Session Forty-Six (Graveyard of Empires Summary)

(Writing up this summary made me realise we probably spent half the time talking about nothing compared to what we actually got done ahah. Anywho, enjoy! 😛 )

It’s a weary and damaged party that retreats out of Kalligan Keep’s hidden sub-dungeon, the dead body of Hengest being carried up with them. We left the platinum dragon’s head at the base of the stairwell, it currently being far to unwieldy to lift out of the pit without major work.

Aside from Hengest, Axel, Uthruk, Barmyr and Arus are wounded to varying degrees, and the mood is a quiet one. Due to this, we decide to set up for the night and rest off our injuries, taking the time to heal up. Ashton expends is healing spells to heal up Axel, who took a battering at the hands of the scorpions.

Talk turns to fortifying the hole, in case any more nasty beasties find thier way up and interrupt our rest. The best bet seems to be one of blockading the stairs leading into the room, but we also discuss constructing a makeshift bridge over the pit, as well as a pulley system to lift our loot out of the hole.

We send Recusson down to the Broken Oar to gather aid from the party from Midmark.

Eventually, we realise we can just take doors from elsewhere in the castle, and between the dwarves and Finklemur’s carpentry expertise, fit them down at the bottom of the stairs leading into the dungeon. Initially we think about using the heavy cell doors from down in the sub-basement, but figure the cells would be better used intact should we encounter any more oddly unkillable corpses.

Recusson returns with the whole Midmark party. We explain the undead creature to Dagaric Clifford, who remarks as to it’s oddness. We troupe downstairs to show him, opening the door to the delimbed and beheaded torso, which to our dismay appears to be slowly regenerating. He grabs his holy symbol reflexively, and asks what we know of it. He decides to write a letter back to the cathedral in Midmark, as he is unsure what to make of it. Thorfus questions if it may be connected at all to the situation in Newton, but Dagaric believes they are seperate incidents.

Whilst down there, Chuq asks Master Dain’s opinion on the dragon head, who remarks it’s rather nice, and definitely Imperial. Thinks we may have difficulty selling it outside the museum or university due to it’s nature. Private buyers would likely be tricky.

Before setting up camp, we take the time to lay Hengest to rest, realising that it would be too difficult to send him all the way back home. Lacking any family but for a girl back home, we decide hold his funeral there.

With Ashton and Brice in thier roles as clerics, we hold a small ceremony for the mercer-turned-hireling, cremating his body outside the castle walls. Everyone taking the time to say a few words, particularly Barmyr as his fellow spearman.

The dwarves and wizard head back in to begin work on the doors, removing two from the barracks and taking them within. During this, Ashton and Uthruk decide to keep watch down in the sub-basement whilst we work. By evening, our work is complete, and we head down to the inn to get a free dinner.

The innkeeper by now seems to be getting less than happy with our presence, clearly no longer trying as hard with the food. After, several members of the party decide that we should retain a proper watch up at the keep. Axel, Thorfus, Finklemur and Starchy, Ashton, and Barmyr head back up and set watch within the dining room.

Nothing happens until the final watch of Axel and Starchy, whereupon the guarddog begins growling at the stairwell. Axel listens, hearing nothing up until a large bang impacts the door below. Axel wakes Thorfus, reluctant to disturb the magic users until absolutely necessary. Lighting a torch Axel heads down to inspect the door to make sure it isn’t going to break to the continuous thumping, even if it is light. We decide to wait until everyone is rested and ready to deal with the problem, and they finish the watch, the banging falling off after half an hour.

The following day is another overcast and humid day. We regroup after breakfast and prepare for another sortie into the sub-dungeon. Dagaric heals up Axel and Uthruk to bring them up to fighting strength, though Axel requires further help from Brice.

Using Starchy’s keen nose and Chuq’s ears to ensure the path is clear, we open the door and enter the oddly empty dungeon. Whatever had been banging as clearly left. We take the time to make sure the surrounding rooms are clear. Something has definitely been rummaging through one of the barracks rooms, which Starchy confirms.

At the base of the stairs, most disturbingly, the scorpion corpses have disappeared. We scout out the eastern passage first, which looks as it did the day before. Once the lantern is shone over the waters, something disturbs the surface, causing Axel to begin watching the ceiling closely.

Finklemur opts to throw a lump of coal into the water, which then causes two sets of ripples and the glimpse of something long and sinuous to head towards thier location. The party begins firing and the creatures, Chuq leading with his spear. Ultimately, another thrown stone from Finklemur kills a creature due to several misses.

Next, we check west which looks undisturbed, so we look north. A closer inspection reveals that it may merely have been a rising tide that carried off the scorpion corpses, if the fresher smelling water and lines on the walls are any indication.

The party heads south, checking out the door on the east wall. Chuq and Starchy listen again, though only the dog notices anything until Ashton also lends an ear. It seems as though something is moving around in some water.

