TO: Flasfur Wreltor with Blackbirds and the gobkons Chofs Chupmolea badged al-Chems and Bolnis Abica nox Qawaha via Artok at the Keep
Aboard the ship you’ll find a vial of the corruption I discovered. Additionally this letter’s addendum includes a report of testing as well as a sketch-print of a mechanical hand discovered on this long journey. When I return is unknown. This journey shall be long and ideally fruitful. It is also violent and absurd. Tsavancoast is a land of extreme wealth and extreme poverty, with many artificers, tinkers and crafters mostly gobkon with a few goliaths, plus you wouldn’t believe if but I think there’s a human using cattle to turn wheels like we might a mill. I saw a monkey pushing bellows.
It’s a large city. Where Sheljar is one with the land and full of righteousness Tsavancoast is bright even at night, garish. There’s gambling where we stay. I win regularly.
Sorry. Too long. I get distracted.
You are probably wondering what’s happened with the corruption. It’s a much bigger problem than we or Le Remoden Eisha or the Dragon Council thought. There’s also a local leader in Tsavancoast who is working to spread the corruption while supposedly being in Le Remoden Eisha.
I found that out after repelling an army of walking trees and this weird elf-insect hybrid creatures. Yes, others helped, including some great dwarven sappers who brought down a bridge, scouts that helped save outlying communities, a lot of wizards. It was a staged battle. Midqh helped quite a bit. I learned how to make even bigger fire and booms through its apparatuses.
Anyway, after that massive series of battles — yes, we won, that’s how you’re getting this letter — we chatted with the leaders of the wizard and dragon groups, plus a gent named Ryghast. Don’t ask me the order of who talked to who and when it happened. We were in a casino! I won a few games, many games.
Eventually we chatted. But chatting with Ryghast was difficult. He took me into a magical silence to spill secrets. I tried and tried and tried to break his spells with my own systems. A wizard of his power is well beyond my teknical abilities.
BUT, in his confidence he told me of his double-crossing ways. I immediately told Amos, Rolf, Crag and Nandi, who passed the information around.
Probably created a big enemy. Hopefully he didn’t follow the Sadijh back to the keep. If he did please flee. Artok cannot defend you on his own.
Anyhow, we’re back off to the wilds. The source of the corruption that created that army of trees is our goal. I don’t know when I’ll see you again. I have ideas about what we can do with this hand and I’ve started to work on armored carts with Rolf. There’s also a clockwork amulet that can give one a second chance. My latest invention is to burn a bit of corruption to power our items.
See you again under the Dragon Moon.
Xabal Gaitee Quarter-Flagged Optigraph Balaneer nox Free Tink and non-Commissioned Officer of the Sadijh (on leave in absence)
This recap of the Defense of Tsavancoast is written in first person by Xabal, a gnome artificer, to their hirelings at Xabal’s Workshop set in the Age of Myths campaign.
In our Age of Myths campaign the party acquired a keep. Though the party is many days travel by airship away from the keep, their former leader Artok (originally played by John) now runs the keep.
Each of us gets a Special Feature for what is now our group Bastion. At this time Artok has a Sanctuary. We’ll want to get him a Barracks and Armory soon, because we aren’t around to defend the Bastion very often.
Xabal Gaitee Quarter-Flagged Optigraph Balaneer nox Free Tink and non-Commissioned Officer of the Sadijh (on leave in absence), my goblin artillerist artificer, established a Workshop. He’s also interested in the Arcane Study, but first a workshop.
Xabal and Crag took over the two store rooms in the keep. Xabal’s is on the left.
Xabal took over the left most of the stores.
What I like about the concept of Bastions/Strongholds/etc is that it gives players the opportunity for some ‘lonely fun.’ With a chill weekend at home I spent time thinking about D&D, but not actually playing the game.
Using watabou’s Dwellings creator I found something as close as possible to the space on the DM’s map of the keep. Then I added a bit of lore around the minor change (there’s an aviary so it isn’t a pure rectangle).
