Kingmaker: Intermission #3, Session 1

Upon returning to Stagfell, the council got together to decide what to do about the armies laying siege to New Stetven. The kingdom’s consumption was sky-high, and there was some concern that the war would bankrupt them unless there was some reduction in forces. However, after going over the books, it turned out that the addition of Fort Drelev’s territory brought overall Consumption down to the point where the armies were no longer a problem!

Next on the council’s agenda was filling recent vacancies – both the General and the Councilor had moved on to other positions. Warden Kesten Garess, who had nearly been named General back when the kingdom was founded, was moved over to that position, and ex-General Boliden’s second in command (Aeson Stalkingwolf, a NPC created by Boliden’s player a looooong time ago) was promoted to Warden. And as Bill’s previous character, Aurelius Heptamus, had moved from Councilor to overseeing the new territory taken from Drelev, his current character, Orseen the warpriest, was made the new Councilor.

As governor of Fort Drelev, Aurelius’ first act was to name the town after himself: Fort Heptamus.

With all the tedious paperwork out of the way, the rulers wanted to get back to the war in Brevoy. They figured the siege of the capital had gone on long enough, and that it was a problem that could probably be easily solved by 12th level characters. They weren’t wrong – there’s little that conventional low-level forces can do to even stymie PCs of that level, who are basically demigods in comparison.

They teleported up to New Stetven, examined the city gates, and devised a plan to teleport two teams in, one for each gatehouse. After dealing with the opposition, they would raise the massive portcullis, and their armies could stream in and kill the defenders. And that’s basically what happened, with Skala the arcanist and Satampra the swashbuckler on one side and Remesio the cleric and Orseen on the other. Each group took along a few mooks of their own, and team divinity ended up losing theirs to the enemy, but otherwise it all went according to plan.

There was a final gate behind the portcullis, but Skala fireballed those trying to defend it and then disintegrated a large hole in it. The rebel armies battered down the rest of the gate and streamed into the city. Some looting and pillaging followed, but the Orlovsky and Medyved generals clamped down and restored order before it got out of hand. And that was the end of the siege of New Stetven.

Parent Trap

After the victory celebration, Skala gathered together the other PCs and let them in on a secret. “I am not who you think I am,” the arcanist began.

“Are you the Regent?!?” exclaimed Orseen.

“Errr… no,” replied the confused spellcaster. Although he had been keeping his true identity a secret! His real name was Aakif Stone, and he was the bastard son of the patriarch of House Raganus. Raganus served the Regent, and their demesne was in fact located not too far from the capital, in the territory that had once belonged to the royal House Rogarvia. Skala/Aakif’s eldest cousin was in line to take over the House, and had kept Aakif’s mother hostage to prevent Aakif from moving against him. With the siege concluded, Aakif asked, would you be willing to aid me in freeing my mother?

The other PCs, grateful for all the assistance that Skala had given them over the course of the war, were happy to help. Besides, noted Satampra, they were pros at rescuing captured parents! Well, except for Iofur the druid’s mom, who was killed during the rescue and had to be reincarnated… but hey, she was still alive, right? So that totally doesn’t count, right?!?

Next: who shall sit on the Dragonscale Throne?!