[0] Morgrave - Skyship Tower

Skyships pass overhead, casting huge, slow-moving shadows down through the glass roof above you. Many more pass below you though, for you are here at the top of Morgrave University's private tethering tower, waiting for the ship to arrive that will take you to Xen'drik. The opulent halls are still overly showy, but it's a show that was obviously much better in former years as the long rows of benches are mostly empty. The seat you find will inevitably be threadbare and just lumpy enough that it's not ever quite comfortable, and just as inevitably near the rest of a small group of students who have gathered here, also in wait for their flight to the south.

Rythorn is making small-talk again. I'll humor him this time.
I don't know which ship. I just hope it comes soon. I'm ready to go.
The response comes from the elf with silver eyes. That's always the first thing anyone notices. Then the golden brown hair and sideburns. Sideburns on an elf? Must be some human in his bloodline, but he is small enough to pass as an elf. He wears a blue cloak over leather armor. A crossbow hangs at his side from a sling over his shoulder. His name is Lash. That's a shortened version of a name everyone mispronounces.

Hello, my name's Cualli." A young man with a reddish complexion extinguishes his tobacco and rises to his feet from a nearby seat. He notices Rythorn, I recognize you from the drama department. Didn't I see you in something last term?

"Wayfinding huh? I had to take a little bit of environmental studies as pre-req for my experimental alchemy courses. I was always curious about Wayfinding. I'm actually pretty interested to see what kinds of components I might be able to find in Xen'drik.

The man has horns like a young ram's that are just beginning to curl. He wears a pocketed jacket over well worn clothes that have small burns and holes in them. He carries a travel kit that is common among alchemy students.

He notices Samarath's pet for the first time. Interested he asks, and who's your little companion? is he friendly?

Lash nods at the introduction. I'm in the Apprentice program. He tosses up a small shower of sparks as if to explain the Apprentice program.
I take a mental note to stick with Ry as a projector.

The small Teifling sitting with her knees under her chin yawns and stretches before standing up. She is small, her long black hair pulled back as her eyes -- also black, like pools of shadow -- sweep across the students gathered.

"Verin," she says to no one in particular as she strolls towards them. "General research. Hopefully, a breadth of knowledge will be beneficial in the ruins... or wherever I end up after this." Her left hand rests on the handle of the rapier hanging on her hip. The contrast of her rich, red skin and the brown and black leathers she wears (bits of silver glingting in the light) is striking, even though her attire is a strange mix being both functional and looking appropriate for a night at the tavern with friends. "So," she continues, "Anyone have any actual experience with Stormreach? Or are we just basing everything on stories and hearsay?"

Stepping forward to join the group, I have lineage from Xen'drik. But even a few elven generations means a lot of years. So it's just stories for me too.

Verin looks at Rythorn, then at his hand, then sighs before engaging in the forearm handshake. "You know I don't have a weapon up my sleeve, right?" she chides. "No sleeves. It's a good rapier though. Not fancy, but well balanced. Gift from my parents."

She looks over to Lash and nods. "Seems like stories it is, then. I have a feeling failing this little work study could be... very... bad."

Verin rubs her chin, contemplating for a few long moments before giving her thoughts a voice. She presses a sharp-looking nail to her black lips and then speaks, "Majors are all well and good in principle, but what can we actually do -- and do well?

She surveys the group and adds, "I asked, so I guess I'll go first. I'm quite stealthy, agile, observant, capable in the wilds, as well as versed in History. I also speak Infernal, Abyssal, Draconic, and Elvish as well. Plus, I'm good with a balanced blade, a respectable shot with the right crossbow, and I have some knowledge of boating -- but that was mostly a hobby with my Pa.

Oh, I'm mostly asking because based on stories... I expect this will get dangerous. If we're working together, we need to know our team and play to peoples' strengths. I personally don't care about the personal aspect of all this, if you come from a long line of wizards or whatever that's nice. But, what can you do in the real world? What can I say... I'm a pragmatist at heart."

