Thac0hNo's Kingmaker Campaign

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

The Kingdom of Thornvale: A Year’s End

The month of Kuthona, 4711 

By Kuthona, the cold winds of winter have settled across the lands, and most folk stay indoors by the warmth of the fire. The Lords of Thornvale announce their plans for the month, expanding the kingdom northwest along the Thorn River, and seeking to construct a horse ranch in the hills northwest of Haven. 

Evrin works with prominent members of the Haven militia to familiarize themselves with the newly constructed ballista, practicing the slaying of various tree stumps and old barrels. He speaks with Thefina about the construction of a swivel base for the weapon, which she promises to begin working on next month, as she is dedicated to building a school for Lord Stonewalker.

The halfling begins a series of drills at the nearby Stag Lord's fort, and though the weather is unfavorable, many of the militia dutifully trudge there for practice. A few comment on the halfling's desire to fish on the Tuskwater during middle of winter - in truth, Evrin was acting to sink the enchanted and fey-touched Thorny Crown to the bottom of the lake. 

Evrin speaks to Jubilost about the recent discovery of the Taldan burial site, and the little gnome is ecstatic. He immediately packs up his things and enlists the help of his gnomish companions to prepare for a journey to the site. Within a few days, the small group is able to reach the crypt and set up camp. Jubilost informs Evrin that he will likely stay here for some time to properly document and categorize his findings. At first glance, however, the gnome is able to explain some of the site.

Long ago, before the Golden Age of Taldor, the young country sent many explorations parties out to settle these lands. If my suspicions are correct, this site seems to be from that era. The markings on the walls and the arrangement of the burial site seem to indicate a person of some stature - perhaps a noble or warrior-knight. The sheer number of books here is astounding, which is indicative of a scholar. They are remarkably well-preserved, and the handful I dared to touch all appear to be written in old Taldan script. Some of these texts appear to be of a magical nature, and I have refrained from examining those in detail until I can be sure of their safety.

There are some interesting observations I can make, however. First, there appears to be a book missing from this crypt. Did one of your men take it? A surveyor perhaps? Something to look into, certainly: where it went, and why they took it?

Second, the deceased corpse from the sarcophagus, see it there? The crown on its head? It appears as though a gemstone once rested within it. Though I have not once seen a gemstone with such an odd, notch-shaped cut. It too, appears taken. At first I thought it may have simply fallen out in the battle, but no! Look there, and there - upon the gold, what do you see? Those little scrapes could only have been made by a knife or dagger.

Third, you are right. The shield here is indeed missing. You can tell by the depressions on the shield-arm here and here, where the shield straps were fastened. It would have been rounded, likely with a high or low grip as was commonplace at the time - not a center grip shield like we do now. Though I am confounded as to why someone would take the shield, and leave the sword. Or how it would have lasted all these ages, as the wood surely would have disintegrated by now.

Hopefully, these books will hold some answers, though I suspect the missing one is key. 

*** Karis speaks to Kimble the tailor and Quill the Blacksmith, setting them to crafting various outfits and wrist dagger-sheaths. They, along with Thefina and her hidden-compartment crates, set to working and by the end of Kuthona have suitable products for use. He directs Lathon to continue drills with the Aldori - now taking place at the nearby ruined fort. The sailor looks hale and much more resilient than earlier in the year, and his demeanor reflects it. 

Daily visits with his wyvern maintain the bond between the two, but the winter weather has made the creature lethargic and slow. It seems to sleep more and prefers the warmth of the fire.  Throughout the month Karis dedicates many nights to meditation, seeing to connect with his patron - but the Lady remains disturbingly quiet.

Much time is spent on training with the young boy Rhys in learning the elven language and the subterfuge tradecraft. Though a few grumpily shoo the boy, most commoners in Haven often laugh at the lad as he slinks about the town, playing at being a sneakthief. Karis sends the boy on several play-missions such as how many pints is Oleg consuming between breakfast and dinner, performing some infiltration exercises, such as lifting some of Saryn’s fancy boots and returning the footwear before he notices them missing.

Unfortunately, the lad stumbles, and is caught red-handed by the Lord Saryn With a wink, he offers a few unsettling words. Momma always told me taking things without asking was asking for trouble!  With that, sinewy elongated tongues jut forth from deep within each of the boots wrapping around the lad’s forearms as fangs tear through the fine leather cuffs and begin gnashing hungrily at his hands. Rhys, screaming in terror, yells, Lord Karis told me to do it! He told me to do it!

After a few moments, Saryn calmly explains, If you apologize to my mimic I am certain he will probably not devour you, but you should probably be far more careful in the future- especially when breaking into a house full of monsters!

Rhys, realizing he is unharmed, apologizes, and explains the exercise. He then sulks away sheepishly, returning to Lord Karis, who takes the opportunity to relay to the boy that failure and learning from these exercises within the confines of Thornvale is far more forgiving than far reaches of its enemies.

***

Upon returning to Blackstag from Haven, once well upon the waters of the Tuskwater, Odis says over his shoulder  Well, it’s getting better...but they still don’t think of us as equals.

After a moments pause, Arna responds, ‘Cause we are not equals. We’re yet to provide to the kingdom main  At this Odis actually stops paddling and turns to meet her  We now is it?

Arna ignores the jest, surprised herself at her choice of pronouns. We know their needs, needs they have been trying to fill, but have been unable...you’ve been trading with Mivon, tell me about them.

What, the eel eaters? Walled city built on a bog. Lots of folk, but short on resources, nasty bunch of gangs. Duels weekly right in the square, damned waste of good swordsmen if you ask me, came the reply. 

Let’s make a trip this month, take 3 or so of the fairest looking widows. See if we can convince some apprentice or journeymen to come to Blackstag in the spring. Men will come at the promise of getting their wicks wet or finding a bride along with the coin they’d make. 

And so Odis, Arna, and several other women from Blackstag head south to Mivon. The journey is cold and slow, as they paddle down the Little Sellen Rriver via canoe. There are remarkably few dwarves in Mivon, and the city smells vaguely of peat. Nearly everyone here seems to dress in the style of the Aldori duelists, and virtually everyone with a sword seems to have the colors of one house or another emblazoned upon his person. Finally, a warm tavern is a welcome sight, and within, Arna gets to know the folk around town.

Little do they realize that they have ended up in the lower quarter of Mivon, full of the un-desirables. Two near-fistfights and a bowl of spoilt gruel later, Odis and the dwarf end up in a quiet discussion with the waitress, a lass of maybe 15, curious as to why such foreigners would come to her town. After a brief discussion of their mission, the gal excuses herself, promising to return.

Later that evening, the small group is approached by a rough-looking gentleman, but one clearly respected ( perhaps feared?) by his companions. He's heard of Arna's story, and comes with a proposition:

I have, at times, a need to relocate people out of Mivon. Good people. People who shouldn't have to face bad things. It seems that you are looking for people with skills. These people, my people, often do. It seems we may be able to help each other.  Take your time, think it over. Have a meal on me - the good stuff, not that swill you’ve been eating. When you decide, let the lass know.

The man turns to leave, but as he does so, he speaks one final time, We never met, understood? 

*** 

Continuing their plans for a school in Haven, Thefina and Stonewalker enlist a number of idle folk to help with the work. The going is very slow, as the cold ground makes digging difficult, but by the end of the month, the school stands - doors open for new students in the new year.  

Regarding the position of instructor, Stonewalker speaks to many of the skilled folk in Haven, who all politely decline. Most - like Kimble Purling, Grutzner Brasse, Ardbeg, and Thefina herself ( among others) openly offer to take on younger apprentices to teach their trade, but most express that they have no time for classroom teaching ( and a few suggest that the classroom is no place to practice a trade).  As such, no full-time teacher is found to staff the school. One of the local mothers, Midge, volunteers as nanny. In addition, a missive is sent to Blackstag informing them of the opportunity for education for their youth.

Stonewalkers biweekly meetings of various tradesfolk in Haven have encouraged more and more residents to speak up regarding suggestions. Jubilost Nartropple, recently retuned to Haven, suggests that a library of sorts would be good for academics, and is willing to contribute the first book to it's collection: The Mysteries of Mivon: An Exploration of the Eastern River Kingdoms, by none other than himself. In addition, he would like someplace where he could buy some decent ink.  

Oleg mentions some warehouses to store surplus furs during hunting season, and one of the local farmers mentions that the cellar underneath Havenhall is getting rather full - suggesting that perhaps a granary is in order. A few of the fishermen in town suggest a establishing a curing house where they can salt excess fish for trade ( or a winter stockpile).

***

Saryn continues his tradition of aiding those in town, speaking words of inspiration to the departing surveying expedition and singing songs of rejuvenation to the workers at the ranch. By now, he has come to know the majority of the residents of Haven, and is able to quickly find and speak with the halfling seeking to create a gathering place for burrowing folk near the old sycamore. 

Furret Quickfoot explains that he would like to convert the hill under the sycamore to a home for all burrowing sorts - a haven ( near Haven!) for little folk, filled with amenities that suit their kind. Though not nearly as proficient as the battle-hardened lords, the little halfling seems skilled enough with the blade, and light of foot to boot.

Another brief visit to the giant finds him sitting next to a roaring fire made from uprooted trees and surrounded by empty barrels of ale. Munguk is cold and miserable, and very, very drunk.  Munguk walk see mommy, but she not home. Munguk wait. No come back. Mommy gone! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

After a bit, Saryn is able to calm down the sobbing giant, and Munguk agrees that sitting in the cold hills sucks, and would rather go someplace warmer - provided there's something to drink. 

Additional training with the owlbear and wyvern is difficult, as both creatures seem lethargic and slow. The young owlbear cub seems to just want to sleep all day, and the wyvern stubbornly refuses to leave the warm stone of the fireplace. As such, Saryn makes very little progress with any sort of 'training'.  

***

The end of the month brings the end of the year as well, and various small celebrations during Winter Week.  The Sootscale kobolds dedicate quiet moments to Aspu during their Time of Reminiscence.  Lady Garess is spotted during the Winter Solstice, performing the Ritual of Stardust by singing songs and dancing about a blazing bonfire.

during the last week of the month, with construction of the school complete and Arangin's Acerage finished, the surveyors from upriver return to Haven, happily chatting among themselves and declaring their job complete.  

