Stormrunners [IC]

[Jade_Tarem]

"Er... I did finish him off, yes, arcane acid right in the face will do that... though I doubt he would have lasted long with that many arrows in him even if I hadn't." Rachel coughed, not really feeling up to a blow-by-blow of the fight, but no one else was offering one. "It wasn't all that complicated, sir. We spread out around the building and then everyone attacked at the same time. Those not firing through the windows or skylights just walked inside and started killing. We found the girls in an upper office, as you suspected. Well, the builders probably meant it to be an office, it was modified to hold prisoners - just a big bar mounted on each wall for attaching handcuffs and frosted glass on the outer wall, plus a door that barred from the outside, no furniture."

"I'm not some... grizzled veteran. I was surprised by how fast everything happened, once it got going. Probably half a minute or less between the opening shots and the last body dropping. We took a little more time after that, freeing the girls, wiring the truck... Constantine went around making their deaths look a bit more brutal and thuggish, less magical, and left that dagger you gave him in one of them. Then we took everything that looked pricey and wasn't buried under multiple tons of pasta sauce and left for the hotel. And yes, we did get the Capo's ring."

In defiance of adventuring tradition, the 'loot' had not yet been divvied up. Most of it would likely be fenced. Rachel found their sack of extremely ill-gotten goods and rummaged around at the bottom, knowing the smaller items would have fallen there. After a couple of false starts, she found the Capo's ring and placed it on Leblanc's desk with care. "I doubt any innocents were hurt. The way things were set up there... everyone at the warehouse was either the victim of what happened that caused you to hire us or involved in it."

[Othniel]

"Yes, I have no fear that others were caught in the middle of the little surprise party we threw," Abigail piped up, sounding rather...excited. "They didn't know what hit them."

[Lord Of Mantas]

"Things went surprisingly smoothly, knock on wood."

Zeb reached out towards the nearest piece of furniture, then, thinking better of messing with a vampire's (presumably rather expensive) things, settled for tapping his hand instead.

"So, with this done and taken care of, what's the next step?"

[Nefarion Xid]

"I doubt any innocents were hurt. The way things were set up there... everyone at the warehouse was either the victim of what happened that caused you to hire us or involved in it."

"Grizzled, eh?" The word seemed to amuse Leblanc or spur a moment of nervous self reflection. He smoothed a hand over his quaffed plain brown hair and fixed his red eyes on Rachel for a few long seconds.

"I suppose I've killed a lot of people. Nearly all of them deserved it. I don't feel particularly grizzled though. You let me know if you reach grizzled status and I'll do the same."

He broke away with a lopsided grin, then went to the escritoire in the corner of the room and returned with a miniature jeweler's display case -- a glass topped box with velvet upholstery inside and niches to hold rings. At a glance, there were at least thirty rings in the box, and it didn't take Rachel long to find the row reserved for the gold fountain rings. There were seven of them already and room on the row for more. He popped the lid open and held it out for Rachel to place the ring.

"Wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Hell is other people, right? The only monsters are those who hurt people who don't deserve it."

"So, with this done and taken care of, what's the next step?"

"I'd like to know you all better. I should prefer it if I'm entrusting you with the Alcindor. Unfortunately, time is money here. I can scarcely afford to wait. In a month, every privateer without a Union fleet commission will be out west hunting for islands. So, sooner is better. You'll have until Tuesday to put your affairs in the city in order, then we'll meet at the airfield and get this enterprise underway. Miss Strife and a small security detail will be accompanying you. Security meaning the security of the ship itself. Don't expect them to do much heavy lifting."

What he likely meant was that there would be a few people with wands to put up a token resistance should the party decide to abscond with the stormrunner. Elizabeth could at least glare at you hard enough to make you feel bad about it.

"I suppose you can take this opportunity to divide the loot. If you need anything fenced, and I'm sure you do, please leave it here and I'll take care of that. Well, I'll just give you a wad of cash and I'll have that taken care off by the sorts of people who do that. Any art items you have, I'd like to have the right of first refusal. Never know what you'll find where."

