World of the Sky

World of the Sky

A fictional transcript of a tabletop adventure

Stuart Hwang

Copyright © 2025 by Stuart Hwang

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Book Cover by Jen Guberman

First Edition 2025

I dedicate this book to my cousin, Krystina Mi-Young Ritchie.

Without you, I would've never given this story a second chance.

Thank you, truly.

Table of Contents

Preface

Before Session 1

Session 1

1.The party

2.Splitting the party

3.Getting along with Draug

4.The party reunites

5.It's Mutiny time!

6.End of Session 1

Session 2

7.The Mercenary Hub Fleet

8.Exploring the Orphelion

9.A date with hats

10.Tangling with the merchants

11.Grape wine

12.A friend's bounty

13.The way of fire

14.One with the wind

15.The basics

16.The chase begins!

17.Race to escape

18.Fall

19.Remember that note?

20.End of Session 2

Session 3

21.Still alive

22.Recovery

23.Complications

24.In the armory

25.Jumping ship

26.Firepower

27.Guilt

28.Clash on the tug

29.End of Session 3

Session 4

30.New ship, new crew

31.Stowaways

32.Reunion

33.Taking charge

34.Another reunion

35.Back to the other mutiny

36.Honesty

37.Double reunion!

38.Getting help

39.A little detour

40.Facing the traitors

41.The Co-Captains take Co-Command

42.And with the storm comes thunder

43.End of Session 4

Session 5

44.Through the storm

45.Knives here, knives there, knives everywhere

46.Let's check on the other tug!

47.Chaos on the deck

48.A new captain

49.Let's start unsplitting the party

50.One last song

51.Co-Captains Unite!

52.Calm at last

53.End of Session 5

Session 6

54.The Red Behemoth

55.Moping around

56.Memory

57.The Master's Brother

58.A visit to the prison

59.The Envoy

60.The next day

61.Suspicions

62.The Inner Prison

63.New skills

64.Checking in on the prisoners

65.Endless Density

66.Fixing up the coat

67.Revelations

68.Old tales

69.Date night

70.End of Session 6

Session 7

71.Revenge

72.Busting back in

73.Rematches

74.Boss battle

75.All out of options

76.An explosive escape!

77.All out of options... again

78.Making plans

79.Team Seduction Tactics

80.End of Session 7

Session 8

81.A chance to plan

82.Boarding Party!

83.Breaking Point

84.The Other Two Idiots

85.Re-evaluating the situation

86.Plans were made, time for a long fall

87.The visitor

88.Keeping the crew alive

89.Triple Agent Spy Doctor

90.Planning the last plan

91.Explosion

92.Enemy

93.Showdown

Session 9

94.A Roll Between Life and Death

95.Aftermath

96.Truce

97.Loose Ends

98.Last Words

99.Departure

100.End of Session 9

Afterword

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Preface

This is a story about a group of players diving headfirst into a tabletop adventure. A narrator called DM – the Dungeon Master – describes the scene, and the players roleplay their characters reacting to the situation. While it is not based off an actual roleplay adventure, it certainly has its influences.

There are three players in this story: Lilah, Charles, and Travis. Each of them voices their own character. All other characters are voiced by the DM. If you see a block of narration surrounded in asterisks with no tag, it’s read out by the DM.

Throughout the story, players roll a 20-sided die to determine the outcome of an action. Every roll was made by rolling an actual 20-sided die during the writing process.

No rolls were rigged, and no dice were harmed in the making of this story.

Before Session 1

At the table…

DM: Everyone ready?

Lilah: Ready as I’ll ever be… I think.

Travis: You still haven’t told us anything about this setting, DM. My character doesn’t even have a background story-

Charles: Who cares, let’s get this party started!

DM: You’ll find out as we go, Travis. Let us begin!

Session 1

Prisoners

Chapter 1

The party

*Lilah, let’s start with you. You are a Dwarf with fair skin, purple eyes, and golden hair, with a pair of twin braids in your beard. You don’t quite know where you hail from; all you remember is your name is Muria Fenrir. As you gather your bearings, a throbbing pain knocks from inside of your skull.

A damp, cool breeze brushes past as you come to your senses. Faded light filters through uneven gaps in the wide planks surrounding you. Your only exit is a locked cage door… if you can figure out how to get it open.*

Muria: (Uhh, I’m starting off in a prison? This… isn’t what I expected.)

DM: (Fret not, you won’t be here forever.)

Muria: (Okay. I’ll… give it a chance.)

Umm, is there a way out from here? Maybe a weak point.

DM: *You look around and you notice the door’s hinges are out of alignment. Alternatively, you could try to slip through the inch-wide gaps between the walls, provided you’re willing to flatten yourself out.*

Muria: (Can I really do that?)

DM: (Well, we may need to crush you out a bit, but if you don’t mind dying-)

Muria: (No… thanks. I think I’ll stick with the door.)

Can I break it down?

DM: Probably. Would you like to describe your action? Give it some flair, perhaps.

Muria: Okay! Umm… I move back as far as I can, and then I charge forward and ram the door! Like that?

DM: Good, yes! Now, to see if you succeed or not, roll a d20, and add your Power stat to the result.

Muria: (My Power stat?)

DM: (Yeah, look at your Stats sheet. See where Power is listed?)

Muria: (I see it. It says I have -1.)

DM: (Right, so roll that 20-sided die – we call that a d20 – tell me what it rolled, and list your Power stat. Total them together for the result.)

