Kingmaker: Ep. 27

The Owlbear Adventurers found themselves stripped of all possessions and cast into a sandy cavern, a sacrifice to the Earth Dragon. The group, a motley crew of new and familiar faces including the gunslinger Yohei, the fighter Paddock, the priest Izzy, the monk Lucius Brie, and the cleric Puck, were not alone for long. Lucius, a hobgoblin freedom fighter, recalled a promise from his allies and discovered a hidden bone canister containing a dagger, Yo-hei’s holdout pistol, and a note from a friendly faction known as ‘the Moth’. The note revealed their equipment was being held on a boat called the Water Dragon.

Their first steps toward freedom led them down a narrow, sandy corridor where a humanoid sand creature erupted from the floor. The party fought in the tight quarters, with Puck delivering a devastating touch of necrotic energy and Lucius finishing the creature with a powerful strike, revealing a human skull in the sand beneath it. Continuing on, they encountered a patch of shrieking fungi that loudly announced their presence throughout the caves.

The noise drew the attention of the local denizens: a warren of kobolds. An intense battle ensued, with the party fighting through waves of spear-wielding and sling-stone-throwing creatures. After learning from a kobold matron that the usurper warlord Govril had driven them underground, the party realized they shared a common enemy. Leaving the remaining kobolds in peace, they gathered makeshift weapons and continued their search for an exit.

Their journey led them into the den of a massive, angry badger. Through quick thinking and a bit of Sylvan diplomacy, they convinced the beast they were not food, instead leading it back to the fresh kobold corpses as a peace offering. After navigating a treacherous passage where sharp, mollusk-like piercers fell from the ceiling, the adventurers came to a massive cavern split by a 20-foot-wide chasm. A faint, summery breeze from the other side promised escape. One by one, they began a perilous climb along the wall, but their progress was halted when sticky filaments shot from the ceiling, snatching Yohei and pulling him into the dark. Lucius, in a feat of incredible acrobatics, ran up the wall to rescue his companion, allowing the entire party to finally escape the prison cave and emerge into the dim light of dusk.

OUTLINE:

Awakening in the Pit

The party awoke in a sandy cave, stripped of all gear, as sacrifices to the Earth Dragon.
New characters Lucius Brie (Hobgoblin Monk) and Puck (Munavri Cleric) were introduced.
Lucius, a freedom fighter, found a hidden bone canister left by his allies.
The canister contained a dagger, two sun rods, Yo-hei’s pistol with five bullets, and a note.
The note revealed their equipment is on a boat named the ‘Water Dragon’ and was signed by ‘the Moth’.

First Encounters

The party followed a flickering light down a sandy corridor.
A humanoid creature made of sand erupted from the floor and attacked.
Puck dealt significant necrotic damage, and Lucius landed the finishing blow.
They discovered shrieking purple fungi that alerted the entire cave complex of their presence.

The Kobold Warren

Alerted by the shrieks, a large group of kobolds attacked the party.
The adventurers fought them off using their limited weapons and skills.
They spoke with a kobold matron and learned they share a common enemy in the warlord Govril.
The party left the kobolds in peace, taking scavenged spears, slings, and knives.

An Unlikely Alliance and a Deadly Trap

The party stumbled into the den of a giant, aggressive badger.
Using the Sylvan language, they negotiated with the badger, offering it the dead kobolds as food.
They led the badger to the corpses, successfully pacifying it.
While traveling through another passage, they were ambushed by piercers (stalagmite monsters) falling from the ceiling, wounding Paddock and another party member.

The Great Chasm Escape

The party reached a massive cavern divided by a 20-foot chasm, with an exit on the other side.
With no rope, they began to climb along the wall to cross.
Giant, crab-like creatures on the ceiling shot down sticky filaments, snatching Yo-hei and hoisting him 30 feet into the air.
Lucius Brie ran up the wall in a stunning display of acrobatics, rescued Yo-hei, and brought him back down.
The entire party successfully crossed the chasm and escaped the prison cave, emerging outside at dusk.

NPCs:

Cave Crabs: Three large, crab-like monsters that clung to the ceiling of the chasm chamber. They attacked by shooting sticky filaments to ensnare their prey.
Giant Badger: A massive, aggressive badger the size of a motorcycle. The party avoided fighting it by offering it the corpses of several kobolds as a meal.
Govril Birdbiter: The hobgoblin warlord who captured the party and threw them into the prison cave. He is the commander of the hobgoblin forces and owner of the boat ‘The Water Dragon’.
Kobold Matron: The female kobold leader of the warren’s nursery. She revealed that her people were driven underground by Govril, establishing a common enemy with the party.
Sand Elemental: A hostile, humanoid creature made of sand that ambushed the party in a narrow corridor.

ITEMS:

Fish Oil & Fat: Flammable substances scavenged from the kobold warren, used to create torches.
Makeshift Weapons: A collection of crude weapons scavenged from the cave, including a rusty short sword, a bone club, flint knives, and bone-tipped spears.
Note from the Moth: A message from a friendly resistance cell that details the location of the party’s equipment.
Sun Rods: Magical glow sticks that provide light for one hour after being snapped. Two were found in the hidden canister.
Yo-hei’s Holdout Pistol: A small, easily concealed firearm belonging to Yo-hei. It was smuggled to the party in a hidden canister.

LOCATIONS:

Kobold Warren: A section of the caves inhabited by a community of kobolds, including a nursery for their young, who were driven there by the hobgoblins.
The Prison Cave: A network of natural caves used by Govril Birdbiter as a prison and sacrificial pit. It contains sandy corridors, a kobold warren, a giant badger’s den, and a large chasm.
The Water Dragon: Govril Birdbiter’s private boat, currently at the docks. According to a friendly note, it is where the party’s stolen equipment is being held.

FACTIONS:

Govril’s Hobgoblins: The militaristic hobgoblin clan led by Govril Birdbiter. They captured the party and are the primary antagonists in the area.
The Moth: A clandestine organization dedicated to freedom, likely affiliated with the goddess San. They aided the party by hiding a weapon and a crucial note for them.

QUESTS:

Escape the Prison Cave: Escape the underground cave system after being stripped of all gear and left for dead.
Retrieve Your Equipment: Find Govril Birdbiter’s boat, ‘The Water Dragon’, at the docks and recover all of the party’s stolen gear.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Izzy: A captured oread priest who provides crucial support to the party through divine magic. Despite the desperate circumstances, Izzy’s faith remains strong, allowing her to bless allies’ weapons and shield them from harm. She is a calming and essential presence, guiding her companions with holy power.
Lucius Brie: A hobgoblin monk and former freedom fighter, labeled a traitor by his clan. He is a man of quiet stoicism and profound, if confusing, philosophical statements. Lucius is incredibly agile, capable of running along walls and delivering devastating unarmed strikes, proving instrumental in the party’s escape.
Paddock: A strong and straightforward half-orc fighter who doesn’t waste time with words. Even without his usual armor and weapons, Paddock is a formidable presence on the front line, wielding a rusty short sword or even a bone with deadly effect. He is a reliable combatant who charges headfirst into danger.
Puck: A Munavri cleric with an unfortunate past, having been traded from Dwergar to hobgoblins as payment for a debt. As a creature of the depths, he is blinded by bright light but is at home in the dark caves. Puck wields powerful divine magic, capable of withering foes with a single touch.
Yo-hei: A kitsune gunslinger, quick on his feet and resourceful. He was fortunate that his allies managed to smuggle his signature holdout pistol into the prison cave, a weapon he proved adept with even when used as a club. His dexterity is his greatest asset, helping him navigate treacherous climbs.