Kingmaker: Ep. 41

With an army of giants massing in the mountains, the Owlbear Adventurers scattered across the lands to rally support for the defense of Fort Owlbear. Izzy traveled for weeks to the court of the Thakar of Niswan, cashing in a favor to secure hundreds of Vudrani soldiers and archers. Yohei rode his legendary horse, Winning Ticket, to petition Lady Kravmenko, returning not only with a massive contingent of her soldiers and knights but also her promise to establish permanent dominion over the Sword Lands after the battle. Meanwhile, Bob called upon his network of rangers, rallying elven wardens to the cause, while Ashla successfully pleaded with Ottoberg for a company of elite mounted knights.

The party’s efforts didn’t stop there. One hero journeyed to the haunted Lantern Fort to recruit Kurog and his eternally vigilant undead paladins, the last of Ord’s Faithful. At the same time, Klicktik, with the help of his eidolon Fluffy, amassed a wild army of wargs, wolves, and other woodland creatures, preparing to unleash nature’s fury upon the invaders. With their forces gathered, the adventurers stood ready at Fort Owlbear as the ground began to shake.

The army that appeared was formidable: fifty rune giants in black plate led by the imposing Vzl Tezak, alongside legions of unruly trolls and ogres, spurred on by the traitorous Puck. The battle was a brutal, week-long affair. The initial ranged volleys devastated the ogre ranks, and a coordinated charge by the heroes’ forces annihilated them completely on the first day. The following days became a grueling melee against the heavily armored giants and regenerating trolls. The adventurers fought valiantly, but the cost was high; Klicktik and his entire animal army were tragically trampled and destroyed in the fray.

Despite the devastating loss, the heroes’ relentless pressure finally broke their enemy. On the seventh day, the giants’ morale shattered, and Vzl Tezak fled into the mountains with the tattered remains of his forces. The Sword Lands were saved, but the victory was bittersweet, marked by the fall of a comrade whose memory would be honored not with a statue of himself, but with that of his loyal companion, Fluffy.

OUTLINE:

Rallying the Realm

The party learned of a massive giant army massing in the mountains, threatening Fort Owlbear.
They decided to split up to call upon every potential ally for aid.
A plan was hatched for each member to visit a different faction or leader to request reinforcements.

A Call to Arms

Izzy traveled to Vudrani and secured 500 soldiers and 100 archers from the Thakar.
Yohei rode to Lady Kremenko, gaining a 500-strong royal army and 50 knights.
Bob successfully mustered 100 elven wardens through his ranger network.
Ashla negotiated with Ottoberg for 50 elite mounted knights.
An appeal to Kurok at the Lantern Fort yielded 25 loyal undead paladins.
Kliptik and Fluffy gathered an army of 200 wargs and other woodland creatures.

The Siege of Fort Owlbear

The adventurers and their newly formed armies gathered at Fort Owlbear.
The enemy army arrived, led by the giant chief Vizzle Tezak and the turncoat Puck.
The enemy forces were composed of ruin giants, trolls, and an ogre/ettin mob.
The battle commenced, planned as a multi-day mass combat encounter.

A Brutal, Week-Long Battle

The battle’s ranged phase began, with the heroes’ archers decimating the approaching ogres.
The melee armies sallied forth from the fort, completely destroying the ogre army on the first day.
The subsequent days became a grueling battle of attrition against the heavily armored giants and regenerating trolls.

A Costly Victory

On the sixth day, the giants focused their attack on Kliptik’s animal army, destroying it and killing Kliptik.
Despite the loss, the heroes continued to inflict heavy casualties on the giants.
On the seventh day, the giants failed a morale check, broke ranks, and fled the battlefield.
Vizzle Tezak escaped, but the siege was broken and the Sword Lands were saved.

Epilogue: The Future of the Sword Lands

The adventurers discussed what their characters would do over the next few years.
Izzy established a new archdiocese, Bob vanished to run his spy network from the shadows, and Yohei became a vigilante.
A statue was erected in LeBrog, not of Kliptik, but of his eidolon Fluffy, which sparked a new religion.
Kliptik’s spirit was later summoned back by this cult, only to be trapped as a wretched, angry Wendigo-imbued ghost.

