Kingmaker: Ep. 28

The Owlbear Adventurers emerged from the dark slave pits into a chaotic world. Finding themselves on a forested island, they saw plumes of smoke rising from a town and a fortress in the distance. Their party of escapees soon grew when they met Frank Lee, a peculiar farmer and self-proclaimed karate man, who shared his purple carrots and his mule, Chonk. Frank oriented them, explaining they were on an island ruled by the hobgoblin warlord Gavril from his fortress, Draken. The smoke, they realized, was from an ongoing insurrection by freedom fighters.

Making for the docks to find their ship, the Sea Dragon, they came across a group of peasant rebels impaling captured hobgoblins. To prove his allegiance to their cause, the hobgoblin monk Lucius Bree grimly executed one of the prisoners. The rebels, convinced of their loyalty, provided the party with scavenged hobgoblin armor and weapons. They continued toward the docks, guided by a reluctant teenage girl named Elise, skirting the walls of the burning town of Sunder.

At the docks, they met Murtano, a hobgoblin ally who confirmed their worst fears: Gavril was preparing to flee the rebellion aboard the Sea Dragon, taking all of their stolen magical equipment with him. What followed was a desperate assault on the ship. The party charged up the gangplank, a brutal melee erupting on the deck. Izzy blinded Gavril with a spell, while Paddock and Frank engaged his bodyguards. Yohei provided covering fire with his pistol, and Lucius swung acrobatically from the rigging, landing kicks on the hobgoblin leader.

Despite their valor, the fight was costly. Lucius was tragically cut down by Gavril. The warlord, though wounded, retreated below decks with their fallen companion as a hostage. As the party finished off the remaining guards on deck, highlighted by Frank sucker-punching a hobgoblin overboard and Chonk the mule making a surprise charge, they cornered the warlord. After a tense standoff, Izzy unleashed a final burst of divine energy, striking Gavril dead. With their gear recovered and a new ally in Elise, the party prepared the Sea Dragon to sail for home, leaving the island’s fate in the hands of the freedom fighters.

OUTLINE:

Escape and First Encounter

The party emerged from the ‘Bat Cave’ into a forest on an unfamiliar island.
They observed smoke rising from a town (Sunder) and a fortress (Draken) in the distance.
They met Frank Lee, a human karate-practicing farmer with a mule named Chonk.
Frank shared his carrots and explained the island is run by the hobgoblin warlord Gavril, who is currently facing an insurrection.

An Alliance Forged in Blood

The party encountered peasant freedom fighters impaling captured hobgoblins at a crossroads.
To prove his loyalty to the rebellion, Lucius Bree executed a hobgoblin prisoner.
The rebels gave the party hobgoblin-sized chainmail, shields, and longswords.
A teenage girl named Elise was assigned to guide them around the burning town of Sunder.

Assault on the Sea Dragon

At the docks, a hobgoblin ally, Murtano, informed them Gavril was escaping on their ship, the Sea Dragon, with their stolen gear.
The party immediately stormed the ship, beginning a large battle on the main deck.
Izzy blinded Gavril, while Frank, Paddock, and Lucius engaged the hobgoblin guards in melee.
Yohei provided ranged support with his pistol, and Lucius performed an acrobatic attack, swinging from a rope to kick Gavril.

The Fall of a Warlord

Gavril struck down and killed Lucius Bree.
The warlord retreated below decks with an injured guard.
The party defeated the remaining hobgoblins on deck, with Frank’s mule Chonk charging in to help.
They followed Gavril below and, after a tense standoff, Izzy killed him with a touch spell.

Aftermath and Departure

The party recovered all their stolen magical equipment from Gavril’s corpse.
They performed a burial at sea for Lucius Bree.
Murtano took Gavril’s head to rally the other freedom fighters.
Elise decided to leave the island and join the adventurers.
The Owlbear Adventurers commandeered the Sea Dragon and prepared to sail back to Fort Albear.

