Stormwraith Under Fire

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What happened

The party departs Mireholm aboard the Stormwraith and heads toward Sylvara to find Elyndor Faelithil. The Golden Minotaur Guild ambushes the ship with two airships and orders the attackers to capture the party alive.

The Stormwraith takes cannon fire, loses an engine, and catches part of the deck on fire. Mruno uses Major Image to spoof the engine locations. Rhogar pilots through the attack, drops the anchor to disrupt boarders, and uses his breath weapon against the enemy mage.

Roland and Valen operate weapons, Grenak defends the deck in a rage, and the party repels the boarders. One attacker survives long enough to confirm that the Guild is working under a paid capture contract. The Stormwraith survives with damage and continues toward Sylvara.

Departure for Sylvara

After resting in Mireholm, the party agrees to travel to Sylvara and seek Elyndor Faelithil's help understanding the red crystals. The Stormwraith departs with Rhogar at the helm and the full active party aboard:

Grenak Goateater

Rhogar Skyscale

Valen Silverpalm

Mruno Bars

Roland Blackstone

Reese remains missing after the shrine portal event.

The ambush

A black-flagged airship appears behind the Stormwraith. A second ship approaches from another direction, revealing that the Guild has planned a coordinated attack.

The enemy ships open fire. Cannon impacts strike the aft portion of the Stormwraith, damaging one crystal engine and starting fires across the deck.

The ship's countermeasures

Mruno casts Major Image to create false engine positions and draw enemy fire away from the actual weak points. Rhogar executes a sharp turn that uses the sun to blind the attackers, then drops toward treetop altitude to break their line of fire.

Roland and Valen work the ship's guns and bows. Grenak rages and prepares for boarding combat. The Stormwraith uses its movement and illusion defenses to stay airborne while the enemy ships reposition.

The boarding attempt

Boarders drop lines from the overpassing enemy ship. Rhogar drops the Stormwraith's anchor to bring the ship to an abrupt stop. The maneuver disrupts the attackers' timing; some miss their landings, while three boarders reach the deck.

The sudden stop also creates danger for the party and crew, but it prevents a larger boarding force from arriving together.

The deck fight

The enemy mage casts Fireball, setting part of the deck ablaze. The party scatters and counters while trying to prevent the fire from destroying the ship.

Rhogar lines up the enemy captain and mage and uses his lightning breath to strike the caster. The mage is badly damaged or killed, removing the most dangerous area-effect threat.

Valen and Roland focus on the feather-hatted enemy captain. Grenak lands repeated brutal hits and helps overwhelm the captain. The party repels the boarders and prevents them from taking control of the ship.

“Either we win or we go to hell, boys.”
— Roland

The capture order

One Golden Minotaur Guild attacker survives long enough to be captured and questioned. The attacker confirms that the orders were to attack the Stormwraith and capture the party alive.

The order was not a response to trespassing or a spontaneous confrontation. Someone paid the Guild to seize the party. The employer is not identified during the interrogation.

Aftermath

The Stormwraith breaks contact and stabilizes its altitude. One aft crystal engine is damaged, and part of the deck is scorched, but the ship remains airworthy.

The party continues toward Sylvara. Billy Bumbler's red mark remains a concern, and the Guild's capture contract confirms that the party's enemies are organized and resourced.