Berta curses as the shaft grazes her cheek, turning her gaze skywards as she wipes at the wound with her hand.  The warrior woman grimaces, and not at the thin smear of blood on her glove.

"Hurts worse than it is," she assures Viktor, as she regains her feet in time to see the second elemental burst free of the orb that confines it and loose a fiery storm upon those in its vicinity.

Shuddering she nods at the big man, slinging her crossbow over her shoulder and leaping for the rope ladder, even as it shifts in the howling winds.

[Private to GM: Another not-good result !  :>

21:12, Today: Berta rolled 84 using 1d100.  Climb ..]

Ok Berta your turn to go up the ladder...glad you are ok..figures it is his turn to shoot back as he points towards a guardswoman and fires his crossbow, hopefully giving Berta a few extra minutes to get up the ladder.

Once the elementals are doing their work Angrboda turns to Rael, "Let's get out of here before they are dealt with." she says as she heads to the ladder.

Under the cover of the warring elementals, the group is able to eventually get aboard the airship. Berta, Khazim, and Viktor continue to loose pot shots at the guards below taking advantage of the chaos that the elementals are causing. Slowly and carefully the remaining aeronauts guide the ship away. After a few minuets it sinks in, You did it, You were able to free the Tenatir. Your body begins to slowly wind down as the past day's exertions begin to take over. How long has it been? 24, 36 hours since you have had a decent rest? As if it has a mind of it's own your body seeks a place to simply lean back and enjoy the moment. A singular "Meep" permeates the moment, ensuring that all you have endured is in fact real.

The aeronaut at the helm takes a moment to address you as you rest. His voice and actions are a bit twitchy, yet sluggish at the same time. "How is this for a daring rescue? You know you made it rather easy to figure out what was going on when the call for the guards to return went out. While I do not approve of the supernatural running rampant, it did make our escape far easier. Ha we do not even have to spend our forces on anything but cleanup." A reddish glow of the morning sun begins to creep over his shoulders. "We have more than a few hours till we get back to Laukland, why don't you all just rest."

[Secret to Angrboda; Viktor: That is when you notice, Lars is no where to be seen.]

Rael body was screaming to get some rest but he knew his duty well, he pushed himself and went to Berta first tending her wounds if she allowed him afterwards he would make his rounds making sure all that are wounded are taken care off.

He glance at the helmsman a slight frown on his face as he move closer to see the man face.

[Private to GM: OOC: Rael would try to assess what is wrong with the man]
[Private to Rael Gol: The best you can tell, he is on some kind of stimulant (To many "Pep Pills")]
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:06, Wed 26 Aug 2015.

Decides to rest a bit and finds a spot on the ground near a bench which might be the same one as before.  He puts his crossbow next to him and takes his giant axe off his back and sets it across his lap for now. He takes a deep breath and realizes that they actually pulled it off and feels some relief, but still something doesn't feel quite right. He remembers he put an extra winesack inside the bench and opens it to see if it is still there.  He should also have a slaver sword and a few other items and food inside of it.

"It's just a scratch ..." Berta tries to protest ... but in light of her earlier remarks to Viktor can do little other than allow Rael to do his work, smiling her thanks.

Though the dangers she faced down below were myriad, not least the months spent posing as a guard in that terrible place, the worst of it, in her mind, was the nightmare of the climb up the rope ladder, tossed this way and that in the elemental winds.

"You have our gratitude," the warrior woman assures the helmsman as she gazes back at the fire and lightning receding in the distance, not quite able to believe what has been accomplished here.

"So ... who wants to go back for the gold ?" Berta grins, recovering some of her spirit.

Rael tends to Berta wound with care and delicate hands speaking to her softly cooing words.
[Private to Berta:
Rael whispers "There is something wrong with the helmsman, he is on some kind of stimulant, it could be nothing or it could be much... stay alert."]

Berta smiles back at Rael, her lips moving soundlessly beneath his ministrations. [Private to Rael Gol: "Might have known this was all going too well," her expression doesn't change]

Once the pale man is done, she again nods her thanks.

Following Viktor's example she takes the opportunity to check her weapons, grimacing as she draws her sword and regards the blade. "That wouldn't cut butter !" the warrior woman complains to anyone who will listen, companions and crew alike.  "Anyone have a whetstone ?  We left in a bit of a hurry ..." [Private to GM: keeping a weather eye on helmsman and other crew it is ! ;>]

You have our thanks and sorry for your loss on the lives lost...did the men who passed have families?...sees his extra winesack and smiles and puts his crossbow and 2 short swords away in the chest for now..frowns as he only has one throwing knife left.  Takes  a swig and then stands up and sits next to Berta offering her some wine.

Angrboda hardly notices the missing comrade, at the mention of gold however she speaks up, "Oh yes, gold." she says and begins pulling some from her pack.  After pulling 80 gold out she looks at the rest of the group and hands it to them, "Viktor and I found some, I believe this would be an appropriate share of what I took.  I don't know how much he has however." she states and then goes off to find the captain of the ship.  "I need a private room for a bit." she states simply when she finds him.

Khazim sees the tension building rather than relaxation setting in. Cautiously he sets his bow to the side, still strung, and begins to go over his gear. Slowly he slings his quiver down and begins to inspect his arrows for warping or other damage that may have occurred thanks to the gases they were exposed to. "I think maybe we should all relax as our helmsman said, it is a long journey."

Pulls out his gold also and keeps 20 for himself and hands 80 over to the group....If the people who died have families please make sure they receive some of this gold. takes off some of his armor and relaxes sitting next to Berta.Didn't Lars make it to the ship?  I didn't really like the guy but I hope he is ok.

