Session 31

Heroes: Ayrin, Azrael, Gondriel, Haurchefant

The Heroes are approached by Jasson, the member of the Pragmatic Order of Thought that contacted them many months back, and offered the letters of marque. He has solid intelligence about the location of a trader, the Night Passage, affiiliated wit the Tenth Pit. On behalf of Prince Andru, he wants the Heroes to recover the precious (but not better identified) cargo stowed on the Night Passage, and scuttle the ship. He makes it clear that they don't need to bother with taking prisoners.

The Gloria and the Freebooter search the space lanes for a few days, when they finally encounter the Night Passage. After exchanging a few rounds fo artillery, Ayrin and Azrael board the vessel, and fight off the brutish crew led by a githyanki captain and a half-orc priest of Gruumsh.

When they reach the cargo hold, they find that the lower deck is filled with barrels of black powder. Two desperate orcs holding torches await them, shouting their last prayer to Gruumsh as they drop their torches. The Night Passage is obliterated, Azrael and Ayrin miracolously escaping the worst of the blast, but still propelled into wildspace like firey comets. The Gloria, who was in boarding position, also suffers severe damage from the explosion.

The Heroes regroup, and travel back to Bral. The Prince is disappointed with the turn of events, and begins to believe that the Heroes have taken his "prize" from him. Clearly, a hold full of black powder was not what he was expecting the Heroes to find. Without any evidence, he lets the Heroes go, warnign them that the Tenth Pit will surely be looking for them.

For the next few days, the Heroes feel the heat rising, and begin investigating the Tenth Pit. While they prowl the streets of Bral at night looking for clues, they're attacked by a band of thugs. With their superior martial skills the Heroes defeat the thugs, and take a few prisoners for interrogation. The thugs rapidly spill their beans, pointing at an old aquaintance of the Heroes as their employer: Torgan Betz.

Session 30

Heroes: Azrael, Gondriel, Haurchefant

 

The Heroes regroup on the Gloria, and after a night of rest they enter the Outpost again to ambush the space drake. This time their planning pays off, and they succeed in slaughtering the beast. They plunder the drake's lair, where they also find a recently born wyrmling. Gondriel feeds the pup, and takes it under his protection.

 

With no further interests in the Dead Shell, the Heroes return to Bral, thanks to the alien charts they recovered in the Outpost, and to Tik-Ti-Tik's innate ability to navigate the Flow. The thri-kreen is slowly recovering his memories, and he recalls travelling to Realmspace with his brethren to spread the teachings of his religion.

 

Back in Bral, Tik-Ti-tik thanks the Heroes for their help, and goes his own way, hoping to find more of his kind. The Heroes remain in port only for a few days: through his contacts with House Daxault, Gondriel arranges for a scouting mission for the Gloria. The dragonly Freebooter has gone missing for a few days, and Lady Cephenrene pays the Heroes an honest sum to investigate the matter. To help them in their mission, she introduces them to Azrael, an aasimar paladin with connections to the ship's captain and helmsman.

 

After a chance encounter with a "cluster" of undead left behind from the Unhuman Wars, the Heroes find the Freebooter drifting in wildspace. A boarding party investigates the craft, discovering that all the crew is dead. When they find the captain's log, they learn that a sort of madness had taken hold of the crewmen, leading them to kill each other.

 

The only survivor they find is the familiar of the helmsman, a capuchin monkey also in the throes of madness. When they slay the creature, an dark shadowy form emerges from its corpse, trying to possess one of the Heroes. Luckily enough, the creature seems to be paricularly vulnerable to Azrael's radiant powers, and the Heroes destroy it before it can cause more damage.

 

The Heroes take possession of the Freebooter, and return to Bral to report to Lady Cephenrene.

