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

Session 76, January 5 2022

Introduction

We continue at 4:30PM on the 30th of Laurilden (00.000.10.01 on the Apocalypse Clock) making their final plans and preparations to leave Xen'Khel for Hdrasta. The group's current intent is to fly westward to Hdrasta on an invisible dragon while safely ensconced within the web portal; Ajax, also invisible, will then fly the portal into the pit of Hdrasta and find a quiet place where the party can disembark. Stealth is the goal, so no doubt something loud and violent will ensue ...

Larry's Summary

We divvy up the healing potions.

We discuss unloading items over encumbering us.

However, it takes a couple hours to get there and back. Azrael has a very concerned look on his face about further delay.

We follow Allician down to the vaults to leave our extra stuff.

Khelratha leave "Ronan" to keep an eye on things. He hangs Rallion's Starchy Badge on "Ronan."

Brastimachus - Has volunteered to carry us. Velkin will ride his back, carrying the portal. Brastimachus will land a bit off from Hdrasta. Brastimachus will get in the portal. Ajax will then fly the portal in. Velkin is already invisible and may stay out of the portal when Ajax carries it.

Azrael and other elder dragons cast invisibility on the PCs and Lambertus and Borhan.

All but Velkin get in the pouch. Brastimachus changes form and has Velkin climb aboard. Velkin feels the scales of Brastimachus' scales are Winter King cold.

Brastimachus takes flight and sees the bridge automatons in the distance.

Flies into the West with clear weather, into the sunset.

A voice says, "Six hours."

Velkin has a conversation with Brastimachus and asks how many types of dragons are there? About a dozen. Brastimachus is cold and blue - lightning.

Conversation inside the portal.

Khelratha "I hope Ronan's OK. He's sure mad at me, he was looking forward to a good fight."

Lungmold asks how best to incorporate them into the fight? They are trained in group fighting in human form. As dragon form, they are better on their own, but only in extreme need. They take up the middle of the marching order

No sign of large birds (roc).

6 hours later. c. 11:30 PM. Brastimachus says that he will find a place to land and Hdrasta is to the North.

Brastimachus & Velkin get in the portal, Ajax steps out.

Ajax folds up the portal and we wait....

About ten minutes later the portal peals back. We are in the barracks.

Ajax says the "bad ones" on the surface were looking down the pit when he flew in, so did not see him, nor did the ones on the balcony.

Velkin works his way down the stairs.

Barking animal asking for more food.

Velkin walks to the central shaft balcony on level two and looks down to bone pit and sees some creatures walking on the edge of the bone pit. Velkin sees 11 ogres gathered around. Seem to be looking at the bones or maybe listening. Velkin hears a muffled chanting or something from somewhere below.

The next level down Velking hears voices he doesn't understand, the portal is open a bit and we hear in orcish. They are missing out on the ceremony, end of raids if it works.

Velking keeps going down the stairs.

It gets louder as Velkin goes down the stairs from chanting and being clouded.

It's also warm.

Velkin shadow steps into a less crowded area. He sees one horn and then shadow steps to the pillar and sees the bones of the "dragon" that has the stone from One-Horn's necklace is laid across the bones of the "dragon."

The plan is for Velkin to shadow step and grab the necklace, shadow step back to the pillar, then shadow step out the corridor as far as possible. (We will pick this up next time.)

Velkin's Scrolls

Velkin Scrolls 43 – Session 76

Laurilden 30, 4:30pm

We divide up the healing potions amongst us and Azreal, the mighty ancient dragon, ruler of the Dragon Empire and Extraplanar Power, is giving all of us hugs and pats on the back as we leave. Those of us who accept them that is.

We make our way to the waterfall exit where Brastimachus and I fly invisibly to Hdrasta carrying the web portal with the rest of the forces resting inside. Brast is a very very cold individual when in his dragon form. I can’t see what he looks like, but it’s not an overly pleasant experience except for the conversation.

It’s expected to take about 6 hours and Brast and I fly off into the sunset. In another time and circumstance, it might be comforting and peaceful…

Brast and I chat along the way, I learn about the dragons accompanying us and some of the Ways of Dragons and I talk to him about what we’ve learned of the Winter King and the elven people’s history. We aren’t accosted by Termarir or encounter anything eventful.

We land about 10m out from Hdrasta, as the Crow flies. Brast and I exchange places with Ajax and he flies in to the area behind the western ballista. I exit and proceed to do what I do best. Be sneaky.

Avoiding contact and a pack of some canid I make my way down to where we expect One Horn to be. As I get closer, I close the portal to not set off DVL alarms as I shadowstep to our goal. It takes some time and once on the lower level where there’s chanting, I sneak around via Shadowstepping to find our goal and there he is. One Horn. Chanting over the laid out dragonbones with the native islanders chained to the walls surrounded by a horde of humanoids, giants and DVL’s. I feel like this is going to suck… But hey, I might get lucky!

I set myself up clinging from the dragon bone pillar wrapped in a nanocarbon webbing of some kind. That might be interesting sometime... I’ve got a great view of the ritual and am lined up to see about interrupting things.

Here goes nothing!