And then I discovered the steps and main door should be on the right rather than left. That error will go down as a function of Xabal’s quite-distracted memory and the difficulty of communicating over long distances
One thing that Xabal trusted Artok to do was hire three artisans to help in the workshop. He hasn’t yet met them, but Flasfur and Chofs started working already.
A goliath with a flock of blackbirds that stay in the newly added aviary. He’s a cobbler and leather worker. The blackbirds help Flasfur with fine work required of those professions.
Nearly eight feet tall, Flasfur was the one said he wouldn’t join the workshop without a small improvement, the aviary for his small flock of blackbirds.
He’s from a small town in the hills between Mihrstone, Sheljar and Artok’s Keep.
A goblin who is insistent in studying the corruption. She’s a jeweler and glassblower.
Chofs recently travelled through the area scouting out a new source of gems not from her hometown. From Bel’an’faire in the south of Sheljar lands, she works with jewels and glass to create art and rarely implements of war.
She also does etching and some other things that border on chemistry or alchemy.
Where Chofs is a common goblin in their structured society Bolnis is a wanderer similar to Xabal. She’s potter and tinker who travelled through the land with simple coffee gear.
Bolnis doesn’t like tea, but has some with her. Most of her time is in the hills and coast between Sheljar and Mira, if people insist on discovering where she’s from it’s Ooshar. She considers her hometown a backwater.
There’s a chance that Bolnis invents fancy coffee gear, but right now it’s simple. Her passion is to discover new ways to use tek to create new foods, tisanes, poultices, and more.
Intelligence, Charisma
Goblin
Negative strength, constitution
Potter, tinker, coffee gear Insight
Lightweight travelling pants
Ooshar
Mug (club)
An espresso machine
Comfortable lifestyle, though paid at modest
Generous, meticulous, sensual
I’m already thinking about how Xabal will interact with these hirelings and what knives they give the DM. Chofs offers someone that could be corrupted through those who study it. Bolnis clearly has twice the income of the others. How is she getting that money? Flasfur’s blackbirds could distract him from running the shop.
When the Queen’s Fleet discovered Sheljar they landed in the NW suburbs where the cliffs become hills. There’s a cave system that they originally used to hide their aixips. Now, after the elimination of the Necromancer and the Tunneling Nightmares, their little neighborhood among the hills is a densely populated, for the Free City of Sheljar, space that is a transit hub by sea and sky. Each of the guilds are represented in the many dozen gobkons that have settled in the space.
The main space where all peoples of the Everflow interact with these goblins, hobgoblins, and mulgobs is the Chupmolea Transit Center of Sheljar. It has space for seafaring vessels, multiple sky gondolla cables and a spire for airxips to dock as well.
Chupmolea Transit Center of Sheljar
Made with Canva’s Text to Image. The prompt was a “Leonardo da Vinci inspired transit center with airships, cable car gondollas and greasy smoke stacks.” The cable system scene connects the transit center to the Grand Entry of Sheljar.
Exit to the Chupmolea Square, the main plaza in the goblin suburb. There are hills to the Western Wildes beyond the plaza.
A high, arcing bridge to a tiny island now occupied by a dwarven family.
Swyns café.
Peoples
Chupmolea – Grand Mistress of cables, she rode with the Queen’s Fleet as part of a minor house. Her quick thought to connect the bog-city via sky-cable gondola earned her two flags. On her left shoulder are now five flags, two from her house and three she earned. She has a hook-spear used to guide gondolas to their spaces.
Swyn – a mulgoblin that discovered the power of coffee. Their café is a center of gossip and a primary spot for non-goblins to meet goblins. Swyn is always in an oilcloth apron (effective as leather armor), has random burn scars from roasting coffee, and carries a small, for them, cup of coffee.
Blerxa and Patha – two goblins of different guilds, these sisters are arguing over maintaining a connection to the Queen. Blerxa has many more flags on her left shoulder, nearly running out of space. Patha has a single flag for self and one for house.
