Planning for the Battle of Athlapoole

Steel Realms
Dunstrand Rising Living World A n c i e n t   Blood – A Living World storyline
Set in the Grand Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms.

The Battle of Athlapoole (Belim’s Rebellion)

PREVIOUS: Saivelaugh Return / Civil War (ancient blood rec)

Taken from Discord

Anabasis -The March to Athlapoole

So, you may want to consider renaming your group. “Red Hands” are a collective of criminal gangs in Cerran’s Grant and the Riverdans trade: Cerran’s Grant

Happenings Elsewhere in Bondeu

The northern side of the riverdan now has armed patrols as a regular occurrence. These are not wearing the colors of the Burren family, but rather that of the Council of Cerran’s Grant.

DATE = CY 9143, Month 2, Day 11

by Month 2, Day 14 all of Bondeu will know of the Battle of Pellan Field

An open call goes out and criers are sent out – the Burren family is looking to recruit mercenaries.

The Council of Cerrans Grant places an embargo on arms (weapons and armor) into the Riverdan of Bondeu, other than for the lawful ruling authorities.

CY 9143, Month 2, Day 17 – A war camp is being made on the outskirts of Zerburre; Trying to contact Rabat is going to be too difficult.

An open call goes out and criers are sent out – the Burren family is looking to recruit mercenaries. The Council of Cerrans Grant places an embargo on arms (weapons and armor) into the Riverdan of Bondeu, other than for the lawful ruling authorities. CY 9143, Month 2, Day 17 – A war camp is being made on the outskirts of Zerburre; Trying to contact Rabat is going to be too difficult.

BELIM: “See how they don’t even have the support of their own people, and have to hire mercenaries to fight their fights? Imagine the centuries of poverty and decline that might have been avoided if only they’d looked to the welfare of their people.” (A sentiment that ‘somehow’ got started around our camp and the southern villages, we hope.)

Well, you can start promulgating this in Serdof

B’Heim: I can always go start these rumors while disguised as a local.

good point, make a disguise check as you come into Serdof. Advantage because you have the invocation going. Give me a name if its a disguise to be used again

ok, you will go into town separate from the rest of the party. you begin at the edges of the crowd that gathers to welcome the group back. The wyld faith/green church is strong in Serdof… the briarwood empties out to see your return

All over the River dam pair s of agents spread out and actively work against the reputation of the party. It’s a smear campaign that has begun

B’Heim: Has B’Heim seen or identified any of these agents while disguised?

You’re pretty sure that you’ve kept an eye open for that sort of thing. While there have been disagreements amongst the populations of settlements you’ve gone through, you haven’t seen anybody actually fermenting bad blood. These agents are outside of your area of operation, where you can’t do much to counter them.

Grak manages to sneak past watchers to make contact with his business associate. Well they don’t do a very good job of exiting in stealth after packing up everything. On the other hand, the people watching them are even shittier. With adjustments, it’s a tie. Well, he and the families of his companions split off. He leaves in ambushing Force. The enemy does not see them. Well thank goodness for advantage. The ambush works. Only half are killed, the others get away. A few stragglers drawn to the cause and Grak’s party are crossing the Athla Hills highlands to get to Athlapoole. They arrive safely

Happenings in Zerburre

It will take +3 days to get to Zerburre and infiltrate it without being noticed. Right now, Rabat has no way to communicate with the rest of the group on a regular basis.

DATE = CY 9143, Month 2, Day 11

Rabat stealths his way past patrols and successfully gets into Zerburre

Ok Rabat is solidly working his way closer to the keep.

Well fuck. Rabat is caught trying to break into the keep. he manages to partially talk his way out of the situation. They do not recognize him, but he is thrown in jail for a few days. All entrances to the city now have a curfew of 8pm. All are guarded 24×7 by shifts of three guards. The city watch has all been given studded leather armor upgrade. The smiths are working all the time, in town and in the keep.

