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

Session #134

Journal Entry: 22nd Of Tel’Renden – Evening.

We’re returning from the quaint resort town of Seabreeze (yes, terribly original) where we successfully recovered the body of the elder Grell despite the fairly vague description and map provided to us by Goldenbollocks.

Before I relate the rest, I must make note of a strange occurrence from the day before. On our way to Seabreeze we found ourselves being shadowed by another ship – a ship without an apparent crew. Suspicious (as we tend to be these days) Chuck and Ronin shadow-step (or should we start calling it conduit-step?) over to investigate after the crew tells us the ship, “The Flaming Princess” ports out of Kaligun and was believed to be involved in the slave trade. We saw little (even through a looking-glass) from our vantage point but Ronin and Chuq told us upon their return that they found no one aboard, no signs of battle, impossible to steer and it was strangely cold on board. Ronin described it as the same chill we encountered in the Grell estate. They cautiously left as crashings sounds were heard below decks. Soon afterwards the ship simply dove under the waves.

Odd, but considering recent events I may have to re-think my belief in ghosts – perhaps – as Kalgunn once hinted add – there may be people trapped within the conduit system or other “in-between” he’s not aware of. One more thing to research should we survive.

Also – during the trip – I managed to investigate the magical items my colleagues recently “acquired” and made good headway on the ship design . For reference: the Jug can create any liquid it is requested to, but I was not able to decipher more I’ll have to try again another day. The net on the other hand was easy to identify (the tag helped) as a Net of Snaring. A rather powerful underwater item obviously meant to be used in conjunction with Chuq’s cloak.

We arrived at Seabreeze earlier this morning and were quickly approached by the harbour-master, Nicoli Snawe, a talkative fellow you quickly lets us know who now own the old Grell vacation home and it’s location. He also warns us that we may not be welcome by many – it seem the younger Grell raided the town leaving survivors to remember that we were to blame for or.

Chuq was more irritable than usual and was quite terse with the man – insisting we not pay for docking fees – frustrated with the delay I payed the man and went on shore.

We followed the directions to the home given to us without incident, passing white sandy beaches we eventually made it to the home.

We were met by the head caretaker (the current owner, a Midmark Admiral I vaguely remember meeting) Lambin de Pontibus. He and Chuq did not get off to a good start – the tension between the two escalated quickly as Chuq tried first to convince Lambin to search the premise, then switched to threats and when he arrested the man and threatened to arrest his family that’s when I had to intervene. I calmed things down, playing the, “we’ve been travelling” card to put Lambin at ease and separate him from Chuq, who was being unreasonable. I know he has a hatred from slavery and although the man did work for a now acknowledged slaver, he was interviewed by the authorities and no charges were laid – that’s no excuse for poor manners.

So as Lambin and I chatted over some tea – where he told me he had sent his son to fetch the authorities. The others managed to locate the coffin as indicated, by a waterfall underneath a marble bench. Within the hour the hole was refilled, sod replaced and marble bench back where it belonged.

With feathers now unruffled and satisfied with our landscaping Lambin extended an invitation to myself to return for a visit – provided we’re alive in a few months, I might take him up on that.

With coffin in tow were head back to the ship and cross the Harbour Master with Lambin’s son and small contingent of security. I quickly stepped in before Chuq (still a little irritable) had a chance to speak and cleared up the obvious misunderstanding and got an answer regarding the strange practice of removing the seaweed from the beach – seems that the wives and mistresses don’t like seeing seaweed on the beach.

After loading the cargo onto the ship we set sail back to Midmark where we’ll be docking in a little while. I imagine we’ll hurry to bring the cargo back to the house in order to exorcise it.

I must prepare – I’ll continue later.

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It’s now evening and I’m ready to retire. Well – where to begin?

I guess I’ll begin after we picked up Goldenbollock, and the keys to the estate, and headed towards the home to get this over and done with.

You could feel something strange was in the air that night and we were not disappointed.

Moments after we arrived and Thorfus’ monkeys began to bring Grell’s coffin and Cale’s head into the home, Thorfus loses control of the monkeys and the do is slammed in my face before I can enter.

We followed the procession, looking through the windows, as it travelled through the house and eventually into the basement. That’s when the winds picked up and were able to enter the house.

We all quickly made our way to the basement’s torture room where the grisly procession ended – Grell’s coffin smashed and bones piled in the middle of the room. The monkeys prevented me from moving Grells’ bones, but I was able to pick up and examine the poor girl’s skull, which had a pair of lips burned into its forehead – a mother’s last embrace perhaps?

We quickly decide to bury the skull by the tree and consecrated land on the grounds. I find a foot locker and fill it with some bed stuffing. The monkeys then carry it out to the garden where Ronin and I dig a hole for the poor girl.

After a few words were spoken by each of us we buried Cale in the pouring rain and once done the rain stopped and the monkey’s returned to Thorfus’ control.

We then surveyed the home and secured it, deciding that we’d need someone to manage the place while we continue our work. I have some ideas for that – but we’ll wait for morning.

23’d of Tel’Renden.

My suggestion worked out. I seems the map-maker’s family we rescued during the riots were more than happy to help us.

They’ve agreed to take care of EM and their son has agreed to be hired on as our Steward and get the home back in order for us. We’ve left him with some instructions – particularly the sealing of the torture chamber… we told him to have the wall with the secret entrance to be reinforced/doubled with masonry.