Session One Hundred and Thirty-Nine (Graveyard of Empires Summary)

Session 139 January 18, 2017

11:20pm 26th of Tanrilden on the dock watching the burning Jolly Gorgon

AD Clock reads 00.000.04.19

Through his rapport with the battling monkey autonotoms, Thorfus hears the following from the now vacant modern power armor suits: “You have served the hidden ones admiralty. May Xeno Tel preserve you. Suits 2, 4, 5, and 6 critical count down command authority.” Moments later the power armors explode, the flames erupting from the suits on the top deck the midship cabin’s windows exploding outward followed by rolling jets of flame.

The plumes on the deck unfurl into wing shapes. Through the smoke and waving hazy air those still standing witness the wings are attached to small scaled skinned humanoid shapes. The creatures’ heads are horned and their wings are leathery and bat like. Their dramatic arrival spurs the gawking Wall District guardsman to flee with reckless abandon. The tumult caused by their flight draws Thorfus’ attention, he sees on the northern horizon a burning fire to the north east somewhere in or beyond the Wall District. Perhaps as far away as where the partially excavated berserker autonotom rests. Ronan joins the guardsman as far as the building where the unconscious Axel lies comatose. Followed by Chuq, Ronan rushes to Axel’s aid with healing potions in hand.

The winged creatures fly towards shore with murder in their minds, as divined by the night cap. As they pass, Thorfus lets loose with a bolt of lightning from his Axe. Unlike before, the grip of the axe vibrates violently in Thorfus’ grasp as the lighting lances towards the flyers. Following Ronan’s example, one of the mercenaries helps the unconscious Bellisonte gingerly drink a healing potion. Awakened, she helps the injured on the dock after confirming Sturloc is alive if not completely well. Two healing potions later, Axel takes to peppering the burning Jolly Gorgon with arrows.

Chuq and Ronan shadow step onto the dock to help Thorfus combat two of the winged devils. Eventually Thorfus downs both. During the melee, a power armored Dwarf battling two devils on the Jolly Gorgon and dodging Axel’s arrows, turns to flee. He leaps from the conflagrating ship to the dock but slips on the landing, plunging into the dark waters below. The flying skiff had returned during this fracas, and was struck once by Edan’s lightning and then again by a fusillade of the elf’s magic missiles. Edan ignores Chuq and Thorfus invitation to board the passing skiff so they are only joined by Ronan after it had turned and was making another approach to the dock.

Using the shadows cast by the crew, the three shadow step from the dock onto the flying skiff, surprising the three Dwarfs on board. Ronan occupies one while Chuq and Thorfus slay another. As Thorfus charges the pilot of the skiff, Edan strikes it’s hull with another volley of magic missiles. This brings the skiff crashing down onto the Jolly Gorgon. The impact stuns Chuq, Ronan falls as if he was run through and by an act of sheer will power, Thorfus survives only to be laid low by the pilot’s battle axe shortly thereafter. The devils on board the Jolly Gorgon are crushed.

The wrecks are about to sink but are saved by an ice wall from Edan’s Merendur Wand. As the ice solidifies, Axel leaps onto the sheet to confront the pilot. The pilot charges across the downwardly sloped ice, misses Axel and drops into the water. This allows Axel to aid Ronan and Thorfus. Thorfus regains his feet but Ronan, much like Axel before him remains comatose. Axel yells to the mercenaries on shore to recover the Keeper’s loot in the Jolly Gorgon. Edan organizes the crew to repair the ship before the ice melts.

Edan then searches the skiff, paying intense attention to the engines and it’s structural integrity. Unfortunately, the skiff is broke in twain by the crash. He does learn the skiff’s flat keel is composed of reliquary/portal gate metal. This puzzles Kalgun since the metal needs a flame as hot as dragon fire to mold. Writing is discovered on the gunwale near the bow, the word “Suttung” is below an etching of an anvil with crossed hammers. This also puzzle Kalgun since it is obviously a maker mark but one he doesn’t recognize. Edan then studies the pilot’s helm and through fiddling almost raises one half of the broken skill from the other. The skiff appears to be powered by a bank of 8 modern style triangle batteries, three of which are still powered showing a total of 9 charges.

During the mop up, shortly after midnight, Caesar the cat familiar returns. His arrival coincides with a intense light show in the far eastern sky. The fixed star over Lonely Isle bursts into sun like brilliance. Calling for the spy glass, Edan’s body coruscates with creeping arcs of pure energy. Oblivious to those around him keeping their distance, Edan lifts the tossed spy glass to see a fiery jet erupting from a cylinder streaming down. Eventually the jet of flame fades and then goes out, masking the cylinder in the darkened sky. The Fixed Star over Lonely Ilse is now gone completely. Kalgunn comments that the cloaking device must still works.

Through his scrying mask, Thorfus views both the Lonely Isle and Xen Khel. Each are quiet night time landscapes. No longer arcing with energy, Edan listens to Caesar’s report. The familiar expects trouble. Synnove’s henchman was followed to a fortified tenement block in High Town where he was next seen dead by the hands of a very angry man that must have received Synnove’s message. The same very angry man told a nearby boy that the Dwarves have to pay for their naked aggression. Caesar left as he saw many men arming for battle.

Then runners arrive, seeking Captain Ellisondro. Their report is that the Twelfth Knight has been destroyed by walking armored things that burst into the inn and torched the whole place. Captain Ellisondro tells Edan that he heard rumors to the effect that the Triad leaders meet at the castle of the three guilds in High Town.

While Ronan still lies unconscious, Thorfus borrows his swimming Ring to search for the Power Armored dwarves that sunk during the fight. His pal Gronsk, the devil fish arrives and after a short negotiation, agrees to help find the pilot on the bottom of the bay floor. In return Thorfus promises to deliver the message in a few days. After a rebreather at the surface, Gronsk swims Thorfus to a suit of armor standing on the bay floor. Tying a line then recovering it to the surface, he finds different kind of magic battle axe and a bouncing betty mine.

Thorfus searches below again for the other missing dwarf. He and Gronks have another negotiation to learn that just a half hour ago Merrick the Punter returned with a deal from Lord Thorton. He and the other Punter’s guild leaders now have an agreement that makes them subordinate to the Triad but since they are still wanted in Midmark, the embargo of Vargen would continue.