18 months later...

[moviedave]

Here is how Draco has been spending his time and resources. Dave, I believe I can make the resources work out, but this is the big picture. Draco has retrained Improved Critical for Leadership to help this make sense.



Draco establishes an institute of higher learning outside of Wresten Village. This is to be located on a high piece of ground within 30 - 60 minute ride.

It is a large equilateral triangle design with a large tower at each of the 3 points and castle walls with interior buildings between. Each tower is dedicated to an aspect of Draco's power.

The first tower is dedicated to Religious pursuits and features a spired top. The second tower is dedicated to Arcane study and magical training with an observatory. The third tower that is oriented north is dedicated to Martial study and warfare and remains prepared for more threats from the north..

In connecting buildings between the Arcane and Divine tower are the conventional school rooms and higher learning centers. Buildings between the Divine Tower and the MartialTower features the hospital wing, dorms and barracks. The building on the final side between Martial and Arcane include the market, tavern, inn and other shops. In the fields outside this market side are Stables and any other auxiliary buildings that may have sprung up during construction. The fields outside the hospital wing features farmland for food and agriculture dedicated to healing. Outside the School wing is the cemetery to honor the fallen and remind students to learn from those who came before them.

In the center is a pyramid structure the features a ball room or auditorium and Draco's private quarters and study. Draco's family has been relocated to live here as well, and can be in positions of management.

As far as the future goes for Draco, he will continue to travel the lands to recruit talent to the institution and fight evil as needed. If this institution proves to be successful, he will consider setting up branch institutes throughout the know lands.



I am filing in details, will work on floor plans, etc.. I just thought I should fill you in with my thoughts before I spend too much more time on this. It can be quite a rabbit hole.

[Captain Monkeypants]

This is how Grakkus has spent the past 18 months following the events of last session.


So upon receiving the money, his initial thought was of simply giving it all to those who were hurt by the recent invading forces. He believed this was what he would do until he returned home. There, Geneva informed him of the damage that had come to the lands they now called home. She also informed him of the new people that had come to follow him afterward of his new exploits spread. In a moment of quiet reflection, Grakkus knew he would be unable to accomplish his current dream of giving it all away. As such, he decided he would still donate a sizeable portion of his recent income. He also wanted to retain a chunk of it in order to have a nest egg for Geneva in case anything were to happen to him.

He realizes that donating money in Waypoint would become a political issue and that he would ultimately make enemies, so Grakkus himself goes to the downtrodden areas and those that lost the most. He spends a total of 2,000 in contracting those to repair the areas as well as creating food and water for the homeless. He also uses diplomacy to encourage the people that lost (and are still able) to help with the reconstruction of the town by supplying them with tools and materials. He then donates 1000 gold to northguard keep. He entrusts this money to none other than Sister Gwenta. He donates this anonymously so she would have no ill will towards receiving it.

One day, while working in Waypoint rebuilding the areas, a man in a cloak approached Grakkus. He said some stuff about the sword of war and asked for it back in a very threatening manner. Not one to be easily startled after all of the previous encounters related to the sword, he quickly dispatched the cloaked man who then began to disperse as he was sent back to his home plane. During this time, the cloaked man said something that shook Grakkus to his core, "You loved her as he loved her, and then you slew her. You have earned the eternal ire of Baphamet."

On the anniversary of the death of Lily, Grakkus goes to the grave where he buried her. While there he is in a moment of quiet reflection when finally he hears Geneva walk up behind him. He looks to her and greets her. Something is strange though. He looks deep into his love's eyes and notices that they begin to change and turn from the blue that he was accustomed to, to a hazel, and finally to a green...the green eyes of Lily. He looks around and notices that the sky is a blood red, and he begins to turn around. He is no longer at the graveside, but now he is on the battlefield which he has dreamed of so many times. This time all sides look to him chanting, cheering, hissing, roaring. Still unable to know who is reacting to what, he begins searching this field in a panic. What is he looking for? He does not know. He begins searching feverishly in an area of the battlefield muddied by the blood of the combatants, but this is no ordinary mud. Grakkus, clad in his full plate, begins to sink. As he descends into ground he notices a figure appear. Bamf. She teleports within reach, but there she remains, motionless. In the distance he can see figures, he knows they are his friends, and he knows they are running to his aid. As the mud begins to block his vision he sees his friend Tres. She nocks an arrow. All goes black. All he hears is a laughter, overpowering. A voice comes from the laughter, "You have something of mine, Grakkus. Now I take what is mine. I will return for your soul. Just not yet." And with that the laughter returns.

Disturbed by this, Grakkus begins shaking his head about, and finally realizes he was asleep. Barely comforted by this fact, he stands up, rubs his face, and breathes heavily. He notices that the grave where Lily rested is gone.

He then becomes obsessed with crafting a new sword, one to counter the evil of the Sword of War. He goes to the blacksmith in Waypoint and studies under him. Almost possessed and blessed with an extra-ordinary ability to pick up the skill of weaponsmithing, he begins crafting weapons under the eye of the master craftsmen of Waypoint. He goes so far as to build a forge on the property and to enlist master smiths to train him at all hours of the day. He begins researching and asking others to research rare metals. He is especially intrigued into metals that would help him in his war against the armies of Baphamet. He has instead crafted a masterwork longsword to use in place of the sword of war while he awaits for his research to come to fruition.

If the other characters are getting the itch to explore, he will gladly join them, but his mind is definitely occupied. He also tries to find rare metals, and upon finding them, he sends his crew out to begin mining them.

As time passes, his fervent devotion subsides. He believes that the war with Baphamet has reached a middle, but the end will be cataclysmic confrontation.

Sidenote: When not out of Waypoint, he works hard to ensure that his relationship with Geneva is healthy and she knows how much she means to him. His psyche is still damaged by the events with Lily, but she seems to be able to offer him some solace from those pains.


Current ambitions:
To find a metal of the "heavens" that he can forge into a sword to wield
Craft armor out of the mithral deposit found
Decipher why Baphamet is so interested in their party
Understand the nature of the sword of war
Learn his place in the dreams he has been given
Seek out and end the demon god of the hunt


What he did in game mechanics:
level 12: spent all skill points in craft weapons (still need to pick a combat feat)
retrained follow up to skill focus craft weapons
retrained step up to craft magic arms and armor
Added Smithy (730 gp) to the mansion/farm as well as lodging (430 gp) for the new people and a book repository (460 gp) to aid with researching the sword.
Employ 2 groups of craftspeople (miners) (400 gp) and 2 groups of laborers (140 gp) to mine whatever metals they come across during exploration. He sends this back to the smithy for later use.
Employ a team of craftspeople (200gp) to teach me crafting for the weapon. see below
Employ a sage (200gp) to research the sword. see below

2560 gp used in crafting and hiring/training
3000 gp donated
158.5 gp for masterwork longsword
4281.5 gp remaining


Leadership score is 17 now (unless modified additionally by recent exploits) Geneva is my 4th level follower. My 3rd level follower is a scholarly person that is helping me research the sword, and 3 2nd level followers are the smiths that are helping train me. The remaining followers are the people that worked under Geneva's father and were cast out.