GM: Stras Acimovic
Players: April Walsh, Sean Nittner, Lily Eisner
System: Spell and Blade by Stras Acimovic
Breaking Things
In the engine room Loddi fired an arrow at the lone raider and it would have felled him…had the raider not leaned down at the last moment to pick up a fallen tool. The arrow flew instead towards a glass that housed the blaze.
Zhara tried to blow the arrow off course but could not summon aetheric winds fast enough.
The arrow cracked the brass pipe, which started to spray molten Blaze all over, striking both the guard who was standing beneath it and one of the Ship Maintainer’s children.
Skanya held the ancient box that housed the alchemical in front of her as a shield and then poured the vial Draxo had told her would take solid form once it was released on the crack. A golden blob formed over the crack, containing the Blaze.
Zhara saw the child burning and knew from her apprenticeship that the Blaze could either be snuffed out by depriving it of all air, or by extracting the aetheric content that powered it. She raced to the child, but his mother stood in the way. She had pulled an unfamiliar metal pot from a cabinet and was standing over her child. “Get away from him!”
Zhara held up her glowing seven-circuit claw and assured her “This can put it out.”
The woman continued opening the pot, revealing a clay-like substance within but allowed Zhara past.
With Mystic Sight she could see the aetheric strands and was able to remove them from the fire. From the outside it looked like she plunged the claws in, pulled the fire from the child without ever making contact with ita and then snuffed it out.
The child was burned but he would be okay. The old son used the clay in the pot to and applied it to the burning raider, who thanked him and then passed out from the pain.
The woman clutched her child and whispered reassurances in a language we did not understand.
The Duel Continues
Below, Rulgara that she and her sword, made for vengeance, were no longer aligned. She taunted Braziah “If you are merely an instrument, it is your father that I want vengeance against. It sounds as if killing you won’t cause him harm. So what will?”
Braziah, perhaps in defiance of Rulgara, perhaps in resignation to her father said “I don’t know if anything can anymore.”
“Are you sure it wouldn’t hurt him, to lose his means of control over you? Surely, you can think of something.”
Braziah pressed her attack, thrashing Rulgara with blow after blow from her heavy metal spear. She got close and whispered to Rulgara “It’s not me he threatens.” She looked up to her crew above and Gar realized the necromancer controlled Braziah by threatening her crew.
Finally Rulgara consented to learning the rules of the dueling. Anyone could challenge for position, even scrawny-armed Jymeer, the worst fighter in the band. He protested, but everyone else laughed. It was clear they loved him, but that it was also true.
If she won, however, she had two choices. Kill Braziah and take her ship, or join her crew. Braziah smirked at the idea of Rulgara leading her crew, but Gar told her that she would give them all the opportunity to repair some of the harm they had done.
Young and Stupid
Above, Skanya waited for a chance to catch the woman’s eyes and ask her about the ship and her allegiance to the Braziah. The older of the two children translated. Skanya made several assumptions based on what she learned from Draxo and what she assumed were true. She was wrong, and reminded by the woman, who we later learned was Lah’Ranna that she was young and stupid.
“I’ve been trying to find you ever since the first time I saw you at the crash months ago. I don’t know who you are, but your tattoos tell me you aren’t Kadr Hakar. I believe you an an ENGINEER.”
The word ENGINEER did not translate. That was the wrong word. “We are of the ship” she explained, in the same way that Skayna was of Rul.
“The tattoos you’re adorned with. Are they memories of your people?”
The woman gave a non-committal response.
“I think you had to flee and the Kadr Hakar granted you a home and a station because of your skills, but they are not your people.”
“We are of the ship. We have a compact. You are young and stupid. “
“We found a turned over wagon. They had fled the village of Dunn because of the undead. They took all their valuables and hoped to escape but they didn’t make it. They were killed by undead and their children taken to become monsters themselves.”
This didn’t register to the woman or her son. Skanya thought incorrectly that Braziah’s crew had released the undead from Blackwater Lake, but they had no knowledge of the undead. The undead that they did ferry into Iskanard were mere Shadowfolk, creatures that the Iskani could fight. She didn’t want to talk about that, nor did she bear responsibility for the actions of the necromancer.
Skanya continued with her misunderstandings. “I think you have more in common with the villagers who fled than the monsters that killed them.”
