To The Last Breath
So you join us now at Wolf 359, where someone has left a giant life sized 3D jigsaw puzzle of ten fragmented ships. We close slowly with one of the wrecks looking to pick our way through the carnage and unexpectedly come across two corpses floating by, even more unexpectedly when we haul them aboard we discover they are both still alive.
Understandably we are a little suspicious of how these two have survived floating in the airless void at absolute zero. They say they were part of Gargenhale’s force that attacked the ‘bad elves’ resulting in the two wrecked Xaryxian star moths that form part of the debris field. Even as they present themselves to Captain Krux asking to our crew, I am asking Topolah her opinion. She thinks they are Vampirates* a form of undead.
*My god did I write this? Do they go on adventures with scientists?
Krux looks very unhappy at our guests, clearly recognising them for what they are, and exchanges a look with Pablo who is settling his blunderbuss into position. A barely perceptible nod from the captain and Escobar blasts them, sending them tumbling over the guardrail to resume their frozen journey through eternity.
There is barely time to discuss the wisdom or otherwise of the casual disposal of our two visitors when a disembodied voice enquires if we are lost? We catch site of a flickering tiny ball of flame hovering over the bow which appears to be the source. It introduced itself as Willow, possibly because I had speculated it was a willo the wisp (not a good thing).
It tells us it too is an ally of Gargenhale, and that it has a split existence, the main part of its body still being aboard the Last Breath with him, who had retreated towards nearby gas constellations in an effort to evade a third star moth. This was two days ago but he assures us he is still linked to the rest of his self so the Last Breath must be intact. It has been feeding on the life force of the few wounded and now we have given it the opportunity to catch up with itself.
The Orrery seems to confirm this and we set off to find the pirate leader, hopefully before Willow feels the need to snack on any more life force. We pass through the wreckage field, noting skavers feeding on floating corpses. We don’t pause to search any wrecks as Krux comments that the Star Moths will be unlikely to yield anything of interest as the elves use slaves as crew with just a few key personnel in command.
A storm starts to rage as we enter the gas constellations and suddenly there is the Last Breath emerging from the void, its decks lined with very undead looking personnel. Topolah chooses this moment to share with us that Gargenhale is undead following an unfortunate encounter with a witch.
We pull alongside and Willow reunites with a slightly larger ball of flame visible aboard the pirate galleon. The lightning illuminates the Admiral as a pallid man with malice filled eyes, the lower part of his face is masked and one of his hands detaches and crawls up his arm to sit on his shoulder. His face softens when he sees Topolah, great, another old flame. A phrase he uses during the preliminaries characterises their relationship: ‘If you’re going to stake me through the heart, you’ll have to return it first.’
We ask for his assistance in a coalition against the empire, which he clearly hates in a major way having just wiped out his own fleet attacking massively superior forces. He is particularly upset with one Commander Vale, who seems to be his nemesis. His idea of joining with us appears to be us taking the place of his fleet under his command. Needless to say, Captain Krux who clearly has severe issues with all things undead, is not at all enamoured of this idea.
Another condition is that we have to follow the pirate code…no eating or otherwise feeding on each other, fair comment, no religious songs, ok we’re not exactly religious types so little chance of us bursting into Onward Christian soldiers, cowardice results in being marooned and disputes only to be settled once on planet.
Even though he doesn’t know us Gargenhale very sensibly doubts our loyalty, but Escobar seems to be winning him over. Krux, seeing that we are edging towards a compromise then indicates he will step down as Captain if we ally with the undead.
So we have a discussion about who takes command: Escobar is always in hiding, Elethiel is an astral elf which is not conducive to working with the elf hating vampirate, which leaves Captain K’Mak N’ Vak-Kack, or possibly Captain Kack for short.
So without even having to discuss that my father was a toolmaker, I find myself in command. The admiral swings aboard and invites us to join him for refreshment to celebrate our accord. But then, something unexpected happens. His ship gets underway leaving him stranded, Mr Flitch in a hollow voice displaying a thousand yard stare declaims: ‘Your command of the Last Breath is at an end Captain, we’ve had enough of your command for ten lifetimes.’
Flitch then collapses as the flickering form of Willow leaves his body and disappears after the receding galleon. Gargenhale is less than happy at this screaming out ‘Agony!’* and demands that we pursue. We point out that the galleon is faster than us and outguns us, but he casts some sort of spell that cloaks us from external observation.
*Or possibly ‘Khan!’
Turns out Agony is the true name of the little fella we had picked up, a ghost or horned spirit who clearly has decided on a career as a mutineer, probably wisely judging by what we’d seen of Gargenhale.
The admiral at least gave us good intel on the opposition: Apart from Agony, a Mage spelljammer called Rutledge – ‘moderately powerful’ he said. Eight vampirates, and a zombie ogre. I voted for leading with a fireball, but our new ally said his ship was packed with explosives and would explode at the mere sound of a match being struck. Didn’t really strike me as the sort of ship I’d fancy going into battle on, but hey…
Another reason Admiral G didn’t want me to demonstrate my pyrotechnics was that he wanted to recover a weapon aboard that would be very useful against the empire. He probably also wanted to take some personal revenge up close with Agony too.
Then we are closing invisibly on the Last Breath. Escobar intends to board her, sneak to the captain’s cabin, take out the spelljammer mage and then do what he does best… hide. We approach: The Ogre is on the stern with two vampirates, the other six are on the fo’c’sle. Of Agony there is no sign. Fitch Krux and Topolah go below, then Escobar swings across as we invisibly edge close alongside.
