Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

[BluesEclipse]

"Such a waste," Korlann mutters to himself, before looking up towards the others. "It seems your thoughts were correct, Ruk... in a sense, anyway. Tartuk was not born a kobold, but was reincarnated as such. He left a journal behind, it seems," he gestures with the book as he speaks. "His new form displeased him, and it seems he elected to spend his time insinuating himself into various kobold tribes and engineering their destruction from within. The idol, ironically, was nothing more than a statue, and a tool used for his manipulations." He slips the journal into a pocket, before turning his attention to the Company's resident artificer. "Have you found a scroll among all this, by chance, Three of Three? According to the journal, Tartuk had one, with a spell of flight inscribed upon it, that he kept available for when he tired of his life and the constant deceptions."

[almondsAndRain]

“Among a handful of other valuables, yes.” Three pulled it out of her scrollcase - she wasn’t claiming it for her own, but that was the safest place she had for it until the Company returned to her wagon - and held it at eye level. “It’s a powerful spell in the correct circumstances, but... I daresay that suicide is not one of those. I also found an impressively crafted, if non-magical, shield; nearly eighteen-hundred gold; a pair of Boots of Elvenkind, to aid in scouting -” Three’s hand moved from her scrolls to her new quiver, carefully placed directly behind her original. “- and a handful of Flaming bolts. I’ll be requisitioning those myself, barring any complaints.”

Kuros’ change in demeanor caught Three’s attention - she didn’t know what was bothering her large friend, but it was worth investigating. After the business with the items had finished, she offered one of the recently seized gold coins to the man in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Emmerock mint for your thoughts, Kuros?”

[bcool999]

Kuros gives a small smile at Three's attempt at levity he reaches out with one hand and pushes the coin back to Three, while his other hands remain polishing his Greatcleaver, and says, "Keep it for the party split later."

After looking around for a moment and seeing that they are somewhat alone, Kuros continues speaking with Three, "I... failed again. To maintain my mental defenses I mean. Just like with the Gremlins and their projected fear. There was no reason to the fear, but I suppose magic requires little in the way of common sense. This time... I even knew that mind magics were in play when the kobolds turned sides, but I still succumbed and doubted myself. The thing that really gives me pause Three is what if Tartuk had switched his spells? What if I was the one turned against the party and the kobolds merely charmed?"

Kuros looks down at the work in his hands and continues to clean his blade, even though the bloodstain from slashing at Tartuk has already been washed away.

[almondsAndRain]

Three understood Kuros’ concern perfectly - she couldn’t say definitively if the Company could survive if he was controlled by an enemy, let alone stop him. The musk creeper, the gremlins, Tartuk… they’re all painting an ugly picture. If an enemy ever caught wind of this weakness and chose to exploit it… well, it’s best not to let that happen.

She spoke to Kuros: “I understand your worry. You’re our strongest, and you’ve done an admirable job in defending us.” Three’s hand gestured throughout the chamber, where the other members of the Company were still congregated, “But we are a diverse lot, with a more diverse set of talents. We'll find a way to defend your mind. I can’t say if it will be through specialized training, or a spell cast in preparation for battle, or an item, or something else entirely, -” Three’s finger tapped Kuros’ sword once, punctuating her point as she spoke. “But I can say that you won’t find the answer in the blade of your weapon, no matter clean it gets. I suggest trying to put your mind on something else, I've heard focusing on a recent wound only makes it feel worse."

[bcool999]

Kuros grunts before nodding and sheathing his weapons (keeping his shield ready just in case). "Thanks Three." Kuros says before rejoining the rest of the group and asking, "So we gathered everything here? What next? Have the Kobolds pack everything up and move in at Olegs? Or let them remain living here with their bare bones numbers? Either way, we should head back to Oleg's and divide up our spoils and return Svetlana's ring."

[BluesEclipse]

Korlann nods, and says, "It would certainly be safer for them to join us at Oleg's, but they may not wish to abandon their home here. I would speak with the chieftain and see what he wishes for his people, and see how we can best help one another. But certainly, once we have finished with that, we would be wise to return to the trading post."

[Saintheart]

High Noon, The Sootscale Caverns, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-second of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice 5 of 6

While the discussion continued, Dergosh was looking around, having lost interest in the conversation. So it was perhaps fate that caused him to shift his foot and accidentally turn over an animal skull.

