Session Ninety-Three (Graveyard of Empires Summary)
Session 93
20th Faurilden, 7:00am
We return to the party, haggling over our spoils with Marchmain, opting only to not sell the solitary pearl, as Axel and Edan believe it might work as a spell component.
Of particular note is his reaction to the information reliquaries, appearing almost excited. We feign ignorance at thier contents, only knowing what they were due our experiences in Midmark. He even presses us to reveal the names of who we might’ve sold the Midmark ones to in the past. We don’t, out of professional courtesy, but eventually sell them for 500 gold each to the eager dwarf.
We hint that we might have an ‘eyewitness’ for seeing the Naga leaving the Lower City, and will be returning to the city ‘officially’. We check in on Idony in the mean time, though nothing has happened in regards to Jagger.
The Sleeping Collossus is the next stop, and Thorfus is greeted quite happily by several of the guards. Svelnid is quite happy to see us, and sits down to talk to us about Vargan. She has a guest who arrived last night, sleeping upstairs after a trip from Midmark, asking after ‘Baldric’s Boys’. She noted he had a grey cloak.
He gets woken up and sent to us. It is indeed a young man in a grey cloak, Vane Pottak, sent to by Perette. He double-checks our identities by asking how we first met Perette. We ask a little about Vargen, which has apparently had some monetary boon that is being poured into building up the city’s fortifications.
He mentions an accident has happened, and it has cost Desric his life. Some explosion destroyed his entire shop and home, and he was here to see if we knew anything.
The next piece of news is a bit more sensitive, regarding Alain Grell. During his raid on Seabreeze, he specifically targeted the home of a Midmark Naval Officer, gaining the plans to a secret base on Curmidden. Said secret base was being used to test a new propulsion system for thier ships, and he destroyed it and stole the technology.
They emplore us to assist in tracking him down before he can cause too much more damage or give away the secrets and advantages of the technology, originally designed to stave of the Empire.
We discuss our options at length, Axel at least desiring greatly to go and chase down the younger Grell for his crimes, but eventually decide it may be far too much trouble trying to leave and come back, to say nothing of what the Silver Throne could do in our absence. We do have some leeway in time to deal with him though. The navy is pursuing him anyway, and it will take time to return our answer to any way, as the grey cloak is heading to Xenilum’Khel first.
We then fill the greycloak in on events from our side, the dark elves in Newton, and the Dark King to the north. Jager and the slavery ring, and how we have a potential ally that could provide for enough information for a raid on his property. Chuq takes the time to ask after his Grand Master, Master Dain and others of his order. Also the murder of Katin Alerio.
We spend the rest of the day poring over the plans for the Warrior, Monkey and Undying automatons, teaching the non-Ancient Dwarven speaking members also, allowing us to better combat them in the future.
We set watch that night, giving Thorfus’ clan men time to rest. Chuq and Pons take the first watch, and Chuq approaches Pons with the idea of becoming a full time henchman.
The next morning, we see Vane off of the mountain, then head up to the city entrance. There’s a dwarf militiaman sitting one of the bridges. He seems to be looking for Belroar, whom we haven’t seen for a little while, apparently still quite upset with him. Chuq’s ESP suggests the dwarf is looking to rough him up a little.
We’re greeted further up by Doree and four of Thorfus’ cousins, who are the assigned accompaniment for our trip down. Edan sends off the message to Ryker. Thorfus’ cousins introduce themselves as Glorimdur, Ginmonlim, Nadreat and Krargaeth. It’s a little awkward, one announces that his cousin the other ‘Lord Ironhand’, sends his greetings.
Down below, Ryker is attacked by one of the monkeys, still under Thorfus’ orders to grab any metal from anybody moving below. He tries to fend it off with his morningstar, eventually managing to send it away with a Command spell of ‘Sort’.
Back with the party, Thorfus begs off a little to pull on the circlet, and Chuq sends Pons to cause a distraction, who decides to ‘find’ Naga tracks. Whilst we look for measuring sticks we don’t have in the cart, Ryker runs into the hall calling for help.
After a pointed look at Doree. Thorfus meets him, and they begin the agreed up on discussion. The bluff seems to be working. After Ryker pretends to faint, Doree has him woken up and begins questioning him. Ryker begins telling him the story he told us of what happened in Newton and how he came to be underground.
Doree still seems to be skeptical that the naga has truly left, but announces we should take Ryker up to the surface and speak to Hakuun. Ryker at least is inordinately pleased to be back on the surface. Naturally our quick return and the new human cleric sets the mountain abuzz with rumours, and we’re quickly brought to Marchmain and Hakuun.
After some discussion, although the dwarves are disappointed at not having a trophy, they know that there is not much to be done since the naga has obviously left the lower city. Ryker is obviously telling the truth, and is also a cleric of the Ark, he has some weight to what he says. The Ironhands in the room reluctantly agree with the idea, as it makes too much sense.
Marchmain manages to convince Hakuun that the militia are no longer needed on the mountain, and they decide to finally leave. We decide to put Ryker up in our estate so he can readjust to the surface. Doree sends messages off to the Xenilum’Khel embassy and the Ark in Midmark.
The Ironhands leave grumbling, but obviously still don’t trust Thorfus one bit. They all but spit in his face though, and reveal they only supported us due to the other Ironhand clan’s dealings at the Lonely Isle.
All in all the plan was a success though, we got rid of the pressure of the militia on our necks, and resecured our rights to exploring the Lower City. The plan now is to wait a week to hear back from the Ark, allow Pons to train up and generally prepare to go back down into the City.