Session 7 They're Not Pirates—Part 1
Crowswood Place
While Arti lies dormant in Hadley’s workshop, their memories become clearer as they begin to dream. A dense purple fog clouds their vision as they lie on stone cold ground. A diminutive figure approaches and crouches over them. The face of Glimback Toestubber fills their vision, tears in his eyes, his cheeks ruddy and weathered.
“I’m so sorry, boy. I’ll be back for you, I promise.”
Glimback to Arti.
Unable to move, Arti sees Glimback lift the magical lantern from their chest and dart back into the Miasma. He and a group of six or more Crows are being pursued by harrowing inhuman sounds. As Glimback moves away with the lantern, so does its sphere of influence, and Arti’s vision is eventually consumed by the Miasma.
The next face Arti sees is unfamiliar, incomplete even. Within the confines of the dream Arti can only register an abnormally tall, lanky figure with long greasy hair that covers the left half of their green-tinted face. Arti is unsure how much time has passed since Glimback left. The dream visitor looms over them and taps the alcove in their chest with long spindly fingers.
“What have we here? Don’t worry, little one. I’ll take care of you.”
Dream Visitor to Arti.
Arti is woken suddenly by Hadley; they have been asleep for almost two days. Hadley explains that she is hesitant to remove the magical fibres binding Arti’s chest in case her plan to construct a new heart fails. Instead, she suggests Arti attempts to attune to one of her lantern flails; a weapon fashioned much in the same way as Arti’s heart. If they succeed, they can be confident a new heart would work.
Hadley takes her leave so that Arti may use the workshop at their leisure. No matter how hard they try, they cannot attune to the flail. After an hour, Arti examines the room. Amongst gadgets and poultices, Arti finds Hadley’s job board which lists several familiar names who have assigned tasks to Hadley. This gives Arti an idea. Perhaps they might find the strange figure in their dream in the Commission’s records.
Arti makes their way to the main hall and is perplexed for a moment by the large engraved map of the Relief on the centre table. They approach and find where they exited the Miasma a fortnight ago. They take Corvus’s dagger and begin to etch what they remember into the map. Hadley and the other Crows gather around, astonished by the pioneering images of what lies beyond the Miasma.
While the Crows examine Arti’s work, the warforged consults Hadley once more. She is kind enough to help Arti review the Commission’s register in hopes they might recognise the figure from their dreams. Arti recognises several faces from their dream, all marked missing. The strange figure is not among them. With a renewed sense of duty, Arti questions Hadley about the dangers of the Miasma.
“The Miasma has tides, much like the ocean. By the time of the spring equinox on Inceptum 1st, it’ll be as far out west as it’ll go. That’s when we’ll go if—and only if—we’re ready.”
“There is another way to traverse the Miasma.”
Lathraia eavesdrops on Hadley.
Lathraia confides in Arti his plan for traversing the Miasma. While Hadley’s lantern flails can disperse the Miasma in a limited radius, his own experiments have allowed him to infuse his blood with the Miasma itself, making him immune. Arti’s keen insight tells them that this is a dangerous ritual, which is likely why Adelaide has forbidden it.
Firien, Blythe, Gomruss, Guy and Bantonio return to Crowswood Place and reunite with Arti. Over a hearty evening meal, Bantonio encourages Arti to draw the figure from their dream. Though the drawing is convincing, no one recognises the figure. Blythe and Gomruss visit Crowswood’s library. While Gomruss pesters Subira for books on graviturgy, Blythe steals a volume of Knowen and Witana’s Encyclopedia so she can cut out the letters and create an anonymous apology for Constable Denover.
Meanwhile, Arti asks Hadley if they can see Glimback’s room. Inside, Arti discovers numerous portraits of Glimback’s friends and adventures, several unfinished gadgets and mechanical toys, and even the technical drawings for their warforged form. The technical drawings are signed by Glimback Toestubber, Hadley Pinchbrew and two names Arti does not recognise; Zephan Calligo and Eureka Midnight. Arti is unable to find Glimback’s diary; he must have taken it with him on the expedition.
996, Roscidas 16th
The next morning, the party are taken by surprise when Constable Denover makes an early appearance. The constable recognises Casey Closed but—fortunately for Blythe—seems to consider the matter of his stolen badge closed. The morning weather provides light wind and rain, making gliding somewhat difficult. Denover therefore recommends mounting the gliders on Tuperk’s balloon, and descending to the pirate hideout from a shorter distance.
Skies West of Fundus
“Oh ever since I was an egg I wanted to be a singer!”
Tuperk indulges Bantonio’s curiosity.
Tuperk’s balloon is small enough to go unchecked by the zip-pirates on the earthmote below. Spying the pirates’ balloon through a natural skylight into the grove below, the party realise they could take the pirates by surprise with some keen gliding. For luck, Guy requests one of Tuperk’s feathers to replace the broken one in his hat. Protective of his beautiful orange crest, the aarakocra instead plucks a larger white feather from his behind. Guy happily stuffs this into his hat. The party then mount their gliders and Tuperk pulls the lever to release them!
The party spiral down, battling the weather, and are skilful enough to dive safely through the skylight. Firien is the first to land, deliberately crashing their glider into the pirate captain, knocking him prone. Blythe casts a fog cloud around the pirates’ loot-laden balloon, concealing it. Gomruss spots the pirate closest to him drop a heavy chest of treasure. With a burst of graviturgy, Gomruss launches the chest into the air, narrowing missing the pirate’s chin. Guy spots another pirate race towards the wolf cage, intent on releasing them. He brandishes his pistol, aims and fires! His pistol misfires, causing a plume of black smoke to cover his face in soot. The pirate successfully releases the wolves and they charge towards the party.
Firien pins the pirate captain to the floor with their boot, demanding they surrender, but the captain manages to twist the dragonborn’s ankle and topple them! Firien winces as the captain lands a successful blow with his scimitar, but quickly retaliates by sending a shock of lightning through the captain’s weapon! Seeing their friend in danger, Arti charges towards the pirates’ balloon and cuts away one of the four ropes connecting the balloon to the cabin. The balloon bulges under the loosened netting, threatening to float away.
“What are you doing!? You’ll strand us all here!”
Pirate Captain to Arti.