CY 9143, Month 2, Day 19 – A war camp on the outskirts of Zerburre has been completed. It has a basic roman style ditch and berm. Rabat is released after a few days in jail. Mercenaries are forbidden from taking contracts except from Cerrans Grant and the Burren Family. Riders being sent to the borders of the lands around it to put the fear of unrest into them so that they will send aid to nip this whole thing in the bud

BELIM: You’ve definitely stepped in it with us. Once again this week is pretty fucked so it’s going to be hard for me to offer much detail. (And gone camping Thu-Sun.) So just the bullet points: I want us and or allies to get very familiar with the Athla Hills geography, however that can be accomplished. (Owl Overwatch, speak with animals, speak with (pay) locals for info, hire a particularly bold scout type, whatever.) Because….
> I want to try to drag some fighting into the Athla Hills where it can be ‘our turf’ and we raid/skirmish/ambush more effectively.
To that end I want to start planning some raids and unconventional/psychological stuff on the camp at Zerburre. This would mostly be just us, to have the speed and abilities (magic, etc.) to have an effect and get away. Cover of darkness, spells/illusions, wildshapes, spoiling the water supply, all that Viet Cong stuff. 50sc bonus to whover can leave a threatening note (or severed head) right at their command tent. Yes Virginia, I want to go all Ukraine on their ayasses too. Sorry I don’t have the time to put a lot of thought into it this week, but I’m sure B’Heim can think up some nasty stuff. (Should we have a ‘prosecuting the war’ or tactics thread or something, since this is broader than Zerburre?)

You have an agent in Zerburre who has been collecting data. Maybe its time to bring him home with his collected information tidbits

Eric — 08/23/2024 7:54 AM
Yes, probably time. Whatever the agreed upon signal was, let’s execute. (Yay for me I typed that a couple days ago and never hit ‘send’. Dipshit.)
Game Master – KB — 08/23/2024 8:55 AM
The best thing I can come up with since nobody did was the camp that you guys were helping out with all the earthquake survivors that has some features that you would have in common and it’s outside the city. You can have a dead drop there that he’ll check every few days. That means you need to send somebody. Who you going to send?
Eric — 08/23/2024 9:57 AM
Yeah we said we’d set up a process, but no specifics. Refugee camp seems as good as any. If we have B’Heim the Infiltrating Diguise-O-matic Man available he would seem to be the obvioius choice. (You’ll have to forgive me for not remembering where everthing/everyone stands – insurance companies and car replacement stress and sleep deprivation are harshing my vibe this week.)
Arabus — 08/23/2024 10:17 AM
I feel like I’ve finally stepped into my element with this campaign change.
Eric — 08/23/2024 10:19 AM
You’ve definitely stepped in it with us.

Well I’ll pick things back up and as you guys move Northeast beyond the point out of town where you were going to rendezvous with your informant, you can have him what amounts to scout the way. That way nobody will see him leave the group, or miss him in town . You’re bordering the edge of the athla hills on your North as you move and going up through the past leading to the old abandoned monastery, where the goblins were making their home, then along the trail North into the lands. Where belim was appointed sheriff, and then sneak through whatever defenses they have to get on the road to zerburre.

BEEDEL: I can also help with the dead drop pickup – wild shape & sneaky bastard stuff.

It seems like one of you should serve as an advanced scout and the other should make their way to zerburre City to see if you can bring back any information and make contact with Sean’s character and see if you can get him out as well. Choose the form of the destructor
Arabus — 09/17/2024 7:22 PM
If you need me for one of those I’d do best in the city rather than as an advanced scout. Just let me know where I’m needed.
Game Master – KB — 09/17/2024 7:29 PM
If no one chimes in by tomorrow I’ll divide it up that way and have you go on to the city then
Eric — 09/17/2024 8:58 PM
B’Heim=City Mouse, Beedel=Country Mouse
Arabus — 09/17/2024 9:00 PM
Belim= cockblocking rat! No forgiveness!
Eric — 09/17/2024 9:03 PM
Lighten up Francis
Game Master – KB — 09/24/2024 2:08 PM
Well, Beedel can change shape and gt there as the crow flies and even guide Rabat back directly (though its a tough trek directly over the hills into the highlands)
Game Master – KB — 09/24/2024 2:15 PM
Right now, the Burren Family has been able to muster about 40 mercenaries in town, recruit about a dozen more to their family guard, and field another 30 that are blocking the wetern road into Athlapoole. In addition to the foot soldiers, theres about 20 skirmishers, 20 logistics staff, and a goup fo about 12 dedicated slingers.