Curious that nobody had seen it. Of the more intelligent parts of Dergosh's brain noted that it was pretty positive Kuros and possibly Akara had looked over this precise part of the cave and hadn't seen it. The skull, sitting unobtrusively in this corner of the cave, wasn't a skull at all. Oh, it had the look of a wolf skull, certainly. And a fairly grubby one at that. But no wolf skull (at least none that Dergosh had ever encountered) had a metal cap fixed inside it to make it useable as headwear. And, now that Dergosh was looking at it, even the few unoccupied neurons of his mind had to wonder how a wolf skull of this sheer size had been overlooked. The dire wolf they'd fought last night might have had a slightly larger head than this creature's, and yet in their search of the cavern the whole Company (including Dergosh) had missed it. And still, here it was: a wolf skull which appeared to be built around a helm, such that its wearer would have the look of having their head halfway into a wolf's jaws. Whoever had created the thing also seemed to have given thought to a neck-warmer; the back of the helm still trailed a rag-length piece of wolf fur, which would probably do nicely to keep the cold off one's neck when the wind was behind you.

[jdizzlean]

having finished pawing through her collected goodies, and handing them over to Three for safekeeping, she overheard her companions.

"oleg's? what's that? "

[BluesEclipse]

"Oleg's Trading Post sits on the edge of the Greenbelt, and is where we have been basing ourselves out of for the time being," Korlann replies to Akara's question. "Oleg and his wife were in the past troubled by the Stag Lord's men, though we dealt with the most immediate threats to them early in our time here. The ring we recovered from the gremlins is the wedding band of Oleg's wife, Svetlana."

[Saintheart]

High Noon, The Sootscale Caverns, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-second of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice 5 of 6

Having concluded their search of Tartuk's cavern, the Company turned and stumbled its way back to the central chamber of the Sootscale caverns. Ruk and Eral were familiar enough with the basic layout of a kobold cavern to lead the party back slowly, avoiding one or two traps that had been left along the way.

The Chieftain was back in the cavern of bones once more, alone. He scrambled to his feet, bowing respectfully now to Ruk and with an even deeper bow to Eral once he realised what the floating dragon-spirit was. Straightening again, though, feathers on his headdress moving in an unseen wind, he addressed Ruk, in Draconic:

Spoiler: Draconic

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"I thank you once more for your salvation of all of us, Blessed One. With the horrors that the accursed usurper unleashed I do not think we could have overcome Tartuk alone. You have helped me free us of one curse and then ended the curse of another - you and all your servants.

"I do not have great words for glittering speeches, Blessed One. I will come to the point. We have been saved an inch from extinction. There are but seven of us who remain. And the clan has long gone without proper guidance from a servant of She Who Breathes and Kurtulmak Steelscale. Surely the war with the blue scum is over, but we will still need all the help of our gods to restore our family, our home, to a place where we can be secure again. But we are also not a rich or powerful clan. We have no dragon watching over us, no treasures to bargain with. We will need a kobold of power to speak to the gods for us and guide us further. Tartuk may have been an accursed usurping swine shaman, but he was a shaman nonetheless. We need another. I am begging you to stay and be ours. To join the Sootscale Clan. To guide us and lead us, if we must, because my foolishness is on display from the downfallen state this clan is in, and I cannot make the decisions we will surely need to make into the future.

"I am asking this because you are alone and I think have no clan. I am no great seer into kobolds' minds, but it is rare a Blessed One is found in company of ... not-kobolds, and even if they are useful, I could not countenance your servants within this cave. They have the treasures of the accursed usurper, and to ... hasten their departure I can provide another gift - a recent one, a wanderer we captured and whom Tartuk was about to sacrifice to placate the demon in the statue, a traveller who might be of interest to them.

"I do not ask lightly. I know I ask much. But I ask nonetheless. Stay, Blessed One. Be our guide, our voice to She Who Breathes."

[Mercurion 2]

Dergosh hummed tunelessly, though somehow still offkey, a sound not dissimilar to the honking of a large walrus, as he poked around the cavern while waiting for the others to sort through the Wolftooth’s new loot. He was pleased that their business here had been blissfully brief, only regretting that he hadn’t even had the opportunity to bloody his mace. Still, they had dealt with…well, some sort of kobold-gnome creature (the details were both unclear and unimportant to Dergosh) and now Ruk was Big Chief of Sootscales (Wolftoothscales? Rukscales?) and soon, he had already determined, they would be toiling away in some soon-to-be-discovered diamond mine, or ivory mine.

