Session Seventy-Two (Graveyard of Empires Summary)
Session 72 September 2, 2015
The party is unceremoniously escorted out of the Dwarven HQ/mansion. Thorfus speaks with Idony about the behavior of the SilverThrone private troops (not a friendly bunch, about a handful) She wanted to speak with Marchmain about a personal matter but he left before she could speak with him. On the way out, Thorfus greets the men milling about the wagon. The one who talks, knows Thorfus. They are with Mercers with Odard & Adelard Pickard. Odard has been in the SilverThrone base for hours since a little after dawn.
News – Alain Grell pirate in Midmark bay, Newton on the mend, Sea Hill is plagued by Ogres and Goblins, Scale has problems with Giants. Thorfus returns within the mansion to ask after Odard but is told that he won’t be available until after his meeting with Marchmain.
Returning to the adventurer’s quarter through the upper city, Thorfus speaks with various Xenilum Khel guards about Ogres, Goblins and Giants harassing village close to Xenilum Khel. He is taunting them by suggesting they would be better used pacifying the countryside. Those he speaks with are confident the problem will be dealt with eventually.
First stop is the Sleeping Colossus for baths and hot food. The patrons are all Dwarves but one elderly human. After the baths Throfus speak with the elderly human, Ancelm Wardele an apothecary. Thorfus buys him a drink of mead. Thus starts several rounds on the house by Thorfus, wetting tongues and loosening lips. The dwarves in the colossus are more concerned about the Ogres and Giants but are confident they will get what’s coming to them. He learns there are a good number of clans moving to the lonely isle. It’s not very clear why the clans are moving but their absence is as good a reason as any for Ogres, Goblins and Giants milling about.
Thorfus checks on the activity of the upper city via the scrying mask. He notices one dwarf warrior in chain mail with what might be a Silver Throne insignia.
Odard and Adelard eventually arrive and join the Boyz for some drinks. Odard was sent by Peter Thorell and Phyllis Chaumbire to express Vargen’s displeasure that the lower city is closed to adventurers. The adventurers passing through Vargen was a source of income for all of Vargen. Thorfus feels out Odard and learns that Phyllis Chaumbire might like to know about Thorell’s connection with Marchmain.
Caton Elerio arrives and asks after Chuq after Odard has drifted off. Thorfus explains Chuq’s situation. She wants to petition for his release. Thorfus advises caution. The party less Barmyr leave the Sleeping Colossus for the Raptor lair after Caton agrees to help in other ways.
At the Raptor lair, Belroar notes that as many as six dwarves have inspected the lower city entrance. Araqiel explains his impressions of Marchmain and Chuq (who’s mind was no longer at the meeting). Then they return to the lower city (noting the autonatom wreck is smaller and missing an arm) to report and introduce Caton to the Naga. Caton is introduced to Derick and the Sister. She agrees to carry the Marchmain letters to Midmark. On the way back a movement to the south draws us to investigate.
Belroar leads the way, following tracks 120 feet south pass three intersection. He turns to the east, after a short passage it opens into a 30 x 30 empty room. He is sure their prey came this way. Pons notices a small secret door where the trail ends. A secret doggie door! There is a small tunnel 3’ high, 3’ wide leading straight away. Deciding we all can’t follow the trail, the door is spiked on our side. We’re so nice…
Back at the Raptor lair, we obscure our tracks. Belroar adds Gorilla paws to the tracks. The Boyz head back to the estate after escorting Caton to the Sleeping Colossus. Odard and Adelard agree to escort Caton back to Vargen, not aware Caton has Marchmain’s missives.
The next morning, our familiar look outs report a sizeable contingent of Dwarves marched directly into the Raptor Lair and after a seismic disturbance, they return to the upper city. That afternoon the Mercers and Caton leave for Vargen.
On the third day next, while Axel, Talon, Belroar, Fitz and Finkelmur are training/trading spells, Thorfus reels from a knock on his noggin. Spinning at the ready with sword in hand, he is startled to see a blood caked bedraggled (and somewhat over ripe) Chuq sporting a lopsided grin. Thorfus can’t keep his eyes off of Chuq’s postulant and puckered head. The golden mind reading skull cap is melted into Chuq’s head, the surrounding skin burnt and rancid. The Mercs lounging about are sent for hot water, soup and food while the two Boys compare stories.
During the following days, in between training and provisioning for the next delve into the lower city, Chuq’s tale is shared with all the Boyz. They know Thorfus’s dead uncle Dolman’s spirit explained that while Chuq was invisible and unconscious, his mind was in a dream inside a prison, a dream of a real place. The prison was Xeno Tel’s, an ancient dwarven machine corrupted by the rebels. It is also his fortress where his true self is preserved. Only by removing the rebel corruption will Xeno Tel be able to escape. An outside signal recently woke him from his millennia long slumber.
Xeno Tel needs Chuq to carry something back into the real world. This is learned when Dolman had Chuq witness Xeno Tel interrogate, then destroy Thorfus. Dolman explained he is a false memory for Thorfus that Xeno Tel allows to exist, fated to meet then watch Thorfus die at the hands of Xeno Tel thousands of times over.
Dolman’s last lesson is that the prison/fortress contains an information cube library of all the ancient followers of Xeno Tel (the Rightous). They are literally saved and Xeno Tel wants to loose them on the world. Chuq is shown one such cube, saved in a place of honor separate from the multitude. Reading the ancient dwarven script through Dolman’s mind, it is labeled “Marchmain Sivis, First Consort to Matriarch Captain Anglana, Master Architect of the Crystal Tower, and Chief of Intelligence for XenoTel2.
Naturally we are all concerned that Chuq has already carried “something” to the real world as he easily escaped from the SilverThrone HQ by shadow stepping out of his bonds and out into the city of Xen Khel. What does it mean that Xeno Tel amuses himself by destroying Thorfus over and over again? We were all leery about Marchmain but no one ever thought he was an ancient returned to the world of the living. Araquil has little to add. We hope Derich and the Sister can help. All we have to do is slip Chuq past Marchmain back into the lower city….