Kingmaker #1 - The Swordlord's Feast
A Pathfinder 2e solo adventure journal
23rd Calistril
A call to arms has been issued by Lady Jamandy Aldori, here in Restov. My companions and I have decided to answer the call. Shayn is as excited as ever, of course. Even moreso at the idea of venturing into Jamandi manor and bringing Dreamwing with us! Her joy warms my heart. Grimclaw has followed us there, but it’s unclear whether Ol’Mommy wants to follow through with this charter thing. Still, I can see in her beady yellow eyes that she won’t forsake her newfound family so soon, so my hope is that we can count on her to have our backs. That leaves me. I must admit my curiosity and ambition are both piqued by this unique opporunity to venture into these wild Stolen Lands and establish our own kingdom there. It’s also the chance I’ve been waiting all my life to find out more about the Fey, and possibly make friends of them. Who knows, maybe even form a new society where Fey and humans can live side by side? Maybe… Grimclaw’s right, I’m getting ahead of myself again. In any case, there have been rumors I must pursue, whispers of a passage to the famed First World of the Fey that can be found in the Stolen Lands. One that my Mirror should be able to reveal, if my dream’s vision is correct.
I realize I haven’t properly introduced us. Grimclaw has been with us for several weeks now, and we’ve started to get accustomed to her towering presence. The same can’t be said for townspeople though - seeing a three meters-high owlbear clad in splint mail armor and carrying a huge bag on her shoulder is quite the frightful sight if you didn’t expect it. Its claws are especially frightening - hence the name she’s chosen for herself. We’ve consulted a druid, who told us she was awakened - an animal that was given the gift of conscience and speech. Ol’Mommy, as we’ve come to dub her, doesn’t remember how, who or why she came to be like this, but we’re keen on getting to the bottom of this. From her stance, you can tell that she’s very protective of her own “cubs”, as she calls us in turn. She’s fierce in battle, and her resolve is only tampered by this strange lingering sad look I’ve been spying in her eyes…
Shayn has been my closest friend for as long as I can remember. You’ve probably heard of tales of yore telling of a “fairy godmother” who dawned upon the crib of a blessed newborn child. Well, that child would be me. Shayn’s far from the trappings and behavior of a proper godmother, though! She’s a sprite, a fey spirit that enjoys following me around, playing the occasional (mostly harmless) prank, and revelling in what life brings us. She’s never told me why she was clinging with me, other than her usual “a sprite’s whim cannot be explained!”. She’s made allusions to her “Dream” on occasions, though she always eluded my inquisitive questions then. Well, a girl has to keep her secrets, and I fully respect that. I just know she believes Desna, goddess of dreams, speaks to her in her sleep. Thus, she fancies herself a “Dream-shaper”.
One thing she told me, however, is that she’s now “lost her wings”, which makes no sense to me because she has actual wings - she just can’t use them for some reason. I know this is a delicate matter with her - all serious matters are - so I won’t speak more of it for now.
She has been travelling with me, but also with a strange, diaphaneous beast called Dreamwing, which looks like a dragon who’d come straight out of the First World. Dreamwing has saved our skin on several occasions, and she’s a force to be reckoned with in battle. She apparently obeys Shayn’s requests, although she clearly has a mind and will of her own. There’s something special about her: one day she was just there with us, and it was as if she had been there all along. It must be a figment of my imagination, but still a unsettling thought.
Lastly, there’s yours truly, Jalthas Arvandru. Well, there’s nothing special about me, is there? Just a regular, boring human with a deep wanderlust, to the point that I decided to leave my dreary castled life and my duties of a second son back in Mendev, away from the demon-slaying crusades and all this destruction. This eagerness to explore has led me in many places across northern Avistan, along with Shayn and Dreamwing.
I haven’t been completely honest, there actually is something special about me, something I can’t explain and that haunts me. During my travels, I once had a strange dream, a vision of sorts, in which the moon reflected itself in the palm of my hand. I won’t go into details as to what that vision told me, but suffice to know that when I woke up, there was a small, silver-lined round mirror in the palm of my hand. Its reflective surface had an eerie glow about it, and I’ve never been able to explain how the Mirror came to me. Shayn thought it was a manifestation of my inner self… or a gift from another competing fairy godmother. She can’t ever remain serious for a second, can she? That’s so infuriating, yet at the same time I find her presence and mirth refreshing. It prevents me from sinking too much into my deeper thoughts.
