House Boromar

Two skyships bearing the Lyrandar insignia position themselves on either side of the Ravenstorm and guide the ship towards Greentarn. The island below swells in the observation port, and broad bands of white clouds and rusty mountains are visible on its surface.

The ship’s heading to one side of the island, towards what looks like to be a huge skyship is floating around a city which can only be Regalport. The monstrous ship bristles with weapons and heavy armor plates cover all the sides making no doubt that the ship is a vehicle created for war.

The Ravenstorm is escorted and allows to finally docking beside the Resolute. A landing plank is extended for the Ravenstorm’s crew and a gray-uniformed half-elf flanked by two Lyrandar troopers waits near the deck. Along one wall of the deck stands a line of warforged, waiting for any command.

As soon as the crew steps on board the Resolute the uniformed officer approaches them.

“Captain Devlin. My name is Lieutenant Orrell Lockerbee d’ Lyrandar.” The half-elf identifies his self “I’m one of the fleet’s liaison officers and I’ve been asked to escort you to a briefing with the Lieutenant Commander.”

... ~~~ ...
at the upperdeck, there was an air of anticipation. rothaide revived and refreshed was also in high spirits. the coastal breeze, as they made their approach to the Resolute, pulled her hair upwards as it brushed against her slender neck. she pulled on her furry robes to keep warm. she stood at starboard and quietly watched. she wore her best uniform. best means her passed down hundred years old frock which if not for mundane magic would have disintegrated thru sheer age.

when they landed. they were escorted by regal looking Lyrandar troopers. their armor more ceremonial than functional she thought. rothaide positions herself way behind their contigent. she did in fact tuck her hair behind her ears to show her true heritage. she stood proud and was content to just sheepishly smile and wait for things to happen.

The image of Angela Krin d' Lyrandar hovered like a spectre in the bridge. Devlin quickly moved to the Ravenstorm's projection sphere. It was a small area at the far left corner of the bridge, where the floor was covered in a series of circular runes.

As the half-elf captain stepped in to the circle. He muttered some incantation in elvish. The runes in the circle began to glow and crackle with eldritch power. Devlin was soon covered in an eerie blue light.

"Lieutenant Commander Angela Krin d' Lyrandar," Devlin announced as he continued to look at the woman's projection. "This is Captain Devlin d' Lyrandar of the skyship Ravenstorm. We have come to assist you in containing this outbreak."

Devlin waited for Angela's reaction. He wondered if she would be surprise to discover his image hovering in front of her office.

"Very well," the Lieutenant Commander replied stoically. "I will send a skyship to escort you to the Resolute."

She looked like the same Angela he meet and courted years ago. The woman still cut her brown hair in the same boyish manner, like most Lyrandar sailors. Her green eyes was just as fierce and penetrating as he remembered.

"Are we expecting a family reunion?" Gian asked as soon as Angela's image vanished.

"More like an inquisition," Devlin muttered. The runes quickly died out as soon as he stepped out of the projection circle. "And we better get ready."

The brief stay in New Cyre for repairs may have cost the ship an hour of travel time but it allowed the ship to continue on at its requisite pace. It has been eleven days since the Ravenstorm has left Sharn and the waters of the Lhazaar Sea were everywhere to be seen.

It was just after dawn when Devlin appeared on the bridge. Gian was once more manning the wheel of air and water. The artificer’s dragonmark glowing and barely visible against the morning light.

“Greentarn should be appearing on the Ravenstorm’s port soon.” Gian reported to the shi's Captain.

Devlin nodded and looked toward the direction the human indicated.

“Regalport’s on the eartside of the island. We should be there within the hour.” Gian continued. “Any instructions on what we should do once we arrive at the city?”

Before Devlin could react, a hazy image of an illusion appeared in front of them accompanied by a static like noise. It took a couple of seconds before the image cleared up to reveal what looks like the upper half of a beautiful female half-elf, the Lyrandar insignia clearly visible on chest of her military uniform.

The image looked at Devlin’s direction yet seems to be unable to see the half-elven captain himself. Gian could have sworn that a look of shock appeared on Devlin's face for a second but the half-elf captain was able to quickly recover and looked straight into the sending.