My magic consists of a magic hand to move light weight things and a floating disk to move heavy things. And I'm a fair shot with this (nudging the crossbow) but don't count on me in a brawl.
I can speak draconic with you. And elvish of course.

Lash speaks harshly in the language of giants, Some of us don't share all we know.

My understanding was that this was meant to be a learning expedition. But, hopefully, once we get out there, we will all have ample opportunity to be as impressed with you as you seem to be.

Verin rolls her eyes so hard they risk rolling right out of her head. "Girls, you're both pretty.

Looking at S'sylin, she continues, "We're all super, super scared of you, honest. Look, if we all pretend you're the broodiest brooder who ever brooded, will you pretend not to be an insufferable ass this entire trip? Pretty sure most of us just want to get done and get out of there.

"Temper?" Verin laughs, "Not even. Although, you should probably drop the arrogant act, because if you can't tell the difference between somebody actually getting mad and somebody just being tired of angsty teenagers who think cloaks, shadows, and gloom are a substitute for a personality, well... you owe every teacher you had an apology. For starters.

Verin takes a moment to brush an errant piece of fluff off of her leggins before turning her back to S'sylin and muttering, "Gods, this is going to be a long trip if this keeps up."

Cualli returns to his seat near Lash and Ry. His attention goes back to Samarath as he makes with a little more small talk, "We had a cat that never got a name. I asked my mom about it and she just said 'she never told it to me.'

He takes another look at the weasel, "I don't know, you look like a Scout or a Bandit to me."

@khulod, wanna roll your Deception vs my Insight? Just to see how much Ry believes it?

Insight.

Verin stands up, and smirks. "Of course, Professor. I may not be the best student, but I'm not one to waste my own time. Why go to class, hell why sign up for university, if you're not going to try to learn while you're there?"

She didn't care if Professor Alacandra liked her. She didn't care if anyone liked her. It was strictly a matter of getting things done to Verin, and if she made friends that was great but she wouldn't lose sleep if she didn't. That said, the Professor wasn't bad as far as Verin was concerned -- she did her job well, and was a bit prickly to everyone (at least she didn't play favorites). Verin simply didn't see the issues other students had. Shouldering her pack and checking her blade, Verin got ready to board the airship.

Cualli, on the other hand, cared very much what Professor Alacandra thought of him.

His only interaction with her had been brief, but memorable. He arrived ten mintues late to orientation for Intro to General Research. She informed him that he had given up his seat five minutes ago when he didn't respond to roll and was now bumped to the bottom of the wait list. As he was pleading her mercy, another student arrived even later than he had, who was already on the waitlist. The Professor instructed the new student to thank Cualli for giving up his seat for them. She made it abundantly clear that he had already wasted too much of her classroom's time and that additional pleas would not be entertained and that he should simply leave the classroom before he embarrassed himself further.

Even now as Cualli scrambled to collect his kit, he just hoped that maybe she wouldn't remember him.

Umm, yes Professor...

"A very commendable attitude, Ms. Moore. I will keep my eye on you. A very close eye." She is carrying only a small backpack that doesn't look fully stuffed. As she heads toward the gangplank, she adds, "As we board, just in case the captain doesn't mention this... Airships tend to change altitude very frequently over Sharn. Strap your things down in your cabins and yourselves in your seats. It will level out greatly once we're over the ocean."

If you rode an airship in you know this is true, because there's no traffic control to speak of. Ships go where they want, when they want, and a lt of captains trust in their elementals not to do something stupid like crash into another airship so some changes are abrupt and last-second.

[ +- ] The Dawnlight

The Dawnlight - for that is the name of the airship that will take you to Xen'drik - begins to move, slowly at first, but before too long it's sailing along between the towers and a nice crisp speed. Unfortunately for the Dawnlight- or more specifically, unfortunately for those aboard, everything else is moving at speed as well, and not more than two minutes into the journey, the Dawnlight is forced to increase speed and push upwards, staggering everyone on deck, bringing them to their knees. No more than half a second later, a huge sail emerges from the underbelly of the dawnlight that dwarfs the ship. If not for the last-second maneuver, your airship would have ended its run as a splinter in the side of a much more enormous ship.