Muria: (Okay!)

I rolled a 5. My Power says -1, so in total, I got a 4.

DM: *You try to slam through it, but with the limited space in here, you can’t get enough momentum. You bounce off the door and fall to the ground.*

Muria: (Ugh, that door’s a doozy.)

*As you consider alternatives to legally murdering a door, your ears perk up to muffled chatter and footsteps from the rotted ceiling above. Through the gaps in the cage door, you see a tall staircase on the other side of the room. From atop it, a hatch creaks open.

Meandering down the steps appears a scraggly, grey-skinned Orc lady clothed in layers of scraps. She reaches the bottom, then turns your way. Her face is rather dry and splotchy, and she looks at you with faded green eyes.*

Muria: Uhh, I give her a friendly wave?

DM: *The Orc lady slowly approaches your cell from the other side. When she gets right up, she draws a shiv and holds it up to a ray of light to inspect its jagged edge.*

Muria: Oh, that’s not good. Is there anything I can defend myself with in here?

DM: *You don’t have anything on you, but above you, there’s a half-rotted plank hanging from the ceiling. Though, as a Dwarf, you may have trouble reaching it.*

Muria: Hmm, can I jump for it? Maybe with the right positioning…

DM: *As you prepare to jump, the Orc opens her mouth, and a slow, scratchy voice escapes her throat.*

Orc: Wot’s that ruckus yor makin’ down here?

Muria: I… go for the jump!

DM: Roll your Speed stat, beat a 12.

Muria: 8 this time, and my Speed is +2. Total of 10.

DM: *You jump up and your stubby fingertips graze the plank! But it’s not enough…*

Muria: (Ugh, this dice is getting on my nerves…)

DM: *The Orc takes a moment to parse what you just did, then aims her shiv at you.*

Orc: Hey… don’t go wreckin’ the ship now. It’s already bad ’nuff as is!

Muria: (Did she just say… ship? As in a boat?)

DM: (You could ask.)

Muria: Okay, then… I ask her about the ship!

DM: (Would you like to describe how you’re asking?)

Muria: (Oh, yes I would!)

I clear my throat [ahem], I stand up prim and proper, and I address her,

Excuse me, Miss, but did you just say ship? What ship are we on?

DM: (Ah, I just meant the words, but that works, too.)

She stares at you blankly, blinking twice, then taps her head with the flat of her blade a few times.

Orc: Did yew… hit yer head?

Muria: Uhh, well I did awaken with a headache, so yes. Yes I did!

Orc: Hmm… alright. Oi’ll show ye then. You’d best not be thinkin’ o’ stayin’ out fer too long, ye hear?

Muria: (Is she letting me out of the cell?)

DM: (Possibly. But first, you’re not the only one in these cells.)

*In the cell next to Muria’s, we have our next player character, Charles! You play as Grokkus Grok, a green-skinned Orc with a classy disposition, wavy black hair atop your head, and eyes brimming with a golden sheen.

Somehow, despite your caged state, you’re wearing a dusty button-up suit with long sleeves and dress pants for the occasion. Where you got it from, you have no idea.*

Grokkus: (Clearly, I got it from a party, where else?)

DM: (I… suppose you did.)

Grokkus: (Yeah, dude!)

So, did I hear any of what just went on?

DM: *Indeed you did. You woke up right when the Orc lady appeared, and assume your prison cell is just like Muria’s. Well, minus the hanging plank.*

Grokkus: (Oh-hoh, sounds like that lady Orc just needs a dash of my charms to brighten her day!)

I turn myself in her direction and bow gracefully as I present my noble self.

DM: Graceful, eh? Roll your Influence stat, beat a 10.

Grokkus: You got it! I rolled a 12, my Influence is +4, and uhh… my sheet says I’ve got Charm. Is that a special move I can do?

DM: Ah, that’s a Skill. If you have a relevant Skill to add to the situation, that will be an extra +2 bonus. And I’d say Charm is quite relevant here.

Grokkus: Alright! So 12, +4, and +2, for a total of… carry the 1…

Muria: … Do you need help?

Grokkus: Nope, I got it, it’s 18! I think.

DM: *Despite your questionable math skills, you successfully pull her attention over to you, with a swivel in your step and a golden charm in your eyes.*

Grokkus: (Why, of course I do, it’s only natural!)

Now, I’ll use my deep voice and call out to her in my… charming ways.

Lady, if you’d be so kind as to get us out of these cells, I’d be more than happy to show you around, with all the wonders in the world!

Muria: (Umm, isn’t it her ship? Why would you show her around?)

Grokkus: (Relaaax, I know my way around a shiv.)

DM: *The Orc lady pauses. Then, she takes the shiv, stabs it into your cage door, and twists the blade till you hear a click. Your cell opens, Grokkus. She moves to the next one and opens your cell as well, Muria. The Orc then turns back to Grokkus, moving her lips to form a slight, forced smile.*

Orc: Heheh. Alright. Lead the way!

Muria: Can I try to grab that loose plank over my head again?

DM: Yes, roll Speed, beat an 11 this time.

Muria: 16, with +2!

DM: *With the hope of escape now available, you leap up with new determination. You latch onto the plank and pull it down!*

Muria: Good! I use it to whack the Orc lady across the back of her head!

DM: *Before the Orc has a chance to react, you dash out of the cell, swinging the plank with all your might!*

Roll Power!

Muria: 12, with -1.