Rael Gol begins to make his rounds, checking on scrapes, cleaning a few open wounds, checking on quarrel holes, the usual sort of stuff. A tense sort of relaxation sits on as something just does not seem to sit right with the group. That is when both Angrboda and Viktor mention gold. Both produce small bags brimming with coins. At this point, if anything, you have all made out like kinds considering those of you who are left. The few aeronauts left after the attack perk an eye as gold coins flash, but they are mindful to not look TOO greedy.

The helmsman begins to hum a jaunty ditty as he tends to the crosscurrents. While carefully navigating you see him take out a small silvered case, remove something and stick it in his mouth. He motions at one of the other aeronauts and then to the small furnace in the middle of the deck. The aeronaut grabs a small brand, brings it to the helmsman who in turn uses it to light whatever he took out of the case. "You will find that the rooms have been cleared below, no time to remove the stink mind you. I'm sure you know the way." He addresses Angroboda's request for a private room. "Of which, you may find that it is easier to tend to the wounded below Sir Rael, as I said before there is plenty of time till we reach Laukland."

[Private to Rael Gol: As you go about tending to the wounds, you now notice: Lars is nowhere to be seen. Near the wale of the ship, in the pile of rope ladders, you spy an axe similar to the one that Lars used. You noticed it as a crewman moved over and began to straighten the ropes you all used to escape on.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:47, Sat 29 Aug 2015.

Berta should we find a room and get you out of Yara's armor and back into yours?The gold is to be divided among all of us, including the people who rescued us.  Should we go down below or stay on deck?looks at Rael and Berta and starts to take off Berta's armor...

Angrboda, satisfied that everyone is getting a fair share turns and goes down to one of the rooms.  Locking the door behind her she ignores the smell and sets about setting up a makeshift summoning circle in the middle of the floor.  When she finishes she lays down on the bed and reads until she falls asleep.

Rael wanted to groan when Angrboda and than Viktor started to discuss gold in sight of the ship crew... great I guess now we will have to put a guard when we go to bed.

"Anyone saw Lars?" he asks as he goes to the edge of the ship picking up an axe from the ship floor. "Say where is Valmir, I did not knew he had the time to pick a full crew."

Gets Berta's armor off his body and hands it to Berta...stands up and picks up his axe...I believe he asked you a question.  Where is Valmir and Lars and who do you work for?  I thank you for rescuing us but who are you people? looking directly at the person who appears to be captain of the ship.

[Private to Viktor: You have to let others "allow" you do things to their character before "finishing an action" If you are interacting with someone, let them finish any action you may start. This will prevent anyone from getting upset that you are "controlling" their characters actions.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:52, Sun 30 Aug 2015.

The red-haired woman shakes her head. "I'll keep this on for now - it's kept me safe this far ... and until we're home again, being mistaken for the original owner might keep us alive."

Berta never knew the original crew, but Rael's questions, and Viktor's less than subtle ones, has her ready to take up her blade if she must, though she deliberately lowers her weapon, leaning the sword against the bench she sits on and releasing her grip on the hilt.

"We're all rather tense at this moment," she tells the Helmsman in the hope that he'll take that as an apology if all is above board, or a threat if not.  "We've had a few too many surprises of late."

"Lars was right behind me during the escape. I'll be honest that I did not keep track of him was I provided cover fire." He looks around and point to the spot where Rael found the axe. "He was right there last I saw him. Not to be blunt, but several of the crew did hit hit with bolts as they were helping us up. It is possible that he was hit, fell over and we left him behind."

Berta's lips tighten. "If he survived their shafts and the fall itself, the flames would have taken him."  Not a nice way to go, but assuredly better than living to fall into the Queens clutches.

She vows to raise a cup to Lars memory, should she actually survive this.

Yes sorry it has been a long journey...make sure you and your men take their share of the gold...Berta would you help get the rest of your armor off me it is a little tight...chuckles a little and takes a drink of wine and offers it to Berta as he sits down next to her again.

Thinks to himself...how did the captain know to call Rael by his name...Sir Rael?...VALMIR it is you..you crazy old goat...why didn't you say it was you?  Sorry about the threat and sorry about your losses....can you believe we actually pulled this offrelaxes a little more now.

Retrieving her sword and slotting it back into it's scabbard, Berta stands. She can't shake off the tension as easily as Viktor can, but does relax somewhat as the big man recognises the captain, and moreover seems to trust him.

"You're putting on weight," she assures Viktor with a broad grin, waving away the proffered skin as she leans over to work on the buckles of her armour.  Gods she needs a drink ... but despite their daring escape, is not yet ready to declare the day done - especially not with Queen Pollidemia yet to face.

The sun framing out the helmsman makes it nearly impossible to tell, but you swear you can feel the man smiling. "Have you all had little faith that I would have returned in 20 cycles. We have people constantly watching the palace, when you started your little ruckus we knew we had to move. As for getting a crew, it is fairly easy to get aeronauts at a port, this is a slavers ship if you do remember, I piloted this thing by myself earlier. A small handful of men is all this lord needs." He pats the wheel. "As for your friend Lars, I do not know what happened. In the confusion he may not have made it. Sadly that is the life of a freedom fighter."

He once again he puts the small cigarillo back in his mouth and begins to puff away. "Now it is time to relax. Put your swords down and take a load off. There may be foodstuffs still down below, I never did remove anything."


This is the end of the chapter. Time for you to look at all your character sheets and perform skill ups. There will be an X next to the skill on your character sheet. Those are the ones that you can test for. In the mechanics thread I've placed and explanation of how to do a skill up for those who need a refresher. I've already adjusted people for healing as Rael went around on the ship and talked to people. Any questions just let me know. If you are noticing something I'm missing also let me know. I have to read back in the logs and see how much allegiance gains everyone is going to get to make sure I didn't miss anything.