Session 25. - Something In The Air

Danger! Danger! Alert! Awaken!"

Deadeye's bow jolted him from a dead slumber. His first thought as he tried to shake off the liquor induced brain fog was "Oh Crap! We're sinking!" but once he got to his feet, he realised that the ship seemed stable so sinking was unlikely. He shook his feathers in an effort to rid himself of the last vestiges of sleep and tried to figure out what was going on. The bow had warned of danger before but never this loudly or this emphatically. Deadeye banged on the wall next to him, trying to remember who was in the adjacent cabin but coming up blank before heading to the door and checking the hallway.

Angrar woke sluggishly, driven from sleep by an incessant tapping on the wall that divided his and Deadeye's cabins. He shouted at his kenku companion through the wall, but couldn't make out, or hear a response. He roused himself with a grumble (and a few choice words under his breath regarding the kenku's parentage) and poked his head into the cramped hallway at the bow of the ship and saw Deadeye standing in the hall looking towards the deck. Deadeye looked at him and simply said "Trouble."

All vestiges of sleep and hangover dropped away in an instant and Angrar immediately banged on the door of the cabin opposite attempting to wake the rest of their companions. An instant later an elderly man with a long flowing handlebar moustache appeared groggily at the door and demanded to know what was going on. Angrar sputtered an apology and stepped away as the man grumpily closed the door and returned to his bed. He then remembered that Oorr had said something about paying extra for the captain's quarters and was likely in the cabins at the stern of the ship along with their new tetsudan companion, Umami. Angrar had a passing wave of melancholy as he'd instinctively expected Suljurn's or even Urith's face to greet him at the door. He briefly wondered how his erstwhile companions were doing and then turned to the kenku, who'd re-emerged from his cabin fully geared. "Care to help me get my armour on?"

Deadeye looked over his shoulder at the hallway leading to the deck, where they could definitely hear shouting (or was it screaming) now and nodded quickly, following the half-ghrym back into his cabin to assist with dressing the big man in his new plate armour.

At the other end of the ship, Oorr was rudely awoken by shouting from above. He had indeed commandeered the captain's cabin and had been enjoying a pleasant dream about actually becoming a pirate like in some of his stories when the shouting had rudely awoken him. He got up and quickly dressed. He was checking himself in the silvered mirror to ensure a properly rakish appearance, when a flash of red light erupted behind him and lit up the cabin for an instant. He turned to peer out the generous stern windows but only saw the night and the ocean generously lit by the light of the twin full moons. The shouting from above had turned to screams so he headed upwards to assist (as every good hero does) and stepped into a chaotic nightmare. He saw something that every sailor fears at sea... Fire.

Part of the deck and one of the masts was aflame. Some of the sailors were scrambling with buckets and sand to quench what they could. Others were manning the ballistae mounted at the railings and scanning the sky warily. Oorr looked up but couldn't see anything right away and wondered what had caused such damage.

As he was scanning the sky, he stepped back and stumbled into Torak. The strange little wildling was also been peering into the night, but unlike Oorr, the wildling seemed to be tracking something across the sky. Oorr tried to follow his companion's gaze but the glare from the burning ship ruined his night vision and he saw nothing. He didn't have to wait long though, as a massive, green-scaled beast with vast leathern wings flew out of the darkness and bore down on the ship. Oorr was in awe. It was a real dragon!

The awe didn't last long and was quickly replaced with a healthy concern for his safety as he watched the dragon make a quick pass over the ship's stern, eviscerating one of the crew in a heartbeat and grabbing another in its wicked talons as it passed overhead. As it soared out over the water and banked back for another pass, Oorr watched as the beast casually sheared the sailor clean in half, letting the corpse fall to the water with a silent splash. Oorr finally shook himself free of his reverie and sprinted into action. As he'd watched the great dragon banking, a mad idea had crept into his head and wouldn't let go. He raced across the deck and started climbing up the remaining mast, cackling to himself all the while.

Torak watched in fascination at the dragon tore the sailor in half and then watched as some of the remaining crew stopped manning the ballistae and moved to help control the fires which were threatening to engulf the ship. The couple of crew that had been left to man the weapons, loaded one of them, pointed it vaguely in the beast's direction and fired. The shot went wide and missed the dragon. Torak watched as they repeated the action with similar ineffectiveness before deciding he could do a better job and moved to man the vacant ballista on the far railing by himself. The sailors initially shared a derisive chuckle as they watched the small wildling walk up to the huge machine. Their laughter died quickly though when Torak loaded the ammo with ease, took aim and fired at the oncoming dragon, ripping a vicious gash across it's underbelly. The beast roared in pain and veered off from its attack run sending a cheer through the defending sailors.

During all of this, Umami had emerged from the cabin and assessed the situation calmly. He methodically hummed to himself and brought forth a radiant light that bolstered the defenders nearby.

Angrar and Deadeye had finally managed to buckle all of Angrar's plate armour on him and they emerged in time to see the dragon banking back again for another pass. After quickly assessing the scene, Angrar unslung his bow, took aim and fired in a fluid motion as the dragon swooped close but his shot went wide. His inexperience with the weapon was apparent and Deadeye twitched instinctively and wanted to correct everything about his friend's stance but didn't have time. Instead the kenku took a breath and summoned his small drake companion that shimmered into existence on the deck beside him, and he too drew his bow. While the drake materialised, Angrar took another shot and it too went wide. He was really regretting not practising more with Urith and Deadeye.

Deadeye took aim and let loose with his own shots. His first hit it's mark, but the arrow did little more than gouge a small scratch across the beast's scales. His second shot went wide as well and he mentally amended his opinion of Angrar's shooting. Despite the creature's large size, it was an extremely difficult target to strike.

While they were peppering the beast with arrows, they saw the mage, Miklos, stretch out his hand and a jagged arc of blinding blue-white lightning leapt outwards, connecting with the Dragon and leaving a heavy burn mark across its flank. The lightning failed to stop the dragon however and it continued to bear down on the ship.

The dragon's taloned wingtips raked through the sails and rigging, shredding them as it passed. It knocked several more sailors into the water with its tail as it passed over the ship and banked once more. It lined itself up for another attack, Oorr reached the top of the main mast and shouted a challenge at the beast, daring it to attack him. Torak found himself on the wrong side of the ship from the beast with a ballista that wouldn't turn far enough for him to get a clear shot. He quickly gave up trying and moved across the deck to one on the opposite rail, conveniently cleared of sailors by the dragon's last attack.

He lined up his shot and took careful aim. He had the beast directly in his sights and just as he loosed his shot, a thick cloud of grey fog descended over the ship, obscuring everything. Torak heard his shot splash in the waves and assumed that he missed. He didn't have much time to ponder though, as he ducked instinctively as the beast passed overhead through the fog. It swirled the cloud into eddies and he could hear snapping of cables as the beast blindly tore through the rigging. He dodged out of the way (barely) as some of the pulleys and ropes crashed to the deck. Above him he heard the faun laughing madly over the sound of snapping ropes as the creature passed overhead. Oorr's laughter faded as the dragon left and Torak worried at his new companion's fate.

