Session 406 - IT CRAWLS!

 Date: 22nd April 1625

Moon Phase: Waning Crescent

Moon Face: Pocked Moon

Zenith Deity: The Dead God

New Backstory:

- If Manrat's gang had known the secret of the Endless City like he did, they'd have understood why he left them to suffer. If you hit a target and they survive, force them to answer a question truthfully. 

- Maxwell's green thumb was the result of the offerings he left out for the spirits and fae at the bottom of the garden. +2 to reaction rolls with intelligent plants, fungi, and other flora.

Events:

--- The City is the City

- The fat clouds over Drudgespar roil. There's no storm but the city's warm wet updraft disturbs the upper air. Far further above, the brass coffin of the Dead God sends blessings to the devoted from low earth orbit. Even further above the slow spinning of the moon has revealed its Pocked Face - red glowing freckles of light attempting to receive the discharged rainbow beams of earthly Marlingspikes.

- In Drudgespar below, searching through the Buildup, Manrat looks for a demonic cornershop where he can sell his overvalued gem. There are plenty of these places scattered around the city, but when he finds one he discovers it empty. Where the hell is Julgoor?
- Instead of the demonic shopkeeper there's an imp playing some chill beats on a tiny string instrument. It informs Manrat that he's 31st in the queue, please hold.

- The others chat shit with locals. Per said locals, the Bloblins (ie. Blue Goblins - the dragon-worshipping winged goblins up in the Rigging) are making up any old excuse to purge unborn hobgoblins before they emerge from their pea pods.

- Maxwell wants to help, but he's a meatoid so is distrusted as a matter of course.
- The Goblins also claim that they used to live on the surface in earlier aeons. The Dwarves enslaved them, leaving the surface free for humans to move in and take over. Such lore.

--- Julgoor Remasked

- Manrat hears - "you are 0th in the queue".

- At that, Julgoor appears! The back of his shop is once more filled with squirming darkness. The front of his shop now has the gold-masked Julgoor acting as the friendly shopkeep.

- "WHAT do you WANT??", Julgoor asked calmly.

- He asks for three wheat facts and shivers against any mention of the idea of thorns.

- The Idea of Thorns is within him, warring with the Idea of Wheat. He is consumed by contradiction and vanishes, snatching the gem and leaving behind a gold mask worth the sale value of 10000 obols.

--- GRAKTIL!

- The party head towards the giant siege scorpion known as GRAKTIL THE CITY THAT CRAWLS! since Manrat has enough cash to buy it outright now.

- He evades the defensive mandible trap and Brie follows him into the thorax. The others head upwards into Bucketsides to help defend the pea pods.

- Manrat discovers that Graktil is pretty much ready to go! They've dug up most of it, and the heavy elementals up in the stinger can go whenever! For the cheap cheap price of 35000 obols it's Manrat's to command!

- He accepts, wiping out other investors as he does so. Graktil now belongs to Manrat!

--- Give Peas a Chance

- Maxwell and Brie, meanwhile, are up on Bucketsides trying to work out how to defend the unborn hobgoblins and the city below.

- Maxwell thinks up a bright idea - Repel Lightning glyphs! Draw them everywhere, keep them powered, and everyone becomes essentially immune to oppression from the drakencult above!

- He shows the nearby goblins how to do it and they spread out, disseminating the knowledge. Soon Repel-Lightning runes are being drawn on rooftops below.
- Bulgur heads down and creates symbols of wheat on rooftops, supplementing the resisting runes and attracting true believers in wheat to himself.

--- GRAKTIL!

- Manrat has now received full captaincy of the Assault Scorpion. Goblin raiders are hired - they will be the ground troops of the scorpion war.
- Manrat has a choice to make - eject forwards into the city? Or eject backwards into the wastes where they can terrorise for profit?

- He decides on BACKWARDS! Into the WASTES!

- In a surprise change of intention, he orders the scorpion to CLIMB! Upwards to the rim!

- One of the elementals in the stinger, bereft of water due to the sudden change of scorpion orientation, decays rapidly.

-- Ah yes, the negotiator

- A couple of hours later the scorpion had ascended the walls. From a loudspeaker Manrat screams out a call for negotiation! The Rigging is in range of heavy metal attack and he's not afraid to use it!
- Steer Calmer arrives. He's a good negotiator, believes the blue goblins have Drudgespar's best wishes in mind, and like all goblins is the son of a toolmaker.

- Negotiations ensue despite setbacks. Instead of dropping Drudgespar onto the Dwarf arcology below, they'll reconsider. Instead the Scorpion will do all the attacking! The city will be moved instead to a safer location.

- Steer Calmer also agrees publically to gut public services to fund the war machine. Centrist victory!

- The city shifts and begins to rise, revealing a steep thin slide all the way down to the old Dwarf city below...

Total: 7000 exp

OOC: 

- Carter the Chronicler, Cartographer and Paymaster (300 exp/level)
- George the Expedition Leader (100 exp/level)

- Ollie the Quartermaster (100 exp/level)

- Kitty the Vanguard and Chef (200 exp/level)

Exp Totals:

- Kitty / Bulgur, Son of Borgar, Level 7 Barbarian: 88268 (Level up at 128000)

- George / Manrat Snels, Level 7 Ratman: 68867 (Level up at 112000)

- Ollie / Brie van der Hells, Level 6 Necromancer: 48571 (Level up at 72000)

- Carter / Maxwell, Level 6 Specialist: 43611 (Level up at 56000)