DM: *Although you’re half her height, you manage to catch the Orc lady with a solid blow to the back of her head, knocking her out! She collapses to the ground, dropping the shiv in the process.*

Muria: (Yes!)

Grokkus: (Aww, you knocked the Orc lady out. I was gonna ask her out.)

Muria: (I didn’t want her sluggish legs in front of our tour of the ship. I deal with enough of that in real life.)

I trade the plank for her shiv. She won’t mind.

Grokkus: (Well, I’d prefer a more guided tour. Guess I’ll ask out the next lady we come across!)

DM: (A reminder, Grokkus, we’re playing a game, not a dating simulator.)

Grokkus: (Buuut I can ask people out, right? I got that Charm skill, yeah?)

DM: (I… suppose. Muria, are you fine with it?)

Muria: (As long as he doesn’t try to ask me out.)

Grokkus: (No need, cause we’re already a party, baby!)

Muria: (Can I shank him?)

DM: (Well, the shiv may be a measly weapon, but it’s quite effective, especially when applied to the jugular.)

Grokkus: (Okay okay, buds, I won’t make ya party.)

Sooo… what else is here, other than the cells?

DM: *Using ship directions… let’s see, your cells are on the port side. The staircase is to the starboard side, uhh-*

Muria: (Erm, port and starboard, which ones are those?)

DM: (Port is left, starboard is right.)

Muria: (Right. Err… forgive me, your right or my right?)

DM: (My uhh… think of it this way. Port is west, starboard is east. Trying this again…)

*The staircase is to the starboard side. On the forward wall, there’s a door hanging off its hinges for dear life, and on the aft wall, there’s a locked door, which looks surprisingly sturdy.

Over to the port side, there’s a trio of shabby prison cells. Two of them are now empty, thanks to your escape. The third cell, however, contains one more fellow, who’s just now coming around. Speaking of which…

To our last player, Travis, welcome to the party! You are Silva Wildheart, a male Elf with a suntan, piercing green eyes, and silky brown hair that stretches down your back. You’ve got ruffled leggings and a loose tan uniform with the sleeves ripped out, showing off your buff arms.*

Silva: I take in my surroundings and glance over to the other two escapees, silently judging them.

Where is this place?

Muria: (Didn’t you hear? We’re on a ship!)

Silva: (My character just woke up and does not know this.)

DM: (In her defense, you’re the only experienced player here. These two are newbies.)

Silva: (Swell.)

Fine then, I knock on the cage door.

Let me out.

Grokkus: (Ooh, ooh, let me do it!)

I give a mean swagger over to his cell, then give him a big ol’ welcoming party!

Of course, matey! We were prisoners, once, long ago, not but five minutes. But now we’re set free, a party of one, to adventure the cosmos!

Silva: (… You’re not a roleplayer, are you?)

Grokkus: (Sure I am! I roleplay as the dandy guy I am! What other role is there to play?)

Silva: (On second thought, leave me here, I’m not dealing with this person.)

Muria: [sigh] Here, I’ll get it. I shiv the door and twist. Is that right?

DM: *You try it, and the cell door opens.*

Muria: I extend out my other hand.

Name’s Muria Fenrir. I don’t know who this Orc ninny is-

Grokkus: It’s Grokkus, baby!

Muria: -but I’m not sure I care. What’s your name?

Silva: I stand up, towering over my Dwarven companion at nearly twice the height, then return her handshake with a firm grip.

I’m Silva Wildheart, and I don’t take kindly to ninnies either.

Grokkus: A Wildheart, eh? Why, I bet you have the heart of a-

Silva: I walk over to him and immediately grab him by the throat.

DM: Alright, roll Power, beat a… Grokkus, what’s your highest Physical stat?

Grokkus: Well, it says here that I’ve got +1 Power and +1 Speed, but my heart says-

DM: Beat an 11, Silva.

Silva: 17, with +3.

*Grokkus, despite the prowess of your Orc body and your wide neck, your strong Elf pal takes one stride forward, and with a single hand, he effortlessly lifts your whole body by your throat. You find yourself unable to finish your horrible pun through his stranglehold.*

Silva: "Tell you what. You can be your friendly self to anyone else we meet. But don’t you play with me. Got it?"

Grokkus: Chill man, relaaax-

DM: (You know you can’t speak right now, right?)

Grokkus: (I’m speaking from the heart!)

Silva: I let him feel the pain a bit more.

Muria: T-to be fair, he did help convince the Orc lady to let us out.

Silva: … Fine.

I drop him.

DM: *Grokkus, you drop to the floor, frantically catching your breath before recovering.*

Grokkus: Nice to meetcha, too, ya muscly lunkhead. The name’s Grokkus Grok!

Silva: (You’re kidding, that’s your full name?)

Grokkus: (An Orc’s gotta stay classy, my friend!)

Silva: (By god, I hope your character is killed off early.)

Muria: Erm, you mentioned a hatch at the top of the staircase. Can I take a look up there?

DM: *Through the ambient light, you take a gander up there, but before you can continue, you hear the faint padding of footsteps. Not from above, but towards the forward wall, on the other side of the door.*

Muria: (Uhh, what should we do?)

Grokkus: (Just leave it to me! I’ll get whoever it is to join our party!)

Silva: (Good, we can use them to replace you.)

Muria: (If you two keep this up, I’m leaving you both.)

Grokkus: (Now now, no need to leave the party, we’re just getting started!)

