Session 16 - Sewers and Ruins
General Summary
From Kleeck's journal
I feel like I am living in one of Uncle Heehk’s war stories. We are hiding in the ruins of a barrack on the northern edge of Lugdunum, watching for signs of enemy movement. We are preparing (by the grace of Apollo) to send a message to the Prefecta letting her know what we have found. As I write this I wonder what will happen if _we_ are found. Will this journal be recovered years later by some other adventurers? Will our fate become just another clue on their mission, the way the Chirurgeon's Log or the Innkeeper's Journal were clues on ours? We started the day miles away camped in a low spot by the river, cold and apprehensive of what lay ahead. Our discovery yesterday of the fate of the fourteenth legion had left everyone shaken and nervous. We had proved our mettle against the orc bandits, but a force capable of obliterating a legion was something on an entirely different scale. We made our way towards the aqueduct with caution. Laura scouted ahead, using her superior stealth, to try and spot any dangers in our path. She was equipped with the staff of birdcalls, and we had developed a system by which she could use it to signal us if the need arose. It seemed like the sort of thing Uncle Heehk and his scouting parties would do. We found the mouth of the sewer where we had hoped it would be, at the base of the aqueduct where it met the river. It was a tunnel some twenty five feet wide with a stream of fetid water running waist deep through the middle, and narrow walkways on either side. We believed it was our best chance of approaching the city undetected, and so holding our noses we began trudging through the dank, dark, foul smelling passage. The first few hours we travelled in silence. Laura and Bandua guided us through the pitch black tunnel. I would occasionally hear Hassan mutter an incantation to conjure up a pleasant odour, no doubt to counteract the stench of the sewer water. Laura was the first to sense the danger. She spotted the animal carcasses littering the tunnel where none should be. Hardened by our experiences in the necropolis, we drew our weapons and proceeded with caution. Blind as I was in the dark, I knew right away there was trouble when I heard the sloshing up ahead, followed by Laura’s shocked gasp and Bandua’s steady dwarven cursing. I uncovered my light, preparing for the worst. The sight of the five headed Hydra chomping and gnashing at Bandua and Laura made me shiver. It was truly a monster out of myth, and a terror to behold. The battle was vicious and brutal. No clever tactics or maneuvers, we stood toe to toe with it as a party and traded blow for blow. The necks seemed to be the weak points, and we targeted them, with Bandua hacking off one and Laura another. There was a moment of horror when we watched two new heads sprout out of the ruined neck of one we had just lopped off. Fortunately the creature was already nearly overwhelmed by the damage we had dealt it, and Mkali was able to land a killing blow before more heads could sprout. After taking some time to rest we moved on. In a few hours we reached an intersection in the tunnel that signaled to us we had finally arrived in Lugdunum. We continued through the sewers on a path we hoped would skirt the edge of the city, looking for an access point to the world above. After following the tunnels North we spotted light up ahead coming through some grates in the ceiling. We were interrupted by a brief encounter with some kind of slime creature, which dropped from the ceiling onto Bandua. We dispatched it quickly, although we had to wipe its slimy remains off Bandua and Mkali after I blasted it to death with a divine burst. Afterwards we examined the grates in the ceiling, determining that they lead to latrines above through which we could access the city proper. It seemed clear to me that we should proceed up immediately, but Hassan was suddenly full of complaints and hesitation, not wanting to soil his outfit and squeamish about crawling through a toilet hole. Watching Hassan preen and fuss over a bit of common filth, I could not help but feel genuine disappointment. We were deep behind enemy lines, we had seen the remains of an entire legion, we were on a mission on behalf of the Empire...and Hassan was still acting like this was some kind of late night Port Voltur escapade. He is my friend and I trust him with my life, but I cannot forget that he is not a true Roman, and lacks a true Roman’s grit, determination, and sense of purpose. We eventually agreed to go up through the toilets, and with the aid of my wings and some rope we were soon gathered together in the latrines above the sewer. Peeking cautiously through the door, we finally had our first look at the remains of Lugdunum. The city lay in ruin. All the buildings had been battered and damaged, though most still seemed to be standing. Where we had surfaced there appeared to be barracks nearby. A gaping hole was visible in the city’s outer wall to the North of us. In the distance we could see the smoke rising from what could be large bonfires, the only sign of life in the city. And then there was the wyvern. We heard it before we saw it. The sound of its roar and the beating of its leathery wings carried despite the height at which it was flying above. It had a powerful reptilian body with a long tail that lashed and twitched behind it as it flew. It circled the city, patrolling the skies and no doubt scanning the ground for invaders like us. Using the ruined barracks for cover from the wyvern’s gaze, and aided by an enchantment from Laura that enhanced our stealth, we headed west towards the smoke to look for its source. There were indeed two large bonfires burning past the barracks. Hassan was able to use his pendant’s scrying powers to get a closer look without breaking cover. He saw a pair of reptilian creatures like the ones we faced in the necropolis, riding even larger four legged reptiles as if they were horses. Like the wyvern above they seemed to be on patrol, though thankfully their route did not pass near our hiding place. Retreating back to the relative safety of the barracks, a heated discussion ensued as to what we shoulddo next. Hassan was for bold moves, proposing to ambush the two lizardmen we saw and interrogate them. Laura suggested a more cautious approach, falling back into the sewers and perhaps even retreating back to the river to make camp. In the end we decided to hold our position here in the barracks to watch and wait. Now Bandua is out keeping an eye on the latrines for enemy activity. Laura and Hassan continue to argue in the background about what our course of action should be. I will soon contact the Prefecta with what we know. And then we will try to rest, hoping tomorrow there will be more to discover...and praying that we are not ourselves discovered between now and then.
