Hook:
We finally figure out what Ragnum knows about the Sunken City of Olorru. It's probably a lot.
072- 260325 - Sunk Cost Facilities - Sunken City I
Date:
446 PC, Ashfall 7-15
Players:
Ragnum
Keres
Raven
Die-ana
Kalina
Loot:
None
After Actions:
Ashfall 7-15, Ragnum's report to Steve.
At this point, you know what a resounding success our attempt to establish a FLTR near the sunken city of Olorru was. We now have easy access to the ruins of an even larger city lost to the rift over 100 miles from Sifren.
Sarna, Raven and I had been planning and working on a travel harness and basket since Ashfall 7, and that hard work really paid off. Raven and Sarna finished the harness just around the same time the bridge across the gorge was ready. Bring Raven, Die-anna, and Kalina were obvious choices for this endeavor, given that they aren’t reliant on heavy equipment; Keres and I, on the other had also had to spend time deciding what equipment we would leave behind to ensure Atti the second, as we named the Roc we summoned, would be able to carry all of us and the FLTR system. Keres switched from her old reliable chainmail to some wild-looking leather armor. I decided to leave behind all my physical armor and weapons, but I was confident that Dumathoin would provide for my protection.
The morning of Ashfall 13, Keres deftly piloted the Atti with us on her back to the newly repaired broken bridge. To pass the time while we soared above the rift, Keres led us in singing a sea chanty she'd learned as a sailor; I believe it originated as a pirate song, sung during their plundering, but we didn’t care because it was a banger. I shared a traditional dwarven working chant that was first recorded by the seven mining sages of Dumathoin. Raven offered an interesting folk song she described as swamp music, and Die-anna taught us a song she learned while playing cards about an older gambler's advice to a less experienced card player. We really should organize a sing-allong back at camp, it would likely be good for morale.
When we arrived at the Broken Bridge, the repair crew was clearly hungover from a night of revelry celebrating the completed mission. After they returned to camp through the FLTR, we stripped it of all its protective casings so that it could be carried by Atti and took off for the sunken city.
Kalina's sharp eyes were a huge benefit to this expedition. Even though she has been with the Banner and in the Rift for only a few weeks, she has already proven herself as a capable scout. I’ve attached a rough map we were able to produce based on Kalina’s observations [Keristen to provide details from a Kalina’s 27 perception check later]. We were able to plot the boarders of the Glass Field. There are lots of forests on this side of the river, including a large one to the NW of the Glass Field and they look normal, in contrast to most of the vegetation we have seen around Sifren. The terrain becomes much rockier with many streams and rivers to the west, and the western road continues on before then turning south and intersecting another N-S road near an active village! We initially noticed the village because we saw plumes of white smoke indicative of hearths or campfires in the distance. As we approached the settlement, we noticed that most of the buildings in the village were constructed from wood, and decorated with colorfully dyed textiles. We were tempted to stop and make contact but we didn’t want to risk our primary mission. We should send an envoy to make contact with them; they likely noticed us because we were not flying very high—we don’t really know where the upper boundary of the rift span is after all, and did not want to risk falling into the astral plane.
After several hours of flying, we wanted to give Atti (and ourselves) a rest, so we landed on a bald hill surrounded by forests to camp for the night. On the hill, we found a cairn made from granite and covered in druidic symbols; I was able to translate some of the general advice about seasons and planting, but druidic writings are known to have hidden meaning, so perhaps Draylore should return to this site and confirm my interpretation.
The next morning, I petitioned Dumathoin to provide us with food and drink to sustain us on our journey of discovery, and we continued on to Olorru. At this stage in the journey, we were attacked by condor-like creatures; Keres bravely continued to guide Atti even as she was attacked. I provided Dumathoin blessing to the others while Die-anna easily jumped around Atti’s back and wings, dispatching the animals with her fist; any of the birds that attempted to damage the FLTR met their end at Raven’s daggers, and Kelina arrows removed many threats before they even approached.
After this harrowing attack, we finally saw our destination, the sunken city of Olorru. The land surrounding it is very mountainous. The large mountain we have seen in the distance is from the east hovers over it; Kalina and I were able to confirm with cartographers' tools that the mountain’s peak is over 14,000 ft tall. We landed on a cliff that would make a defensible position for a forward outpost and to install the FLTR near the city.
As we landed, it was immediately apparent that the area around the city had been the site of a massive epic battle. The remnants of fallen warriors and their equipment were everywhere. Beyond that, the remnants of the sunken city thrust out of the water like a tombstone marking this forgotten memorial to the bravery of the long-forgotten warriors of the Tharnic Empire. It appears that the battle destabilized the foundations of the city of Olorru, causing it to slide into the waves of the adjacent bay.
After we spent the night setting up the FLTR, I contacted you through a sending spell, and you sent the forewoman Gideona and her crew through to begin building the outpost. She immediately noted that her team would need to cut stone from the cliffside to build the outpost, given the rocky terrain. After helping them set up camp, we returned to Sifren through the FLTR.
072- 260325 - Sunk Cost Facilities - Sunken City II
Date:
446 PC, Ashfall 19-20
Players:
Ragnum
Dev
Raven
Die-ana
Kalina
Loot:
Subnatical gear
6 Potion of air bubble, break 5 mins of breathable air around head
1 Gill Bandage, stick to side of neck for 15 mins of water breathing (hurts a lot)
1 lung stone, hold breath for 10 mins/ day over normal amount
6 glowing barnicals
1 pair of fins (advantage on swim checks)
Wand of pyrotechniques (1 charge)
100 ft of silk steel
Weighted sashes, dry bags and wax (non-magical)
Golden bird idol (or was it a candelabra) [Die-anna]
Lock box
63gp, 20sp (after 85% banner tax 9gp 48sp divide by 5)
1 large saphire [Die-anna]
After Actions:
Ashfall 19-21, Ragnums report to Steve.
