Interview with a Dragon
Stormbolt carried the rabble-rouser to the top of the tower in the ruined Staglord’s keep. There is entertained the fellow’s concerns, which stemmed around Stormbolt’s absence and the arrival of the werewolf.
Stormbolt countered that duly appointed officials were left to handle the affairs of state while he and his retinue explored the neighboring regions to identify where to establish farms and mines to provide Stormhaven with food and raw materials.
The man, whose name was Grigori, conceded that the dragon had made valid points. He also mentioned that the appointed warden had been lackidaisical about his duties. Stormbolt pledged to speak with man and assess his suitability to the post. Grigori was satisfied with this.
In addition, Stormbolt recruited Grigori as ombudsman to log the citizenry’s grievences for proper adjudication. He also pledged that the royal retinue would be present in Stormhaven for at least one week each month. Grigori accepted the post.
Stormbolt then flew the two of them back to the assembly, who Aeldred had pacified, and announced Grigori’s appointment.
Interviewing the Warden
After the gathering broke up, Froing went to speak with the Warden, who was in his office in the ruins of the keep. The warden told him that things had been quiet aside from the rabble-rouser and a fight among some workers. He said that the old Owlbear cage would be used as the jail when needed.
The Warden professed that things would be more active as the town grew, but he said he had things in hand for now. Froing then went to the tavern and asked the people there how things were going. The general concensus was that things were going well.
Kobold Intelligence
K’rek was pulled aside by a kobold who informed him that the Sootscale warriors had snuck into the lizard man camp and killed some, but more and more kept appearing. Chief Sootscale barely escaped. He and the survivors returned to the Sootscale village. The kobold was distraught by the defeat, and K’rek could not tell whether the story was being embellished.
Faith and Good Will
Lucee walked around Stormhaven assessing the citizenry’s spiritual and health needs. She counseled some and laid hands to heal others. Then she saw to maintaining her equipment. In the mean time, Froing recruited lay people to staff the shrine in Stormhaven.
Kobold Collusion
K’rek returned to the Sootscale village to assess the situation. The chief told him that they had been greatly outnumbered and that the lizardfolk had guard lizards to aided them. He said that a quarter of the tribe’s fighting strength had been lost.
K’rek and the Chief concocted a story where the kobolds had approached in peace and were attacked. K’rek pledged his influence over the royal retinue to enhance the credibility of the kobold version of events.
K’rek encouraged the chief to gather and distribute the radishes to encourage repopulation of the tribe. He gave the chief some money with which to acquire supplies.
Exploring the Forest
As Stormbolt was the only one who had previously explored the forest, he decreed that the party would map out the forest to the west on both sides of Skunk River. After spending several days addressing the needs of the kingdom, the royal retinue, as they were now called, headed out.
On the evening of the first night out of Stormhaven, Lucee and K’rek were set upon by a group of boggards. Lucee invoked the name of Erastil, advanced, and shot one with her bow. Stormbolt, Froing and Aeldred were still asleep. Krek charged on boarback with his lance and skewered one.
The boggards closed. Two attacked K’rek, one charged Lucee, and one advanced toward the paladin but did not attack. K’rek was struck by one’s morningstar and struck by its sticky tongue. The one that charged missed. The one that did not attack emitted a terrifying croak that awakened the others. Stormbolt shot his breath weapon and hit the one that croaked. Lucee instructed her kobold follower to shoot a sling. It missed. Lucee invoked her divine bond. Froing cast hold person and held the one attacking Lucee. K’rek and B’kun attacked. The kobold stabbed another.
The attacks on K’rek did no damage. The boggard that was struck by lightning moved up, hit Lucee and stuck her with its tongue. Stormbolt closed and killed the one on Lucee. Lucee’s minion missed with her sling. Lucee hit her opponent. Froing sent his retainer to tend the horses. Then he attacked the held boggard, but missed. K’rek hit with his lance again and killed one. B’kun missed.
The remaining boggards pressed their attack. K’rek was hit with a morningstar and stuck by the boggard’s tongue again. Stormbolt killed the frozen one. The kobold used her sling, but missed. Lucee closed on the one holding K’rek and stabbed it. Froing healed K’rek and Lucee. K’rek stabbed the last boggard and killed it. Froing channeled again to heal the remaining wounded.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully. They collected the morningstars and leather armor for the city watch.
Into the Woods
The party came upon a pool within which a woman was visible. There was also a band of men, most of whom were frozen. The man claimed that that water fairy had paralyzed his men. She complained that the men had chopped down her trees. Stormbolt negotiated that the men would move out of the nixie’s territory southward where they could harvest trees to supply Stormhaven. In return, the party would seek out a dryad who lived nearby to restore the fallen trees.