Most Havenites stay indoors to mark the Final Day, waiting for spirits of the years' dead to pass by their doors on the Night of the Pale, and emerging the next morning to welcome in the new year: 4712 AR.

Turn 17; Abadius, 4712 AR

Petitions:

Cedrin reports that Jubilost has left Haven again, eastablishing a camp near the old Taldan burial site. 

Cedrin reports that the workers sent to construct the Graniteworks upon the quarry site still refuse to return to work, and are scared of the giant bird who attacked the site in the previous month. 

Cedrin reports that he has been able to process the many requests for land from the citizens of Haven. Virtually all of them are requests for small family farm plots in the outlying hills. 

Cedrin has collected the submissions for the name of the newly constructed road. A full listing ( sans duplicates) is as follows. 

The Kamelands Pass

Four Lord’s Road

Haven’s Trail 

Kesten’s Way

The Eastern Stolen Trail

Rue de Garess

The Stag’s Path

Handor’s Highway

Edicts:

You may issue two (2) edicts for the month of Abadius.

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

Rules Corner: Spells &  Concentration

Concentration

Some spells require you to maintain concentration in order to keep their magic active. If you lose concentration, such a spell ends.

If a spell must be maintained with concentration, that fact appears in its Duration entry, and the spell specifies how long you can concentrate on it. You can end concentration at any time (no action required).

Normal activity, such as moving and attacking, doesn't interfere with concentration. The following factors can break concentration:

Casting another spell that requires concentration. You lose concentration on a spell if you cast another spell that requires concentration. You can't concentrate on two spells at once.

Taking damage. Whenever you take damage while you are concentrating on a spell, you must make a Constitution saving throw to maintain your concentration. The DC equals 10 or half the damage you take, whichever number is higher. If you take damage from multiple sources, such as an arrow and a dragon's breath, you make a separate saving throw for each source of damage.

Being incapacitated or killed. You lose concentration on a spell if you are incapacitated or if you die.

The DM might also decide that certain environmental phenomena, such as a wave crashing over you while you're on a storm-tossed ship, require you to succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell.

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

Rules Corner: Movement & Squeezing

Squeezing into a Smaller Space

A creature can squeeze through a space that is large enough for a creature one size smaller than it. Thus, a Large creature can squeeze through a passage that's only 5 feet wide. While squeezing through a space, a creature must spend 1 extra foot for every foot it moves there, and it has disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage while it's in the smaller space.

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

A Disastrous Adventure

To: Lord Evrin Brazenbrook Aldori and Cedrin

Regarding: Survey of Allotment

27 Rova, 4711

Dear Sirs,

I humbly submit to you the findings of the allotments as marked on the attached map (coded 1, 2, etc. in the order in which I and my party approached them).

1. Much of the area is grassy, marked by numerous hills (or “kames”) for which the region gets its name. In most of the allotment, there are no inhabitants, other than perhaps a few small animals, and trees are sparse. In truth, the area is almost completely unremarkable, save for one key exception. Set into one of the kames is what first appears to be a lonely burrow of sorts, but flares out into a cave. This cave is or has been inhabited by a high number of bats, owing to the amount of their refuse on the ground. The cave itself spans about forty feet by twenty, and its walls are covered in a writing that none of our party were able to discern. This is curious enough, and warrants further exploration by trained scholars, but what is most interesting is a feature that, I regret to say, you may not believe, though I assure you that my fellow surveyors will corroborate what I am about to write.

At the back of the cave we discovered a narrow fissure that led into what might be called an antechamber which was flanked by mosaics of undetermined origin. The figures depicted were human, but certainly not of an era any of us could recognize. I should point out that everything in this antechamber (and what I relate beyond) is completely dark, but owing to my own training, visibility in darkness is no issue for me, and I was able to share this ability with the rest of my party. I could see a fairly lengthy hall ahead of me that culminated in another room with what looked to be a table or some other kind of platform. Adorning the walls was a lengthy mosaic of a lion that spread across various rooms, as well as large faces of presumed former kings set in stone. After passing through the junction indicated in the attached drawings, we entered the final room and noticed that it was not a platform, but rather a sarcophagus—an open one, at that. When looking inside, we saw the ancient remains of what had clearly been a warrior, though we all found it odd that while it held a sword, it seemed to have been missing its shield. That it had been holding a shield at all was indicated by how its arm was significantly displaced, and our assumption was that someone had physically removed (read: stolen) the shield.

What strains credulity is that moments after we discovered this, the skeleton itself rose up and attacked us. We were fortunate to be able to fend it off and render it inanimate once more, though afterwards we were also besieged by numerous additional animated skeletons. Through a combination of might and magic, we managed to dispatch all of them, though it was not easy. We proceeded to explore what was clearly an ancient ruin or burial site of some sort—the other rooms contained ossuaries that had likely housed the skeletons, as well as an intriguing library—but we didn’t linger for long. Further to my comments about the cave, I suggest that scholars will find a great deal of interest in this site, and I would recommend that some are sent to document the site in the near future, before other dastardly rapscallions like the one who stole the shield find their way in to pilfer further items.

Before I mention the other area we surveyed, I would like to mention that we did encounter one other creature along the way—I have marked its location on the attached map. We had heard the sound of a woman in trouble, a distinctly female voice calling for help in Common, coming from some bushes. As we rushed to her aid, the voice turned out to be a rather hideous creature instead, wanting to make us its next meal. We did slay it, though travelers through this area should be forewarned of the presence of such creatures.

2.This next area is largely the southern shore of Lake Silverstep. As expected, the lake takes up much of the area, though there are also some kames and greenspaces. In fact, the foliage is especially abundant here. The water in the lake is surprisingly clear, to the point that I would almost call it unnaturally so, or perhaps it is simply ultra-natural. Either way, one can see far into its depths. As for habitation or fauna, we continually caught glimpses of various creatures or figures out of the corners of our eyes. We could not quite make out what they were, but one of my peers whispered something about “fey,” and from what I myself have learned of those creatures and this region, I cannot dismiss the possibility. In fact, at one point I opened myself up to the energy of the place, and could swear that I felt an influence of some sort seep in, but cannot say more about what that means. Once again, others may find additional value in exploring the area further, though as it stands, our party deemed the allotment to have no additional features of note that we could elaborate upon. It feels special, somehow, but for the purpose of this survey, I must restrict details to what we directly witnessed. Beyond this, we all nearly died for various reasons, but that is beyond the purview of this survey. Yours in service, Meryk Sumerki

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

Rules Corner: Siege Weapons

Ballista

Ranged weapon (siege) 

Category: Items (Weapon)

Damage: 3d12

Damage Type: Piercing

Item Rarity: Rare

Properties: Ammunition, Heavy, Range, Two-Handed, Team

Range: 300 / 1200

Weight: 2

Special: Any medium or smaller sized creature struck by a ballista is immediately knocked prone.

Ballistae are operated by a crew of 3. A trained crew can fire once every 2 rounds (1 round to crank and load ammunition, one round to aim and fire). A ballista may be operated by fewer individuals, but each missing operator increases the loading time by 1 round.

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

The Kingdom of Thornvale: Roads and Waters

The month of Neth, 4711

The cool autumn air turns crisp as the fall season hits full stride, and the Lords of Thornvale unveil an aggressive plan to address many of the kingdom's troubles. Together, they announce an investment in Blackstag, decreeing that the old supplied cache discovered in the ancient dwarven ruins would be used to help construct expansive piers upon the waterfront of Lake Candlemere. In addition, the kingdom would begin construction on an ambitious roadway linking not only Haven and Blackstag, but Brevoy as well. Furthermore, Lord Evrin would, from his own pocket, finance the construction of the Thornvale Graniteworks on the quarry site east of town.

Furthermore, Saryn unveils a decree for the expansion and growth of Thornvale! Parcels of land will be awarded to peoples based on their goals and how they aid, help, or improve the realm. The land in question will be based on locations that there is need to develop and will change as those needs change. The size of the property will be dependent on need. No more than six will be granted in a month, though this will be an ongoing strategy for growth. Formal plans will be submitted by the first week’s end to be considered, and documents will be held for review in future cohorts should they not be accepted. Willingness to relocate within reason and being open to fitting into a schedule will both greatly aid the process. There will be aids available for the paperwork (to accommodate the illiterate).

Arna spends the majority of the month in and around the village of Blackstag. Upon arrival in Blackstag, Odis suggests that Arna stay with Natasha Varona, one of the infamous Blackstag Widows. Odis explains that Nat has ‘a lot of space to herself now.’ Natasha is woman in her late 30’s, she has long black hair and would be stunning save the long jagged scar on the left of her face. Arna sets to helping people with tasks where her considerable strength and endurance are needed, and there are ample needs. Tasks normally attributed to “man folk” have been at a bottle neck. Arna feels at home with the Stag Folk (as they have taken to calling themselves). Their communal meals (out of practicality) and the bawdy nature and dark humor of the folk remind Arna of her time in the army back home. After dinner the 5th night, Arna realized why her thoughts went to her time in army when Nat told her the story of the Battle of Blackstag. From the walls as an archer, Nat watched when the lizard folk ranks broke after the divine wind barrier. Then the troll stepped in and she saw her husband and two sons slaughtered before he threw the twisted tree that hit her face and knocked her from the wall. From then forward, every evening she searched the faces and could see loss behind all the smiles and laughter.

Heading west, Arna begins to survey the woods and lands between Blackstag and the old dwarven ruin. Immediately West of town, she uncovers remnants of the great battle against Hargulka's trolls - scorched troll bones, broken weapons, a residual campsite. It seems the folk of Blackstag still avoid the area. Farther west, the Narlmarches become thicker, and the scar of the battle is quickly left behind. Arna dutifully records her observations, crisscrossing the wood and recording it's dimensions . Pushing ever closer to the old dwarven ruin, Arna notes that the forest here is dense - far denser than her memory recollects from her last visit. Tangled vines crawl up trees, and the lush canopy above filters out much of the light. Turning southwest,  the forest starts to feel close here, nearly claustrophobic, and a wispy, green-tinged fog hovers above the ground. Finally arriving at the old ruin, she sees that the place seems overrun with thick, twisted vines, the field before the entrance now dotted with all manner of sapling and shrub. The transformation from simple gatehouse built into the bare cliff face to one overrun with vegetation is shocking. Worse still is the thick tangle seems to create a barrier of sorts, preventing Arna from reaching the entrance. Wise enough to realize that hacking her way through would be bound to draw attention, the dwarf slips off into the wood and heads back to Blackstag.