Silva: (Can I strangle him yet?)

*The door creaks open, and a groggy eyed Human stumbles out, also clothed in layers of scraps. And unlike the Orc lady, he’s got a full sheathed sword by his side. He rubs his eyes, looks at you three, then at the prison guard you knocked out, then back up. His eyes widen fast.*

Human: H-hey, HEY YEW!

Silva: I pick up that plank from before, then rush him.

DM: (Remind me, didn’t you wake up after the plank shenanigans?)

Silva: (Well, clearly I looked around and saw it, right?)

DM: (… Very well.)

Roll Speed, beat a 12, since you’re grabbing the plank first.

Silva: 6, with +2.

DM: *You try to run over, but as you grab the plank, you trip and stumble over the unconscious Orc lady, falling to the ground.*

Muria: Uhh, oh I’ve got a shiv! I hold it up towards that Human fellow, and I say,

Quiet! You make o-one move, and I’ll… use this!

DM: Muria, roll Influence, beat a 10.

Muria: 20! I got a 20! And +1!

DM: Congrats on your first Nat 20!

Muria: A Nat 20?

DM: Stands for Natural 20″, or a critical hit" in some systems. It means something better than usual happens. That said…

*You hold your shiv steady and stare up at the Human straight in the eyes, your stance firm. With your command of silence, the man freezes up, and he’s unable to meet your ferocity. He emits a low whimper and slowly kneels to the ground, then takes the sword sheathed at his side and tosses it to the ground towards you, raising his hands.*

Human: [quietly] Okay, lass. Just… take it easy, I don’t mean no harm.

Muria: (Woah. I like 20‘s!)

I grin back at him, and I lower the shiv.

Good, that’s good. We’re not here to hurt you. Right, Silva?

Silva: Once I recover to my feet, I pick up the plank but keep it to the side. I take a few steps towards him, slowly, letting the fear set in as I lower my gaze on him.

Tell us what we need to know.

DM: *He bows to the ground in a pitiful state, whimpering for his safety.*

Human: A-a-alright! I’ll tell ya anythin’, please! Just spare me life!

Silva: Then, tell us. Where-

Grokkus: Never fear, Grokkus is here!

I swing on over to the ol’ fella, latch an arm around his poor ol’ shoulders, and lift him up!

What’s yer name, buddy?

Silva: (This one’s mine. Get out of the way.)

Grokkus: (Hey now, we’re just gettin’ to know each other. Loosen up, bud!)

Silva: (We need information from him, not an idle chat.)

Grokkus: (Relaaax, we’ll get all the information we need this way!)

Muria: (DM, this looks like it will take a while. Can I go elsewhere?)

DM: (Go for it.)

Muria: Cool! Then I’m going to grab his sword and head on upstairs, slowly and quietly. If that’s okay.

Silva: (Wait, you’re letting us split the party?)

DM: (Sure, go ahead. I will note something though; if you two go elsewhere, you won’t know what happens on her end. Likewise, she won’t know what happens on your guys’ end.)

Silva: (How does that work? We’re all at the table.)

DM: (By using that Standby Room over there! There’s a deck of cards in there, so you won’t be completely bored.)

Grokkus: (Bangin’! Hey, let’s play Go Fish while we wait!)

Silva: (…)

Muria: (Is that not normal?)

Silva: (I’ve played in a lot of campaigns, and not once have we ever used a Standby Room for party splits.)

DM: (Well, consider it a bit of an experiment. I like trying new things!)

Silva: (I’ve noticed.)

Against my better judgment, I stay down here with the idiot and make sure he extracts all the information I need.

DM: (Silva and Grokkus, the two of you, hop into the Standby Room, please.)

Grokkus: (Awesome, we can start being best buds!)

Silva: [groan]

[exits to the Standby Room with Grokkus]

DM: For now, Muria, roll Speed, add Stealth if you have it.

Muria: (Shouldn’t I be quieter thanks to how short I am?)

DM: (And yet, Dwarves are known for routinely causing a ruckus.)

Muria: … 5, with +2.

* While Silva and Grokkus figure out the joys of friendship, our Dwarf Muria sneakily creeps up the stairs the way any Dwarf would: by prying out as many earbending screeches as she can from the aging staircase.*

Chapter 2

Splitting the party

*Muria, you go through the hatch at the top, and you find yourself in a large space, longways from forward to aft, filled with scattered crates and rope. Once more, light sneaks in through the gaps in this failing ship.

In the center is a wide pole decorated with rotting gears and other mechanisms that occasionally turn and rotate. Each time it does, the ship tilts slightly from side to side as the timbers cry out in agony.

To the forward end, there’s a set of double doors. On the port side, another staircase going up to a closed hatch. And to the aft end, a door is ajar, inching back and forth each time the wood creaks.*

Muria: (I get the feeling we shouldn’t stay on this ship much longer.)

DM: (Perhaps. On the plus side, your sneaking was indistinguishable from the ship’s lovely sounds.)

Muria: (Oh hush, you.)

DM: *As you contemplate where to go, you hear stomping from above, marching around the port side.*

Muria: Uhh, err… the door that’s ajar is to the… aft? Can I take a peek inside?

DM: *Sure. You look inside, and it’s a wide room with more crates and supplies, some of which are spilled over. There’s also someone mumbling and grunting to herself, though you can only see her dusty leggings.*

Muria: Aye, bad idea. I guess that leaves the double doors. Can I head over there? Not too fast now, don’t want to spook anyone.

