Session Forty-Eight Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)

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Session 48, June 9 2021

ParlementBirds.jpg

Introduction

We continue at 6PM on the 13th of Laurilden with the party having arrived back at the Caverns of the Dead just as the sun sets. After quickly checking on their stashed equipment, the group gathers in the large cavern. There is talk of breaking into the bottom of the spider box to recover the items Brendil found as well as plans to attend the Parlement of Birds starting the next morning atop Old Greybeard. Will trying to break open a deadly artifact or insert themselves into a otherworldly council turn out to be the bigger disaster for the party?

Larry's Summary

We leave Raynarth, Cesario, Alfredus, Will Grissel, Folgard, & Hermengart back in the cave to guard it while the main party goes to the Parliament of Birds.

Will works to remove the image of Lolth that desecrated the totem in the cavern.

The party goes to the doors and on the North door in Drow is the word SAFE. We erase it and go in the East door through the maze and to the room with the bridge and use ropes to go down and a rope with a grapple tossed from the bridge, then up the stairs to the cloister and around the cloister to the Tomb of the Matriarchs.

We leave all the stuff that is otherwordly, or that we are not sure of, guarded by Borthan and Forcus outside the tomb.

Rallion places his feather on the pedestal and we all float up and commune before the tombs of each of the mothers.

Rallion kneels before the East/Brita and offers his Roc Feather Cloak. Lungmold offer to her the feather from the hawk we met at Brita's fountain East of Old Greybeard.

Velkin put his hand on the North/Cerida's tomb and the spider box.

Kauri lit a candle to the West/Feldma.

Oskar went South/Oswitha.

Some slept and those who attempted an all night vigil were overcome with sleep. We all had the same vision.

First of Brita as a young woman, and then scenes of her aging. She fought dragons and drove them back.

Next West fighting dragons and dragons seem to be winning.

Finally, North/Oswitha is being prepared for burial and her eyes open and she gives this message:

Time runs short; you must choose your allies from amongst the foes of times past, either singly or united in common cause. Dead Mothers, Tyrant Lizards, Stone Gods, or Opposed Seasons. Choices that are divergent paths to restore what was lost, paths that in turn lead to divergent futures – some fractious, some serene. Otherwise, the City of Brass triumphs and there will be only one common future for this reality like so many before it: death.

Then the final scene:

A scene of a crushed city with a tower being built and a plain full of DVL’s with human slaves being put to work carrying materials to continue to create the tower. On top of the tower at the peak. There’s a shard of stone encased in a crystal globe which grows brighter and brighter in power with power shooting across the planes where all humans and slaves are destroyed while their spirits are sucked into the shard while the DVL’s watch on in rapture.

When we awake we each find something to take with us.

To the East/Brita - Lungmold's feather now has a glow like Rallion's feather, and Rallion's Roc Feather Cloak is different and his vision seems to slid off of it.

To the North/Cerida Velkin hears the spiders saying to Let us out, it will be OK, really.

To the West/Feldma Kauri's candle is still burning.

To the South/Oswitha Oskar's cup of tea is still warm and is always full, and Druul has a new upbeat song of Spring/Summer and growth in his head.

We descend and Rallion retrieves his feather. Then we go to the walkway and retrieve our things. Rallion pours oil on a piece of parchment and lights it and throws it over the edge. (Some seem to think it was some sort of contract.)

We then climb up to the Parliament of Birds and are allowed to address them.

The golden eagle from whom Rallion received his feather is their King. Long ago they swore allegiance to the Summer Lord and the hawk whose feather Lungmold has argued that their first responsibility was to their ancient oath to the Summer Lord.

We argue to getting all factions to work together to fight a common enemy.

When we share our vision via Lungmold to the Parliament of Birds, the owls know the place as the capital of the Dragon Empire and the date the space station hit was the first of Tenrilden and the tower with the Shard will be complete on the 1st of Tenrilden, in ten and a half months.

We manage to convince all factions of the Parliament of Birds to agree to contact all the factions we can think of, those mentioned in the dream, and others like Lord Thornton's rebels, the Floating City of Armada of the half orcs, the golden cat, the people of the Mother's who went South (there are humans living to the South), and others we can think of.

The Parliament of Birds traditionally lasts 3 days, and this was the first.

Rallion suggests using his Starchy Badge as a bona fide to take to the dragons at Xen Khel, and we can possibly get a message to the Winter King. The hawk, Vermillion, is sent as the head of the embassy to the Summer Lord, and Ajax the raven is to go with us when we leave.

We have to decide on a place to meet and a date and time. Both a place they can reach and enough time to do it.

Velkin's Scrolls

Velkin Scrolls 21 – Session 48

Laurilden 13, 6pm

Parliment of the Birds

Our main party goes into the Caverns of the Dead to make their way to attend the Parliment of Birds.

Will removes the image of Lloth desecrating the totem in the cavern.