***

Evrin remains in Haven for the month, working on transcribing the old scrolls on siege warfare he obtained from the Aldori Academy. As soon as the copies are complete, he, Stonewalker, Thefina, and Quill begin gathering materials necessary to build the first ballista for the town. Between the four of them (mostly the halfling and the gnome), by months-end they manage to assemble a wheeled version of the weapon, and begin to familiarize themselves with it's use.

Meeting with Cedrin regularly, the halfling reviews notes from a few surveying expeditions that have responded to his call. One group has returned with some information about the area surrounding the Shrike Cascades, and a lone hunter has submitted his notes on the dense woods northwest of the old elven ruins. The steward notes that they have been paid from Kingdom funds as directed, and their findings have been noted in the kingdom maps.

***

Stonewalker sets to helping around the city of Haven and Blackstacg, repairing minor broken tools and trinkets. As he does so, he makes note of the children in town. Roughly 20 or so seem to live in and about Haven virtually all of them under the age of 2. The youth of Blackstag number roughly a dozen, ranging from infant to pre-teen. When asked, nearly all of the parents ( predominantly mothers) approve of the idea for a school, suggesting everything from counting to reading and history and horse care, to proper weapons training, language instruction in elvish and halfling and dwarven, tradesman ship in fishing and carpentry and brewing, farming and stonemasonry, candlemaking, weaving, leatherworking, bowmaking, smithing, alchemy, magic- virtually every possible trade is mentioned. One woman even suggested fortune telling! A brief meeting afterward with Thefina sets her to sketching out plans for a school in Haven to accomodate such numbers.

During this time, Stonewalker approaches various traders traveling through Thornvale and hands out fliers for his apprenticeship. In Blackstag, he encounters a few finishing their last trip before the winter season; all are from Mivon,  though through chatting, he finds one that is headed home by way of Jovox. In Haven, he is able to pass out a few fliers to some merchants from Varnhold, though notably absent are any from Brevoy.

Stonewalkers reconvenes his commoners meeting, though conversations with Odis seem to indicate that the leader of Blackstag will only attend once a month, as travel between the two cities takes too long to merit such frequent trips. Hoff, Oleg and Kimble join this month, and offer many suggestions. Kimble is ever-talkative, and suggests the cultivation of silk farms and cotton fields,  the establishment of a weavers guild, and the formation of a tailors union ( with him in charge, of course). Hoff points out that there's no facility for the construction of transportation - no wagonwrights in town nor any reliable place to acquire horses for such tasks. Oleg comments that the curent trading post is suitable for the town's needs, but a full-fledged open market with plenty of room for merchant's stalls may be something to consider in the future. Furthermore, he notes that trade has been robust with Varnhold ( and he is aware of similar trade in Blackstag, with Mivon), but virtually nowhere else, save for an errant peddler - perhaps encouraging official trade agreements would be appropriate.

The remainder of the month, the gnome works with Evrin on his ballista, pouring over the old schematics and fiddling with it's construction.

-----------

Mid month, a ragged band of laborers returns to haven: the construction crew working on the new graniteworks site. They have run all night and day to get back to safety, it seems, after being terrorized by an enormous bird! Ardberg reports the attack coming in the late afternoon, when a giant bird - as big as the mountain itself! - dove down upon them, grabbing several in it's gigantic claws before flying away.  The construction crew adamantly refuse to return to the site until the threat has been dealt with.

***

Karis and Tesh'lahi add another to their number as Rhys, the orphan boy from Blackstag accepts Karis' invitation. The three of them set off for Haven early in the month, seeking to begin his training. Tesh, for her part, begins the lessons right there on the boat back to town! Rhys is eager to learn, mesmerized by the two elf-kin and their strange ways. Later however, Tesh pulls aside Karis and comments that it may take many months, perhaps years, for this child to develop the skills he wishes to nurture. Upon arriving in Haven, the three begin an intense training for the boy.

Checking in on Lathon, Karis finds that he has developed some considerable endurance from working with the Aldori Duellists who have enjoyed sparring with someone other than themselves, despite the inferior swordplay.

Working with his wyvern, Karis slowly introduces it to Rhys and Tesh, hoping to allow the creature to become accustomed to their presence. It decidedly rejects the boy, hissing and biting at the lad until finally separated. Tesh comments that it may be best to keep the two apart from now on.

After a brief meeting, Thefina agrees to begin work on the false-bottomed crates requested by Karis. She commits to delivery sometime in Kuthona.

***

Saryn continues his tradition of entertaining during the evenings, through the change in seasons has forced a change in venue. Still, Havenhall is welcoming for those wishing to share an ale or a song. Scanning the crowd, the elf lord sees naught but the familiar faces of Havenites and the various transient woodsfolk who wander through town.

Soon after the monthly proclamations, on the night after the First Brewing, Saryn heads to Armauk's memorial grove and begins to speak:

When I first found myself at the Trading Post I never had considered speaking to a shrine, much less what the journey would mean to the people, region, and everything that makes up the region. Meeting the wandering priest meant little and even purifying the lost temple seemed more random and a happy accident than anything. Finding the mighty statue in your likeness seemed natural as a temple was so nearby. I suppose that I assumed Armauk was tasked with doing such as one of the cloth might and didn’t consider or care much past that. It fulfilled him and that was as much as I needed. It wasn’t until he was taken from us that I began to ponder. We are living largely by your doctrine, even if accidentally- perhaps that was Armauks mission? More so, at least more so impacting was that I am largely living that doctrine. The sight of the great white stag revealed more than just the sight, I believe that. We are the People of the Stag in faith and in action. I come here today, to ask for your guidance on how to better lead your people.

Though no apparent visit from the Stag God followed, Saryn could not help shake thoughts of Jhod from his mind.

A brief visit to the owlbear den reveals the older creature fat and preparing for hibernation. She appears to be in good health, though the scars from her time with the Stag Lord still mar her fur and feathers, and she complains a bit about what sounds a bit like the ache of old age creeping into her shoulder. She also informs Saryn that she avoids the mill, as it has too many menfolk. She prefers to hunt north and west, where the prey hasn't been scared away by the noise of the men. A thorough search of the area reveals naught but simple owlbear tracks.

From there, a quick flight to Blackstag puts Saryn close to the wandering, drunk hill giant. Through slow coaxing and gentle words, Saryn is able to speak to the giant about his woes. It seems he has lost his mother, and he drinks in despair. Beyond that, the simpleminded giant gives no indication of wants or needs, or any missions or goals beyond his missing mama. In fact, his description of home is some brief mention of the big hills and some of the other little hills next to HIS hill, which is bestest.  

Uniting the two wyverns goes poorly, as they immediately become competitive and begin snarling and snapping at each other as each attempts to assert dominance over the other. Saryn and Karis are just able to pull them apart before the damage extends beyond scratches and infighting. They hiss angrily at each other as this new rivalry is established.  The commotion is enough to ward off any Havenites from intervening.

Speaking to the handful of hunters sporting an animal companion of some sort, it is not difficult to determine that three stand out from the rest, each claiming to have raised their pet from pup ( or egg). One carries a large hunting falcon upon his shoulder. Another a ferret in his satchel. The third walks with a large wolf.

***

By months-end, a small celebration in the village of Blackstag commemorates the construction of the village piers, after numerous setbacks including the loss of numerous tools into the lake and a rather painful splinter for Krysta, one of the hardier widows and laborers on the project.

The Night of the Seven Veils festival is held once again, with all sorts of folk from every corner of Thornvale converging on Haven for the night. A number of visitors from Blackstag arrive on the newly constructed road, and what seems to be the entire Sootscale tribe marches into town in an elaborately-constructed  dragon-snake costume. Jhod and Justyna make an appearance, as do many of the miners and lumberjacks and farmers from the surrounding regions. Even an envoy from Varnhold attends, counting nearly a dozen in number. At the festival, Saryn announces his contest for the naming of the road.

Turn 16; Kuthona, 4711 AR

Petitions:

Cedrin reports that he has updated the official kingdom maps with the details of the two recent surveying parties.  

Cedrin reports that he has been inundated with a flood of requests for land by the locals of Haven, and has not yet managed to sort through all of them. The vast majority, however, are requests for land in the outlying areas of Haven for the establishment of farms. One submission of note is a request for the Old Sycamore tree, to “establish a home for the burrowing denizens of the Kingdom, such that they may feel more welcome among the tall-folk”

The laborers from the construction of the road edict report that they were somewhat concerned about a bubbling, stinking area north of Blackstag. They’ve taken to calling it the ‘Mud Bowl’, saying it makes people sick who breathe in the air there, and that one of the workers swore he saw something moving in the mud. 

Cedrin reports that Jubilost and his party of gnomes have returned to Haven.

Edicts:

You may issue two (2) edicts for the month of Kuthona

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

Rules Corner: Kingdom Management

A big part of Kingmaker is the development and management of your kingdom.  This will require significant coordination among players, and it is strongly suggested that you develop a system for making decisions as a group regarding the direction of kingdom governance.  Typically, kingdom management will be done outside of game sessions, leaving in-session time dedicated to character adventuring, managing risks and challenges, and various player-character centered events. While some kingdom management discussion may be permitted during sessions, it should be limited in scope and time.

Kingdom Management

Kingdom management will be performed in turns, similar to how 5e combat is managed for characters. Each turn will represent 1 month of game time. Each turn will consist of the following phases:

Receive Petitions 

Issue Edicts 

Resolve Edicts

Receive Petitions

In this phase of each Kingdom turn, the players will receive information. Advisors may approach them with news, Commoners may approach them beseeching their aid. Other nations may send delegates waiting to be seen.  Most importantly, the results of previous edicts will come to light.

