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

Session 44, May 12 2021

Introduction

We continue at 6:30AM on the 9th of Laurilden with the party split between the guardhouse near the edge of Jaegger's domain and the south shore of the Vargwater River. The latter of these groups has just spent the night camped in the jungle with Alisceon Hayne and the surviving dervishes after Narthax the dragon managed to draw off the Devil Birds that had been in pursuit; the former group spent their short resting period brewing some healing potions and now intend to travel south in hopes of finding their companions ...

Larry's Summary

The Imperials head off towards Xen Khel. Lungmold crosses the river and discovers that big game hunter Ranarth Quinn and his two hirelings, Alfredus & Cesario, were in one of Jager's old storehouses near the docks. Lungmold used the boat to get the rest of the party to the North side of the river. Ranarth had sent some hirelings to Vargen 5 days ago and they haven't returned. Ranarth has been in the wilderness for a few months. He claims to be from a small island with a fishing village, but is a lie.

Velkin sketched a capable drawing of the Threehorn (Triceratops) with Ranarth posing with his foot on the snout so others will believe him.

Ranarth had his hirelings cut off and clean the horns for more proof. Brendil asked for two of the horns so he can attach to his helmet. They made a handshake deal to work out payment when they reach civilization.

Rallion, Kauri, & co. make their way out of the caldera of Jager and spot a rhinoceros and avoid it. Part way down the mountain path they are attacked by seven small lizards and kill three and wound a couple and the lizards flee. We take the three killed. Gath eats one and the other two are kept for later. About a half hour from the storehouse Rallion spots a lot of tracks of short humanoids. Some with shoes, some with claws. They headed toward a cave. Rallion made not of it and headed towards the storehouse hoping to meet the others, if they lived.

Velkin reads the book by the Dragon Emperor and learns the following:

Inquisitorial Notes on Dimensional Travel and Barriers

i. This is a long treatise that starts with the story of Azrael and his Dragon kin accidentally punching through the inter-dimensional barrier and arriving in Meidia
1. Azrael was working on a way to harvest the souls of lesser beings to power greater magics than his kind were capable of doing on their own; he focused a great amount of power into an ornate knife carved from his own bone (surgically removed); Azrael kept this artifact for his decades of work to try to find a way back home (Gharmazollond)
ii. This is followed by some of Azrael’s findings that he shared with his Inquisitors: the theory about resting energy levels of different dimensions and the relative difficulty of “punching” upward versus downward
1. Also discussed is one of Azrael’s alternate hypothesis: that Meidia’s dimension is one of an indeterminate number of inter-dimensional gravity wells to which many neighboring worlds connect – think of a funnel narrowing to a point. Meidia’s dimension can’t be this point (it’s possible to access other dimensions), but it is close to this core dimension
iii. There is also discussion of medial spaces between dimensions, like the shadow realm, astral plane, and the transpatial dimension of the DVLs
1. Azrael spent a lot of time on these things, thinking they might provide a way to claw back to a higher energy dimension (sort of like tacking into the wind with a ship)
2. Azrael was convinced that the DVLs knew something more about the structure of the cosmos than they were telling their so-called masters (i.e., the ancient dwarves); his only proof of this was a conversation with an insane Daemon who claimed that the DVLs were migrating through a nested set of false worlds on their way to overthrow their creators in “Reality” (perhaps the point of the dimensional funnel or the lowest energy dimension?)
iv. Related to the last point, the book mentions early research by Azrael on some humanoids encountered on Meidia: these beings claimed to be native, but tests on prisoners indicated that they originally came from a lower-energy dimension (which obviously fascinated Azrael).
1. Azrael never discovered how these “natives” traveled to Meidia’s dimension, although he did produce some theories about their magical abilities
2. These anti-magics seemed to be powered by the energy differential between them and the world; most interestingly, there seemed to be locations on Meidia that were eruptions into the world from that lower-energy place; often these were sacred sites for the native humanoids

Rallion, Kauri, & co. reach the storehouse and are greeted by surprise by Lungmold, Ranarth, and the rest of the party. We share introductions. Ranarth eyes the "lizards" Gath & Oskar with particular interest, since lizards are his specialty. Gath's odor and Oskar's tea seem to convince him not to hunt them for trophies.

Rallion shares a high-level overview of the new world situation, since Ranarth and his hirelings don't know about the loss of magic, devils invading the cities, Dragon Empire being affected, and that we seek to restore magic that is not of the DVLs.

We elect to stay and rest.

First watch Lungmold & ? hear two demon birds fly over.

During watch, Rallion shares the 2nd watch with Cesario. Cesario tells of an old Imperial outpost about 4 or 5 days North, past Jager's. Ranard had heard rumors about it and they went to check it out but it was filled with undead (not the kind with odd fungal type growths). Rallion made sure to ask this since Ranarth had been bitten by one. This was a couple weeks ago, so he should not be infected with the undead making disease.

