Game Session #1: A Derelict Airship and Desperate

Below the massive hill, a Zilargo-lead excavation site works busily away. Alert guards stand uneasy, eyes darting across the tree line. Above the excavation site a small hole has been dug into the side of the hill. Claustrophobic passages, cavernous chambers, and long empty halls, an ancient ziggaraut lies buried. A remarkable find. Deep below, inside the grandest hall lies a small bowed structure cast on its side and swallowed by vast darkness. The interior faintly lit as three humanoid forms crawl about the shape of what looks to be a small ship run aground in shallow waters. Strange symbols carved into the wood and metal frame mark it as unusual but its the glinting in the dark of large rotary blades that blossom from small heavily geared towers that set the mind reeling. Two small towers in front, two in back, and one enormous tower with an equally massive set of blades set half-way between the center of the ship and the rear.

Eight days have passed since what remained of their small expedition discovered the derelict ship and for eight days they have labored. What was left of the shattered stonework of the stair now lay some 30 feet up in the air leaving them trapped. A sweat streaked goblin head pops above deck as he grabs a tiny tool belt and spends a moment assembling intricate components. With a faint whisper the magically infused gadget flares momentarily to life. With a grin the goblin dives below deck. Geekz Greatyell is hard at work repairing the derelict ship before the 2nd expeditionary team finds them. Their last encounter in Stormreach was a deadly one and the pursuit had been feverous until they lost them on the jungle trails.

A loud noise echoed from across the chamber. A human pulls himself onto the deck, his bundled cloak sliding back to reveal a lesser mark of the sentinel on one arm. It glints faintly blue in the torchlight. Strosler d'Deneith stood and lit another torch before climbing over the side of the ancient airship to investigate.

"Strossler! We're almost ready, I think." Geekz yelled from midship. Wiping large globs of grease from his forearms with a rag he grinned. The sentinel knight stopped as he straddled the rail of the ship.

"Little one," His Karnathi accent was thick and droll, "I am going to search the cave again, I don't think it is very stable. Please, try and be quiet." Strossler's gestured up at the broken stairway. "We could still have visitors at any moment yes?"

Geekz nodded then hobbled to a nearby hatch. Numerous tool belts and various bits of junk jingling as he went. Whispering loudly, "Hey Ballik, hand me that wrench over by the elemental matrix harmonizer."

"The what?!" A dwarf stepped into the light at the bottom of the ladder starring quizzically up at the excitable goblin. A grey wolf with piercing blue eyes sat silently next to Ballik and yawned.

"Uh, my wrench," Geekz bent down and leaned through the hatch, pointing. "Over there!" Ballik grunted, turned to retrieve the wrench, and then handed it up to Geekz. "Thanks!"

Strossler continued to wade through the water. The water was as chill as the stone as it lapped just above his knee. Surveying the cave at the back end of the chamber he could see parts of it already lay collapsed or crumbling. Only a narrow passage funneled the water deeper into the bedrock. Strossler climbed through the muck. Poking absently at the root-strewn ceiling, he sighed. A low rumble began that grew louder until it shook the entire cave. Slipping in mud, Strossler dived down the tunnel as dirt and stone poured from the ceiling above.

"Strossler!" Geekz, cupping his hands, stood at the bow of the ship with Ballik. Both squinted and blinked at the sudden light. Shafts of daylight struck the water at the far end of the chamber through the haze of settling dirt and shot reflecting rays all across the magnificent chamber. Strossler struck water again as he stumbled out, coughing and waving his now extinguished torch. It wasn't long before the sound of surprised workers could be heard, a single surprised looking gnomish surveyer shouted before ducking out of sight. Strossler cursed as he quickly turned to wade back to the ship.

"We're going to have company!" Strossler shouted. Ballik stood at the bow of the ship while. Geekz turned to run towards the back of the ship where the controls and massive great wheel stood, still dull and silent.

"At least we have a way out now!" Geekz laughed. Abruptly he stopped and cocked his head, hearing a peculiar whistling sound. A large crossbow bolt blasted into a nearby railing splintering the wood and causing Geekz to roll backwards with a loud yelp.

"Its the expedition!" Ballik shouted. The dwarf turned, whispering in ancient draconic, as a spark of flame erupted in one palm as the spell soon engulfed the rest of his hand. Scanning the darkness, Ballik spotted his wolf companion at the stern of the ship growling up at the broken stairs. "Up there!"

Backs lit by torchlight, three men stood reloading their crossbows. Strossler leapt from the water to grab at a rope and began climbing, his wet boots squeaking against the side of the ship. Geekz crawled to the controls and stood. He began mashing buttons and pulling levers in a sequence that would drive the insane mad.