Session 29

Heroes: Gondriel, Haurchefant, Vance

 

Guided by Thought Taker, the Heroes reach a metal asteroid that the illithid identifies as the Outpost. Inside they find several abandoned rooms, clearly the habitat of alien creatures. In the central chamber, the Heroes discover a star-shaped artifact that Thought Taker is very eager to examine. When he touches the item, the room is filled with light, and the whole Outpost shakes. The mind-flayer explains that the object is some sort of spelljamming helm of the Elders.

 

But the explorers are not alone in the Outpost. Awoken by their presence, a space drake comes out of one of the side chambers, and lunges at the mind-flayer. Before the beast reaches him, Thought Taker grasps a piece of the star-shaped helm, and plane shifts away using his innate psychic powers.

 

The Heroes are left to fight against the dragon; the battle is savage, and the Heroes are on the losing side. They decide to escape, but Vance is knocked unconscious, and then devoured by the dragon. Its anger satiated for the moment, the beast does not pursue.

Session 28

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Haurchefant

 

The Heroes destroy any remaining opposition, and secure the ship. The Imperial Navy boards the armada, and congratulates the Heroes for their bravery. The drow fleet is routed, as all the members of the Darkcloud clan are dead.

 

Back in Bral, the Heroes enjoy a short period of rest, during which Gondriel begins a romantic (and secret) relationship with Lady Cephenrene Daxault. This may compromise his current relationship with Amnestria, but the elven ranger seems to enjoy the risk.

 

The Heroes are apporached once again by the mind flayer Thought Taker, and this time they accept his offer to travel to the Dead Shell to recover an ancient artifact, seemingly belonging to a long lost civilization. The voyage in wildspace is not without troubles, as the crew is not comfortable in having a brain-eating aberration on board. When the crew tries to murder the illithid, Capt Ayrin is ready to discipline his men.

 

While travelling in the phlogiston, a mysterious "statue" bumps against the Gloria's hull. The object is pulled on board, where its real nature rapidly becomes clear. As the "stone" loses its coloration and becomes thinner, its outer shell cracks, and a living thri-kreen emerges from within. Still disoriented, the creature cannot provide much information about his past, but from the little details he can provide the Heroes presume his "sleep" has lasted for at least 4,000 years.

 

The creature, calling itself Tik-Ti-Tik, is brought below deck to rest. Soon after, a group of ephemerals, ghostly souls denied the peace of eternal rest, attack the Gloria, apparently seeking "revenge" for some obscure event of the past. The Heroes fight and destroy the creatures, and then resume their voyage.

 

A few more days go by, when the Gloria finally leaves the Flow, and reaches the Dead Shell, a dark crystal sphere lacking a true sun, but dominated by a terrifying black hole looming in its center.

Session 27

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Haurchefant, Vance

The Heroes receive a lucrative offer from a mind flayer scholar, seeking a crew willing to travel to a lost crystal sphere to recover an ancient artefact. Gondriel is ready to accept, but the rest of the party believes the right thing to do is to join the Elven Imperial Navy in their assault against the Drow fleet.

The Imperial Navy welcomes the Heroes among their ranks, and plans are formed to confront this evil threat. Eventually, it is agreed that the Elven Navy will keep the drow fleet busy, while avoiding confrontation with the Monarch Armada. In the meanwhile, the Heroes will pilot the Dark WAsp and sneak inside the armada to kill the drow matron.

The mission goes as planned, and while the two fleets clash in wildspace, the Heroes manage to infiltrate the Monarch Armada, and slaughter their way to the throne room, where Matron Teela Darkcloud faces them together with her brother Larth. The Heroes emerge victorious from the confrontation, and kill both siblings.

They then rapidly escape the throne room, but are stopped on their way out by a contingent of angry drow soldiers bent on revenge, led by a few priestesses. A tough fight seems imminent.

Session 26

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Haurchefant, Vance

The Emerald Arrow and the Dark Wasp meet up with the Gloria in wildspace, to plan their next move. It is decided that the three ships will approach the Drow Fleet stealthily to gather what info they can, without enganging in combat with the whole fleet.

