Session Thirty-Nine (Graveyard of Empires Summary)

Session 39

January 7, 2015

Joe, Anthony, and Larry were the only player present, so Ashton, Axel, and Thorfus made a lot of decisions to the benefit of the group.

We left about 3:00 PM on the 8th of Denrildon in pursuit of the bargemen. We rowed for about three hours until dusk and pulled off to the southern bank and slept near the river. We were surprised at how uneventful our travel was.

At dusk the discussion was whether to pull off and rest overnight, or keep going. The prevailing opinion was to rest. So we took three four hour watches. I slept well when not on watch and my watch was uneventful, a welcome change. Pelgax swore up and down there was something terrible in the woods near us when he and Ashton were on watch. Ashton assured us it was only some beetles. [Two rhinoceros beetles tearing up a bunch of trees about 40 yards away.]

At sun up we ate a quick meal and then began rowing north. IN about a half hour, Finklemur, Axel, and myself all had the evil, slimy feeling when a devil fish is doing it foul mind reading. In truth, it was a new devil fish who introduced himself as Gronsk, and new of our working with Drayze and made sure to note that he would tell him what we did because Lord Thornton tricked us.

Gronsk tried to enlist us to help him retrieve the dragon orb. This orb is of the make of my ancient ancestors in their war with the dragons. It enables the bearer to control a dragon. It seems that Barnier holds. The bargemen got here just about another half hour ahead of us yesterday and captured the young river dragon and were indeed extorting the dragons of their treasure. A four man team was using the breathing apparatus to go to the bottom of the river and enter the dragons’ cave that has air, to haul out the treasure.

The devil fish said that it need us to distract the adult dragon, in human form, so that he could get close enough to “freeze” Barnier in place so that he can’t use the orb. We were needed because river dragons can compel water creatures to stay away or do their bidding. The young dragon and the other adult were also in human form.

The devil fish said that we were needed because the bargemen left five days ahead of schedule and the mermen who were coming to help the devil fish did not know of the change in time table.

We debated and considered it and perhaps how to do an ambush as they returned to Vargen, but we decided that we were outmatched, and returned to Vargen.

When we headed north and passed on the far side of the river from the bargemen’s compound, they were packing up boats like they were looting the place. When we came back, the compound seemed deserted. We landed our boats outside the area of bargemen control and Adelard took us to where Mercer spies were watching and learned that they left and they weren’t sure where. All was calm and we were told it was safe to walk along the main roads instead of winding our way through the back alleys.

As we headed up to High Street to return to the Lonely Barrel, a scragly thin man with wavy blond hair ran past. Ashton attempted to clothesline him, but he was too agile and got past us. Three guards from Fen’s Edge chased him, but they gave up when they reached the boundary with their territory. We could not track the man, so we went to the Lonely Barrel.

When we got to the Lonely Barrel we met Phyllis & Odard who told us that when Peter Thorell, the leader of the bargemen guild learned of the slavery and other antics of Rotho, that Peter was appalled and said this was a rogue element and that he was on the side of the Mercers all along, and pledged to work with the Mercers. There is a new arrangement where the bargemen will work with Odard on the council. We relay what we learned of the orb and the dragons and treasure, and it is not a concern to them, the problems with the politics is solved. It was made clear to us that our services were no longer needed and that we would be more “comfortable” in the “much nicer” Twelfth Night” We have assurances that there are no hard feelings and that the bargemen will not harass us

We went to the Twelfth Night without incident anywhere along the way. Joharis, the proprietor exclaims, “You’re Alive!” when he sees us, as he knew of the rough characters who had been looking for us.

We secure two rooms and board the horses and wagon and go to look for Elisondro, since it was only mid-afternoon, and see if there is anything else going on with the quicklings. At the gate, we meet the guardsman, Tyce, who is worried about Elisondro, who has become obsessed with the quicklings. Tyce tells us that Elisondro is out there now looking for them, and hopes that we can talk some sense into him.

We find Elisondro and he tells us of his failed efforst to find the quicklings and he is convinced that they live underground. He shows us to the statues and we discover that it is a dwarven automaton nearly 20 feet high but only about 8 feet are visible above ground. It is covered with moss and the accumulation of detritus from centuries in the open air. Thorfus tries to clear a patch on its nex=ck and Axel tries to clear a seam near its elbow in a search for writing. While doing this, Thorfus detects a low rumble/humming and it is decided we don’t want to wake up a huge automaton, if we are not sure we can control it.

Elisondro doesn’t think it is a good idea to mess with the statue as the Brothers of the World Forge will not like it, so he goes off to look for quicklings. Thorfus tells him to look for hollow trees, and he realizes he hasn’t tried that. As we end our efforts of fiddling with the automaton, Elisondro yells for us. We find him off the path to the statue and he has found a hollow tree stump with a dug out shaft about two feet in diameter and aobut 20 feet deept. We lower a lantern and the last 5 feet the light goes off to the side, but we can’t see any more.

Elisondro wants us to go down there an fight, but it is so narrow, we would barely fit, so we will the shaft with dead trees and have Elisondro take us to Guard Captain Adelaird Beamsly. thorfus tells him what was found and what we did and made clear that we did not see or hear or find any signs of the quicklings, we just plugged up the shaft as a precaution. Thorfus also told the captain that it was Elisondro who found the shaft. The captain changes his outlook to Elisondro and appoints him in charge of some en to do further investigation now there there is a solid lead. The captain says that there is not longer a reward, but used the petty cash to give each of us 10 gp.

We then go back to the Twelfth Night and eat our complimentary supper and listen in aon the conversation and the road from Midmark is now much better, with only a little trouble from Harpies or other things from the jungle. the ability to use the ford for free is very good. The merchants talked like it was all the work of the men from Midmark. We did not mention that we had a hand in any of it.

We waited a few hours and retired to our rooms.

I wonder how long until the bargemen with Rotho and Barnier come back and what will happen. Will we be able to go to Xen Kel, or would we be better off dealing with the harpies in the castle. I would like to rescue Em, but is she really up the Vargwater at the mines? These are my thoughts as I drift off to sleep. This the 9th of Denrildon.