keston’s men, held their ground against the assault. Just as the battle reached its peak, a horn blast signaled the return of the centaurs. Led by Silvermane, they executed a devastating pincer attack, charging into the hobgoblins’ rear. Caught between the fort’s defenders and the vengeful centaurs, the hobgoblin lines shattered. The enemy was annihilated, their warg-riding allies broke and fled, and Fort Owlbear was saved. The session ended with the party searching for their blacksmith, who went missing after being sent to recruit Grandmother’s giants, only to be ambushed by bandits who may hold the key to her whereabouts.

OUTLINE:

A Call to Arms

A halfling messenger arrives at Fort Owlbear with news of an approaching hobgoblin and warg-rider army.
The party learns they have one week to prepare for the attack.
The Owlbear Adventurers plan their strategy, deciding to split up to recruit allies from across the region.

Rallying the Allies

Brother Carl travels to Otto’s Trade Fort and persuades a reluctant Keston to bring his garrison.
Izzy and Ashla ride to LeBroad, failing to sway the mayor but successfully recruiting the lumberjacks they previously helped.
Izzy convinces a tribe of kobolds to join the fight by tricking them into thinking the goblins threaten their land.
Ashla visits the centaur clan, whose matriarch, Silvermane, immediately pledges her warriors to the cause.
The party sends their blacksmith, Asp Fang, on a mission to ask a giant matriarch for help.

The Siege of Fort Owlbear

The allies gather and prepare defenses, including barricading the main road to funnel enemies towards an undead-infested area.
The hobgoblin army arrives, and the battle begins with a skirmish where the centaurs harass the enemy but take heavy casualties and retreat.
The hobgoblins advance, triggering the undead trap, but they quickly destroy the zombies and begin their assault on the fort.
The allied defenders hold the walls against the full force of the hobgoblin and warg-rider army.

Decisive Victory

The centaurs return to the battlefield, executing a devastating pincer attack on the hobgoblin rear.
Caught between the fort and the centaurs, the hobgoblin army is completely destroyed.
The remaining warg-riders break and flee, securing a total victory for the Owlbear Adventurers and their allies.
The party loots the hobgoblin captain, finding a magical suit of +2 banded mail.

A Friend in Peril

The party realizes their blacksmith, Asp Fang, never returned from her mission.
Following her path, they travel into a ravine and are ambushed by dwarven bandits.
After a tough fight, the party defeats the bandits.
They find Asp Fang’s donkey and clues suggesting the bandits captured her, including orichalcum coins from the giant’s territory.

NPCs:

Asp Fang: The blacksmith at Fort Owlbear. She was sent on a solo mission to request aid from the giant matriarch, Grandmother, but was captured by dwarven bandits along the way.
Corrin: The mayor of LeBroad. He was less than thrilled to see the party and refused to send the town militia to aid in the defense of Fort Owlbear.
Dwarven Bandit Leader: A scruffy, eye-patch-wearing dwarf who led the ambush against the party in the ravine. He and his crew were responsible for the capture of Asp Fang.
Keston: The lawful commander of the garrison at Otto’s Trade Fort. Exiled for a past scandal, he has grown into a grizzled frontiersman but still feels bound by duty. He reluctantly agreed to help defend Fort Owlbear.
Kobold Wizard: The clever and greedy leader of the local kobold tribe. He was convinced to aid the party and later tried to abscond with their Wand of Fabrication as payment.
Silvermane: The matriarch and leader of the local centaur clan. A proud and decisive warrior, she immediately pledged her forces to aid the party and personally led the charge that won the battle.
Xanthe: A young centaur who was banished from her clan and stripped of her name. She now lives an emo existence in the woods near Fort Owlbear.

ITEMS:

+1 Adamantine Warhammer: A black warhammer with its head shaped like a howling demon. When wielded, blood pours from the demon’s mouth, coating the weapon.
+2 Banded Mail: A suit of glinting brass banded mail, marked with lightning symbols. It was taken from the body of the hobgoblin commander and is inscribed with a language believed to be Giant.
Adamantine Plate Mail of Asmodeus: A suit of black, indestructible plate mail decorated with demonic imagery. It was taken from a fallen evil paladin and makes the wearer look like a champion of chaos.
Orichalcum Coins: Rare bronze-silver coins found in the bandits’ camp, recognized as currency from the giant’s territory. They are valuable to skilled smiths.
Wand of Fabrication: A magical wand capable of temporarily turning raw materials into finished structures. The party attempted to use it for defense but the kobold wizard failed to activate it.

LOCATIONS:

Fort Owlbear: The home base of the Owlbear Adventurers. A strategic fortress that recently came under siege by a hobgoblin army.
LeBroad: A nearby town known for its lumberjacks. The town’s leadership is not friendly with the party, but its workers are.
Otto’s Trade Fort: A growing frontier settlement and military outpost commanded by Keston. It is becoming a hub for local settlers.
The Bottoms: A swampy and dangerous region that is home to a giant matriarch and her kin.

FACTIONS:

Centaurs of the Swordlands: A clan of proud centaur warriors led by the matriarch Silvermane. They are staunch allies of Ashla and proved to be the decisive force in the battle for Fort Owlbear.
Dwarven Bandits: A desperate and ruthless band of dwarves operating out of the ravines. They ambushed the party and are responsible for the kidnapping of the blacksmith, Asp Fang.
Hobgoblin Army: A disciplined army of hobgoblins and warg-riding goblins that marched on Fort Owlbear. Their banner depicts a wolf’s jaws snatching a hawk. They were destroyed in the siege.

QUESTS:

Defend Fort Owlbear: A hobgoblin army is marching on Fort Owlbear. The party must rally allies and prepare a defense to save their home.
Find Asp Fang: The fort’s blacksmith, Asp Fang, went missing after being sent to ask the giants for aid. Find out what happened to her.
Slay the Dragons for Lady Kremenko: Lady Kremenko tasked the party with slaying two dragons, a quest they have not yet completed.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Ashla: A former guard who left her post rather than fight centaurs, whom she views as equals. Ashla is a skilled warrior and has been accepted as an ally by the local centaur clan. She is principled and physically capable, able to scale cliff faces and hold her own in melee.
Brother Carl: A human priest of the war god Ord. Brother Carl is devout and brave, often found on the front lines of battle, though he struggles with diplomacy. He wields a warhammer and wears heavy armor, relying on his faith and martial skill to overcome his foes.
Izzy of Yamath: A clever siege and machinery expert with a talent for persuasion. Izzy is resourceful and not afraid to bend the truth to achieve his goals, as shown when he recruited the kobolds by fabricating a threat against them. He often takes the lead in negotiations and tactical planning.