There are a few more close calls before the land gives way to sea, and the airship calms. From here on out it's a simple straight shot to Xen'drik, and the adventure of a lifetime - or at least of a semester.

Take off was pretty much what Verin had expected. Once they reached a comfortable altitude and clear skies, the trip did indeed smooth out -- also as expected.

Verin stayed locked in her cabin, outside of mealtimes and sunsets. She'd been working on learning the language of Giants almost the entire time she'd been at the University, and it had consistantly eluded her -- not that she'd admit it to anyone of course. It was a drawback to learning multiple languages at once, but all she could do was keep studying.

Sunsets though... those were where she allowed herself to stretch her legs. She spent a bit of time on deck, taking in the views as the sun dipped low behind the horizon.

If nothing else, at least the trip was beautiful.

The voyage is as uneventful as the weather, if a little slow, and on the morning of the fourth day, the captain makes an announcement to the passengers - at least those on deck - that they are now within visible range of their destination. The port of Stromreach is the first step into the wilds of Xen'drik, and people from all over Eberron make their way there to begin their adventures. Above it all, shines a golden beacon that shoots a ray of light into the sky that is easily visible even in full daylight. Many sages believe that the statue that holds the beacon - known as The Emperor - is the representation of an ancient titan who fought off the demon hordes that once threatened Xen'drik. It is this beacon that the captain calls you all to see.

You have just a few moments to take in the once-in-a-lifetime sight before the airship lurches and begins to plummet towards the sea!

When the captain puts out the call to see The Emporer, Verin takes just seconds to make sure her gear is secured properly before racing to the deck to witness the impressive sight firsthand.

Unfortunately, she only has mere seconds to take in the majestic view before the airship begins to plummet, and Verin scrambles hastily to try and right herself.

Entranced by the majesty of the sight in front of her, Verin is caught completely off guard by the sudden descent of the ship, and as she begins to tumble she looks around for something -- anything -- to aim for.

The next few moments - is it minutes? It feel like hours, but surely it's no more than a few seconds - are a pandemonium of shouts, screams, and the creaking and cracking of the ship. Laaesh manages to spot a relatively smooth section of coastline in between all the cliffs and just manages to get his voice heard by the captain who orders the crew to aim their uncontrolled descent as close to it as possible. The audible tumult rises in volume as the ship falls, crescendoing in a violent shuddering crash as the airship crashes into the beach, half in the water and half out. The ship breaks in two as the water-side of the airship lurches, being pulled to a stop more quickly than the sand, and as the ship comes apart around you, Cualli, MaJunior, and Laaesh are thrown from the ship along with much of the crew

That kind of impact could kill someone, and your lives flash before your eyes but-- no, that's Professor Alacandra! She's thrown up some sort of magical net in front of you, and it kills your momentum without hurting you. The net is large enough that it partially stops the some of the other crew as well, but the rest of the crew isn't so lucky, and neither, it appears, is Professor Alacandra. In stealing your momentum, she took it on, and as you fall to the beach mostly unscathed, she's thrown far down the waterline, to where she lies in a crumpled, unmoving, heap.

As you pick yourselves up and dust yourselves off, you can take a moment to look around. There's not a lot other than thick foliage inland of you, and the beach was probably beautiful before the airship crashed into it. There's now a long line of broken wood and unidentifiable metal devices that are strewn across the sand, or washing up from the ocean. At the eastern end of the beach, there's a small path, and if you look up into the sky above the trees there, you can still see Stormreach's beacon just before in vanishes into the clouds.

There's a more pressing matter though. With their binding gone, the elementals are crawling out from under the airship too, and they do not look happy...