I feel like I am living in one of Uncle Heehk’s war stories. We are hiding in the ruins of a barrack on the northern edge of Lugdunum, watching for signs of enemy movement. We are preparing (by the grace of Apollo) to send a message to the Prefecta letting her know what we have found. As I write this I wonder what will happen if _we_ are found. Will this journal be recovered years later by some other adventurers? Will our fate become just another clue on their mission, the way the Chirurgeon's Log or the Innkeeper's Journal were clues on ours? We started the day miles away camped in a low spot by the river, cold and apprehensive of what lay ahead. Our discovery yesterday of the fate of the fourteenth legion had left everyone shaken and nervous. We had proved our mettle against the orc bandits, but a force capable of obliterating a legion was something on an entirely different scale. We made our way towards the aqueduct with caution. Laura scouted ahead, using her superior stealth, to try and spot any dangers in our path. She was equipped with the staff of birdcalls, and we had developed a system by which she could use it to signal us if the need arose. It seemed like the sort of thing Uncle Heehk and his scouting parties would do. We found the mouth of the sewer where we had hoped it would be, at the base of the aqueduct where it met the river. It was a tunnel some twenty five feet wide with a stream of fetid water running waist deep through the middle, and narrow walkways on either side. We believed it was our best chance of approaching the city undetected, and so holding our noses we began trudging through the dank, dark, foul smelling passage. The first few hours we travelled in silence. Laura and Bandua guided us through the pitch black tunnel. I would occasionally hear Hassan mutter an incantation to conjure up a pleasant odour, no doubt to counteract the stench of the sewer water. Laura was the first to sense the danger. She spotted the animal carcasses littering the tunnel where none should be. Hardened by our experiences in the necropolis, we drew our weapons and proceeded with caution. Blind as I was in the dark, I knew right away there was trouble when I heard the sloshing up ahead, followed by Laura’s shocked gasp and Bandua’s steady dwarven cursing. I uncovered my light, preparing for the worst. The sight of the five headed Hydra chomping and gnashing at Bandua and Laura made me shiver. It was truly a monster out of myth, and a terror to behold. The battle was vicious and brutal. No clever tactics or maneuvers, we stood toe to toe with it as a party and traded blow for blow. The necks seemed to be the weak points, and we targeted them, with Bandua hacking off one and Laura another. There was a moment of horror when we watched two new heads sprout out of the ruined neck of one we had just lopped off. Fortunately the creature was already nearly overwhelmed by the damage we had dealt it, and Mkali was able to land a killing blow before more heads could sprout. After taking some time to rest we moved on. In a few hours we reached an intersection in the tunnel that signaled to us we had finally arrived in Lugdunum. We continued through the sewers on a path we hoped would skirt the edge of the city, looking for an access point to the world above. After following the tunnels North we spotted light up ahead coming through some grates in the ceiling. We were interrupted by a brief encounter with some kind of slime creature, which dropped from the ceiling onto Bandua. We dispatched it quickly, although we had to wipe its slimy remains off Bandua and Mkali after I blasted it to death with a divine burst. Afterwards we examined the grates in the ceiling, determining that they lead to latrines above through which we could access the city proper. It seemed clear to me that we should proceed up immediately, but Hassan was suddenly full of complaints and hesitation, not wanting to soil his outfit and squeamish about crawling through a toilet hole. Watching Hassan preen and fuss over a bit of common filth, I could not help but feel genuine disappointment. We were deep behind enemy lines, we had seen the remains of an entire legion, we were on a mission on behalf of the Empire...and Hassan was still acting like this was some kind of late night Port Voltur escapade. He is my friend and I trust him with my life, but I cannot forget that he is not a true Roman, and lacks a true Roman’s grit, determination, and sense of purpose. We eventually agreed to go up through the toilets, and with the aid of my wings and some rope we were soon gathered together in the latrines above the sewer. Peeking cautiously through the door, we finally had our first look at the remains of Lugdunum. The city lay in ruin. All the buildings had been battered and damaged, though most still seemed to be standing. Where we had surfaced there appeared to be barracks nearby. A gaping hole was visible in the city’s outer wall to the North of us. In the distance we could see the smoke rising from what could be large bonfires, the only sign of life in the city. And then there was the wyvern. We heard it before we saw it. The sound of its roar and the beating of its leathery wings carried despite the height at which it was flying above. It had a powerful reptilian body with a long tail that lashed and twitched behind it as it flew. It circled the city, patrolling the skies and no doubt scanning the ground for invaders like us. Using the ruined barracks for cover from the wyvern’s gaze, and aided by an enchantment from Laura that enhanced our stealth, we headed west towards the smoke to look for its source. There were indeed two large bonfires burning past the barracks. Hassan was able to use his pendant’s scrying powers to get a closer look without breaking cover. He saw a pair of reptilian creatures like the ones we faced in the necropolis, riding even larger four legged reptiles as if they were horses. Like the wyvern above they seemed to be on patrol, though thankfully their route did not pass near our hiding place. Retreating back to the relative safety of the barracks, a heated discussion ensued as to what we shoulddo next. Hassan was for bold moves, proposing to ambush the two lizardmen we saw and interrogate them. Laura suggested a more cautious approach, falling back into the sewers and perhaps even retreating back to the river to make camp. In the end we decided to hold our position here in the barracks to watch and wait. Now Bandua is out keeping an eye on the latrines for enemy activity. Laura and Hassan continue to argue in the background about what our course of action should be. I will soon contact the Prefecta with what we know. And then we will try to rest, hoping tomorrow there will be more to discover...and praying that we are not ourselves discovered between now and then.
Rewards Granted
750 Experience Points
Missions/Quests Completed
Major Milestone: Arrive at Lugdunum.
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