DM: *Having made friends with all the creaking, you get over without much trouble. You reach the dumbledores, and-*

Muria: (The what?)

DM: *I mean the double doors. From the other side, you don’t hear much, just the ship’s failing structural integrity.*

Muria: I open the doors – slowly now – and I slip inside, closing it on my way in.

*You enter a wide room, damaged with holes across the floor. At the center is a navigation wheel, but your eyes are drawn towards the forward end, where there’s a wide-open wall of glass that’s curved forwards. Your eyes adjust to the white light, and through the glass, you see a sprawling sky, with a sea of clouds that reaches out beneath the ship and towards the horizon ahead.*

Muria: (It makes sense now! We’re on an airship!)

DM: (So it would seem.)

*Above, you can hear another set of footsteps. It patrols from one side to the other.*

Muria: (There’s quite a few people on this ship!)

DM: (For a ship this size, it’s a lot less than there should be, actually.)

*A twinkling glow catches the corner of your eye. Next to the navigation wheel, there’s a pair of tiny purple stones, the size of pebbles, really.*

Muria: (Ooh, pretty!)

I pick them up, if I can.

DM: *The moment you touch them, you feel a pulse run throughout your body. It’s a familiar feeling to you…*

Muria: Odd.

I’ll just put them in my pocket for now.

DM: *As you do, you hear footsteps approaching from behind the double doors.*

Muria: Uh-oh! Uhh, am I short enough to hide behind the navigation wheel?

DM: *Let’s see, including the post, it’s 2 feet wide, 4 feet tall. Should be manageable.*

Muria: Okay! I give it a shot and push myself behind it as close as I can.

DM: Roll Speed + Stealth!

Muria: Do I have Stealth?

DM: Check under your Skills. If you do, that’d count as a +2.

Muria: Oh, I see! Umm, I don’t have it, so…

10, with +2 with my Speed. Total of 12.

DM: *You shrink yourself behind the post as much as possible. Just then, the dumbledores- augh! The double doors open, and someone stomps in with their boots. You hear a grunt, and a woman with a gruff yet chipper voice pipes up. She seems a tad distressed.*

Woman: Geh, I lost the Shinies! I won’t have enough to eat when I get to the Hub. I bet Draug took ’em. If I find me Shinies on him, why I… I’ll hang him by his teeth!

DM: *She slams her fist down on the top of the navigation wheel. From your position, you see the wheel spinning to one side rapidly. There’s some rather unnatural creaking sounds, and then suddenly, the whole ship tilts to its starboard side!*

Muria: (Uh-oh.)

Woman: Argh, not again- ack!

DM: *Muria, you’re about to slide off and lose your hiding spot! What do you do?*

Muria: I try to grab onto the navigation wheel to hang on- no wait, I mean the post, not the wheel itself!

DM: Roll Power, beat a 12!

Muria: 13, with -1. Total of 12. Does that work?

DM: (Matching the result succeeds; it just has a caveat.)

*You reach out with your stubby arms, grabbing ahold of the post, but the navigation wheel nicks your head, throwing off your grip and leaving you hanging with only one arm.*

Muria: Gah! How steep is the tilt?

DM: *It’s about 40 degrees. Definitely can’t stand on it.*

Muria: Hmm, can I slide down it?

DM: You most certainly can try.

Muria: Okay! I’ll use my Dwarven grip to slow my descent.

DM: *You let go of the post, sliding down, but not too fast. Right after you let go, there’s a scrunching THUD. You reach the wall safely, and looking back up at the navigation wheel, the other person has lodged a big ol’ metal sledgehammer into the post and is hanging off of it.*

Muria: (Whew, good call on my part!)

DM: *She then uses her free hand and pushes the wheel back, slowly and gradually. The ship begins to tilt back to normal. You push less and less on the wall till you’re laying on the ground.*

Muria: I look around. Is there another place I can hide?

DM: *Asides from jumping out the forward window, there’s nowhere you’d be able to go without getting noticed.*

Muria: (Hmm, I’m not sure if I want to be around the crazy sledgehammer lady.)

For now, I conceal my weapons, then uhh… I present myself in a fashionable… fashion.

DM: *Once the ship returns to its upright position, the crazy sledgehammer lady tries to dislodge her hammer from the post.*

Rolling her Power…

14.

*She safely removes her weapon. Somehow, the navigation wheel and its connecting mechanisms remain intact.*

Woman: Ahh, the Cap’n’s gonna be mad again! I need an excuse… oh, I-I’ll say Draug did it! The Cap’n will buy that excuse again… I hope.

*She fumbles and looks around. She passes you over at first, pauses, then slowly turns your way. Now that you have a clear look, she appears to be an Elf, with silky white hair and pointy ears, though her jawline is brutish and her skin is a bluish gray, like that of an Orc. She stares at you through a pair of oval-shaped, yellow eyes, parting her hair to the side to get a better look at you.*

Woman: Hmm… ye don’t look familiar. Are you a prisoner?

Muria: What? No, of course not! I was assigned here to guard them!

DM: Roll Influence to bluff her, beat a 17.

Muria: 7, with +1.

DM: *She slowly squints her eyes, then raises her sledgehammer up with a single hand.*

Woman: The prison guards are pretty slack. You must be… ooh, yer pretendin’ to be a guard!

Muria: (Ack, she got me! Umm… let’s try the truth this time.)