Umikdrael Honorfeet – one of the dwarves from the nearby isle. He seems a bit lost and flustered by all the damn noise. He is constantly glancing at his notebook and then at the skyline. There is a lantern drake sitting on his hat.
Peculiars
The air reeks of burning tar from tar trees. There are fresh trees in the hills. But here in the city they are burned to power numerous teknikal devices.
A constant clamor of mekiniks hammers in the background and foreground. There are grinding gears, ratchets, pneumatics and other systems that cause this neighborhood always loud.
Unfortunately the brackish waters of the bog-city in this area are covered with a thin film of soot and tar.
I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.
My campaign world doesn’t need more monsters, but it does need more ideas. That’s a great way to look at settings and adventures — they are other people’s ideas to put into your world. That’s a short cut to worldbuilding, and a great one.
Goblins in the World of the Everflow are part of a smog-punk society building gadgets, very much like Tinker Gnomes, but grimy and greasy. Today’s release is an opportunity for me to use several new inventions in my world.
The Nevermind Gnome Inventor has three inventions. The Flying Fangtrap is a springwork device with tiny wings that pinch and pierce to do damage and may even stop the movement of the target.
In my world the Thunderscream gadget is an opportunity to latch onto the concepts from the Airmatics and Waterwerks Alliance. They could build a cannon of screaming sounds that damage like a breath weapon.
Of course the Alchems Sisterhood would invent Flash Powder, the blinding simple fireworks that can aid the goblin to escape.
Clockwork Claws that act like a third arm, or even a first or second arm; Chattergrab is essentially a grenade that is a bear trap; Phasmoball would be another invention from the Alchems.
In just this one free download the World of the Everflow has six new inventions for goblins. You can borrow from official materials for your own world too.
Maybe your world needs some undead knights? Use the Foresworn.
Another variety of magical giantkin? Irda.
Humanoid walruses? Thanoi.
A unicorn older than every forest? Forest Master has impressive powers and is not the passive unicorn at the game’s core.
Everything you encounter can be part of your session prep or worldbuilding, especially if it is a free release from the creators of the game.
The smogpunk land of goblins in the World of the Everflow was set apart from the Kingdom of Sheljar, Crinth, and other areas for a few millennia. Within this separation the goblins and hobgoblins changed from the standard tropes.
In the Everflow they answer to the Queen Mother. Everyone is organized around their family’s history of developing teknology for one of the various guilds. Inventiveness and cleverness are more important than fighting and viciousness.
To emphasize these differences, but still capture traditional goblinoid feelings there should be a some differences in language. This discovery of numerals from the 13th century feels proper for the gobkon of the world.
The Cistercian monks invented a numbering system in the 13th century which meant that any number from 1 to 9999 could be written using a single symbol pic.twitter.com/VRuEx4dkPF
— UCL Department of Mathematics (@MathematicsUCL) February 2, 2021
It works in a printing press, scribbled on paper or carved into wood.
Will it ever see the table? Probably not. Or maybe just one or two numbers in a handout for the players to demonstrate the differences between their lands with the languages of Telse (Common) and the rest of the Six Kingdoms.
If there was a campaign book for the World of the Everflow this could be a tiny sidebar for flavor, not a rule for use.
Queen’s Fleet continues to expand presence in Kirtin-on-the-Lake; various factions may lead to infighting; what are these stunning and dirty technologies?
Kirtin-on-the-Lake | Neremyn Quizana
Lately you’ve seen, heard, or smelled the newest additions to Kirtin-on-the-Lake. During this stalemate between Daoud and the Dragons and Kirtin traders from the Free City of Sheljar have entered the city. Some land on the lake with ships under great balloons filled with oily gasses; others enter with the rackety-clackety of wooden gears on various cycles of one, two, and even four wheels — like a cart without a horse.
These goblins (we shall use this word for all of them whether merely the size of halflings or the masses of muscle as large as goliaths) are organized differently than any of the Five Kingdoms of the Everflow. Most similar to the guild-houses of Qin, the Kon organize into at least six guilds that are based in familial relationship and what they call ‘teknical’ skills.