Counting off dollar bills from a silver money clip, he added, "And let's say to forty dollars for each of you. Seems like you had an easy time of it, but, you know, never cheap out on professionals."

[Lord Of Mantas]

At Leblanc's remark about wishing he had more time to know them before entrusting them with the Alcindor, Zeb responded with a light-hearted grin and an attempt a jovial interjection to lighten the mood.

"Well, with any luck, one of these days, once things have sorted themselves out, we can have a sit-down in a more relaxed setting. Have a drink, the chance to talk without more pressing matters hanging over our heads."

Once payment in the form of the $40 had been rendered, he bowed his head slightly.

"A pleasure doing business, sir."

He then turned his attention to the division of the loot...

Spoiler: OOC

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The communicator might be a good thing for the party in general to keep; that aside, Zeb will be pushing for an even share of the loot/profits from fencing.

***

When the sun rose on Sunday, Zeb turned his attention to important matters and the task of preparing for the expedition. After once again disguising himself, he went out crawling in the pubs near the docks, keeping his eyes open for any of his... 'friends' in low places, and his ears open for gossip regarding anything unusual, especially concerning other crews departing soon that looked as if they might be participating in the land-rush.
Then, on Monday, after disguising himself a third time, he made his way to the nearest library, and promptly spent as much time as he could attempting to do research about the area they were headed. Finally, when he could put it off no longer, he made his way home, let his landlord know about his imminent departure, and spent the rest of the evening putting his pack together and making sure his weapons were in prime shape.

Spoiler: OOC

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Let me know if I need to make any rolls for any of the above actions.

[Lleban]

While the thought of bum-rushing the tarmac to seize an airship was interesting, Giovani ultimately was more inclined to ride this gift horse into completion.

Giovani shrugged, Felix mimic'd the gesture behind him synchronously

"I'm sure you'll have more time to learn of us than vis versa, I'm sure you're filled with mysteries gentlemen LeBlanc."

When speaking on the division of loot Giovani spoke a bit more frantically, like a frothing jackel at the scene of an elephant corpse.

"While I obviously support the equal distribution of loot, and have no untoward motivations, I'd like to claim the Atma crystal. It's vital to my Dummy research."

[Othniel]

"No untoward motivations, eh?" Abigail repeats, raising an eyebrow at Giovani's statement. "Well, time will put the truth or lie to that I'll warrant. But I'm okay with it, so long as we all have an understanding about things bein' fair for future divisions, if you follow me. I might take a likin' to some fancy bauble myself at some point," she added, clearly having something in mind.

[Jade_Tarem]

"I don't... need any of it." The alchemist swallowed, nerves creeping back in. "Thank you for fencing it, sir."

Time Passing

There was plenty to do, and also not enough. Rachel checked in with the university administration to let them know she'd be moving out of the dorms, and they were only too happy to hear that. With a solid plan in hand, they were willing to give her one more night there and let her board the Alcindor on Tuesday. She also had time to go shopping for supplies and visit Roxanne, and spent the first half of Monday doing exactly that. Monday evening saw her drifting about town - it could be some time before she returned to Salem, after all, and she wanted to wander one last time first.

Tuesday saw her pacing back and forth at the docks, pausing only to look up at the Alcindor as though it was going to drift away if she didn't keep an eye on it. Her unsolicited patrol was interrupted only for locally purchased light meals. She had checked and re-checked her gear and had her things in a little pile, ready to load at the word 'go.' This is it. It finally happened. Today is the day.