It was then that the image of the half-elf woman spoke up “Attention, incoming freighter. This is Lieutenant Commander Angela Krin d’ Lyrandar of the Lyrandar Fleet dreadnaught Resolute. The island of Greentarn is under quarantine as per order of the Lhazaar Princes. No landings are permitted. You may change your heading, or else escort fighters will arrive to guide you to Resolute. Please respond.”

rothaide is blind. she could not see anything. she's falling. she grasps for anything to hold on to, but found nothing. she tries to remember what happened. how she found herself here, in this void. a place of nothingness. panicked. it felt like falling but there was no air pushing passed her. she was just "falling". she wasnt sure if she was going up or down. there was a sensation of movement. but in no particular direction. and worse she could not remember a thing except a distinct pain at the back of her head. fear has started to grip her. she must have fallen for many miles now. how could she ever go back up. she tried to focus her mind. only then did she remembers the mother goddess, boldrei. she presses her holy symbol to her chest. she started praying. light from one end begins with a point. it swallows the darkness. it quickly becomes larger until finally there was nothing but light.

she wakes up to find herself on the floor. her arm has stopped bleeding. she tried to stand up. pain shot up from her arm and behind her head. she falls back. she tried to administer first aid lying on her back. it was futile. everything now is coming back to her. the gnolls. the attack on their ship. the plaque that befell the city. and yet the urgency was gone. there were no more gnolls in sight. she called upon boldrei to restore her body.

later. she went thru the crew and administered first aid to each one that needed it. everyone was talking about what happened to them and how they heroically defended their station. and noone seemed to be concerned about the whereabouts of the gnolls. it was clear that they werent prepared for an attack. its highly likely the gnolls are going to retaliate. she thought. and its certain that ravenstorm should be better prepared for such an attack. she was going to call the attention of the captain. who appeared to be oblivous of the implications.

but first things first, she needs to reconnect with boldrei. inside her room, she lighted two incense candles. and began to meditate. she find herself yet again in the familiar void. but this time, it was with definite purpose and focus.

The sun was setting when Gian entered the bridge. The young artificer looked worn and tired. He took off his glasses and began wiping it with his soiled shirt. "That was one crazy move you did," he told Devlin. "Don't ever do that again."

Devlin ignored the artificer's remark and continued looking over several worn maps on the table. "I got us out of that mess," he coolly answered. The half-elf spent the last hour making calculations, trying to figure out the shortest and fastest route to Regalport.

Gian approached the captain and stated, "we need to stop and make some repairs."

The Lyrandar half elf stared at the artificer in disbelief. "Stop?" He asked, raising his voice. "We have to get to Regalport before nightfall."

"The ship won't make it to Regalport in one piece," Gian answered back. "I know a place in New Cyre. I can fix the ship there in less than an hour."

Devlin took a deep breath and scratched his head. "Fine," he stated. "I'll alter course."

The artificer nodded and was about to leave. But then he hesitated.

"Anything else?" the captain asked.

Gain cleared his throat. "I'm having second thoughts about this mission," he stated. "I don't think this ship is safe for me."

"It's late for you to have these doubts, Gian."

The artificer nervously played with his glasses. "You said we'd be laying low," he replied. "That we'd stay discreet and keep a low profile."

"We're doing that," the captain answered.

"Doing business with a drug lord? Fighting sky raiders?" Gian replied. "What's being discreet about that?"

Devlin took a deep breath and began steering the wheel of air and water. "I don't think the raiders or the Boromars took notice of you."

"I don't want to be on the run again," Gian replied.

The half elf looked at the artificer and wondered how he could have survived being on his own for so many years. "Don't worry," Devlin assured him. "We'll be a lot more discreet from now on."

Coreen continued scribbling on her ledger as she entered the bridge. She casually examined the melting wall of ice on the door, as well as
the charred wall beside it.

"I see Rourke threw one of his lightning bolts on the wall again," the bookkeeper replied nonchalantly.

"He was trying to attack the raiders," Devlin answered as he continued steering the wheel of air and water. It had been hours since he ordered his crew to do repairs on the Ravenstorm. The skyship was now far away from Sharn.

"I will charge the damages to the wall on Rourke's pay," Coreen stated as she continued writing on her book.

Devlin ignored the bookkeeper's comment. "Is the cargo safe and secured?"

"Don't worry," she answered. "They didn't touch it."

"How's Rothaide?" the captain asked. "I heard she took quite a beating."

The bookkeeper continued scribbling. "Lady Housekeeping has healed herself and the crew," Coreen remarked. "I think she's in the kitchen, baking brownies for everyone to eat."

The Lyrandar captain smiled. He was relieved that the crew and the cargo had survive the raider's attack. "So what are you listing in your ledger?" Devlin asked. "Everything is accounted for."