Through numerous conversations we have learned that these are their guilds active in the Western Wildes. Not all have been seen in Kirtin-on-the-Lake yet. According to our sources all are present in Sheljar and the towns under the Free City’s sway — Fort Ooshar, Mira, Telse, Bell-an-Fair, Hagtown, and possibly The Ferments.
A new peoples to the Western Wildes, these snapshots should help the fair people of Kirtin-on-the-Lake understand the goblins and their bizarre systems that ignore the shared bonds of people with animal or the potent magicks of the Dragons and their allies.
Most noticed on the streets of Kirtin-on-the-Lake due to their loud clanking cycles, the Clockwerks League is currently the most powerful of the various goblins. The Queen herself is a member, having won many flags prior to ascending to the throne.
Besides the cycles, the Clockwerks include clocks, timers, repeating crossbows, giant powerwheels similar to a waterwheel that uses their mulgobs rather than water. There is word that they will open a new grain mill took.
Ratxets Guild
Conflicting reports say that the Ratxets Guild are a spinoff from the League or something entirely new. They make wonderful climbing devices and on many days you can find a demonstration down by Theater. The ability to use their rope and ratxet to climb the side of Rock is amazing. When this author used the device it made the journey up Rock pleasant rather than the long chore that the stairway can be.
Rumor is that the Ratxet may install a gondola from the Rock that connects several districts by massive sky-ropes.
Coils of strong metal come off of smiths that burn hotter than ours. Without the tartek maybe the Springwerks Union couldn’t exist. This symbiotic relationship betwixt the guilds is routine. They compete harshly for recognition from the Queen and yet their greatest werks are interconnected and use tekniques of others.
Their crossbows are a bit lighter. A siege engine powered by a Springwerk may be able to fell a Dragon. The energy trapped within the springs is grand. It may take days for the muls and hobs to get the springs set, but once they are the power can slowly release or go all at once.
A good little friendly goblin introduced me to how the Alliance works. Our waterwheels are what they used a life of lifes ago. Now using either water or something called pneumatics the Alliance is two former competitors joined. Anything that flows can be trapped, contained, and utilized.
If you’ve been to Haystreet after DragonTree you’ll have seen the inn there with running water! There is an attached bath with a dryer!
Why do so many goblins stink of their tartek when the Alliance allows such great cleanliness? I know after a day at print (our newsletter has bids out to the League and Guild for help reducing prices for you our fair reader) I will use that bath of warm water.
At Carnival you’ve seen the Sparklers. They contain joy in their little packets. The Sisterhood is a group that takes that type of energy and applies it to more than just entertainment. The Alchems are busy foraging the rocks, vegetation, and even animal waste of our lands to find new ways to create violence. Their inventions are on par with many of the magicks of Dragons, in a way that can be taught and handed over.
This Sisterhood will not share their methods of creation. They make the Sparklers look like a newspaper since the Alchms refuse to be public in how they operate.
Also, they hate the Tarteks Federation. Supposedly these groups could be the unified, there’s some sort of familial break that has nothing to do with the teknology used.
You know the smell by know. Using their tar-trees the goblins have changed the air and water in Kirtin-on-the-Lake, maybe forever. They burn this sticky oil and create self-powered cycles, no pedaling needed. Like the Sisterhood, The Federation are reclusive.
This lack of information seems to be how the gobs keep their strength and respect. A combination of Tartek and Airxip work is what enabled the gobkon to cross the Teeth of Sheljar and, as they claim, return to their lands.
Those massive ships travel the air, floating above the rapids of rivers, the mountain passes, the brigands and bandits. Their ‘airxips’ are barely related to Daoud’s large galleons. Some of the airxips cannot even land in the waters of Kin! They must have towers or long rope ladders to interact with the grounds below.
