Azimuth 2 - Session 46 - Floating Town of Aktrout
General Summary
Orc Highway
Red Cockspur Grove
The party broke their camp atop Zandandar Hill in the morning of 24 Adroth. They continued south along the Orc Highway and reached the Red Cockspur Grove on the eastern banks of Red Lake. The trees provided some shelter from the rain. Ilmendwyth felt the forest was healthy and didn’t show the same effects of the elemental energies, though some of the branches of trees nearest the lake were wilted. There were recent signs of lumber work felling trees and wagon treads headed south. Arwin sent his hawk to scout ahead; the bird found no one on the road but reported signs of recent activity on the beach nearby. Along the beaches, they found tracks of larger water animals fighting. It seemed the elemental energies weren’t killing bigger creatures as directly as smaller ones. There was a lack of insects and animals beneath the canopy, but birds of prey were hunting in the rain above them. Romulus drew some to him and spoke with them. The bird told them mud mutts and alligators from swamps on the western side of the lake were recently vying for territory over here.Shoreside Investigations
The Lightbringers continued their travel for the rest of 24 Adroth and 25 Adroth. They set their last camp in Chaka’s Tiny Tent spell with the plan to reach Aktrout the next day. During Romulus’s watch with Romsca in the night, he asked her why she looked so ragged. She explained the magic she’d performed to try helping Gertrude's connection to Chedae, The Heaven's Light. She asked how the new armor was, and he complimented the rock roach set. Romsca said working with it reminded her of home. Romsca offered to repair the old, mismatched hobgoblin set, and Romulus thought of hanging it in his room at the Rill Priory. During the watch, a rainbow trout beached itself nearby, and before they could reach it, it died on the sand. Romulus wanted to further investigate the water and he transformed into a giant crab and went into the water. He didn’t find much other than damaged plants and dead mussels before he returned to the camp. As their watch ended, Romsca checked in with Gertrude to see if she was alright. She said she was focused on Red Lake. Gertrude was also worried about the large reptile tracks they’d seen, saying, “For the love of the light, I just can’t.” Romsca wanted to know what they tasted like.Chaka’s Dream
In the early morning of 26 Adroth, before the sun had risen, Chaka set up an easel to paint a rendition of the Sacred Boar Constellation in the southern sky. Hobgoblins had a different interpretation of the boar-shaped constellation than orcs, and he attempted to depict that meaning in the paint. Demitri asked about the dream Chaka had back in the Pillar Mine Safehouse. Once everyone awoke, he told the group of the vision. In Dynamia, the Plane of Strength, he was again on a massive hill of crumbled, silvervine metal. He overlooked an array of metal hills with long-crumbled boulders and rocks showing strange striation patterns. The hills were grouped in a large oblong shape with a wide valley in the center of the two halves. Though the stones were solid metal, Chaka felt as though these hills were the remains of something incredibly massive, possible once alive, left to crumble for an unknown amount of time. As Chaka explored, he heard a strange language around a metal pile. He stealthily cast a spell of understanding, but the magic was heard by two figures gathering pieces of the eroded metal. Aggressively pursuing the sound, two draconic creatures emerged. Kobolds of Dynamia, the same dusty red as the terrain. One was flying on leathery wings, and the other was heavily muscled and dense. In draconic, the winged kobold, Haiyap, ordered the swolbold, Girfur, to attack. It barreled straight towards Chaka. He grabbed his warhammer and fought back as the swolbold rushed close and the winged kobold dropped boulders of metal that rang against Chaka’s helmet. It called this place The Slag Fall and cried, “The Battlelord killed this for us, not you, outsider!” Chaka swung high and killed the flying one. As a beam of light came and the body disappeared, Chaka felt envigored by the energy of Dynamia. But the move left Chaka open, and the swolbold grappled him. It roared and lifted Chaka, then slammed him hard into the metal ground. Chaka shot the swolbold off him with an echoing Thunderwave. It quickly recovered and rushed Chaka again, but Chaka sent it flying with another spell. He stood and tried to make distance but it relentlessly pursued. Chaka cast a Dimension Door spell to escape. The swolbold was shunted away as he teleported atop the slag. Now too far away, the swolbold roared at Chaka before it grabbed bits of the fallen metal and scurried away. As the dream ended, in the distance, Chaka again saw a structure on the horizon, pulling him towards it. After Chaka finished the telling, they talked about the vision and what he’d seen. Gertrude had heard of massive things in the far Astral Plane. Based on the description and the size of it, she wondered if it was an Astral Dreadnought. She didn’t know how it would have gotten to Dynamia or why it had turned to metal, though, and the group wondered about the kobolds’ claims of “The Battlelord killed this for us.” As they broke camp, Mortimr reached for Gallicas. He envisioned the field of pink wheat and asked what plane she called home, but Gallicas was distance and did not answer. Mortimr felt he could pull on their connection to draw an answer, but declined to do so.The Town of Aktrout
