Session Thirty-One Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)

Session 31, February 10 2021

Introduction

We continue at 9PM on the 21st of Tenrilden with the party finishing up their business at Grissel's Apothecary in the Svirfneblin city of Malgrim. Unfortunately, Rallion's healing of Borthan has caused the Githyanki to flee into the marketplace in fear ...

Larry's Summary

Rallion, Brendil, and Druul followed after Borthan. Brendil failed in his attempt to tap Borthan with his stunning coated sword and Rallion failed to trip him. Druul's first attempt to charm Borthan, but his second succeeded.

Borthan ran into a young gnome with pamphlets about a play: The Incredible Adventures of Commander Talon and Lady Em: From Overworld to the Outsiders' Realms.

• A group of drow took notice and moved our way.
• Borthan was headed to a procession of gnomes with two earth elementals bearing one on a palanquin. Clan Karst or Clan Ragathy
• A group of gnome guards also.

We avoid all three groups just as the guards prepare to deal with us.

The young gnome Billy distracts the gnome guards and the drow aren't sure about us.

A pech from the drow was following us. Lungmold stepped into an alley and stunned the pech and we ran.

We passed a gambling house and got directions to the Inn of the Iridescent Hall.

We go to the main path and cross the Townbridge.

Between the bridge and the Inn, There is a festival. Druul was still playing to keep Borthan charmed and gets a few gold.

We go to the Inn of the Iridescent Hall.

We break into four groups. The Mushrooms stay outside. Velkin with one group, Rallion another, and Druul another. Druul gets a deal on his groups room as a performer.

Druul does a performance and we overhear a bit.

We overhear a group about something in lower city and boatmen complaining about something in the water and possible impact on the food supply in the upper city if something isn't done.

There will be a performance in about 15 hours of The Incredible Adventures of Commander Talon and Lady Em: From Overworld to the Outsiders' Realms that we want to attend.

A gnome, Maggot, from down below happens to be at the performance.

A pech brings a message in a scroll case to Velkin.

Velkin Herig:
Magister Erilden sends his greetings and asks for an update on your current mission. House Herig has fallen into disfavor with Llolth, but the council sees the wisdom in his manipulation of Aquil and your work may yet bring our family honor. Please send a report by means of the messenger delivering this note. If necessary, we can extract you from the company of the traitorous overlanders.
Ambassador Thylimon Herig

Velkin takes some time during the rest period to compose a message to the Magister and finish up his current missive of the current events and things he's found out.

We decide to go topside and go to the skycar (100 gp) on the way, we see bunch of gnome children playing on a terrace 50 feet above. There was a blast of cold air that disturbed the bats and the child fell but caught themself. We tried to save the child, but when it fell, Velkin missed, and it missed the blanket we tried to use and died. He was of Clan Ghiroudi.

(Was the cold blast related to the Winter King? Billy said it's never cold here.)

We slunk off to the skycar and crossed over and Billy the gnome thief pointed out the shops, the theater, and the Clan Houses.

Gruul’s Logs: The official Unauthorized tales from the Underdark

I found freedom again, but only to be stuck within this Underdark for who knows how long. It sickens me to know that I still walk with the Drow. When will I ever taste the salt on my lips and feel the sea winds against my back again?

Today I noticed from the corner of my eye, Borthan dashed out from the alleyway that Rallion took him down after I saw a flash of light. Rallion quickly followed behind Borthan as he headed toward the market. I knew this must not be a good thing. I quickly rallied Bili and Brendil before this got out of hand.

Once in the market, Borthan started running into Gnomes left and right. He knocked over a Gnome who was handing out pamphlets for a play - The Incredible Adventures of Commander Talon and Lady Em: From Overworld to the Outsider’s Realm. Does this mean I might be able to find other Bards within this city?

I saw that Borthan had gained the interest of the guards and a group of Drow from the commotion. I’m not sure what spooked him but Rallion refused to give an answer as we continued to pursue. If not for nothing, Rallion knows how to keep a secret. This will either benefit us in the end or rear its ugly head like every other monster we have come to know.

My only thought was if only I could calm Borthan down. I closed my eyes and pulled Rawune, my lute, into my hands. I imagined the calming sea after a long storm. The notes sang out and floated from my fingertips. When I opened my eyes, Borthan stood there in front of me like the dead that I have come to entertain within the Underdark tombs.

Bili, our Gnome guide, suggested we go back toward the alley and find the Iridescent Inn. He would distract the guards, then meet us there. As we caught up with the rest of the group, Velkin with a keen eye, noticed a Peck trailing our footsteps. Lungmold dropped back from the group, and just as quickly return with one less Peck to follow.

I continued forward with Rawune’s dancing melodies leading the pack as we came upon a glorious festival outside of the Inn. Now this felt more like it. Finally, I could start making some gold back. I entertained a few of the Gnomes passing by before I headed to the inn.

The Inn Keep was quite friendly to give me a discount as long as I entertained the dinning court. Little does he know that I am glad to have all the practice I could get these days. Rawune must have missed the attention, for she sang beautifully that night. The crowd from the festival started to pour in, singing and dancing till the late hours. What a rush!