Happenings in the Logging Towns

yes, you can double up… large groups are more suspicious though. You leave your message in South Hitch glade (same place you left the last one), by Pellan on CY 9143, Month 2, Day 15

The army moves slowly. About half way to the next town, mostly overgrown by the encroaching forest, the skies clear and brush parts. You will have a full movement unfettered (in fact a breeze keeps you warm in this cool month!). Apparently this is your answer from the elves.

CY 9143, Month 2, Day 17 – You leave the Hamlet of Haywerth (the last of the 3 Treefell logging settlements) – a sleepy place in a dip in terrain between Koreelam and the town of Serdoff. It is a place of small lakes, a stretch of flooded forest, and where migrating birds make their home. Game has been abundant and you have taken a extra half day to gather another week of supplies. That means you currently have enough food for 3 weeks total once you leave here.

You send ahead scouts to Serdof. You have history here, and its the last settlement before going off road to sneak into the Athla hill country. Your scouts report that there are no guard posts on the road ahead, or the one north-ish leading back to Zerburre. Do you want to avoid it altogether, or pass through and do some recruiting. This is where the Blue Gris was put down, so they think favorably of you.

BELIM: Publicity tour for sure. (Through town.)

Just marching as a full group or some other approach?

BELIM: AUGGH – the details! The details! Scouts/outriders approach first (per usual marching dispo); check around the town then set pickets all the way around before the rest approach. Then bulk of our group camps outside town while smaller group (leadership + guard) enters to meet. Which brings up an item I’d address in “Recruting an Army” except I can no longer see that thread: start picking out some of the best and most loyal seeming of the troops for a small (8-10) bodyguard for us. Assassins will be coming, we need more eyes, ears, and swords. The Praetorians, the Immortals, and the…. Replacements?

ok, well your normal riders did not see anything when they did long range scouting. Once your group gets close, 2 riders head north at full tilt out of town. Your scouts secure that road as you enter from the west.

BELIM: OK, assuming we’re aware of that we’ll ask who they were once we get in town. Also if it’s feasible send up B’Heim’s owl (it’s an owl right?) to get a description and verify they keep going (in that direction)

B’heim: It is

The own can verify they did not stop, and are riding as fast as they can without exhausting the mounts. Its actually one guy with 2 mounts

BELIM: Ah, so they didn’t stop in town? Just came through and kept going (so they don’t know the person)?

the rider was under cover on the outskirts of town, waiting to take a message. The rider was one of a few men who came into town two days previously and asked if your group had come through the area. The townsfolk thought they left yesterday. The town is quiet, but a lot of people come out in silence to watch you enter. You can tell when they see you. They see trouble. Although you were originally responsible for bringing peace to this community, they see you as a threat to that now. You moved to the large Central market area where everybody begins to gather expectantly. Your ragtag army in tow, you take one section of the market and form a defensive line around your gear. Your mounts and supplies. People are looking at you expectantly

Someone approaches the paladin, they must believe that he is trustworthy amongst you all. This person will tell him that they know of someone who is spying on them right now. He doesn’t wish to see his town caught up in a civil war. But after the incident with the blue gris, there’s been virtually no help in rebuilding from the Burren family. It appears there is a spy found in your midst

BELIM: Does this person want something for reward? Can they identify and/or provide proof? First instinct is the old canary trap and disinformation, to leave them in place and start feeding them bad intel.

They only have a few moments, he says when you leave, he will meet you out of town. He obviously does not want to be seen with you. I assume you are marching east, the back way into the Athla hill country? Not directly to Athlapoole – where is likely to be some force on the road.

BELIM: So, clarification: this is townsfolk and not one of our existing followers? The intent was to loop around to Athlapoole to bypass forces on the direct route, yes. We do intend to head to the town though, to defend it against potential retribution and since it’s a center of our support.

The morale of any ambushers is overwhelmed by your large moving force. Is there somebody designated as tail end Charlie? Someone who could see if there’s any forces moving behind you as you exit this area?

BELIM: We had a standard marching order for just our group, and I think Devosa might have been covering the rear. In this larger deployment, though, did we get more woodsmen than just Jessup to join up? (It’s been too long and I can’t remember.) If so I’d put them in the rear guard because they should be relatively familiar with the woods, and also used to looking over their shoulders while in this terrain.

you only got a couple extra. if there’s no pc coverage, do you want me to make checks or designate on of the players?

Before B’Heim and Beedel are away to Zerburre to extract Rabat I’d like to use the owl for overwatch as much as we can. After that I’d shift Devosa back there along with the woodsmen.
> Wait, are they both going?