Volleys of crossbow bolts skittered across the deck as Ballik whipped bolts of flame, tagging the occasional attacker and sending them tumbling to the waters below. Strossler now stood with bow in hand on the deck of the ship and casually knocked an arrow. A robed man now stood at the bottom of the broken stair as searing darts streaked unerringly through the intervening darkness and slammed into Strossler. With gritted teeth he straightened, sighted along the arrow, and with an inquisatorial oath magic flowed into the air as it fired. The robed man's casting went suddenly silent as the arrow protruded from his chest. Tumbling down the stair the robed body knocked a crossbowmen down, sending the pair falling into the chill waters below.

The screeching of gears long held locked and of shearing metal penetrated the battle causing all to cover their ears in pain. The two pairs of small rotary blades began turning slowly. Ballik grinned as he lifted his boot from a now slightly bent lever.

"See, I"m helping." Ballik said. Geekz grimaced and stared up at the large rotary blade still unmoving. He couldn't help but think that seemed bad somehow. As Geekz pulled the main lever for thrust the main tower of gears that held the giant rotary blades aloft began turning followed by the staccatto burst of breaking metal. The massive blades shuddered to a stop.

"Oh no!" Geekz stared upwards and could see a cover plate for the joining axel had broken free and now lodged itself high above. Spitting on both hands he turned and began climbing the tower of gears, columns, and plates.

Strossler and Ballik continued their fire upon the stair but the men retreated. A few moments later the sound of heavy steps echoed in the chamber. Between the stones in the ceiling dust sifted down and the crossbow fire began anew. Crouched behind the rails Ballik and Strossler tried to provide covering fire to a struggling Geekz prying a sheet of twsisted metal from the inner workings of the rotary blade. Again, shearing metal squeeled and the massive blades began turning. Geekz held on as his purchase began spinning. Now the stair above shuddered and crack as the men quickly retreated. Warforged marched solidly down the stone stair until it crumbled and they tumbled into the water. A single massive fist punched through the upper stair and began dislodging the stone.

"Ahhhhhh!" Geekz spun about until he let go and tumbled to the deck below, striking the planking and rolling several feet. Strossler stood by Geekz and helped the stunned goblin to stand.

"Can you get this crate in the air Geekz?"

"Yea," The goblin swayed, "You bet." Strossler turned the goblin towards the upper deck and gave him a helpful shove. Geekz scrambled back to the controls. Ballik step forward to help but Geekz turned to stop him.

"No more helping!"

The frame of the ancient airship shuddered to life as it right itself in the water. The spinning rotary blades stirred the old air and created rippling waves as it began to lift out of the water. More warforged tumbled down, those that had fallen now stood and marched forward against the spray of wind and water.

"Go, go!" Strossler shouted as he loosed a final arrow before nearly falling to the deck as the ship jerked free. The airship rose rapidly into the air. Geekz gurgled in panic as he fell heavily atop a far lever. Ballik grimaced as he wrapped one leg around a rail and held onto his wolf with one arm. The top of the main blades sparked as they smashed and ricocheted off the ceiling of the chamber. The airship leveled off and dived towards the sunlit opening, a frightened grin splitting Geekz' face. The bow of the ship dove into the waters one last time, spraying either side of the opening as it whooshed out. Rotary blades spun dirt, debris, and grass in all directions as the airship cleared the opening and shot out into open air.

Below, warforged stood in the water watching expressionless amidst the collapsing stone. As the airship cleared the opening and soared over the open grass of the hill a small procession of workers and surveyors stopped in shock. Several of the conscripted locals fell to the ground in fear and worship at the sight of it.

Geekz steered the airship out over the jungle as it listed slightly to port. A nonfunctional rotary engine hung from one side where it was haphazardly secured by a series of ropes and pulleys. With some trepidation, Strossler leaned over the railing and wondered if they would stay aloft or not. Oblivious to his concerns, Geekz' face was split wide in a joyous grin, both hands wrapped around the great wheel. Face held skyward, he kicked a lever and nudged a second as the airship climbed higher.

Ballik shook his head in wonderment as a trilling parrot soared past, just below them. His wolf companion, tail between his legs, sniffed the air warily. The dwarf stood next to his friend to comfort him.

Deciding that if they were going to fall there was nothing he could do about it, Strossler made a harness from some rope and looped it about a nearby column. Ballik came over and helped secure it. Wind whipping about him, Strossler kicked over the side and hung in the air. Walking himself alongside the hull of the ship he surveyed the damage. It was extensive but the frame was still intact at least.

Ballik helped Strossler back onto the deck. Geekz howled in oblivious delight as he nudged another lever. The ship now flew pretty high and the jungle below was a green matt with whispy tendrils of fog in low spots. In the distance, mountains rose on either side of a large fog-shrouded valley.

Suddenly, the rotary blades at the bow sparked and flared with elemental energy and then spun to a powerless stop. Geekz' smile disappeared. A growling wolf began sliding across the deck as the nose of the airship dipped alarmingly downward. Strossler and Balik again reached for purchase...