[gulp] Okay, okay, I’m… one of the prisoners. My name is Muria Fenrir.

Woman: Heheh, ye almost got me! But there’s only one Dwarf fella in our crew, an’ she’s up top. So, prisoner, tell me… what were ye doin’ in the Navigational Room?

Muria: I was uhh… just looking around. There’s monsters to slay and adventuring to do, so… you know the drill!

DM: *Her face contorts into confusion, and she nearly drops the sledgehammer.*

Woman: Huh? Monsters?

Muria: Yeah, don’t you know? The world’s filled with them!

(… Right?)

DM: She looks off to the side, bringing a finger to her lip as she ponders for a moment. Her eyes flash, and she turns back to you.

Woman: Ooh, that’s right! They said ye were a part of that experiment whatchamacallit. They said ye lost your marbles… or were they memories? Hmm…

Muria: She seems distracted. Can I slip by and get through that door?

DM: *She is awfully vested in the conversation, though she’s still gripping that sledgehammer. From above, you can hear the scuffling of footsteps, in random directions at first, then moving towards the aft end. The sledgehammer lady’s Elvish ears twitch, and she grins.*

Woman: "Wait, yer an escaped prisoner! That means… ooh, I’m brilliant! I don’t need to blame Draug for tilting the ship. I’ll tell the Cap’n it was you!"

Muria: Really now? I was just wandering around here, minding my own business. And yet you just walked in and turned the wheel. What will your Captain say if he finds out?

DM: Well played. Roll Influence, beat an 11. Add Persuasion if you have it.

Muria: 2… with +1, and +2. Total of 5.

Woman: And how’s he gonna find out? Ye think you can report it to him? Heehee, I’m a real member on this ship! I’ll tell the Cap’n you escaped, and-

Muria: Uh-huh. Would you like to explain how your sledgehammer landed in the navigation wheel?

DM: Good pressure! Roll Influence + Persuasion again, beat a 10.

Muria: 4, with +1, and +2. Total of 7.

(I think the dice hate me…)

DM: (Worry not, the luck will turn around. Give it time.)

Woman: W-well… I was chasin’ you, and ye just happened to be suspiciously near the wheel! You would’ve tilted it anyways. It looks super tiltable.

DM: *You start to hear the sounds of someone stomping towards you from behind the double doors.*

Muria: (Well, there goes my plan. Hmm… you mentioned the floor has holes earlier, yes?)

DM: (Indeed I did.)

*Looking at the holes in the ground, their size bears a striking resemblance to the size of her hammer.*

Muria: Ah-hah! I grin back at her.

Oh, so not only did you let a prisoner escape, but she’s led you around this room so much that you damaged the ship! And with nary a scratch on me.

DM: Last try on Influence + Persuasion, beat a 9.

Muria: 10, with +1, and +2. Total of 13!

DM: *Her face flusters, a shade of red blemishing the grayish skin tone of her cheeks.*

Woman: No-no-no, I didn’t wreck the ship… again. I-I was just chasing ye around. Besides, I’m no guard, I’m a mechanic… and I wrecked the ship again, argh!

DM: *She has a mental breakdown and drops her sledgehammer, inflicting yet more structural damage to the room. She freaks out and tries to free the hammer, only to pull too hard and whirl it into the post, toppling the navigation wheel and devastating the mechanism entirely. She drops the hammer and curls into a fetal position, whimpering about her misfortunes.*

Muria: (Good enough!)

I dash over to the sledgehammer, grab it with both hands, and slam it into one of those holes, best I can!

DM: Roll Power, beat a… oh this won’t be hard. Beat a 4.

Muria: 8, with -1.

*Even with both hands, the moment you lift it, you feel a strain through your whole body. You lift it just enough for gravity to take over and plunge it through one of the holes! It easily breaks through, pulling you along with it. You topple down through the ceiling, bounce off a bed, and you tumble down to the floor. Your hammer smashes a new hole in the ground, nearly busting through.*

Muria: (Whew, was worried for a moment there!)

I try to gather myself and look for an exit. What’s in here?

DM: *You’re in a room of similar size and set-up, with an open view out the forward end and double-decker beds, if you can even call them that. Your back feels a bit achy from that fall. At the aft end, you see a door. From above, that lady yells down at you.*

Woman: Geh, that’s me hammer ye stole. Give it back, you thief!

Muria: I call back as I go for the door, hauling her hammer along.

Oh, and let you wreck the ship some more? Okay then. Come down and get it!

DM: (Cruelty much?)

Muria: (She’s the one that threatened me with a heavy sledgehammer!)

DM: (Fair enough.)

*From above, you hear the double doors swing wide open followed by a rush of footsteps. You decide not to stick around and gun it for the door in front of you, only to return back to the room you started in.*

Muria: (Oh, this is where the other two are, right?)

DM: (Indeed. Speaking of which, I need to figure their side out. Can you go switch with them?)

Chapter 3

Getting along with Draug

*Silva and Grokkus, the pair of you are about to interrog- ahem, extract information from your helpless captive. So far, all you’ve learned is his name is Draug, and he was sleeping on the job, which was to guard his captives, aka you.*

Grokkus: (Okay, Travis, let me-)

Silva: (It’s Silva right now. When we’re in session, use character names.)

Grokkus: (Right on, Silvy! Now lemme show ya how a real investigator handles this!)

Silva: [sigh]

Grokkus: So, Draug bud- pleasant name by the way! Anyhow, I was wonderin’… how would you be up for a tour of the world from yours truly?