Bladders may be filled with the works of Alchems, Tarteks, or even Airmatics. Each insists their techniques are best. This author does not know which is best. The xips and gliders of the Syndicate enable travel and connection to communities in ways that our horses cannot. Sheljar’s connection to Hagtown shouldn’t be possible. It is just uphill from us, but due to regular visits from the Syndicate it maintains a relationship to the Free City rather than Kirtin or Daoud as it was in the past.
These transports are stunning, if slow. I have booked a ride to go to Kirtin-in-the-Sky for the summer as my first test of what the Syndicate can do. Hopefully the stalemate between rebel, Daoud, Kirtin, and the Dragons will hold until after my report.
Additional reporting was provided by allies and sources within Hagtown, Sheljar, and Telse. Those sources will not be revealed.
This archetype has been banging around my head for some time. The ability of words to inspire rebellion, to move nations, and to inspire people to be better is quite clear. Dungeons & Dragons kind of wraps this into the College of Whispers Bard, but that’s quite supernatural. The Rogue: Propagandist is mundane, based in historic examples such as Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin, as well as in certain versions of Assassin’s Creed.
The design intent is to empower more play in urban and/or political campaigns. This attempt, which is essentially version 1.5, uses new mechanic for the rogue, one that demonstrates that people who publicly advocate for rebellion are often known, but still effective. The Propagandist most powerful abilities are powered by their Sneak Attack dice. This seemed to fit better than making them weak Bards in an Arcane Trickster variant like the Society of Veil and Shadows.
Most of the lore description is removed from this pre-publication draft in order to focus on the mechanics, which are complex and new. The Swarm of Commoners and the Printing Press tool are just shells of what they will be in the future as well.
Rogue: Propagandist
Rebel and Pamphleteer
You rose from the underbelly of empire to demand a better life for all. Your pamphlets and speeches can inspire hope, or fear. Whether from the soapbox or via playbill your proclamations turn the tides of rebellion or keep a government in power.
Propagandist Features
Level
Ability
3rd
Wordsmith, Rabble Rousing
9th
Proclamations
13th
Grand Voice
17th
Master Essayist
Wordsmith
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level you gain proficiency with the Printing Press and a skill from the following list — History, Investigation, Insight, Deception, Persuasion, and/or Performance.
In addition you learn one language of your choice.
At 6th level you may choose the Printing Press for your expertise option.
Rabble Rousing
Your words inspire rebellion. You are able to summon a Swarm of Commoners. These commoners are allied with your cause, but are not willing to die for it. You spend an active Sneak Attack die for each use of this ability per short rest. The number of dice used determine how many Swarms you summon. Rabble Rousing takes a minimum 10 minutes to activate via speech, pamphlet, or other communication. The Swarm is summoned at a time and location where some commoners could be expected. The Swarm of Commoners has advantage on saves versus fear and are considered under the effects of the Charmed condition.
Proclamations
To issue a Proclamation you spend at least ten minutes creating a pamphlet, playbill, speech, cartoon, etc. These Proclamations grant bonuses to those who experience their call. Those bonuses are equal to the number of Sneak Attack dice spent at the time of proclamation (Proclamation Bonus). The Proclamations’ influence extends to a number of subjects determined by the proficiency bonus + ability score modifier in the skill or tool used to deliver the proclamation. The proclamation can be delivered via speech (Persuasion, Deception, Performance), pamphlet (Printing Press), or cartoon (Calligrapher’s Tools, Painter’s Tools). A tool would use Intelligence (i.e. a 9th level Propagandist with an INT of 14 issuing a Proclamation of Safe Haven via a pamphlet would grant 6 readers the benefits of Safe Haven).
Proclamations that require a save do so against a DC determined by 8 + Proficiency and Intelligence Bonus.
List of Proclamations
Unrest – A number of Swarm of Commoners determined by the spent Sneak Attack dice gain a Proclamation Bonus of temporary HPs and gain the same bonus to damage rolls. These Swarms will attack on the Propagandist’s initiative roll minus 10. The Proclamation inspires a rebellion.
