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--- game_systems:pathfinder:kingmaker:adventure_journal [2025/01/15 13:01] – [The Wriggling Man] Bryan Stephens
+++ game_systems:pathfinder:kingmaker:adventure_journal [2025/05/15 13:39] (current) – [Epilogue] Bryan Stephens
@@ Line 2060: / Line 2060: @@
 === The Wriggling Man ===
-{{:game_systems:pathfinder:kingmaker:monster:worm_boss.png?300 |}}
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder:kingmaker:monster:worm_boss.png?275 |}}
 This next room is clearly a Throne Room. It is richly decorated, cathedral-like chamber appears to be almost new. Turquoise tiles adorn the walls, with a false gallery hanging some ten feet above the tiled floor. An ornate wooden bridge crosses the chamber thirty feet above the floor, connecting doors on the building’s second floor—the vaulted ceiling rises another ten feet above that. Incredible paintings cover this ceiling, depicting animals in sylvan scenes. The first scene shows a wolf in a forest with a child’s severed hand clenched in its jaws. The second depicts a great viper approaching a crib, while the third shows a huge bear stalking a mother and child. An archway decorated with a scene of a dragon eating a mounted knight at one end of the room opens to a great iron spiral staircase leading upward, while at the other end of the hall sits a regal throne made of marble shot through with green veins. Two statues of beautiful women wielding upraised swords stand behind the throne, while a long purple carpet runs the length of the room. Numerous chairs and benches line the walls.
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 A figure emerges from behind the throne and fires //chain lightning// into the party. Ayrn and Grunder (thanks to Grunder’s ring) both avoid damage, though Caleb is struck head on. The party turns to face the creature, but before they can act, the Wriggling Man attacks. This is a hideous creature known as a worm that walks, a swarm of worms that maintains the general shape of its previous body and that retains all of its previous life’s power—and then some. He //petrifies// Vern with a spell. Grunder races to his friend to use his //dispel// from hi s//holy avenger// axe. Aryn charges the mass of worms. The creature cannot land a hit on Ayrn, but the reverse is not true. Worms fly everywhere, as Ayrn’s swords slash. He is taken down by a //fire ball// dropped by Caleb after a s shoot out to Ayrn. Aryn rolls from the damage as the Wriggling Man is incinerated. There is a great earthquake, as another of Nyrissia’s major leaders dies.
-=== Medusa ===
+===Pets and a Medusa ===
+{{ :game_systems:pathfinder:kingmaker:monster:wyvern.png?100|}}
 At the top of the stairs is a great hall. Here is a huge and ornate chamber fallen into terrible decay. The ceiling of this huge chamber is vaulted, with supports carved to resemble serpentine dragons holding great beams aloft. Seven statues of a beautiful woman holding a sword or posing in a seductive way stand against the walls, along with several chairs and tables, while two long tables with benches sit in the middle of the room astride a large marble statue of a snakelike dragon. The statue is not the only dragon like creature. Inside, are two wyverns. Aryn orders Caleb to attempt to talk with them, and he does so in draconic, their natural tongue, in a quite intimidating fashion. Wyvern, on the whole, are not bright. One of these pauses saying //“let us hear what they have to say.”// The other says //”never!”// and flies down towards the party. As it passes Ayrn, the king slashes it to ribbons. Its mate decides to let the party pass. Caleb bows and asks where the closest set of stairs is located, and the monster gestures.
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder:kingmaker:monster:phomandala.png?200 |}}
 Crossing the great meeting hall, the party ascends steps to the third level. Here they confront a series of rooms that are a tangle of rubble, stones, and thick, creeping vines and plants that have grown riotously to a height of 1 foot throughout the entire area, making this area difficult terrain. In addition, a large number of damaged or destroyed statues of all manner of creature lie strewn about the place. As they group attempts to make their way through, they are not surprised to encounter yet another creature. Phomandala, a saurian medusa is waiting. She sends forth a //spectral hand// that covers the party in a //cone of cold// which //again// catches Caleb full on. Ayrn charges her and lands a blow, but as he meets her gaze, he is turned to stone. Caleb tries both //feeblemind// and //hold monster// but the powerful caster shakes both off. Miki adopts the form of a Large Earth Elemental and advances, but the medusa sends her dropping backwards with //laughing touch//. Vern launches //Chain lightening// into her, wounding her. Grunder, who has had enough, uses his blind fight to attack her. Holy energy crackles around his body and through his axe as he hacks at Phomandala. She falls before the righteous might of the Paladin of Torag.