[Nefarion Xid]

New Salem Airfield
Hangar 17

The Alcindor resembled nothing so much as a scimitar with bat wings. Which was to say it was in the Salazaro style that came and went long before even the venerable Asurian queen's coronation, being a revival of the macabre cathedrals and palaces in the time of the Blood Lords, who themselves paid grim homage to the half remembered apocalyptic monstrosities that preceded this age. Like most airships, the bulk of the vehicle belonged to a single nacelle -- an armored and aerodynamic shell to house the all important arcane components that kept the whole thing aloft. It narrowed from stern to bow, then swept upwards to a point where the whorling steel braces transitioned from black to brass, giving the chiseled tip the impression of a meteor piercing the atmosphere. The hull was a dull though barely pearlescent navy blue.

A largely internal tower linked the gondola beneath with the crow's nest and dorsal weaponry atop the nacelle. Since elevators were just another thing that could break at a critical moment, the climb from gondola to crow's nest promised to be claustrophobic and tiresome. A pair of armored vertical stabilizers flanked the massive aerodrives, which sat slightly recessed into the nacelle on an assembly of pivoting control rings. Like other airships of its class, the Alcindor was purpose built to go fast in just the one direction, though the range of motion on the drives looked as if it was quite maneuverable as well. If you didn't mind hurling crew around, they could even be pointed forward for one hell of an emergency stop. The wings connected to bottom of the stabilizers by way of a hinge system that allowed for adjusting their angle for even more dramatic maneuvers -- horizontal for added pitch or completely vertical for razor precise yaw.

Lit only from below with flood lights and stuffed into a mid-sized hanger, Leblanc's stormrunner looked particularly imposing. No doubt the intended effect. Himself subdued and rather disarming, the vampire's artistic collection was dramatic enough to speak for itself. As everyone filed in through the side door of the hangar, he made a half-hearted sweeping gesture in the redirection of the singular hundred meter contents of the cavernous structure as if to say, well, there it is, obviously. He turned with a modest self-satisfied smirk, mostly in Rachel's direction, then shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers as he moved on towards the cargo ramp where a handful of people were loading provisions.

Unimpressed, Miss Strife went ahead of him with a six foot long reinforced case effortlessly flung over one shoulder and her luggage wheeled behind in a much less cumbersome suitcase.

[Jade_Tarem]

Rachel managed to remember not to run down Ms. Strife or Leblanc as they piled into the hangar, and once inside, her gait slowed so that she could drink it in.

"Look at that, Cinnamon," she breathed, softly, sharing a glance with her artificial companion, who returned it with his screen set to n_n.

After a few moments more to just appreciate the aesthetics, her training kicked back in and she began to note the ship's readily obvious technical capabilities. The Alcindor was a limber girl, alright, drives and stabilizers stretching in all sorts of directions, though the alchemist had to remind herself that the crew might literally kill her if she pushed the vessel to its limits without good reason.

Suddenly eager to be aboard once again, her pace picked back up, flaring the azure material of her cloak behind her from under an oversized travel pack, wheels of her luggage bouncing in that magical way luggage does no matter how smooth the flooring.

[Othniel]

Abigail followed next, her black-and-white cat perched upon her shoulder and looking around with eyes full of curiousity. The warlock's own luggage consisted only of what she kept in her pack (though it was slightly bulging). While Ms. Wexford herself had her own interest in the arcane, her mind was primarily focused on what adventure lay ahead and what secrets they might uncover. She found herself humming a tune, one of the classic drinking songs that made their way around every lower- and middle-class tavern, the subject matter of this particular arrangement being that of a sailor who sold everything he owned to buy more rum.

[Lleban]

Next came Giovani, followed by Felix, each alternating from looking side to side. Or was it port to Starboard, well Giovani was sure someone would correct him on his airboat lingo any day now? He was a professor and gentlemen, not a boatswain after all. As Abigail began humming he couldn't help but wordlessly snap at Felix, to start playing violin, as he attempted to clap. Neither of the duos had to worry much about luggage, as some specialized dummies Giovani animated for the occasion were carrying the piles of clothes, books, and research material.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Fourth in line (not counting companions) was Zeb, his own pack slung over his shoulder, along with all of his usual tools of the trade, plus a week's worth of backup rations. The last couple of days had been relatively dull; the rumor mill had been unusually quiet, and the library full of only speculation. If not for his unusual bout of success selling that one watch from the haul, it might have been a complete dud. But gazing at the Alcindor end to end, all of that was washed away, and it took all Zeb had to not whistle appreciatively. Instead, he settled for deep and appreciative nod.