After several days of travel, the Heroes are intercepted by two drow wasps; judging the threat minor, the Heroes destroy the wasps and proceed to their destination. When they reach the drow fleet, they carefully maneouver around it to assess its power, while taking note of each ship in the fleet. It seems the drow have gathered a considerable number of ships, not to mention the gigantic elven mothership. When they accidentally attract too much attention, the Heroes flee at top speed, and make their way back to Bral.

At the Rock, they're met by several officers of the Elven Imperial Navy, interested in de-briefing Gondriel with the help of a Zone of Truth spell. The ranger manages to talk his way around the many compromising questions without lying, and he is released without consequences. When he decides to hand over the Dark Wasp to the Elven Imperial Navy, while also confirming his interest in helping the elves dealing with the drow threat, he's rewarded with a magical quiver.

As the Heroes enjoy a period of downtime, the Elven Imperial Navy summons several ships to Bral. It looks like the fleet is getting ready to depart and meet the Drow Fleet, to engage in a conflict that will certainly exact a heavy toll in elven souls.

Session 25

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Haurchefant, Vance

The Heroes enter the helmsman station, and are assaulted by the drow siblings Larth and Selene Darkcloud. They defeat the dark elves, and make them captives. The enemy ship is searched, all valuables are taken, and the Heroes decide to entrust the Dark Wasp to the elven crew they saved a few days back. The half-elf Vance chooses to remain with the Heroes and join their crew.

Back on the Emerald Arrow, the Heroes interrogate their prisoners. They learn of the Nation of Eternal Twilight, a dark elven clan wandering Realmspace with a well armed fleet of re-fitted elven vessels. If the drow can be trusted, the fleet is led by a Monarch Armada, a class of elven ship of the grandest craftmanship.

Using sending spells, Ayrin informs the Elven Armada of their discovery, and also mentions the failure of their original mission (the recovery of Terigamar's research). The elven officers are extremely disappointed, but the Armada is giving the Heroes one more chance to show their worth. The Heroes are to travel to wherever the drow fleet is, and assess their military strength.

But Gondriel does not wish to risk his life in what he considers a suicidal mission, and sets course to return to Bral. During the trip, the dark elf Larth bargains for his release, going so far as to propose to help the Heroes infiltrate the Monarch Armada to kill Matriarch Teela Darkcloud, his own sister.

The Heroes gather once again to discuss their future plans. In the meanwhile, Ayrin contacts the Gloria with a sending spell, instructing the crew to meet them in wildspace as soon as possible.

Session 24

Heroes: Haurchefant, Gondriel, Ayrin

The Heroes board the Neogi mindspider, and slaughter all the spider-like aberrations and their umber hulk bodyguards. They also encounter a illithid, apparently an ally of the neogi. When the creature tries to bargain for its life, the Heroes show no mercy. 

With all the opposition gone, the Heroes retrieve their men, and they also free four elves and a half-elf kept prisoner in the slaves' holds. They loot what they can from the mindspider, and then set the vessel on fire. Having decided to get rid if the Summon Cosmic Storm scroll, they leave it on the burning hulk of the mindspider.

Their voyage to back to Bral continues, when they are met by a wasp ship painted night-blue, escorted by two flitters and a mosquito ship. The small fleet seems to be ignoring the Emerald Arrow, but suddenly the dark wasp detaches from formation, and attacks the Heroes' vessel! The Heroes try to perform an evasive manoeuvre, but when they fail to loose the dark wasp, they decide to board the enemy craft.

On the vessel they find more neogi and umber hulk, apparently allied with a crew of dark elves. The Heroes fight their way through the ship, this time keeping one of the neogi alive for future questioning. With only the helmsman station left to investigate, the Heroes prepare to meet the ship's captain.