On third watch, Brendil and Alfredus hear something. Lungmold scans and detects perhaps 100 of the 18" high lizards seeking to eat us for killing their brethren earlier.

Rallion used one of the 3 daily uses to speak with animals and gets them to agree to eat the three horn. It seems to appease them.

Lungmold lifts Brendil up to a hole in the roof. Brendil tosses down a flask of oil and hits near the snout which scatters the lizards and misses with the torch.

Velkin's Scrolls

Velkin Scrolls 18 - Session 44 Laurilden 9, 6:30am

The party is split, Ground portion are just at the edge of Jeager’s tower and the Air portion are some ways away.

Air: After the evening passes, Alisceon and her dervishes head twoard Xhen Kel to report back to the Dragon Emporer. We wait to attempt to reconnect with the party. I overhear Alisceon they’re going through the jungle to Xhen Khel, the other path is following the river through the foothills to the mountains.

We survey our immediate area and note a small building upriver a little ways that may or may not be inhabited. Lungmold and Borthan get a little loud to draw attention away from Brendil and I as we scout upriver to look for a way across to check out the building.

Lungmold goes across the river to the building and finds a man named Raynarth Quinn and 2 hirelings, Alfredus and Cesario. He brings back the boat and brings the rest of us back to the house. It turns out it’s a storehouse that Jaeger used. Raynarth lets us know that 2 of his retainers which were headed toward Vargen for supplies have not returned. We let him know that they probably wouldn’t be unless they were both smart and lucky… He has a triceratops he’s just killed and is quite proud of it. He’s pretty upset that we can’t take the massive head along for a trophy. I humor the guy and sketch a passable likeness of him posing with the dead 3 horned lizard. Somehow the sketch turns out really good and Ranarth gives me a sack of gold if civilization ever returns, he’d be a patron for me. Like I want to sketch for a living…. Hah! Brendil barters for 2 of the horns on a handshake for future compensation… then he attaches them to his helmet.

Brendil may turn into something similar to the mongrelmen if he keeps putting stuff on himself… slime, poison, acid, horns etc… a real walking sample museum he is.

We settle in and wait to see if the rest of the party comes this way. I take the time to more carefully go through the book from the Jaeger’s library “Inquisatorial Notes on Dimensional Travel and Barriers” and cross referencing that with Jeager’s notes.

Here’s what I learned:

1. This is a long treatise that starts with the story of Azrael and his Dragon kin accidentally punching through the inter-dimensional barrier and arriving in Meidia
   1. Azrael was working on a way to harvest the souls of lesser beings to power greater magics than his kind were capable of doing on their own; he focused a great amount of power into an ornate knife carved from his own bone (surgically removed); Azrael kept this artifact for his decades of work to try to find a way back home (Gharmazollond)
2. This is followed by some of Azrael’s findings that he shared with his Inquisitors: the theory about resting energy levels of different dimensions and the relative difficulty of “punching” upward versus downward
   1. Also discussed is one of Azrael’s alternate hypothesis: that Meidia’s dimension is one of an indeterminate number of inter-dimensional gravity wells to which many neighboring worlds connect – think of a funnel narrowing to a point. Meidia’s dimension can’t be this point (it’s possible to access other dimensions), but it is close to this core dimension
3. There is also discussion of medial spaces between dimensions, like the shadow realm, astral plane, and the transpatial dimension of the DVLs
   1. Azrael spent a lot of time on these things, thinking they might provide a way to claw back to a higher energy dimension (sort of like tacking into the wind with a ship)
   2. Azrael was convinced that the DVLs knew something more about the structure of the cosmos than they were telling their so-called masters (i.e., the ancient dwarves); his only proof of this was a conversation with an insane Daemon who claimed that the DVLs were migrating through a nested set of false worlds on their way to overthrow their creators in “Reality” (perhaps the point of the dimensional funnel or the lowest energy dimension?)
4. Related to the last point, the book mentions early research by Azrael on some humanoids encountered on Meidia: these beings claimed to be native, but tests on prisoners indicated that they originally came from a lower-energy dimension (which obviously fascinated Azrael).
   1. Azrael never discovered how these “natives” traveled to Meidia’s dimension, although he did produce some theories about their magical abilities
   2. These anti-magics seemed to be powered by the energy differential between them and the world; most interestingly, there seemed to be locations on Meidia that were eruptions into the world from that lower-energy place; often these were sacred sites for the native humanoids

The Ground group arrives and introductions are made and information relayed to Raynarth on the current state of affairs of the world. They relay their encounter with some lizards and Rallion’s observations of a lot of short humanoids some with, some without shoes that were headed to a nearby cave.

I go over what I gathered from the book with Kauri.

During 3rd watch, an army of little lizards arrive! Rallion talks them into eating the trihron creature’s body and we fail in an attempt to roast them all.