Crossing the Water
They continued along the southern shore of Red Lake. Early in the morning of 26 Adroth 5A 352, they reached the shoreside district of Aktrout. Aside from the Orichalcum Idol and the start of the Voklajak Road, there was little else, just a few buildings surrounding the Aktrout Crossroads. The group then noticed the large stone anchors with dark, orcish chain leading towards the water. Upon Red Lake was a floating mass of wood platforms and ships making the actual town of Aktrout. There were chain barges near the anchors, and though one chain appeared broken, the barges looked rigged to hook onto the chain as transports to the town. Arwin and Demitri spoke with a young half-orc and goliath of the Varg Barges and arranged transport. They learned one of the leading chains was broken and the larger double-chain barge was sunk, so they could only be taken across the water in the smaller barges in two trips. While they were brought across, Romulus Wild Shaped into a dolphin and explored the lake near the shore with echolocation. The chain from the shore was broken. Beneath the water, he found thicker orcish chains tied to massive buoys and stone anchors, holding the floating city in place. There were three buoys, but the chains from one were also broken, and the stone anchor had been dragged away deeper into the lake. Romulus returned to the group and shared his findings as they reached Aktrout. On the southern docks, the anchor for the barge chain connecting to the shore was fully broken off the docks and the area near it had been damaged. Dockworkers were examining the area and seemingly planning for repairs. As Ilmendwyth attempted to speak with them, though, they quickly started to leave. Demitri, though, was able to ask one dockworker for directions and got a basic layout of Aktrout. They chose to head to the nearby Old Anchor Inn to speak with the bartender, hoping to gather more information.The Old Anchor Inn
The bartender, Shota, greeted them in orcish, and Arwin and Demitri ordered asked about the town. Demitri brought up “another colorful group of people” that visited around eight months prior and asked if she knew anything about them. Shota said someone else had previously asked about them, which the party quickly identified as Lord Lortuk. Shota said things in town had been getting rougher for the villagers over the last months. Supplies were growing scarce and tensions were very high. She directed them to the Deputy Oknar, Dhnen, saying that Oknar Zhangon had recently taken ill. Shota said there was tension between the two as father and son. Arwin wondered if the oknar had gotten sick from the elemental energies in the lake, and if so, if he’d maybe gotten ill by helping the Prophets of Regression. Arwin asked if others were getting sick, and Shota directed them to the Mikog'nen Infirmary. Meanwhile, Shota mentioned to Gertrude and a disguised Mortimr, “If you’re looking for the rest of your group, I think they’re out in the Wet Market.” Gertrude asked about this group, and Shota said a group of dwarves from Thoriktown was in Aktrout. Romsca showed the Hands of Ore symbol, and Shota confirmed they had similar icons. Demitri asked about the damage to the docks and the Zenethian Anchor chain. Shota said it had happened about ten days prior. She’d heard the shattering wood and ran outside, but didn’t see anything above the water. Since then, the dockworkers were attempting to repair it. A group of Hero Hunters had been hired to gather lumber but were having issues getting wood from the shore to the city with the larger barge sunk. Romsca asked about repairing the docks and offered to help. Shota said the dwarves had also offered, since they were stuck in town without the larger barge to transport their cart. Shota said Romsca would have to convince the dockworkers to help, though. Demitri asked if Romsca could magically reach out to Nalt Oknar Rulla to see if there was a way to “grease the wheels” with the deputy oknar here. Romsca reached out with a Sending spell. Rulla replied, letting them know she hadn’t known Oknar Zhangon was sick and she didn’t know his son, the deputy, very well.The Wet Market
They left the tavern and made their way towards the Wet Market at the center of the various water channels between the anchor districts. On the walkways, they found a group of Hands of Ore dwarves being verbally berated by a group of dockworker orcs. The lead orc was blaming the dwarves for the damage to the city, since they had arrived just prior to the chains and docks breaking. As the confrontation was flaring, Demitri and Romsca interspersed themselves. Demitri said, “I don’t know why you’re trying to obscure these fine gentlemen from fixing this ramshackle hovel you live in. I would think that would maybe be a good thing, but if you want to yell at them and be a racist prick about it, your shit’s not going to get fixed.” Romsca added on, saying if orcs could fix the damage themselves, why hadn’t it been done for ten days. The orc traded insults with the group, seemingly threatening that the dwarves needed some friends in town. As the orcs left, Romsca said, “Just remember, as long as they are, I am their friend.”Andras Ashforge
