Marauders From The Sky

  Our heroes:

• Barehands Brawlsmuch - half-orc monk
• Dragonspirit - human cleric of Bahamoot
• Phia the Fighter - human rogue
• Sorcy Skullfoot - skeletaling sorcerer

The four adventurers were enjoying buffalo wings back at their usual booth at Granny Blinkins’ Inn of the Flower Princess when a loud crash and screams echoed from outside but the wings were too good to draw the quartet into the street to investigate. Not 15 minutes later, Maertyn from the lord-mayor's office came tearing into the inn, disheveled, out of breath, and bearing a black eye. He quickly explained that Wendover was under the attack of marauders from the sky and that the town needed their intrepid services once more. When asked what the lord-mayor would reward them for their services, Maertyn answered that they could probably name whatever price they liked as the lord-mayor was one of the citizens abducted.

Springing into action the party raced through misty streets to the Wendover Airship Station. The station is normally neat and quiet due to the rare airship visits to this minor hamlet of the Confederacy. Today it was abuzz with chaotic activity as tall, heavily muscled, bipedal lizards with great fangs herded frightened and shackled townsfolk to large baskets twisting in the cloudy sky high above the cobbles and roofs below. The baskets were being pulled skyward toward a hulking iron barge dimly seen through the fog. The solid fists of Barehands laid low several of the reptilian marauders as Phia's short sword danced and drew blood. Dragonspirit called upon Bahamoot's sacred flame and Sorcy brought is mystical powers and wand Electricus to bear. Soon the troglodytes lay fallen but not before several more townsfolk had been swept into the clouds.

Through the low clouds, Phia's keen vision spied that a sky sloop lay close to the Highwatch just off to the northwest. The party rapidly descended and quickly climbed the battered and shattered tower. Clear evidence of a brutal ramming attack was strewn around the tower and seen in the fissures in its walls. Guardsmen and tower staff lay dead and injured throughout.

Off to the north the floatwood sloop, the Dirty Dragon, drifted close enough to cast a rope. Barehands made the ascent first, through the withering fire of of the sloop's bowman. Phia and Sorcy brought down the pirate trying to cut the rope with arrow and spell, but an errant blast of Sorcy's wand damaged the sloop causing it to list. Phia was next on board and saw Barehands evade a charging pirate who fell to a horrific doom. As they climbed Sorcy fell and became entangled in the rope, forcing Dragonspirit to pull him to safety as Phia and Barehands secured the increasingly listing ship.

Next our heroes snagged the anchor chain of the slave barge, Hellish Shark, as Barehands and Dragonspirit climbed the chain, the lizard men aboard launched spears and arrows at our foes while they tried to loose the anchor. Phia and Sorcy supplied suppressive fire as the two holy warriors managed to board the port bow and make short work of the reptilian raiders. As they cleared the deck, the shaman captain of the lizarf folk launched an attack from astern. Sorcy engaged him in spell battle and felled the cold blooded spell caster. They freed several townsfolk including the lord-mayor in the slave galleys in the belly of the ship. They climbed above decks to the quetzalcoatlus mews. Here they found one nesting quetzalcoatlus whom they were able to calm sufficiently to ride to the ramship, Night Blood.

They arrived near the conn of the ramship, Night Blood, and were challenged by Captain Boldblade, who Sorcy was able to charm into friendship. The Captain command his skeleton drone crew to stand down. Sorcy asked Boldblade to bring them up to the command ship, Lost Soul. The side of the command ship opened up and our brave crew scrambled aboard.

Inside the cavernous deck of the Lost Soul booty was spread about, the afterdeck towered above our heroes. Suddenly a booming laugh echoed out, as a scarred floating orb with a great central eye patch and several severed eye stalks, floated into view, "I'm Orbis Occulus!". And the battle was joined. Barehands sprung up the stairs toward the battered monster. Dragonspirit, Phia and Sorcy engaged with ranged attacks from the deck. With his great speed Barehands reached the floating sphere creature first, and rained stupendous blows. Phia struck with her arrows, Sorcy fired Electricus and Dragonspirit struck with the holy flame of Bhamoot. Then the fearsome globe retaliated, flinging Barehands from the Lost Soul while paralyzing Phia and making Sorcy fall asleep. Dragonspirit struck again but was also struck with somnolence.

All seemed lost when the ship was suddenly struck by the ramship, Night Blood. Captain Boldblade had seen Barehands fall from the command ship and still under the power of the charm had sped to save his new "friend". Barehands had then convince Boldblade that his bosom companion Sorcy was in dire need, and the pirate captain rammed the command ship. The reinforced prow of the ramship disintegrated the after castle and it's ancient beholder captain. As the Lost Soul began to fall from the sky, Barehands rescued his companions with Captain Boldblade's assistance.

The Lost Soul tumbled from the sky and crashed just outside Wendover. Our brave heroes commandeered the Hellish Shark as their own aerial base. The lord mayor rewarded our heroes richly and Captain Boldblade made himself scarce after the charm faded.