He needn't have worried however as Oorr had waited till the dragon swooped in close, then used his armour's power to summon the fog and then magically teleported to the back of the beast. He cackled madly as the adrenaline rushed through his veins and the wind rushed through his hair, threatening to blow his hat off. He scrunched it down onto his head and gripped the bony spine of the dragon with one hand and valiantly stabbed it with his blade in the other He was able to pierce the creatures scales but only did a minimal amount of damage. It was more than enough to irritate the beast however and it banked sharply, hoping to throw him off. Oorr's goat-like heritage paid off though and he hung on as the dragon once more rounded on the Ray of Dawn. The ship could be seen jutting out of the large cloud bank, parts of it backlit by an ominously red glow as it continued to burn. As deadly as it was, Oorr was momentarily struck by the poignant beauty of the scene.

On the deck, the fog obscured everything and everyone peered around blindly, wondering where the next attack would come from. They didn't have to wait long as a stream of fire tore through the fog and bathed the deck in a hellish glow. Miklos, the ship's mage, stepped onto the foredeck and uttered a magical word and a strong breeze blew the fog away, giving the ballista crews enough clearance to take shots at the dragon. Torak's shot landed solidly on the dragon's underbelly but the shot from the sailor's ballista went wide and passed within inches of Oorr's nose. Not wanting to be accidentally skewered, Oorr drove his blade deep into the dragon's back one last time and then jumped off into the ragged remains of the mainsail, sliding somewhat elegantly back to the deck.

Angrar had given up on his bow once he'd run out of arrows but Deadeye continued to pepper the beast with shots. None caused much damage, but they were slowing the thing down... they were sure of it. Umami continued to bolster the spirits of the crew and heal where he could. Angrar briefly manned one of the ballista along with Torak but his aim was just as poor as it was with his bow and he resignedly admitted to himself that he just wasn't built for combat at range. Instead, he watched the circling dragon, waiting for an opportunity.

Oorr was similarly ineffective. He considered climbing up the mast again and jumping back on the dragon's back but the mast was quickly engulfed in flame and he thought better of it. He too waited for the beast to come closer.

They didn't have to wait long as the dragon circled around and then landed gracelessly on the rear of the ship, tearing up the railing and destroying the ship's wheel and rudder as it landed. It let out another massive gout of flame that caught many of the party in it's blast but mainly served to setting the ship further on fire. Angrar charged forward, finally able to do something and Torak and Oorr were close behind him. He was able to land several heavy blows with his hammer against the beast and it swiped at him in return but its claws only rent deep gouges in his armour.

Before Oorr and Torak could close the distance, Miklos stepped out of the smoke and pointed his finger at the beast. Umami heard the mage briefly whisper an apology before the smell of ozone filled the air and a jagged arc of blue-white lightning leapt from the mage toward the beast. Unfortunately, Angrar was directly in the path of the strike and he felt the electricity rip through him before continuing into the dragon which let out a roar of pain that echoed across the water.

The bolt knocked Angrar to his knees but he was still alive, albeit barely. The dragon seemed to have fared better but the blast had forced it back off the ship. It flew further out to sea, peppered by Deadeye's arrows and a parting shot from Torak that went well wide of the beast.

Miklos shouted at them to all come close. He told them that the ship was lost and they needed to save themselves. Angrar argued about helping him but Miklos said the ship was taking on water and their weren't enough crew left to man the ship. He said he'd gotten some of the others away and now it was their turn. He thanked them for their help. He then waved his arms over their heads and they felt a shiver down their spines as the spell took effect. As they composed themselves, he said a brief prayer to Aliah and then pointed at the coastline, barely visible to the west in the moonlight. He told them that they needed to go... now.

When they didn't move fast enough, he pushed them toward the railing and they heard him utter several arcane syllables. The fire that was consuming the deck wreathed up to form an archway. After a moment, the fire turned white, and a silver sheen formed in its center. Without hesitation, Miklos pushed Umami through and he disappeared from the others sight. Oorr, Deadeye and Angrar all instinctively hesistated, having not had good experience with portals in the past, but seeing no other options, they began to walk through. Oorr went first, and then Deadeye. Angrar was about to go through when he realised that Torak was still manning the ballista, angrily firing bolts at the Dragon as it hurtled closer. He grabbed the tiny wildling and pointed at the portal. Torak shook his head and pointed back at the dragon. Angrar pleaded to little effect until he told him that if he didn't come, then he'd never find the goblin. Torak finally gave in, whistled for his dog and leapt through the portal. Angrar made eye contact with the mage, and they shared an unspoken conversation in a glance before he nodded and stepped through the portal.

When they stepped through, they'd expected to be on dry land but instead found themselves standing on top of the water as if it was solid ground. They took their bearings and realised that Miklos had portalled them as far from the ship and as close to land as he could. They could see the flames and smoke a mile or more further out to sea and the coast loomed larger to the west, though it was still a ways off.

As they watched, they saw a bright flash of light where the ship had been and then several minutes later they heard and felt the sound of the explosion as it passed over them. Umami suggested that they should probably make haste, for he was uncertain how long Miklos' spells would last if he were no longer around. The others hastily agreed and they started walking to shore on top of the water. They heard the flap of leathern wings high above them but never saw the dragon as it flew back to land and were grateful it didn't spot them as it passed.

At first, the novelty of walking on water was fun, but it soon wore off as they realised that water in the ocean is not a truly flat surface and they had to trek up and down every wave and crest. It was exhausting. It took them several hours of trekking and the coast line was still just out of reach. Oorr joked that maybe someone was moving it on them. Everyone else was too tired to laugh. They just kept walking.

Dawn was lightening the sky by the time they could make out details of the shoreline which was not a moment too soon as they'd noticed that their feet had been sinking deeper into the waves as they walked for the past hour. The spell finally gave out when they were within spitting distance of the beach and they all plunged into the water surreptitiously. Thankfully it only came up to Angrar's waist (though it was over Torak's head) and they managed to wade to shore and collapse on the rocky beach.

Umami looked at the sun rising over the waves behind them then started climbing up onto some rocks and into the forest beyond. He suggested that the others make their way up too before the tide turned and they exhaustedly complied. Once the others joined him and he was out of the direct sunlight, he crouched down further into the shadow of a large tree and started chanting. Soon the sound of waves and wind became distant as a shimmering dome of force surrounded them. Umami said that it was safe to rest here and they wearily set up camp and ignoring the sun rising, quickly passed out. As they drifted off, they thought back on the events of the past month since they'd recovered the Sword and how they'd ended up here, shipwrecked on a beach.