@@ Line 2075: / Line 2079: @@
 //”Heal up!”// he orders, pulling out potions and his own healing wand, //”And let’s keep going.”//
+==== Meeting The Sundered Queen ====
+|Game Date|03/02/2025|
+|Campaign Date|Sarenith 17, 4721|
+=== Melancholy ===
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder:kingmaker:npcs:magicstudio-art_97.jpg?400 |}}
+Heading forward the group finds three giant venus flytraps. Miki easily //dominates// two of them and the party makes short work of the other, even though Grunder spends half a minute in its mouth before Ayrn slices it to bits. They find the library and while the plants can follow them there, they cannot leave the area. Reluctantly, Miki allows Aryn to also shred them as well. In searching the library, they find several items, including the cursed Helm of the Stag Lord, which they destroyed. Ayrn notes that some parts of this house seem in the past and some in the present and some in the future. They leave all the treasure where they found it, fearing to destroy time itself somehow. This can wait.
+Caleb leads them back to the pool in the room that the flytraps lived in. There, he says he thinks it is a passage. Caleb lays down in the water and thinks of the wild and vanishes. The rest do the same and one by one arrive inside a storybook land. Ayrn calls it a “fable” somehow understanding it. Before them, merged with a tree is part of Nyrissa. The woman is merged with the tree. As they look, a figure of Nyrissa appears and speaks to them. She calls herself the “Sundered Queen” and is the avatar of the tree. She is the despair and melancholy of Nyrissa. She offers a treaty with Ayrn that if he will agree, when she is again whole, she will cease the war against Thylicia.
+//”If you, Dread Sovereign, will take me as you have taken your Queen, then I shall fight for your Kingdom as an ally. I will be yours.”//
+Ayrn is firm in his response, //”My heart belongs to my true Queen, and I cannot betray her and give it to another.”//
+//”Mortal kings often take another as a mistress. Sometimes these are closer to his heart than his Queen, but no matter. Take me as that.”// the strange avatar of the woman merged with a tree says.
+Ayrn looks to his team, his friends, his family. They know that Ayrn will do //anything// to preserve his Kingdom. Grunder speaks to his oldest friend.
+//” ‘Arry, it is not like you and Fyonia have not invited others into your bed. Considering how she looks?”// the Dwarf raises his formidable eyebrows.
+Ayrn’s eyes fall upon Miki and Caleb.
+//”Fey cannot break their bonds and this sort of bonding will be powerful! She will keep you deal.”// the Druid says excitedly. Did Miki say things any other way? Caleb just shrugs with a slight nod.
+Ayrn turns to the projection. He closes his eyes and sighs. His anger at this creature is immense. How many of his people have died because of her? How many people died because of her schemes. He promised his People victory over the Fey Queen Nyrissa. Ayrn sits poised on the point. His friends know that this is Ayrn’s call and they stand silently by, ready to fight if needed. Wrath threatens to consume the King. And yet, his policy has ever been trying to find allies. He stops breathing. After a long moment, Aryn exhales and speaks.
+//”I will accept your terms.”//
+The fey nods and branches and woods come up around the two of them. The avatar disrobes and offers herself to Ayrn. The king calls out to his friends,
+//”I am alright! Apparently, this consummation of the agreement is quite literal. I may be a bit.”//.
+With that Ayrn joins with the avatar and seals their deal.
+=== Rage ===
+A half hour later, the wood retracts and Ayrn stands. The avatar directs him to guide //Briar// into the silvery heart of Nyrissa in the tree. As he plunges it in, the silver and green are absorbed into //Briar// like a flowing metal. The avatar and tree fade as //Briar// now holds more of the spirit of Nyrissa. They all appear back in the room with the pool. The newly enriched sword whispers to Aryn there are three other portals, the Tallest Tree, A great Throne, and a Bed. The group is sure where the Throne is and goes there first.
+Sitting in the throne imagining a court of thousands triggers the trip. One by one the party goes to find the next version of the Sundered Queen. This one, though, does not parlay, but splits into three red avatars who attack. Ayrn and Grunder are their first as the others follow. It is a terrible fight, with the rage of the fey against the group of friends. But, this is a place they have been many times before. The tripart aspects of hate, rage, and wrath fall before the heroes. Caleb makes a point to collect some of the blood flowing form the tree. Aryn again plunges his sword into the heard of the tree, and this time the red light flows. He can feel the anger flow into the sword and Ayrn is glad he did not have this to contend with before meeting Melancholy. As they fable comes undone, they are back in the house. Next is the tree or the bed.
