Session Fifty-Six Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)

Session 56, August 4 2021

Introduction

We continue at 7:40PM on the 21st of Laurilden with Montoa still under attack by orcs, giants, and other monstrous enemies. The party continues to hold the line against the invaders, making use of just about every resource available to them ...

Larry's Summary

We defeated the orcs. The last giant was dropped by Gath and several more orcs were dropped by arrows and melee. Kauri slept 8 more and Kahlia used blood magic on herself to cast Ice Storm on the large group of orcs to the North, killing them all. This broke the morale of the remaining orcs who fled East and South. Kahlia was dropped by this use of blood magic. Lambertus rushed to her aid. Lambertus came to have Kauri cast invisibility on him so Velkin and Ajax could follow the orcs. Velkin went towards the lake and found the desecration by defecation in the lake and the totem of one horn. Velkin removed the totem and came back to tell the rest of us. Ajax followed the orcs and most of them re-grouped to the East and continued East. The rest of the party did what healing we could with our 5 jars and the 9 jars of the Montoans. We then bound and gagged the sleeping and held orcs and hobgoblins. Then we set watches and rested til morning. The next day we investigated the lake and destroyed the totem by chopping with the shard sword, then burning it. The water away from the despoiled area was drinkable, but no longer healing. Lungmold questioned the prisoners and learned that the larger ones are hobgoblins. We learned that One Horn sent them to desecrate the lake and destroy the power of the Old Ones and get servants to take back to Hdrasa (an ancient stronghold of the ancients that fought the dragons before the arrival of the dwarves).

We then debated what to do next:

1-Clear Lake
2-Find Hermegart
3 - Talk to the Winter King.
Maybe get his help wit One Horn? Or deal with One Horn ourselves?
2.5 - experiment with blood magic.
How far away is the hole? (two days to the East)
How far do they have to go?

3 Questions For Commune by Felix:
1-Will cleaning lake restore its healing power?
2-If above No - Will Remove Curse restore its healing power?
3-If above No - Will Dispel Evil restore its healing power?

Brendil would be interested in learning more about blood magic.
How many more orcs & hobgoblins & giants are left?

Velkin's Scrolls

Velkin Scrolls 27 – Session 56

Montoa Defended

Laurilden 21, 7:40pm

The attackers are repelled, at a high cost. Most of the warriors have been killed and we’ve taken a beating, using a lot of resources.

The final giant was killed by Gath while he defended Rallion with a heady offense. Kauri continued to use the unconscious orcs provided by a plucky Forcas to fuel his magical wrath. To the North Kahlia uses bloodmagic to cast Ice Storm and falls unconscious on that front’s advance and devastates the enemy while Kauri charms some and Druul aids that front defending the villagers and children. The remainder scattering as their morale is broken.

I have Kauri cast invisibility on me again. Ajax and I take off after the orcs to see which way they flee. Arriving at the lake, it’s been desecrated and a totem with one horn is erected in the lake.

Ajax comes back soaked, the orcs are headed east toward the mountains, mostly regrouped and had a bit of a discussion. They were upset, in the end they ended up continuing east away from us. He’ll rest up then scout them in the morning.

We’ve taken some prisoners, healed best we could and after the post battle regroup and rest for the night.

The giant to the east that recovered from the poison has a Montoan healing pottery jug, it may also neutralize poison as well as heal.

Forcas and I grab a shortbow and some arrows and as a party, we distribute weapons to any able bodied human in the village.

560gp in coin from the orcs.

Laurilden 22

Lungmold scans the ‘not orcs’ One Horn is their leader. He needs slaves, desecrate the waters of the old ones. Base camp to the east in the mountains, a hole in the ground. You get an image of a room of stairs going down, on the landing before the stairs, everything is stone. There is a decoration all skins and skulls of humanoids covering up older wall paintings of almost an image of warriors killing a dragon. These things are Hobgoblins.

Druul scratches his head and has heard of Hdrasta. A long ago people who fought against the dragons, they had a place, a place of refuge. This location apparently kept them safe from Dragons. It was in the mountains.

We’ve got the location of Hdrasta.

One of the orcs, Droog, agreed to show us the way to Hdrasta.

One Horn: Scaly, batlike wings, horns, one’s broken. Tusk-like fangs, large ears. Tail. His chambers are at the lowest levels of Hdrasta.

We discuss what our next steps will be, the obvious one is to figure out what’s needed to clear the lake’s desecration.