This did not move her. She said again that Skanya was young and stupid, and Skanya could see that further attempts to gain her sympathy would go no further [Sway, Miss]
“We seek to travel west to Blackwater lake, where horrible undead have been freed from the earth and they continue to dig for something else. My sister is defeating the Kadr Hakar captain as we speak and when she does, will you accept her as your new captain?”
Lah’Ranna, Maintainer of the ship, scoffed as though Skanya’s claims were too bold. Through her son though, she said she would not interfere if they tried to sail the ship.
Skanya looked to the cracked glass, now covered with golden material of the ancients. “So that we don’t accidentally damage the ship any further, could you give us some directions in sailing it?”
In the presence of his mother, the elder son agreed to raise the ship, but would not help us any further, though the smile he had made it seem like he was at least curious as to what we would do. On the way up, as he raised the winch (to the great surprise of the raiders below) Skanya offered him some of her father’s spirits. He took a whiff and said “Ah, engine cleaning fluid.” The laughed and said he did indeed know what spirits were, and told her his name was Lah’Kir Cloudborn.
Lah’Kir raised the ship, but would not help us with the rigging.
Zhara adjusted the sails as best she could would Skanya’s help, but the wind was not at our backs. So it was incumbent upon Zhara to bring them! With the suspension still flowing through her blood, she summoned an aetheric wind. And when it was not powerful enough, she channeled even more power, binding mana to bring winds powerful and sustained enough to launch the ship into motion.
Lah’Kir watched in awe. In his eyes, Zhara was a true sorcerer.
The “killing” blow
Below, Rulgara danced her sword and spear ballet with Braziah. As it was clear that she was going to win, she asked, cheekily, “If I beat you, I get your ship. But what happens if you lose the ship in the middle of the duel?”
Braziah scoffed “What you want to fight me on the deck?” but then she looked up to see the ship in motion. She leapt forward but Rulgara was ready and had a silver tipped spear at her throat. Braziah pushed forward to see what Rulgara would do.
Rulgara drew her blade back and ran it through Braziah’s heart, a blow that would kill a mortal…but it was her star metal sword and not the silver spear. Braziah fell to the ground, red blood flowing onto the snow.
Rulgara took a cameo from Braziah’s neck. She left behind a silver disk as a memento.
The crew looked to Rulgara in astonishment and asked her what she wanted them to do. “Her father must not have her. See that this is so.” She paused to appraise them “If you want to take me up on my offer to heal the harm you’ve done, come to Rul and ask for Rulgara Silvermane.”
The raiders called down “We’re not exactly welcome among your people.”
Rulgara call back up “But undead are worse, and you have skill at fighting them!”
She took one more item from Braziah, her blacksilver dagger, and rode off with the Brazhu and Nyx following after, towards the swiftly moving airship.
Reunion
Zhara eased the aetheric winds, Lah’Kir lowered the ship, and Skanya dropped the anchor winch. Rulgara caught hold of it and we raised her to the ship, as Loddi glided town to take care of the animals.
When on board she announced herself “I am Rulgara Silvermane, I’ve defeated your captain in a duel.” She showed the star metal sword she used to impale Braziah Ashblood. Lah’kir shook his head, knowing that wouldn’t kill her.
We camped on the deck, overlooking the clouds and the mountains, Blackwater lake ahead of us. None of us had ever seen Iskanard from such a height. From here Skanya thought she saw the barrier mountains to the south, the line to the north, but had they gone higher she was sure that she would see more. Rulgara, now the captain, dipped into the captains quarters and we shared her stolen wine, expensive cheeses, and fruit we learned was called a fig.
Though the meal started merry it took a more serious tone when Skanya realized her sister’s opinion of Braziah had changed. No longer did it seem she wanted vengeance for her deeds, but to turn her to our side. Once again Skanya misunderstood Braziah Ashblood’s role in the violence done to Iskanard. She ferried undead into our land, but she was not the one that unleased the bone mothers or the sarcophagus knight into our lands. Her role had been to guard against anyone approaching the lake, as we were doing now. The discussion turned to culpability and complicity. In the end though, Skanya was just very glad that Rulgara was alive and very thankful that Zhara saved her.