Session 23

Heroes: Haurchefant, Gondriel, Ayrin

The Heroes return to Terigamar and reach an agreement. The lich will give them a scroll with his Summon Cosmic Storm spell, and they will make sure that the Armada will leave him alone for a few more years, while he completes his research. As added insurance, Terigamar makes a deal with Ayrin to remove any information of his current position from the portal locator aboard the Emerald Arrow, while Hisst (Terigamar's pseudodragon familiar)  steals the navigation charts. To make sure everything goes according to plan, the lich entrusts his familiar to Ayrin.

With the scroll in their hands, the Heroes leave the phlogiston, and return to Realmspace. For many days, they discuss about the fate of the scroll they now possess. They soon realise that such a spell would be too dangerous in the hands of the Armada, and seriously consider destroying the scroll. 

Before they can make a final decision, they're ambushed by a neogi mindspider ship while crossing an asteroid field. The mindspider rams into the Emerald Arrow, piercing wide holes in their hull. From the holes, monstrous umber hulks come forth, taking a few crewmen prisoner. The Heroes slay the monsters, and ready themselves to board the neogi's ship and save their men.

Session 22

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Haurchefant, Vola

Gondriel is contacted by the Elven Armada for a mission of great importance. They want him to travel to the phlogiston outside of Realmspace, and to track down the wizard Terigamar. The arcanist was conducting a research on the nature of the void financed by the Armada, but has failed to report in quite a long time. To help in this mission, they assign him a Wasp voidship, the Emerald Arrow, equipped with a portal locator to pierce the crystal sphere and enter the "Flow". To assist him with handling the elven crew, they attach the wood elf Haurchefant to his retinue.

The elven ranger accepts the task, and enlists the other Heroes to accompany him. The voyage to the edge of the crystal sphere is uneventful, and thanks to the portal locator and the star charts provided by the Armada, the Heroes cross into the Flow. In a matter of days, they find Terigamar's research vessel drifting in the phlogiston, seemingly abandoned.

When they board the vessel, they find out that Terigamar has been so focused on his research, that he has failed to notice a small detail: he has become a lich! The wizard does not seem too concerned about this revelation, and is happy to talk about his research with the Heroes.

He explains to them how he's trying to create a ritual to summon "wormholes" in the void, to connect far away spheres. Even though he has not yet achieved his goal, he's able to summon "cosmic storms", powerful "rifts" in the void that destroy everything surrounding them to a great distance. If the Armada should own such power, certainly their military superiority in Wildspace will be uncontested. The Heroes leave Terigamar in his laboratory, while they ponder on what to do next.

Session 21

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Sevir

The Gloria spots the wreck of a illithid nautiloid drifting in Wildspace. When they board the vessel to investigate, they find signs of battle, and no survivors. The illithid crew has been slain to the last of them, and no other humanoid corpses can be found, except for those slaves left to rot in their cells. Whomever killed the illithid, did nothing to save those imprisoned in the slave holds.

Yet their spirits cannot find peace. Soon the Heroes are assaulted by angry spectres, wraiths, and ghosts, seeking respite in the warm blood of the living. The Heroes fight their way through the undead, and banish them all to the afterlife. But the price to pay weighs heavy on their souls, as Sevir does not survive the ordeal.

The Heroes recover what treasure they find; among their findings is also an octagonal copper piece that was stuck inside the "beak" of the nautiloid's captain. Maybe they can find more information about the coin in Bral. As they make their way back to the Rock, they wrap Sevir's corpse in sail-cloth, and then release him into Wildspace.

Session 20

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Sevir, Vola

The Heroes prowl the streets of Bral, to find the villain trying to ruin their reputation. Their inquiries seem to point to a cat-like creature with illusory powers and a persuasive voice. Unwilling to believe that Sevir is the one responsible, Ayrin and Vola search several establishments for clues.

 

Trading valuables for information, Ayrin receivs a tip from an undercover member of the Red Masks, pointing once more to Sevir. When he will confront the tabaxi on the issue later on, he learns that Sevir is indeed in trouble with both the Red Masks and the Yakuza.