+==== The Queen Made Whole====
+|Game Date|04/27/2025|
+|Campaign Date|Sarenith 17-18, 4721|
+=== Gifts ===
+After the return to the House at the Edge of Time from the fable behind the throne, Ayrn pauses the party and says he has gifts, In addition to make sure everyone is healed, he lays down the //portable hole// and has the clock work sent up four other items at a command.
+//”Caleb! Your robe grows frayed and I think is less useful that it once was,”// says the sovereign, noting Caleb’s //robe of arcane heritage//. Ayrn grabs a new robe, scarlet red, covered in what appear to be closed eyes as decoration. //”This seems more fitting and Barry made is special!”// Caleb bows as he receives the gift, smirkingly formal as ever //”Thank you, Sire.”//
+Ayrn turns to the eldritch knight and grins. //”I had to order this from Taldor since Barry was not yet up to it at the time. Maybe he is now, but not two years ago.”// He holds up a small pearl which is glowing with magic to Vern’s eyes. It is a //pearl of power//. Vern accepts it and puts it on his necklace with the others. This is a variation that will allow him to recast the most powerful of his spells.
+//”Thank you, Sire!”//
+ddd
+//”Miki, these won’t help in a fight but I think you will like them, even if I am carrying them out!”// Ayrn pulls forth bundles of feathers. //”These are //feather tokens// for trees! You can plant Oaks everywhere. There is a total of 1,000!”// Miki’s eyes get wide and says jumps up and down saying //”Thank you! Thank you!”//. Never one to be formal.
+//”Grunder my old friend, I have something special for you”// The king pulls out a long banner, made to be affixed to the back of armor. The banner has the holy hammer of Torag upon a vertical flag of Thylicia. Planted, this //Banner of Torag// spreads a holy magic and inspires those of the Kingdom close to its wearer. //”Let me get it on you”//.
+The dwarf is strangely quiet, but he reaches out to embrace is long time friend. As he pulled away, he mutter //”I guess we best be about finishing this, Arry.”//.
+=== The Forest in the Sky ===
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder:kingmaker:monster:80ab5b79a27784663fca648c621887cc.jpg?400 |}}
+Ayrn orders them to leave the bed for last and they head out to the tallest tree. After some observation, Caleb suggests imagining being a crow flying through the forest. Aryn laughs and spreads his arms, swords in hands, and fades. Miki snorts //”I don’t have to imagine that!”// and turns into a crow and vanishes with a flap of her wings. The others follow, and soon, they stand in a forest of magic. Ahead of them another shard of Nyrissa, bound to a tree. Her eyes dart to and fro and she is clearly terrified. Ayrn calls to her,
+//”Queen Nyrissa, I am Ayrn, King of Thylicia and wielder of //Briar//. I have come to make you whole!”//
+The figure in the tree does not trust them, and screams they lie. Two massive treantarise and look towards the party. Ayrn charges forward, ignoring the threats and heads up to face the shard of Nyrissa. Meanwhile, Grunder and Vern engage one of the monsters, hacking away, while Caleb’s attempt at //hold monster// fails. As the men fight the treant, Miki transforms into a huge fire elemental and intimidates the other one. It sees the damage being done and is terrified of the fire now licking the ground and grass, threatening the whole forest.
+Ayrn talks with the captive shard, getting //Briar// to speak for the first time:
+//”He speaks the truth about us,”// comes the voice, a chorus at first, but the voices merge into one at the sword talks. //”He will make us whole, sister of our soul. Join us and be whole!”//
+//”How can he make us lie!”// shrieks the tree, even as her minion fights Grunder and Vern, and the other flees. The fire around Miki starts to spread, and she changes to a water elemental to quench it, lest her friends be burned. Aryn keeps talking,
+//”Search your feelings, Nyrissa, you know this to be true.”// Ayrn sheathes his swords and places a hand lovingly on Nyrissa’s cheek. //”It will be OK. You will be whole once again. Feel love once again. It has been so long.”//
+The trapped shard of a soul, relaxes. //”Let it be done”// and Aryn pulls forth //Brair// and gently touches it to her chest. Again the sunder soul shard is pulled forth and the form in the tree crumbles. Around the, all, the pocket fable realm fades. Aryn is by the tallest tree while the others find they are across the courtyard, inside Miki’s watery form. She assumes the form of a great cat while the others splutter. The two mages dry themselves with //prestidigitation// without thinking, forgetting Grunder, who notices that his affixed banner is not wet and flaps in a magic breeze.