Ugh, let it suffice to say I’ve probably lost track of where everybody is and what we’re doing.
Jessup went west to gather refugees and make contact with our erstwhile benefactors?
Devosa went… north?west? to his church for reasons?
We’re extracting Rabat; Beedel and B’Heim both had ideas for that, but let’s only risk one person. I nominate Beedel’s wildshape infil/exfil.
Need to sort out the specific date when the party reconvenes. Belim will refer to his book of Dunstrand instutions (and lore) and Addoye if/when he can make contact, to try to find other families that may be sympathetic to our cause. Others that may have some better claims that have been subsumed by the Burrens. We’ve been good at burning bridges; we need to build some. Sorry there’s some vagueness – I’ve started a rotation with a different team at work and frankly getting up to speed is overtaxing the brain. I may not have much in the way of spare cycles until this weekend, and moreso the trip next week.

Accounting

Tontine payout: 7×7=49 per week x2=98, so call it an even 100. Assuming they have family that comes forward to claim it, or left information beforehand. Unfortunately you were not collecting much information when you were seeking volunteers. only 1 payout of 100 will be recorded.

Right now, you have 68 light fighters or logistic specialists… at 2sc per day = 136sc per day wages. Now, thats soldier wages. what you have here is a rebellion and idealists. you can probably get away with half that, so 68sc a day. You have enough food if you wanted to scrounge the entire town for 2 weeks. Your foraging efforts were mediocre. An army is an expensive thing. Refitting any damaged goods can be done from merc stores and logging camp at no cost.

BEEDEL: From this last session, here’s what I have to add as “party treasure”: 3,334sp, 6 med shields, 3 suits leather, 2 suits studded, 4 lt crossbows, 8 daggers, 8 spears, 1 med camp for 4. Merchant house we got 400sp, nothing in compound and office.
What I don’t have is what we paid the 20 axemen to just basically leave, which they did. There’s also something about merc bond/chit of 1150sp (+250 for corporal), and that we didn’t take the merc bond but took the corporal bond.

Its going to cost about 60 silvers for the boat for Jessup
Do you want to give Jessup money to return with recruits, or rely on the recruits paying their own way and then taking the land as payment for service?
> We need some kind of ‘earnest money’, at the very least to maximize the number of people we might get. Need to think for a minute about exactly what we have to offer….

BELIM: Busy day – trying to get to it. We’re talking about relocating families eventually right? I’m thinking we’ll need to at least cover the travel, and probably a scale of payments (in descending order of cost): men of fighting age, adults and children of working age (i.e. farming, etc), and dependents (old or young). A fighting man can take payment for himself and his family – if he brings them now or later is up to him, but it’s a one-time payment. I don’t want to dictate everything here, so my suggestion is: Send 300sc with Jessup to see what he can negotiate. I suppose he’ll encounter some collective bargaining from the Tarmysians. IIRC he’s also going to be trying to contact our benefactors – if he can get in touch, also negotiate with them for funds (to use locally and for our war chest). We’ll send a letter – vaguely coded in case it’s captured or it’s lost. E.g. “Business is picking up nicely – we’ll need further funds to hire more laborers and wagons and expand our sales. We’ve signed good contracts with customers in the south; there are many opportunities further north and we should move into that market soon!”

ok, thats 300sc to mark off. Cali goes ahead and creates a quick (easy, not too easy though) code-to-meaning cypher for you for all your communications.
plus the 60 for the boat trip. A slow walk back will be overland obviously

How much are you sending with Rabat to make contacts and get information in Zerburre?

BELIM: Rabat can make money selling favors to sailors down at the docks. But we can send… 75? I don’t remember the daily costs here, plus grease money. I don’t think more than 100.

Say 100. Although it might not be such a flattering view, he can probably fend for himself in terms of daily expenses through some scam or picking pockets. Or what have you? Take 30 silver’s out for a blast of drinks and some food and general Goodwill for your recruiting drive

On the Move

Abani Yorton, also known to you as “Grak” the half orc comes to you and asks permission to join your band now. His intervention has caused many eyes to turn to him and now he can no longer fly under the radar. He has a business in Cerrans Grant escorting goods at night – all half orcs with Darkvision. He wants to uproot them, as he is sure they will get caught in the politics, and have you grant them land in the Athla Hill Country. He has 10+ families. He says hes handy with the axe, and if you need your interests represented there he’d be willing to represent you and your group until you get there

BELIM: I remember Grak. I will take him up on that offer but first we’ll have a group meeting where we interview in detail and all try insight checks. I’ll use Tactical Assessment for the insight check. And at some point we’re going to need to look at any land grant records, etc for the hill country so we don’t give away more than is available.

