Session One Hundred and Thirty-Six (Graveyard of Empires Summary)
Session #136 or “Vargen Intrigues Redux Redux”
Journal Entry – 25th of Tel-Relden
Aunt Fel had a nice way to describe our situation, “poor foresight leads to a tangled web” – and boy did we get some things wrong.
Last night (around 7PM on the 24th) we arrived at the 12th Night Inn in Vergen in the hopes of not attracting as much attention had we gone to the company’s usual haunts.
It looked promisingly empty (due to the embargo no doubt) but it was not to last – even after we purchased all the remaining rooms. It seems that our profile has become too high.
Not long after we settle down for a drink and some planning that a group of 10 mercenary types burst into the room – hands on their hilts. Had Axel not waved us down a battle would have likely ensued – it seemed that men were lead by an acquaintance – Adelard.
Adelard ushered in two merchant types who immediately recognized the other members in introduced themselves to me as Phyllis Birie (Mercers Guild Mistress) and Odarg Bervermann a local council member. Both seemed politically concerned with our presence and Chuq’s actions earlier today in the streets seems to have only confused matters. It seems our arrival has been noticed by many parties – and not in a good way.
Thorfus proposed we move to a more private room to continue our delicate conversation.
Odarg explains that the city is a shambles, hanging by a thread with people straving, even fighting in the streets over scraps to feed themselves. The turf-war between the Bargemen and Triad has to end one way or the other – obviously they’d prefer that the Bargemen win so that they’ll be the senior partner. They fear that if the Triad wins (they are imperially backed) they’ll be relegated to a more junior position.
The Triad have the upper hand – having taken control of the old Bargemen compound and the prison on Eye Island (an old Imperial fortification used as a prison). They’ve even managed to steal the Bargemen’s Dragon Hoard.
They implore that we take action, even offering us facilities and materials we could use – but Thorfus and Chuq commit to nothing, but do take their offer to move our ship to a more secure mooring near the Inn.
We go to the docks and Chuq, Thorfus and Axel “step” back to the ship and to have it move to the new mooring. After bribing the guide to shut their mouth, Ronin and I decide to head back to the Inn rather than wait here – but Ronin, to his credit, noticed that we were being followed – by a rank amature to boot. It didn’t take long for use to corner the poor sod and find out that he’d been hired by the Silver Throne to follow me, or rather Kalgunn. With that we returned to wait for the ship – this time I was invisible.
As we waited we spotted other terrible spies.
When the ship arrived we boarded and related to he others what we discovered.
However – our luck – we’re interrupted by Gronsk (so I’m told) who is waiting for Thorfus to deliver his message from Dreys – which he does. He then offers to trade the Bargemen’s location in exchange for the reason we’re back in Vargen – Thorfus tells him we’re here to deal with the Bargemen. The Bargemen leaders are holed-up on-board a ship – a ship that was moored next to the Jolly Gorgan only a short while earlier – ???????
NOTE: Gronsk did not mentally communicate with Chuq. It seems that he’s wary of the Monk – could it be because of the “Night Court”?
Being late, we decided to sleep on board rather than attempt a return to the INN, I remain invisible in the hopes to confuse potential spies.
While my companions slept, I decided to pen a letter to my guild-mates back home. It may spell my doom, but if they can delay or hamper the Imperials and/or the Silver Throne the risk will be worth it. I noticed a haberdashery not far from here – with some luck I could get the message out without the others noticing.
We woke earlier today and headed out on the trail of Kottar – hitting up Benedictus Sherston, the sage we know he consulted with.
He was resistant to tell us anything, but a rather large gem (which I promptly swapped for one of much lower quality – Thorfus needs to negotiate a little more frugally) quickly changed his mind and he told us that he sent Kottar to consult with Parnell Thorett in High Town. It seems Kottar knew we’d come looking for him.
We made our way to High Town but Thorfus could remember where Parnell lived – so we asked a local to guide us – for a price of course.
From the Haberdashery in High Town: 4 blocks in, turn left, 4 more blocks, we see the “Lonely Barely” inn to the right, then right for 2 blocks then left 2 blocks that way, then right 2 blocks, and he points to a building on the left.
Parnell’s mansion is finely built, but in disrepair. We knock and are met with resistance, telling us that all the expedition positions have been filled. But Chuq insists and eventually lets us in and admits to knowing who we are and what happened in Xen’Kel with Prix. He continues to let us know that Prix is alive, but cannot wake, and the expedition went to Nickel Peaks in order to find the brass dragon and ask it for some blood in order to help her.
It seems that Dragons are immortal – that, like some Dwarves we know, their spirits go into the “dark” and can return with the proper ritual. It seems that the blood of three dragons can revive Prix.
The brass dragon, Myrientaxus, has been around for a very long time and has avoided the Imperials. He was last spotted near Glavnone (a ancient Dwarven Mine). Parnell doesn’t know why it avoided the imperials.
The expedition set out on the 1st of tel-relden (2 weeks ago). Kottar thinks the Brass Dragon would help him find blood of 2 other dragons.
Parnell then showed us on the map the path they took – up the Vargwater, then north through the Jungle.
Parnell’s library is vast and intriguing – Chuq and I have decided to explore the library for answers to some of our questions with Parnell’s help while the others prepare for our trip up the Vargwater.
I hope to find some indication where the council hid after the fall, what the “dark” really is, while Chuq wants to study the anatomical drawings of the dragons in order to find a way to kill them more efficiently.
Parnell is back with some tea – I’ll resume later.