Session Seventy-Four Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)

Session 74, December 8 2021

Introduction

We continue at 8:00PM on the 29th of Laurilden (00.000.10.02 on the Apocalypse Clock) with the party having finished various tasks while at rest in the Dragon Emperor's hideout beneath Xen'Khel. Mistrust is brewing after the Winter King's servants meet with him privately, though, especially after Ranarth's inept lying. Still, the group is almost ready for their assault on Hdrasta ...

Alician shows up with the whiskey and Khelratha offers to oversee the disbursement and invites Alician to join in. "Until we meet again." since she will not be joining us for the assault on Hdrasta.

Khelratha opens it and asks about a glass, and Alician goes to get cups/glasses and Khelratha takes a big swig. The others notice a dribble of whiskey running down Ronin (the rock).

Lunmold pours some whiskey in a separate pile of dirt to try it for himself.

Alician shows up a smaller crate with a couple more bottles and several glasses.

Alician tries to engage in conversation and asks what we hope to do attacking Hdrasta.

- Revenge for Montoa & Rallion.

Khelratha strokes the braid indicating revenge every time he or others mention revenge.

The others are interested in Khelratha's beard, and he just says "It's what dwarves do."

Velkin tells Druul to play something and Druul tells him "You're no longer my master."

Khelratha tosses a couple of gold coins to Druul and asks him to play the Ballad of Xenilum Khel and sounds a bit chocked up when he requests it.

Druul pushes his hat out and Brendil scrapes some goo into it.

Lungmold takes one bottle and offers some to each of the Winter Elves and Tyrial isn't sure it's safe as he doesn't trust our hosts.

Random growth of flowers when Druul plays and Alician does a double-take with her cup.

"That's impressive, have you always been able to do that?"

Druul, do what? Doing that. Impressive since magic is gone.

Khelratha can't hum the tune for the ballad and Druul doesn't know it, so it isn't right.

Alician excuses herself. "I don't know what your plans are or when you plan on leaving. I'm sure the emperor will want to talk to you. Since some of his relatives are going with you."

Velkin asks if there's "anything to be aware of?" "Just don't get them killed. He'll talk to you tomorrow. If you need anything before that just ask me or Jardin.

Alician wobbles to her room for the night.

Watches? Ceres & Ajax in the hallway.

Brendil asks Terathial when is her watch and if she's interested in continuing her watch.

Lungmold has the orc prisoner Druug join the drinking and we get information on siege engines, timing, etc.

Elevator goes down to where the bones start. (Bones of dragons.)

Elevator is loud, can't sneak in using it.

It was broken down when we got there, we fixed it up a bit. We've only had a few orcs die on it. One time a dozen were killed.

Elevator means outside duty.

We drove off the eagle lions. The ballista was pretty good about driving them off.

Ask Druug to draw a map, and looks around and makes hand motions in the air.

Velkin gives him pen & paper.

Down elevator one level with weapons, next level no watch, then bones, then giants building a dragon out of bones.

Druug talks about things while drawing a very crude map, and mentions area with cells, rooms w/ writing on the wall, some they vandalized, stairs, throne and statues, pool that is fresh water, dug a tunnel, door he can't open.

Lungmold tries reading his mind. Writing resembles that in the secret room under Montoa and flashes of the door.

Lungmold asks Druug if he knows any other way into this place? There are smaller tunnels of the kobolds, a deep pit that the giants say doesn't go anywhere, and the pool. So he says, "No?"

It's so dumb as we were fine before One Horn, and he's building a dragon and it's just bones, but he says it'll do something.

"We never went anywhere before One Horn came. We fought the kobolds and the kobolds fought us and we were happy, goddammit! Now they're gone and we've gotta do watches....""

Tyrial is overseeing Druug, and realizes he is more valuable, but don't speak the language to know what he's saying.

Raynarth excuses himself after Alician and goes to his room.

Lungmold asks Druug one more thing, but realizes that the hobgoblin.

Ronan sleeps next to the door.

First thing in the morning, Lungmold has a knock at his door.

It is a couple of dervishes with a cloak of fresh dirt.

We go looking for Azrael to chat. As we approach, one of the two doors is open, a larger, much nicer room with chairs, Jardin is there, looking over a scroll on his desk.

"Ah, awake! Azrael wants to know when you're leaving?"

"Khelratha says we need a map. Velkin says, we need to meet with Azrael."

Khelratha strokes his beard whenever Jardin looks at him, since Khelratha used up all his beard oil. He is annoyed and mutters while looking at Alician's door, "I told her not to mess with her stuff."

Jardin leads us through the throne room to table with all the papers, the re-purposed dining room. I'll get Azrael and get some rations.

Jardin asks not to touch the papers, as Azrael has some sort of system. It looks like the different research he is following up.

We're not sure, but annotations on drawings have to do with making the DVLs sick, with a virus to attack them, and drawings to re-open tunnels to the pathogen lab.

Top paper - "How many infected = Prixithalma?"

Map of world covering Curabel to coast of mainland, with lines and possible routes to Gharmarost and a ? out in ocean "Armada?"

That's the only world map.

Maybe a schematic for Inquisitorial Library.

Azrael comes in. "There's an order to that...."

He takes a seat. Jardin mentioned breakfast and you wanted to talk about something.

Velkin mentions Jax and is researching. Jax, they were geniuses, obviously not good team players, they were their own team. If can help, that will be great.

Lungmold mentions he's not coming here, you have to go to him. Azrael doesn't plan to leave Xen Khel.

""I can send someone to him, where is he?" Malgim - Underground. It's under control of the Winter King. "Is that so, it's good thing we have an in with him."

Azrael looks at Azrael and Lungmold winks at him.

Azrael will determine which of his kin is the best one to send.

Velkin says, that the embassy is a working DVL trap. Maybe Itherrialma who's researching ways to seal off transdimensional spaces, may be best to go.

DE - "I don't know where that is."" Lungmold asks, "Do you plan on them going back and forth, or just leave them there?""

DE - "I don't know, are we talking a week or a month." "How far of a distance and how long it takes to get there."

Velkin mentions transporting. and that it is a portal of the workings of Lolth's web, and we will have to coordinate it.

This works out, as Itherrialma's work involves the Inquisitorial Library, so she can be working with Jax, you do Hdrasta, then she can accompany you with Jardin to the Inquisitorial Library.

Kauri asks if the dragons flew in invisibly, how did they detect you? - Their mages. They kept is warded and guarded.