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

Session 138, May 16 2023

Introduction

We continue at 4:00AM on the 27th of Denrilden (00.000.09.04 on the Apocalypse Clock) with the party having escaped the Underdark and reached the surface of Meidia. Now, with several companions deciding to go their separate ways, the main group elects to head towards Old Greybeard for shelter and a place to prepare for their next moves against Asmodeus. It is an open question, though, whether that location -- and the journey there -- are truly safe ...

Velkin tries to make a point to work with Mephistopheles.

Thorfus disagrees and starts heading the direction of Old Greybeard. The rain has started, it is heavy enough to obscure the fire and movement out of the cave mouth.

Druul speaks up for not aligning with DVLs.

Druul appreciates Velkin looking for allies.

Velkin's argument is that we're doing what they want anyway.

Druul doesn't think the messenger for Mephistopheles has the power to do anything without a contract. Only Mephistopheles can do that.

You're trying to align with a leader and not a lieutenant.

Sorel steps forward, whether making a deal with a stranger or not, we're going to head out, and David and Able go with him. David and Abel think Druul for his relationship to Armada and freeing them. It's been interesting. As the ranger says, it's beyond us now. We're going to lie low and help who we can.

One travois to Philomanthraxus and the other to Renthark.

Nixomanthus heads to Serpent's Tooth. Roheis volunteered to go with me, and looks out into the rain. "I guess we'll be heading out too. A little bit of walking before we take to the air."

Velkin asks for a few vials of blood and a piece of him.

Nixomanthus points out it doesn't have to be all the blood from a vial all at once.

He gives a couple vials and some hair.

If we find other survivors at Serpent's Tooth we'll try to get word to Old Greybeard.

Good luck. Ithirialma, you can lead them to the outpost on Serpent's Tooth. If you head inland from Port a couple days past the mud flats where the land starts to rise up, and old tower. Most of the structure is below ground.

If it doesn't work out, come find us there. Hopefully I'll find a solution of the DVL problem. Perhaps we can all get together for a drink in the Old Empire.

goodbye, and steps out into the rain.

Druul, he's quirky.

Ithirialma Certainly. I supposed it's even odds he'll destroy the DVLs and all life on Medeia.

I suggest that when he gets to Serpent's Tooth he'll have access to a full laboratory, I suggest haste to implement our solution instead of whatever mad science he has on his mind right now.

The party catches up to Thorfus slogging through the rain and mud, muttering and complaining about drow, DVLS, and ill-advised plans.

Velkin is still invisible and comes up behind Thorfus, "Damn dwarves and their stubbornness, and always having to be right.""

Oh, well, there's always next time.

About mid-morning we think we have been making progress. We come to a trench that is steep, but not so steep to go tumbling, and deep (over ten feet, but spread over a large area) and cuts across our path in both directions. The other side is much steeper. Wide enough to travel 2 by 2. It appears to be a natural feature, probably created by runoff.

It's possible the trench is heading uphill and might be easier. One way more N/NE, the other way more S and downhill, or the trench itself.

Velkin asks Ajax to fly uphill for ten minutes to see if he sees anything. Fly? Looking at the rain.

Velkin says never mind. Ajax, if you get washed away, I'll honor your memories. Velkin tells him if it happens, he can have his eyes.

Listen for rushing water. Velkin goes across with a rope and finds something to tie it to.

There is water at the bottom, ankle high. The other side is a lot steeper and is an actual climb. On this side about a 20 foot climb, but it is very rough, so Velkin can make it.

We tie on another rope as the first one plays out, etc.

About 2/3 of the way up is a ledge and an opening.

As he pulls himself up, it appears to be a burrow with a large hairy blob with a bunch of glittering eyes with its legs squished up under it.

It didn't detect Velkin. He goes back down and over 30 feet and back up.

This time, no ledge with a burrow.

Velkin finds large rocks and anchors the rope to one of them.

The rope inclines up from the starting side.

Velkin checks the ropes once tied off.

He slides over to stand between the rope and the burrow to keep an eye on it.

Thorfus offers to stay and hold the rope and wraps it around something to help secure it.

The party proceeds with the marching order.

The water is shin high. Caspar carries Cas and Felix carries Calla.

Velkin is listening and sees when Renthark, Kauri, and Druul arrive with others behind them.