Issue Edicts

Edicts issued will be instructions the players wish to have completed by their subjects. Building a road, a fort, or a town hall. Exploring an unknown area of land, sending their soldiers to deal with a bandit uprising.  The group will be responsible for identifying their own goals and objectives, and which kingdom resources will spearhead the effort behind the edict. Choose wisely! NOTE:  Edicts are player-driven. A lack of participation here will result in the assumption that the kingdom does nothing for a given month.  Edicts will be given a target difficulty appropriate to their challenge. A Castle will be harder to construct than a fort, which in turn is harder than an outpost. Sending an emissary to a small tribe will be easier than sending one to a small barony, which in turn is also easier than sending one to a large, powerful kingdom. Incremental progress will be rewarded. Building a fort on the site of a previous stone ruins, or expanding an existing fort to a full fledged castle will be far easier than building a castle from scratch. This will likely have an impact both in time and difficulty of the desired edict.. 

Edicts to build structures or develop terrain may only be performed in areas (hexes) annexed by the kingdom. Annexing an area (hex) may be performed as an edict, but only on regions that have been appropriately surveyed and cleared of dangers.  At present, the newborn kingdom has very limited resources, and may only issue one edict per turn. As the kingdom grows and becomes more powerful, it will have more resources to bring to bear and gain the ability to issue multiple edicts during this phase. 

Resolve Edicts

Each edict will correspond to one of the major Kingdom attributes, and that attribute will determine the dice roll necessary to govern the outcome. It is important to note that a ‘failed’ roll in this step may not necessarily mean an incomplete task. Instead, it may simply mean delays in completion, the appearance of a problem elsewhere in the kingdom, or various other complications.

Meshing Session play and kingdom management

As the game progresses, it is very likely that game flow will be driven toward something like this:

Month Start

RECEIVE PETITIONS

Group discussion, ISSUE EDICTS

Game Session, focusing on character issues and events during the month

Month End; RESOLVE EDICTS

Repeat.

However, to maintain narrative consistency, there will be times when several Kingdom turns will take place between sessions, as well as times when several sessions will occur during a single kingdom turn (worded another way, when no kingdom turns will occur between two sessions). 

Surveying vs. Annexing Hexes

Surveying a hex represents exploring the area; identifying hazards and the like. A rough map is generally part of this process, detailing major landmarks, but as it only takes a day to do, extensive thoroughness and detail is not part of the gig. You MAY survey a hex that has dangers, though often the act of surveying a hex will reveal dangers.   

Annexing a hex represents agents of the kingdom performing an appropriate land assessment, marking property and borders, and creating an official, detailed, map of the area for governmental use. The act of annexing results in the area officially being recognized as part of Thornvales sovereignty. Annexation cannot be done until dangers existing within a hex are dealt with.

Hex Improvements

Generally speaking, overland hexes can contain a road, and one other major improvement ( farm, ranch, mine, etc). 

The two exceptions to this rule are cities, which contain many improvements (walls, stores, taverns, mills, etc) and pre-established locations ( such as Melianse’s grove, or Bokken’s hut) which do not count towards hex improvements unless otherwise specified. 

Kingdom Edicts vs. Downtime

What does it all mean, and what's the difference?

Downtime is a player-centric opportunity to do things out of session. Traditionally, in D&D, characters with large amounts of free time between adventuring have been able to study, train, research, recruit, cavort, or various other personal activities. In 5e, this may mean learning a new skill. Researching the location of a lost artifact. Recruiting a new bodyguard, or finding a mentor. Retraining an old class level for a new one. The key question to ask when determining if something is suitable for downtime is: Is this activity focused on and dependent on my character alone?

If the activity risks combat, requires other PC's to participate, involves extensive back-and-forth interaction with the GM, or requires large numbers of NPC's - then no, the activity is likely not suitable for downtime.  

Kingdom Edicts are any activity where a substantial portion of the resources of Thornvale are brought to bear to accomplish a task, OR any activity that where the Kingdom of Thornvale is being officially represented by an individual or group. Examples of the former are things that no single person could do - build a road between two cities, construct a fort, found a village, establish a mine. Examples of the latter generally are when a single person or small delegation is acting on behalf of the entire Kingdom of Thornvale: a diplomatic envoy to another Kingdom to broker peace, trade, or declare war; a surveying party claiming uncharted wilderness for the kingdom to grow. 

Generally speaking, diplomatic activities aside, if a single person could do it in a short period of time, then it's not a kingdom edict. 

Narrative Constraints 

The one major factor that seems to be confusing people the most is that ALL kingdom edicts and downtime activities are subject to the constraints of the currently established narrative.

What does this mean? This means that even if your idea meets all the criteria for an edit or downtime, if the facts of the current in-game story setting do not support the activity, then it can't happen.

For example: Right now, Thornvale has no source for large amounts of weaponry and armor. A Kingdom Edict looking to raise an army of heavy infantry, equipped with longswords, shields and plate armor, would not be possible without first addressing this lack of materials. Do you establish your own production first ( seek out sources of iron and steel, find a weaponsmith and armorsmith)? Do you reach out to a neighboring kingdom to secure a trade agreement to acquire the massive quantities you may need?  Additionally, I might ask: where would they live? who would train them?

Another Example: A Player wishes to use his personal wealth to construct his very own Galley to patrol the Tuskwater. He has plenty of cash on hand to fund the construction of such a craft and hire a crew. However, Haven has no skilled workers for shipbuilding, nor any location to support such activities ( no harbor, pier, drydock, etc...). Without a suitably skilled workers, shipbuilding will have to wait.

A final Example: A player wishes to use his downtime to research the history of the old Taldan expansion into the River Kingdoms many centuries ago. In previous months, he has sought out possible contacts by visiting Restov and speaking to wise men. There, he has learned of an old historian living in Mivon. For this month's downtime, he travels to Mivon with his bodyguard(npc) to seek out this historian and ask many questions that have been troubling him.  

NOTE: These rules are fluid and subject to change. Updates can and will be presented here during the course of play. 

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

Wayfaring: Tors of Levenies

Rising from the Kamelands, the Tors of Levenies are a towering mountain range, thrusting skyward as if created by some terrible upheaval. On the western side, the Tors feature sharp cliffs and escarpments, while on the east the mountains ascend gradually, gently climbing to the summit. Those who attempt to ascend from the east (thinking it easy) are disappointed to find the path dotted with pits, valleys, ravines, and tarns, making the ascent quite treacherous. A vast system of caves honeycombs beneath the Tors, and adventurers who return from those depths bring cautionary tales of wyverns, enormous blind snakes, and poisonous stones. Odder still are tales of enormous carvings and cave art, made by the hand of impossibly sized artists.

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

The Quill: Issue 7

The Best Bulletin in Brevoy!

Bits of an old Issue of the Quill, Dated 22 Gozran, 4711

Southern Raids!

With many of our forces deployed to the north, raids from the south have begun anew. Villagers all along the Shrike River have reported seeing wild centaurs roving across the Dunsward. Such reports have been further corroborated by traders and merchants returning from Varnhold, where they say the Lord there has been sending frequent patrols to deal with the problem on his eastern border. If you travel there, take extra precautions! It has been reported that these savage beasts show no mercy, and kill all who oppose them!

Bits of an old Issue of the Quill, Dated 22 Sarenith, 4711

Official Proclamation! Thornvale; Varnhold on their own!

In a stunning proclamation today, Ioseph Sellimus, the Lord Mayor of Restov, denounced the settling of the Stolen Lands and declared an official end to formal support for the settlements in that region. Citing a growing concern that such expeditions were funded by anti-Surtovan loyalists, the Lord Mayor announced a thorough investigation to root out and expose any traitors responsible. Simultaniously, the Lord Mayor spoke for de-escalation along the northern border, calling for Royal troops to be withdrawn and a general reduction of tensions.  Bits of an old Issue of the Quill, Dated 13 Erastus, 4711

Assassination Attempt!

A recent assassination attempt on the life of Lord Mayor Ioseph Sellimus was thwarted, inside sources report, due to the watchful eye of a scullery maid. In an appearance by the Lord Mayor, he proclaimed the maid a hero, promoted her to head maid of his household, and declared she and her kin would be forever entitled to honorable residence in the Lord Mayor’s estate. When asked how she knew to sound the alarm, she replied the big fella ‘ad a funny smell, an’ he gots one of dem big knifes.   

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

The Kingdom of Thornvale: Stone and Gold

The month of Lamashan, 4711

Near the beginning of Lamashan, the Lords call for the annexation of lands east of Haven, in the foothills of the mountains near the potential quarry site. In addition, they announce the annexation of lands north of Haven, near the gold mine.  With a huzzah, the villagers of Haven cheer as surveyors head out to grid and mark the territories for Thornvale.

Early in Lamashan, Evrin heads off towards Restov carrying a number of personal letters from various Haven villagers for delivery. The brisk autumn weather seems to be setting in a little early this year, but for those that enjoy the changing seasons, the journey is a pleasant one.

Arriving in Restov, Evrin is struck by how distinctly different the city is from his last visit. The normally teeming streets are nearly devoid of men of fighting age, and instead are filled with women, children, or the elderly. Arriving at the Aldori Academy, he spends some time reviewing the progress of the young students there. Several show promise, though none have hit puberty yet. A quick meeting with the headmaster grants Evrin access to the small, dusty library to search for manuscripts on siege warfare. After spending hours pouring over novellas and biographies of daring duelists, endless debates on heavy vs light armor preferences and benefits,  and detailed discussions on the finer points of sword balance and construction, he is able to find something useful. A single, very old, very delicate scroll case contains some antiquated schematics for the construction of some simple weapons: ballistae, battering rams, siege towers, catapults. The headmaster, seeing the find, permits Evrin to 'borrow' the manuscripts for copying, to be returned at some later date. It is obvious that the old swordsman doesn't much care about the topic.

Stopping by a few favored watering holes to pick up copies of the Quill before ending up at the Marching Mustang, the halfling quickly discovers that nearly all fighting age men ( and far too many boys, according to their mothers) have headed north, where conflict between Rostland and the Surtovan forces has been far more fierce than many foreigners would know. Though most commoners seem to swear outright war is happening, the more astute among them point out a distinct lack of any news from the nobles; you know how them nobles love they proclamations! winks one bartender. Nearly all of them complain about shortages of one thing or another, and how all the good stuff they load up on wagons headed north, including the bulk of the fall harvest. Focused on such things close to home, finding widespread news of the other expeditions is turns up very little.

