Session One Hundred and Forty (Graveyard of Empires Summary)
Session 140 January 25, 2017
6am 27th Tanrilden
AD Clock reads 00.000.04.18
At 6:00 am the morning after the skiff assault, Thorfus and Almeric discuss the situation on the wreck of the Jolly Gorgon. There are Wall District watchmen ashore monitoring the dock, the man and dwarf and obviously the sky. Almeric reports that the Jolly Gorgon isn’t going anywhere anytime soon its current condition. Also, most of the crew no longer wish to serve Captain Thorfus. The only exception are himself and two others from Shelton, Astin and Ericus. The other hands have consented to help get the boat to where it may be repaired but refuse to stay on hand after that. Turning the conversation to actually repairing the Gorgon, Almeric speculates there might be someone in Vargen who can help but he knows for sure that Xenilum Khel has a dock that can fix the JG but of course the crew won’t be around for that trip.
Thorfus learns from the Wall District guardsmen that the nearest dock to ours in Hightown harbor has a crane that is owned by the barge men’s guild. After triaging the injured mercenaries, Thorfus visits Edde who operates the punter’s crane dock. Almeric organizes the crew to tow the Jolly Gorgon to Edde’s dock while the party goes in town to shop.
Our first stop is a local Ark Temple shrine on Wall Street. Brother Feskin, a fan of the Em/Talon pulps, cures light wounds for most of us for our signatures on a copy and a discounted price. Next we return Tericius the armorer’s cart then invite him to the Gorgon wreck to estimate the skiff/barge job. While visiting Jaharis at the burnt down 12th knight, Chuq sends a message via Wall District watchmen to Captain Ellisondro telling him of our intent to depart and asking for alerts of any questionable going-ons at the High Town/Wall District gates. We return to the Jolly Gorgon after Thorfus gifts a large (1K gp) gem to Jaharis. There, a man delivers a message after introducing himself as a grey cloak.
The message is a hand written note from Jardin ordering the Keepers of the Council to cease all operations against the Bargemen’s guild leadership. Other options are being arranged instead. The grey cloak leaves shortly after handing the note over, explaining the need not to be seen with us. Thorfus bargains with Edde negotiating on price for the barge, dock use and crane operation. Now awake, Edan hires Tericius agreeing on a bonus rate if the armorer can finish the job to Edan’s satisfaction in less than 6 hours. Actually, Tericius doesn’t earn the bonus. The job takes the 12 hours he originally estimated.
Thorfus stays at the punter’s dock to supervise. During this time, Edde tells a rumor of a riot in Far Harbor last night. Human rioters assaulted the Brotherhood of the World Forge, even killing a few dwarves.
Axel, Chuq and Ronan visit High Town to outfit for our trip north. Axel acquires provisions and equipment while Chuq and Ronan negotiate a healing mission with the Ark Temple. Father Pradays, the dog frother, arranges a mission after a tip of froth from Ronan. He leads Sisverto, Cuerte, Finkelheal and a bevy of acolytes to the punter dock to treat our injured. The clerics get everyone back on their feet. Before they return to the temple, Thorfus purchases a small fortune of healing potions and holy water from Pradays, who isn’t interested in giving a volume discount. Edan convinces Priest Finkelheal to enlist as his henchman to the relief of Father Pradays. Seems the two were not overly fond of each other.
Once the skiff is affixed to the barge and it is obvious we plan to set off without the Jolly Gorgon, Edde asks Thorfus the ship’s fate. Thorfus suggest letting her go for a very good price which prompts Edde to dash off into the night. He returns some time later with Merrick the Punter leader. Merrick is very happy, seems the future is so bright he can afford a fixer upper yacht for the easy days ahead. He pays Thorfus enough in cash that the party almost comes up even after today’s shopping spree.
The barge quietly gets under way, floating eastward until we are well beyond any Vargen eyes. With confidence, Edan handles the skiff’s pilot controls causing the whole cobbled contraption to silently lift out of the water and into the sky. Moving at a hurried walking pace, the Keeper Skiffle rises no more than 60 feet above the surface and slowly turns northerly. To port, we can see the copse outside of the Wall District has been calamitously been disturbed. To investigate means nearing Vargen. Edan keeps her steady as Ronan suggests someone fetch a spyglass for a better look.