As Renthark makes his way up, Velkin sees, one by one by one, the legs extend from the burrow and grip the edges. Velkin says in spider, Those crossing are friends, please live them alone. A clicking hissing comes back. These are friends, food may come later. Who are you to tell me what's food and what's friend? I'm a friend. I have the backing of Lolth.

The spider pulls out and twists around in the direction Velkin is and seems to be searching for the source of the voice.

It says, I don't see friend or food. Lolth you say? Yes, we are allies of Lolth. Friends bring gifts, food in place of food.

Velkin invites it to come with us, the next food we find is yours. No, I don't want to leave the nest. Do you offer food or not, are you friend or not?

Velkin says, give me a minute, while I get something.

I'll wait for the juicy small ones. If you are truly a friend and bring food before they ascend, then I will let them.

Druul ascends, and says get missile weapons ready.

He really wants some food, do you think we can give them one of the kids.

Druul suggests using Cas as bait.

Druul suggests charming it. Velkin points it out.

Velkin gets into position and Druul waits for Felix to come up with Calla.

As Druul starts playing, it pokes its head out and twists around to look up, and its attention is on Druul.

Peronelle completes her climb and Felix starts to climb.

Druul walks along the edge of the trench where the rope is to turn it away from the rest of the group.

Druul plays for ten minutes trying to charm it.

Druul manages to keep its attention.

Caspar with Cas on his back and the kids are now up, then Holmeda.

Druul plays until everyone is up, and move so its back it towards the group.

Thorfus retrieves the rope and crosses the deepening water and makes it up to the top of the trench.

Thorfus undoes the ropes and passes out to the others and suggests moving the Dealbators away from the spider.

Druul asks Velkin to tell the spider to pull into its nest, heavy rains are coming. Velkin says, "Wait friends are leaving, friend should stay."

They'll be back, soon? with food?

As soon as we can with food.

It pulls back into the burrow.

Velkin gently taps Druul on the shoulder and says, let's go!

We continue on and about Noon, the rain might be letting up a little. It doesn't seem like it will let up for several hours if not the rest of the day.

We travel into the afternoon, rain keeps falling, still going up hill.

Stop for a meal, rest, then resume, South Westerly, uphill into the afternoon.

No more spiders.

A couple times there are more trenches. Some narrow enough to step or jump across with a lot of water in them. One wide enough to go into, but shallow.

Rain still coming. Look for some overhead shelter or large rocks to hang blankets from.

Find a place with broken ground with a scrap of elevation to give some shelter on one side. It is uphill, which is good as the storm is sweeping down from upper elevations.

Thorfus, Lambertus, and Druul each have a blanket.

It is getting chilly as night rolls on.

See if can get a fire going.

We manage to get a fire going, the Dealbators seem to appreciate it to put Cas & Calla close to warm it up.

Ithirialma and Philomanthraxus don't seem bothered by the rain.

We set watches and try to keep warm and dry and rest.

The rain seems to be picking up again, and there are rumbles of thunder and distant flashes of lightning.

Velkin chats with Renthark and Renthark mentions that DVLs also travel his home plane. Renthark also says that one can be taught to find the thin spots and once one does it often enough they can sense it. The shadow realm is just another place. Velkin asks if there is also a place of light, similar to the shadow realm. Some places are difficult to get to. Some places nothing is solid at all, no markers, no way to find path, easy to get lost. Others easy to crush with so much solid matter, no way to get around.

While we go many places, there are some we don't go. Perhaps such a light place is one of them.

Velkin asks what they search for on one of their expeditions., We come for many things that are not available in our outposts. Some things he might find valuable, others are lying around. Renthark picks up a handful of rocks. It helps build their outposts.

Borthan understood more, he was closer to enlightenment.

The night passed uneventfully.

Even with the darkness and the storm, the mountains are all around us now. We are in a valley with mountains all around. We can't quite make out Old Greybeard, but there are mountains to the North and South of us.

The valley seems to be leading us to Old Greybeard, so we follow it.

Morning passes, rain continues, sometimes heavy, seems like when it lightens that it might end, but it doesn't. Lots of boulders to navigate around. More trenches we have to avoid because we hear rushing water at the bottom. We go North of them and can still head SW.

Occasionally, the ground gets tricky to navigate, but we aren't heading up hill.

We take a break and have lunch, then continue on.

