Session One Hundred and Forty-Four (Graveyard of Empires Summary)

Session #137 – Jagger’s Tower

10:30 PM 1st Day of the Great Fair

After watching the show, the company heads back to the guest house where the hirelings’ party has also ended and have all head to their rooms – except we notice a light is still on.

It’s Sturloc waiting in the foyer (with a candlestick) for us to arrive.

After some pleasantries – we find out that Jagger’s mercs were talkative, but nothing earth shatterning. Sturlock confirms that monthly suppliers are shipped up the river by the Bargemen, and that Jagger and his men know about the problems in Vargen. The mercs aren’t worried about making a deal with the Triad.

Apparently no money is sent down to Vargen and Jagger has people in town to oversee the shipments and make purchases. The gnome is rumourd to have a huge treasure hoard. Orial (the head merc?) believes that it’s somewhere here. (NOTE: Jagger did mention a “dragon hoard or two” when pressed about his wealth over dinner)

Sturloc continues to say that the Fire Giants and a few villages have paid Jagger for services, but Orial doubts it can account for his wealth. Jagger’s apprentice might know more as he’s been with Jagger since forever. Could there be something under the tower? After a short discussion, we confirm our resolve to seek out Kotar before dealing with Jagger – After we pay him a visit in the morning of course.

After the debriefing is done, Sturloc asks to speak with Thorfus privately. Edan and the rest head off to bed (Ceasar patrols indoors), while Sturloc, Thorfus and Chuck talk. Sturloc asks Thorfus, when time permits, that he officiates a wedding between he and Bellasante – especially if we find Kotar. He knows he’s not really his Kotar anymore, but he does have his memories. Thorfus agrees and hugs go all around.

Chuck “speaks” with Socrates in order to ask if he noticed any difference coming to the tower than when he tried without guidance – he did not.

Sturloc and Thorfus organize and set a watch – just in case.

The night is uneventful and we all wake the next morning to a very wet day. As the men start to organize in order to leave after noon, Philipot comes by to offer to restock our food supplies and that the paperwork for the ThesselHydra and Travel Papers were being prepared for us at the Tower and that he’ll be taking us there shortly.

We leave for the Tower in the rain and arrive wet. As we walk in we are magically “dried” but are still wet as our dryness is an illusion. We’re quickly taken to the bioforge lab somewhere below the tower accessed by locked doors and steep staircases.

The first room we enter has 2 tables with 5 electrified “monk” sticks (cattle prods?) on them. Also chains and manacles are not far away. The room is silenced in some strange way – sound can enter, but it cannot exit.

We enter the actual Lab next – where we find Jagger and Jasper waiting for us next to a familiar looking device. A dwarven automaton sits in the room – unlike those we’ve seen – this one has medical tools on it’s appendages. A control pedestal isn’t far as well as a clear crystal pedestal similar to the one we’ve seen inside the head of the Colossus, but with burn marks on the side (hand prints).

Jagger explains that the device came from the mainland – from a city long gone whose governor was it’s previous owner. The city was called Zardan (no one recognizes it) He acquired it after the governor lost his position. It has taken him many years to figure out how to get it powered and working.

• Jagger confirms he is from the mainland – a colonist “so to speak.” Likely in service to the Emporer.

Edan is warned by Kalgunn not to touch the crystal.

The Crystal Pedestal is explained to be the powersource for the device, and is powered by magic users transferring power to it carefully, sacrificing their ability to cast magic. It takes practice he says and can be deadly if not done properly (indicates burn marks).

• Kalgun confirms Edan’s suspicion that the crystal drain not just magic but life force – effectively killing the person touching it. Kalgun explains that this device was likely sent here by the first scouts, when the link to transpatial energy hadn’t been made yet and although someone properly trained could channel power into the device safely with training, his ancestors wouldn’t have bothered and just brought people along whom they “feed” to the crystal.

Edan requests to look at information cube, there’s nothing written on the surface and isn’t different than all the other he’s seen. Resists the urge to show off.

Jagger explains that he means to use the device (and bioforging) to attain immortality. That thanks to the cube he’s learned to augment people’s physical attributes, and believes that he could use the machine to increase people’s ability to channel transpatial energy – basically affecting the mind. He wants the cloning machine in order to experiment on copies of himself. It will take him years to figure it out. He believes that creating hybrids (like Canis’ wife) are key to achieving it.

He confirms that he could “reverse” a hybrid, provided he has all the replacement parts – so to speak. He’d be willing to do this for Canis’ wife (yeah right).

With that – we’re ushered back up stairs to the dining room where on the east side of the tower. We can hear voices – all marketing speil for Jager – as we walk down the hall to the dining room.

There we’re presented with the Ancient Elven Armour and the Bracers he spoke about the previous evening – the books and map I requested to look at are on their way.

Ancient Elven Armour – Property of Chieftan Whitgyft Destroyer of Dwarves. And Edan accepts it as his payment as he has no interest in BioForging.

Chuck tests the bracers and goes for a trade (trading his old dwarven bracers) so that he can still get the bioforge.

While Edan looks at the books, Jagger offers them to Edan – Copy of the book on gems, bioforging and a map to the dragon. He doesn’t mind the books as he has other copies left behind by visitors (again, probably lying here) but the mad he wants back for sentimental reasons. Edan decides to just copy the map instead of keeping it.

Chuck begins to explain some of our findings about what’s coming, hoping to see if he’s a potential ally of convience – we’re worried about his relation to the Dark King.

Jagger explains that according to his research, thecylinder is just off the Lonely Isle.

He discusses his meeting with the dark king. The King’s was wearing the crystal crown and wasn’t particularly nice to talk with. Had three others with him (Eyes, Ears and Mouth)

Axel then describes his experience with the Dark King Forces and the prophecy he was shown.

We ask about his dealings with Marchmain and the Silverthrone. He basically said his only dealing have been allowing Silverthrone to pass through the valley to visit the Fire Giants. He warns us again to avoid going there.

We tell him more about what’s coming and he’s more forthcoming – he tells us about a portal he’s created to an alternate version of this world. It’s not the Shadow World, but an alternate version of this world where the Dwarves aren’t around and the Emporer Rules, but there’s still a strong Elven Empire.

After some discussion we receive our documentation – we leave. Collect our men and then head off to find Kotar.

We go through the path to where we met Canin’s wife – Amilia – to talk to her. Ronin explains that Jagger will return her to how she was, but only after we complete our mission. Ronin asks her if she would rather come with us or wait for our return. The party believes Jagger will do it – Edan doesn’t trust him. She decides to join us anyways – and then we tell her we know Cannis.

We travel along for a while until we’re out of Jager’s magic – then use the map to orient ourselves towards the Dragon’s peak and finally to a ridge where we look back on the valley.

While we find a way up the pass we’re attacked by 2 wyverns. We defeat one of them – Ronin decides to makes cloak from the wings and Axel collects some poison.

We rest for the night .