DM: *Draug raises an eyebrow in confusion, breaking from the fear.*

Silva: I raise the plank and look at Grokkus.

Get to the point, or I’ll sock you over the head, too.

Grokkus: Alright, alright. My man, could you tell us why such a loyal friend such as myself, a fair and stout lady Dwarf, and Mr. Elven Grumples McGrumplesworth were all locked up in your brig?

Silva: (Mc- what did you just call me?)

DM: *The Human twitches, looking from side to side a bit, before he continues.*

Draug: W-well, you see… our Cap’n, he picked yew fellas up from a merchant folk. A liddle sketchy, if ye ask me. Says yew threes were valuables from a ‘speriment, and we were to delivers ya to the cursed Lady Lumena at the Hub Fleet.

Grokkus: A spearmint, you say? Please, I’d be delighted to have one!

Silva: Experiment, you idiot.

Grokkus: (That’s not what I heard!)

Silva: [sigh] What kind of experiment? Speak, you uneducated simpleton.

DM: *His eye twitches, and he glares at you, Silva. Nonetheless, he continues.*

Draug: It’s nothin’ I know anythin’ about. All I knows is yew folks don’t know nothin’.

Grokkus: Nah, that’s nonsense, we totally know stuffs! Like that uhh uhh- hoh boy you’re a smelly fella! Know what you need? You need a bath. No wait, I could go for a-

Silva: You know a lot for knowing nothing. What are you hiding?

DM: Grokkus, you’ve still got your arm wrapped around Draug’s shoulder, and you notice he’s starting to slip from your grip.

Grokkus: Hey, don’t be shy, we’re all friends here!

(Right, Silva?)

Silva: (He’s a dumb prison guard, you dimwit. There’s no making friends with him.)

Grokkus: (…)

I hug my new buddy a little tighter!

DM: Roll Power, beat a 13.

Grokkus: 19, with +1!

DM: *He tries to pull something from his pocket, but as you reel him in tighter, he drops it. A glowing purple stone, about the size of a pebble, bounces to the floor.*

Silva: While keeping the plank raised still, I use a free hand to pick up the stone, inspecting it closely.

What’s this stone you dropped? Answer me!

DM: *Draug stares wide-eyed at you. He opens his mouth to speak and snickers.*

Draug: Hahahah, yer kiddin’, yew really don’t know what a Floatstone is?

Silva: (DM, my character should have knowledge of this, yes? You told us basically nothing during character creation.)

DM: (Uhh, well, y’know, uhh-)

Silva: (Another one of your experiments?)

DM: (Exactly! All part of the story!)

*The Human continues to cackle.*

Draug: They really wasn’t kiddin’. That ‘speriment musta done a real knockin’ on ye! They’s teach newborns to carry one. Ain’t no one’s crazy enough ta go without one!

Grokkus: Woah hoh, these things must be really valuable then!

Silva: And what, pray tell, is a Floatstone?

Draug: Hand it over. Let me show ye!

Silva: I ready the plank over my shoulder so that I can easily swing it at his head.

Grokkus: Now now, Silva buddy, we’re already outnumbering him two to one. I think we should let him have his little rock back.

Silva: (You’ve never played a game with magic in it, have you?)

Grokkus: (Buddy, I am the magic!)

Silva: [sigh] (If this backfires, I’m knocking you out and leaving you down here.)

Grokkus: (Ah, but not if he knocks you out first!)

Silva: I glare at Grokkus, and I reluctantly hand Draug the Floatstone.

Release your grip, Grokkus.

Grokkus: With pleasure, friendo!

I do so, then wink back.

*With the Floatstone in his hand, Draug smiles. After a moment, the stone pulses. He lifts one foot, then the other… and he floats on up! He gets to the ceiling, bracing himself with one hand, then waves back down with the other.*

Draug: My thanks to yew idiots. Off I go!

DM: *He squeezes the Floatstone. It pulses again, and he starts flying towards the staircase and out the exit!*

Silva: (Damnit, I knew this was a bad idea!)

Grokkus: (Ah, but we got to see how it works!)

Silva: I chuck my plank at the flying Draug.

DM: Roll Power, beat a 13.

Silva: 11, with +3. Total of 14.

DM: *Your plank hurls through the air and strikes Draug in the leg! He pauses in mid-air and hugs his leg.*

Draug: Gah, that hurt yew idiot!

Silva: Good!

I run up the stairs to catch him.

*You’re about to ascend, when suddenly, the ship creaks wildly, and it veers towards the starboard end! Draug is struck by the tilting ceiling, knocking him out, though he remains floating above the staircase. You two lose your footing and begin slipping to the side!*

Silva: I grab onto the nearby staircase to brace myself.

Grokkus: I grab ahold of Silva’s leg!

Silva: (You idiot, get off me!)

DM: Both of you, roll Power! Silva, beat a 14, and Grokkus, beat a 13.

Silva: 4, with +3. Total of 7.

Grokkus: 6, with +1. Also total of 7!

*Silva, you’re not able to get a firm grip on the staircase, and you lose your footing. Grokkus, you try to grab onto his foot, but not only do your own legs falter, his foot smacks you upside the head. The two of you roll across the ground into the wall. Silva, you’re a bit stunned, but you can probably move soon. Grokkus, the foot to the face will have you dazed a bit longer.*

Silva: (Hmph, serves you right!)