In the meanwhile, Sevir and Gondriel are attacked by a band of Red Masks, still seeking revenge on the tabaxi. They defeat the bandits and return to the Gloria, where the Heroes decide to arrange a meeting with the leader of the Red Masks to try and find a peaceful resolution. When the Red Masks try to force the Heroes to assassinate a rival in order to settle the matter, Ayrin refuses. It looks like the rivalry with the Red Masks is not yet a closed chapter.

 

Having failed to find the culprit, Ayrin presents himself to the residence of House Daxault, and accept the lashings of the offended lady. Yet, those of noble heart clearly understand that there's no fault in the Captain, and admire his sense of honor.

Session 19

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Sevir

The Heroes find the captain's logbook, and discover that the Lich Manara had been cursed by a pantheon of demigods for her hubris. Only by dying in valorous battle could she free herself of her undead existance. After stripping both the Nex and the Sculpin of any valuables, the Heroes set fire to the vessels, and return to Bral.

 

While the Gloria is under repairs, they enjoy Bral's many gambling and feast halls. But something is amiss. The Yakuza makes an attempt on Sevir's life, while a mysterious party tries to discredit Gondriel's name, a "doppleganger" posing as the elven ranger is causing trouble among the elite of Bral, and making life difficult for the whole crew.

 

Capt Ayrin and his men investigate the events, careful not to make any more enemies among the rich and powerful of the Rock.

Session 18

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Sevir, Vola

Ayrin and Gondriel meet a few officials of the Elven Armada, and are offered a position of great prestige among the elves; yet, the offer does not include the non-elven members of their crew. Gondriel looks very excited to accept, but Ayrin has some doubts.

 

Back on the Gloria, the Heroes leave Bral to begin the hunt for the Sculpin, a trader lost in wildspace said to be haunted, but also the repository of unclaimed treasure. After a tenday of travel, they spot the hulk, and board it to investigate. They find evidence of a bloody battle, but no corpses. They also find the cargo of the Sculpin still filling the holds, precious honeywood of great value.

 

The crew begins to make preparations to tow the vessel, when a dreadful galleon appears in wildspace, bound for the Gloria. When the first artillery shots are exchanged, the Heroes recognize the attacking vessel as the Nex. What they did not expect is the undead crew manning the decks!

 

Having suffered greatly from the Nex's ballistas and catapults, the Heroes board the galleon and take their chances with their crew on the deck of the Nex. While their sailors valiantly keep their zombie opponents at bay, the Heroes engage Manara, the cursed lich captain.

 

The undead mage unleashes powerful magic at them, but when all seems lost Vola cuts the monster's head off her neck, and the corpse disintegrates in fine dust. With the last of their strengths, they destroy the remaining zombies. The Heroes and their crew have suffered greatly, and their ship is in dire need of repairs. Ayrin, having aquired some knowledge of liches from his arcane studies, suggests to search the ship to find Manara's phylactery.

Session 17

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Sevir

The elven man-o-war Sparrowhawk is under attack from the crimson squidship Frostfire. The Gloria flies to the rescue, soon realising that the barrage of boulders coming from the attacking ship are actually thrown by a pair of giants!

The Heroes unleash their artillery on the giants, then move in for boarding. On the Frostfire, they must fight against a pair of fire giants, and a frost giant with his pet winter wolf. Having over-estimated their capabilites, the Heroes fight a deadly battle against the huge creatures.

Sevir rallies the crewmen of the Gloria, pelletting the giants with crossbow fire, and a well-placed ballista bolt. The surviving crew of the Sparrowhawk joins the fray, and the day is won.

The Heroes reap the spoils of victory, emptying the holds of the Frostfire, and towing the damaged vessel back to Bral. They also earn the gratitude of the Sparrowhawk and their captain, a renowed member of the Elven Imperial Armada.