We open the door into a large chamber with a high ceiling. A raised walkway seems to bisect the room, blocking our sight of the far wall. The floor we can see is flooded with water. A large number of old and battered weaponry line the walls, along with hunting trophies, pennants and standards. Amongst their number, Ashton recognises Midmark standards and Axel and Thorfus see those belonging to various dwarven khels. Several more bring to mind the elves.

Finklemur repeats his rock trick to ascertain the safety of the water, which sees something scaly dive upon the rock, frothing up the water. It appears larger than the centipedes we previously encountered. A second rock bares the same, if a slightly less vigorous response. We check the water’s depth, discovering it to be a rather deep ten feet. After discussing tactics, Ashton throws another rock.

Upon the movement of the creature, Finklemur slams two magic missiles into it. The party follows it up with more rocks and arrows, but are unsure if we land any hits.

Ashton wades out into the water to try and draw the creatures out. He thinks he gets a reaction some ten feet away, and continues thrashing in the water. Suddenly, there is a blinding flash of light and Ashton goes rigid, disappearing beneath the water.

We instantly try to fish him out with the pole, and something bites the end of it. The end snaps off, and several party members instantly open fire with arrows into the water. Finklemur also casts sleep, and two sleeping eels float to the surface. We fish them out and slay them quickly without touching them at all.

Finklemur tries to identify them with his book, but cannot ascertain much other than the fact that they are snake-like. Chuq recognises them as eels however. Ashton’s lifeless body returns to the surface, and we drag it out, confirming that the half-orc is unfortunately dead, his body having been ravaged by the eels teeth.

With some solemnity, we gather up the body, and prepare to return to the surface. Finklemur remains behind to cast web over the water to try and trap any additional creatures below the water in an effort to suffocate them. Something is definitely caught by this tactic, and the party disposes of it at range.

Locking the door, the Boyz head back to the entrance, briefly inspecting the northern passage and engaging in some nonsense with carrots and deciding to procure a boat. Finally. they return upstairs and lay Ashton’s body upon the dining table. After some deliberation , we decide to respectfully bind and bury the body near Kalligan. The group from Midmark join us, Dain grabbing a shovel to assist, and we head over to the local cemetary.

The second ceremony within two days is then held, and everybody again says a few words to Ashton’s memory.

After, we head into town and the harbour, looking to buy a small boat we can use to navigate the waterlogged dungeon, and also some chickens, to use as live bait to avoid any more accidents. We get a sack of five chickens and a few other supplies from the general store.

At the harbour, whilst Thorfus approaches to barter for a small canoe, Finklemur attempts to charm a fisherman to get a better price, failing spectacularly. He runs off instantly, chased by the fishermen’s angry shouts. Chuq handles the purchase, getting the boat and oars for 35 gold, much to the fisherman’s pleasure.

We head back up to the fort, and back into the dungeon, and down the south tunnel to the eel room. Ferrying across the water in the boat, we set up a rudimentary pulley system with some rope to ease the crossing, and head over in groups of four. Thorfus, Chuq, Uthruk and Axel head over first to make sure it’s safe.

We clear the raised walkway and the ladder leading up to it, and look over to the other side, seeing a similar layout to the western side, but without flooding. Several weapons are on the floor, and it is marked with a large square, the corners almost bowl-like indentations. Some unknown substance has stained the stone within the channels and bowls.

We spend a long time inspecting this square and the surrounding walls. Nothing about the weapons seems worth much, damaged, bloodied and cheaply made. All the while, we skirt the edges of the square, everyone reluctant to cross it’s threshold.

Chuq’s expertise and dwarven senses are employed to check the area around the lines of the circle. A long and boring search reveals nothing however, so Axel gets bored and throws in a chicken, which merely results in a chicken chase to recapture the freed fowl.

Feeling a lot of wasted time, the party gets back in the boat and returns to the main southern tunnel, retrieving the boat and rope. Continuing south down the slope, until we come to a door where the corridor is also flooded. Uthruk wades through the water, as it is five foot deep, and opens the door to work out if there is a flow. It takes some fiddling, but he manages to force the door open. The air on the other side seems colder, and he can see a large octagonal room, with further doors and ornate, dragon-carved pillars arrayed around the room.

The others fetch the boat to approach, and make thier way into the room, Uthruk electing to remain in the water. Within a few minutes however, the orc begins to feel weak, and tries to head out of the water, looking pale. Getting him out of the water, we seem several rather large leeches feeding on him. We quickly set to hacking them off, though it seems to be a close call. Brice quickly runs up to heal him.

Feeling it’s necessary to clear the room, we dip a chicken into the water, and float around the room to attract whatever remains. We dredge up three more with this method, and slay them. We continue inspecting the water with the poles, but find nothing else.