Observer/herald announcing against the PCs

BELIM: OK – Know your enemy RAW doesn’t have a check (you just have to interact for 1 minute) but I don’t mind whatever DC. It’s not that great of a skill anyway, as I forgot it’s relative to me; thus: Current hit points and Total class levels, if any – greater, less, or equal to me.
It’s been pointed out as a not-very-useful thing for the battle master, but it can reveal people who are more than they let on

He is definitely a functionary. No callouses. Does not have a ready resting stance. Rogue, low level, more mental than physical. He is definitely comfortable with his job – he has no fear and does not hesitate. He is the sort you imagine has no problem with evicting women and children… “because its the law”, “i’m just doing my job”, etc. You can tell that the crowd not being in his control is off-putting for him though… You get the feeling when he leaves that there was things left unsaid. You intimidated the shit out of him, and you could see tugging at the corners of his mouth – he wanted to say more. I looked worried when he buggered off, as if he was dreading having not completed his mission.
HE looked worried

BELIM: Can I try an insight check? Maybe try to figure out if he was supposed to do the intimidating, or make sure we came to a meeting, or…? I don’t have proficiency with insight, but I have +2 from wisdom and +4 from a superiority die with Tactical Assessment.

Not necessary. the tactical assessment will give you more, and thats what you got.

BELIM: OK, girl problems part 1 – elves. I like the idea of using the forest road/path to get back to Athlapoole, to bypass and cut off any elements that are north of us (rather than driving them back to their own reinforcements or letting them get away). So, via whatever method we used before, or otherwise, request a meeting with Belaya to get permission – if not help – to move through the edge of the forest. Point out that 1) This was a good faith effort by us to get the Sunbelt merchants out and make a fair (and clearer) forestry deal; 2) We have a halfling contingent to replace the Sunbelters in the deal; 3) We’ll work to come up with a new accord; 4) Our goal was to stop hostilities and create a stable peaceful relationship between the evles and the people of Bondeu; 5) We’re not asking for anything except passage, and we assume the elves won’t tolerate Zerburran elements trying in the forest – we’ve no intention of trying to drag the elves into this and will work to keep the conflict away from them.

You can leave a message in the clearing on the woods edge where the the accord was signed and where the elves and local used to communicate on a regular basis. The Sun Belt Merchants did not use it… it may take a while to get a response, but you can leave a message and hope it gets to the right people as you start off. you know the evles can send messages through the forest nearly instantly.

BELIM: Girl problems part 2 – Mary-Ellen Cunaigh: Per my notes, Belim is concerned with her demeanor (if you’ve worked any of this up); is she being trained to run a household? Given the matriarchy, does she have a strong personality, one that might be able rule a region, or Dan, or… whatever Belim can roll up? I realize she’s only 13 but iirc Isabella was 12 when she married Edward II and dove right into English politics, so… That stuff is going to guide, to some extent, how he approaches this whole endeavor. (And he feels in a vulnerable spot given the matriarchy and his current lack of any legitimacy.) If necessary or advisable he’ll use commanding presence (persuasion), character weaves, luck, etc to secure his position with the family.

Without knowing how much of her ancestry or family history she has been made aware of SAFELY, you can only assume the usual. Yes, buy the time of fertility, the basics of all family members, their histories, the family business, the holdings, and such. She wont have the experience and recall of her mother, but shes young. A matriarch of the Riverdans is like a Patriarch of Umbak – they are trained to be head of the household and conversant in family affairs – social and legal.

BELIM: OK, sounds like the right track. Despite appearances Belim doesn’t want to ‘rule’ anything – he wants to be the military commander while installing a wife in the political power seat. (That’s going to be a slow play so as not to freak anybody out for now.)