Looking forward to working with you, m'lady.

His pack and sword gently tapping against his body, and Diamond Dust and his backup wand secured snugly in their holsters, Zeb made his way up the gangplank, gently humming in harmony with the tune Abigail had started.

[PepperP.]

Lavender had entwined her arm through Connie's as they followed Zeb onto the airship. As the others broke into a musical number, she leaned over and spoke to him in elvish.

<"Remind me to learn Deafness."> She rolled her eyes sardonically, amusement warring with disdain on her face.

[Othniel]

As the music stirred up behind her, Abigail suddenly became all-too-aware of her own tune she was humming. She hadn't thought it very loud, and was rather surprised the others hadn't been focused on the airship before them. Her normally pale complexion suddenly reddened and she showed an apologetic smile. "Sorry," she murmured.

[Nefarion Xid]

"I've eschewed with a ship's cook," said Leblanc, footsteps still echoing as he traversed the vast space between the hangar's side door and the Alcindor's cargo ramp. "I'm assured that Felix knows his way around a kitchen. Well, a galley in this case. And that the rest of you are up for the challenge of preparing lentils. Or whatever it is mortals eat these days. Legumes or something, right? Ugh. People used to think I was funny. I had a salmon salad today. I'm not a monster."

Miss Strife made a tiny equivocating bobble with her head since her hands were occupied with luggage.

Gesturing towards the two nearly identical young men loading crates onto the ship, Leblanc began introductions. "Vicks and Edge. Brothers. They've a modicum of experience in maintenance and fabrication. They're at least clever enough to plug in a module the right way 'round. You to just do what Rachel and Gabriel tell you to."

Vicks looked to be older by a year, which made him nearly nineteen. Edge was heavier and a good four inches shorter. Neither seemed overburdened with initiative, but most people looked that way when they were moving crates.

"The big fellow is Tak." No mystery here. Leblanc meant the only Gaur in the hangar. Tak looked to be about 6'8" or maybe 9" if you counted the horns which curved out from the sides of his sandy short hair, then rose and swooped towards the front. His forearms were as thick as Constantine's waist and he had the sort of square jaw you'd expect from a concentration of testosterone that high.

"The strong and silent type."

"Howdy!" Tak paused with a crate perched on one shoulder and waved.

"Well, of course he likes you. Um, sit that one down a minute. I want to show them something."

Tak did as he was told and gingerly set the crate down in front of his boss. Much of the cargo was held in ordinary boxes made of wooden slats and nailed shut; meant to be discarded if you needed space. This one was tough black lacquered panels with nickel bands set along the edges and thicker round knobs on the corners. Leblanc flipped the latches and lifted the lid, revealing several four foot long spikes that looked as if they were meant to be driven into rock with some manner of arcane device attached near the top.

"If you've never seen one up close, these are navigational beacons. Covert nav beacons. They'll show up on sensors at a range of about 400 miles, but only if you have the right sort of sensors and have them set to the beacon's specific key. Bloody expensive, so make judicious use of the four."

Useful if you needed really precise guidance. Dead reckoning and celestial navigation were accurate to a point, but it was easy to get off course by as much as 30 miles, even with quality arcane instruments. The range of error increased the further you go from civilization and the network of long range beacons.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Zeb tried not to twist his head around too much as he took in the interior of the Alcindor. At Tak's greeting, he smiled and gave an extremely sloppy salute as a return greeting, then drew close to the crate as Leblanc showed off the covert beacons.

"These'll come in handy," he said, softly. He then turned to the vampire. "Any promising leads as we head out?"