After Arbor's sudden and unexpected departure, the party didn't quite know what to do with themselves. Their jovial mood quickly soured and they all retired early.

 

When they awoke the next morning, Arbor had not returned and they realised that he might actually be gone for some time. His absence was definitely felt and breakfast was a subdued affair. While everyone quietly chewed their bacon, Oorr finally broke the silence and started planning out their itinerary for their trip to Tharos. Angrar immediately told him to slow down. They still had to visit the Rayahn library and perhaps do some research into what they were getting into. Urith also took this time to voice his dissent of the Tharos plan. With Arbor gone, he felt it should be put to another vote as he felt that the leads in Cor Caroli were more promising (and closer to home).

 

The others grumbled and said that they thought they'd sorted this out last night and complained that Urith was just being ornery. He argued back that Arbor had wanted to go south, but since he's not there anymore, his vote doesn't count so they should recast their votes and see from there. Everyone sighed in agreement, more to shut him up than because they believed him, and voted again. Oorr and Angrar voted for Tharos. Urith for Cor Caroli. Deadeye said he was happy with either and it didn't matter to him. Suljurn also abstained, saying he needed to think on it some more.

 

In the absence of a unanimous consensus, Oorr declared that it was three to one against and smugly said they were going to Tharos which put the moody ranger into an even darker mood. He got up from the table and stormed out into the street in disgust, leaving a plate of half-eaten bacon behind, which spoke more loudly than his words ever would.

 

With breakfast adjourned, everyone was left to their own devices. Deadeye said he was going to go shopping ("and talk to the locals, to see what they know" which garnered him an eyeroll from Oorr, but no offer to help. He was definitely not "that type of rogue" today) while Suljurn and Angrar said they'd planned to go back to the temple to research Tharos (and take the Arch-Deacon up on his offer to learn something). Oorr seemed moody (likely over Urith) and retired to his room declaring that he was going to study his copy of The Baraquellan Cycle for insight into the insidious Tharan mind, leaving the other three alone in the common room.

 

When Deadeye, Angrar and Suljurn left the inn, Deadeye idly pointed out a small filthy child and a scruffy dog sitting idly across from the inn and commented on how sad it was that the world had dealt the child such a cruel hand so early on. The others agreed, only half-paying attention. Angrar was mulling over the changes they'd seen in Urith lately and Suljurn too, seemed lost in his own thoughts.

 

Deadeye went off to shop, agreeing to meet the others back at the inn later and the other two headed to the Temple of Rayah to utilise their library. When they arrived, they were quickly recognised by the priests and ushered into the library with respect. The library had a completely different atmosphere from when they were last there. The piles of weirdly stacked books were gone. As were the bloodstains (though if you knew where to look, you could still see the faint outline in some places). The empty, hollow silence was replaced by a warm mix of whispered voices and the rustle of turning pages. The sound of the scribe's pens scratching as they copied text after text in the scriptorium added to the warmth and Suljurn smiled ruefully at the memory. It hadn't been that long ago that he'd been one of those scribes in a different part of the world. Oh how the times had changed.

 

They decided to split up and meet back in the central reading room. They both unconsciously avoided the scriptorium, feeling a shiver at the memory of the ghost they'd encountered there and went searching through the stacks for anything to do with Moloch, the swords of Wayreth or even Tharos. After what felt like several hours Angrar returned to the reading area with a large stack of potential leads only to find Suljurn already sitting comfortably in a chair, listening intently to the bard Terazmisci as she read from the small stack of books between them.

 

They looked up as he approached and Suljurn had the good grace to look somewhat embarassed. He apologised for not coming to find him sooner, but said he'd run into their friend, Terazmisci, here and they'd just started discussing ideas about Wayreth's swords. Terazmisci chimed in that they'd come to the conclusion that the seven blades they were seeking were likely part of the Magdalinian set rather than some of his greater known works. She pointed excitedly to the text she had been reading from and reread it for Angrar's benefit.

 

Wyreth knew the danger. Oh yes, he knew. That’s why he scattered them, and for hundreds of years they remained apart. Two of them were buried. Others lost in battle, and some so cunningly hidden that none had knowledge of them, except the...

 

There was a pause and Angrar waited for the bard to continue but when she didn't he looked over at her expectantly and she said that was all there was. The rest of the page had been destroyed by time and age. But it had to refer to the blades didn't it?

 

Angrar couldn't disagree, but the evidence was flimsy at best and said as much. She retorted, well what have you found then? Angrar said much the same, though nothing on the swords. He'd discovered two treatises on the conflicts between Tharos and Dhabara over the years, another on the Illyrian Lowlands which was enough to tell him that they should travel to Myr by ship if they wanted to get there in one piece. He'd also found a copy of the Baraquellan Cycle and had been planning on reading it to potentially reign in Oorr's more ridiculous ideas but casually hid that from the bard's disdainful view.

 

They discussed theories and ideas for several more hours. Suljurn was surprisingly vocal and well read. Once he started talking, the other two quickly realised that he'd accumulated 400 years of knowledge before he'd gone adventuring. Angrar gained a newfound respect for his normally taciturn companion. They soon realised they'd been at it for hours and were starting to get hungry. Angrar invited Terazmisci to join them for a meal at their inn but she politely declined, saying she had to get back to her own inn and play for her meal. Suljurn offered to escort her and she agreed, leaving Angrar to walk back to the inn alone.

 

When he got there, he immediately noticed that the filthy child and dog were still there, staring at the inn. He went inside to find Oorr and Deadeye at a table playing cards. Urith was nowhere to be seen. Deadeye asked if the kid was still watching to which Angrar said yes. Oorr said he was likely part of the thieves guild, probably set to watch them after they'd played a part in getting the guild members hung for raiding the temple. The other two didn't disagree. Angrar brought them up to speed on his and Suljurn's discovery, and that Terazmisci was in town. When he asked, the others hadn't seen Urith at all since this morning. They ordered food and Oorr told them all he knew about the Tharan people, which amounted to cultural stereotypes about them being evil and selling children into the gladiator pits, among other heinous crimes.

  Suljurn showed up thankfully soon, interrupting Oorr's dissertation on the evils of Tharans. He asked if they others had realised the child was still watching the inn, and they all said they knew. They decided that they should probably do something about it. So they quickly devised a plan to ambush the kid and hopefully scare him off.

 

Oorr snuck out the back of the inn and circled around. While Angrar and Suljurn went out into the inn's yard and started pointing up and down the street, as if they were trying to coordinate a search. Deadeye climbed out of one of the second story windows onto the roof, and perched in the shadows with his bow, ready to provide cover (though he was loathe to shoot a child or a dog and said as much to the others).

