The Penitent's Tale - Part 2

A man in a coat and hat is dragging a reluctant woman in a Sunday dress down the length of the hall. The woodcarver stands up and removes his leather apron, revealing a shirt of chain links and an intricately carved wooden pendant in the shape of a bow and arrow. His smile at the sight of the woman turns to a frown at the gentleman at her side. Others look up from their work at similar tables to watch the well-dressed couple breeze past them

“You!”, roars the gentleman. “You did this to my Rosilla!”

The woman is pulled up short by her arm - the disarray of her raven hair and flush of her full cheeks seeming only to enhance her beauty. Her big blue eyes land on the woodcarver with a mischievous look.

Rosilla: “No! Don’t let him near me! He threatens everything!”

Woodcarver: “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Gentleman: “Have no fear, my dear. I won’t let him anywhere near you.” Turning to the woodcarver, the gentleman pulls off a leather glove, one finger at a time - then flings it directly in his face.

“Akiros Ismort - you have violated the virtue of my wife and I demand justice!”, he bellows.

The woodcarver’s jaw drops.

The Penitent's Tale - Part 1

An eagle descends out of a sunrise. In the morning light, the shadow of the Black Cliffs stretches long over the Mighty Porthmos. Below pass the majestic villas and once-golden spires of Oppara - the Gilded City.

The eagle sails beyond the bustle and din of the city and travels out, out over a pastoral countryside. The streets of the city are replaced with cultivated fields, livestock, and hedgerows. A village catches the bird’s eye - covered in cobbled roads, fresh paint, and people in well-mended clothes. A churchbell rings and the smell of the morning baking is on the air. Dipping to avoid the lazy stroke of a windmill, the eagle lands on a branch outside a long hall and peers inside.

A sturdy man sits at a worktable with a simple knife in hand. His brow furrowed over piercing gray eyes in concentration, he shapes a wooden rod.

One stroke, two stroke - turn. One stroke, two stroke - turn. One stroke, two stroke - turn.

His hands stop. He nods in approval and blows sawdust from the rod. Bending down he affixes it to the side of a cradle and reaches for another piece of wood. A hanging woodblock carving of a man in hunting garb watches over him as he toils.

There is a bang and a gust of wind as the door at the end of the hall flies open. Startled, the man draws blood with the knife and utters a low curse.

Construction Begins

Leadership Roles

What, you may be asking yourself, are these titles for this fledgling kingdom we are being asked to fill in the Kingmaker Player's Guide? Allow me to elucidate.

Ruler
The ruler is the primary leader of the kingdom. His current title is Baron (or Baroness).

Councillor

The councillor ensures the will of the citizenry is represented.

General

The general commands the kingdom's armies and is a public hero.

Grand Diplomat

The grand diplomat oversees international relations.

High Priest

The high priest guides the kingdom's religious needs and growth.

Magister

The magister guides a kingdom's higher learning and magic.

Marshal

The marshal leads the kingdom's defence and city guards.

Royal Assassin

The royal assassin can serve as a public executioner, a headsman, or a shadowy assassin.

Spymaster

The spymaster observers the kingdom's underworld and criminal elements and spies on other kingdoms.

Treasurer

The treasurer organizes tax collection, and manages the treasury.

Warden

The warden helps organize patrols and enforces justice in rural and wilderness regions.

Chapter 8 Experience Rewards

All characters receive the following experience rewards for Chapter 8:

400 xp for returning to Kesten Garess with word of the demise of Falgrim Sneeg
400 xp for ending the Stag Lord's reign and therefore the bandit threat
1,600 bonus xp for successfully completing Kingmaker Adventure Path #1 - Stolen Land

In addition, Anatalia, Maladan and Blaidd receive the following experience rewards:

1,200 xp for dealing with Nugrah the Decrepit


That's 480 xp for Jonah and Aeric, 880 xp for the rest of the PCs. Except for Maladan, whose player earned him another 400 xp roleplaying bonus for navigating some tricky moments with his character. Good job!


In addition to this, substantial wealth can be recovered in the remains of the Stag Lord's Fort. This pales in comparison, however, with the potential to be found in a little piece of paper that just arrived from Restov....

... a new charter.

The Stag Lord Attacks!

Chapter 7 Experience Rewards

All characters receive the following experience rewards for Chapter 7:

2,400 xp for defending yourselves against the mindless zombies outside the fort

945 xp for dealing with the bandits in the fort, including the poachers that killed Kasimir

600 xp for chasing off (or killing?) Dovan

1,200 xp for defeating Beaky the Owlbear

600 xp for preventing Auchs from crushing Jonah's skull

800 xp for talking Akiros out of his blood rage

2,400 xp for defeating the Stag Lord and ending his reign of terror

Total: 1,789 xp each

Larry earns a bonus hero point for going balls to the wall on RP

Jeremy earns a hero point for solving gate dilemmas in a most awesome fashion

If you have enough xp to hit level 4, don't level your character quite yet. We're not quite done with the stag lord's fort...