Spoiler: OOC

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If possible, I'd also like to make a knowledge check to see if my one day at the library turned up any useful information about the area we're heading.

[Jade_Tarem]

"H...howdy!" Rachel smiled and returned Tak's wave, the greeting sound entirely out of place in her polished Aenslish accent. Oh, he's cute and friendly. A change of pace from the terrifying killers she was already working with. She briefly wondered if beef-related compliments would be racially insensitive before her attention was turned to the nav spikes.

"These are priceless," she corrected Zeb, then backtracked. "Not literally priceless, they have a price it's just very high but my point is that a protractor is 'handy.' These are intrinsically valuable just for the components. It's up to us to make their presence on the frontier more valuable than that."

She also wondered why Leblanc was already on a first name basis with her, and decided that he was doing it because he could rather than any fondness. Then again, her last name wasn't exactly a grand asset, so maybe he was just doing her a favor by not dropping it everywhere in public.

[Nefarion Xid]

Spoiler: Common Knowledge Regarding the Unexplored Area Northwest of the Union

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Port Azor is an independent settlement at the southeastern tip of the area you'll be exploring. It was established sometime in the last 2 years as a haven for pirates and smugglers -- easily accessible if you knew it was there, but still comfortably far enough away from other big settlements and Union patrols to develop in secrecy. Thanks for well entrenched defenses on the ground, the Union couldn't dislodge Port Azor without a costly offensive. Much easier to deal with pirates when they come to you! Being more interested in making money in reliable ways than properly charting new landmasses, the denizens of Port Azor haven't made much of an attempt at the northwest.

Not long ago, a Union privateer located a large island northwest of Port Azor and spotted a distant third. What we know about geological formations is that if you find two or more landmasses in a line, there are very likely more in that direction as a result of ancient supervolcanos following a tectonic fault.

We also know there's no such thing as a virgin landmass in this world. If it exists above the crushing lower atmosphere of the planet, someone has been there already -- if not a mortal civilization, then at least the Aeons. That's the real value in newly "discovered" land. Artifacts and dead Aeons are both worth a fortune, plus you might find living civilizations to trade with, and there are always a few people with delusions of grandeur who just want their own private empire.

As for the history of the region? A blank slate. If anyone knows anything about the area, they're not forthcoming with that information. Even the few ancient Aeons amenable to cooperating with humans don't seem to know anything germane.

"Any promising leads as we head out?"

"Promising leads on terra incognita? Eh. No such luck." Leblanc continued his walk-and-talk through the cargo hold, then the corridor along the right side of the Alcindor's gondola. The interior didn't entirely lack artistic touches, but most everything was a more practical steel and aluminum, whereas the exterior was a spectacle. Inside was more like a passenger carriage on a train.

"If anyone knows anything useful this early in the game, it will be someone in Port Azor. Miss Strife has some old friends who may still be there and who may be helpful. Other than that, I'm afraid all you have is a fast ship."

Like the hold, the bridge was two levels tall. Entering from the bottom deck took you an empty space between two half spiral staircases. From there, the deck jutted out ten feet, leading to the pilot's chair which sat at the center of a mass of blackened steel struts and 3 inch thick tempered glass. Behind, there were half a dozen stations for monitoring the airship's vitals, atmospheric conditions, communications, and sensors.

"Cruising speed is right at 30 miles an hour." Cruising was a technical term, meaning the airship's atma crystals used as much ATP as they absorbed. If no moving parts broke, an airship could cruise at or below that speed forever.

"She'll do 60 for 8 hours on a full charge. 90 in an emergency, 2 hour tops. Try to keep her under 99 no matter what. At that pace, you're risking crystal fractures in a matter of minutes. Not that I expect you'll need that sort of speed. Most monsters aren't that fast. Eh. Most..."

[TheDarkDM]

Walking alongside Lavender at the rear of the group, Constantine's features were a mask of grim impatience. He was travelling light, only a slender duffel and a suspiciously long leather case in hand, but at Vivi's snide remark he finally cracked a smile.