Cas and Calla and their parents are looking pretty worn out, but keep trudging on.

Druul plays with Cas while resting and gives a blank look. Druul picks up some mud and throws it at Cas. At first he is insulted, and then returns the favor. Calla comes up behind Cas, right on his head and starts crying. This manages to improve their general mood.

Ajax offers to fly a little ways, but isn't confident of finding anything. No more than an hour.

An hour comes and goes and Ajax has not returned.

We have no way to find him. We decide to keep moving in case we can help him.

As we are travelling, Thorfus, is always looking everywhere and sees shapes in the sky flying. At first, he seems to think it's Ajax, and they are flying away from us and are probably bats and disappear into the rain. North of the path we are following.

Velkin asks Kauri to cast fly on him, and gives his own blood so he can fly. Velkin hands off the alchemy book under Kauri's cloak.

Druul asks the dragons about being invisible and flying. Philomanthraxus asks if Ithirialma will make him invisible? He transforms and Ithirialma makes him invisible.

The rain starts steaming off him, even while invisible.

Velkin joins Philomanthraxus. The rest of us head North enough to find a place of better shelter to wait for them to return.

They try to catch up with the bats and possible Ajax first.

Heading North, Philomantrhaxus sees ten creatures up ahead. Pretty sure they are big. He does not see Ajax. They all look like giant bats. Velkin asks if he can take them. Yes, probably without them knowing, but Ajax would be crispy.

Philomanthraxus catches them up to the bats and they appear to be losing elevation. Velkin does not see signs of Ajax. Velkin asks if they have seen a little raven flying around. The bats freak out and scramble. One slams into Philomanthraxus and spirals to the ground.

4 of them seem to be more together, losing elevation, and heading in the same direction. Philomanthraxus easily catches up with them.

Velkin says, I didn't mean to scare you, but have you seen a raven by any chance.

Velkin asks Philomanthraxus to hover in front of the crevice in front of them invisibly.

The bats scatter around him. Velkin says, I just want to talk, and they slip into the crevice either side of Philomantrhaxus.

Velkin yells inside the crevice. I'm just looking for my buddy, just tell me if you know anything.

Velkin sees the heat signatures of the bats hanging in there. He hears murmurings, but can't make it out.

Velkin flies in to see if he can talk to one of them, there isn't room for Philomanthraxus to go in.

As velkin enters, he sees more and more heat signatures. He goes in 30 feet and says, "Look, have any of you seen a raven?" They launch themselves at Velkin.

Velkin heads towards Phil and once he is outside the cave entrance will yell, burn them!

Velkin gets out, maintaining his lead.

Velkin yells, Burn them now, and flies back around to Philomanthraxus' back.

The bats sense Philomanthraxus and his flames fill the cave. There are bones on the floor of the cave and only those beyond the blast are able to survive.

Since he is here, Velkin looks to see if there is anything worth picking up. Most is animal bones, and some scraps of clothing, and a lot of bat poop.

They fly back and we did not see the fire since we were huddled up against the rain.

Philomanthraxus lands and transforms back.

Still no sign of Ajax.

We continue on our way.

Velkin scouts ahead for about ten minutes with flying making some loops off to either side.

As he flies around, a little bit North of our path, maybe NW, he catches site of stairs cut into the slope in the valley we are travelling in.

Velkin flies towards the stairs, they are not visible from the path we are on and ascend NW.

Velkin goes to the bottom of the stairs and looks for totems, sigils, or signs, but there don't seem to be any. The steps are badly weathered.

Velkin flies back to the party, marking his way.

Velkin asks us to hold up. It is about 4:00 PM. He tells us about the stairs, NW of here.

Caspar asks if it is somewhere safe?

The steps are wide enough to go 2 x 2.

We could use that area for rest, suggest Druul.

Kauri quietly mentions could it be the peak with the harpies? Maybe not be the peak North of Greybeard, so it's not the harpies.

We head towards the stairs, looking for a spot to camp that has shelter on multiple sides before we get to the stairs.

We do another lean to with a fire.

Velkin estimates we are about ten minutes from the stairs.

We get through the first three of four watches without issue.

We are not surprised. We are woken by lots of shouting and lots of creatures in the darkness.

They are talking and yelling in orcish. Pinkish and red-skinned. It's them, vengeance for One Horn!