Session One Hundred and Seventy-Two Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)
Session 172, March 13 2024
Introduction
We continue at 4:10PM on the 22nd of Anurilden (00.000.08.08 on the Apocalypse Clock) with the party having finished a preliminary exploration of the sinkhole near Feldmark in an attempt to find or recover the Gilded Gusset and their missing companions. Unfortunately, there was no sign of a wreck at the bottom of the waterfall nor any clues as to whether the group's friends survived. There has also been no sign of the Stone God since the party outran the creature the previous day. Have they lost their magma-spewing pursuer? Did anyone on the Gilded Gusset survive? What is the next destination for the party? Find out next time; or not.
Larry's Summary
We debate what to do next.
We decide to scout the ships and identify the one(s) with food and secure them so they don't wash into the abyss that has altered the river.
Then head back to Dun Khel after retrieving the discharged god stone to warn them about potential arrival of DVLs and the issue with the river and need to retrieve the food over land.
Not all the food is good. Vermin has been at work. For the most part it can be used and there is plenty of it. The name of the ship is the Humble Harpy.
We re-stock our food stocks 30 week's rations equivalent for one person.
We go to loot the city hall.
We see a flash of light come streaking down from the sky to the North and two more follow it in quick succession.
Before we leave the roof of the tower, Kauri sees even from this distance there is a bit of blue glow around it. It isn't as far away as Dun Khelor could easily be where Garus Khel was.
We decide to continue our looting as an hour or so won't make much difference in when we get back to Dun Khel and whether or not it is in time to warn of DVLs.
An infected oozing mucous attacked us. Druul used the whip and actually hit. It slices the skin and causes it to make a save and it has open wounds that continue to bleed. Thorfus hits and takes it down and explodes. Save vs. poison for everyone.
Druul, Velkin, Glompus, and Aeda fail their saves. Kauri tries blood magic cure disease on Aida and uses his own blood. Kauri has to Save vs. Spells since he is not a cleric. There is a surge of energy and Aida asks if she will be OK. That is just like the Chosen One would do. I didn't realize that you were of the favored of The Mothers. Aida gives Kauri a quick bow. I don't want to become like that so thank you.
Druul was healed using Renthark's blood, and Velkin gave his own blood to heal himself. Glompus is healed using Kauri's blood after he eats some of the healing buds.
After the near catastrophe from the exploding mucous infected, the party decides to call off their looting.
We signal Prixithalma who rejoins us and says, "Back so soon?" Glompus said, "We found a greater treasure, prudence."
Prix carries us in the longboat back to the Bronze Wizard.
On the way back Druul and Velkin come down with the sniffles.
Velkin bleeds for them both and Kauri casts on Velkin first.
Mechanic is that Kauri must Save Vs. Spell to cast successfully. It feels "constipates" when save.
It takes several times before Druul is cured of disease, then several more for Velkin.
We don't see the god stone as Prix flies over the mud flats. Glompus recalls exactly where it was and it isn't there.
We notice that there is a large mechanical wasp on deck. Buzz is back!
Velkin asked Buzz how his trip was. He had his fill. As he was leaving these creatures, monkeys were leaving, heading North. Away from whatever that installation was. There was some kind of explosion. I started to go back to look, but I don't think it's there anymore. The river is gone, there is a hole, it was huge. I just turned and came to find you.
Buzz says he will travel with us and help us in what we are doing. I should be well for quite some time. I am a bit disappointed that that place is no more. Perhaps we can find ways to provide sustenance in other ways. Buzz finds a place on deck to rest.
We have most of two days sailing to get back to Dun Khel.
While we travel, Druul teaches us more of the sign language that he and Grisl worked out.
Glompus gets 11 meals of fish.
Druul plays for the healing buds that previously were 3 saplings. He gets 12 buds off of them. They will need replanting when we get somewhere. It will be a bit before they bear more buds.
Thorfus scans with his blessed spyglass towards where the landing place of the DVLs. The Khel Run river is now gone since the Khel is gone.
No signs of any DVLs or other random monsters as we are traveling.