Verin lets out a groan as she picks herself up from the sand, looking around to assess just how bad things are. When she sees the Professor, she cries out, "NO!" and begins to run, clutching her side and stumbling with a small cry of pain before gritting her teeth and making a beeline for the downed educator.

Professor alacandra does not respond to your words, and when you touch her, you find she's covered by a fine gauze-like field that's apparently holding her in stasis. It must have been the last thing she had time to do before passing out, so her injuries are probably grievous. As far as the elementals go, it's no great secret that almost all airships are powered by them. The ships themselves are made of soarwood, a tree that becomes lighter than air when dried for lumber. But for the propulsion itself, elementals are used. Some were cajoled or pleaded with, others had pacts of service made with them, and some were simply forced to act, either by device or by dragonmark. Military ships and other large vessels used fire elementals. Smaller, faster craft like this one used air elementals.

S'sylin's idea, as non-heroic as it is, is probably a sound one. Now that the elementals are free, they may try to extract revenge on the crew, or at least the captain, but they probably won't come after you unless you were to try to do something noble like say... save the captain's life?

Verin and Laaesh get Alacandra up on the disk and head for the treeline. Rythorn, once he's out of the ship, he heads that way too as quickly as possible. Samaranth takes a moment to look over the ship's wreckage, but he can't remember who all was on board. Too much time spent in his room, apparently.

That second or two of thought costs him being able to help the crew, as the elementals advance on them. One of the two elementals flings the engineer into the air. The other is slowly and methodically beating a metal, rune-inscribed ring, breaking it in half, and then half again. It seems to be determined to turn in to dust. For Samarath, too, it seems that there's nothing to do but head to the trees.

Once in the trees, you watch from safety as the elementals throw their tantrum. They mostly leave the crew alone now, unless they happen to be right in their way. More than one ends up in the ocean, but for the most part, they take out their frustrations on the airship itself. After a quarter of an hour or so, they stomp off into the jungle in the other direction, spewing grass and leaves up into the air in their passage.

With their leaving, the crew manages to gather up the surviving survivors (as opposed to the dying survivors who survived the crash and got thrown about by the elementals) and they too head for the treeline in your direction.

Verin feels a pull on her sleeve. Professor Alacandra is awake, but just barely conscious. "Sorry... about this. Wasn't really..." She takes a deep breath, steadying herself. "... the welcome you were supposed to get... from Xen'drik. But now? You need to get... to the city, tell them the University will pay for... a rescue party. Or secure transport and come back yourself... But go quickly. Be careful. We're very close to--" and she promptly passes out without being actually helpful.

WIP

Rythorn, the ship isn't going anywhere and seems relatively stable, but it is cracked in half, so you go moving about in there, the halves could roll - or break further.

Cualli, there's not a lot of discrete markings here, but you can tell that this strip of beach is very popular for the local wildlife, and while the ship coming down has chased them off for now, they will be back, and it would be better if everyone were away from here or able to defend themselves when that happens.

As far as what the map shows you, Samarath, there are three paths that will keep you out of the jungle. The first is a trail that leads up along the ridges of the neighboring cliffs, keeping you above the jungle canopy for the most part. Very few animals - if any - will bother you there. That path leads past the Precipice mine. From your notes, you know that Precipice's precious metals are mostly long gone, and the mine is abandoned. Reckless mining caused a cave-in that trapped several miners who suffocated to death. The second option is just to go straight through the jungle. It has the advantage of being shorter, and your map is well-marked with known hazards, that will give you a safe path, but there's no guarantee that the jungle animals will leave you alone. The third option is straight through the cliffs themselves. Your map shows an ancient tunnel, but the giants left markings on the entrances that called for extreme caution when entering.

With the route decided, you head off into the brush. It's clear that something has passed this way before and on a pretty regular basis. Over time, many paths have been formed through this section of the jungle. Smaller limbs are broken or pushed back, and larger limbs grow higher, leaving tunnels through the undergrowth that are slightly taller than the average humanoid, partially obscured by fast-growing vines and leaves.