In Bral, Ayrin presents the Frostfire to Capt Anomander, in this way settling their debts. Then the Heroes enjoy a few weeks of carousing in the feast-halls of the Rock. Gondriel begins a love affair with a charming elven woman, while Sevir makes a few enemies among the Yakuza.

Session 16

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Sevir

 

The Heroes meet with Prince Andru, who compliments them on having defeated a Celestial Dragon. The prince is interested in "buying" the dragon corpse, offering in exchange a golden plaque that will allow the owner to dock at Bral free of charges. Believing the deal will also provide them with a powerful ally, the Heroes accept.

 

News of their meeting with the prince spread quickly, and Capt Anomander of the Curse of Strahd makes it known that he'll expect some sort of compensation for the corpse of the dragon, since him and his crew have also risked their life to defeat the beast. Ayrin, always the noble soul, agrees with the dark elf. When the Curse of Strahd will claim their dept, the Gloria will be ready to keep their word.

 

After some repairs and a bit of rest, the Gloria sails from the Rock, once again on the hunt for pirates. A few days go by, when they finally intercept a drakkar (a viking longship) flying through the void; this is none other than the Raven, captained by Erik Bloodaxe, scourge of wildspace.

 

The Heroes engage and board the pirate's ship; but Erik and his officers are tougher than expected, and the Heroes are soon subdued. As they kneel on the deck of the Raven, with Erik's spear at their necks, they take advantage of a moment of distraction to jump off the ship and into the void. The Gloria detaches from the Raven, and unleashes the full strength of its artillery on the smaller vessel.

In desperation, Erik rams the Gloria, destroying the Raven, and ending up on the deck of the hammership. In the meanwhile, the Heroes have manage to get back on their ship, and now face the viking leader and his priest on their own terms. This time they have the upper end and slay the viking leader, also thanks to the assistance (or leack thereof) of the traitorous helmsman of the Raven, a wizard hailing from Toril who claims he was bullied into servitude.

The wizard thanks the Heroes for saving him, and shares a few spells with Ayrin. The Gloria then returns to Bral to collect the bounty on Erik's head.

Session 15

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Sevir, Vola

The dragon's hoard is vast, but the Heroes fear the return of the dragon, so they decide to take a few coins and leave the lair. They manage to reach the Gloria just as the radiant dragon finds out of their intrusion. The wyrm flies in pursuit, but the Heroes escape its clutches and lose themselves in the void.

Back in Bral, they report to Capt. Anomander about their findings, and the two crews make preparations to travel back to the dragon's asteroid to kill the beast and take its treasure. In the meanwhile, Vola distinguishes herself in the arena of Frun, winning a competition against the famous gladiator Tygrus.

The day after the Curse of Strahd and the Gloria leave Bral, and after a few days of travel they reach the asteroid cluster where the radiant dragon makes its lair. They try to ambush the wyrm, but when their attempt fails they're forced to fight the beast among the asteroids. They unleash the full power of their artillery on the dragon, but both ships suffer severe damage from the claw, fangs, and magical force breath of the wyrm.

With the battle still uncertain, and both their ships on the brink of destruction, Capt Anomander and Ander the paladin decide to jump off their ship and attack the dragon in melee! This act of foolish bravado inspires Vola to do the same, and she's the one to inflict the decisive blow to the dragon with her axe, opening the beast's throat with one mighty swing!

With the dragon dead, the two crews loot the treasure hoard, and then begin the trip back to Bral, carrying with them the corpses of the mighty wyrm. When they arrive at Bral, local authorities, impressed with their "trophy", inform them that Prince Andru himself will want to have a look at the dragon's remain.

Waiting for the Prince's call, the Heroes enjoy a well deserved period of rest, while their ship is under repairs; the legend of the Gloria quickly begins to spread among the taverns of the Rock.