Exploring the ship
On the way to Blackwater Lake
Zhara inspected Rulgara’s wound. The bite given to her by Braziah. It was not infectious, but the the more blood of the living that Braziah drank, the deep the curse would sink within her. Zhara told Rulgara of the curse touched and their tenuous relationship with life and undeath.
Rulgara spoke to the maintainer and learned her name Lah’Ranna, who accepted her as the captain, at least for now. Lah’Ranna said that her younger son would be alright. The Arcanix (referring to Zhara) was very skilled and because of that he’ll keep his arm, which is important for the work they do. Lah’Ranna believed the Necromancer, or perhaps Braziah’s brother would be at the lake.
Lah’Ranna told Rulgara some of her story. “When the sky burned, we had no home. The Necromancer brought my grandfather back from the dead. If not for him, we would not be here. This is our compact. My grandfather said he is a good man. He has not been a good man in my lifetime, but he has not been cruel to me family, so the compact holds.”
When asked about the Necromancer, and his weaknesses, she shook her head. “You likely cannot destroy him, but you can possibly imprison him.”
Rulgara offered to do what she could.
Lah’Ranna put her hand on the metal tomb of the dragon heart and said “The spirit is appeased.”
Rulgara put her hand on the engine as well and listened. She attuned to the power the dragon heart and for a moment through the vibration she could feel it’s fierce joy. Someone gave the dragon a new metal body and with it, it could sail among the clouds. Rulgara nodded and agreed “Oh, it’s so joyful to have this body and sail through the wind.
The maintainer was surprised at Gar’s insight and said “Yes, we take good care of it.” She paused for a moment and said apropos of nothing “Sorcerers seek to control. We seek to understand.”
Skanya surveyed the captain’s quarters and a very large, very comfortable bed. Many other precious objects secured in clever ways such as chains that held books securely on their shelves. With the Eye of Akta she found many hidden treasures as well. A large stash of coin, a smaller pouch of Old Empire coins, the drakh, which had a single drop of still wet blood in their center, some missives from her father that discussed troup movements which she would share at the palace later, and seven volumes of personal journals. Skanya called for Rulgara and Zhara to pour through them with her on Braziah’s giant bed.
- Zhara was most curious about her knowledge of magic, specifically the dragon heart. She learned that Braziah’s father was disappointed in her for having no talent for magic. She also learned that when the sky cities fell during the cataclysm, most who escaped did so on small skiffs, this was a proper yacht.
- Rulgara wanted to know about Braziah’s values. In an early journal she found a story that Braziah reflected on much later in life. It was a time when her father told her to stab him. Though a frightened child at the time, she did as he instructed and her father died. Seven days later, he rose again. He told her that “this is the most important lesson.” Her mother echoed the necromancer, but did so with sorry. She agreed “this is the most important lesson.” Later in life Braziah would realized they said the same words but meant different things. Her father meant that learning necromancy was the most important thing anyone could do. Here mother meant that he would never care about more about anything else.
- Skanya looked or dirt. She got the impression that Braziah would be a snarky person but had trained herself to be dispassionate and cold so that she can’t get hurt. She still draws and from her pictures and her memoirs Skanya could tell she loved her crew despite their flaws, even the scrawny Jymeer who once saved a bird and was teased for it, but still loved by the crew. One time her father tried to manipulate her by putting someone in her crew that would be his agent. She maneuvered to have him challenge her to a duel so she could kill him. She would not be manipulated!
Blackwater Lake
As we approached Blackwater Lake we saw that much of it had been excavated and that a sickly green aurora was rising up from it. There were some undead carrying things up from the lake, and more still inside!
Deeds
- Rulgara defeated Braziah in single combat!
- Skanya stopped the burning spray of molten blaze.
- Zhara extracted the aetheric power from the blaze and saved Lah’Ranna’s child.
- WE STOLE A FRIGGING AIRSHIP!
- Zhara summoned aetheric winds to drive it forward.
Thoughts for next time
Before we depart the skyship:
- Ask Lah’Kir about his mom. Find out what she wants and cares about (Skanya)
- Ask the name of the ship and the name of the necromancer (Skanya)
- Ask Lah’Ranna about working for the Queen. (Skanya)
- Ask Lah’Ranna if she knows where we could find another dragon heart (Zhara)