CARLI: Informs the group of Master Duel rules of the Steel Realms

BELIM: Finding good quartermaster and staff sergeant types is in the list too. Eventually. I’d like to come up with maybe 3 marching deployments and 3 “approaching settlements/targets” tactics that we can rotate (so we’re less predictable) and so I (Belim) don’t have to think about them. I’d use Military Lore (+2) and a luck skill failing a good first roll. I’d say “I want to roll for…” but I don’t believe it’s the player’s place to call rolls. Also that guy (knight?) from Cerran’s Grant that challenged us, I defeated, Devosa saved, then we recruited with Athla Hills land and persuasion: I’d use his military skills if he has any – or put him in the bodyguard and let him gain some. He really does owe us his life.

LJ: Devosa has instituted a vicious marching regimen. ITs the only discipline hes trying to institute, and basically you are double timing it as much as possible.

Betrayal?

CARLI – Informs the PCs about Kravus Burren; For m she actually admits that she was a plant. But after seeing how the crowds have reacted to you, she wants you to know that she’s on your side now.

BELIM:
Seems like a charmer. More research in the pipeline then, and review my “Dunstrand institutions” book for any mention of these people

Hoo-wee, OK. I always said I didn’t trust her and didn’t let her into our “real inner cirlcel planning”. I’ll tell her outright that I still don’t trust her because this could be an obvious double dealing ploy; “I used to be a plant but now I’m totally not and you can trust me.” LOLZ bitch. But she can start earning our trust by coming clean with everything – first and foremost, a plant to who, and what specifics of the mission? We nail spies to trees as a message, but there’s a narrow path where she starts working for us and spilling everything, and channels whatever information we want back to her source. As to her and B’Heim, that stops until I say otherwise and there’ll be sit-downs all around to ascertain that everybody’s still on the up and up wrt to our group and it’s goals – and security. Devosa at the core of those, as the shiny-eyed lawgiver. I’ll cogitate on this more…

First, if it wasn’t obvious, Carli is under guard. By us. (Who would we use against a bard with 20 appearance that couldn’t be turned?) And not B’Heim.
Who was (is?) she working for, or was sent by? I especially want to know if this was adversarial or we’re just being watched. Or even allies checking up on us. Try to cross check what she says if we – or anyone we know – can verify any of it. Later on we may try to set a trap, and allow her the chance to contact her (former?) contacts.
> Working for Burren family, Sunbelt Merchants

COMING TOGETHER/The Assessment

SET THE STAGE: The group is re-convening in Athlapoole. The town is secure – it is walled and there was an effort to fix the few holes recently. To the west is the bridge over the river. On the other side of the bridge is a force of about 100, including logistics. Its about half of everything the Burren family and their allies have – the rest is ensuring business flows and containment outside the core south side of the Athla Hill Country. Allies are keeping the way east to Condar valley, Arebor Tower, and Bog Mile Gap open on the south side of the river. This is where we will be picking up for the trip.

Samedi: The thread worn goofy large black man of nature is asking permission to reclaim the abandoned Briarwood half way to Bog Mile Gap. He brings very little except some healing and some animal scouts.

Rabat: Stressed out from living on the edge in the midst ofthe enemy, but he has decent intelligence on the composition of troops, where other forces are going to be stationed for containment, and what reinforcements are available to the enemy. Oh yea, he has a full level of Exhaustion that will not go away until he gets a Long Rest.

Phil: “We are promising everything to anybody already” – promised the old abbey that the goblins infested at Bog Mile Gap to his church. They came from the north through Elmtown Gap – the area Belim was sheriff of for a brief moment – avoiding the main road to Athlapoole, with healing, and about 4 clergy and 20 followers to work and reclaim the area. If you have to retreat completely out of the Athla Hill Country, they will ‘hold the door’.

Beedel: Took an extra 2 days on the return trip to gather up a herd of deer and move them onto the Athlpoole-Serdof road. Its already had a collapse so its not generally passable, but with the Grimm curse lifted it could be used – no one wants to find out. Beedel has seen to it that every deer in the area is now instinctually angry when seeing the Burren family colors. If their soldiers come that way, they are in for a surprise. This anger wont last longer than a week.

Devosa: Got the volunteer army to march overtime to get to Athlapoole before an assault could happen. He is keeping their minds off the dread, working to reinforce the western and eastern gates, and organizing the few watchmen into the ‘army’ as well. He is making sure religious tensions do not intrude in your mixed faith volunteer band – he has set up a make shift lightbringer shrine in an abandoned building in town.