 

Angrar and Suljurn continued to point and make a show of discussing plans while casually crossing the street, getting closer to the child as Oorr crept up from behind. Just as Oorr was about to sneak up, the child spun around far faster than any of them expected and drew two wicked sickle looking blades which he pointed menacingly at the rogue. He said something in a strange language that no one understood. The mastiff lifted it's head casually as the other two approached and growled, warning them not to come closer.

 

Now that they were up close, they realised it wasn't actually a child at all but a small man with wild hair, barely any clothing and filthy as hell. It took them a minute to figure out that the small man must be one of the savage wildlings from the jungles of Kerast, half the world away. They wondered what he was doing there.

 

He said something in his language that no one understood. When they didn't respond, he spoke again in very broken and heavily accented goblinese. "Where goblin?"

 

It took them a minute to figure out he was asking about Arbor. Oorr was about to tell him that he left, but Angrar gave him the side eye to shut up until they learned why the filthy creature wanted their friend. It took some time but they managed to figure out that someone ("big bad mojo wizard") hired Torak (the wildling) to find Arbor ("the goblin"). Torak said he'd seen the goblin go into the inn, but had not seen him leave. When they asked what he would do when he found Arbor, he said. "Wait for mage. Get paid. Get drunk."

 

Oorr took a sniff and noted that Torak may have already started on the third thing as the filthy man already reeked of hard spirits. Before Angrar could stop him, Oorr said that Arbor had left. Torak didn't seem to believe them so they invited him inside to see for himself. He took them up on their offer and he and his dog snooped (and sniffed) around their rooms. When he was done, Torak sat at their table, grabbed a chicken leg and simply said "Me wait."

 

Not knowing what else to do, they said down with him and finished their meal. He didn't say much during the meal but watched them intently as they spoke, glaring at them if they slipped into anything other than goblinese. They ordered him a drink and he downed it with gusto. One drink turned to several and soon the night got late. They weren't sure what to do with their new strange little companion. They realised very quickly that he couldn't afford a room and none of them wanted to share with the filthy man, so they spoke to the innkeeper and arranged for him and his dog to sleep in the stables for free. They poured him into a stall with his dog and left him for the night, hoping they'd figure out what to do with him in the morning.

 

The next morning when they awoke, he was already back sitting on the barrel across from the inn, waiting. When Angrar approached, he said, he was going to wait for the goblin and wouldn't listen to anything else. The others shrugged and headed off to do their things. Suljurn said he was going to catch up with the bard. While Deadeye and Oorr said they'd accompany Angrar to the library today.

 

Oorr immediately went searching for treatises on fencing styles (especially those of fabled Baraquelle) and Deadeye wandered the stacks looking for inspiration. Angrar continued his search for anything to do with the swords or there relationship to Tharos but came up empty. When they reconvened, Deadeye brought a visitor with him and introduced the other two to a tetsudan going by the name of Umami.

 

Having only met two of the strange turtle-folk before, Angrar and Oorr peppered him with questions which he answered graciously, if ponderously and in a very roundabout manner. He spoke dhabaran but his command of the language wasn't fluent, so he often mixed up word tenses and phrases but his understanding of the language was far better than Torak's understanding of the goblin tongue. Through their conversation, they came to understand that Umami was a chef and that his people hold the culinary arts in high regard. He gently chastised Oorr for referring to him as a cook and a servant at one point.

 

He was on a quest of enlightenment to discover new taste experiences and his travels had taken him far across the ocean to these distant shores. He'd heard that this great library may hold secret recipes but had not found anything yet.

 

Angrar asked him what he would do once he found all the secrets that the culinary world had to offer. Umami simply replied.

 

Before enlightenment, you gut fish and make soup.
After enlightenment, you gut fish and make soup.

 

Oorr nodded sagely, but Angrar could tell that neither one of them had a clue what the strange turtle meant. Deadeye seemed enamoured by their new companion and quickly invited him to their inn to taste the amazing food there. He accepted graciously and they all headed back to the inn. On the way back while Deadeye nattered on with Umami, Oorr and Angrar talked quietly about Urith's absence and what they were going to do about him. Neither one of them had any solutions.

 

When they arrived back at the inn, Torak was still on his barrel, this time eating a massive turkey drumstick. He refused to join them, saying he preferred the open sky. Before they entered the inn, Umami paused and grabbed a pinch of something from one of his numerous belt pouches and sprinkled it on Torak's food. The wildling sniffed at it cautiously before taking a bite. His eyes went wide with joy and he began devouring the drumstick with abandon. The others looked curiously at Umami who shrugged and simply said, "Moru root," and went inside.

 

Once inside, Deadeye ordered the inn's most extravagant meal in honor of their new friend, to which the others winced, knowing what it would cost. Suljurn arrived just shortly after the meal was served but seemed distracted and didn't talk much. There was still no sign of Urith.

 

The meal itself was a multi course affair, with stuffed quail eggs and a spicy fish soup followed by slabs of venison cooked to perfection and a rich cake filled with strange fruit and sweet smelling liquor. Umami sampled everything in moderation. Deadeye kept looking at him expectantly but the tetsudan refrained from making any comment or critique. Once the meal was gone and washed down with a sweet wine, he spoke and said that it was indeed a very fine meal. He made no indications if he was just being polite or if he truly meant it. Deadeye seemed pleased and told him that if he stuck with them, they'd find all sorts of new delicacies for him to try. He laughed politely at the kenku's enthusiasm but committed to nothing.

 

The next morning, the strange tetsudan was nowhere to be found. They ordered breakfast (bacon out of habit, on the off chance it would coax Urith out of hiding). When their meal arrived it was delivered by Umami himself. Apparently he'd been in the kitchen all morning assisting with the inn's needs. There was a warm fresh loaf of bread and freshed churned butter laden with sweet herbs. Some flat bread like circles filled with berries that Umami referred to as panflaps. Several thick juicy sausages and a plate of soft cheeses. The food outstripped everything they'd ever had in the past, including every meal at the Alder Arms. They'd never settle for "just bacon" ever again.

 

They were complimenting the chef and their stomachs were pledging unfaltering allegiance, when they were interrupted by a skinny figure with reddish skin, rakishly standing in front of their table. They looked him over. He was of middling height, skinny as a whip and dressed in soft brown leathers with numerous buckles and straps. A wicked looking short blade rested casually against his hip. His longish, dark hair was pulled back loosely into a ponytail, revealing two short pointed horns sprouting from his forehead. His yellow cat's eyes watched them with interest.

 

Without any preamble, he started. "You'd be his companions then. I be Bieljhak. The Daymaster sends his regards."

 

The man paused briefly, expecting some sort of response from the table. When none arrived, he continued, nonplussed.

 

"He also sends tidings, both fortuitous and frustrating, regarding your erstwhile companion, the Jotunari. It seems your friend had words with some of my master's acquaintances and they took unkindly to his verbiage. He was politely given some proper lessons in elucidation and pronunciation and sent on his way. Unfortunately, the lesson did not seem to resonate well with your friend and he returned for further verbal coaching."