Rally – Subjects regain hit points in the number of the spent Sneak Attack dice plus a Proclamation Bonus (ie. 2d6+6) as these Proclamations rebuild the morale of wounded forces.
Urgency – Subjects gain a Proclamation Bonus to their next initiative roll. Subjects are eager to join the fight.
Power – Subjects gain a Proclamation Bonus to their damage rolls during their next combat. Those attentive to the Proclamation recognize that they are powerful.
Warning – Subjects fall under the Frightened condition if they fail a Wisdom Save versus your Proclamation DC. They are wary of the forces working against them, afraid of any Swarm of Commoners and/or the Propagandist. They are overcome with this fear for one hour.
Safe Haven – Subjects are able to gain the benefits of a short rest via the calming words of the Proclamation.
Grand Voice
Beginning at 13th level your words can invigorate your allies. You can use a Reaction to have an ally reroll a failed Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw. You have a proficiency bonus number of uses of this ability per long rest.
At 17th level you may also remove one level of Exhaustion via your Grand Voice, as long as the level of Exhaustion is not level 5 or 6. You may only remove one level of Exhaustion per ally in this manner.
Master Essayist
The strength of your words lasts. At 17th level any of your Proclamations (except Safe Haven) issued using a Printing Press grant their benefits/disadvantages until the target takes a short rest.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa. The swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Medium commoner. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points except via Proclamations.
Actions
Club.Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (3d4) bludgeoning damage. This attack assumes multiple commoners are attacking as one.
The Swarm of Commoners can be adjusted if made up of a single humanoid race. Usually their weapons are clubs, but in some cases they may all use a specific simple weapon.
Any ally of the Propagandist, or the Propagandist themselves, that attacks from within the Swarm of Commoners has advantage on their attacks. They may also use the Swarm for half-cover, attempt a Stealth/Deception check as a bonus action. Upon a success the individual within the Swarm of Commoners is considered invisible.
Printing Press (tool)
These are the necessary tools to create pamphlets, books, and playbills. The press itself is too large for adventuring, but you would still have ink, a sheaf of paper, scissors, a few letter blocks and one or two signet blocks.
There are two important things in a goblin’s lyfe. I’m talking about all of us, the gobkon, the hobkon, the mulkon — all of us — our relationship to the Queen and our Guild. This is hard for you humans, with all your divergent nations and cities and faiths and disgusting menagerie animals to understand.
By creanita design und ausführung by nina saner (CC BY-SA 2.0)
I’m a printer, part of the Ratxet Guild. My engines run on the power of muls (best!) or whoever else I can hire. The clockwerks give that comforting noise as sheaf and stamp press against each other leaving words behind.
We’re into gears, mostly. But also some other interesting clockwerks. Frankly, we do better with springs than the Union does. Sure, they’ve the Queens’ Stamp – so we cannot sell to others. In our builds we don’t buy from the Union anymore.
My first engine was a climbing device. Lean it up against a feral tar-tree and you’ll be able to get to the top on a platform to work that tree with nary your own effort. It was a tough build, because I needed it to be strong enough for a hob. Without a brother there were no hobs to help me. Sis rode atop my shoulders during the entire testing phase.
At Test it showed a new mechanic for the tar-tree. A Baroness blessed the family via flag and decree. Mother’s standing improved, and the full family took on that glory.
Now, sister is part of the Airxip Syndicate. They’re relatively new. Taking our bike-props and bladders from the Sisterhood, and the Federation’s tar stacks, the Syndicate built those awesome airxips. I don’t understand her werk. There’s something about steampipes. She’s done well for mother. Her flags came from a Countess, one for her and one for mother. Blerxa left on the First Flight with me.
I’m Phatha Phioxa Baroness-flagged of the Guild. Sis is Blerxa Phioxa First-Countess Flagged and Many Unfurled of the Syndicate.
We are what we build and how much the Ladies, may they serve the Queen, reward us for our werks.
A few more daughters like us and mother could be a Lady. If Blerxa and I hadn’t left for the untamed lands of the Kin Blerx may have earned mother the knighting on her own.