In Drow across the northern doer, SAFE is written in chalk. We make our way to the chamber of the matriarchs leaving our potentially offensive dvl powered items of dwarven make outside the chamber. Rallion places his feather on the pedestal and we float up to commune with the Mothers.

Rallion beseeches east, Brita, Lungmold as well Kauri to the west, Feldma, Oskar to the south, Oswitha I was drawn to Cerida’s tomb to the North. Others slept.

A lady looks like Oswitha in an area similar to Old Greybeard with indistinct figures.  Looks really young.  Time accelerates.  Somewhere underground older.  Comes up on a magic shell that’s blocking something and she touches it and it falls apart.  Humans fighting dragons, humans doing well.  Brita seems to be charging the dragons and things are going well.  Oswitha fighting dragons but dragons have the upper hand and she and her followers are being routed.  A bunch of women standing around a corpse of what looks like Cerida preparing to put her into her sarcophagus.

Cerida Speaks: Time runs short; you must choose your allies from amongst the foes of times past, either singly or united in common cause. Dead Mothers, Tyrant Lizards, Stone Gods, or Opposed Seasons. Choices that are divergent paths to restore what was lost, paths that in turn lead to divergent futures – some fractious, some serene. Otherwise, the City of Brass triumphs and there will be only one common future for this reality like so many before it: death.

A scene of a crushed city with a tower being built and a plain full of DVL’s with human slaves being put to work carrying materials to continue to create the tower. On top of the tower at the peak. There’s a shard of stone encased in a crystal globe which grows brighter and brighter in power with power shooting across the planes where all humans and slaves are destroyed while their spirits are sucked into the shard while the DVL’s watch on in rapture.

When we awaken: Kauri – the candle is still lit, hasn’t burned down. Lungmold – Hawkfeather glows now like Rallion’s feather. Rallion – rockfeather cloak has shadows woven around it like your eyes want to slide off of it Velkin – Hand on box – listens to the spiderbox, can understand them. Nothing interesting obviously. Druul – new tune in his head, upbeat Oskar – Tea offering – still warmed. Everfilling cup of tea.

I get my first look at the tableaux from the descriptions they gave before, nothing like seeing a wonder such as this with your own eyes…

The 3 tableaux: • Seven warriors who have laid down their arms atop a mountain; behind them is a woman with too many eyes holding scales; seven hearts on one side of the scale are lighter than a feather on the other side (Northwest side) • Three ships setting sail toward the horizon, where the figure of a woman whose arms are full of flowers smiles benevolently (West side) • Human prisoners chained together are led down into the earth by dragon/snake-headed captors (they seem to be on a plateau with a huge waterfall); a young woman with birds on her shoulders and finger sheds a tear watching them descend (Southwest side)

Something flaming falls from the peak and Rallion stands there with a happy, maybe satisfied or even smug look on his face, hard to tell…

We make our way to the Parliment of the Birds in the Roc Nest. They’re all speaking in the listener’s native language, we all can understand each other easily. A heated debate is going on at present. We’re on one edge of the nest and approach the group. In the center, a large golden eagle who seems to be in charge. A parrot, brightly colored, he’s making an argument to working against the DVL’s. Could mean working with the summer lord, but they need to guide the summer lord to work with Media and not try to conquer the world.

Crows and owls are on board, other groups are jeering. Songbirds jeering, Hawks aren’t on board.

Velkin moves toward the Corvids Lungmold moves toward the hawk who gave him the feather. Rallion is hanging with the duck at present. Druul and Brendil head toward the brightly colored songbirds. Felix, Borthan, Kauri and Oskar hangs behind Rallion.

Lungmold shows the hawk feather and Rallion holds up his feather.

Rallion, Lungmold and I ask to be recognized to address the Parliment and are acknowleged by the Golden Eagle.

Rallion gives the Parliment the message and vision we received from the Mothers last night. They recognize the place of the vision is where the Dragon Emperor’s palace was.

The Owl asks, what ally gives way to Serenity. Unknown.

Ravens: Matriarchs have been gone along time, fought the Dragons ages ago and fell to them. Descendents are very few. Some lived here, some to the West in the Jungle. Some sacred places in the jungle are left. Other structures – graves of the champions to N, Unclear what it means by the dead mothers.

A Gull speaks of other lands of across the oceans to where (South) a land of ice, small number of humans live there. May have a matriarch connection. Where the mother sailed?

Albatross: Pirate kingdom floating city is intact. We ask the Parliment if they’d be willing to be messengers for us, the Wardens of Meidiea. Ajax, a Raven, will accompany us after the Parliment.

The songbirds, corvids, parrots, and owls are all on board, the Raptors abstain in the vote to aid us.

The Golden Eagle (king) says: the Parliment will do as we request and try to reach the different factions, including the golden cat, and bring them together, an old oath was made to the Summer Lord and Vermilion, the Hawk, will be in charge of the delegation going to the Summer Lord.

There are 26 harpies at the Mountain of the 7 warriors.