The ground too, is worn smooth, and only dirt and creepers cover it; the grass is obviously either trampled too often or it's too dark on the jungle floor for much to grow. It makes for good traveling - other than the occasional rock that sticks up through the dirt to provide a convenient tripping post.

Within minutes you've left the beach behind so far that you can't see it through the trees any longer, and now you're in the jungle proper. The paths begin to converge - and as a result, widen - and soon you come to a road that's wide enough to cause a break in the canopy above. It stretches east and west from your position, and to the east you can once again see the blazing light of Stormreach's beacon shooting up into the sky.

You make good time on the road, and before nightfall, you're within sight of the walls. It is however, fairly obvious that you won't make it there before night falls. Do you want to push ahead through the dark, or make camp and rest up?

You march through the night, and soon the moons above you cast enough light that everyone can see - if only in blacks and greys. It's only as you're about to come around the last bend in the road that you hear voices coming from up ahead. They do not sound happy. There are a few breaks in the trees, and through them, you can see a group of five or six waiting on the road, blocking the way to the main gate of Stormreach. You might be able to sneak closer to make out exactly what they're saying, but you can already get the gist of it - they're waiting for survivors of the airship. They're also brandishing weapons.

You've got a decision to make. Do you trust these people? Are they armed because of the dangers of the jungle, or are they planning to attack? Do you go to speak with them? Do you try to get past them to the gate? Do you try to find another way into the city?

From the cruel smiles that spread across the faces of those opposite her, Verin can be well-assured of two things: they were expecting someone to come, and they are decidedly there to help - themselves to your belongings.

The leader of the small group is a elven woman, and she sneers down at Verin. "Aye, we'll help you. Just dump all your valuables out on the ground and then tell us how to get to your friends and we'll make sure you get inside. Won't we boys?"

There are five brigands, three in leather and two robed, but you can't entirely discount the chance that there could be more hidden nearby. Any further observation, though, is cut short by the sound of Verin's rapier scraping out of its sheathe. The time for words and wonderings has been overtaken by a present insistent upon violence.

The elven woman draws her sword, a long curved blade, and moves in toward Verin, while the others hold back, readying ranged weapons - or in the case of the robed figures, simply dropping into a readied stance.

[ +- ] Battle Map

All at once a flurry of action breaks out, nearly at the same time for both sides, but the Morgrave students have youth on their side, and they manage to move just faster than the brigands. Verin is so fast in fact, that it's only pure luck that keeps the leader from being skewered. She manages to duck back just in time to avoid the sharp point of Verin's rapier, but luck is a fickle mistress, and it often flips sides on a whim, so as she leaps back to what should have been safety, she finds herself squarely in the way of Laaesh's crossbow bolt. Whether prediction or happenstance, it hits her in the shoulder, eliciting a growl of pain.

A the same time, Cualli moves forward* and looses a shot at the nearest archer. The action in the open covers Rythorn's secretive movement as he prepares himself to jump out at anyone who comes near. It takes less than a moment for the brigands to respond.

Unfortunately for Verin, the brigand leader's aim is slightly better than hers, and she comes out of the exchange with a nasty gash along her side. The enemy crossbowmen fire back at Cualli. Both hit, and he too is severely hurt. The only good news is that After they fire, the nearer archer moves closer to Verin, maybe to drag her away, or maybe to finish her off. At any rate, he moves close enough to Rythorn for him to be tackled.

The mages still wait, silently.

WIP

[ +- ] Battle Map

As quickly as it began, it is over - at least from the brigand's side of things. Verin's riposte strikes true, and the elven woman topples to one knee and then falls over, dead - or nearly so. With her defeat, the rest of the brigands that aren't held break ranks and flee into the jungle, completely broken.

The one brigand Rythorn has ahold of sags as the fight goes out of him. He's been abandoned, and he knows he can't win a five-on-one fight, even if the five are students.