Our werks are trapped from knowing since we are far from Queen, so I expect mother to have a few more gobkon. Maybe I’ll find out if I go back, not until after I figure out how to use the power of horses in my next werk. They smell, but they are even stronger than mulgobs.
Way back in the day working on this my thoughts went towards being quite specific. In my early play of 5e I would have created each officer and “boy” as a PC and the crew would be NPCs from one of the books (Monster Manual and Volo’s Guide). My familiarity with the system is stronger now.
Officers
Captain
Owner
Pilot
Master-at-Arms
Royal Steward
Secretary
Comptroller
Interpreter
Boatswain
Cook
Bellowswain
Physician
Carpenter
Painter
Joiner
Boys
Captain’s Boy
Cabin Boy
Officer’s Boy
Crew
Bellows and Fuel (7 mul)
Balloons (4 hobs)
Ratchets (4 muls)
Props (8 muls)
Weapons (5 hobs)
Lookouts (5 gobs)
poultry (2 muls)
That’s a rather long list of characters for the airxip equivalent of a four-master from the Age of Sail. It’s overly complex and almost certainly a level of detail that is unnecessary within the 5e system.
Instead I would use the light NPC rules which I have adopted for play for the individuals. I would probably only do this for a few of the senior officers (and maybe a single generic “boy”).
For the various crew elements I would lean towards the Colville rules of Warfare starting at page 233 in the current PDF of Strongholds and Followers. Those are all small units, and could even be fused based on ancestry in some cases.
Ratchets, Bellows, Fuel, and Props could be a medium mulgob unit of greens with light equipment. Weapons and Balloons would exist as a small unit of seasoned vets with medium equipment and archery. The Lookouts are a small unit of goblin regulars with light equipment. The remaining crew and officers get represented as a small unit of green humans (default mixed ancestry) that exist as infantry.
The point being that 5e doesn’t need details. It needs broad strokes that a DM and their table can use to describe actions, many of which won’t need dice. As the version of D&D that leans most on role rather than roll a returning creator should respect that. Remove as many details as possible, because most of the details aren’t necessary at your table.
With a dozen or so PCs at the island inn and more than a dozen rescued civilians the island is crowded. They need to find arable land within the city, as well as ruins that can be quickly rebuilt by the caravansary families. These two session start as a tale of exploration, include some violence, and then ends with a meeting between the rebels from the Expeditionary Fleet and our heroes.
Session Notes: This took place over two sessions. In the first one Behn, Ixynx, Saffron, and Samul investigated the Tower Island and a Temple of Torq.
In the second one Ajhenas, Behn, and Doceo traveled to meet the goblin rebels. Most of the remaining characters remain at the Island Inn, or as Samul calls it “His Palace.”
Shonie is still retired and in Telse.
Brazz, Els and Kuda remain MIA, though in the next sessions they reappear.
Tower Island
Moving through the islands in the bog city the group of Behn, Ixynx, Saffron, and Samul travel via their row boat. Their original plan is to head towards a flame they see at night. Seeing two giant crocodiles trailing them they pull ashore on an island with three towers, it looks to be the urban military headquarters of the Empire of Sheljar.
Among the towers they saw that various gobkon had been there recently, likely hob and mul – the muscle. They also learned that a Kon were likely based one more island over a long bridge with a high arc. They clear the rest of the towers, three of them. There is a barn, an arena, and an armory-forge.
Then they decide to cross the bridge. It is daylight, a mix of hobgoblins and mulgoblins (bugbears) crest the arc. Five faces trudging towards their outpost in one of the towers.
Behn whips out a fireball. Five Kon are blasted overboard, mere bones and ash. There’s a large hole in the bridge now too.
The party then makes its way to the island.
Torq’s Temple
Telling this tale nearly six weeks later isn’t fair to the group. This was entirely roleplayed, no combat at all. I think there were only a couple d20s rolled, one of them was a nat 20, which was played as a critical success. The group will probably fact check me, but this is how I remember it.