Die-Anna, Raven, Dev, Kalina, and I went to check on the submerged temple in Olorru you were trying to get Larus to look into. Larus probably shouldn’t be sent to check up on this, I don’t think it would be good for him. Just come to us if you need anything else checked out in the city. However, we probably want to limit our initial explorations to when there is a full moon or we have better equipment for exploring underwater. As Ashfall 20 was a full moon, the tides were at their lowest point and we were able to see clearly though the water that morning.
We moved through the FLTR on the morning of Ashfall 19 and arrived at the outpost on the cliffs above the sunken city. You probably haven’t had a chance to see what Gideona and her crew has accomplished in person but it is genuinely impressive. Her team has established a working operation cutting stone from the cliffface, recovering additional material from the submerged ruins below, and using modified Tensor's Floating Discsto haul the materials up the cliff for construction. It is the most industrious thing I have seen in the Rift short of the forge itself. We spent the remainder of Ashfall 19 recovering from filter travel—it does not get easier—and I sent word to Sarna via Sending to request supplies appropriate for an underwater excursion.
Sarna delivered. The morning of Ashfall 20, we received a care package that included hot food from Cook, several minor magic items and munden equipment to help us explore underwater maneuver underwater. We were thankful for the equipment, we would not have been successful without it. However, I should warn you that the physical condition of the gear left something to be desired; several items had clearly deteriorated in storage. Steve, if you want us to continue exploring Olorru in a serious capacity—and I believe we should—I would ask that you formally requisition a new stock of underwater exploration equipment from the banner. The secrets of this city are worth the investment; it appears that most of the material wealth of the city is just resting on the sea floor, untouched.
We took Gideona's Tensor's Disc rigging down the cliffside to the water's surface. I petitioned Dumathoin for a blessing that allowed the group to walk on the surface of the water as if it were stone. The water here is exceptionally clear—visibility to the bottom is remarkable—and even from the surface we could see the scale of what lies beneath.
We made our way toward the area where Gideona's crew recovered the bird statue that bears such a strong resemblance to the iconography in the bird god's temple. Using a length of silksteel rope secured to Die-Anna, we had her dive to get her bearings and confirm the direction of the temple. She surfaced without incident and had found exactly what we needed, and old stone sign that indicated the way to the temple. Additionally, she was able to recover some coins and a gem—it appears that most of the wealth of the city might just be sitting there for the taking. We continued across the surface until we saw a massive dome similar to the temple is Sifren, only submerged in the water below us. It is enormous.
Die-Anna dove again to get a look inside the temple entrance, so we could decide how to best to deploy our breathing equipment. She was underwater for some time, and we were waiting without particular concern until she exploded back through the surface with a giant crimson squid directly behind her! And a golden bird idol in her hands. The creature's arms came up from beneath us in several directions at once and encircled us, and what followed was not the orderly tactical engagement I would prefer to report. It was a brawl. Die-Anna was pulled beneath the water at one point; Raven went in after her to rescue her without hesitation. I would ask that her unquenching bravery in the face of such an imposing foe be noted in your reports to the Banner command. The rest of us attacked the arms at the waters surface, while Die-anna and Raven attacked the creature from below. We dispatched the creature surprisingly quickly, although it took everything we had in the moment.
With the water walking spell nearing its end, we deployed the gill bandages and descended to the temple. A significant portion of the interior is flooded, as expected. However, in one area of the temple, there is a magical barrier that has been holding back the water for what must be centuries, since before the Solaen Collapse. Base on what we could see of the sealed chamber, everything behind this wall is perfectly preserved, as are the mummified remains of a bird person. Based on everything we know about this site, I believe this is almost certainly High Cleric Atrice, whose remains we have been searching for. Dev and I spent what time we could spare examining the wall, attempting to determine how to pass through it safely. We were not able to. Removing the barrier would cause it to fail and flood the chamber, compromising both the remains and whatever may be preserved alongside them. This is a problem we need to solve before we return, and Dev and I will do some research and present you with a solution when we have one (TBD Dev and Ragnum Arcana check).
From the flooded portions of the temple, we were able to recover several items of interest full manifest of what we found inside is attached (TBA). I was able to magically perverse one book so it could be removed from the water, and I should be able to restore it completely (Book TBD, good investigation check to find a useful one). I could possibly recover other submerged books in the manner, although it would be a slow process. I will report further once I have restored it and reviewed it properly.
We returned to the outpost and, in the spirit of not letting resources go to waste, brought back a substantial portion of the crimson squid. Calamari was served. Gideona's crew appeared very grateful for the supplemental rations.
As I final note, the city of Olorru warrants our attention. While there were places in Sifren that were largely preserved for us and no one would debate the value of the knowledge and materials we have discovered, almost all the resources the city had been picked over when the city was sealed off from the rest of the rift. Olorru appears to have fallen into the ocean suddenly—perhaps during or just after a great battle we initially saw the remnants of when we set up the FLTR a few weeks ago. Based on our intital exploration seen, it appears that anything that could survive the water is just sitting on the ocean floor for the taking.
The sunken city continues to exceed expectations, Steve. We should go back soon, and we should go back better equipped.Unresolved Threads:
What was the battle fought over, and who fought it?
How structurally stable are the remains of the city, and is it abandoned or inhabited?
What/where is the Abyssal Lodestone? And is the cult that wanted it still here?
Where are High Cleric Atrice's remains?
In the submerged temple
What book did Ragnum bring back?
What can Dev and Ragnum figure out about the magical barrier?
Loot from the temple?