Session One Hundred and Two Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)

Session 102, August 17 2022

Introduction

We continue at 7:30AM on the 16th of Denrilden (00.000.09.15 on the Apocalypse Clock) with Khelratha having confirmed that Bavmorda is being held prisoner on the Wicked Wave and is en route to a public execution in Armada. Understandably, she would like to avoid that outcome. The remainder of the party, meanwhile, has concluded a successful parley with Lolth and found their way back to the web nexus in Travilg where they can access the web portal and reunite with the convoy of ships before it reaches its destination. Will the party jeopardize their deal with the pirates to save Bavmorda -- assuming Khelratha even shares what he has learned? Is it even safe in the pirate city with this so-called "Seer of Lysander" holding so much sway? Will Druul receive a warm welcome from his mother upon returning home after years abroad/below the surface? Find out next time!

Larry's Summary

We rejoin each other with some of the party staying in the web and Prix seeing numbers on the Probability Sword and the rest to th eshp.

Druul talks to Bavmorda and gloats and walks away.

Druul and Xandor board the Carrion Crow.

We see a large storm and when we approach and get closer, devilfish tell the ships to follow.

The storm parts and we get to Armada.

Druul catches up with his mom and learns of the lay of the land since he has been gone.

We learn that Bavmorda is to be executed, then we meet the Seer, then the Council of Admirals.

The mage went crazy when magic ceased and is writing all over his walls and his tower is a mess.

We can get jeweler's loupes in the market.

The Slave market (indentures nearly impossible to pay off) is bustling from the easy pickings of refugees from the mainland after the DVLs took over.

Velkin Scrolls 66 - Session 102

7:30am, Denrilden 16

00.00000.09.15 Apocalypse Clock

Web Nexus, Tralvig

Prix and I examine the Probability Sword. Suspecting that it’s part of Azmodeous’ true name and how he was bound to it. We use the Mother’s blessed magnifying glass.

I ask our little spider friend that Lloth sent back with us if it could repair our damaged web portal, it bites me and says no… I swoon, it hits me with it’s poison too… Not gonna be talking to it unless I have to. Or after establishing a communication method that doesn’t involve poison.

Surface - Eclipse We all convene on the Eclipse and catch each other up on the entirety of the goings on.

Alys was a member of the Party when they destroyed Xeno Tel and took the Eye of Lysander when they came back down to Mediea and went her own way.

Druul relays that the Seer title is not a traditional title in the Temple of Lysander’s hierarchy. Having an outsider of the Armada calling the shots is odd.

We split back up after we’re all up to date: Jardin, Peronell, Itherialma, Ceres, Ajax, Lambertus, Khelratha, Xandor, Kauri, Oskar, Druul, Ranarth all go up to the ships

Itherialma and Jardin get rooms.

Kauri stargazes and about midnight, a light rain starts and he hits the sack.

Web Nexus, Tralvig

Myself, Prix, Forcas, Felix, Alisceon, Borthan and Renthark stay in the web nexus

Prix and I research the sword.

Sword: The lens shows very fine characters in the probability sword. Need better lenses to make sense of them. Prix is copying some of her best guesses as to what they are, but it’s guesswork. Hundreds of thousands or millions of characters.

The evening passes uneventfully.

I leave the blessed magnifying glass with Prix to continue her work with Borthan and I head up to the Eclipse.

Surface - Eclipse

Dawn

Raynarth is sucking down food.

Jardin invites folks to his sewing circle. Peronell and Oskar join him. Kauri continues copying the book, Itherialma gives him some space in her room. Druul and Xandor along with Jardin head to talk with Bavmorda – they hit the longboat to go to Zullekon’s ship, the Wicked Wave.

As the group is on the longboat going to the other ship, a large shadow is about to torpedo the longboat… They get on the ladder getting off the longboat about the time the longboat is wrapped up in massive tentacles, smash the boat and pull part of it under the water.

Zullekon recognizes Druul, Kassa’s boy. He is allied with Admiral Krung-Ma. Not a rival of Kassa. Asks Druul to tell Kassa that he’s owed a favor….

They move along to talk with Bavmorda at the end of a hallway where there’s a doorway. Druul and Bav know each other. They discuss niceties. He asks her about how she got captured. The Shemites were tricksy. They were killing ‘em left and right, then at some point, they drew her in and her leaders then killed/captured them. Evidently Druul was left by Bavmorda in the underdark. The Shemites were going to execute her. And Zullekon came along and took her from them so that the Armada can kill her… Bav claims that she single handedly saved the world and Nash was possessed and she had to kill ‘em. The Seer of Lysander called for her Execution.

Bavmorda has a plan to escape, but it might be messy… if Druul has a better, less bloody way to get her out that’d be great…. She’s saved the world multiple times since she left him in the underdark after the mess with the Deep Gnomes…

Zullekon is troubled by the Seer’s influence. Suspects there’s a reward for Bavmorda’s return and that’s why he’s doing it. Last year, there was no talk of Prophets or Seer’s. They do some Sewing on some sails.

Xandor heads to Krensh’s ship and gets onboard there with Druul. Krensh welcomes Druul on board with Xandor and Jardin going back to the Eclipse.

Jardin recaps Bav and Druul’s conversation to the rest of the party.

Kauri dents the copying work pretty well, gets a good bit done. Evening happens and the sun goes down.

I come up to the Eclipse, interested to see how things go with the Armada.

Khelratha sees heavy storm clouds on the horizon in the direction we’re going with his Telescope.

Buzzing in our ears and Voices in our heads: Follow us and we’ll lead you on The Spotter points ahead of the Carrion Crow, Dozens of Manta Rays traveling along with us and flanking. Devil Fish – will lead us through the storm safely… Each ship has dozens of them guiding them through the storm.