"Oh I'm not doing inventory right now," Coreen replied. "I'm adding the names of the Bomu clan to the list of enemies that we have. Their number 121."

Devlin shook his head and laughed.

"This is serious Devlin," Coreen retorted. "Those dog-people are dirty and disgusting. You should have killed them when you had the chance."

The half elf kept continued to smile as he steered the skyship.

"Damn!" the Lyrandar Captain cursed. He was about to activate his wand when the two gnolls vanished.

"You should have killed them," Rourke replied as he took a deep breath.

"I want to capture them and ask some questions," Devlin countered.

"Same old Devlin," Rourke muttered as he fixed himself. "You hesitate, analyze things too much."

"This isn't the war, Rourke."

The young war wizard shook his head and walked towards the wall of ice. He stopped right where the two gnolls held their ground.

"So what do we do now?" he asked.

Devlin continued to maneuver the ship with the wheel of air and water. "Have Coreen do an inventory on the cargo and Rothaide fix the injuried," he muttered. "You and Gian start repairs on the ship."

Rourke gave the captain a brief nod and quietly left the bridge.

Borthast gripped the hilt of his word and looked like he was considering which of the two spellcasters to attack – the human which fired the lightning bolt at them or the half-elf which was now threatening them with the wand. He was half listening to the the half-elf's words and figuring outt he sincerity of what he's saying. The gnoll fighter finally decided and was about to take a step forwards and raise his weapon when he felt a hand on his thigh. Glancing back he saw Ashtaka slowly rising up from her prone position. The gnoll sorceress barked something to him in their native tongue. She sounded she would not last long.

The gnoll fighter listened to her and slowly lowered his weapon. The half-elf and the human visibly relaxed. It was then that Ashtaka voiced out a word and both gnolls suddenly vanished from the bridge.

*

Rothaide was pleased with how her plan with the spiders has worked. It was an old tactic and something that she has been used t doing. The cleric was in the middle of a command for her spiders when she felt something hard hit the back of her head. She turned around and can vaguely see two figured behind her before she fell once more of the floor of the cargo deck.

*

“She’ll be out for only a minute or so.” Borthast shouted as he stepped over the fallen elf. “Let’s go get the cargo.”

“No.” Ashtaka countered. She was leaning heavily on the cargo deck wall. “We don’t have the skiff. We’d have nowhere to place the load. I only have spell left.”

The gnoll fighter growled his defiance and looked threateningly at the elf. His sword posed dangerously on the prone body of the cleric.

“Just admit that we’ve lost Borthast.” The gnoll sorceress called, “We’ll have another time to get it. Another time for revenge. Just hurry and get Zzatht.”

Borthast looked at Ashtaka and saw that she could barely stay conscious. He headed towards where their trapped companion was and easily freed him from its arachnid prison. He walked back to the spellcaster and with another word vanished from the ship.

Devlin watched as Rourke crashed into the bridge and effortlessly blasted the two gnolls with a magical lightning bolt. The half-elf remembered how his compatriot blasted a whole battalion of enemy soldiers during the Last War. He remembered how Rourke incinerated those warriors with his deadly electrical incantation.

The gnoll warrior too the brunt of the magical onslaught, his companion barely evaded the electrical sparks that slipped through.

Enough of this, Devlin thought to himself. He felt Coreen's heart pounding after she triumphantly freed the Ravenstorm from the grappling hooks. Thanks to the bookkeeper, they are now free from the sky-raiders' trap.

Putting his left hand on the wheel of air and water, Devlin muttered a short incantation. The wheel glowed faint blue, and the storm elemental obeyed the Lyrandar captain's orders.

"Surrender now," Devlin announced in a deep commanding voice. "I have commanded my ship to leave for Regalport. Your friends won't be able to catch up."

The gnoll sorcerer muttered a curse and started to wave her hands.

Devlin flashed his wand towards the gnolls' direction. "Cease this attack," he ordered. "Or you'll be burnt to a crisp."

Recovering from his being tossed, Rourke tumbled forward and generated a lightning bolt - Borthast taking the brunt of the attack and yet it is Ashtaka who staggers and falls on the Bridge's floor.

Seeing the Sorcerer drop, Rourke nods to the sand construct resembling a direbat. The bat opens it's maw as if to shriek as it rushes the remaining gnoll. It dives down from the roof of the bridge and attaches itself to the gnoll and inflicts a wicked wound on its shoulder.