Session Sixty-Three Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)
Session 63, September 22 2021
Introduction
We continue at some unknown hour on the 25th of Laurilden (00.000.10.06 on Apocalypse Clock) with the party having pleaded their case to the Winter King after a feast in his court. Following Lungmold and Brendil's pledge of fealty to this elven lord, Khelratha declares he has no honor and must now face someone known as "Old Man Winter" to prove himself. Will the off-kilter dwarf survive this test? What aide does the Winter King intend to provide to his new subjects?
Larry's Summary
We are in a domain of snow with mist and a snow storm in the distance. While we wait for Old Man Winter to come, Sir Firthold explains the rules and helps us pick out a wolf for Khelratha to ride.
Lambertus casts Cure Light Wounds on Khelratha as he is still hurt from the last fight with the two DVLs.
Ranarth and Druul review the Winter Wolves Sir Firthold picks out and chose the larger one Keres. Druul uses the scepter to speak to the wolves and Keres agrees to bear Khelratha. Keres says that if Khelratha loses, it will not be his doing.
Lungmold asks Khelratha what his symbol is, and Khelratha gives him a dark image of a desolate, shattered Khel. Lungmold requests a banner for Khelrathat with a broken khel on a blood red field with a black border and a lightning bolt splitting the khel.
Old Man Winter is a Frost Giant riding an enormous Winter Wolf.
The rules are simple nothing intentionally lethal. 3 runs, points for hits, shattering your lance, and unseating opponent, high score wins. Loser can request to continue on foot at discretion of winner. Seconds pledge one of their domains. Lungmold agrees to be my second and thus his lands are on the line. Sir Issankar the Baleful, Warden of the Necropolis, puts up the Necropolis. Yes, the Necropolis of the ancient dwarves.
There are side bets. Khelratha offers his lightning axe and Old Man Winter offers his magical mace that appears to be a stick that forms a mace when drawn forth. Borthan offers his sword and the Winter King offers his sword that brings forth cold. Lungmold offers up the 18 arrows blessed by the Matriarchs that were Rallion's and Sir Isakar offers up a necklace of protection. Druul pulls a ballista out of his cloak of many pockets, thinking of a light crossbow & the Winter King offers up Keres, the wolf Khelratha will ride. Brendil wagers the Mace of Disruption and the Winter King offers a suit of the platemail the Winter King's guards wear.
Velkin offered the explosive device from the Dwarven Embassy in Malgrim and the Winter Elves find it distasteful.
Lungmold offers 2 hallucinogenic mushrooms to Khelratha along with a greater healing potion. Lungmold reviews the lists and drops a 3rd hallucinogenic mushroom on the part that Old Man Winter will ride. One mushroom is on the first lance and third lance. The second lance and third lance Brendil wipes his cloak on them.
Druul starts to play and the crowd gasps at the flowers, as they are a sign of the Summer Lord. So Druul helps Sir Firthold stomp them out and Druul just plays.
Druul hypes up Khelratha and does his best Knight's Tale emulation.
Khelratha sits taller in the saddle than he seems on foot, like an unusually tall dwarf.
The first run Khelratha seems to blink out and back in surprising Old Man Winter so Old Man Winter cannot aim his lance. Khelratha strikes, but his lance does not break. Old Man Winter stays mounted and shrugs off the effect of the mushroom. Kauri sees what appears to be Khelratha shadow stepping himself and Keres.
New lances are used.
Khelratha again seems to blink out, but at a different distance, but Old Man Winter is ready and stikes Khelratha, breaks his lance, and unseats Khelratha. Khelratha still has a good showing as he manages to strike and shiver his lance before losing his seat. Khelratha holds a narrow lead and has to drink the greater healing potion from Lungmold. However, Old Man Winter's mount steps on the hallucinogenic mushroom Lungmold dropped on the field and runs off in fear, forcing Old Man Winter to step off. (Kauri sees what appears to be Khelratha shadow stepping himself and Keres.)
Khelratha agrees to give Old Man Winter ten minutes to obtain a new mount. This forces him to have little time to ensure all the straps are secure.
New lances again for the third run. This run Khelratha seems to have a normal ride and strikes first striking Old Man Winter, shivering his lance, and unseating him.
Khelratha has won 36 to 17, winning by 19 points. Khelrathat declines the offer from Old Man Winter to fight on foot, and Khelrathat lets him keep his weapon.
Khelratha declines the title of Warden of the Necropolis as it is an evil place.
We take the other wagers, and Borthan gives the Winter King's sword to Khelratha, and the others receive their winnings, Keres now joins us.
The herald shows up with the warrants for their lands, contracts for Lungmold and Ranarth to sign. They are assessed at having no more than 50 retainers each, which entitles them to 10% from the Winter King, so each now have 5 Winter Elves who join us. Winter Elves do not have the limitation of sunlight that Drow do.
Various members trade items, such as Adamantine for like magic items and mundane items for mundane items. Velkin trades the ice frog egg for 2 day's worth of hart meat from two harts the Winter King's wolves recently caught. Khelratha trades the now empty acid pouch from the Thessalohydra wrapped in Thessalohydra hide for two day's of hart meat from the same stags. (These are the two elves who wouldn't share a hart and were cursed to be harts.)
Khelratha gives his two days of hart meat to Keres for bearing him so well in the joust.
It comes up that there was a deserter in the ranks of the Winter King. When he returned and brought the dead in the tomb to life, the Righteous Halberd, Aubry Grotecop was one, adn he fled. He is a target of those loyal to the Winter King.
We realize that there are at least two portals we passed through, so we plan to charge up the three remaining godstones. Kauri has one and Felix has two. We plan to charge them, re-learn spells, then charge them at the next portal, like we did at Jager's tower at the portal there.
Velkin's Scrolls
Velkin Scrolls 33 – Session 63
Laurilden 25 in the Winter King’s Realm Apocalypse Clock: 00.000.10.06
Khelratha’s supposed lack of honor has him facing off against Old Man Winter in a joust riding wolves. Sir Ferthold guides him and Lungmold who agrees to be his second in the rules. Old Man Winter puts his mace on the table while Khelratha puts his axe out. Borthan puts his sword out against the Winter King’s personal weapon. Other side bets were wagered. Khelratha bests the frost giant handily with shadow stepping and help from our party. Khelratha refuses Old Man Winter’s weapon and also the Wardenship of Necropolis.
Winter King’s Sword goes to Borthan and Khelratha takes it to use. Longsword if Ice +4. Protection Amulet +3 goes to Lungmold Druul gets Keres the winter wolf Brendil gets Elven Plate +1, Enc 1, AC 2
Sir Furthold mentions that we’re interested in Cryotheurgy. It will take effort to learn, we can set you up with the knowledge but you’d need to swear fealty to the Winter King. The energy is channeled through a special pigment. He offers training and enough pigment for a couple months and you can return for more. The training effort will not impinge on your timetable. He can take the ones out of time and train them.
There was an individual bisected when he was brought back but he didn’t stick around with his armies. He was a deserter. Some intruders, the Seneschal’s mount. It was the Rightous Halberd, he was raised, then deserted the Winter King’s service.
Brendil traded his Adamantine Spear for +1 spear
Velkin traded his adamantine sword and 1 adamantine dagger for +1 weapons.
We charge our godstones and our casters replenish their spells at the Winter King’s entrance to our dimension.