There’s a mass of dark clouds looking like a massive storm and the rays lead us forward. All the ships adjust their course.

In addition to the manta rays that are guiding us, there’s hundreds circling the storm clouds. Looping around as far as we can see horizon to horizon on the outskirts of the storm. They’re pattern changes when we get close to the storm creating a lane into the storm. The buzzing happens again and they say “Follow” and the stormwall parts and the ships pass without injury.

About 15mi after that, we’re coming out into the center of the storm where the sky is clear and Armada is there.

There’s a hulking mass of vessels tethered together. Securely fastened by an endless number of lines. Many walkways and huge beams of wood and struts. Cable cars from a central spire to other large ships around the edges. Many times the size of the floating shipyards near midmark. Many Many people. Entire outside the city is covered with various docks. Most are already occupied/crowded with ships. Docks, shipyards, foundries, drydocks, cranes. Many vessels. Most all the Pirate fleets are home. The Devilfish disappear into the water leaving us to approach the city.

A pilot ship comes out to meet us. A Harbormaster comes to have the ships declare themselves. OK’s all the Pirate ships.

The Harbormaster – New things happening here. He sends us to some empty docks at the Dead Forest, Admiral Gharankh. There’s some space left open there. Krensh – the Wicked wave is carrying Bavmorda, requested by the Seer.

The dead forest is a whole bunch of captured ships that have been stripped of valuable stuff. It’s got a bad reputation. It’s a really crappy chop yard. They’re being dragged around by Armada, not worth much of anything. Haunted holds, things that come out at night that eat little orc boys. We pass by it, and it looks a little spooky. It’s so empty of life it’s creepy. Just past it there’s docks for our convoy of ships. We tie up. Krench docks furthest from the Dead Forest. All the rest of us tie up along the line.

The Imperials on the Eclipse and Captain Hiro – Ties up along with the other imperial ships. They are closest to the Dead Forest.

It’s afternoon once everyone is docked.

There’s a welcoming Party: Admiral Kassa’s district is not on the border next to where we’re at.

With Ajax on my shoulder I translate for Peronell as she needs it.

We meet up with Zullekon’s mate along with a man dressed in black, bald, blades all over his body in sheaths. Missing an ear. Black sleeves rolled up. A vine with a bunch of thorn tattoos. This is Admiral Garankh, Flagship: The Damnation. He’s the authority here over the Dead Forest and his own district. The Tattoo on this arm – each thorn represents 1 kill. No one knows how much of his body is tattooed with thorns on it. He’s not a friendly guy. He’s surrounded by his captains, we assume. He watches both groups approach. He looks both groups over and says, “Welcome.”

He’s surprised that Druul is the spokesman, and once he identifies himself as the son of Kaasa, he realizes who he’s speaking with. Garankh raises his eyebrow at Bavmorda’s name. Depending on which district we hang out in, it may affect how the council’s Admirals – or the Dock

Elkior – Krensh Garnakh – not unallied. Kaasa – Druul has to go there, Aligned with Veldak, the Ghostwind that sank and the Flood tide

Garankh – one of the two largest districts. many shipyards, used to be a mage named Ragamar that had a tower in his district Ilkiyor – Jail, foundries, factories Veldak – Marketplace, Granaries, Cisterns – Large portion of the city along with Garnakh Kaasa – Machinists, Armada city’s locomotion KrungMa - Slaver Eliasa - The youngest? 10 ships that head out, 90 ships are part of the city. She does well.

The Seer is excited to see Druul/party and give us Lysander’s blessing and what deals have been negotiated. Probably the Council will meet tomorrow after Bavmorda’s execution.

There’s less than a thousand ships making up the City.

Captain Domelch (Elkior) – he’ll be our guide. The Spire a the center of the city, The Flagship of the Armada is where the Council and the Seer is. The Seer came a couple months ago… 5 or 6 weeks. He says Lysander is here, and benefits the Armada. She brought the devilfish, the storm and Lysander. The storm is protecting us from the DVL’s. The Haberdashers chose Eliasa – They’re the Thieves and Assassins guild. They usually pick the powerful but not necessarily this time, it’s odd. The head of the Haberdashers likes Iliasa for some reason. They left for her from Kaasa’s allegiance. Kaasa’s upset about that.

As we go toward Druul’s mom – Clockwise around from where we were. The place is VERY crowded. Jewellry, Gems, Weapons and such are for sale around, Dolmech is muttering to Druul - New things: --Seer --Slave market is bursting When the DVL’s from the mainland many left the land and were collected. Krung-Ma took over the slave market. Kaasa hasn’t been buying much from the indentured servant. They’re not slaves, they’re indentured servants. But it’s practically forced indentureship permanently. --Old Ragamar went crazy – went completely mad when his magic dried up. Then he started hearing Voices. Maybe Devilfish? But he’s scribbling all over the place. Still in his tower. Kept it spotless until he went nutty. Now it’s a mess, writing everywhere.

--Thorndrift – Kassa’s flagship about ½ hour from here.

Word’s travelled ahead of us and Druul’s Mom is standing there waiting on us. Kaasa, Silver haired, Many blades – pretty sure there’s others hidden. Missing an eye, no patch, just a scar. Serious business speaking to the council. She says the Seer wants to see Druul and friends (Spits off the dock at that) She’s not real happy. He gives her a gift – She admonishes him for his flowery language and he gives her an adamantine dagger with a poison channel. She grunts approvingly. She takes out a hidden one and places her gift in the prime dagger position, closest to her dominant hand position.

We choose neutral ground to spend the night – the Raving Wanderer has rooms available Northwards of the docks. An Inn and will take care of ourselves for now. We won’t ask for accommodations from any Admiral.

Druul asks to see Elkior – to give Vishnik’s stuff to him.