Session One Hundred and Fifty-One Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)

Session 151, September 6 2023

Introduction

We continue at 6:00AM on the 2nd of Anurilden (00.000.08.28 on the Apocalypse Clock) with the party sailing south off the coast of Curmidden towards Crescent Island. On the advice of Captain Chen, the group plans to stop on the northern end of that island where the Dwarven settlement of Dun'Khel is located. They hope that fortress will prove a safe haven for the surviving Shemmites like it did for the Midmark refugees prior to Xeno'Tel's downfall. Assuming that works out, the party would then move to the southeastern coast to meet up with the Oswithans near Feldmark -- hopefully avoiding any problems with the infected. Will Dun'Khel still be there and prove safe? Is it the Oswithans indicated on Druul's map and can they be found? Will a giant infected monstrosity figure into the party's future? Find out next time; or not.

We are making good time into the next day.

Kauri, Lambertus, and Velkin are comparing runes on the shards from the crashed center of Xenotel with the nanocarbon book.

Druul playing music to create a reference map in the box of soil. Playing Silence of Prixithalma. Results in a little fuzz.

Velkin uses a dose of henbane and valeriana to find a seed to try to grow more. No luck with henbane but finds a seed from valeriana. The tiniest little sprout.

Druul tries a miscellaneous song and there is growth.

Thorfus scanning the horizon and the skies with his spyglass. He also encourages Lambertus to make amends.

About 9:00 AM Thorfus notices up ahead of us there is a dark shadow under the water. It is big, extending as far as we can see. The floating mass is some kind of sargassum or seaweed.

Thorfus goes up to the wheel and points it out to him. Crew at wheel says yeah there's seaweed in the ocean. Hold the wheel and Thorfus takes the wheel. The crew gets the captain. By this time we are in the outskirts of the sargassum and it stinks. Captain Chin goes to the railing to check it out and calls out changes to the course. It seems to be turning a bit southwesterly.

Thorfus keeps an eye on the patch of sargassum off to port as we skirt it.

Caspar finishes up the platinum holy symbol by Noon. He took time to embellish it. The detailing is quite good.

Thorfus retrieves it from Caspar and presents it to Lambertus. This is better than what I could make, so maybe it will help make amends. He is impressed by the workmanship. He puts it in his pocket, the wooden one is on the table.

Lambertus tries to put it off for the day.

Thorfus says, I'd consider it a favor if you did your amends first.

My uncle was a cleric you know, and maybe I owe it to him.

Lambertus finds a quiet corner on the foredeck and sits watching the ocean in front and seems to meditate.

Partway through the afternoon, Thorfus notices a whale off the starboard side. It breaches with a spray of water and fluke slaps down. It doesn't seem concerned with the ship, but the sailors aren't too concerned with it.

At one point Captain Chen comes up to Thorfus, probably a half day lost to the seaweed. I agree with my crew they weren't keen to head into it. Safer on the open water.

Lens to break off anchor points of medial dimensions, it is probably with the last council of Silverthrone in the Necropolis.

After Lambertus finishes his prayers he goes back to the shards and comparison to the nanocarbon book.

By the end of the day, Druul has a pretty good map in the crate and corresponding to the map with the gold star.

There is also a little bit of herb growing in the other crate.

First watch is uneventful. Ithirialma comes and asks Druul about the maps he makes. Can you make a map of anything? But if you said a prayer to the mothers, do you think you could direct the mapping? She gets the underdark map and it doesn't cover enough of the area, the place with the portal to the dimension of stone is off the map.

Ithirialma shares her notes about the forbidden dimension and the reports of the vision the party had. If you ask or petition them, perhaps if you think about this kind of map, maybe?

Druul is appreciative of her suggestion, and agrees to try it. Oh, and let me know so I can copy down.

Thorfus and Renthark are on watch. Thorfus scans and thinks he sees the whale again off to starboard side. May be a different one. It seems to be coming towards us. As it gets closer can get a better look at it. It looks like nessy is following us. Long neck, flippers, coming at us.

Thorfus shouts, "Seamonster off the starboard!" Crew gets to moving and wakes the captain.

Thorfus stomps down to the party and wakes them up.

Thorfus shouts to the crew at the helm to turn away from it/don't let it hit us.

It is faster than us.

It is about 110 yards away when the party is ready.