Of course no one hears, sees, smells, senses or otherwise detects a huge hippo descending aboard and making a superhero landing outside the captain’s door. Why would they? Escobar looks through the keyhole and spots a man at the helm matching the description of the Mage. He picks the lock and opens the door bringing up his battlerifle and riddling him with bullets.
Despite being near death, the mage dimension doors away, appearing a hundred feet above the stern, he then flies off, presumably to lick his wounds and recover. Deprived of its spelljammer, the Last Breath shudders to a halt though our atmosphere envelope covers both craft.
Eletheil opens fire causing fear on the ogre zombie and my wand of fear also affects it and one of the vampirates on the stern. Aleav has boarded and attacks the ogre too. Elethiel switches targets to the larger bow group of vampirates. Gargenhale now boards, killing the invisibility field on our ship. He takes some crossbow hits from his former crew, but they fail to affect him with some sort of spell attack.
Fel’Ardur now was struck by some fell Vampirate spell draining her life force and turning her into a shadow. I cast a slow spell affecting four vampirates and the luckless ogre. The admiral now finishes it off with a shot to the head. Pablo Escobar, emerging from his shadow skulking now throws a force grenade, injuring several vampirates.
Elethiel finishes one off with an arrow, then another and they explode in a manner that suggests standing next to one when this happens would be a seriously bad idea. Three of the Vampirates remain slowed which fortunately disrupts their nasty spell casting , but the product of said magic, namely the shadow of Fel’Ardur heads for Elethiel, forcing her to misty step onto the Last Breath.
Meanwhile I pepper a Vampirate with magic missiles and Aleav engages with it on the stern stairs, where he is joined shortly by the shadow. The admiral is fighting one of the originally feared vampirates which is actually unarmed as the fear caused it to drop its weapons. Elethiel and Aleav finish two more, Aleav unfortunately caught in the death blast of his victim. But he’s made of stern stuff and turns to the shadow and finishes it.
I cast a Flaming Sphere, killing one and injuring another Vampirate, Escobar, Elethiel and the Admiral all finish their opponents despite the fact that Elethiel and Aleav have both suffered a strength drain. Aleav is again caught in the blast of his victim.
No sign of Agony. I put out the flaming sphere which is clearly making the admiral extremely nervous. Gargenhale strides below deck to get his weapon and we troop after him, though I stay aboard my command to tidy up and give due reverence to Fel’Ardur’s body.
The weapon, as some of us had begun to suspect, turns out to be a who, not a what, a richly dressed Elf, drugged and bound. The Admiral theorises that she is a noble, useful as a hostage/ bargaining chip. Her name is Xedali, which rings a bell with Elethiel, as in Princess Xedali, princess of the royal blood, heir to the Elvish Empire. Nah, surely not…
We take the princess aboard and Escobar and Eletheil set a 20 minute fuse in the hold filled with the promised highly combustibles. Then of course it all goes pear shaped…Agony possesses Escobar who hurls a barrel at Elethiel fortunately missing her, but unfortunately starting a fire. They both flee, Escobar only just making the leap.
Aleav forms a bridge for the elf’s escape and we haul the gif aboard, but everyone is on guard, where is the ghost? Who will it possess next? I move to open the distance between us and the Hindenburg, but nothing happens… Yes I am the lucky winner. So Elethiel and Escobar thoughtfully kill me to expunge my unwelcome guest (what are friends for) whilst Topolah starts to try to attune to the spelljammer to get us clear of the impending eruption.
Aleav after healing me, hacks at the briefly corporeal ghost, but it attacks, ageing Aleav, Krux and Flitch. Krux is next possessed, and in desperation I reach into my robe of useful items, producing: Two mastiffs. Ah well, I set them on Krux. Topolah meanwhile is struggling to override the helm, it’s all very tense. Krux fires his blunderbuss at Aleav and Escobar, hitting them both, Escobar replies with his musket. Elethiel unsuccessfully tries to disarm Krux and I fire a Colour spray, but it’s ineffective.
Elethiel is now shot by the blunderbuss and Escobar attacks with his rapier (gasp). I now cast charm person: It works, I tell Krux to lie down and go the sleep which he does and I call the dogs off. At last Topolah gains control and we begin to move away. At a hundred feet range Agony with a frustrated cry snaps back to the Last Breath. A few seconds later, it explodes with all the promised vehemence.
We pick up the pieces; I name my mastiffs Dave and Dick. I also pay off my debt to the party kitty with some money fortuitously obtained from my robe of useful items. At least, that’s what I told them.
I then interrogate the gold eyed princess, she confirms she is the Princess Xedali, joint heir to the throne with her twin brother, Xeleth. But it seems in the manner of siblings everywhere, Xeleth does not share well following the former emperor’s ascension to godhood.
Having sent her to Toril to share the fate of the planet, she escaped until her ships were intercepted and she was captured by our favourite pirate. She paints a picture of her brother as a war mongering tyrant, eager to destroy everywhere to feed the Imperial star. What picture he would paint of her of course, we can only guess.
The good news?
She knows how to reverse the effects of the attack on Toril.
The bad news?
It just needs a ritual to be performed by a member of the royal family (such as herself), at the Astral Font.
In the Temple of Light.
In the centre of an Imperial Fortress.
That orbits Xaryxis.
So just a quick shimmy over to the heart of the evil empire. No problem.
15.6.24
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