Skyraiders, vengeance and a wedding.

Session 10

from the journal of Jarl Skalder,
10th of Charissa
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Looking at ramp leading to the top of the skyship nakes my stomach lurche Seems like the days on a sea going vessel and the subsequent bad health were just the appetizer for the grandest ship voyage of them all. A voyage hurtling through the air at great speed, on a warrior ship commanded by tough trolls. I pray to all the passions in case any are listening. Slowly i drag my way up the Drakar's deck and subconsciously scan the surface for the safest place.

But lets start from the beginning, the previous day was spent getting ready for the voyage to Travar. We stay hidden as the plan obviously dictated. I spend the day focusing and getting attuned with empowering my second spell matrix, I can feel that soon enough I will fill it up with better spells. Forward back to the morning, thankfully a pleasant day. We smuggle Omaron towards the awaiting troll ship.

With one mighty bellow from the Captain, the skyraiders heave and the ship lifts off! What speed and sound the wind makes as the land below rushes away! For a mind-perplexing second it seems like the ground is falling and us standing still, but soon the eyes focus and the greatness of it all fills my mind, flying! I cling to the railing but soon the waves of fear dissipate and instead of sickness I eventually grow calmer and the fear is replaced by a sudden rush of good being, I feel exhilarated! Seems like air is much more my element than water.

The hours rush by, I can barely move off the side of the ship, and looking around I seem the same of my companions, transfixed, doubtlessly for them this kind of travel is for them a new experience as well. Seemingly lost in reverie, we are startled back to reality with a loud bellow from one of the crew, we follow his finger to where he points to a single line of black smoke in the horizon. The ship banks to one side, masterfully controlled by the crew and soon we arrive to the source of the smoke.

A destroyed hamlet comes into view below us, the burned houses and charred pile of bodies in the centre lead only to one conclusion - Theran slavers. The skyraiders almost in unison decide their next move - we hunt down the bastards! The ship speeds off, the raiders rowing doubled in strength and timing. Pretty soon the Theran ship is spotted in the horizon, we rise up above it, gaining further momentum for the dive downwards. Then at some unspoken moment the rowing stops and the ship swoops downwards like a seagull in a majestic dive. We hold to the sides of the ship as the crew laugh heartily and curse and pray to the passions. Some dozens of yards before the ships would pass close to each other the trolls that were not manning the ship leap off our vessel and land deftly on the Theran ship taking the Therans by total surprise and preventing them from cut the ropes that will soon grapple their vessel and lock it to our Drakar. The ships now stand side to side, grappling hooks tying the two ships together, the Theran deck rapidly filling up with Theran soldiers from under the decks and with troll skyraiders from our ship. The battle commences, more than a hundred man, elves and trolls fighting at close quarter, falling off the side of the ship would mean certain death. We join the fray.

The battle rages, we stand confused, unused to the heaving and rolling footing and the strangeness of trying to fend your enemy when every second you have to keep balance. The screams and showers of blood as another troll axe finds purchase in some miserable Therans chest do not help. Though we do not pull off much of a show, we did at least keep the attention of many of the enemy soldiers on us, as the skyraiders cut through the rest. Ahmok and myself are grievously hurt, and Elessar recieves a nasty wound from a lucky Theran swipe, but we hold our ground. Pretty soon it is us and the skyraiders that stand victorious.

The trolls free a hundred or so slaves the Therans had locked in the hull, and soon the captain of the enemy vessel (an elf warrior named Skie) walks the plank. The Therans that surrendered are locked up on the troll vessel, and the troll second-in-command takes over Captain duties on the captured vessel. After we heal, we are given a generous share of the spoils of the battle and ordered to join the slaves on the second ship, the first vessel heading off into a new, unknown direction. We make landing a few hours walk away from the city walls, its quite late in the night and grudgingly we start the final leg of our journey. Pretty soon the walls of Travar are in view, and after the usual routine at the gates we finally get behind the city walls. I never had rested so fitfully until that night.

Morning dawns and a visibly agitated Omaron spends the whole day getting ready to meet his future parents in law. More good news reaches us as Gehebu, Wilks and the rest return from the decoy mission. An assassin was indeed sent but they where ready for him, hopefully that was Vistum's last attempt at treachery. After much walking around and admiring the great city of Travar, we head off to Omaron's future wife Rhianna's family lodge. We are welcomed as guests in the fine house, us standing uneasy in unfamiliar clean clothing as Omaron lays down a great speech to his father-in-law (a wealthy merchant by the name of Ronal) on our bravery and the odds we went through with him so he can finally meet his beloved. Ronal treats us like guests of honor and pretty soon we are left free in the magnificent house, watching the complex preparations for the wedding as Omaron seals off the wedding dowry exchange.

And what a wedding it was, a whole night of merriment, jest and much laughter. The party lasting till the following morn, wine flowed in abundance and we take our fill of delicious food; welcoming the change from troll slop on the airship and dried jerky. I don't even remember how I ended back in the inn, one of my companions must have helped me over. I wake up with a smile as I slowly remember the night before and waving the last goodbyes to Omaron after he gave us our pay. Its certainly been one great adventure and one great start for my newly started adventuring career, we had actually pulled it off with all our limbs intact.

I meet the other guys and Ajisha downstairs, all of them chatting loudly and clinking their bulging bags of silver in hand. Seems like we agree to have some much needed time off, I nod then get myself some breakfast...