Kidnapers Ransomed (17-18 Patchwall 586 OY, 7/13/99 RL) In the morning, Camen, Axel, and Fingle are awakened by the repair work on the Dardak, then manage to escape the tinker-gnome curtains. Mojo and Jos decide to sleep in. A man, who later reveals his name as "Krajen" Joe, with a vertical scar through his left eye approaches the ship and hail the crew on deck. He claims to represent the Shadow's Edge and that a helmsman named Axel has jumped ship and has been rumored to be on the Dardak. Joe offers 100 g.p. if Axel is turned over, but Fingle and Camen disavow any knowledge of him.

Shortly thereafter an urn-like ship traveling in the gravity plane of Bral approaches the Dardak. It is a Landing Spider (the same class of ship seen back in "Another Night Watch.") On deck is a loaded ballista, "Krajen" Joe, a stooped figure in a dark robe, and a goblin. The spider draws alongside and Joe demands Axel be turned over. To bolster his claim, he points out the squad of goblins arrayed on the dock. Camen tries to load their own ballista, while Fingle severs the mooring lines for a possible getaway. The stooped figure, who later names himself as Fade, casts a spell on Fingle and Camen that paralyzes them as Joe orders the goblins aboard the Dardak. Axel dashes into the foredeck cabin where the helm is located. Some goblins tie up Fingle and Camen, while others get lost in the curtained hold, and a few more chase Axel. When these open the hatch to get him, he blasts them with Magic Missiles. Meanwhile, the ballista on the spider mysteriously explodes, injuring those on deck there.

Joe, Fade, and some goblins gather above the foredeck hatch. As they begin to rush Axel, Fingle and Camen's paralysis goes away. Fade summons a cloud of darkness around the hatch as cover for the goblins who open it and clamber down. Just as they are about to seize Axel, he casts a spell and takes on the form of a wraith. The sight of this wraith rising from the hold shakes the morale of the goblins, stuns Joe, and puzzles Fade. Fade calls upon the power of Nerull to command the wraith, but to no avail. Camen manages to convince the goblin guarding him that the only way to escape this undead menace is to free him and flee, and the goblin complies. Fade's robe begins to smolder and burn, and he is forced to conjure some water to extinguish it. Freed, Camen charges the foredeck and pins Fade's foot with his spear. Fingle frees himself and charges and Axel drops the Wraithform and together the 3 quickly incapacitate Joe and Fade. During the melee, most of the remaining goblins escape to the landing spider through a broken window in the foredeck cabin.

Afterwards, the tinker gnomes emerge from their hiding place in the tail section and return to work. Some dock guards show up, complain about the commotion, and leave. The PCs spend some time recuperating and interrogating Joe. He claims to be working for Captain Lewin of the Shadow's Edge, or possibly someone else. He also says that Attilo at Utnapishtim's can get together a ransom for him. During this time another investor shows up to buy two shares in the company.

Wanting some safe spot to rest, they sail out into space. On the way, they are intercepted by one of Bral's sailing wreckboat patrol ships, the Tongs of Doom and fined 136 g.p. for leaving dock without filing a flight plan. The gnomes come up with a quick fix for the still detached tail section: use the aft two legs of the Dardak as a splint to hold it in place. They accomplish this and turn their attentions to the steam-driven wing articulation system. Camen, Fingle, and Axel come up with a plan to ransom their roguish prisoners.

The ship returns to dock at Bral and somehow manage to get through the customs inspection. While Axel stays aboard to compose a ransom note, Fingle and Camen go "ashore" on errands. Camen buys monks' robes and rents a room at the run-down Lily Blossom Boarding House. He returns to the ship and, with the help of Jos, carries the prisoners there, posing them as meditating pilgrims. Meanwhile, Fingle goes to find a courier but has no idea how. He runs into an old "friend", who among other things, points out an urchin to hire. Despite the kid's rudeness, Fingle brings him to the ship. The kid is promptly sent off to Utnapishtim's.

The plan for that night is to have the "bagman" walk in a loop in the streets of Bral, wearing indigo gullion feathers to identify him. Camen waits in a tavern along the route, Axel (disguised in monk's robes) waits on a street corner, and Fingle hangs out in a market square. Then Fingle spots the bagman and tails him. They pass by Axel's position, and Axel sees that Fingle seems to being followed himself by a dwarf and a male human, both tough looking. Axel falls in to follow the parade. He sends a magical message to Camen, though the content is garbled. But Camen is alerted that something strange is happening. He comes out onto the street, sees the bagman approaching, and they go to an alley to exchange the room key for a bag of coins. Camen slips down the alley. The two tails go to follow him, then change their minds and turn to follow Fingle. The capering Fingle is easy to tail for a while, until he handily scales a building and loses them. The 3 conspirators return to the Dardak and divide up their loot.
 
Last modified: Wed Jul 21 17:03:54 MDT