Back to our tale at last. As we reached Jamandi manor, Grimclaw’s presence caused quite a ruckus - as I’ve mentioned earlier, guards and townsfolk aren’t used to see an owlbear in their town, much less so a talking one. It took a great deal of persuasion to have the manor guards let her enter the swordlord’s mansion. Fortunately, I know a thing or two about how subservient footsoldiers work, since I’ve lived a fair share of my youth in an overly guarded castle, and their fear could eventually be appeased. While we were talking our way in, we had the unexpected help from one of the guests, a sylph bearing bearing an old but still impressive curved blade. This individual actually helped us through, ordering the guards to let us pass with a haughty tone that only a nobleman could have. His accent was definitely local, though I was under the impression that the guards didn’t exactly know him. The sylph then introduced himself as Whisper, blade for hire and swordlord-in-training. He invited us in as if the manor was his, and accompanied us inside with unmatched assurance. I don’t know why, but I have the feeling that underneath his self-assured and independant demeanor, this Whisper is someone that was actually looking for company.
Once inside, we had the pleasure of meeting Lady Jamandi Aldori, our host, as well as the Mayor of Restov, Ioseph Sellemius. When I saw Lady Jamandi’s blade, it rung a bell - it was the same kind of edge that Whisper was carrying: an Aldori dueling sword, the defining weaponry of the duelists originating from Restov, and who studied the techniques from the famed Baron Sirian Aldori himself. Whisper confirmed my thoughts, and added that true swordlords would then take up the surname Aldori when they attained true mastery. These swordlords are the power-that-be here in Restov, as does Lady Jamandi’s wealth testify.
Our hosts then delivered a sound, straight-to-the-point speech, in which they detailed our enterprise: we are to be issued a charter in the morrow, allowing us to venture into the vast territory known as the “Stolen Lands” and secure the area. The most successful group will be allowed to found a barony there, and rule over the land. Quite the undertaking! Whisper confided that Lady Jamandi probably has an ulterior motive, but that remains unknown to us for now. We’ll seize the opportunity while it’s there.
The task will not prove an easy one though, if only for the competition. We were far from alone that night: many had come, eager to seek adventure and opportunity. During this bountiful feast, we had the opportunity to meet several people of interest, of varying motives. The most prominent one was Maegar Varn, a secretive nobleman whom we didn’t manage to get a good grasp of. Likewise, the gnome Tartuccio proved very enigmatic, if not plainly unfriendly. There’s something off with that one… Maybe its grey hair, one step closer to the Bleaching? Luckily, we managed to make three friends during that evening, not counting Whisper:
Amiri is a fierce, straightforward warrior from the north, wearing furs and carrying an oversized sword. Grimclaw managed to beat her several times at arm wrestling, but these were far from easy wins!
Lady Valerie is a true beauty, yet held back by her strong armor and stern soldier face. She looks like she has been through rough battles in her life, and I can’t help but wonder what she has endured. I had the opportunity to talk a lot with her as I was sitting oppoiste her during the feast, yet everytime I attempted to get to know her better, Whisper would suddenly intervene and steal the spotlight, almost in a playful way. I don’t deny that Lady Valerie’s charms have grabbed my attention, but I imagine that Whisper feels the same way, by the way he looks at her, talks to her. She looked almost amused by our threefold discussions, but I don’t quite know what to make of that…
Last but not least, Linzi is a halfling storyteller and chronicler who’s very eager to write the history of the Stolen Lands as it will write itself in the months or years to come. She really clicked with Shayn, as both have spent the whole evening sharing stories. Linzi appears to be highly interested in the Fey, and looks like she’s a feisty one. I expect she’ll want to tag along in no time.
The feast ended late in the night, and Lady Jamandi offered us rooms to stay, especially since a heavy storm was raging outside. I’m finishing writing those lines just before heading to bed. Tomorrow will be an important day.