Stopping in at various magic shoppes, Evrin sees that the commoners aren't lying about shortages. Most shelves lie barren, with the normal selection of healing balms, salves, and curatives entirely missing. Even simple items like bandages look small and utterly overpriced, though the more affluent shops still have some inventory in other alchemical items ( acids and the like).  Evrin is able to pick up the scroll case left at one of the shoppes over a year ago, but the wizards' ramblings about the bone of a Naga strike him as confusing and nonsensical.

*** Saryn's presence in Haven continues to enliven and uplift the town. The crowds for his evening performances grow ever larger, and have expanded to include some dancing for those who desire. The elf Lord begins hosting small dinners for various townsfolk, inquiring about their lives and desires. Most of the people tell very similar stories - they want something to call their own: land or a business; they want to be able to raise a family in safety; they want to leave the conflict and strife of their former lives behind. Nearly all of them speak of building their own home, or raising children, and describe a sense of pride and community around what they have helped build here in Haven so far.  

A few stand out as different: Cedrin speaks of fulfilling his duties as aide-de-camp, and helping the lords manage their responsibilities to the kingdom. Herr Brasse seems more obsessed with creating the perfect brew than anything else. Ardberg reveals that he, like Arna, desires to see the lost dwarven clan restored. Lady Garess, while passing through Haven for supplies, admits to a feeling of searching for something she can't quite pinpoint. An occassional commoner here or there speaks of a newfound faith in Erastil.

A private visit from Mikmek ( as official envoy of the Chief Sootscale) reveal that the tribe is still very weak and limited in number. Though Kobolds grow quickly, it will still be some time until they can properly defend themselves; The Chief is concerned about open conflicts that could result in the deaths of more Sootscale Kobolds, and would seek to avoid them if at all possible. Those concerns aside, the tribe has been diligently expanding and reinforcing their home in preparation.

Odis of Blackstag arrives by canoe a few days after being summoned. He appears stressed, discussing the responsibility he feels to care for the families of his fallen brothers-in-arms, as now more than ever they look to him to make decisions. He is concerned that the reduced hunting and trapping will diminish the fur trade with Mivon, or that the distant city may make moves to enforce some long-standing bounties on the villagers. He has concerns about the village being mostly women and it's ability to defend itself should the need arise. He's worried about the lights across the lake on Candlemere Island. When asked about direction, he thinks that anything the Lords can do to help Blackstag feel more connected to the kingdom as a whole would be good. He hopes there is something that can be done to help alleviate the feeling of isolation they have in the absence of their menfolk, and the growing sentiment that Blackstag is unimportant.

Corax bluntly states that his main issue right now is a bottleneck around exporting. Haven has been a good customer, and some trade with Varnhold has borne fruit, but by and large they are small potatoes. He could easily produce more timber, but getting it to major cities is a challenge. A complete route to the major cities would benefit all. He inquires (again) as to the existence of other reports of something wandering the forest. 

Melianse happily meets Saryn on the banks of her pool, she chats for a bit on small talk. She does know Tiressia, saying she can be a force of nature if riled up, and is glad to hear of the slaying of the scythe tree. She is able to travel to Haven, though it has become a little more crowded (with people) than is her preference. When the topic turns to the woman-creature in the old elven tower, Mel shuts down, saying very little and sinking into her pool as if to hide. Mel quickly relates a story of the woman being the Dancing Lady, a once-lovely fey who roamed the lands in the time before the men came. The Lady had ensnared a male with her sensual dances, and somehow this angered a powerful foe who imprisoned her in the tower for eternity as punishment. Sensing she has perhaps said too much, Mel sinks below the surface and disappears, leaving a trail of bubbles in her wake.

Time with the owlbear and the wyvern goes really well, and the creatures are clearly bonded. You're not sure they are old enough to fully internalize the lessons on food choice, but  there are positive signs. The owlbear cub in particular seems to have a growing preference for cooked food. As always, the curiosity of the local populace remains high, leaving many observers for outdoor trainings sessions, but most are too cautious to approach.

*** Arna engages in a long and extended meeting with the People's Council, as Odis makes an impassioned plea for the pier at Blackstag, including some expressions of the preferential treatment of Northern Thornvale and Haveners compared to Southern Thornvale and Blackstag. That night, Arna arranges for a dinner with commoners and announces that Ardbeg has advanced from apprentice to journeyman stonemason after all of their joint efforts on the Armauk memorial. Over ales she also says that she is going to approach the Lords to suggest Ardbeg be made in charge of the eventual quarry site as well.

The next day Arna approaches the Lords with Odis. She recommends Ardbeg for management of the quarry site, and expresses her desire to return with Odis to Blackstag. She feels her skills could be better used in Blackstag and she is also closer to the ruins “Tar Greyforge” she has taken to calling it invoking the dwarven word for ‘stronghold’. Arna plans to return to Haven for council meetings, and emphasizes her desire to explore with the Lords still. She plans to repair the great door at Tar Greyforge and survey and map the area surrounding as well as she intends to winter there. She will also come if summoned by the Lords, and asks permission to inquire of Haveners desiring to join he to Blackstag or even Tar Greyforge.

Heading to Blackstag with Odis, Arna sets about seeking for some potential apprentices and workers. Unfortunately, pickings are slim, with many of the menfolk either too old or too young, and so many of the womenfolk busy with daily activities of hunting, cooking, and fishing. Worse yet, Arna overhears a quiet discussion among some of the hunter-women regarding areas of the Narlmarches to avoid, due to the growing presence of a heavy, acrid fog permeating the wood. ***

Karis spends many mornings working with his wyvern hatchling, developing a growing trust between them. The creature seems to have overcome some of its initial hesitancy from earlier, and now an attachment seems to be deepening with the Eldarin.

Approaching Tesh'lahi and Lady Garess, Karis opens discussions to offer them positions within his operations. Lady Garess politely refuses, though you sense a touch of noble superiority and perhaps a disdain for that line of work in the tone of her voice. She states that she has dedicated herself to traveling the roads of Thornvale, bringing Desna's aid and blessings to those who journey upon it, and wishes not to leave the country. Tesh'lahi, however, appears flattered, then excited at the opportunity, and accepts immediately. Calistria would favor this, don't you think? she asks. 

Travelling to Blackstag, Karis spends time watching and evaluating the villagers there. Most of the women seem very attached to community, and there is a growing effort among them to build back what they have lost with the death of their menfolk. However, one orphan child, a young lad of 8 or so, seems particularly adept at evading detection, sneaking food, dodging chores, and the like. 

Returning to Haven, Karis passes by Candlemere island, perhaps a little closer than usual. Nearing the shore, he once again sees faint lights flickering up near the rise and the tower ruins, and decides perhaps discretion is the better part of valor for now. 

*** Stonewalker spends bits of his time walking about town, offering to lend a hand fixing and repairing broken things. The commoners seems somewhat surprised, but accept the help nonetheless. In addition, the gnome creates numerous fliers advertising his search for apprentices, posting them everywhere about town and asking guards, traders, and innkeepers alike to distribute them. Some folk, particularly the guards, seem annoyed by the order to hand out fliers, but obey the newly appointed Lord nonetheless.  The fliers however, have their intended effect, and the gnome is soon overwhelmed by mothers bringing their children to be chosen as apprentice. A flood of younglings parades through Stonewalkers residence, and it quickly becomes apparent that none of these have any particular aptitude for much in the form of knowledge or wisdom. 

With a slight delay due to the flood of would-be child apprentices, Stonewalker convenes his first meeting of Thefina, Ardbeg, Quill, and Odis. The meeting is a cacophony of ideas and items Haven needs. Ardberg argues strongly for a proper quarry, stone defenses around the town, and the need for horses to transport such large amounts of stone. This leads to a discussion of the town not having a stable, nor a reliable source for trained, domesticated horses. Quill, for his part, is willing to shoe the supposed herd of horses, but comments that he needs to import iron and steel from Restov at the moment - a difficult task as shortages of such materials have recently left him working with scraps. In fact, he would need a proper forge to even begin to do that amount of work - something the town does not yet have. Furthermore, Quill laments the poor quality of the militia's weaponry and armor, and thinks something should be done about that as well, but not after a proper barracks has been established, and maybe even an armory and training grounds. He muses that perhaps the old Stag Lord's fort may be repurposed for this. Thefina points out that Haven has a solid supply of wood from the Corax timber site, but no school for its youth, no library for learning, no facility to craft ships for the lake ( and no skilled people to do it!).  Odis sighs, and falls into a mini-speech that appears to have been repeated many times - how Blackstag both feels disconnected and IS disconnected from the rest of the Kingdom, how it could benefit from the development of piers or docks to take advantage of opportunities on the lake, how he fears for it's defenses, slumping trade. He ends with a sarcastic chuckle - and how could I forget a drunk giant?

Though his conversations with various Havenites throughout the month, Stonewalker documents important locations around the region as told by the people living in town. This, in addition to the extensive work done to survey the region as well as annex portions of it into Thornvale proper, helps establish a comprehensive map of the area, though there is remarkably little interest among the commonfolk in the so-called Cartographic Society.

Near the end of the month, Stonewalker ventures out on a quick tour of the region, he stops by Madame Beldame's hut to drop off some small foodstuffs, joins Saryn for a quick visit to Melianse's grove, and stops over in Tiressia's grove to trade friendly greetings. Then, he heads up to the gold mine to speak with master Malum about his gold mine. The young fellow scowls at the return of the gnome, but is not surprised to hear of the claiming of the surrounding region into Thornvale. Malum states that he will pay his fair share of his taxes in exchange for being left alone to run his business.

The end of the month brings the successful return of the two annexing parties, replete with detailed maps of their respective areas.

Turn 15; Neth, 4711 AR

Petitions:

Arna and Odis petition the Lords to begin the construction of piers in Blackstag. 

