Session One Hundred and Seventy Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)
Session 170, February 21 2024
Introduction
We continue at 5:30PM on the 21st of Anurilden (00.000.08.09 on the Apocalypse Clock) with the party beginning the last leg of their journey toward Feldmark on a rowboat after leaving behind the Gilded Gusset just downriver from the abandoned city. While there has been no sign of the Infected Monstosity -- nor of the Stone God after the attack on the Bronze Wizard at Landing -- the group keeps their eyes peeled for these enemies who are almost certainly nearby. The current plan is to row toward the location of the sunken Oswithan ship and then dive to recover the tablets that once belonged to that people's Chosen One. After that, the intention is to quietly slip away with the ship containing the food stores that Dun'Khel's Lord Marshal needs to feed his people. Where are those enemies? Can the party slip away with their prizes without incident? What unknown complications lie in wait for the group? Find out next time; or not.
Larry's Summary
Velkin on Prix fly over the city of Feldmark and see the motionless monstrosity composed of thousands of infected. It seems to be staring off towards the temple.
Thorfus, et. al. are in the longboat nearing the location of the Oswithan wreck.
Thorfus used spyglass and kaurin picked out a glow near the head that may be the bracer.
Glompus swims down and spots the ship.
Thorfus gives the blessed spyglass to Kauri to keep an eye on it.
Aeda tell us the tablets were in the Chosen One's cabin below the aft castle.
Druul wears the altered suit for a human sized person, along with Thorfus and Glompus.
Glompus stays to keep an eye on the giant while Thorfus and Druul search for tablets.
Glompus sees 4 figures approaching from up river. The rest of us also see them.
1st things we've seen with a heat signature.
Druul and Thorfus go down to join Glompus.
Druul and thorfus go to aft castle while Glompus keeps an eye on the pike.
One open door dissheveled. Closed door with infected.
We check 2 remaining open doors. Both dissheveled. Druul sees a pantry or something. Step ladder going down from pantry.
A very strong vibration goes through the ship.
The vibration doesn't stop.
The ship almost seems to be moving.
Glompus sees the pike edging closer asvthey circle. They look unhealthy. They have pustules on them.
Glompus decides to follow Thorfus and Druul.
The fish are taken by surprise, but are losing to the current.
The entire wreck of the ship starts to move.
There is a loud boom down river with a persistent rumble that causes the monstosity to turn its head. Kauri notices that they are being dragged. The Gilded Gusset is nearcwhere the boom was.
Creature is also moving.
Velkin and Prix hear the boom and crackling.
The land shudders and falls with blast and spray and water gets more violent.
A giant hole has opened in the river East of Feldmark.
The monstosity moves crashing through the buildings on the riverfront.
Prix gives out a roar. The mist starts to dissipate. A guant sinkhole open and water from river is pouring in from both up and down stream.
As Prix roars a giant stone hand ruses ip and grips the edge climbing out of the hole.
A second had rises up and the stone god pulls itself out of the hole in spite of the rushing water.
The monstosity looks away from the longboat when Prix roars.
Thorfus and Druul go below quickly and out a door with a hallway to right and left.
We go left and keep under the aft castle.
Fancier door with many pointed star.
Movement to the right in the hold below deck. There is a mass of twisting limbs and bodies. A mini version of the big one.
We think its moving in our direction.
Thorfus points Druul to door and Thorfus draws his weapon. It shoots through the water. Glompus drops down.
Thorfus is hit. Pustules burst filling water with mucosy substance.
On the desk are 7 golden tablets.
The top ones have carved runes.
Kauri is trying to decide what to do.
Aeda is terrified. She freaks out and jumps overniard.
Kauri and snuffles try to stop her.
Kauri and snuffles don't stop her. All of them jump in the water.
Kauri uses his reroll and doesn't go over.
Kauri uses blood magic web to grab them to prevent tham from going into the sinkhole.