Entering Torq’s Temple the group see one of the largest airxips from the expedition. There is smaller ship as well. The bay that holds the airxips is a natural cave that provides protection for ships and is finished in the back. Just one guard is at the stairs that descend from the island down to the shore.
Quick thinking the group, probably Samul, intimidates the hobgoblin. The pit-fighter is a massive human, prone to threats. This hobgob is scared, knowing that several of his friends in rebellion have disappeared to tunneling nightmares, the undead and magic. Magic scares him.
Samul and the rest convince this hob to lead them to a leader. Several other hobs and a mul or two join in escort, but are unwilling to have their companion killed just to battle these four.
Ixnyx recognizes the first mate of the larger ship. This must be the leader of this rebellion. Together Behn, Ixynx, Saffron, and Samul convince that they come hoping to restore Sheljar as vibrant city, but now as one that recognizes that all genders, races are free to be what they desire. They also mention that they killed the Necromancer.
Ooooohs and aaaaaahs echo through the dungeon halls.
Ixnyx asks about the Captain. The first mate mentions that the captain is safe, but not longer in charge. Ixnyx, knows of this captain and asks to meet her.
The group is taken to an office, probably where the old vicar of Torq ran his temple from. There they meet the captain, who though under guard, is well off. The captain acts as if she still rules this ship’s crew. The first mate acts as if he is in charge.
Each agrees that they will meet with more of those that control Sheljar, that’s how Samul’s group presents it, in the next day during mid morning. The group of Lorebook Hunters return to their sanctuary.
A Tunneling Nightmare among Towers
Ajhenas, Behn, and Doceo travel to the tower island to prevent an ambush. While setting camp in the northern tower they are ambushed by a tunneling nightmare. Ajhenas and Behn are on top of the tower. Doceo is on level ground with Vondal and Delg, his loyal mastiffs.
When the noxious cloud of the tunneling nightmare issues warning the group is immediately weakened. Ajhenas throws a rope over the backside of the tower so that Doceo can escape, but the two dogs are left on the ground level. The smaller burrowing tentacles bursts through the ground, slaps Vondal to the turf and a few seconds later flips him towards the gaping maw. A more massive tentacle bludgeons Vondal, smashing the poor mastiff’s face. Delg, immediately leaps forth and drags Vondal back to the safety of Aamar at the inn. With mere seconds to spare Aamar casts revivify saving poor Vondal. Vondal will always show the wound from that massive tentacle.
While the dogs attempt to stay away from the various tentacles Behn and Ajehenas are fighting from the top of the tower. Behn is blasting it with fireball while Ajehenas uses his bow. Behn is a bit less mobile than the Kirtin-born human. He takes a few blasts from the bone vomit (the tunneling nightmare exhales shards of bone as a breath weapon).
When all three men are blasting the nightmare it is slamming the walls of the tower, trying to knock it to the ground. Its last blow weakens the tower, but that is the final effort from the tunneling nightmare.
The men survive, but Vondal, Delg and Doceo are scarred. Doceo does manage to discover how Behn throws balls of fire.
Peace in Sheljar
Most of the rest of the PCs come to the tower island for the meeting (they are present in story, but not played) and the final negotiations for peace are made. Impressed by the carcass of the tunneling nightmare, and knowing that this group has magic the goblins decide to join forces in Sheljar.
Ajhenas, Behn and Doceo ride on the smaller airxip back to the inn. Behn and Doceo tell the Kon to not slow down as they pick up Ajhenas from the top of the tower. His leap to from the tower to the airxip barely succeeds. A few of the Kon are impressed. Others get a chuckle at the near failure.
Two mulgobs decided to stay on the island with the inn, as two of the caravansary families traveled to the island with the Temple to settle that land. The remaining family is working the orchard and field south of the inn. The captain and first mate both return to the temple, both still thinking that they rule that island. Both are wrong.
A few islands are safe. At least two tunneling nightmares are destroyed. Up to a dozen may still exist.
Full Moon Storytelling 