Oleg and Grutzner petition the lords to allow Thornvale to once again celebrate the Night of the Seven Veils on the 23rd of Neth. 

A sealed envelope bearing the markings of Lord Megar Varn of Varnhold arrives, seeikng to discuss matters of extreme importance. The Lord Varn requests a meeting of Lords at the border pass as soon as possible, and cautions against the possibility of spies in Haven.

Edicts:

You may issue two (2) edicts for the month of Neth

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

The Kingdom of Thornvale: Rebuilding Haven

The month of Rova, 4711

Early in the month of Rova, after meeting with the People's council and discussing among themselves, the Lords of Thornvale issue two decrees: First, that all available resources be put towards rebuilding portions of Haven that were damaged or destroyed in the recent owlbear attack, and Second, that the kingdom should expand westward, towards a site of quality stone to be used as building material.

Once issued, the Lords set off to their own devices. Evrin spends the majority of the month taking a census of the folks around Haven, gathering details about them. A brief visit to the Sootscale Kobolds by Evrin to inquire about the so-called Ironskin Kobolds uncovers some information. Though not intimately knowledgeable about the Ironskins, Chief Sootscale indicates they live somewhere in the mountains southeast of Haven, and for some bizarre reason, many have wings. The Sootscales are not particularly on good terms with the Ironskins, mostly due to their obsession with and worship of Dahak, but the distance between the two tribes has thus far kept them from open conflict.

Saryn dedicates the month to acclimating the owlbear cub and the wyvern hatchling to the people of Haven ( and visa versa!). By months-end, the townsfolk have grown used to the Lord and his menagerie. The owlbear cub too, has become comfortable with his new master and all the humans. The wyvern hatchling, however, has found a near-permanent roost upon Saryn's shoulder.

A watchful eye around town reveals that very few of the towns immediate residents seem particularly suited for hands-on care of the young creatures. However, a number of the more transient hunters and woodsmen that wander in and out of town seem like they might be strong candidates; a few have dogs or ferret companions; one in particular walks with a wolf.

Saryn’s nightly performances near Svetlana's grove under the summer night soothe tired muscles, and the commoners seem to enjoy the Lords being back in Haven after many months of far-ranging travel. Indeed, Saryn realizes that many faces are new to him, and that the little village of a few dozen has grown substantially.

Karis, too, spends time with his wyvern hatchling, and while it slowly begins to recognize the elf, there seems a distance between them - something holding them apart. The creature seems to regard the warlock with a cool skepticism, though it happily accepts food offered. A few attempts to "play" with toy animals results in their destruction, and once shredded and recognized as non-edible, the remains are quickly discarded.

Observing some of the citizens, Karis quickly identifies several individuals with qualities he is looking for:  Tech'lahi, the elven huntress, certainly seems a patient and intelligent woodsman, and her refusal to 'settle' into Haven certainly seems to be in part some level of wanderlust. In addition he hears of Lady Arein Marie Garess’ recent departure from Haven to travel the lands of Thornvale, offering her aid where she can. Beyond that, there are many hunters and woodsfolk who wander in and out of Haven. They seem to perhaps 'fit the bill' for a refusal to be tied down. Their loyalty is largely unknown, but they may be useful from which to pull a number of individuals for 'grooming'.  No obvious individuals with any skill as a alchemist or apothecary pass through Haven, however.

Nightly meditations by Karis to connect with his patron and uncover more information on the Taldan Crypt reveal nothing but a dark Kamelands sky with the lights of Haven in the distance. In fact, the pull of the raven Queen has never felt more distant, as if the warlock were being snubbed. His mediations often leave him feeling restless and tired rather than refreshed. These recent changes seem in some part related to the disappearance of the previously-ever-present raven companion.

Stonewalker takes a quick visit to the Old Lady Beldame, in the swamps south of Haven, and despite his best efforts, isn't able to garner much response from her. After acknowledging his initial greeting with a rough You again?, the strange woman shutters herself in her hut leaving nothing but the clattering sounds of some unknown activity to fill the air. Returning to Haven, the gnome meets Evrin to discuss on military affairs, engages with Arna in matters of the People's council, and begins work on the long-promised clock.

Arna, unsurprisingly, tackles her work with the tenacity of a dwarf. She throws herself with gusto into helping the town rebuild, and garners much appreciation and praise from the commonfolk for her efforts. By mid- month, most of the folk are taking direction from the dwarf on what to do, and there seems to be a growing support for stronger, stone-based construction of town structures.

By mid-month, with most of the hardest work complete, Arna leaves town with Hoff and Ardbeg, returning to town several days later with some strange plants, a sapling, and a number of slabs of fine granite. The trio set to working near Svetlana's Grove, carving grand relief images of the Lord Armauk in several memorable moments of his life. The stonework is quite amazing, as Arna's skill comes to life. Joined late in the month by Jhod and Justynia, the townsfolk gather for a commemoration ceremony of the new memorial. Jhod's blessings and prayers grace the memorial, turning a small coachwood sapling into a grand, majestic and mature tree, and tiny fangberry shrubs spring to full bloom, growing as much in mere minutes as they would in a year.

The following morning, the town is amazed to see standing beside the memorial, a fully grown Whitetail buck, nuzzling the carvings of the fallen priest. The creature paces proudly around the stone relief, vocalizing loudly with grunts and bleats. Then, just as suddenly, the deer ran for the city wall, leaping over the 15 foot tall palisade in a single bound, and darting off into the hills. The sign was undeniable. We are blessed by Old Deadeye, muttered the commonfolk, and for weeks thereafter one could find fresh flowers placed daily in respect at the memorial.

By the end of the month, Haven looks to be nearly fully restored, save for some patches of dirt not yet grown over by grass. The new sections of the palisade appear strong, Havenhall patched and restored to its original self, and many new cottages dot the area around town.  In addition, small signs pop up around the popular destinations in town reading NEW TO THORNVALE? PLEASE CHECK IN WITH CEDRIN.

Also in the final week of the month, surveys return from east of town, claiming a job complete, and turning in their surveyor's maps.  Haven seems bustling with energy, as fall harvests start rolling in. 

Turn 14; Lamashan, 4711 AR

Petitions:

Cedrin the Steward informs the lords that a strange red kobold has been seen wandering around town. He is decidedly not a Sootscale or Ironskin, but has been hiring adventurers from the local Guild Hall. He does not seem to be causing trouble, but is an oddity attracting some attention from the commoners. 

Cedrin the Steward informs the Lords that  Roy and Latricia Rezbin have left Haven. 

Cedrin informs the Lords that several individuals have taken to daily prayer at the memorial site to Lord Armauk. 

Odis of Blackstag has sent a petition requesting use of the unused supply stockpile (retrieved from the dwarven ruin) to build a pier/docks. Many of the womenfolk have taken to fishing in Candlemere as a means to replace the hunting gains from their deceased menfolk, and such a structure would help keep the village alive. 

A missive from Corax Timber Co. reports sightings of a strange beast in the wood near the logging camp. Corax has stepped up patrols, but wanted to inquire if any similar sightings have been reported elsewhere in the wood.

Edicts:

You may issue two (2) edicts for the month of Lamashan

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

The Kingdom of Thornvale: Haven Census 4711

The month of Rova, 4711

The population of Haven in the summer of the year 4711 numbers over 200, with some interesting demographics:

Roughly four dozen(48) are original settlers of Haven or their kin. Their numbers have expanded somewhat from the original few dozen founding settlers due to some births and a number of relatives relocating to Haven since the spring. The vast majority of these commoners were laborers or simple farmers, with few having any martial training or expertise in any specific skill. At this point however, many of them help out at the various facilities around town ( the inn, the brewery, the trading post, Havenhall) taking on decidedly non-agrarian duties, and form the core of the volunteer militia around town.

An additional three dozen (36) seem to be survivors from the Garess expedition or their kin. After being rescued by the Lords of Thornvale, the vast majority have decided to settle here in Haven. Some have recuperated and gone on to sire children, and a few have sent for relations to join them in town. Most of these folk are commoners with experience traveling and on-the-road living. Very few have any combat experience at all, as nearly all of the skilled fighters from the expedition perished against the wyvern attack.

Roughly five dozen (60) seem to be the families who have settled into Haven after following relatives or husbands who are working some of the outlying areas. A little less than half seem to be related to laborers from the gold mine north of town, and the other forty percent are relations of the loggers working the Corax Timber Co site. A few are families of farmers working out on Bennett Plantation. The majority of these folk are women and children, with an occasional elderly parent, and primarily attend to domestic duties around the town.

Four dozen citizens (48) of Haven are perhaps less permanent residents, and more a smattering of wilderness trappers, hunters, furriers, and  explorers who utilize Haven as their home base for expeditions into the wilderness (primarily the Narlmarches). These are hardy folk, rugged and tough, and nearly all of them have some proficiency with blade or bow. Generally sheltering in town during winter, they freely come and go during the remainder of the year. Often swelling the town during feasts and festivals, their number dwindles during the rest of the month. Additionally, while none of these folk recall seeing any 'Taldan burial sites', most are knowledgeable of the many of the common landmarks in the region, such as the older ruins west of town near the Skunk River, the temple of the elk, the old elven ruin west of the Corax timber co, and the deserted home at the river crossing east of the old sycamore.

The remainder of Haven residents are the named, skilled residents of Haven, such as Oleg, Cedrin, Reva, and the like. ( see here for details  )

If included in the count, an additional dozen (12) are represented by Jubilost and his gnomish expedition, who have temporarily settled here in Haven as a 'home base' of sorts for their historical and archeological forays into the surrounding wilderness (primarily the Narlmarches). Though not presently in town, several hunters and trappers recall seeing him traveling into the Narlmarches southwest of the Corax Timber Co.

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

The Kingdom of Thornvale: Owlbear Attack!

The month of Arodus, 4711

Late summer settled in, and with it brought an uncomfortable heat wave. The restless villagers were thankful for the cool river waters, and often took to midday swims, but most toiled away under the oppressive heat. Little did they realize the threat that loomed to the south.

Early in the month, the Lords of Thornvale established two decrees: First they would expand northward, annexing the area along the Thorn river near the old rickety bridge into the kingdom. Lord Karis would dub the old rope-and-slatboard bridge Raven’s Crossing. Second, the Lords broke ground on the construction on the first Guild Hall of Haven:  Wanderers Sojourn.

