Campaign journal
by RPGPunditWhen last we left the PCs they were still in the dungeon, with one more level to explore. Since the Priest didn't have enough Survival spells on him, and couldn't take everyone with Travel, they decide to leave behind the four minotaurs Sir Firearm had found and made into followers.
They went on up to the last level to explore, and there they find the entrance to that level blocked by a large iron door. Under the door is a Dwarf, sleeping uneasily. The Dwarf is the PC of our newest player, who has just joined.
Alendalan plays a trick on the dwarf, making a phantasmal force of a Beholder that scares the crap out of him, but then they introduce themselves. The party is surprised to see a Dwarf of only Basic levels this far down in the dungeon. His explanation: His party of dwarven would-be adventurers "dug too deep" (as usual) and fought a terrible monster (probably a bugbear) that wiped out his entire group except him. His name is Duroc, and he's a skilled caver and engineer, but unfortunately has no cartography skill, so he's become hopelessly lost.
The party quickly decides to adopt him as their pet basic-adventurer, and take him with them through the rest of the dungeon. They fight some three-armed giants, Corwyn's full plate is destroyed by a green slime, and they face off a few white cave gorillas.
When they finish up the dungeon, the gang Travels back up to Specularum, and there they await the announcement of Karameikan independence, which they are told is immanent.
And indeed, on the 1st of Vatermont, the news is spread through the streets, Karameikos has declared its independence, and is now a Kingdom, with Duke Stephan declaring himself to be crowned King Stephan I. Corwyn is teleported off to Darokin to rush the news to President Mauntea.
Meanwhile, the other PCs unwisely choose to stay in Specularum, having forgotten that 1 Vatermont is tax day. Galafilo, Alendalan and Sir Firearm are all citizens of Karameikos, despite their time away, and they are all forced to pay the exorbitant 25% taxes of Karameikos.
Duroc is a citizen of Karemeikos as well, but he's dead broke, so it doesn't really matter.
Meanwhile Corwyn gets the news to Pres. Mauntea, who sends back an immediate recognition by Darokin of Karameikan sovereignty, and a plea for immediate military support against the Master of Hule. Corwyn spends the rest of the day buying, identifying, de-cursing, and getting ****** off about what he thought was a wand of teleportation but was in fact a wand of delusion.
He gets back the next day, and the party get the documents to the government. The day after that, there is an announcement that Karameikos is joining the war effort. Thanks to his own time lobbying, plus a good sized donation to the temple of Vanya, Sir Firearm manages to get to church of Vanya in Karameikos to declare a Crusade against the master of Hule. Now all the paladins and avengers in Karameikos will be obliged to go fight the master.
Surprisingly, Galafilo and Duroc have really hit it off, and the two of them spend the days at the tavern contentedly discussing plans for building some very elaborate defences for Galafilo's upcoming stronghold.
Next, the gang meets up with the Master Terari of Alphatia, who is in Specularum to cement the treaty between Karameikos and Alphatia, by which Karameikos will not participate in the Alphatian-Thyatian war, so long as Alphatia recognises its independence and agrees to protect Karameikan sovereignty.
Terari is an old buddy of most of the gang from when they were in Alphatia. He mentions to them that in fact, the idea of Alphatia "buying off" Karameikos was in part formulated thanks to the PCs and the information they gave Terari about Karameikos.
Sir Firearm dares to ask Terari if he would cast a Wish to give him more wisdom, but Terari is fairly antagonistic to Firearm because Firearm isn't a spellcaster, and because firearm is an avenger of Vanya (like the Heldannic Knights that cause his homeland so much trouble). In the end he tells Firearm that he would give him a wish only if he would sabotage the Heldannic war effort, a price that Firearm is just not willing to pay.
Still, Terari agrees to help the party teleport to Sateeka, and they do so, taking a letter from the Seneschal of Karameikos to the Five Sheriffs, one that proposes that the Five Shires joins the war effort against the Master (in exchange for which Karameikos promises to keep the Black Baron under a tighter rein).
They go see Delune who, after a quick bit of rumpy-bumpy with Galafilo, quickly agrees to call another meeting of the Five Sheriffs at Shireton, which will take place in a week.
Finally, Corwyn and Alendalan go back to Darokin once more, in order to gain information about Ylaruam, the last nation they intend to visit to seek aid from.
That's where we paused for today. At the end of the adventure it was the 5th of Vatermont of 1006, and the PCs were:
Sir Firearm: Fighter-Avenger of Vanya lv 21
Corwyn: Cleric Patriarch of Asterius lv. 26
Alendalan: Karameikan Elf Lord-Wizard lv. 10
Galafilo: Halfling Sheriff Lv.8
Duroc: Dwarf lv. 5