Session Eighty-Four (Graveyard of Empires Summary)
Session 84 November 25, 2015
After healing we have Deric rest so that he can do another round of healing.
During our first watch, Edan decides to scout to the north and is surprised to see a flaming cart hurdling south. A monkey rides above the flames with something clutched between it’s legs. As it rushes by him, the monkey drops into the flames within the cart’s bucket. Upon striking our barricade, Belroar is close enough to reach into the cart but only fumbles futilely after the object the monkey had held in its legs. A roaring explosion occurs. Belroar and part of our barricade are damaged by the blast.
Badly damaged, we do our best to patch up Belroar. Thorfus prepares for the next monkey incursion by changing the nearest track switch to send a cart away from our camp site. We also move our barricade further north lay a derailing pole across the tracks even further north. Edan continues to scout north as Chuq stands guard nearer the barricade.
After Edan returns to report his findings, we use a heal potion on Belroar then wait for Deric to rest & memorize his spells. After healing up, we explore the first forge room to the north. A single gorilla autonotom is still in this room. He doesn’t respond to our explorations. After some debate we decide to leave him after we have stuffed material into the monkey bolt hole in the east wall. For good measure, we spike the connecting trapdoor to the west of this room.
While we move our barricade north, we decide to secure a ladder bridge spanning an underground chasm to our north guarded by two monkeys. Chuq shadow steps with Edan and Thorfus behind the monkeys, attacking with surprise. When these two are defeated, a hidden pair of monkeys ascend the southern chasm wall then sever the bridge tie downs on that side.
The three Boyz “stranded” to the north watch as Axel and Belroar confront those two. Edan and Thorfus try to help with several missiles with mixed success. Actually little success if one asks Axel the hedgehogs side of the story! Belroar repairs the ladders bridge’s southern connection after the second pair of monkeys are defeated.
Shortly after, a third pair of monkeys enter stage right, pushing an empty mine cart along the tracks directly towards the Boyz south of the ladder bridge. A fight ensues, Sturloc is laid low by this third pair. A quick group shadow step outflanks them, allowing us to render aid soon enough to save his life.
While we recover from the mayhem, Belroar and Edan successfully activate the mining cart’s drive motors and decide to go for a ride. They disappear to the east. When next we see them, their cart is hurtling westward along the cart tracks to our north. A short round to the north over a vast open space brings their ride to a halt at a terminus guarded by – you guessed it – another pair of Monkeys! Bathed in moon light from a short tunnel to the north, they duel blades versus fists.
The mountain shakes, a rumble surrounds us, the floor shakes and dust rains from above. Something BIG is happening.
Valiantly, Thorfus pursues the Thugee cart at his best sprint speed. Running along the elevated cart tracks, he joins the melee as one of the monkeys scampers over the edge near the terminus. Thorfus scurries after the Monkey, descending down to a floor carpeted with various metal gears, cogs and machine parts. The other Boyz collect themselves and follow northward.
As both monkeys are slain, another deafening thunder shakes the mountain. A giant shape burst from the gear strewn floor, casting a lunar sized shadow over the gawking Thorfus. The shape rises, rises and rises. Through the dust we can all see from our different places a undulating giant mechanical tower swaying over the tiny Thorfus. The immense snake like machine is capped with three arms tipped with spinning giant spiked wheels. Behind the spinning rock crushing wheels, we can see what look like an ancient dwarf fused into the mechanic. An abomination similar to the Bioforge research chief engineer. We can see a control circlet on the head of the ancient dwarf!
From the north and the east, the Boyz array themselves for the struggle to come. Thorfus does the same by pressing our favorite button. Cheers reverb about the chamber as we see twenty different versions of our leader slash or lunge or thrust the construct’s flailing head. A head that has flailed it’s last this day.
As is our way, we swarm about the construct trying to divine its secrets. Belroar extricates the ancient dwarven fused into the machine. Curious, no one bothers to offer the corpse any last rights. The machine itself is made of the same special metal as the portal control chairs and library cube pedestals. We consider dismantling some pieces to sell to Marchmain but decide against it. We’d rather find a way to use the construct ourselves. Hoping to do so, Thorfus dons the control circlet the corpse had worn. He immediately faints!
He recovers quickly after we remove it from his brow. Belroar offers to give it a try. Variously, we remind Belroar that the dwarves have first, second and only access to ancient dwarven artifacts. Demurely, he acquiesces.
Edan explores the moonlight to the north and discovers the cavern exits at the southern Colossi supporting the western Xen Khel stone bridge.