Kingmaker: Ep. 36

The Owlbear Adventurers returned to the troll fortress, determined to rescue their captured friends, Ashla and Puck. Deciding against a frontal assault on the main doors, they chose a more clandestine approach, hiking for hours to reach a ruined tower perched atop the cliff face. Their hopes for a stealthy entrance were dashed by the beautiful, operatic singing emanating from within. As they drew closer, they discovered the source: two monstrous harpies nesting in the tower’s remains.

The situation quickly turned perilous when one harpy unleashed a captivating song that charmed Click-Tick, Buford, and Brother Carl. The enthralled adventurers began walking zombie-like toward the cliff’s edge, intent on throwing themselves off. It took the combined efforts of their companions to save them; Kestid tackled Buford, Don’s eidolon Bartolo pinned Click-Tick, and Yohei later restrained Click-Tick as well, preventing a fatal plunge. Yohei managed to wound the singing harpy with a well-aimed pistol shot, disrupting her deadly melody and breaking the charm.

With the charm broken, Buford unleashed a powerful kinetic blast, disintegrating the airborne harpy into nothingness. The party then discovered a spiral staircase within the tower, leading down into the heart of the dwarven fortress. Upon entering, they were immediately confronted by a massive troll and two hobgoblin archers. They focused their efforts and brought down the troll before it could regenerate, thanks to acid from Don’s eidolon. The terrified hobgoblins surrendered, revealing that their friend was with a creature called a ‘leucrotta’.

Following the hobgoblins’ directions, they encountered two bizarre creatures that mimicked Ashla’s and Puck’s voices, trying to lure them into letting the creatures escape. Seeing through the deception, the party attacked and destroyed the imposters. Finally, they entered a vast cavern littered with carcasses, where they found Ashla chained to a wall and guarded by a monstrous six-headed troll. A harrowing battle ensued, fought in part in terrifying darkness after their lantern went out, but the adventurers rallied and finally slew the colossal beast, freeing a weary but grateful Ashla.

OUTLINE:

The Ruined Tower and the Harpies’ Song

The party arrived at the troll fortress and decided to find an alternate entrance via a ruined tower on the cliff.
They encountered two harpies in the tower, one of whom began singing a hypnotic song.
Click-Tick, Buford, and Brother Carl were charmed and began walking toward the cliff edge.
Kestid, Don’s eidolon, and Yohei physically restrained their charmed friends to prevent them from falling.
Yohei shot the singing harpy, breaking the charm.
Buford retaliated by disintegrating the harpy with a powerful kinetic blast.

Descent into the Fortress

The party found a spiral staircase in the tower leading down into the fortress.
They entered a room and immediately engaged a troll and two hobgoblin archers.
Don’s eidolon, Bartolo, used its acid attacks to prevent the troll’s regeneration.
The party focused their attacks and successfully killed the troll.
The hobgoblins surrendered and, under a Zone of Truth, revealed Ashla was with a ‘leucrotta’.

The Leucrotta’s Deception

The party moved deeper into the complex, following the hobgoblins’ directions.
They found two strange hyena-like creatures (Leucrotta) that mimicked the voices of Ashla and Puck.
The creatures tried to trick the party into letting them escape, but their deception failed.
A fight broke out, and Buford obliterated one with a critical kinetic blast.
The party quickly dispatched the remaining creature.

The Six-Headed Guardian

The party discovered a large cavern filled with carcasses, where Ashla was chained to a wall.
A massive, six-headed troll guarded the prisoner.
The party engaged the colossal troll in a difficult battle.
During the fight, the party’s lantern went out, plunging the cavern into darkness.
Ashla activated her aasimar halo, providing light for the party to continue fighting.
After a long struggle, the party finally defeated the six-headed troll.

Rescue and Escape

The party freed Ashla from her chains.
They searched the cavern and found a stash of gold, silver, and an Ioun stone.
The group collected the heads of the slain trolls for a bounty.
They discovered a secret tunnel leading out of the cavern to the base of the cliff and escaped.