 

"In short, your friend's language was deemed unseemly and he was advised that a long stroll to the end of the pier might clear his head. The sea air does wonders for one's health after all. Your friend, enlightened by his recent exploration of the nuances of language, gleaned that his walk would be encouraged to continue whether a ship was at the end of said pier or not and he decided, quite on his own I may add, to adopt a more nautical outlook on life."

 

"All in all, this is but a courtesy from my master to prevent you from rummaging around needlessly, whilst searching for that which cannot be found. We wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavours and hope you have a pleasant stay in our fair city. Be seeing you."

 

With that, he nods his head briefly in respect and turns, leaving through the front door. Oorr quickly chased after him but the figure has already disappeared in the early morning crowd (as if he was THAT type of rogue).

 

He returned inside and shook his head briefly at Angrar's inquisitive look. They all sat in shock as the gravity of what just happened sank in. Urith had crossed the local thieves guild and got run out of town for his efforts. It could've been worse I guess. Least he wasn't dead. Still, it was another of their companions to leave within the past week. This is not how they had planned to spend their time after their first successful adventure. Umami chose that moment to return from the kitchen with more panflaps, piling them high on everyone's plate and they mechanically began eating just for the sake of having something to do other than talk. Suljurn seemed particularly pensive but no one was in the mood to ask about it.

 

As breakfast finished up, Terazmisci arrived, dressed in travelling gear and looked quizzically at Suljurn. "Well? Did you tell them yet?"

 

"Tell us what," asked Angrar?

 

"Tell you that we found something and we're leaving to follow a clue." The bard looked exasperatedly at her fellow saurial as he continued to sit there in uncomfortable silence. "Really? Fine."

 

"So... I think we found something or part of something anyways. I think I... we... discovered the names of some of the swords. It was in another one of those crumbling books. I only got to read some of the page before the whole thing fell apart in my hands. Those priests really need to take better care of their books. I'll have to send one of the libraria to come and teach them proper archival procedures. Honestly.... Ummm anyways. Yes. Names. It was a description or a catalogue of sorts of known named weapons and their smith. It was a pretty boring lists all told but then I caught the name Vyret which could be a typo for Wyreth or Wayreth or it could be nothing. Anyways, it had a list of names of blades he'd been known to make and I was able to make out three of them. There looked like there were more but as to how many I have no clue. The book was a copy of a copy of a copy so who knows how many transcription errors happened, between this and the original. So I, well me and Suljurn, are off to Phaeros to the library in Alixandra to see if we can find the original copy of the book and figure out the names..... OH! The names! right." She paused briefly, no one even realising that she'd said all that without taking a breath.

 

"The names we found are:"

 

Morax, Beleth and Orias

 

"They don't mean anything to me. I did some cross checking and none of Wayreth's known works bear those names. I'm not even sure what language they're in... It's so infuriating. They're just words! Arrrgh! Hopefully knowing them will help you. And don't worry about Suljurn. He and I are going to have a long talk on the voyage about his faith, and how much he's been already doing our Father's work. Hopefully by the time we land, the two of them will be back on speaking terms. Anyways. Suljurn. Let's go! Our ship leaves with the tide and it is turning!"

 

As the others sat their stunned at this further turn of events, Terazmisci quickly herded the paladin upstairs, gathered his gear and were out the door before anyone could really say otherwise.

 

In the aftermath, Oorr, Angrar and Deadeye sat at the table and took a long minute to process. Arbor was away for who knows how long. Urith had been ran out of town on a rail and now Suljurn was off chasing knowledge (though Angrar suspected he may be chasing something much prettier and just not know it yet). The party that had been together through thick and thin was now in tatters. What were they going to do? Do they even bother continuing? If they didn't Moloch's servants would certainly find the swords and do whatever they were going to do. Even if it was only the three of them. They resolved to stop it. Umami approached and apologised for overhearing the conversation. He said that it sounded like they were involved in exciting adventures and that perhaps if he joined them, they would lead him to new epicurean delights. He wouldn't be all that much of a bother and he'd certainly do what he could to get them where they wanted to go. They thanked the tetsudan for his offer and decided why not. If nothing else, at least they'd be well fed during the crazy journey.

 

Then they were four.

 

They spent the next several weeks hoping Arbor would return and bringing Umami up to speed in the meantime. They filled every spare moment available learning all they could about Tharos. While most Dhabarans had a poor opinion of and could care less about their southern neighbours, they managed to find enough information to put together some semblance of a plan. They thought about an overland trip but eventually ruled it out as taking far too long and fraught with danger. The descriptions they kept hearing about the Illyrian Lowlands kept getting worse and worse and at some point they were sure the locals were just pulling their legs but without any other information, they acted as if it was all true.

 

Umami's dhabaran improved significantly and while he wasn't fully fluent yet, at least he'd stopped using the wrong gender when referring to people. The little wildling still stayed out on the barrel watching the inn. He'd barely said anything to anyone since they'd first met him and preferred to keep his own company. Angrar was surprised that the innkeeper had allowed him to stick around and when he'd asked about she said that there were far fewer rats around the inn now and left it at that. Angrar wondered if he was eating them...

 

The first day of spring came and the weather, which had been seasonally grey and squally for most of their stay in the capital, finally started to turn. On a sunny afternoon a few days later, they booked passage on a ship on called the Ray of Dawn, and only because Oorr admitted once they were underway that he'd misheard the name as Rayah's Dawn and thought it a good omen. They left a note for Arbor as to their whereabouts with the innkeeper and were heading out. Surprisingly, the wildling wasn't in his usual spot when they left. Doubly surprising, they found him waiting for them at the dock. When they approached he said simply,. "Me follow. Goblin come to you. Me catch Goblin. Me get paid."

 

The others shrugged and boarded the ship, each of them having paid for a private cabin. Torak followed along and when Oorr asked where he was going to sleep, Torak simply said "Under stars. As Herne" and walked away, ending the conversation.

 

The journey was smooth and they made good speed the first few days as the spring winds were with them. Oorr attempted to bond with the crew, using his past maritime experience as currency, but they had no interest in him or his stories and politely ignored him while staying focused on their jobs.

 

Angrar split his time between listening to Deadeye and Oorr try to share their limited nautical knowledge with him and trying to get to know their new companions. Umami was friendly and personable, eager to talk to someone and practice his language skills. They struggled at first until they realised that he spoke elven as well. Once they found common ground, the conversations became more in depth and the strange priest became much less strange.