By evening of 23rd near area where first met Glompus. Nigel feels confident in the waters and can continue overnight and we should reach Dun Khel in the morning.
We see the sea caves and the tide is not correct when we arrive to land.
Nigel checks his logbook and the tides should allow us to dock or them to row out to us about Noon.
We take a longboat to the docks. We see crowds along the docks. Yuri Khelson, the chief attendant for the Lord Marshal Torvankul. The Midmark contingent it there, Em and baby Aubry, Alesta Drakul - high priestess of Merendur, Baswick Telman Midmark Harbormaster was working for Feldmark's secret guard , Admiral Quinnel Franck, Cvelnid, and Mortimer Fennic.
We tie off and are surrounded by dwarves. The emissary of the Lord Marshal comes forward. The sentries said they only saw one ship and asked about the food ship. Velkin answers that the ship is there but the river doesn't run to the ocean anymore. The creature is dead now. Glompus tried to take credit. The Lord Marshall will want to speak to you immediately.
Thorfus steps forward and says in dwarven that he will be happy to report to the Lord Marshall and spare him the ravings of these two lunatics.
Yori says, well, you can all come. He snaps and sends runners to have a private audience ready.
If we could be discrete about anything that might cause a panic? Yes, Thorfus glares at the others.
As soon as you have your audience, we will bring you to our friends. Nigel says, I'll tell them.
Velkin asks quietly if we want to send the new books for Aldus to take a look at?
Thorfus says that we need to keep those under out control and should deliver them ourselves.
A lot of people stop and watch us.
The fact that we came back with an extra and are missing a few.
Once in tighter tunnels where no one else is around. Yuri says, So, we had a bit of excitement while you were gone. He looks for our reaction. Thorfus, Yes, we heard.
They looked like regular men, then they changed into dragons. I believe they left with some of your compatriots the older women who was working in the workshops. They came in with subtlety, the leaving was dramatic with four large dragons flying out the funnel of the sea cave.
A lot of those looks were rumors that you might be working with the dragon empire. Thorfus says that he is a firm opponent of the dragon empire. Apparently one of them left a gift of beard oil. That was the goateed gentlemen who turned into a black dragon, Jardin who left the beard oil. He is my nemesis, we have tried to kill each other numerous times, he is taunting me.
We are led to the private audience chamber of the Lord Marshall with lots of documents at a long table and we are invited to sit with him. Thorfus motions to Aeda and Glompus to take those chairs down there.
Thorfus gives a report that the orcs decided they would head to Armada and we had a fight on our hands. We anchored and met up with the gnome ranger, Glompus.
We found the ancient dwarven khel and found ancient dwarven machinery with dwarven magic and we made our way to our rendezvous and met Captain Nigel. On the way back to the Khel Run Rive no longer flows to the sea. The fields in the area are ready for.
Feldmark we saw the monstrosity in the city apparently motionless. A giant creature of stone opened a chasm under the river and our ship and companions were lost. The stone giant destroyed the monstrosity. The stone giant is not there. There are some undead still in the city.
The barge with the food is still there.
We had the understanding that the monstrosity was scaring away the DVLs. Two nights ago we saw lights coming down from the sky that we feel are DVLs. They may be on their way.
Do not mention this outside this room.
Velkin suggests harvesting closer to the coast instead of through the mountains.
Thorfus mentions that with the right plan and crew it might be possible to form a new channel so that the Feldrun once again flows to the sea.
Do you have an explanation for this. I have a reliable account that the older woman Ithirialma was one of them that changed form into a dragon.
I will say that they didn't cause any actual damage, but quite a bit of alarm.
The dragons are not coming here. We can guarantee that the dragon empire is no more, with no army or navy and they are refugees like the rest of us.
Velkin says, I think that is the best interpretation of events.
The Lord Marshall says, so you traveled unawares and her companions tracked her down.
Kauri says that they are also enemies of the DVLs.
The Lord Marshall said that they flew North, offshore, away.
Thank you.
Thorfus, "It didn't turn out quite the way we hoped."
The Lord Marshall says we can go back to our friends and he will send our reward in an easily transportable form.
Yuri leads us to the clan hall where the Midmark refugees live.