+Ayrn is still for a moment, //Briar// still in hand. He closes his eyes and sighs. One more to go.
+==== Transfiguration and Transgression ====
+Ayrn stands before the bed and says, //”This one’s obvious.”// Laying down, he acts out the thoughts of comforting another. He fades away. Miki leaps into the bed and is followed by Caleb. Vern muses he is glad that they did not act out whomever, or whatever they had in mind. He follows Grunder into the final fable.
+The emerge standing in a circle, facing one another. Everyone is a bit embarrassed but before anyone can speak, Grunder calls attention to the figures before them. There is an image of Nyrissa, and several pale reflections. All are angry. Beyond them is an entrance of some sort, to another area. And again, there is a shard, trapped in a tree. Aryn repeats his call from before:
+//”Queen Nyrissa, I am Ayrn, King of Thylicia and wielder of //Briar//. I have come to make you whole!”//
+This version of the Sundered Queen is having none of it. The main figure moves forward sneering,
+//”You will die and I will have my sword!”// and casts //magic missile// upon the king. Aryn stands there, readied but waiting. The tree emits a soul piercing screech. The original companions shrug off the effect, but Vern is almost knocked over by the effect. Only a glimpse of the //Banner of Torag// keeps him upright. Even though the ringing in his ears, he hears Aryn’s command. It takes him a moment to orient himself while his King awaits. Two of the mirrored Nyrissas close and attack, but Ayrn and Vern avoid their blows.
+{{ :game_systems:pathfinder:kingmaker:characters:nyrissia.jpg?400|}}
+In the meantime, Grunder fills the party with holy energy and charges towards the one in the center, his //holy avenger// axe radiant. Caleb draws forth his //staff of power// and uses a powerful //ray of enfeeblement// upon one of the mirror pieces who drops her shield and sword. Miki swells into an earth elemental and stomps forward to bash her foe. It looks as if the fight is on. Then Vern finally gathers himself and responds to Aryn’s orders. Touching his sovereign, he whisks them both past the defenders and in front of the fey queen trapped in the tree. Without hesitation, Ayrn drives //Briar// into the chest of the woman, and her soul-shard is absorbed into the sword. The woman shrieks again, and while Ayrn is unaffected as he holds the sword, Vern is not as lucky, so close to the source. He staggers back, stunned, confused, and unable to think wisely. But, the fight is over. This fable does not fail. Aryn orders Miki to //heal// Vern and she does so using her //staff of life//. When everyone is recovered, they head inside the structure.
+Nyrissa stands in all her glory, inside a circle of green light inside a circle of both ancient and timeless stones. Behind her is the final part of her soul, this time not over large, but human sized. She greets the party,
+//”At last you are here. I have seen many try, but none have come this far, King Aryn Valyar.”//
+Glancing back at his companions, Ayrn makes a gesture , //”None else had my Companions at their side. I am hear because of them.”//
+//”You have the sword, long lost, at long last.”//
+//”I do, Nyrissa. I have come to make you whole again, to repair the damage done to your soul. We do not want to fight you. I call upon you to honor the bargain made by a part of your soul!”// Aryn hopes this would have some power over the fae queen, yet standing in her presence, he is not sure anything agreed too still mattered.
+//”I will honor the bargain made, and you will incur the ire, nay wrath, of the Eldest. . The strands of destiny stretch continuously for the denizens of the First World, knotting and twisting but never ending. Ending my Sundering will sever me from the tapestry of the Eldest. You cannot disrupt the tangled web of predestiny without consequences. //
+//”Which would be the same with your death.”//, to which the fey Queen nods and asks,
+//”Will you accept this consequence?”//
+Ayrn turns to his friends, those he trust more than anyone.
+Miki and Grunder nod.
+Vern says, “//I follow your lead, Sire.”//.
+Caleb looks rueful. For once, he is less than formal. //”Why the hell not”// he says with a wry smile and shrug.
+Aryn turns back to Nyrissa, //”Let’s do it. Escort me to the tree.”//
+Nyrissa float to them, her form passing through the rocks. Aryn takes her arm, and she walks him to the tree. Grunder gestures with his head and the rest follow, like an honor guard. Roots rise to move Aryn up to face the final part of Nyrissa’s soul. The Tree-form starts to chant in an ancient tongue of the First World. Both Caleb and Vern note it is OK, a spell to bind the sword and heal her. Both are struck with its beauty. As the chant finishes, the projection aids Aryn in placing the sword against the tree. This time, //Briar// is pulled from his hand into the tree. He hears in his head //good bye love, and hello // and for this first time since finding the part of Nyrissa, Ayrn notes a peace he did not know he had been lacking.