Session 14

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Sevir, Vola

The Heroes make some inquiries to find Torgan Betz, but the smuggler is nowhere to be found. With most of their resources gone, and the ship in bad state, the Heroes look to alternative ways to earn some gold.

As Vola considers taking a chance at the Arena of Frun, she's approached by Ander, the weaponmaster of the Curse of Strahd; it seems Capt. Anomander has a proposition for the Gloria that could erase their debt with the dark elf.

The two crews meet on the Gloria; Anomander spins the tale of a distant asteroid said to be the lair of a Celestial Dragon, a powerful wyrm attacking any ship passing too near to its home, and stealing their cargo. The dark elf wants the Heroes to scout the asteroid, and ascertain the size of the dragon's hoard. If the hoard is considerable, he plans to attack the dragon together with the Gloria, and share the spoils. In recompense for the scouting mission, he will erase the debt they have with him.

The Heroes promptly accept, and leave for the planet Chandos, where the asteroid is said to be. After a few days investigating the asteroid clusters around the watery planet, they spot the Celestial Dragon leaving its lair. They manage to land on the asteroid unseen, and then make their way on foot inside the rock. 

Unfortunately, they trigger several magical traps and alarms, awakening the radiant wyrmlings left in the lair. They kill the little dragons, and then proceed to examine the treasure hoard.

Session 13

Heroes: Ayrin, Gondriel, Sevir, Vola

The Heroes are approached by Torgan Betz, a well-known smuggler. The man has a simple job for them: to deliver a "package" to the planet of Garden. His only conditions are that the package must not be opened, and that his trusted Giff associate Dourm Larbo must accompany them on their trip to safeguard the package. Enticed by the considerable sum of gold offered, the Heroes quickly accept.

The voyage to Garden takes the best part of two uneventful weeks. But when they begin to approach the verdant tree-planet, they're attacked by a fast Wasp ship, bathing them in greek-fire before they have a chance to react. As the ambush takes place, Dourm reveals his true colours, and attacks the party, grievously wounding both Ayrin and Sevir.

While the crew of the Gloria battles the mysterious Wasp, the Heroes face Dourm and kill him. After a dangerous battle in the void, the Gloria manages to send the Wasp running, but the damage suffered forces the Heroes to land on Garden to perform emergency repairs. Soon they realize that no one is coming to retrieve the package, and they decide to return to the Rock of Bral.

With many questions still unanswered, they open the package, and find a finely crafted cameo inside of the box. Though they're not sure about its worth, all they can think of is that the crew of the Wasp was trying to steal it from them, and that Dourm must have been in league with the would-be thieves.

Eager to get some explanation from Torgan Betz, the Heroes start looking for the smuggler.

Session 12

Heroes: Vola, Sevir, Ayrin, Gondriel

The pirate captain Tal Gilgalad orders the Heroes to surrender, and give up whatever treasure they may have on board. But the crew of the Skyrunner is not easily intimidated; with a lighnting fast assault, the Heroes kill Tal and his lizardman bodyguard.

The first mate of the Barracuda, a burly man called Berwick, is impressed by their prowess, and, fearing for his own life, he proposes a deal. The Heroes will take the Barracuda, together with all the treasure inside the cargo hold (a hundred bolts of silk stolen from House Kullek). In exchange, Berwick will take the Skyrunner. He swears to never again cross blades with the Heroes, and support them in case of need. Since the Heroes are still pondering about bringing the surviving pirates to justice, he also swears to abandon his pirating ways.

The Heroes agree on the terms, and even leave 20 bolts of silk to Berwick, in order to cover expenses. Then, together with their crew, they sail away on the Barracuda, which they rename the Gloria. After having considered selling the stolen cargo, they decide to return the goods to House Kullek on the Rock of Bral to make a reputation as honest privateers. Thanks to their nobility, they collect a small reward.

They also collect the reward for Tal's head from the Pragmatic Order of Thought, and spend the next few days hiring more sailors for their new ship.