Session Twenty-Two Summary (Graveyard of Empires: After the Fall)
Session 22, December 2 2020
Introduction
We continue at 8:20AM on the 17th of Tenrilden with the party in Jherlana Thule's apartment above the Great Temple just after the door is blown off its hinges by Vikram carrying the priestess ...
Session Summary
The party rushed Jarlana and Vikram trying to strike Jarlana. She was hit several times.
Peronelle tried to grapple Jarlana but Jarlana threw her off and Peronelle fell back stunned.
Jarlana said something and the spider statuette burst forth from Laris' backpack and became a huge spider.
Vikram fled through the door before we could block their exit.
Laris and the Githyanki along with Braadlur and Fisher dealt with the spider. Laris backstabbed it and it succumbed to the Drow sleep poison.
The rest of the party ran after Vikram and Jarlana. Ralion grabbed Gath the Troglodyte and shadow stepped after Vikram and a hideous snake headed demon with a horse like body followed them.
Rallion lost sight of Vikram and Jarlana down the spiral stairs and still grasping Gath, he shadow-stepped down the stairs to get away from the demon.
The Demon gave a keening wail and summoned a little demon like a crocodile.
Laris mimicked the command word for the spider and scooped up the spider statuette. The Githyanki grabbed the storage locker of Jarlana. Laris and Brendil grabbed the stunned Peronelle and followed the others.
Two drow appeared at the opposite end of the hallway and Oskar and Lambertus dealth with them.
The crocodile demon unleashed its multiple attacks on Fisher, shattering all the shields Braadlur had so carefully placed.
Kauri cast lightning bolt and wounded the crocodile demon, but had no effect on the snake headed horse demon.
The party and the last of the two drow fled.
Kauri Hasted the party just as the snake headed horse demon breathed a cloud of noxious green vapors. Fisher, Braadlur, Laris, Xandor, Peronelle, Herasib, and Renthark the Githyanki fell to the choking cloud of death.
Rallion and Gath ran to the bottom of the spiral stairs and the way was clear, thanks to our drow guide Sadi.
In the central area where we knew the spider box to be, Rallion saw about 7 drow guards, but thanks to the drow cloaks, they didn't spot Rallion and Gath.
Once again, Rallion shadow-stepped into a shadow in the room and ended up on the table with the spider box. This time a fat, winkled demon follows and it goes for the drow guards and gates in a demon horse with four human arms who also goes for the drow. There were 20 drow guards.
Thanks to the drow cloaks, Rallion and Gath flee, with Gath carrying the spider box. Gath is not spotted, and several swipe at Rallion, but he sacrifices his shield and quickly switches to his spare shield and runs around to where the party agreed to go to make their escape.
Due to the haste from Kauri, the remaining party members escape the first two demons and see them begin to eat their fallen comrades. They reach the bottom of the stairs, and picked up Braadlur's "cat" (a spider like automaton) that Braadlur had affixed a sleep gas dart and pointed it towards the Drow.
Kauri and Co. get to the bottom of the stairs at the appointed spot to make our escape and see the other two demons tearing through the drow guards.
Just then, Rallion and Gath come running around the central area with the spider box.
The party discusses what to do when we spot a bedraggled dirty human in ratty clothes. The figure turns to avoid us, and Rallion calls out, "Aubrey!" and the figure stops and turns and Rallion lowers the hood of his Drow cloak.
The Righteous Halberd had escaped execution due to the assassination attempt. The geni (Vikram) took Jarlana up and a short while later back down. Aubrey leapt from the platform to escape.
There was much chaos. We made our way back the way we came, hiding Aubrey the Gath with the spider box behind the rest of us with our cloaks and we avoided detecting by the last drow group to pass us.
We make our way down to the lower city in the chaos and Rallion leads the group back to House Herig. Before coming in site of the house, Rallion gives Aubrey his drow cloak.
The guard looks surprised to see us, he has us escorted to our quarters. Soon Aquil shows up and asks what happened.
Rallion explains that we had things in hand when the geni fled and demons showed up and killed half the party. We could have handled the geni and Jarlana, but not demons.
Rallion suggests that the dwarves worked with demons, so it makes sense that it was the Dark King, but Aquil counters that it might be Asmodeus. (Or perhaps the potential "benefactor" who is the boss of the demon in the yellow hat.)
Aquil updates us, Ilska is dead, the Dark King killed her and blamed the Silence for corrupting her and having her commit a plot in the Dark King's name.
Rallion tells Aquil that Jarlana and the geni saw us, and Aquil seems agitated but seeks to honor our agreement and will send food. Before he can leave, Rallion grasps the sceptre under his cloak and utters the command word and suddenly Aquil is our friend and will have wholesome food brought to us, and definitely not poisoned food. He also has Timon and Azra sent to us. They are both very weak and worn out from ill treatment, but are now as safe and well off as we can make them.
Rallion notices the paper (the contract left by yellow hat) in the hands of the surviving Githyanki (Borthan). The Githyanki gives it to Rallion and Rallion stashes it away.
The Gith has herbs and motions for Oskar to make tea. Rallion, Brendil, Oskar, and the Githyanki drink the tea. We see our sleeping bodies sitting in chairs at the table slumped over with a silver chord connecting us to our bodies. We plan to go check on the upper levels to see what is going on. Gath wanted to try the tea too, but Rallion told him to guard the spider box.
Laris’ Journal
A Demon’s own Luck comes a knocking...
You smell something?
…All hell breaks loose. We concertedly attack Jherlanna, Peronell attempts to grapple her, is unsuccessful and is tossed against the wall, stunned. I step back into the shadows and the priestess shouts a word. A giant spider emerges from my backpack and attacks Braadlur and I. And Vikram escapes with her. Dammit. I mimic the word I heard Jherlanna shout and the spider goes back to figurine form, collect my stuff and head toward the door grabbing Peronell with Felix’s help on the way out. Rallion shadowsteps to try and catch Vikram and package. When he emerges one of those hellbeasts appear and looks around not looking very friendly. The thing calls for a friend and a little crocodile looking lizard appears near the door. We’re making our way away from the demons looking for something to do, I take a potshot at one, and we get into the hallway headed toward two Drow that Oskar and Lambertus are making quick work of. They’re less scary than the crazy things down the other way. The little crocodile goes absolutely insane at one of the new guys and attacks what looked like a dozen times in a flurry of claws, teeth and tail. The really disturbing looking demon moves up and takes a breath… holy crap it’s gonna breathe something. We’re all asses and elbows trying to get away, maybe we’ll get lucky….everything else has gone sideways, it’s time for some good karma, right?!!
What’s that smell?
Interesting. So this is Dead… with a capital D… Finally caught up with me. I reckon I can stop running now….
What’s that over there?