“Ruk,” Dergosh called again as he worked his way behind the frame lining the wall, “don’t forget to ask new subjects where gold mine—” The half-orc stopped as his foot kicked something half covered with loose dirt wedged behind one of the corner poles holding the frame. A very large, dirty white canine tooth suddenly held his rapt attention. He reached down and dislodged the item, shaking off a rain of loose dirt and debris, and holding it up at eye level.

His eyes widened and his mouth fell open synchronously. Oh my. The teeth! The skull! And more teeth! And fur!

It was perfect.

With a mixture of glee and reverence, Dergosh slowly lowered the wolf helm over his head with his two meaty hands. As the coif settled on his head, the canine teeth slid down to kiss both of his cheeks while the rest of the teeth lined his forehead and boxy chin, the fur splaying out over his neck and shoulders.

Dergosh stepped back out from behind the frame, a feral, dangerous grin beaming out from behind the wolf teeth.

“Ready..to kill..Stag Lord…now,” he slowly said.

[Zombulian]

Ruk listened to the chieftains words, purpose welling up inside him. When the chief finished, Ruk took one hand and rubbed the red paint away from his face, revealing the black scales mottling his otherwise orange-beige skin.

Spoiler: Draconic

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Indeed, chieftain, I do not think that we have come upon each other by chance. I am in these lands at the behest of the five-headed, and I do believe that our meeting was fated - as early as my own birth. I was not born Sootscale, but I would be overjoyed to join you.

After clasping his hand on the chieftain’s shoulder, Ruk made his way to the party.
“My friends... I think... I think I need to stay. I believe it is my destiny.”

[Mercurion 2]

The lopsided grin evaporated from Dergosh’s face, replaced by his more standard baleful glare. He resettled the new wolf skull helmet on his big head and glanced up at the cave ceiling as if checking the position of the sun.

“We stay one night,” he allowed. “Have big party to celebrate new Big Chief Ruk, make all little Snootscales kiss Ruk’s—ring. Then tomorrow we go kill Stag Lord.”

[BluesEclipse]

Korlann's expression is solemn, but understanding, as he looks at Ruk. "I understand, my friend - the Sootscale need someone to guide them, and you are best poised to do so." He sighs, before continuing, "It will be a shame to move forward without you, but we all have the duty of standing as an example for others, and I know that you'll do well to bring this clan back to what they once were. Remember this, however, Ruk - Shaman of the Sootscale - though you may follow a different path from us, you are still Wolftooth. You are still, and always will be, one of us." The last is said with a quiet, respectful smile towards his departing comrade. "I will ask that you keep in touch with us via the trading post, however," he continues, "as it is as much to the benefit of your clan as it is to ourselves if we bring the Greenbelt to prosperity."

At Dergosh's declaration, he then looks up towards the orc. "Yes, I do believe that a celebration for our friend would be in order - though our first order of business tomorrow will be to head back to Oleg's. We have something he'd very much like to have returned, after all, and I'd prefer not to leave that business unfinished when we do go after the Stag Lord."

[bcool999]

Hearing Ruk was leaving them, Kuros was saddened. Despite their differing religious views, Ruk being a vocal proponent for Tiamat while Kuros sends his prayers to Bahamut, they were still allies and companions. Seeing that they would be staying the night for an early march back to Oleg's in the morning, Kuros says, "If we are to be feasting we shall need food. Let me range about for the afternoon and see what I can find."

Spoiler: OOC

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Let's try a survival check!: (1d20+12)[31]

[jdizzlean]

Waiting for the rest of the Company to finish moping about, Akara heads over to lead Ruk off into the corner to chat.

Having grown up in a noble House, Akara takes a few hours to pour over what is expected of Ruk now that he is to be a Ruler of sorts, filling the young kobold's head with all manner of things that he'll have to tend to in his new position. Then, with a clasping of arms, she heads off to find somewhere marginally comfortable to sleep the rest of the evening.

[Saintheart]

Morning, The Sootscale Caverns, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-third of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice: 2 of 6

A new day brought new revelations.

The previous night had gone surprisingly well. The first surprise had been that while the area around the caverns was relatively free of dangerous monsters, it was also solid for game. Kuros brought down two good-sized deer in the space of about half an hour out in the wild, and returned with one across each shoulder.

The deer made for a fine feast that evening, even if the Sootscales had politely asked that most of the Company withdraw from their caverns (bar, of course, their new shaman, who had taken his farewells late that night after talking with Akara for what seemed hours.) The Company banked their cookfires outside the caves and enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep on the kobolds' front door.

