Session One Hundred and Twelve Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)
Session 112, October 26 2022
Introduction
We continue at 6:50AM on the 20th of Denrilden (00.000.09.11 on the Apocalypse Clock) with the party seemingly trapped on one of the derelict vessels in the Dead Forest area of Armada. After removing the plank bridge leading back the way they came, the group was ambushed by giant undead crabs that cut-off the way forward -- literally -- and ghoulish pirates from the hold of the ship where they are making their stand. Fortunately, Lambertus's turning ability is still functioning and Kauri's web spell went off successfully, trapping the undead pirates belowdecks for the moment. Will the group be able to take advantage of this reprieve to press forward onto the flagship were the Devil Fish idol is supposedly located? What further surprises can they expect now that their approach has been loudly announced? Find out next time ...
Larry's Summary
Continuation of the fight of the bridge. Two crabs one goes for Oskar. The other crab in the water goes for Ceres and both claws hit.
Something slams into the walkway affecting Druul, Oskar, and Ceres. Druul flies into the water. Ceres and Oskar manage to keep their feet. The crab on the bridge also goes in. The one underneath manages to hold on.
The bridge floats free.
The gangplank gives way before any can make a move.
Kauri jumps back to the deck.
Renthark, Borthan, Jardin, and Forcas are holding onto the rope for the gangplank handrails.
Peronelle and Velkin pull Renthark and Borthan to the deck.
The orcs help pull ropes.
Jardin and Forcas are pulled up and Oskar holding Ceres tries to pull them up the rope to the ship, and Druul attempts to swim to the rope.
Oskar & Ceres and Druul make it out of the water. Followed by a maw full of sharp teeth.
The walkway sinks so nothing between the two boats.
Captain Batenero and her orcs put the plank back to we can work our way around.
Velkin asks Ajax to fly overhead to see any activity. He reports 4 other ships connected to Davy's Locker.
We cut the lies from the ship to Davy's Locker, in case we have to sink Davy's Locker.
We go counter clockwise to ship next to the one aft of Davy's Locker.
Ajax checks in and hasn't seen anything. c. 7:30 AM High Patchy Clouds
The invisible Velkin scouts ahead to the ship next to Davy's Locker.
Druul alerts Velkin to the shells and ropes that Druul noticed.
Druul hands Velkin a rope and ties it off to a part of the boat - 200 feet of rope to check out the lines to Davy's Locker.
Velkin checks out the sterncastle. It is very fragile looking.
Velkin climbs the mast to see the deck of Davy's Locker, but blocked by sterncastle.
Ajax settles on mast with Velkin and says it is quiet.
Velkin crosses back over to see if anything has changed.
We make plans for Batenero and the bulk of her orcs to cut the lines and planks on the 3 ships to starboard of Davy's Locker and leaves 6 orcs to go with us and 3 to carry kegs of gunpowder.
Oskar carries a rope and Velkin joins along with Khelratha and Lambertus, plus Renthark and Borthan.
We reach the other ship to the stern of Davy's Locker.
Kauri, Jardin, Peronelle, Forcas, 1 regular orc and 1 with gunpowder.
Druul stays behind to watch the advancing orcs with Batenero along the the other orcs and Ceres.
Velkin checks out the walkway over to Davy's Locker and checks for traps, some of the planks have strings with bells on them.
Velkin marks with chalk the planks either side of those with bells.
Batenero gives Druul a thumbs up that they are ready.
Druul counter signals with go ahead and cut it. Batenero's orcs take out the gang plank connection and lower gangplank bridge to the water then cut their rope and cut the other lines, holding until planks are done and ropes fall in water with little splash.
Then they go to the next ship and Druul crosses over to join us.
The walkway explodes into splinters sending Druul, Ceres and the orcs flying into the water.
It is loud and we see big shapes under the water swimming away and preparing to come back around.
Kauri levitates Druul who is holding Ceres and one orc without gunpowder grabs Druul.
One orc in water is eaten and the two with gunpowder swim to the side of the ship.
The orcs with the gunpowder are both eaten, the gunpowder floats in the water. (Actually in their packs.) 1 is floating the other is not seen.
Kauri lowers Druul down to grab floating barrel. He grabs it without things in the water doing anything about it.
The rest cross over to Davy's Locker.
Velkin moves up to look for stairs down from the stern castle. This ship still has most of its gear and tackle, though in bad shape.
A single staircase on port side to main deck and door into sterncastle next to it.
Two masts with all their spars and rigging. There is a big clump of cloth near bow tied up on deck.
Velkin checks the stairs for traps and does not find anything and reports back.
Druul looks to starboard and sees the large group of orcs have reached the second ship and begin cutting lines.
Druul signals to Batenero asking if any signs of movement on their ship.
Batenero scans and signals all clear.
Kauri lowers Druul down to peer in the starboard portholes. 3 portholes and one larger window. Nothing in portholes. Big window probably Ares Haversham's cabin and still decorated. Shelves and desk are empty. Chair at desk, someone is sitting at it.
It might be Captain Hiro sitting in the chair. No obvious decay. Unconscious or dead?
The second ship's lines to Davy's Locker is cut free and head to the third ship.
We prepare a fuze for the other barrel of gunpowder.
We wait for the orcs to get to the last ship, nearing 9:00 AM. Batenero gives a thumbs up.
Druul signals to cut and does so & she signals they will come back around to aft.
Velkin climbs down the sterncastle wall and walks over to peer in the grate over the center opening. He listens and hears nothing and sees nothing.
Velkin goes to the forecastle. He listens and hears nothing.
Velkin listens at sterncastle door and hears nothing and checks for traps, finding none. Can't tell if there is a noise producing mechanism.
We ask Forcas to be lowered down and enter a porthole to check the hallway. He agrees but gets Hiro's' fingers if he's dead and all the orcs' fingers.
Forcas whispers through the door that there is something set up. He thinks he can take it apart without making noise.
Finally, Forcas says he thinks it's all set. Do you want me to open it? It doesn't seem to be locked.
The door opens out towards us.
Forcas opens the door. It creaks open with a bunch of bells piled in the hallway.
Velkin Scrolls 76 - Session 112
6:50am, Denrilden 20
00.00000.09.11 Apocalypse Clock
Trapped between a fallen gangplank, undead crabs, undead sharks and undead humanoids… things don’t look good for the good side.
Druul, Oskar and Ceres escape from the water and certain death as the walkway sinks beneath the surface.
There are 4 other ships connected to the Stern of the Flagship, 3 on the starboard side aft, amidship and forward. The flagship’s deck has been cleared and there’s a small sterncastle.
Similar gangplank going down then up to the sterncastle of the flagship as the one where the undead crabs and sharks attacked.
With some cautious ropework and marking the boards attached to jingle traps, we avoid attracting our large pincered and toothed friends from the depths and make it onto the flagship. The orcs with Captain Baternero go and ready to cut loose the other ships with the intention of sinking the flagship with some barrels of gunpowder we’ll leave to set off below the waterline.
6 orcs go with us, 3 carrying gunpowder barrels. We lose 3 of the 6 orcs but make it to the flagship’s sterncastle and save a couple of the gunpowder bombs. We do some thorough scouting and make sure our paths are as safe as we can and see Captain Hiro slumped in the captain’s chair, presumably dead.
We leave the aft ship attached for an escape route. We send Forcas in through a porthole and he finds and disables a tinkling, sound trap we’ve become familiar with and we head inside to see about Captain Hiro.