Session One Hundred and Thirty-Eight (Graveyard of Empires Summary)
Session 138 January 11, 2017
9:00 pm, the 26th of Tanrilden on board the Jolly Gorgon
AD Cloak reads 00.000.04.19
Thorfus watches on the top deck as Edan studies below. Everyone else is resting, specifically, Chuq is napping before he and Ronan plan to swim across the Vargen Harbor to plant memories into the remaining Punters. After pacing the deck for over an hour, Thorfus spies a heat source floating over the buildings of the harbor district. It moves from the north in an almost straight horizontal line to the southern docks and is soon lost among the masts of the ships moored in the Triad held docks. Wanting a quick way to investigate, Thorfus rushes below decks but can not rouse the sleeping monk. Seems the previous sleepless day was more than Chuq could bear. Next Thorfus informs the invisible Edan of what he has seen. Kalgunn deduces the mysterious flyer must be an ancient dwarven flying skiff. Casting invisibility on Thorfus, the two disembark the Jolly Gorgon to investigate. Axel is assigned deck watch while Ronan is left to sleep below.
When they reach the Jolly Gorgon’s previous berth, they notice a new ship flying an ensign from Crescent Isle lashed to our previous locale. They notice Synnove the Triad harbor master pacing nervously. Shortly after, Synnove tells one of his lackeys “Need you to get a message to the bosses, we some people from upriver are here looking for those Midmark… just tell the bosses we have visitors from upriver.” Then Synnove sends the rest of his night time crew for drinks in doors. Edan ask Boris to follow the first lackey but they decide to keep watch near Synnnove.
Meanwhile at the Jolly Gorgon (read in your best Ted Knight), Axel gets his first look at the flying skiff as it skirts the docks from the bay side moving west to east. As the Jolly Gorgon comes into the skiff’s view, it’s course straightens directly for the Jolly Gorgon and steadily rises above the waves. Higher and higher it rises until it passes directly over the deck where a spout of flame ignites the top of the central mast. Barking orders to Bellisonte and Sturloc, Axel rushes to the ships moorings.
As Sturloc and Bellisonte raise the alarm and rally the crew and Mercs, Axel prepares to engage the skiff as it turns about to assault the Jolly Gorgon once again. The battle is mostly one sided as the skiff makes three more passes over our ship. After the central, the aft then forward masts are set ablaze as crew emerge from below and attempt to control the fire. Axel attempts to grapple the skiff with a line but fails twice. Ronan carries the comatose Chuq to the shore when he fails to wake the monk. Sturloc sends the missile armed mercs to help Axel return fire to the skiff then tasks the melee armed mercenaries to help him save first Edan’s work then the party’s three large chest of magical weapons and treasure. Bellisonte renders aid where she can but the skiffs fiery attacks and dropped bombs kill an alarming number of the crew. Most flee ashore leaving the Sturloc’s team below and Axel’s team on deck to stand and fight among the flames.
The first relief was a small band of Wall District watch that quickly disappears once they take in the plight we are facing. If they had stayed, they would have seen six shapes drop to the deck after all three masts are burning beyond control. Those on the deck are then beset by three dwarves in modern Dwarven Power Armor sporting Silver Throne badges on their cuirasses. The other three power armored dwarves plunge through the top deck, landing among Sturloc’s team laden with the large chest. Taking a quick measure of the threat, Sturloc commands his crew to abandon the chests and escape to the top deck, planning to seal the deck hatch behind them. Their exit is barred by two Dwarves forcing a fierce melee that butchers most of our men. Ronan and Axel eventually stand off against one Dwarf brandishing a lightning axe that mirrors Thorfus’.
The three assailants below decks ignore Sturloc’s team and are heard smashing the contents below decks, no doubt looking for Kalgunn. Too many minutes too late, Chuq suddenly gains consciousness on shore and takes in the catastrophe. A nearby crew man is handed a large purse of gold and told to rush to the Wall District guard house to alert Captain Ellisondro of our plight. The gold is meant to grease as many palms as necessary to reach Ellisondro. Yelling to the others on shore to care for the wounded, Chuq shadow steps on the fore deck. Eventually only a heavily wounded Chuq and Ronan are facing five power armored Dwarves. Lunging for the unconscious Axel slumped on the deck and Ronan’s hand, Chuq shadow steps the three onto a nearby roof. Preparing to defend the injured on the dock and ashore, they see the power armored dwarves return below deck. Supposedly to search some more before the burning ship sinks. Chuq commands the crew on the dock to remove the gangplank and cut the moorings so that the Jolly Gorgon could be shoved off the dock.
Then Captain Elissondro arrives with a sizeable force of guards men. Knowing Axel is OK, Chuq and Ronan shadow step back to the street and give Ellisondro a quick report. Ellisondro agrees to tend to our wounded and help release and push the Jolly Gorgon away from the dock. As we are working on the dock, Edan and Thorfus arrive. Understandably, the invisible Thorfus demands and explanation which Chuq gives albeit only what he witnessed since waking. Thorfus isn’t terribly happy Chuq planned to scuttle his ship if only to drown the boarders.
Thorfus dons his control circlet and sets the monkey autonatoms on board to assault the Silver Throne Dwarves. Two dwarves are quickly trapped within their power less armor when the monkeys extract their suit’s batteries. This prompts the leader to send a lightning bolt straight up into the sky. No doubt as a signal to the skiff. Thorfus sees in the monkey’s eyes that the other dwarves are preparing to fight ….