Jessup returned with no luck on recruiting. However, he came up the Athlapoole-Serdof road (hey guys, we went overland around the lake – theres a herd of deer not moving from the road thats still covered in debris from the old cliff collapse), and did spread word far afield in Bondeu of the ‘uprising’. In Serdof, the Burren family had sent in agents to work against you after you left. Jessup as someone the locals knew from his family, and he demonstrated they had not been ‘abandoned’. The agents were run out of town in 2 of the 4 settlements he came back through in, and he managed to pick up 3 more young outdoorsmen/scouts and took their supplies – enough for 10 people for 2 weeks.

Grak: The half orc has brought his business, supplies, and families. They traveled through the north Athla Hills, over the bridge, then back west past Bog Mile Gap, Condar Valley, and to Athlapoole – the longest journey possible. They are all either large sturdy human women, or half orc men. Carts were somehow moved over frekaing rocky hills. They are exhausted, but setting up a med camp, and helping with the repairs. They are drilling with Devosa. Its… ‘odd’ to say the least, but there is no trouble. Their mates are all armed like them – spear, shortsword, light shield.

Cunnaigh Family: Hired the 10 or so mercs to scout the trade road and keep the route to Condar Valley open. Its a fall back position – the main tower/keep there. They have sent the majority of the family there for ‘plausible deniability’… if you lose, they will probably be wiped out anyway, but its worth a try.
Belim: Belim is working on his clever plan to make a giant sling shot to lob barrels of goat shit onto the bridge if an assault happens. No wait, he’s working on the “hide in a boat and float down the river to get away” scenario. He’s working to get Beedel to train squirrels to cover and hide him. He smells like squirrel pee. They are fine with Grak. They will seek to have him bless the Arebor Tower once hes done.

B’Hein: He worked to get Rabat out of the Zerburre area past patrolsof both the Burren family AND a force of 40 mercs paid for by the forces of Cerrans Grant. They traveled directly over the hills using his ability to use animal scouts. As they are going through the north Athla Hills, they stay the night in ruins of Kindredale and meetup with Franklin the Dark – monk of Zermai who was looking for a place for hi and his fellow monks to settle in. Although he cannot give much in the way of help now, he guarantees a force to be reckoned with soon if the ruins of Kindredale are given over to his order in the future. Samedi, Beedel, and De’Vosa are enjoined to question him and make sure there is nothing evil before any consideration is made.

The Wrap – Belim Edition

The Wrap, Belim Edition

“This Ax Kills Fascists”

I once (OK let’s be honest – more than once) said “All I want for a campaign is The Last Kingdom”. If/when you ever get to watching that series, you may be surprised how well that turned out.

On the heels of that I’ll try to make this the last apology for all the moments this felt like a r/IAmTheMainCharacter campaign. It really does harken back to that moment somewhere in Horpan when somebody/everybody said “You’re the leader – do something” and I thought well, what happens if I do say “I’m in charge here and we’re going to see how far this goes”. But that’s over now, mercifully.

Some notes for what Belim Cunaigh, the newly minted NPC, will be pursuing if my opinion counts for anything:
If – or assuming – Cerran’s Grant or any other ‘Dans try to embargo Bondeu we’ll be pursuing trade via the other border with County Faer, among other options. We’ll see if Linnis is really the upstanding guy we’ve heard about.
Fix the whole Saivelaugh Accord re: elves and logging.
Long term, Belim intends to break the backs of the gangs and corrupt/puppet government in Cerran’s Grant, and restore it to what it was supposed to be – a benefit to all the Riverdans. This probably means diplomacy with the other Dans and a lot of violence in Cerran’s.
If the Twin Rivers get salty about that, direct action is always on the table if we can get most of the Dans into military alliance – at least temporarily.
Be a foothold/haven for the League of the White Lily.
I assume B’Heim wants to be Bondeu’s spy master and chief of the secret police; Carli is our Herald of Arms Emeritus; if Beedel retires from adventuring, there will be some role like ‘Master of Forest and River’ waiting if he wants – the warden of the riverdan’s ecology.
World domination notwithstanding those were the immediate goals in my “Belim Notes” doc, which are not my problem any more. B’Heim once asked what the end game was, and while I might have somewhat prevaricated about Emperor of the Realm, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Dunstrand is still a tangible goal for him.