NPCs:

Chonk: Frank Lee’s surly but surprisingly courageous brown mule. Laden with carrots, Chonk made a decisive charge onto the Sea Dragon to trample a hobgoblin at a critical moment in the fight.
Elise: A cynical human teenager from Sunder who was tasked with guiding the party. After witnessing their battle and the defeat of Gavril, she decided to join them to escape her life on the island.
Gavril Birdbiter: The hobgoblin warlord who ruled the island from his fortress, Draken. He was the primary antagonist of the session, attempting to flee the rebellion on the party’s ship with their stolen gear. He was killed by Izzy.
Murtano: A hobgoblin freedom fighter allied with the party. He met them at the docks, warned them of Gavril’s escape, and fought alongside them in the battle for the Sea Dragon. He took Gavril’s head to inspire the rebellion.

ITEMS:

Crystal Longsword: An unbreakable +1 longsword made of a blue crystalline material. It was wielded by one of Gavril’s hobgoblin guards until Paddock reclaimed it mid-battle.
Kelsinger: A magical +2 longsword with a pitted black blade that hums when swung. It belongs to Izzy but was wielded by Gavril during the fight.
Mithril Chainmail: A suit of lightweight and powerful chainmail, stolen by Gavril and worn during the battle.
Purple Carrots: Frank Lee’s primary crop and a ready source of rations for the party. They are described as being the color of plums.
Scroll of Cure Wounds: A magical cleric scroll given to the party by Murtano before the assault. Izzy used it to heal Paddock during the fight.
Stag Lord Helmet: A helmet adorned with stag horns that grants its wearer a +1 bonus to ranged attacks. It belongs to Yohei but was worn by Gavril.

LOCATIONS:

Drakenfort: The heavily fortified hobgoblin fortress on the eastern side of the island, from which Gavril ruled.
Gavril’s Island: An island located in a large inland sea, formerly the fiefdom of the hobgoblin warlord Gavril. It features the fortress of Draken and the town of Sunder.
Sunder: A walled shanty-town on the island, populated by hobgoblins, goblins, and some oppressed humans. It was set on fire during the freedom fighters’ insurrection.
The Sea Dragon: An elegant ship with a dragon-prow figurehead, belonging to the adventuring party. It was stolen by Gavril for his escape but was reclaimed after the battle.

FACTIONS:

Freedom Fighters of San: An insurgent cell fighting to free the island from Gavril’s tyrannical rule. They worship San, the goddess of freedom.
Gavril’s Warband: The hobgoblin military force that controlled the island under the command of Warlord Gavril Birdbiter. Their insignia is a wolf jaw snapping down on a hawk.

QUESTS:

Defeat Gavril Birdbiter: Confront and defeat the hobgoblin warlord who stole their gear and ship.
Escape the Slave Pits: The party’s initial objective was to break free from their imprisonment.
Liberate the Island: Aid the local rebellion in overthrowing the hobgoblin regime.
Reclaim the Sea Dragon: Locate and recover the party’s stolen ship to escape the island.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Frank Lee: A human farmer and surprisingly effective karate man. Frank lives a simple life with his mule, Chonk, but is spiritually a warrior, quick to join the fight against oppression. He prefers fighting unarmed, rejecting armor and shields in favor of his martial arts, and was knocked unconscious twice in the final battle but kept getting back up.
Izzy: An Oread (rock person) and disgraced priest of Yamath, the Far Walker. Having escaped the slave pits with the others, Izzy provides crucial magical support, blinding enemies and magically stabilizing his fallen allies. He delivered the final blow to the warlord Gavril.
Lucius Bree: A hobgoblin monk and a freedom fighter dedicated to the goddess San. An acrobatic and agile combatant, he proved his loyalty to the rebellion through a grim act before fighting valiantly aboard the Sea Dragon. He was tragically slain by Gavril in the final confrontation.
Paddock: A stalwart half-orc fighter who acts as the party’s tank. Paddock is a frontline warrior, bravely engaging multiple enemies at once to protect his allies. He relentlessly pursued Gavril during the ship battle, seeking to reclaim his stolen gear.
Yohei: A Kitsune gunslinger who worships a serial killer’s god, Stiletto Jack. Yohei is a pragmatic ranged attacker, using his few remaining bullets to deadly effect before resorting to a sling. He provides crucial fire support from the back lines.