Session Twenty-Six Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)
Session 26, January 6 2021
Introduction
We continue at 7:40PM on the 17th of Tenrilden with the party having just returned to the Temple of the Winter King to rest after their encounter with winter wolves ...
Session Summary
We rest eight hours in the Temple of the Winter King. Rallion heard shuffling on his watch. Brendil heard whispers saying his name, that soon ceased. The other two watches were quiet.
Lambertus used one of his stones and re-learned spells. He healed Aubrey, Lungmold, and Oskar. Rallion gave Lambertus his last healing elixir.
Velkin searches the chest of Jarlana and avoided a trap of poison gas and finds everyday drow clerical vestments, a holy symbol, and a sticky web-like handkerchief that unfolds and seems to be a portal to another place as a breeze came out of it. We suspect it is a portal. Also inside is a book and a fancy scroll case. The scroll case are fragments of parchment that discuss the Winter King and Summer King. The book is Jarlana's journal that starts with the end of magic.
Jarlana's Journal:
Jarlana had a messenger from Lolth, whom we suspect to be the demon in the yellow hat. This messenger knew how to track those with the box of infinite spiders....
Lambertus asked the corpse of the sacrificial victim two questions with Speak with Dead.
Where were you killed?
Answered in Old Elvish close to Drow.
I died in the Halls of the Winter King beyond the snowy forest and old cabin on the other side of the Veil before being brought to these contested lands.
How do we find the Summer King?
The Lord of Summer can be found in the Elysium Fields beyond the Veil; he will come soon to fight his mortal foe and claim his kingdom in these Contested Lands.
The winter wolves lead us to their "master" the Winter King, but Rallion convinces them to lead them to the Seneschal of the Winter King.
First to a door that is the "dangerous way." Then the safe way, past the Winter King.
Wolves lead us to a door. (We will pass through the Master's Forest. Master is in the cabin.)
As in an enchanted space, /
Trees stood in the vapor rootless, /
While the stag flew onward, footless /
Yet unwearied by the chase.
We enter a huge room that turns to a snowy forest. Lungmold detects a mind to the North, that we assume is the Winter King.
We come to a door and hear moaning. We open the door and there are zombies, but Lambertus turns them and they fall to pieces.
We come to a statue in a semi-circular alcove with an articulated arm. Moving the arm opens a door. The wolves lead us through.
At an intersection the wolves are worried. Lungmold senses animal minds. He telepathically asks them "What is your purpose?" and they get active and come towards us. At least 3 bluish giant toads. We get through a door and two pivoting walls beyond. We spike the door and both pivoting walls and head in the direction Lungmold detected the frogs.
It is now 10:30 AM the 18th of Tenrilden.
Velkin's Scrolls
Tenrilden 17
7:40pm
We camp in the Temple of the Winter King. I’m pleased that these people are willing to share their knowledge. I take a turn at watch which goes by uneventfully. Others had some odd things happen on their watches, but nothing of note.
We open (very carefully) the box form Jherlanna’s quarters. It was trapped with a fragile globe of poisonous gas. One of these days I’ll get better at finding them. Judicious use of a fresh wolf pelt prevented an unfortunate series of events. Inside was a few mundane items, a cloth made of webbing than when laid out opens a portal of some kind. There is a quality leather bound journal that Jherlanna started at of the fall of magic and a copy of an ancient parchment in a rather nice scroll case the combination of which correlates with our findings at the Guild. There are a few more details concerning the Summer and Winter King’s departure and Drow servitude to the dwarves. She makes note of a servant of Lloth sent to guide her to hunt down the party that carried the box and return it to Lloth.
The portal cloth we think may lead to Lloth. Or close to her. I look inside and hear chimes in the distance. Jherlanna’s quest to obtain the spiderbox was successful. I guess she’ll have to get it there the hard way.
Other things of note: Rallion filled us in on the party’s history over the past few months. I have to say, I’m quite impressed, awed and to be honest, envious. The things this group have experienced and the knowledge they possess is extraordinary. These notes I’ve made from their adventures are quite informative, it’ll be a few days before I can thoroughly digest the info dump. DVL’s, AI’s, a second reference to the ancient elven split. Spaceships, Dragons… I have much to learn and absorb.
I see Lambertus use a stone to replenish his daily repertoire of spells. We discuss that in detail. Although the source of that stone’s power is currently out of reach, as it’s a piece of an elemental god from another plane… hmm… I wonder if that can be of use…
Aubry Grotecop. Confirmed. I’ll decide what to do about that if anything later.
Shadowstepping, that’s something very interesting. I would not mind learning such an extraordinary skill. That alone would be worth aligning with this group for a while. While the task of escorting them from Vilgrim is my charge. I think further association will be beneficial over the long term. Especially with their current quest to restore magic to Meidia.
Lambertus casts Speak with Dead on the head of the sacrifice we found on the alter. He answers 2 questions:
Where did you die? Answer: A raspy voice: I died in the Halls of the Winter King beyond the snowy forest and old cabin on the other side of the Veil before being brought to these contested lands.
How do we find the summer king. Answer: The Lord of Summer can be found in the Elysium Fields beyond the Veil; he will come soon to fight his mortal foe and claim his kingdom in these Contested Lands.
Rallion tasks the wolves with taking us to their Master, and state to him that the elven sacrifice is the Enemy. We’re assuming Master is the Winter King. We decide instead to go to the Winter King’s Seneschal which the wolves agree to.
We come to a door with an inscription: As in an enchanted space, Trees stood in the vapor rootless, While the stag flew onward, footless Yet unwearied by the chase.
The door opens into a strange place. As we go into the area…. It doesn’t seem to be a room. A forest appears and “snow” is falling. I can say I’ve seen snow now. Lungmold, with his telepathy, senses a mind tending a fire northward of where we are. We’re assuming that it’s their Master from what Rallion learned from the wolves. They urged us to petition him and his court. Dark elves who are likely feasting on the quarry of their last hunt. We are guided to a door in the center of a wall.
On the other side of the door are zombies. Lambertus wipes them out with his holy power. They look to have been priests.
The wolves lead us further passing burial niches. Taking clues from their indecisive actions, we find a secret door triggered from a statue in a semicircular inset. We move through a passage that looks to have been added between two well constructed areas, continuing to follow the wolves toward the Seneschal. They say that he isn’t awake yet...
Lungmold touches the lethargic mind of something and it moves our way as we make our way through pivoting walls back toward the area where Lungmold first sensed the minds. They’re giant blue frogs.