Session Ninety-Seven Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)
Session 97, June 8 2022
Introduction
We continue at 12:40AM on the 15th of Denrilden (00.000.09.16 on the Apocalypse Clock) with Malgrim in in shambles after various explosives hidden throughout the city detonate during the Winter Elves' conscription lottery. From the vantage point of the Embassy, the party can see that both Higiki Citadels and the city's main bridge (along with the Automaton temple of the Czizek Jagartha) have collapsed. It soon dawns on the group that, cut off from the portal in the citadel, they are trapped in the Underdark and unable to return to the ships on the surface. Meanwhile, Khelratha discovers from the other side that the Malgrim portal has been destroyed. How will the party reunite to continue their mission to the mainland? What will the Winter King's reaction be to the chaos in Malgrim? Is the embassy still safe? Find out next week!
Larry's Summary
Party in Malgrim suggests Higeki guard organize as a police force to restore/maintain order.
Velkin uses Khelratha’s spyglass to look across the chasm.
Much discussion of what to do with the embassy, and how to proceed from here.
Kauri casts embassy magic invisibility on Velkin. Lungmold gives Velkin back his ring to allow safe shadow stepping. Velkin then shadowsteps to a rooftop to overlook the main thoroughfare with the lottery.
Velkin is invisible and sees utter devastation. Skeletal remains, bones on top of each other, hundreds of dead. Charred bones and buildings.
He finds the body of the Cizek Jagartha.
Velkin shadow steps to the podium where the Cizek Jagartha lay. The podium collapses.
Velkin gathers up all the bones he can find and amounts of ash.
A gnome stumbles in from a sidestreet and looks unwell. Looks up and down the street, sniffing a bit and just stands there, then sits in the middle of the street.
Velkin throws a bone and the gnome swats in its direction, but lays down like exhausted.
Velkin then shadow steps across the chasm. More burnt bodies but not as many.
15 Higeki guards moving surface debris moving stones trying to find a way through debris blocking tunnel,
Velkin calls to them from the rooftop and they are OK with him up there. Velkin mentions Higeki at the embassy,
Velkin asks about the elementals? That would be the clans or the Jagarthas, Major clans have in house holy men who speak to the elementals.
Lower levels seem to be in better shape.
Higeki sent some to seek aid from house troops of a major clan.
Karst estate, the one we’ve dealt with. Sinister
Gnomes march down from from the Karst level.
Khelratha talks with Azrael & asks if he has any news.
Khelratha asks for Ale and maps of the underdark.
Azrael mentions maps of possibly where settlements might be.
Sorts some parchments. And gives parchment and a small keg.
Azrael asks about Prix and Khelratha explains she is busy and to stick with the
Braztiamachus grab some potions for us. Crate of 8 minor healing potions.
Next week might have more. Maybe wine.,
Tell Prixithalma if she wants to talk.
22nd next time to check the portal.
Khelratha pokes head into ship’s cabin and calls for Jardin,
Khelratha tells Jardin that he needs some help to translate.
Jardin gets Felix to keep an eye on the portal.
Khelratha shows him the former portal to Malgrim.
This wounded elf might know something. Jardin starts slapping him and Khelratha gives Jardin a healing potion that jardin forces down his throat.,
Elf guard at citadel, fire, exploded door, and he thrown through, then a lizard cam.
Web is in Tralvig. Malgrim is Northish from here.
Jardin then starts talking to the other elves.
Easily over 50 side tunnels, 50 potential portals.
Muse over what to do,
We don’t know if they’re alive, so maybe best to wait.
Khelratha tells Jardin to tell the Winter elves to keep an eye on things,
Khelratha, Jarin, Oskar, and Ajax all go through portal,
---
Back at the embassy,
Rotbreath goes stiff and picked up something unpleasant in the neighborhood. Maybe one of the sick people, it seemed more lucid. The only word for it is evil.
Whatever it was was thinking about the embassy and not in a kindly way.
Druul goes to Jax to alert to something with unkind thoughts to wards embassy,
You think they might try to damage the pylons? Oh dear, that’s a worry, we need to come up with a way to protect them,
Ithirialma and I will work on some sot of shielding with help on forge work from Philomanhraxus. It won’t be quick, so organize the others to protect the pylons until then,.
Druul tells the Higeki guards that their duty tonight is to protect the pylons and send alarm if anything odd.
Lungmold and Kauri watching,
One of alleyways goes dark. Darkness hides buildings.
Kauri tosses a continual light coin. Darkness is spreading back. The coin is keeping the darkness at bay.
--- Velkin watches all these gnomes coming and sees the relief on the Higeki guards.
Khargim Karst says we’re here to help and sends in their elementals into the citadel to help. The “wrong” citadel for the portal.
If you find any sick try to capture them.
Citizens and guards to come here. Any Winter Elves to be put under arrest.
Karst hears about the guy with the spyglass so he sends guards to find the person with the spyglass.,
Velkin sees something odd at the embassy and globes of darkness.
Velkin shadow steps to the embassy next to Kauri, Lungmold, and the rest looking at the darkness below,
Velkin Scrolls 61 - Session 97
12:40am, Denrilden 15
00.00000.09.16 Apocalypse Clock
Malgrim:
Soon after the city is wracked with explosions and waves of dog froth gas pass over the city, there’s a quiet that settles in.
The Automaton bridge is destroyed and the Higeki citadels are in shambles. Using the telescope, I see some Higeki guards poking around across the chasm and some unwell figures frantically running about.
Bili isn’t back yet. With the Citadels in shambles, the exits/entrances to the city except for the river down below are sealed.
Still weak, I feel well enough to scout invisibly around and the Lottery area is complete shambles. Hundreds of dead, charred bodies burnt to bones and storefronts blackened and destroyed. The Jagartha’s bones are on the soapbox where he died.
House Karst elementals and gnomes with Khargrim at the forefront arrive and begin excavating the Citadel. Giving orders to corral any frenzied gnomes and arrest any Winter elves.
Rotbreath picks up something wicked coming this way. Foul. Evil.
Jax is informed and they’ll figure some sort of shielding for the pylons…
Darkness spreads from across the street in front of the Embassy. The mycelians detect something coming.
I collect the bones and ashes of the Jagartha after the darkness starts showing around the Embassy and Kharst sends guards to look for me. I pop back over to the Embassy from the Citadel across the chasm and fill the party in on what I know and take in what’s happening here.
Web Nexus:
Azreal chats with Khelratha: Asks about Prix - He tells him she’s working at the Embassy. Asks about how the trip to the mainland is going: SLOW, says the dwarf. Khelratha and Azreal complain about Prix together… He passes 8 more healing potions from Brastiamachus He looks, maybe longingly down the tunnel hoping to see Prix, sighs and closes the portal.
The burnt winter elf’s story is interpreted by Jardin: He was in the citadel in Malgrim guarding the portal when fire engulfed everything as he entered the portal and it burned behind him.