The first revelation of the morning was less pleasant. It turned out that while the Company was off resolving a kobold civil war and otherwise installing Ruk as a de facto leader of the Sootscale Clan and finally sleeping off a good meal, rats and mice endemic to the area had taken the opportunity to make their own meal of things. The Company's trail rations had been comprehensively decimated. Their waterskins were all intact, but their rations had been seriously depleted. Somewhere, there were very fat rats congratulating themselves on their good fortune.

The second revelation of the morning was not quite so disheartening. Ruk and the remaining kobolds emerged from the caverns, but this time not alone. Led by them, and released with an efficient cut of the bonds holding him, was a tallish, green-skinned humanoid who was not a giant, but oozed the race's features and look from every pore ... as if he were somehow a miniaturised, ultimate version of a giant, with the sort of cultured look that a giant could never achieve.

Three at least recognised the species from an obscure corner of her files: Primordial Eneko, a rare race indeed on the face of Faerun, one uncommon even in the time of Netheril. In any event, the kobolds warily handed the Eneko his belongings as Ruk explained: "This is the prisoner the -- my -- chief was talking about. He was taken by the kobolds wandering a few miles south of here - they thought he'd been bought off by the gremlins to nose around the caverns. I doubt very much that's the case, though."

Spoiler: OOC

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Each person who carries them, please delete 75% (rounding up) of your trail rations. That was the Complication. Ruk is now a NPC under my control.

As to the character, his name is Gizonde, he's being played by Zombulian, and you can find out a lot more about him here! Zombulian, over to you (or everyone else) for introductions.

[Mercurion 2]

The morning sun found Dergosh staring at Pig with a look of disappointment. “Sorry,” he told the rest of the group. “Look like Pig make Pig of self and eat most of food.” He shook his wolf-skull ensconced head sadly, causing the coif of wolf-fur to waggle back and forth. He rummaged around his pack and found he still had a couple of days food left, but looked reprovingly at his swine ally…who didn’t appear to be at all contrite.

“So what you want us to do with prisoner?” the half-orc asked Ruk.

[Saintheart]

Morning, The Sootscale Caverns, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-third of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice: 2 of 6

"It's up to you, my friend," said Ruk. "My chief asks that you consider him part payment for your assistance in reclaiming control of these caverns, but I do not regard him as your slave or anything other than a free being. He perhaps can speak for himself. For our part - it is here I say goodbye, friends. There's much to be done before this cavern is secure. The war with the gremlins may be done, but we are still few and must shore up our defences. But the Sootscale will do what it reasonably can, and I have already discussed with the chief about our activities. It is not in our interests to go raiding through these lands, and you may convey that assurance back to the Emmerock authorities. I think that should be enough for you to pick up the reward that was offered at Oleg's for ... dealing with my people out here. But otherwise, my friends, a fond farewell indeed, and best of Tiamat's blessings to all your travels."

One last time, a bobbing, dragon-ish-looking form materialised. Yeah, don't go getting yourselves killed or anything, I'm not saying there's any sort of great story going on here, but after you managed to save a kobold tribe from extinction and all that it'd be pretty sad for you all to wind up dead in a ditch somewhere at the hands of a bunch of hobgoblins or something.
Ruk glanced at Eral. "Did you really have to say that?"
What, boss, Indentured Servants aren't allowed to say goodbye either? That's gonna be reported back to the Planar Accounting Office, this is not a one-way deal even if you paid up gold dust for my pretty services. And by the way, if you think I'm going to expand my services to actual advice on how to best bring kobold numbers back up, that's going to cost you a pretty damn penny as well, I've got expenses to pay too, Ambisenius doesn't give me her time just because she thinks I'm incredibly handsome...

Ruk shook his head, raised a hand in farewell to the Company, and turned to follow his chief back into the shadows of the cave. In a moment, the Company was alone with the green-skinned humanoid who'd been released.

[bcool999]

Kuros scowls at the stolen rations. He was also down to merely 2 days if he failed to find game. Plenty of time to reach Oleg's and restock, but still a dangerous proposition to be caught in the wild without food. "This is all the more reason to return to Oleg's and resupply."

Looking at their new... companion. Kuros shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot before saying, "Well? Are you going to introduce yourself? You're free to go as far as I'm concerned, but you can tag along if you want a guide back to civilization I suppose. Just mind your manners."

[Zombulian]

Gizonde smiles awkwardly and quickly shakes his head.