Leaving the town, the Lords ventured south, seeking to find and assess rumors of a witch-woman living in the swampy lands west of the Tuskwater. Eventually, they stumbled upon a strange old woman living alone in a mud-hut. Madame, as they would call her, certainly appeared witch-like, decorating her home with all manner of strange wood-and-bone fetishes, though she seemed more interested in being left alone than anything else. Before leaving, the Lords were tasked with bringing her the heart of a giant, should they have time. 

From there, the Lords headed further west, seeking out an old Elven ruin. There, they were ambushed by several strange fey, including an angry witch-fey-woman isolated in the top of the ruin’s central tower. During the battle, she yelled obscenities at Saryn, and appeared hell-bent on slaying him, claiming he was ‘there on her behalf’ and other nonsense about ‘her imprisonment’. 

Returning to Haven with some small trophies of ancient elven art, they found Haven to be in shambles. Large sections of the palisade on the southeast side of town had been destroyed, and damage to a number of homes was immediately evident. Even Havenhall suffered significant damage. The townsfolk proclaimed that a gargantuan owlbear had charged into the town out of nowhere, smashing its way through the wall and buildings. Then, just as suddenly, it veered away, headed back southeast. 

The Lords quickly set off to follow the beast, tracking it to it’s lair and slaying it. There they discovered evidence of the involvement of some barbarian warriors, including one wearing a strange magical ring which allowed him to control beasts of this sort. 

The end of the month brought a reprieve from the heat. Good news returned as the surveyors completed their annexation of the lands north of Haven, and the christening of the new guildhall was completed. But with the damage done to Haven by the owlbear assault, the commoners kept a wary eye on the horizon.

Turn 13; Rova, 4711 AR

Petitions:

The council of commoners requests resources be put immediately to the repair and restoration of the damaged sections of Haven, including (but not limited to) the palisade, Havenhall, and several damaged/destroyed cottages.

Huntmistress Tesh’lahi reports that the two wyvern eggs have hatched, and recommends hiring a proper animal trainer to begin acclimating the beasts to humans and training them as mounts.

Huntmistress Tesh’lahi recommends finding or hiring a proper beastmaster to care of the new owlbear cub, lest he run rampant in town.

Cedrin the Steward informs you that it appears Jubilost the gnome has  left Haven. Though his wagon-tent remains, he and his  coterie of gnomes were last seen headed west. 

Odis of Blackstag has sent a petition informing the Lords of a recent encounter with Mungunk the giant near the village. They were able to divert the creature with several kegs of ale, but he is concerned that future encounters will not go well. 

Edicts:

You may issue two (2) edicts for the month of Rova

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

The Kingdom of Thornvale: Archerfeast

The month of Erastus, 4711

Erastus started with a celebration - Archerfeast! - and many of the commonfolk from all across Thornvale gathered in Haven to eat, hunt, shop, and enjoy the festivities. With the recent events surrounding trolls wandering the woods of the Narlmarches, and their defeat at Blackstag, the mood was as much relief as it was joy. 

Nole Lebeda was hailed as the best hunter, bringing back a great stag for the feast, while Tesh'lahi Aiwenor rýn won the archery competition of the day, and was crowned Protector of Thornvale. 

Soon after, the Lords of Thornvale set off north to investigate the rumors of a gold discovery, only to find a fully operating gold mine, run by a young entrepreneur, who seemed fairly resistant to a hostile takeover of his business.

From there, the lords ventured south, to the Lizardfolk village, where they discovered that the Lizardfolk King was aided by a great ancestral spirit who would defend the village in times of need. Interestingly, the spirit also urged the king to capture and keep the young lad Tyg, who had been returned to the people of Blackstag in the month prior. With Odis at their side, the group attempted to negotiate a truce between the lizardpeople and the human settlement to the south, but alas, no peace could be found. A skirmish broke out, where the tribe was decimated, the king slain, and the spirit banished. 

A trip east of Blackstag to investigate rumors of a giant proved true, and the Lords encountered a mostly-drunk hill giant named Mungunk, who had “found” a wagonload of various alcoholic beverages and chose to enjoy himself. With that supply gone, the inebriated giant made a plea to the little people to find him some more. 

Upon returning home, the completion of the first Inn in Haven was marked with a grand-opening party, 

Turn 12; Arodus, 4711 AR

Petitions:

With the citizenry of Thornvale relieved from the recent defeat of the Troll-King Hargulka and content from the kingdom-sponsored Archerfeast celebration, they have no demands of the Lords of Thornvale this month.

The arrival of the recovered supplies from the ancient Dwarven ruin will grant advantage on the next edict issued in or around the village of Blackstag. 

Edicts:

You may issue two (2) edicts for the month of Arodus

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

Legends and Lore: Taldor

Knights, fair maidens, heroic adventures, and righteous quests—these are the legends of old Taldor. But the once-powerful empire has fallen from its former glory. Now rival nobles battle each other with bitter knights and proxy armies for personal power rather than honor. A smoldering truce with Qadira again threatens to ignite into war, and Taldor's daughter states look down upon her with contempt.

The Empire of Taldor once stretched from the Windswept Wastes on the edge of Casmaron in the east all the way across Avistan to the shores of the Arcadian Ocean in the west. By today's standards, the Empire of Taldor was enormous, incorporating land that today falls within the nations of Galt, Andoran, Isger, Molthune, Cheliax, Nirmathas, The River Kingdoms, and Lastwall. Since that heyday in the first half of the Age of Enthronement, it has suffered numerous defeats and setbacks, yet still controls the oldest and largest territories in the Inner Sea region.

Many millennia ago, Taldaris, a young military leader from what is now the city of Oppara, rose to power. Using his tactical prowess, superior forces, and uncanny luck, Taldaris then led his people to conquor many of the city-states along the inner sea to create the foundling kingdom from which the mighty Taldor grew, officially becoming thge Kingdom of Taldor in -1281 AR.

From there, nearly a millennia of slow growth sustained the small Kingdom, until a surge of expansion and a series of wars of conquest marked the era known as the Golden Age of Taldor. Starting in 37AR with an outpouring of explorers, diplomats, scholars, soldiers, and adventurers known as the First Army of Exploration, Taldan grew and absorbed lands they bordered. Over the course of the next 2000 years, this expansion continued with the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Armies of exploration - absorbing, conquering, and settling the lands now known as the River Kingdoms, Razmiran, Molthuine, Nirmathas, Galt, and Numeria.The Last Great Army of Exploration came in 3007AR, expanding into modern-day Cheliax.  By the beginning of the fourth millennium AR, the Empire of Taldor dominated the Inner Sea region, controlling all of the northern shores of the Inner Sea. Its government soon bloated to the point where its byzantine bureaucracy numbered in the tens of thousands, and its territory was too large to control. Corruption spread throughout the government, and its ruling class became more interested in pursuing their decadent pleasures than good governance. Responding to this growing indifference, those furthest from the capital city of Oppara began to revolt. Taldor's military responded with brute force to quell these uprisings, leading to further discontent and unrest. 

The next millenium would be marked by a slow decline as the kingdom battled numeros revolts for independance, power struggles, religious upheval, and a 5-century long war with Qadria. Such was the deterioration, that it was during this time that many of the current nations split off from the empire - Andoran, Galt, Isgher, and Cheliax secceded in a violent rebelloin lef by King aspix the Even-Tongued. Lastwall broke off to focus on the containment of the Whispering Tyrant, and much of the River Kingdoms fell to be dominated by small, regional warlord-kings.  

In 4606, Taldor, already a shadow of it's former glory, launched the Final Army of Exploration. They set sail east , seeking new lands with which to revitalize the nation. A few years later, they landed in northern Shenmen on the continent of Tian Xia, founding the city of New Oppara.

Today, Taldor is ruled by the Grand Prince, Stavian III. A decadent noble class and a bloated beurocratic senate focused on petty infighting over minor power gains keep the kiingdom from rising in stature. Greed is a way of life. 

But underneath the infighting, backstabbing, and politics lie the strong foundations of a once-great nation. Sons and daughters of forgotten royal bloodlines hear change on the wind—but is it the whisper of greatness to come, or the death rattle of an empire long past its prime?

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

Kingmaker: Houserules

This will serve as a collection for all custom houserules used in the Kingmaker campaign, and will be updated periodically as content is introduced or changes. Be sure to check back from time to time!

Variant Rules In Effect

Gritty Realism: We will be playing with a modified version of the Gritty Realism variant available in the DMG. 

A Long Rest takes 8 hours, but may only be taken when the characters are in a reasonably civilized location offering shelter, food, and protection from the elements. Access to study materials, prayer, the ability to replenish spellcasting components, repair armor and equipment, and a secure location not under threat of attack are all required.  An established basecamp, or fort, city, town, or village all qualify as valid locations for a long rest. Notably, camping overnight in the wilderness does not qualify. A Short Rest also takes 8 hours, and may take place anywhere the players are able to relax, sleep, eat, or meditate. 

Lingering Injuries: Any character reduced to 0 HP also gains one point of exhaustion. 

Wealth System 

There was a system I saw where your wealth was represented by a die. The larger the die, the more wealth you had. This will replace the coin-counting that is standard for the 5e system.

You could 'afford' anything that fell into die categories smaller than yours without doing anything, or having it affect your wealth level. Similarly, you just couldn't afford things that were in larger-die-categories, as they were just too expensive.

If you wanted to buy something that fell into your die category, then you would roll. Rolling a 1 meant it consumed a portion of your wealth, and you would drop a die size. Otherwise, you're good, and nothing changes. Similarly, finding treasure that possibly could alter your wealth would result in a dice roll. Rolling the maximum value for that die would result in increasing a die size. Otherwise, nothing changes. 

This system does a couple things: First, it eliminates bookkeeping for the player and more so for the GM. Second, it results in a decrease of trivial wealth rolls over time, only making rolls happen when they matter. Third, it emulates a stability of wealth as people get richer.