 

Their other companion, the wildling, Torak, was another story. He kept to himself for the most part, only joining them for meals as Umami continued to add intriguing seasonings to their food. He didn't talk much but watched them constantly, almost as if he was expecting them to pull Arbor out of a hat like some country fair magician's act. When he wasn't watching them, he spent the bulk of his time climbing the ratlines up to the crow's nest and peering out over the vast ocean in wonder. At first the captain and crew objected to his climbs, arguing that it wasn't safe for a passenger, but when they realised he was far more nimble and skilled at it than half the crew, and he didn't listen to them anyway, they gave up and let him scurry around the rigging like a monkey. The rest of his time on board was spent caring for the massive dog that was his constant companion. The dog growled menacingly whenever anyone else came close to it. A deep throaty growl that was so low that you could feel it more than hear it. The others suitably kept their distance, especially after one of the sailors had tried to pet it and would have lost his hand had the captain not intervened.

 

There were four other passengers on the ship but they mostly kept to themselves. An older halfen merchant and his young wife on their way south to finalise a potentially lucrative trade deal as well as a pair of rough looking twins, fighters apparently, who boasted that they were heading to Myr to compete and win in The Gladium, when no one seemed to know what they were talking about, they had to explain that the Gladium was an arena where warriors from across Tharos, and the world really, came to test their mettle, and win prizes and glory. When no one really seemed interested in their plans, they ignored the others and kept to themselves.

 

At first they'd thought there had been a fifth passenger, a darker skinned man with a meticulously trimmed goatee and haircut. He wore loose breeches and an ornately embroidered vest without a shirt that left his heavily muscled and tattooed arms exposed. He strode around the deck with a regal sense of self importance. After the first day it became apparent that the dark skinned man with kohl marked eyes was held in high regard by the crew though. Once Aran Dhabar was a speck on the horizon behind them, he planted himself in the center of the deck and started chanting in a language no one recognised. Cords of glowing blue energy wrapped around his arms and stretched up into the sky. Soon a strong breeze had formed behind them and they practically flew across the waves. The mage soon finished his spell and went to consult with the captain.

 

Angrar asked one of the crew about the mage and was told he was Miklos, the ship's weathermage and left it at that. Over the next few days, they saw him at various points on the ship, assisting the crew or consulting with the captain. Oorr attempted to strike up a conversation at one point, but he politely rebuffed the faun and kept his distance from them all after that.

 

They were three, or possibly four days out of Aran Dhabar and had fallen into a comfortable routine. Angrar and Umami chatted amicably, each interested in each other's history, Oorr continued to try and befriend the crew, no matter how many times he was rebuffed and Torak and Deadeye spent most of their time in the rigging gazing out over the water. It was nearing dinner when the captain approached them and informed them that they were just past the half way point of the voyage and they should be in Myr in three or so days. He also said they'd be heading back close to the coast to avoid a storm that Miklos said was brewing off to the east but not to worry about that, with luck and good winds they'd be in port before the storm made landfall. He also produced several bottles of a dark fruity liquour and gave them to the group, saying it was a tradition to celebrate the midway point of the voyage. They thanked him and he went off and presented the other passengers with similar gifts.

 

The group poured glasses for each of them and toasted each other, and to their absent friends and companions. The liquour was sweet, and very potent and the toasts became increasingly elaborate as they became more inebriated. After another exceptional dinner provided by Umami and another (several) rounds of drinks (and toasts), they eventually poured themselves into their respective cabins in relatively good spirits, and drifted off into sleep knowing they'd soon be in Myr and one step closer to finding the next sword.

They awoke some time later in the day. Torak guessed it was mid-afternoon by the sun. They broke their fast and idly discussed their next steps. Angrar was unsure of where along the Dhabaran coast they were. Though the hills they could see further to the west suggested that they may have already crossed over into Tharos. They decided to head further west into the hills until they found a cross trail running north or south and decide from there.

While the others were making these decisions, Torak wandered off. He had quickly lost track of what they were saying and something shiny back on the beach had caught his eye. He made his way back down to investigate and discovered the beach was now littered with several crates and bits of charred wooden wreckage. He pulled one of the crates out of the water and was able to pry open the lid with his kama. Inside he found some rations that were still dry and several books that weren't. The others came looking for him and joined him in pulling several more crates from the water. They soon realised that there wasn't much of salvageable value in them though and decided that the sooner they set off, the better.

They headed up the small animal trail that led up from the beach and into the wooded hills. Much like the swells on the ocean, the hilly terrain was exhausting to traverse and their progress was slow, though not as slow as it had been the day before. The trail widened after a time and the wooded hills were filled with birdsong. Despite the slower pace, the journey was pleasant. As they climbed the hills, they were able to get a better sense of their location. The hills seemed to stretch out forever to the north and west, but as they climbed they caught more and more glimpses of the sun glittering off numerous lakes and ponds and a sea of greenery to the south. Angrar guessed that they were near the southern edge of the Phandar hills and the vast wetlands they saw were likely the Illyrian Lowlands, also known as the Trollfens. They didn't look dangerous from this distance, but everything he'd read and researched back in Aran Dhabar said they were deadly beyond belief.

After some time, the trail split and they had a decision to make. The left hand trail veered south and gently descended through the hills towards the lowlands. The right hand trail continued west and north back into the hills and back towards Dhabara. They mulled over their choices for some time but no one was really willing to commit to either route. It wasn't until they heard (or thought they heard) voices shouting faintly from the northern path that they made their decision.

Expecting bandits or an ambush, the group crept up the trail as silently as they could manage towards the voices with Torak and Oorr leading the way. It didn't take them long to crest the rise to the top of the hill where they discovered a clearing filled with a very small, but organised campsite. They saw a large tent, open on one side, that had a desk piled high with books and maps along with a matching smaller tent they assumed was for sleeping in arranged neatly around a central fire. What looked like a large covered wagon was parked off to the side, partially obscured by a copse of trees and the large tent. Standing around the unlit fire were two men of vastly differing heights. The first man, a small gnome with a short trimmed salt and pepper beard and dressed in leathers was arguing with a much taller, well-dressed man in a long coat.

The smaller man seemed to be berating the taller one who seemed to be pleading his case. At first they were speaking in an indecipherable tongue that none of the party understood. The pair's body language spoke volumes, even if the party couldn't understand exactly what was being said, they got the gist that the gnome was not happy with the taller man and this was a conversation that had been going on now for some time.

There was a lull in the argument and the gnome looked like he was done as he headed into the large tent and started rolling up maps. When the tall man spoke again, it was in Dhabaran, which, thankfully (most of), the party understood.

"Just give me more time!" the man pleaded.