<Oh, but what if enduring this is what we deserve?">

He'd managed to restrain himself from an open expression of scorn in Leblanc's office the night before, but if their employer truly thought in terms of who did or didn't "deserve" to die he was still painfully human for all his age and strength. Constantine's eyes continued to drift over the introductions and the technical details that no doubt impressed all the children he'd been hired to mind, but at last his attention came into sharp focus on the bridge.

"Speed and will are all we require to see this done. Even if Ms. Strife's contacts prove reticent or expired, sufficient inducement will have the truth from the Azorites."

His tone left little doubt as to the nature of Constantine's planned inducement.

[Nefarion Xid]

"Please don't kill my former colleagues unless absolutely necessary," said Miss Stife, sticking her head in the bridge from the upper deck. She had broken off from the group to store her things, but had returned.

"That's not a firm no, but at least give them the opportunity to disappoint me first before you do anything permanent."

Leblanc slouched into the center-most chair, ostensibly where the captain would sit -- for an expedition where a captain were necessary. While decently armed, the Alcindor was not a military corvette, so the role of the captain fell to whomever owned the vessel. He toyed with the buttons and toggles at his console, performing a perfunctory check on start-up systems.

"I suppose this is it then. I'd love to stick around and gush, but most of you already know your way around an airship, and Miss Strife knows everything about it that I do. This is where my micromanagement ends. Is there anything further before I leave my exceptional vessel in your capable hands?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Rachel took her time examining the bridge, moving slowly back to front, when Leblanc opened the floor to questions, she sheepishly raised her hand. "Er... I've just sort of assumed I'd be helming the vessel, maybe navigating too, but who is the expedition captain?"

[Nefarion Xid]

"Always did chafe under the presuppositions of a military hierarchy," Leblanc said with a pout. Given his boyish good looks, it wasn't hard to imagine he still had a streak of youthful rebellion in him as well.

"Miss Strife is my surrogate for the voyage, which would make her the master of this vessel. Meaning she's here to wave my credit around when you need repairs, and to hurl you out of the cargo hold in the event you decide it's far more profitable to simply steal the Alcindor. You are my intrepid expeditionaries, therefor the operation of the Alcindor and how you go about your mission are entirely up to you -- either collectively, or, if you'd prefer, you may elect a captain from amongst yourselves. Either way, vive la democratie!"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Upon Leblanc opening the door to further questions, Zeb shook his head - at this point, he'd heard all he needed to.

Into the complete and utter unknown, it seems. A bit out of my element, but... the potential payoff, well.

"Well, if it's getting hurled out of the cargo hold we have to worry about, you need not be concerned. My hair is unruly enough as it is without the wind from a drop," he said, making an attempt at humor. He then turned to the others.

"In any case, I'm ready to get this show on the road."

[Lleban]

Giovani peered into LeBlanc's Glib, almost carefree expression with a degree of suspicion. No vampire made it as long as Leblanc did without putting on a good second face. Perhaps he was too used to the rather simple expressions of dolls, which exacerbated how odd he felt interacting with the man. Surely if Miss Stife has the authority to boot us then she's the captain, right, and even if she wasn't captain what happens when she butts heads with whomever we decide? Perhaps that'll be a question for another time.

Giovani spoke a tad with an affirming bellow "Maginfica! I nominate miss Racheal to be our captain then. Look at you all hoped up on youth, you'll do GREAT."

[Jade_Tarem]

For a moment, Rachel froze in sheer terror, but then she got the joke and cracked up. Not a little bit, either - she completely dissolved into giggle fits. Between paroxysms of laughter, she managed to choke out, "Try to imagine... the elves... taking orders... from me." Even Cinnamon put all four hands over the lower part of his screen and bobbed mirthfully. "Aeons above and below, not six months ago I'd have been submitting a thesis to someone like you to review, professor!"