NPCs:

Ashla: An Aasimar prisoner of the trolls, and a friend of the party. She was held captive for over a month before being rescued. She is resourceful even when captured, using her innate aasimar abilities to create light when the party was plunged into darkness.
Halgurla: The troll lord mentioned by the Leucrotta. He is presumably the leader of the trolls in the fortress.
Harpies: Two monstrous creatures with the lower bodies of vultures and the upper torsos of old, haggish women. They nested in the ruined tower and used a deadly, hypnotic song to lure victims off a cliff.
Leucrotta: Strange, monstrous creatures with the bodies of hyenas, hooves of stags, and heads of badgers. They can perfectly mimic voices to deceive their prey, and impersonated Ashla and Puck in an attempt to trick the party.
Puck: Another friend of the party who was captured alongside Ashla. His current whereabouts and status are unknown.
Six-Headed Troll: A colossal troll with six heads that acted as Ashla’s final guardian. It was incredibly large and powerful, wielding a tree trunk as a club.

ITEMS:

Acid Flask: A simple flask containing corrosive acid. It proved instrumental in combating the trolls by preventing their natural regeneration.
Ioun Stone (Amethyst Pyramid): A tiny, purple, double-pyramid-shaped gem that erratically orbits its owner’s head. This particular stone causes mindless undead to ignore the bearer unless attacked.
Troll Heads: The severed heads of the many trolls slain by the party. They are being collected to turn in for a substantial bounty.

LOCATIONS:

Fort Owlbear: The party’s home base, a fort located a few days’ hike from the troll fortress.
Ruined Tower: A crumbling, semi-circular stone tower perched on the cliff above the troll fortress. It was being used as a nest by two dangerous harpies.
Troll Hole / Dwarven Fortress: An old dwarven fortress carved into a cliffside, now overrun by a clan of trolls led by Halgurla. It features stone corridors, barracks, and natural caverns.

FACTIONS:

Troll Clan: The group of trolls, hobgoblins, and other monsters occupying the dwarven fortress, apparently led by a troll lord named Halgurla.

QUESTS:

Rescue Ashla and Puck: After a troll fight went poorly, Ashla and Puck were captured and dragged away. The party has returned to the trolls’ lair to find and rescue them.
Troll Bounty: The party is collecting the heads of slain trolls to claim a bounty.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Brother Carl: A human priest of Ord with a surprisingly short temper and a penchant for carrying acid flasks. He serves as the party’s primary healer, calling upon his deity to mend wounds and shield the faithful. Despite his clerical duties, he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, pointing his finger and demanding answers or splashing acid on his foes.
Buford Aleblood: An exceptionally tall and old dwarven kineticist who wields the power of pure, orderly law. A friend of the local Druid, Buford can gather his energy to unleash devastating fractal-like blasts, though doing so carries the risk of the power backfiring and weakening him. He proudly proclaims ‘I am the law!’ when unleashing his full might.
Click-Tick: A Weighing Summoner whose constant companion is a powerful Eidolon named Fluffy. Fluffy takes the form of a rainbow-colored dire wolf and is the primary combatant, while Click-Tick directs from a safe distance, often using a dog whistle to command his companion.
Don: A Sylph summoner accompanied by his acid-based Eidolon, Bartolo. Bartolo is a formidable creature that can grapple foes and inflict persistent acid damage, preventing regeneration. Don is more reserved, often positioning himself and Bartolo strategically to lock down the most dangerous threats.
Kestid: A strong, lawful human paladin who serves as the party’s frontline defender. Though not the sharpest or most charismatic individual, his faith and strength are unquestionable, and he is a dedicated father. In combat, he relies on his mace, shield, and physical prowess to control enemies and protect his allies.
Yohei: A calm and collected Kitsune gunslinger, often acting as the party’s scout and ranged damage dealer. He wields a pistol with deadly accuracy, capable of making called shots to disable opponents or piercing through one foe to hit another. Yohei tends to keep his distance, carefully choosing his targets and repositioning to maintain an advantage.