Riders on the Storm

Adventure Journals

The pleasure of reaching a goal was short-lived. For the moment, we had the book and the dead kaer behind us. Unfortunately, we had a rather large, black ship in front of us. So we readied ourselves for combat and advanced in our own, very small, drakkar.

The Passions' Wind and the black ship were engaged in combat as we approached, but before we could even land, the black ship sent us a greeting party. A cloud of little, winged imps swarmed the deck of our drakkar. They concentrated on Ulm, attempting to snatch the book from his pack. In spite of our valiant efforts, the winged demons soon had the book and were off through the air toward the ominous black craft that still attacked our only safe way back to Travar.

As the things continued on, I decided that it was probably best that whoever was on that ship not be allowed to take the book, so I impaled one of the two imps that held the book between them. The tome's weight was too much for the still living imp and he quickly lost his grip.

The book plummeted toward our drakkar, and time slowed as we watched it fall, hit the rail, balance for a moment, then tumble over the edge. We all lunged for it, but to no avail. As we watched the book get smaller and smaller as it fell farther and farther, a length of ripe suddenly shot past us and stretched out to the book. Grasping the book it began to haul it back to us.

We looked back to Rensil, then at the book. His rope trick had really come in handy. Unfortunately the imps quickly cut the rope and flew away back their ship, just as the drakkar landed on the Passions' Wind.

We were surely not ready to let this happen. We wanted that book, so sparing little time we yelled for a couple of sailors to assist us and began to ascend in the drakkar once more. This time we would assault the black ship.

The great, black, hulking vessel was passing over the Passions Wind as our drakkar climbed unsteadily past the rigging. As we neared the top, just before we crested the rail of the ship's dark wooden deck, a crowd of stinking animated corpses leapt over the rail. It was the black ship's boarding party leaping to the deck of the Passions' Wind. I shot one, and I think Ulm or Mica swiped at another, but they dropped too quickly. I hoped the crew of the Passions' Wind could hold their own.

As soon as we rose above the ship's side, Tomas, Mica, and myself all shot the helmsman in the hopes of slowing the black ship. I do not know whether it was Tomas's spell, Mica's sword, or my arrow that killed it, but it was surely dead.

We were then able to survey the deck of the mysterious ship. Things looked grim. The craft was manned by numerous ambulatory corpses, or "cadaver men." That would have been bad enough, but that was the least of our problems. There were two ugly, black, winged beasts that were vaguely gargoyle-like and somewhat like large dogs. Standing nearby, preparing for melee, were two giants in evil-looking black armor.

Ulm, Mica, and Dorra leapt onto the black ship to attack the things. Tomas and myself began to do our thing. I sent bolt after bolt at one of the gargoyle beasts, but they seemed to be very resilient. Tomas seemed to fare better with his special kind of attack. The beasts were physically strong, but magically could not hold their own.

One of the sailors that accompanied us was torn in half and tossed aside as one dog lunged at me. I got off one last shot before the thing smashed into me and the world began to spin. Blood soaked my shirt as I regained my breath. I was on the deck, under the huge black thing, and Tomas was tossing a vial of healing liquid to me. Suddenly Ulm was standing over me, swinging Blood Drinker in a powerful arc. I downed the potion as Ulm downed the beast. I felt better as I stood, readying my crossbow and looking for a target.

Ulm threw himself back into the melee with the two armored giants, Mica, and Dorra. With the gargoyles dead, the giants were not that difficult to finish off.

We spent some time clearing the deck and establishing the safety of the ship. We decided to ride back to Travar on the black ship as the cadaver man crew seemed content to continue with their task.

I was quite impressed with Ulm and Mica in their hand-to-hand fighting. I am also indebted to Ulm and Tomas for saving my tail.

It turns out that, while the attack on the Passions' Wind was driven off, many good folk lost their lives. Slilith the t'skrang sailor, Radlin the elf, and numerous other sailors and town guard were killed. Karl, Yorlk, Drimsby and Kathleen were injured, but survived. Overall, it was a costly fight.

On the following day (the 30th of Mawag) we approached the end of our journey, but we were unable to find the book. Even after searching the black ship from back to front, there was no sign.

As Travar came into view, our hearts sank. Great black storm clouds rumbled over the huddling stone building and gold-topped towers of the city. Was this the storm? Probably not, as I think the storm that builds in the mind of our party has not yet gathered -- though it is building.

Just after we saw the overcast sprawl of Travar, a figure solidified in front of us. It was an old man, in black armor, with a book -- the book -- in his withered hands.

As my first bolt passed by his ear, I noticed that his armor had an ethereal quality and I could see what looked like storm clouds drifting across its surface and within its depths. Lightning played across the surface of the armor, reflecting -- or causing -- the storm over Travar.

The old man began to work some magic from the book as we went to our work. I was not having a great deal of luck with my crossbow, but it seems my training of Ulm did not fall on deaf ears. He saw the path of success and cut through plans and procedure like a true Archer. He saw his target and shot. Ulm stepped up to the old man and grabbed the book from his hands! I felt a glow of pride for one who had listened to my teachings and understood them in a deeper way than I had.

We put the old man down with little difficulty, but unfortunately there was more to him than just an old man. From his withered body arose a fiend that could only be a Horror. (We later learned that the Horror was Named Circadian.)

Ulm handed the book, a tome of magic that could conjure and dispel Horrors and their kin, to Tomas. While Tomas worked his magic, we worked ours and kept the thing engaged in combat.

Thankfully, Tomas stepped up and, shouting strange words, sent the thing back to whatever pit it had come from.

Once again, my companions and I have bested a Horror. It was a good day, and it was good to know we had not let people die without cause. Travar and its citizens would be safe from this Horror and the flying beasts that had menaced its fleet of airships.

Now that this job is finished, it is my hope that we can return to Bartertown and take care of the problems we have had with the Veiled Society. I do not know where we will start, but one this is certain -- they are a menace and must be dealt with.

Silar