The gnome sighed resignedly and replied. "I hired you cause you said you knew a group of skilled hunters who could help me in my research. You said you'd have them here and all I had to do was drop you all off on the far side of the 'fens. We're almost at the end of the season. We need to leave soon or this whole trip will be a waste. I gave you enough coin to make it worth their while and YOU said you'd have them here... TWO DAYS AGO!" The little gnome was getting worked up again and he gestured around questioningly. "Where are they Master Bror? "

The taller man instinctively took a step back at the gnome as he got worked up, and in the process almost tripped over the firepit. As he regained his balance, he glanced over and saw the party gathered at the trailhead, watching them. The man paused, looked utterly surprised at the sight of them but quickly gathered his composure and smoothly turned to his gnomic companion. "... and here they are now," before gesturing at the group with a flourish.

The gnome looked over in surprise at the group who looked equally surprised to have been expected. The taller man walked over to them and started talking quickly and in low tones, as if he didn't want the gnome to overhear. "What took you so long? You were supposed to be here three days ago? Oh nevermind... you can tell me later. Just follow my lead. Lady Lea sends her regards by the by."

He turned to the gnome and said dramatically, "My friends sir, are at your service."

Oorr took this opportunity to pipe up "Friends? Sir, we don't even know you." to which the taller man turned back and replied, "Of course you know me. I'm Axon Bror, Lady Lea's friend. And I know all of you. You're Private Rosie Hill Tapper, the fighter. The big guy is Angry Ironbow" he turns to the gnome and whispers "Don't let his size scare you. He may be a frothing berserker, but he's really quite nice." He turned back to the party and pointed at Deadeye "You're One-Eye cliffjumper, obviously an archer." He looked around and spotted Umami and said hesitantly, "You must be Sunrise So Good." He looked past the party as if looking for someone else. "Where's Bobble the mage and Urine Stain the other archer?"

Without waiting for a reply, he addressed the group as a whole. "Friends, this is Reginald Crankshaft XXXIII. Explorer, scientist, naturalist, and last but certainly not least, our employer," he turned back to the gnome who looked unconvinced of the party's bonafides. "Reginald... I give you your crew of hunters."

Reginald turned from Axon and addressed the group. "This thistlehead says you're a decent crew. I'm somewhat skeptical but I's known him for awhile now and he's usually right, gods help me. He says youse know a thing or two about hunting and can handle yourselfs when Phaedre closes her eyes. Here's the deal. I needs a crew who can do all that and more. I'm in search of some creatures to trap and study. Shouldn't take more than a couple days. In return I'll transport you across the lowlands and deposit you in Tharsis or Sharamyr. Axon here says you has business in the capital, Myr, but I ain't going that far. I'll get you across the fens in exchange for some manual labour and a little adventure. What do you say?"

The party hesitated visibly before responding. The overwhelming verbal barrage from this Axon, who seemed to know them (even if his information was all muddled up) was disconcerting and his name dropping of Arbor's patron didn't make them any less suspicious. When they didn't immediately respond, the gnome added, "If you don't want the job, thats fine, but your options are slim as I see it. You can trek back north through the hills, probably take you three or four days if you don't get lost and then make for Fort Redcliff and then on to Phandalin in Dhabara. And then you'd still have to reach one of the coastal ports and hope to catch a trading ship heading south. With luck, you'd probably make it to Myr just after Hollin. Your other option is to head straight south yourselves across the Illyrian Lowlands. You you know they're called the Trollfens for a reason, right? If the Trolls don't eat you, then the snakes likely will. If, on the off chance you manage to avoid all that, you still have to deal with the fens themselves. Navigating them is never easy, even for a seasoned crew like yourselfs. If you make it to Tharsis before Earthturn, I'll be surprised."

He paused and let all that sink in, "'Course, Tharsis isn't Myr, so you'd still have another week or so on the road before you reach the capital. All in all, the way I see it, I'm doing you a favour. Work for me. Two or three days tops then I'll cut months off your journey and plant you safely on dry land so you can go along your merry way to save whatever princess is trapped in yonder castle."

The party mulled it over. They were definitely eager to make their journey quicker but weren't quite sure how the gnome was going to manage to get them across 200 miles of swamp and wetland in a wagon. Angrar also had questions about exactly what they would be hunting. The gnome's eye's glinted... "So you're saying aye then?"

Angrar looked at the rest of the party who all looked back at him and hesitantly nodded. He turned to Reginald and replied "Aye."

"Excellent!" The gnome turned towards the wagon and shouted loudly. "BOLTON! ALVARINE! Make haste! We're packing up the camp." Shortly afterwards, a tall man in full plate armour walked out of the copse of trees... at least they thought it was a man in plate at first, but as he approached the central camp, they realised that he wasn't wearing armour, but was in fact a man made of an amalgam of metal and wood. Their first (well, second) thought was that he was some sort of golem but when he politely asked Umami to move so as he could begin taking down the tents, they realised that he wasn't an automaton and was something else entirely.

They didn't have much time to wonder at his origins though as the gnome's other companion, a young faun girl, joined them and started to take down the camp. Oorr was immediately enamoured by the girl and interrupted her packing to introduce himself with an extravagant bow (and speech). The young girl blushed furiously and giggled as he paid attention to her. Dropping the maps she was gathering, she ran back into the trees and quickly disappeared into the wagon.

It was only when they followed Alvarine's path through the trees that they realised that the wagon wasn't a wagon at all. In fact, the wooden side that they glimpsed through the trees was in fact the hull of a large wooden ship. They were somewhat confused at the idea of a ship in the middle of the hills as they hadn't seen any waterways big enough for it. Reginald followed behind them and stomped up the gangplank and disappeared below decks. A weird mechanical noise was heard coming from the belly of the ship and after a few minutes, the gnome re-emerged as a large canvas balloon started to fill on the deck and expand, lifting the hull off the ground where it floated several feet above the ground.

The party goggled in amazement at the contraption. Bolton and the Captain continued to pack up the camp. After the third time having to walk around the flabbergasted party, the gnome exasperatedly told them that he wasn't paying them to stand around and to help pack up already. Angrar managed to look guilty, and then set about packing up the large campaign tent and taking it on board. This spurred the others into motion and they started packing up the camp. Axon led them onto the ship and showed them their cabin, two small rooms at the stern of the ship under the main deck.

With everything stowed away, Bolton and the captain cast off and the ship gracefully rose into the sky. The party stood at the rail and watched with exhilarated awe as the ground slipped away below them. Deadeye was particularly enamoured and stood transfixed at the rail, letting the breeze blow through his feathers. Once the airship was underway, the captain came down to the deck and joined them.

"Right then. I suppose I should show you around." He took them on a quick tour of the ship. Two staircases flanked the rear of the ship and led to the top deck. The top deck had a traditional ship's wheel along with several levers and gauges that were not. Bolton manned the wheel stoically and ignored any attempts at conversation. Beneath the top deck and nestled in behind the staircases were three cabins. Captain Crankshaft identified the port cabin as Bolton's, the center as his and the starboard as his daughter's. He made eye contact with each of them and warned them not to fraternise with his daughter or he'd throw them over the side. His eyes lingered on Oorr as he spoke. The party nodded in agreement and they moved on. At the bow of the ship were two oddly shaped ballistae and a covered grate leading to the hold.