The alchemist finally straightened, calming despite the tears leaking from her eyes. "Ahh, if you want someone to make fast calls for where the ship is going and how we're going to get there during a crunch, that's probably something I can do - I'll already be at the controls. Command decisions for the whole expedition should probably have the input of someone who's paid taxes."

[Lleban]

"Haha you caught me red-handed Rachel, but your answer has revealed a lot." Giovanni took an appraising look at the Alchemist's laughter.

"Remember Rachel you won't mature until you start trying to punch above your weight, that's what makes us human is it not." Giovanni took out a handkerchief only to dismissively wave it windward.

"Here's a little secret kid, taxes are overrated."

[Othniel]

"Well, that and a propensity to die young," Abigail suggested. "I don't particularly care what arrangement we come to for who gives orders or makes decisions on where to go...for now." She offered Rachel a small smile. "But it seems to me the one who flies this thing ought to have her opinion respected."

[Nefarion Xid]

Romantic notions about airship travel lasted first-time fliers about three days on average. Even cruising speeds aboard a stormrunner put most destinations hours or days away. Once you were out of sight of land, it felt more like you were suspended in the sky on a wire. Hanging over the crushing abyss of the planet's lower atmosphere, of course. Below, what at first looked to be still banks of fluffy, inviting clouds were in fact hurricanes: kilometers in diameter, but distant enough to be misapprehended. Operating at lower altitudes was possible, though invited increasingly unpredictable risks. A sudden downdraft would be the end of lighter craft without the power to fight it and climb out. Then there was the hail, lightning, gravel, and monsters.

Existential terror eventually gave way to boredom. Like being trapped in a room with a well mannered tiger, if he hadn't mauled you after three days, you'd assume the streak would continue and unclench your glutes.

It was evening when the Alcindor passed the northern coast of the sparsely inhabited Union territory. Mrs. Strife's dusky voice came over the ship-wide comm to inform everyone of this fact, followed by, "Which makes this an excellent opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with our defenses. Looks like we've got a pod of cloud eaters about 6 kilometers out at 3 o'clock. If you'll please man the gunnery stations and sound off when you've done so. Let's see if we can't pick off a couple of gazers for target practice."

Spoiler: Nature Knowledge Check = 10

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Cloud Eaters are, if not harmless, at least not aggressive until provoked. Also communal and at least as intelligent as dogs. Essentially 100 meter long ovoids with toothless mouths, they drift through the sky and, as their name suggests, engulf clouds for their trace amounts of microbial life, vital minerals from dust, and of course moisture, feeding a fungal biome in their stomachs. Cloud Eaters are sometimes hunted for the atma crystals embedded along their spinal cord.

Gazers are no threat to Cloud Eaters, but prey instead on the parasitic lampreys that attach themselves to the giants, draining both nutrients and atma from their blood. Attracted to any snackable source of atma, Gazers are a nuisance for airships as they will damage components to get at the crystals keeping the craft aloft and moving forward. Gazers are clumsy, spherical monsters, about a meter in diameter, little more than a fanged mouth with a pair of grasping claws beneath them, and leathery wings barely large enough to maneuver their bulk around. The monster is named for its single basketball-sized eye from which it can emit an arcane attack of compressed air, identical to the burst produced by wands.

The Alcindor has 3 gunnery stations. The dorsal station, accessed by a long climb up the superstructure, has light and rapid fire based weaponry, which won't do much damage against the metal hull of an airship, but is ideal for warding off most monsters. The bow station, accessed from the bridge, offers a singular lightning cannon with a long recharge time, effective against most targets. The aft station has a pair of disruptors, air elemental weapons which interfere with other arcane air effects, like the one keeping ships aloft and moving.

[PepperP.]

"Cloud Eater, what's that? I've never heard of them." Lavender leaned over the railing and squinted her eyes against the wind to peer at their foe.

<"Have you heard of them, Connie?"> She asked her companion in their preferred elvish.