The leader of the dwarves thanked them and introduced himself as Andras Ashforge of Clan Ashforge. He was the head of Tarterian operations for the Hands of Ore guild. Demitri quickly introduced Romsca as another member of the guild. Andras immediately recognized her. He’d heard good things about her from Ambera and said he was on the way to the Darksteel Foundry to help with the change in leadership there. Since Borscha Brickwell had taken Porgorag’s coinguard role, Ambera was set to take over as head of the foundry, leaving the head smith position open. Andras said, “From what I’ve ben hearing, you’re the smith to take over her role.” He also seemed to recognize Gertrude as a member of Clan Oathenhammer. Despite the large age difference, Andras started to overtly flirt with Gertrude, which flustered her. Mortimr, still disguised as a dwarf, inserted himself to give Gertrude a reprieve. They asked about the confrontation with the orcs. Andras explained shortly after arriving, the chains had been broken and the large barge was sunk, leaving them stranded with their large cart until it was repaired. The dockworkers had rejected their offers to help. Romsca then informed Andras about Nalt Oknar Rulla’s offer to the Hands of Ore to take over some operations in New Keeleon. Andras was immediately interested and asked if Romsca would join them back north to help get things started with those arrangements. Andras talked about diverting some resources from the Brondor Urbaz and the work they were doing for the Guild Marshal. Romsca was very rattled and surprised, and Arwin interrupted to say she was currently occupied. Romsca asked Demitri if he could convince the deputy oknar to let the dwarves and herself help with the Varg Barges repairs so the Hands of Ore group could depart. Ruslan said the dockworkers likely wouldn’t be happy after the public confrontation they just had.Buoy's Bagels
As they discussed what to do next, Chaka and Ruslan were hungry and wanted to visit the bagel shop they’d heard about. The group split up, and Chaka, Romulus, Ilmendwyth, and Ruslan went off towards Buoy's Bagels. A tortle named Krickey welcomed them. He offered the day’s special, called the Gooey Buoy, which was a Chelonian specialty. They ordered some bagels and the special, and Krickey got to cooking. While waiting, they noticed in the water nearby the boat was a large manatee. Krickey said that was Na’roo and said she was the source of the milk for the cheese used in the Gooey Buoy. Krickey served them an open faced bagel sandwich made with trout, eggs, kelp, and covered in melty cheese. Ilmendwyth cast Speak with Animals and conversed with Na’roo. They fed her some bagels while Ilmendwyth asked if Na’roo had seen anything strange in the last few days. She said there was some rumbling under the water when the Zenethian Anchor nearby was damaged. Something had pulled on the chain from below until the orcish chain broke. Romulus asked Krickey about the damaged chains and if he’d seen any monsters in Red Lake. Krickey said the mudmutts and alligators native to a swamp on the western side of the lake were riled up and fighting farther into the lake.Romsca’s Desires
Meanwhile, Arwin, Romsca, Demitri, Gertrude, and Mortimr headed north towards the Aktrout Ark. On the way, Romsca appeared shellshocked by the sudden promotion offer she’d received from Andras. Gertrude shared a drink with her and said, “You do good work. I think you’re too modest with yourself.” She replied, “How can I be in charge of a forge when I need to go back home? How can I go back home when the world is ending? How can I do any of anything? There’s three directions that want me.” Demitri asked her what she herself wanted to do, and Mortimr asked what she needed to do. Romsca said she wanted to go home, but if she didn’t help their current quest, there might not be any home to go back to for anyone. Gertrude said, “I think that if you really want to go home, then you should tell that to your employer. Because we only have one life, and we need to live it to the best of our ability. You don’t want regrets.” Romsca didn’t know if anyone would even want her back in her tribe. The traditionalist orcs they’d seen in Aktrout reminded her of the same issues she’d faced back in Endor. She felt appreciated by the Hands of Ore, but she didn’t feel that way about the Tribe of the Golden Fur anymore. She said she hadn’t wanted her family to get involved and brought up her sister now working in Endor. Demitri said maybe Romsca could leave the task to her instead. Mortimr said maybe the world would end and she wouldn’t need to worry about it. Gertrude suggested a compromise to find a way to see her family still and find what she wanted in life. Romsca said her youngest brother seemed angry with her for leaving. Gertrude said little brothers can be hard, and Mortimr agreed. Arwin shifted and scoffed quietly, which Romsca noticed.Aktrout Ark
They reached the Aktrout Ark and saw more queensguard soldiers patrolling on the upper deck than they had expected ofr the town’s oknar. They moved inside to the cargo hold of the old ship. Standing on the far side behind a raised driftwood platorm they saw two figures, who noticed their entry. An older orc woman wearing an orichalcum circlet hit her staff on the deck to silence the gathered onlookers, and a younger orc stood to address them.
Report Date
12 Apr 2025
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Secondary Location
Related Characters
24 Adroth 5A 352 to 26 Adroth 5A 352