+The projection fades and the tree starts to crumble. Aryn leaps down from decaying roots and looks up in time to catch the falling Nyrissa. She is unconscious, but breathing. Aryn calls for Miki, but the whole relams starts to go black, contracting around the stone circle. Caleb yells,
+//”Time to go! Grab your Girlfriend Sire and book it!”//
+Everyone races to the portal and in a swirl of light, sound, and sensation, they are back in front of the ruins of the Castle of Knives. By the position of the sun, it is mid-morning. Ayrn reaches our for Fyonia.
+//What is the date// he asks, more afraid than he has been in the fights. He can feel the relief of his true love other their //telepathic bond// the Queen had fashioned for them. //It is the day after you left, my love!//
+Still holding Nyrissa, Ayrn explains to her what happened. Fortunately, the King and Queen have had more than one lovely lady to share their chambers in the past. Fyonia said she would immediately get a room set up for the recovering Nyrissa. Vern and Caleb note they need to get back, and so with a final glance at the ruins, they //teleport// back to Castle Mordun in Stagfell.
+===== EPILOGUE =====
+The first days back are a whirlwind of activity from the King and his companions. The announcement they are back comes a mere day after the group had left. Considering the last time was two years, this is a bit of a surprise.
+Aryn again addresses his subjects, this time with the Army of Owls and Miki as an air elemental flying over the Magar Arena. This is a speech of triumph, without the dire threat from the Eldest. Ayrn saves that for a private briefing of the cabinet. The others move to catch up with their respective jobs and duties. Caleb is also getting used to his new ducal home, built in the past two years in the expansion of Caster’s Vigil. Grunder immediately sees to the armed forces, especially the armies created in his absence. Miki throws herself into securing 1000 Breaths flora and fauna remaining. Vern is tasked with the creation of a portal network of paired //teleportation circles// around Thylicia.
+Things settle, and when no new attacks from the First World arrive, it seems that a time of peace is upon them. However, with the dire warning of Nyrissa, there are things to be done. Miki oversees the expansion of the Far Watch, and she and Caleb increase the coordination between the Far Watch and Caleb’s network. Grunder makes sure all armies, including the Far Watch, are armed with cold iron weapons. He begins war planning for various fey invasions, menace from the north if there is a civil war in Brevoy, and any threats from another River Kingdom. He also joins in the coordination with Miki and Caleb on armed forces.
+After Vern takes time attending to Varnhold, he sets up programs to engage in more arcane research around fey in general. He also extends into more personal research into the powers of 8th and 9th level magic. He is still young and has years to unlock greater secrets. Vern also creates a permanent personal demi-plane to aid in his endeavors.
+Caleb begins his explorations and understanding of the pocket dimension and floating castle, soon making it is own personal demiplane. The sorcerer reacquaint himself with the various ladies in his, and this is not a bad place to take them. He has Lily create dedicated unit to monitor Nyrissa, because while bound, one never knows.
+Nyrissa herself is integrated into castle life, as the now lover of the King and Queen. She has her own quarters and is also attended by elves, as is the way of Castel Mordun. The former fey queen no longer evil as her love is returned to her, but her natural chaotic nature remains. Much to everyone’s surprise, other than Caleb, Miki and Nyrissa become fast friends. The two seek out entertaining things around the Kingdom, popping up in the most surprising spots. This helps the former enemy be more accepted and understood. Perhaps not surprisingly, no one thinks the willful and chaotic Miki is in danger of being seduced by their former enemy. And of course, when said chaotic gnome gets the chance, she spreads her 1000 //feather tokens// across the land.
+It is not a full three months since their return that Ayrn and Fyonia announce the Queen is pregnant. Miki determines it is not one baby, but two, twin girls. This will mark a different chapter in the lives of the royal couple. At the insistence of everyone else in their lives, the two take several weeks to be together.
+Tylicia is at peace. The Sundered Queen that has threatened the Stolen Lands for ages has been restored to herself and bound to the ruler of the land. Its rulers are robust, the people energetic and determined. What the future holds is unknown, but today marks another glorious sunrise on the Kingdom.
+THE END
+//I’d like to thank all my fellow players, Matt, Linda, Curt, Andy, Doug, and Eric. Y’all made this game a lot of fun. And thank you so much Matthew for running Kingmaker. Not only did I get to do the whole “king thing” but he let me run wild with the kingdom building side of things. I may have spent more hours than him on the game!//

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