Velkin and Prix sees the stonegid is risen up and monstosity is turning toward stone god.
Stonegod heading in direction of longboat as monstosity heads towards it.
Velkin prays to Lolth. The spider bit Velkin on the neck and hopped on Prixs back and starts spinning a web. Perhaps a portal.
Prix and Celkin bank down towards the longbiat seeing Kauri cast web.
Druul grabs the tablets. The first is bulky and heavy. They will all fit in the sack.
Thorfus hits and the creature fails to save and more than half is frozen and the water around it.
The stone god is reaching down. He throws a giant rock at Prixithalma.
Prix stays airborn, Velkin stays on Prix, and the spider keeps spinning.
The monstrositues arm exrends and hits the stone god.
The stone gods attention shifts.
Thorfus and others kill it and it freezes.
We grab the bag if tablets and go to the rope to ascend.
We make it to the rope and start to climb it.
Velkin looks what the spier is weaving a circular blanket of web. Maybe a foot across.
Stonegod opens mouth and a fountain of magma hits the monstisity.
Thousands of voices scream and creatures melt away and body tries to re-form.
The dagger and bracer were missed by the magma.
Those below slowly climb the rope against the current.
Velkin and Prix circle, keeping an eye on things.
The stone god breathes magma again.
The monstosity failed its save and falls away.
The item is not destroyed and falls in the river near shore.
Velkin used his re-roll to win initiative to allow prix to grab the boat before the stonegod can breathe on it.
Druul tries to cut thecrope behind him and succeeds.
We are all lifted into the air as we are missed by the magma breath of the stonegod.
Downriver is no more. The river falls into a sinkhole.
Prix flies upriver.
Thorfus hangs on to the now cut secured line, as do Glompus and Druul. Kauri helps them into the boat now being carried by Prixithalma.
Glompus's Letter
Hey there Spud,
Today was a big day. I hope you’re resting easier after everything that’s happened. As for us, we got closer to the city as dark came in, and found what was definitely a ship’s graveyard, which seemed like the place we were looking for. We had the bright idea to use a rope to see how deep the river was, but just to be super safe I stuck my head in. It didn’t get eaten, so it didn’t seem like there was anything dangerous directly below us in the water!
Thorfus started describing the monster and I stuck my head underwater. I told everyone it was for more scouting, but if I’m being honest, I just couldn’t look at the thing that took you away. I eventually saw the top of a mast, so it worked out. Now, your grandpappy is a bit more short and heavy than his friends. I dove down to look at the ship and it looked odd for the region, round around the midsection like me. Checked with the folks we were traveling with and they said it was the right one.
Me, Thorfus, and Druul dove down to the ship. We saw a few dark shapes swimming towards us, so it was tense for a minute, but they ended up leaving us alone. I kept watch while the other two looked for the tablets we came for. From what I could see from how they were motioning, Thorfus and Druul found something they didn't like, but then went below anyway. The fish started to close on me, which was a bit unsettling, especially because they had some weird growths on them, but then there was a rumble that scared them off. I went to hang by the rope ready to go, figuring I should be set in case our friends needed to retrieve us.
I saw a jumble of zombie bodies attacking Thorfus and went down to help. I was scared the same thing that would happen to you would happen to one of my friends. Druul came back with the tablets and together we all managed to kill it. We started to climb the rope with the tablets, but suddenly we started to get jerked out of the water. When we broke the surface we saw that Prix had caught the boat up in her claws and we were all flying away. Snuffles and the others were hanging over the side in a net that Kauri caught them in, poor guy looked terrified. Your grandpappy might need to clean his diving suit himself.
It looked like the stone god ended up killing the monster that took you. I hope too much of you wasn’t still in there, and that you’re resting easier tonight. I think I will, for the first time in a while, as soon as I clean out my britches. I miss you Spud, but I’m happy you can rest now.
Love, Grandpappy Glompus 21st of Anurilden