The crew is ready with bows.

Renthark runs below to get some spears.

Thorfus' first shot goes wild with a natural 1.

Velkin hits with a sleep bolt. It keeps coming.

Kauri hits it with a lightning bolt.

Velkin shouts to the creature to "Go away! We're way too tough!"

The crew with bows only 1 hits.

Ithirialma casts magic missile.

It slams into the side of the ship and we hear creaking of boards and the entire ship shudders. It dives under the ship.

We make ready for when the creature surfaces.

It is quiet, nothing happens.

We maintain our readiness for a few moments.

There is another slam against the ship, with no sign of the creature.

We urge the captain to flee, he said they're going as fast as possible.

Thorfus give up the blood for Kauri to cast Control Weather.

The spell goes off.

Captain Chen pushes the sailor next to him over the rail.

Something else for him to chow down on besides my ship.

We see the crew for a moment and the snake like head grabs the crew and dives down.

There is some minor damage.

Kauri concentrates to get far from the serpent.

Right around midnight.

Kauri concentrates for another half hour.

Eventually, the crew relaxes and stops watching for the creature.

Chen thanks the party, "I guess I owe you again for saving my ship again."

Thorfus gives blood to heal the party and for Kauri to identify the whip.

The whip is a magical weapon so can hit things requiring an enchantment. It is infused with transpatial energy. It is a tool of a DVL, but not powered by one. It causes d4 bleeding per round until something is done to stop the bleeding. Each wound is a separate wound.

The next day the 3rd, weather is still clear and the winds are a bit stronger.

Captain Chen says, We'll definitely make up the half a day due to the wind.

Thorfus has to be lowered into the water to safely use the scepter.

When he gets back to the ship his beard is a mess.

Velkin says you should shave that off and Thorfus smacks him.

Druul plays concentrating to make a map of the underdark.

Ithirialma makes Velkin invisible again.

Thorfus re-braids his beard after combing it out.

Thorfus notices off the port side a truly enormous jellyfish.

Sea Caves with the harbor has docks only accessible at low tide. The Gilded Gusset won't make it, but will have to do the longboat.

We should arrive the Morning of the 4th before dawn.

Druul ends up with a new map.

We can match up the part of it that matches up with Zarvon.

The other crate now has a full bush of a poisonous plant.

Velkin harvests 3 seeds and plants them.

When on watch Druul tells Ithirialma that he has a map for her, she immediately goes and copies it and comes back. She is super excited and thanks him.

Do you think? Of course you see how important this is. No, I don't.

What if we can make it so the DVLs were never here, that they were still trapped and can prevent their freeing?

My thought is, if you can sell this to your companions, after we're done seeing if we have allies here at Crescent Island, we find the entrance to the underdark and use your map. Perhaps there is a ranger in the Necropolis who can lead us. We find this portal and use this incantation of blood magic to be save from the pressures there, and speak to the god of stone and get to the medial plane of time, and get the attention of the gargantuan creatures to send us back in time to when the DVLs were freed and we I don't know, assassinate the prior members of the party? Lambertus and Kauri would be the only ones we'd be killing that you know.

Druul says, that would mean me going to the underground again. And there's that other thing of having to talk to this stone god. I've been listening to other stories from this stone god. He's mad at the party and he's not even there. Excellent so we can just use the portal.

We don't have to kill them, we can just get there first and convince them not to do it. Wasn't it the half orc we killed in Armada, why not just kill her first?

I need your help, as I know not everyone's on board.

Druul said We'd have to know how to deal with the Silence.

There are other options. I've read Kauri's notes. Prixithalma was there, some devilfish. Then just as a side thing, we'd have control of Xenotel, make sure only the right people can use magic. Bring back magic the right way to the correct people. Azrael and the Dragon Empire of course, and others who are loyal.

Can I count on you to convince the rest of them. This is after Crescent Isle since we're already almost there.

You can count on me to show them the map.

Keep in mind, Nizomanthus went off to do his own thing. He's probably cooked up a super plague that'll probably kill everybody.

I'll talk to some others too. I'm pretty sure I have Allician and Philomanthraxus on my side, with you, it's four votes. I'm pretty sure I'll get Velkin. I'm pretty sure Thorfus, his friends won't be dead.

