Session One Hundred and Eighty-Eight (Graveyard of Empires Summary)

SESSION 188 – JANUARY 31, 2018 (The same day as the Super/Blue/Blood Moon.)

Rallion steps up to give his speech to the delegations.

Rallion sets the liar box at his feet.

Greeting honored guests. We are thankful for the hospitality of Aldith, Chief

of Hizzou, who has allowed us to request your presence to share our news from the East.

Greetings to Shem and its honored council, guided by Elder Emeric.

Greetings to Montoa and its representative Druetta.

I beg your indulgence to let me share all of the news that we bear. It is

important that you hear it at the same time so that none can say they were

told a different message.

Should you doubt the truth of my words, this box before me will rattle when

it hears a lie. You will have noticed that it was silent while I spoke. I

shall tell an obvious lie to show you that it works. “I am short with green

hair.” We can use this box to find the truth of the matter about poisoning.

All who select, prepare, and serve the food can be questioned.

Rallion then invited the delegations to test it.

I am Rallion of the Wode. I am sent by the Verdant Fellowship in the East to

find the truth about the Dark King. The Druids of the Fellowship did not know

if this Dark King was an agent of the Dragon Empire or the far more ancient

Dwarven Empire. The Dark King has caused much calamity and destruction.

Entire villages have been destroyed or brought under his sway. Some are

forced into service by their families being held captive. Far more are forced

to be mindless servants controlled by those of the Dark King’s commanders and lietenants who wear various circlets that allow them to command those poor souls who have had their heads opened and cubes of command inserted. These creatures are now mindless and totally under the sway of the Dark King.

We have learned the truth of the Dark King, he is a servant of the Ancient

Dwarven Empire, and he prepares the way for the arrival of an even bigger

army from beyond the sky.

A couple weeks ago, you will have noticed these ancient Dwarven numbers

counting down each day. This count down tells us that we have 2 months and 9 days until this dwarven army with all of its magic will arrive and destroy

the world as we know it.

A fringe group of ancient dwarves controls the Silverthrone Company and they work to be the first to aid the arrival of these dwarves from beyond. They

have the same goal, but each wants the glory for himself. The head of the

Silverthrone Company has unleashed an ancient dwarven sickness that turns

those who succumb to it into mindless zombies, who are very difficult to

kill. Destroying the bodies by fire causes the ash to rise up, and the ash

too causes those it touches to be afflicted. We have not yet found a good way

to defeat this sickness.

This sickness has afflicted Vargen before the disaster struck it. This

sickness got out of control and has afflicted the dwarves of Xenilum Khel,

most do not know that their ancestors come from beyond the sky, or what evils those who seek to restore the Dwarven Empire are doing.

The Dragon Emperor’s forces have moved into Midmark, and have a foothold

there. The disaster that leveled Vargen has destroyed much of the navy of

Midmark. The terrible sickness has caused most surviving ships from Midmark to anchor off the coast, like the Bronze Wizard at Shemm.

We have fought the servants and allies of the Dark King. We found his secret

hiding place for what they call the Council of Twelve, far beneath Glavnone.

We fought there are barely escaped with the loss of many great ones.

That being said, not all dwarves follow the ways of the Dwarven Empire. Lord

Thorfus Ironhand was an honorable dwarf, Chief of Clan Ironhand, and he died fighting the Dark King’s forces. He was sickened when he learned the truth of his ancestors, a truth hidden to most dwarves today. Not all dwarves will join the Dark King’s forces or the new dwarves from beyond the sky.

The false god of the dwarves, Xenotel, is an evil creature who twists the

ways of the dwarves. We seek to defeat him in his Crystal Palace.

Our quest to prevent the arrival of a dwarven army had been hampered many

times by the lies and subterfuge of different factions. Not all who have lied

and hindered us, know the truth about the Dark King, but all the same have

their own desires for power, position, and wealth, that prevent our progress.

We must set aside the quest for these things, as we cannot enjoy them if the

islands are destroyed. If the islands are destroyed, where do we go, the

Dragon Empire?

Lastly, (pulling out the golden feather), we are the chosen of the

Matriarchs.

Druetta of the Montoa delegation was intrigued and asked how we came to have the feather and was very willing to believe Rallion’s tale. She asked after the former leader of the mountaintop sanctuary and was saddened to learn that only two of the monastic order remain.

Emeric of the Shemm delegation was very dismissive and Rallion’s tale fit his desire to twist the words of Rallion to his purpose.

Nash had Serithaz scan everyone and let him know that Emeric poisoned the ship captain, Nigel. Nash could only relay that to Laris, Oskar, and Lambertus, as the rest of us have mind shielded magic.

Emeric taunted the liar box and all our dwarven magic, and our representation of Midmark and the “EAST.” He even said that he poisoned the liar box, and it did not rattle. He said, it is some trick. Druetta was ready to attack. Laris tried to run in front of her, but she missed. Nash commanded Emeric to surrender, and he knelt and bowed his head. Bavmorda and Nash then rushed in to grapple and bind him. One of the Shemm delegation tried to grapple Bavmorda, and ended up knocked senseless. Laris ended the struggle by casting sleep.

Chief Aldith called for order, and was frustrated that fighting had broken our in his peace talks. He ordered the captain be brought in and through magic and a cure poison, we brought the captain around. He told his tale of volunteering to be part of the delegation. His story was punctuated by the liar box’s rattles. Rallion and Nash brought this to everyone’s attention, and all cast glances at Emeric.

It seems all believed Emeric capable of the deed.

The chief orders us out first, and says that the delegations of Shemm and Montoa would be free to leave. We get to our hut and question the captain to get the straight story. He and his first mate were imprisoned, and he was taken with his first mate held hostage. While Laris kept watch to make sure we were not overheard.

Druetta approaches and offers to go with us. We accept her offer.

She leads us north out of Hizzou, as if we were headed to Montoa, and then we circle around and travel through the night to get to Shemm. We rest in the morning, so our spell casters can re-learn their spells. We continue about 1:00 PM and get to the outskirts of Shemm about 8:00 PM.

Laris and Bavmorda are sent in to scout and they find their way to the central hut and find two guards dicing while the first mate slept in a corner. They report back to us. They go and get the prisoner, taking Rallion’s cloak to make the escape easier. The rest of us go down the path to the boats.

There is a hut at the bottom of the trail to the beach. Rallion keeps watch over it while waiting for Laris, Bavmorda, and the mate. The others go get the Bronze Wizard’s boat and get it in the water for a faster getaway.

While waiting for Laris and Bavmoda (Julie), Rallion carves into a stick, “Rallion was here,” and sticks it into the cliff beside the path near the hut.

Laris and Bavmorda easily return to the central hut. LAris casts sleep. They relieve a guard of the key to the manacles. Bavmorda throws the first mate over her shoulder while Laris drapes Rallion’s dark elf cloak over him, and they head for the trail. They almost surpsised Rallion, and join him in going to the boat, and they push off towards the ship.

The crew is relieved to have their captain.

Nash learns that the boat that dropped him off, the Gilded Gusset, is the one wrecked on the shore north of Shemm. Captain Nigel explains that it is infested with lacedons (sea ghouls). We decide to make our way south and leave Curmidden behind us, perhaps never to return.

We decide to seek port, perhaps at Feldmark, sell our gems, resupply, and perhaps take a week to train.