The way to Stormreach is clear.

Lash is the only one who would recognize the tattoos both brigands have inked on their arms. Unfortunately, the exchange seems to have been too much for him.

The bandit laughs sourly. "You may have beaten us in the fight, but I'm not gonna tell you anything. You'll use whatever I give you to make sure I'm locked in jail for years. I'll take my chances with the magistrates just the way I am, thank you." And then he clamps his mouth shut. You might be able to get him to say more about what he's hinted at, but he's probably going to need some reassurances in return.

And those reassurances will have to be given quickly, because as you round the next corner, you're in visual range of the gate, and the guards manning it. If they see you dragging a prisoner, at the very least they'll come and take him off your hands.

"Fine." Still defiant, the bandit is almost proud of the chaos he's caused. "My boss is this close to taking over the entire docks, but that doesn't mean anything if people start coming in by airship. So he told us to make sure that a few airship runs had... problems. Yours makes three. I think it's the best one we've done yet."

"Screw you!"

But that's as far as he gets, because now the gate guards are upon you, and demanding to know what is going on. They pause in their demands when they see the tattoo on the man's bicep. "Oh, it's one of you! Looks like you guys got pretty lucky just now. These guys aren't really sophisticated, but it doesn't take sophistication to cause damage. You'd better come with us and give your story to the Harbormaster. He'll decide whether you can stay inside tonight."

They grab the surviving bandit and yank him to his feet, half-dragging him along behind them.

---

As you reach the gate and pass through, you're greeted with your first sight of the City of Stormreach. Stormreach's many buildings and monuments are a mishmash of new buildings amid, and atop, the ancient. Stormreach is full of broken pillars of various degrees of antiquity, though few remain standing. Those that do are significant landmarks. These snapped-off columns once supported the roofs of giants' dwellings or decorated the outsides of their temples. Now they serve other purposes. Some have been turned into watchtowers, helpful in spotting fires and directing firefighting efforts. Most, however, have suffered the fate of being quarried for stone to pave roads, patch city walls, and build new dwellings.

Above you, too, the legendary magic of Xen’drik is visible, and the faded glory of the past can still be seen. Ancient floating fortresses, mansions, and towers of past centuries. have been broken by time, war, and disaster, but remnants float in place or drift in patterns above the city, and sometimes beyond. Some of the ruins remain serviceable, albeit ramshackle, and a few wealthy citizens have claimed them for their own, patching and rebuilding them. Most, though, these floating chunks of masonry are abandoned islands until they are built upon by enterprising people. Under a few of the larger chunks, wooden homes hang perilously and are reachable by knotted ropes and ladders. The more colorful ones are due to seabird guano piling up until a stray, windblown seed germinated, creating islands of tangled plants.

Away from the chaos and business of the harbor, the city rises uphill and in from the shore. From down here it looks as if toy soldiers have come to life and settled in a ruined city, and above it all stands a great statue, staring out to sea, a beam of light shining up from its outstretched hands.

On the ground, the buildings in Stormreach look temporary: tents, huts, and overturned ships that seem as if they were thrown together on a whim. They are piled together almost haphazardly in the midst of giant-sized stairs and ruins with more normally-sized steps carved into them or linked together with rigging that would more normally be found on ships - water or air.

And then the stench hits you.

It stinks here. All harbors stink, but this—this is something special. All of Stormreach’s great sewers, pipes, and drains lead, ultimately, to the harbor. And you're right in the middle of all of it. It's a long few minutes as you're led up and away from the water.

You don't remember most of what happens over the next few hours, mostly because the cleric that came to treat your wounds put you to sleep to check you out - whether you need it or not. When you come back to consciousness, you're all in a small room that looks not too dissimilar to your dorms back at the university, just at a slightly larger scale. There are six beds here, for you and the professor, and a small bedside table with drawers for each of you, but aside from that, there's only one high window that lets in plenty of sunlight without providing a useful view and a plain wooden door.