Druul - It's funny the Mothers would show us the map. Maybe there is something at Crescent Isle that will help with the Medial Plane of Time. So after Crescent Isle I can count on your vote.

Why don't you keep watch, I'm going to go to bed early, which he does.

Ithirialma wakes up Thorfus and Renthark.

She goes through the whole thing. Perhaps we can save all your friends and this priest who dies who lost his eye. Nash?

All those fellows resurrected by Lolth wouldn't be dead. I'm sure there's others we'd be saving, maybe Bavmorda.

Thorfus stomps upstairs and begins watch and Ithirialma shouts after to keep it in mind as it would be the quickest and easiest solution.

Thorfus complains to Renthark, but only Thorfus knows what he said.

The remaining watches are quiet.

There is a sea wall with obvious entrances and balconies carved into it at Dun Khel.

On an upper balcony a couple dwarves are speaking in modern dwarvish. "Let's get word, we have pirates, you think? Most likely. I can't imagine they're a danger, we can get new from them. Let's speak to the Lord Marshall. Well they're not getting in til low tide."

Captain Chen comes and explains we have to wait for the tide to go down.

They'll be ready for us, they sent for the Lord Marshall.

6 hours til the tide is low enough about Noon.

I know I suggested to drop off the Shemites and take the rest to Feldmark.

Thorfus, we need more information before we make a decision.

It is about a week walking over land or just under a day by ship.

Druul digs up the underdark map and zooms in on the ship of Oswithans.

Druuls map forms and is just a portion of Crescent Isle. The yellow golden flower is not at the mouth of the river, but is up river and maybe in a big city.

It looks like two settlements, one at mouth of river and one near city.

Velkin updates his underdark map and adds this little map to his Crescent Isle map.

Velkin harvests and gets 4 seeds from the first plant and harvests the other two. Two doses and rest in the planter.

Thorfus sees a change of guard and hears that he passed word there are visitors and they are putting together a party to see what they are doing. Hopefully good news for a change.

Still not luck with orb equation matching nanocarbon bound book.

Velkin tries to use read languages to decipher things. It still isn't coming together. Still not finding a match in the book.

As we wait, Caspar comes to where we are waiting. I was wondering if I could talk to you all. Um, now I guess we don't know yet what this place is like, if it's dwarves, and they seem like good people, does it still make sense to travel with you. Thorfus - No.

Velkin - If we need you and we can find you, this would be safe.

They are master craftsmen and have excellent facilities and it is a fortress. If you left the shard with me, I could continue to inscribe it, if you'd leave the book and the shard with me.

Kauri gets to work copying. Velkin will help double-check.

Morning passes, the tide goes out and a couple of longboats head in our direction.

They are full of armored dwarves and a couple of humans, One is a very severe looking woman in the robes of a priestess. the other was once on the heavy side, but has lost a good deal of weight. Balding and older. They are not talking.

Velkin asks if you want me visible or invisible. Druul says to stay hidden and stay quiet.

Explain that he came in on the next boat.

All that Thorfus hears is the chant as they row.

As the lead boat gets close, an armored dwarf shouts, Hello there travellers,

Thorfus answers back in dwarvish, Yes, we come in peace.

Are you a brother, returning home? Unfortunately I cannot. What Khel? Xenilum Khel.

You come to us looking for refuge for some.

We would never deny that to a brother and his companions?

Have you anything to say, Alesta?

She stands and says, "Greetings do you have any news?"

Midmark has fallen. Any survivors? We can discuss this ashore.

Baswick, Dwarf, what is your name?

I am Thorfus Ironhand, Lord of Clan Ironhand, which is no more, I am the last.

I am the last of Baldric's Boys and of the Starchy Boyz.

You were of the group who fought that infected?

We're here, all of, yes. This is high priestess of

Baswick Tellman I ran for high mayor, I was harbor master. I knew Perette and worked

Admiral Dykinson (went after Grell and went crazy) and Quinnel Frank and Aldus Runnelbrook (ancestor of Lord Thornton), Mortimer and Svelnid. And Em and Aubry her new boy.

This is excellent. The Lord Marshall, we'll make sure ....

How many? a couple dozen.

Can some of your people help row? We'll meet you at the cave in the docks.

A couple boats come back so the party and Neo-Montoans can board.

Druul plans to work on making more healing potion ingredients.