The captain said that they'd be using the ballistae to capture their prey, which prompted Axon to ask, what exactly it was they were hunting. The gnome said it was Cloudhunter rays, and when he received blank stares from them, he explained that they were similar to the manta rays you'd find in the ocean, except they flew in the sky. Umami asked if they were good to eat, and the gnome seemed offended that he'd asked. Angrar also asked why they were hunting them. The gnome chose not to answer Umami and instead answered Angrar. He pointed at the airbag that held the ship aloft and explained that his homeland Zur-Ryk, was torn from the land during Dhamoc's Plague and now hung suspended in the air through unknown means. He explained that the Earthmotes themselves floated high in the sky, but if you dug a pile of dirt on one of them, the dirt you unearthed wouldn't float by itself. He explained that the cloudhunters floated through the sky in much the same manner. If they were killed, they no longer floated. He wanted to capture them to study. To better understand how they floated so as he could replace the volatile air inside the bag with something safer.

On that note, he warned them no open flames near the balloon or bad things would happen. They nodded sagely and Angrar, Oorr and Deadeye collectively looked over at Arbor with a pointed look... only to realise that the goblin still wasn't with them. They sighed sadly and followed the captain into the hold for the conclusion of the tour. Other than their two small cabins, there wasn't much else to see.

The other door at the rear of the ship held some sort of mechanical engine that propelled the ship. The engine was connected to two large propellers on the rear of the ship and no matter how hard they tried, none of them could make sense as to how it worked. The rest of the hold was taken up with storage space along with a sizeable cage suitable for holding animals. At the front of the hold was a door that led to a small open air observation platform that afforded an amazing (if vertigo inducing) view.

Once the tour concluded, the captain stated that someone always needed to be on lookout and he suggested that they familiarise themselves with the ballistae, pointing at a crate nearby saying there were some practice shots in there. Deadeye was the first to volunteer for watch and scrambled out into the lookout's nest, letting the wind whip through his feathers while a look of pure joy crossed his face. Angrar and the others went topside to check out the ballistae and quickly realised that the addition of the nets and recovery cables made the loading of the weapons a cumbersome, two man job.

Angrar and Axon got comfortable loading the contraption and Torak, who'd understood maybe one word in five, of the explanation familiarised himself with aiming and shooting. They tried to convince Oorr to join them, but he vocally made his disdain for ranged weapons known and went off in search of the young faun. Umami glanced at the sky and deemed it close enough to dinnertime. He broke out an odd stone slab and various pots, and jars of spices from his pack and started cooking something that smelled divine. The captain raced down the stairs shouting something about no fire but came up short when he saw the tetsudan using the stone slab to heat his pots with not an open flame to be seen. He sputtered an apology and enquired as to what Umami was preparing. Apparently it was "rabbit" stew, though no one was sure where or when Umami had procured a rabbit.

After Umami had impressed them all with his cooking skills, Everyone realised just how tired they really were. The trek across the ocean after their first ship sank along with the hike up into the hills had taken its toll. As night was falling, Axon enquired if they still needed to post watch, and was relieved to hear the captain say not tonight as they were still a ways off from the lowlands proper, though he said he'd expect them to post a watch on the remaining nights until the journey was over. The others agreed and headed below decks for some well needed rest.

The next morning after another tasty meal from Umami, Torak took first watch and Deadeye took some time to learn the workings of the ballista. He wasn't as comfortable with it compared to his bow, but he hoped that with time and repetition it would get better. It was a little galling that Torak seemed to have a natural talent when it came to firing the ballistae but Deadeye swallowed his pride and continued practicing. Angrar also took a turn shooting with Umami as his loader but his luck with ranged weapons continued to be poor and they almost lost the test line when Umami forgot to tie it down.

During on of their practice sessions, Axon spotted a pod of the cloudhunters and as soon as he'd called it out, Torak fired off a shot without even checking the distance. The shot fell far short of the pod and the captain promptly berated them for their hastiness. When they didn't immediately change course or attempt to close with the pod, they asked the captain why and he responded that it wasn't a good idea. It was a very large pod led by a male and they were far more aggressive right now as it was mating season. He didn't want to risk them getting overwhelmed. They'd keep looking for a smaller pod, preferably one without a male.

After that first incident, they fell into a rhythm of shooting practice, lookout duties and getting used to life onboard an airship. Torak's dog almost went over the side when he tried lunging at a bird that had perched on the rail and had to be confined to his quarters. Axon spent time with the captain, and tried to learn a little bit about the ship and its functions (though the captain refused to let him steer) and Oorr continued trying to chat up the young faun girl, hoping to garner some reaction beyond nervous giggles and shy, whispered answers.

While was chatting with Alvarine, he noticed a shadow cross over the deck. At first he thought it was a bird and casually thought nothing of it. Then two things struck him as odd at the same time. First, the size the shadow meant it was a bloody large bird and second, the shadow was very oddly shaped for a bird, almost human in shape. Something inside his head said there was something wrong with that but he couldn't quite make the connection. He looked up at the sky, searching for these birds but the sun kept blinding him and he saw nothing.

Oorr was slowly connecting the dots. At the same time, Deadeye burst up from the lookout nest below, warning of danger. Oorr finally put the pieces together and shouted out "Perytons!" just as the first one swooped in to attack.

Oorr herded the young faun girl into the cabin area and then turned just in time to deflect a blow from one of the beasts. The others squared off against the creatures that swooped in, trying to gore and maul their prey. The fight was awkward due to the limited deckspace that they had and the mobility of their foe, but they managed to come together. With Axon joining the party, it was the first time they'd all fought together and they melded surprisingly well. It turned out that Axon was a spellcaster of sorts and filled a role that Arbor had left empty. Though the spells he cast seemed more violent and aggressive.

Umami stood in the center and acted as a calm focal point. He created auras of support and health that the others were grateful for. He even managed to bop one of the beasts on the nose with his spoon as it passed by. Torak became absolutely feral and Axon swore that the little wildling had become even more hairier as he attacked their opponents with gusto. It did him little good however and one of the beasts almost flew off with him in its claws but thankfully Angrar swatted it out of the sky before it got too far.

The fight was short, but surprisingly bloody. They cleaned the bodies off the deck and not even Umami wanted to salvage any of the meat, which gave off a rancid, corrupt stench that turned everyone's stomachs. After the deck was clear, the party congratulated themselves on how they'd managed to complement each other's styles and they heaped great praise on Umami as they weren't used to being near full health at the end of a fight. Umami felt very awkward with the praise and instead busied himself making the evening meal.

With their bellies full, the party looked out over the moonlit fens and the vast expanse of stars above and wondered what tomorrow would bring.