NPCs:

Drow Court Wizard: An associate of Lady Kremenko who is particularly interested in magical components, such as dragon hearts. He is friendly with Yohei and acts as an intermediary to the Lady.
Fluffy: Kliptik’s chaotic and loyal eidolon, appearing as a large, fluffy wolf-like creature. After the battle, a statue of Fluffy was erected, leading to a religion forming around his legend as ‘Fluffy the Giant Slayer’.
Keston: An ally of the party in the city of Ottoberg. He is a key contact for securing military aid from the city’s forces.
Kurok: The skeletal, wraith-like commander of Ord’s Faithful, a unit of undead paladins. He guards the Lantern Fort, having not moved in centuries, but can be roused to fight for a righteous cause.
Lady Kremenko: The party’s liege lord, a powerful and ambitious noble seeking to establish her dominion over the Sword Lands. She provides significant aid to the party, but her support always serves her own political goals.
Puck: A traitorous, pale figure who sided with the giants. Wielding a black straight razor, he acted as a morale officer for the ogres and ettins, goading them into battle. He was killed when the ogre army was destroyed.
Thakar of Niswan: The Vudrani ruler who owes the party a life debt. He is a man of his word, willing to send a significant portion of his army to aid the adventurers when called upon.
Vizzle Tezak: The fierce, rune-covered leader of the giant army. Towering at 17 feet tall and clad in black plate armor, he is a formidable general who leads his forces from the front. He escaped the battle after his army was routed.
Zomas: A friendly extra-dimensional spider being who can travel across the planes. He agrees to take Brother Carl on a tour of the multiverse.

ITEMS:

Dragonheart: The heart of a dragon slain in a previous adventure. It was delivered to Lady Kremenko’s court wizard, which helped foster a good relationship with Yohei.
Puck’s Straight Razor: A black straight razor that was the signature weapon of the traitor Puck. It was recovered from his dead body after the ogre army was defeated.
Thakar’s Golden Disc: A golden disc that signifies the bearer is an agent of the Thakar of Niswan. It grants the holder immediate access and respect within the Vudrani court.
Winning Ticket: Yohei’s horse, rumored to be the fastest steed in the stables. Its speed was crucial for quickly reaching Lady Kremenko to ask for aid.

LOCATIONS:

City of Brass: An extra-planar city of djinn and afrit that Zomas takes Brother Carl to visit during their travels.
Fort Owlbear: The player’s central base of operations. A strategic fortress that became the epicenter of the war against the giant army.
Lantern Fort: An old, dusty fortress that serves as the eternal post for Kurok and his undead paladins, Ord’s Faithful.
LeBrog: A town of woodcutters to the northwest of the fort. The people of LeBrog view the adventurers as their saviors and eventually erect a statue in Fluffy’s honor.
Tarka: The city where Lady Kremenko holds her court. Yohei traveled here to petition her for aid.
The Sword Lands: The region where the campaign takes place. A contested territory that Lady Kremenko seeks to bring under her firm control.
Vudrani: A distant land from which Izzy recruited a large contingent of soldiers and archers. Its capital is the city of Nizwan.

FACTIONS:

Army of Giants: A coalition of giants, trolls, ogres, and ettins united under the command of Vizzle Tezak. They sought to invade the Sword Lands but were defeated at Fort Owlbear.
Ord’s Faithful: An ancient order of undead paladins who follow the god Ord. Led by Kurok, they joined the battle, providing an unshakeable, elite force that needed no morale checks.
The Vudrani: The people and military of the Thakar of Niswan. They honored their leader’s debt to the party by sending a large army to aid in the defense of the fort.
The Wendigo: An evil spirit of the wilds that some party members have a connection to. It is a source of dark power and influence, capable of imbuing spirits with its malevolence.

QUESTS:

Defend Fort Owlbear: Rally the forces of the realm to defend Fort Owlbear against an impending invasion from a massive army of giants, trolls, and ogres led by Vizzle Tezak.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Ashla: A noble Aasimar Fighter and a dedicated protector of Fort Owlbear. As a leader among the garrison, Ashla focuses on military strategy and maintaining order among the troops. They are seen as a steadfast commander who will lead the fort into the future.
Bob: A pragmatic Tengu Ranger who is building a spy network across the land. While not the most literate or charismatic, he is effective at gathering allies through his established contacts. He prefers to operate from the shadows and values intelligence gathering.
Brother Carl: A devout Human Priest of the neutral god Ord. He is on a quest to find evidence of his god’s greatness across the multiverse. He is willing to seek out strange, extra-dimensional allies to aid in his quest and protect the innocent.
Izzy: An Oriad Priest of Yamath. Diplomatic and resourceful, Izzy is not afraid to travel great distances and call in old favors to protect his allies and further his faith. He has ambitions to establish a powerful religious order in the Sword Lands.
Kliptik: A Weighing Summoner whose primary companion was a chaotic, fluffy, dog-like eidolon named Fluffy. Kliptik had a strong connection to the natural and animal world, capable of rallying wild creatures to his cause. He tragically fell in battle against the giants, dying to protect the fort.
Yohei: A swift and persuasive Kitsune who once delivered a dragon’s heart to Lady Kremenko. He is a skilled marksman and a smooth talker, capable of negotiating with powerful nobles. He rides the fastest horse in the region, Winning Ticket.