1d4 - your primary currency is copper. (1/100 gp) 

1d6 - your primary currency is silver. (1/10 gp) 

1d8 - your primary currency is gold. (1 gp) 

1d10 - your primary currency is 100s of gold pieces (100gp) 

1d12 - your primary currency is platinum (1000gp) 

1d20 - you are very wealthy, and can try and purchase anything. 

Some examples: A player with a wealth of 1d8 walks into a market. He skips the armorer's booth, since buying plate mail (1500gp) is just too expensive. He grabs a couple loaves of bread ( silver- 1d6 wealth tier, so no roll) to much on, then decides to go buy a new longsword (15gp). The GM calls for a wealth roll when buying the longsword, since it stresses the player's savings. The player rolls a 4 - no problem! He buys the sword and keeps his 1d8 wealth. If the player had rolled a 1, then he still would have bought the sword, but doing so would have used much of his wealth, causing him to drop to a 1d6. 

Minor Milestones

Occasionally, as the result of play, players will complete an objective or quest which merits a reward, but does not qualify for a Major Milestone (a PC level). These minor milestones are opportunities for the players to help shape the direction of the world, and will allow players to select improvements to NPCs in the game, making them more powerful, skilled, or knowledgeable, and therefore more valuable to the party as a whole. 

When granted a minor milestone, players may choose one NPC and apply one of the following improvements:

The NPC gains proficiency in a skill or tool they did not have before.

The NPC gains Expertise in a skill for which they already had proficiency. 

An NPC may not be an expert in more than one skill.

The NPC gains proficiency in a weapon (e.g. glaive) or armor ( e.g. chain shirt) they did not have before.

The NPC learns one new spell. 

The NPC must already be able to cast spells, and have spell slots available for the spell selected.

The NPC chosen must consider the party as friends or allies, (neutral parties do not qualify), and the improvement selected should maintain consistency with the NPC in the narrative. ( e.g. merchants don’t suddenly become archmagi. ) At minimum, the improvement selected must not contradict established canon.

Custom Character Backgrounds

Former Stag Lord Bandit

At one point in your sordid past, you ran with the notorious Stag Lord, who had commanded loyalty from all the denizens of the Stolen Land. Tough and rugged, there’s not much that makes you flinch. After the Stag Lord’s defeat by the Lords of Thornvale, you realized that banditry would likely lead to your early demise, so you set off for better opportunities. 

As the Criminal background, plus

Bandit Gang: A number of your former gang members have followed you on this quest. You gain a number of bandit followers ( CR 1/8 Bandit NPC statblock) equal to twice your charisma score (minimum, 2) .  In addition, you gain 1 lieutenant ( CR 1/2 Thug NPC statblock). These followers will not gain experience in the traditional sense, but certain events in the game may increase their powers or abilities.

Blackstag Survivor / Verdant Vanguard

You are a survivor of the horrific battle at Blackstag where the troll-king Hargulka was defeated. You saw firsthand how the viciousness of the wild trolls tore your friends and neighbors apart, as well as the heroic deeds performed by the Lords of Thornvale as they defended your village. This left an undeniable mark on you, and you swore to defend Thornvale with your life from that point forward.In doing so, you have banded together with others of like mind, forming the Verdant Vanguard. 

As the  Knight of the Order (The Verdant Vanguard) background, plus

You gain a modified version of the  Ranger ability Natural Explorer, which applies to all terrain types, but only within the borders of the Kingdom of Thornvale.   

Sootscale Kobold

You are a proud Sootscale Kobold, forever thankful to the Lords of Thornvale for their aid during the Great Mite War. Unlike most of your tribe, you feel trapped by the confining tunnels of your cave, and do not fear the sunlight. Inspired by the tales of Mikmek and Nakpik, you seek greater adventure out in the Stolen Lands. 

Must be a Kobold

As the  Acolyte(Kobold dragon-deities of Aspu and Dahak) background, plus

Sunlight Adaptation. You do not suffer the negative effects of Sunlight Sensitivity like your kin.

Pilgrim of Erastil

You have heard the wonderous tales of the discovery of the ancient Temple of the Elk, and have come to see the ruins with your own eyes. Among the faithful, word has spread across the region and you come from a faraway land, seeing to honor the Stag God with your journey.

Must be a follower of Erastil.

As the Far Traveler background, plus

TBD

Brevic Refugee

At first, the skirmishes were far off, and small. Clashes between the King’s loyalists and the Rostlandic secessionists grew more and more common until finally, they swept through your village. Narrowly escaping with your life, the soldiers destroyed everything they couldn’t take for themselves. Now, growing tensions threaten outright war, and Brevoy isn’t safe for anyone. Heading south, you can hardly believe that you’re fleeing to the Stolen Land of all places... 

As the Folk Hero background, plus

Hearty Stock: You gain the Tough feat as a bonus feat.

Greyforge Dwarf

Coming Soon....

Must be a Dwarf

TBD

Varnhold Settler

Coming Soon....

Must be a Dwarf

TBD

[kingmaker-thac0hno]

The Kingdom of Thornvale: Death of a Troll King

Sarenith 10th-18th, 4711

The Lords of Thornvale returned to their kingdom to reunite with Karis, bolstering their strength for what they anticipated would be dangerous days ahead. Saryn, riding upon his griffin, flew about the kingdom to warn everyone of the growing troll threat - even going out of his way to visit the small village of Simpleton. 

Upon arriving in Haven, Saryn is met with a vigorous crowd listening to a well-dressed man speaking ill of the lords. The agitator, a  gentleman named Grigori, freely stretches the truth and throws wild accusations at the Lords, stirring up the commoners and winning more than a few to his viewpoint.  Cedrin the steward informs Saryn that Grigori has been in town since the beginning of the month, causing such trouble. While Saryn attempts to speak with the stranger, he discovers little, and instead departs town seeking to deal with the growing troll threat. 

Reunited, the Lords head south, back to the troll lair they discovered earlier. Entering the old dwarven ruins, they find many slain humanoids - mostly humans, but elves, gnomes, and halfings as well. All the corpses appear to have been decapitated, and the bodies mauled and shredded; some even have been eaten.

Deep in the cave, they discover evidence that a kobold has been living here with the trolls, and after dispatching a single two-headed troll, the group finds the rest of the lair empty. 

Fearing the worst, the group follows numerous troll tracks northeast, to a small lizardfolk village nestled on an island in the Murquee River. There, they realize that the Trolls have called upon their lizardfolk allies to bolster their numbers, and that the large warparty recently departed southeast - headed right for the village of Simpleton.  Just before departing, however, the Lords hear the wail of a child! Karis, ever the stealthy one, swims and flies into the camp, investigating a dilapidated mud hut at the edge of the village. There, he discovers a small human lad, captive in a cage of reeds and mud. Upon freeing him, the pair are confronted with a ghostly bluish light in the shape of an old lizardfolk warrior! Karis, with the boy in tow, flees quickly, and the group leaves the growing commotion in the village behind.  Saryn, seeking to reunite the lad with his family, discovers that the boy is Tyg - the missing child form Simpleton who was lost months ago! Realizing they could not fight trolls with a child accompanying them, Saryn flies off to Simpleton, hoping to return Tyg to his family.  On the way, however, he spots the Troll warband on the shores of Candlemere, heading toward the human village. Hargulka, accompanied by several trolls, a party of lizardfolk warriers, and Tartuk, the purple kobold seemed bent on destroying the humans they considered a threat. Saryn helps Odis prepare the village for the upcoming battle, while the rest of the Lords march through the night towards the upcoming battle. As dawn broke on the 14th of Sarenith, the three forces collided! The battle, lasting mere minutes, resulted in the Lords being victorious, but losing one of their own - Armauk Blackstag fell during the battle to the vicious blows of a troll. Sadly, many of the warriors from Simpleton perished as well, taking the brunt of the initial assault. But Hargulka was defeated, his body burnt and lifeless; the troll uprising broken.

The villagers of Simpleton, tangibly aware of their vulnerability in this dangerous land and immensely grateful for the heroic actions of the Lords of Thornvale, decide that evening to rename their village Blackstag, to honor the fallen lord. They also ask to join forces, becoming a part of the fledgling kingdom to better protect all against the threats of the land. The Lords graciously accept. 

Soon after, the Lords visit the Sootscale Tribe, delivering the head of Tartuk the Betrayer to the Chief, as promised. The Chief stays true to his word, and unites the tribe of kobolds with the kingdom of Thornvale, and is granted the title of Lord himself.  From there, the Lords deliver the body of Armauk to the Temple of the Elk, and his brothers in worship. Jhod and Justynia, both saddened to recieve such news, prepare a simple yet touching burial for the brave priest of Erastil, laying him to rest in a nearby clearing.  Gloritil Greyforge promises to carve a fine headstone bearing tribute to the servant of the Stag God.

Turn 11; Sarenith, 4711 AR (repost)

Petitions:

Cedrin the Steward reports that the Lords just missed the arrival of the Justynia, the paladin of Erastil, who had come delivering a letter from Jhod the priest to the Lords.

Upon arrival, Saryn notices the audacious speeches given by a rabble-rousing stranger. Cedrin the Steward informs him that the man - known as Grigori - has been here for several days riling up the townsfolk with stories of how the Lords have been failing in their responsibilities to the people of Thornvale, and attempts to silence him peacefully have failed.

Cedrin introduces Roy and Latricia Rezbin, two refugees fleeing the rising danger in Brevoy, seeking to begin anew. They claim to have scouted an area in the Narlmarches and desire to establish a homestead there. They are petitioning the Lords of Thornvale for aid and assistance in starting their settlement.

Gold Rush! The Council of Commoners reports a flood of new visitors in Haven; prospecting parties and the kind that follow them. These groups have been scouring the Kamelands north and east of the town, seeking more of the gold discovered earlier in the month. Several clashes have gotten violent. The Council recommends finding and securing the site before the problems grow.

Cedrin the Steward reports trade with Varnhold has exploded recently, With overflowing harvests of fangberries and moon radishes, Herr Brasse has been working nonstop making his famous drinks, which have been selling like wildfire to merchants and woodsmen alike. With this influx of trade and people joining haven from the Garess expedition, it may be time to think about expanding the village and adding an inn and other amenities.

Edicts:

You may issue one edict for the month of Sarenith