“Apologies, I am called Gizonde, and I’m very grateful to look upon non-hostile faces. I wasn’t sure I’d ever make it out of the burrow - but I suppose my story is not meant to end just yet.
Regarding your offer, I would be happy to come along with your company. These lands are clearly more perilous than I had feared - and apparently exactly as perilous as my master had warned me about.”

Gizonde’s eyes widened as a realization dawned upon him.

“As for your rationing problem, I believe I can actually help with that, and I feel it to be the least I can do for thanks.
Speaking of, who should I know to be my rescuers?”

[Saintheart]

Spoiler: OOC

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Zombulian: Yeah, Ruk and the others have already gone and handed you back all your gear when they released you.

[BluesEclipse]

Korlann nods at the Eneko, and answers, "We are the Wolftooth Company, tasked with bringing some level of order to the Greenbelt. I am Korlann Zehk. This is Kuros," he gestures to the multi-armed warrior, before introducing the others, "as well as Dergosh, Akara, and Three of Three." He indicates the cleric, the mage and the warforged respectively as he introduces them.

"While you need not feel obligated to us, if you do have something that can alleviate the loss of much of our food supply, I certainly would bring no complaints regarding the matter."

[Zombulian]

Gizonde bowed to Korlann.

“A pleasure to make all of your acquaintances.”

He looked past the monk to the many-armed warrior, half-orc cleric, winged caster, and warforged.

“An interesting group, to be sure, with an interesting mission. I myself have been tasked with documenting these wild lands, though the lands have proven to be quite wild indeed. Certainly too much for a single seeker such as myself.”

He slung his bag over his shoulder and onto the ground before reaching inside and retrieving an emblazoned book and opening it.

“My order is known to have possession of some unique spells favored by the bards and clerics of Oghma. I have found one to be particularly helpful in my travels in the case that I run out of rations or fail to forage for myself.”

He clapped the book closed again, looking up and smiling.

“Or for sharing a good meal with new found friends.”

[BluesEclipse]

"That certainly sounds useful," Korlann replies. "We'll be heading back towards a trading post that we've been using as a base of operations for our efforts here - we have some business to complete there. You'd be able to depart from there if you wish - though if you're seeking to document these lands, we'd be happy to share with you what we've learned so far..." The monk muses for a moment, before continuing, "And in truth, I'd say that our goals and yours are quite aligned, so perhaps it would suit all of our purposes for you to join us for a while?"

[Saintheart]

Noon, Hills, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-third of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice: 4 of 6



Most of the morning the Company spent in shadow. Journeying northwest through the hills had proven to be something that couldn't really be done by the hilltops or on gentle slopes; the country north of the Sootscale Caverns was folded like well-made steel, and the Old Sycamore was a faint memory even an hour into the journey down narrow defiles and small valleys. However, it also resulted in a relatively quiet and uneventful morning as well; they had come across the trail of what Kuros guessed were Death Dogs at one point, and some insectlike skitterings that he couldn't identify, but nothing had jumped at them or attacked them as their wagon jogged and jostled over rocks and pebbles, the miles slowly wearing on. It was around noon that the land shifted into more rolling hills, and with a good half hour of heading up what had to be a good forty-five degree slope, they finally made it out to a small vantage point where hills rose all around. And they saw the plume of smoke.

It was rising from the northeast; out of their way, it would certainly take time to go and investigate it, but the smoke was clearly something large burning, possibly - from this distance - a house or homestead on a distant hilltop.

[bcool999]

Kuros looks between the plume and his companions a while before breaking the silence and saying, "Well. That could be trouble. Should we investigate? It will delay our arrival to Oleg's, but that could be someone's homestead burning over there."

[jdizzlean]

Nodding at Kuros, Akara speaks up.


"We're here to explore right? And pacify the area right? Then there's naught to discuss more, only to head that direction. "


and with that, she flies up a bit higher to try and get a better vantage point of what lies ahead, and how best for the Company to approach.

a final thought is shouted down to their newest member, "Gizonde! stay away from Dergosh's mouth and you'll be fine, you know orc's, they'll eat anything!" with a cackle that fades as the distance between them grows, she soars off.

[Mercurion 2]

"Someone burning our land," Dergosh rumbled. "Only we get to burn our land." Though still a great distance from the fire, the cleric slid a throwing spear from the sling at his back and began stomping in the general direction of the smoke plume.

[BluesEclipse]

"Let's move," Korlann says, putting action to words as he begins sprinting towards the source of the smoke. Glancing towards Dergosh, he retorts to the cleric's comment with, "And it's probably a bad idea for us to burn this land, as well."