It’s hard to hold a steady hand after such a performance. That’s why the gods made ale. I meet a copper colored haired man, Maggot (I like this man already), that works the docks. He says he can muster a crew and a ship for us. I gestured that I would speak with him the next day as my eye felt heavy and my sea legs returned.

I spoke with Rallion the next morning. He would like the party to head to the Upper City to meet someone about a contract. Something to do about info on the dead magic. We gather our wears and follow Bili up to the cable cars.

Before we get there, a child must have been playing to roughly and somehow thrown over the ledge 50ft above us. He started to lose his grip. Velkin acted quickly to save the child - maybe these Drow do have some kind of conscious - but the young boy could not hold on long enough. With our heads drown down, we covered the boy and waited for the guard. So quickly life passes us by…

Velkin's Scrolls

We follow Borthan into the Marketplace narrowly avoiding an altercation with a clan leader and his/her earth elementals, and a group of kin (drow). Billi runs interference with the guard and we make our exit from the marketplace. We pick up a Pech tail and Lungmold immobilizes it while we make our escape. We meet back up with Billi at the Iridescent Hall.

We hear of a play that might be interesting, Druul plays and gains some coin. We enter in three groups and keep our separation.

We learn of something predatory in the water below Malgrim and there’s worry it’ll affect the food supply.

Druul makes friends with a gnome dockworker, Maggot. He offers to find a boat for us, just ask around, everyone knows him.

There’s a yellow hat near the Silver Throne Embassy looking for folks to explore it.

I receive a letter from Ambassador Thylimon Herig:

Velkin Herig:

Magister Erilden sends his greetings and asks for an update on your current mission. House Herig has fallen into disfavor with Llolth, but the council sees the wisdom in his manipulation of Aquil and your work may yet bring our family honor. Please send a report by means of the messenger delivering this note. If necessary, we can extract you from the company of the traitorous overlanders.

Ambassador Thylimon Herig

I respond to him and send my encoded missive of the events since I’ve been with this party to be forwarded on.

Velkin’s response to Ambassador Thylimon is as follows:

Ambassador Thylimon Herig:

Please expeditiously relay my greetings and well wishes to Master Enrilden along with this portion of the translation of the book we’d been working on.

His wisdom and foresight are well founded. I believe that this motley crew of surface dwellers does have a chance of recovering secrets of magic lost to this world after the coming of the Dwarves. I believe that will go far in regaining our place. It will also be of great benefit in the coming fight against those from beyond the Veil. From what I’ve learned, the Priestesses are correct. The fight against Asmodeus is paramount. Along that line, there are beings with yellow hats that may be sources of information regarding opposition to Asmodeus. The party has reason to believe that the Shaitan is actively moving against Mediea. There is an open gateway above this world to the Outside where DVL’s are descending on the world in droves. There is a DVL with a yellow brimmed hat that is a harbinger for a powerful DVL opposing Asmodeus. We’ve heard rumors of someone with a yellow hat near the Rift on a rock and near the Silver Throne Embassy that may be worth questioning. Shadowstepping: A power that creates a corridor through the Veil and has a side effect of allowing abominable creatures to follow upon exit. Blood Magic: Manipulated by utilizing the life force focused through ancient common runes carved into a living being. Stone magic: There are stones that carry and can fuel magic from powerful creatures from a Stone Realm. Possibly from any extraplanar being. The earth elementals may have information if we use contacts with a clan with such servants amenable to discussions. Jax, a conjoined twin was asking around about magic and according to the party was once a great archmage. Aubrey Grotecop is dead, he was killed underneath Vilgram by a remorhaz. The remorhaz is the steed of the Winter King’s Seneshcal and although tough, seems vulnerable to flaming oil. The Winter King has risen from the catacombs underneath Vilgrim and they have frozen over as an army of undead is summoned by him. I fear this may be a dire event for all of us pending the Winter King’s goals. I recently learned that it’s suspected this group has Lloth’s Gift. The truth of which I cannot verify as they are keeping much close to the vest. I plan to continue supporting the efforts of these outlanders in hopes of regaining our place at minimum, and rising to the top if things work out solidly in our favor. After seeing the cooperation and loyalty among the motley racial makeup of this party, House Herig has the best chance of creating a profitable empire spanning above and below. The other Houses do not have the foresight and wisdom and tolerance to see the potential.

Velkin

I inform the party that we’re known to be in the city and our time is most likely limited before we are detected and that information acted upon. They know of me and my role in extricating you from Vilgram and my location, so I can infer you’re on the radar as well. Especially if news of the marketplace incident reaches ears that are suspicious.

We decide to go see the play first thing after rising from our rest then head to the underside to meet Maggot.

As we’re headed to the upper areas, a great sound popping our ears and a blast of cold that comes from the NE riftward direction.

We try and save a gnomish kid that was hanging from a rail, but he falls to his death.

The temperature drops in the city, something that never has happened, could it be the Winter King?

We go to the Skycar facility where they have a human powered wheel to move the cars, we go across and head toward the theater.