Kingmaker: Ep. 35

The Owlbear Adventurers, bolstered by the paladin Keston, ventured into the woods to confront the source of the skinwalker curse plaguing the region. As dusk fell, their journey was interrupted by a skeletal figure in a grey cloak, who warned them of death ahead before crumbling to dust. Undeterred, they pressed onward, following a path increasingly littered with the gnawed bones of animals into a blighted, deathly-still section of the forest.

They soon discovered an ancient stone circle shrouded in a dark miasma. At its center stood a blood-stained altar, upon which rested a pristine elk skull. When approached, the skull levitated, revealing itself to be the head of a towering, spectral creature: the Wendigo. The spirit offered to free the cursed Nigel if one of the adventurers would sacrifice themselves to it. After tense negotiations failed, the party initiated combat by toppling one of the stone monoliths onto the creature.

The ensuing battle was brutal and desperate. The Wendigo’s claws proved devastating, felling Frank Lee, Clicktick, and Donna one by one as their summoned eidolons were torn apart. With most of the party unconscious and bleeding out, Yohei made a grim choice. He offered the life of the fallen Frank Lee to the Wendigo in exchange for the lives of the others and Nigel’s freedom. The creature accepted the deal, reviving Clicktick with a ghastly breath while Frank Lee’s life expired completely.

The survivors carried their fallen friend’s body back to the Temple of the Elk. When the old druid there attempted to perform last rites, Frank’s body spasmed and let out an unholy scream, revealing his soul was trapped. To free him, they built a pyre, which erupted in eerie, phosphorescent blue flames, accompanied by hours of agonizing screams. Shaken by the ordeal and learning of the Blight, the druid and a very reluctant Nigel vowed to join the party on their return to destroy the Wendigo once and for all.

OUTLINE:

Journey into the Blighted Woods

• The party, including the new paladin Keston, set out to find the source of the skinwalker curse.
• Keston spotted a cloaked skeletal figure, which warned them of ‘death ahead’ before disappearing.
• They followed a trail marked with gnawed animal bones into a sickly, blighted region of the forest.

Confrontation at the Stone Circle

• The adventurers discovered an ancient, shadowy stone circle with an altar at its center.
• A pristine elk skull on the altar animated, revealing itself as the head of a tall, spectral creature, the Wendigo.
• The Wendigo demanded one of the party members sacrifice themselves to free the cursed man, Nigel.
• After failed attempts at negotiation and taunts, the party prepared for battle.

A Desperate Battle with the Wendigo

• Combat began when the party toppled a monolith onto the creature.
• The Wendigo retaliated fiercely, quickly incapacitating Frank Lee, Clicktick, and Donna.
• Keston’s holy mace and Yohei’s gunshots harmed the creature, but it was not enough to turn the tide.
• With multiple party members dying, Keston’s prayer for a divine miracle failed.

A Devil’s Bargain

• Facing certain defeat, Yohei offered the life of the unconscious Frank Lee to the Wendigo.
• The deal was to spare the rest of the party and free Nigel from his curse.
• The Wendigo accepted, reviving Clicktick with a dark breath.
• Frank Lee died permanently as his part of the bargain was fulfilled.

Unholy Rites at the Temple of the Elk

• The party carried Frank Lee’s body to the Old Druid at the Temple of the Elk.
• The druid’s attempt at a prayer caused Frank’s body to emit a horrific scream from his trapped soul.
• They built a funeral pyre, which burned with unnatural blue flames and screamed for hours.
• The druid and Nigel vowed to join the party to return and defeat the Wendigo.

NPCs:

• Nigel: A local man who was cursed by the Wendigo, turning him into a skinwalker. The party’s actions freed him from his curse, but he is now terrified and has been compelled by the Old Druid to help them fight the creature.
• Old Druid: The scraggly, Birkenstock-wearing guardian of the Temple of the Elk. He provided refuge for Nigel and was horrified to learn of the Wendigo and the spreading blight in his forest. He has sworn to help the party defeat the evil spirit.
• The Wendigo: A powerful and ancient forest spirit that appears as a tall, shrouded figure with a bleached elk skull for a head. It is the source of the skinwalker curse and the blight spreading through the woods. It resides in a dark stone circle and accepted the sacrifice of Frank Lee.

ITEMS:

• Clear Spindle Ioun Stone: A small, faceted gem given to the party by the Old Druid. It erratically orbits the head of its owner, who no longer needs to eat or drink while it is active.
• Healing Salve: A medicinal balm that can be used to restore hit points to a wounded or unconscious ally. Keston used it to revive Donna after the battle.
• Skinwalker Pelts: Two wolf pelts that, when removed, revealed human bodies underneath. These pelts are from the skinwalkers the party defeated previously.
• Talisman of Protection: A single-use talisman shaped like a butterfly, given to Clicktick by mysterious priests. It can cast ‘Protection from Evil’ for five rounds, but only works against the Wendigo.

LOCATIONS:

• Temple of the Elk: A serene, green grove watched over by an old druid. It features a large fountain and a 40-foot-tall carved stone elk statue. It served as a temporary sanctuary for Nigel and the site of Frank Lee’s unholy cremation.
• The Blighted Woods: A section of the forest tainted by the Wendigo’s evil. The trees are blackened and sickly, the ground is damp and grey, and the area is littered with the bones of animals the creature has devoured.
• The Stone Circle: An ancient ring of megaliths and obelisks where the Wendigo makes its lair. The area is shrouded in a dark miasma and features a central, blood-stained altar where the creature’s elk skull rests.

QUESTS:

• Slay the Source of the Skinwalkers: The party set out to find and destroy the evil entity creating skinwalkers and blighting the forest. They found the creature, the Wendigo, but were forced to retreat after making a grim bargain instead of defeating it.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

• Buford Aleblood: A very tall dwarf kineticist who was staying with the Old Druid at the Temple of the Elk. He witnessed the grim aftermath of the party’s encounter with the Wendigo. He has been tasked by the druid to accompany the party on their next venture.
• Clicktick: A physically frail Wei Ying summoner who relies on his powerful dire wolf eidolon, Fluffy, for protection. He is an atheist who believes there is nothing after death, a belief that was nearly put to the ultimate test. He was saved from death by the Wendigo as part of Yohei’s bargain.
• Donna: A summoner whose eidolon, Bartolo, is a green, acid-elemental creature. She and Bartolo fight in tandem, but she is vulnerable when her companion is defeated. She was knocked unconscious during the fight with the Wendigo when Bartolo was struck down.
• Frank Lee: A human karate master of the Mantis Style and a notorious compulsive liar. Despite his bravado, he was a brave fighter who was among the first to fall in the battle against the Wendigo. His life was ultimately sacrificed by Yohei in a deal to save the others, and his tormented soul was freed only through a horrific, screaming cremation.
• Keston: A human paladin and Captain of the Guard at a nearby trade fort. Sent to the hinterlands due to a sordid past involving a dalliance with a married commoner, he now seeks to make something of himself by doing the right thing, though he’s not above a little self-aggrandizement. He is a man of faith, though his prayers went unanswered in a moment of dire need.
• Yohei: A Kitsune gunslinger with a pragmatic and ruthless streak. Yohei is unafraid to make difficult, Machiavellian choices to ensure the group’s survival. He struck the deal with the Wendigo that sacrificed Frank Lee to save the rest of the party.