Grokkus: (Well, y’know, you were rolling all the good rolls. Seemed you had a leg up on the situation, eheheh.)

DM: (Fun tip: A string of good rolls almost never lasts.)

Grokkus: (Almost never isn’t never!)

Silva: I pull myself back up and kick Grokkus if he’s nearby. Is Draug still up and about?

DM: *Although Draug is still floating in the air, he does not appear to be actively moving. Also, you feel the ship slowly creak and tilt back to its upright position.*

Silva: Fine then. I kick Grokkus a second time.

DM: *He’s rolled back a bit from you, not quite close enough to kick him.*

Grokkus: I massage my poor forehead, that should heal the pain!

Well well well, looks like there’s a party aboard this ship afterall!

Silva: (… Wait a minute.)

I look around for any signs of water spilling in.

DM: *Despite the heavy tilting and all the gaps between the planks, no water spilled into the ship.*

Silva: (Figures. We’re on an airship.)

Grokkus: (How’d ya figure that out?)

Silva: (Apparently through extreme subtlety.)

Grokkus: (My bud, is that sarcasm I hear?)

Silva: (You have no idea.)

Once the ship reorients itself, I try to climb up the stairs and pull Draug down, grabbing that Floatstone from him in the process.

DM: *You get towards the top, and you pull him down before he floats up any further. Releasing his grip from the Floatstone, he falls and tumbles down the staircase. You grab the Floatstone… annnd now you start floating.*

Silva: (What?!)

I shout at Grokkus.

Hey, idiot, pull me down!

Grokkus: (Oh-hoh, you me to hug ya? For real? Aww, we’re gonna bestest buds-)

Silva: (The damn rock is floating me against my will. Pull me down!)

Grokkus: (Fiiine.)

Mr. DM, can I move yet?

DM: Roll your Mind stat, beat a 10.

Grokkus: 17, with -1.

DM: *You bounce to your feet surprisingly well, pushing through your daze.*

Grokkus: Good! I go up a few stairs… and I wait there.

Silva: Hey, I said pull me down!

Grokkus: Not until you apologize.

Silva: "For what?! You’re the idiot that decided to give the Floatstone back to Draug!"

Grokkus: Buddy, you stole it back from him. Stealing is bad, unless you’re stealin’ someone’s heart. You should totes apologize to the guy, you don’t gotta be so rough all the time!

Silva: (It’s called roleplaying, you genius.)

Grokkus: (Ah-hah, you admitted I’m a genius!)

Silva: (That’s it, DM, lemme at him.)

DM: *Silva, you’re starting to float out of his reach. Also, now that you’re hovering close to the hatch, you hear some frantic footsteps from further up, namely from the ceiling of the next room.

Silva: (I’ll kill you later.)

Fine, I apologize. Now pull me down!

Grokkus: With pleasure!

Alrighty, I reach up, grab his leg, and pull my new buddy down.

DM: *The moment you grab his leg, you end up floating upwards, too.*

Silva: (You gotta be kidding me.)

Grokkus: Hey, check it out, we’re flying!

DM: *Silva, the Floatstone in your hand flickers out and loses its purple glow, turning into a dull, lifeless grey. The two of you stop floating… and you fall down onto the staircase.*

Grokkus: (Well, that was short-lived.)

Silva: (At least you’ll soften my fall.)

DM: [knocks on the Standby Room door]

Chapter 4

The party reunites

*Welcome back, Muria! You swing the prison room’s forward doors open in time to witness Silva falling into Grokkus, with their combined impact breaking through the middle of the staircase. The sound of snapping timbers deafens the room momentarily. The staircase is still intact; there's just a two-person shaped hole where the middle steps should be.*

Muria: (What in the devilry did I walk into?)

Grokkus: (Oh hey, you’re back! You missed quite the party down here. Come over and join us!)

Muria: (I think I’ll pass…)

I slowly close the door behind me.

Are you two alright?

Silva: (DM, do I have enough strength to punch Grokkus in the face about now?)

DM: Roll Power, and beat a 12.

Silva: 5, with +3. Bleh.

DM: *You raise your arm to punch him, but your body’s still in shock from that fall. You lay on top of him, unable to move.*

Silva: (That works.)

Grokkus: (Just think, we can be best buds now!)

Silva: Muria, hand me that shiv, I’m using it on Grokkus.

Muria: I’ve got something a few steps better, actually.

Grokkus: Ahahah, surely you jest.

Muria: How about a fully metal sledgehammer?

Silva: Hell yes. Hand it over. I’m just going to tap Grokkus on that head with it.

Grokkus: (Okay, I get the picture, I’ll stop trying to get all buddy-buddy with Silva.)

Silva: (Please do.)

DM: *At once, you all hear someone yelling from above. It seems to be a rather angry, masculine voice, bellowing through the walls.*

Muria: (Uh-oh. That must be the angry Captain the hammer lady was talking about.)

I try to haul Silva and Grokkus to their feet.

DM: *Silva and Grokkus, you’re pulled up, but both of you are pretty sore. You now suffer -2 to all Power and Speed rolls.*

Silva: Cool. Can I take the shiv now?

Muria: Honestly, my strength isn’t so good. Would you like the hammer instead?

I try to hand it to Silva.

Silva: I trade the plank for the hammer.

DM: Are you wielding it with one or two hands?

Silva: It’s just a sledgehammer. One-handed.

DM: Roll Power, beat a 13.

Silva: What?!

5, with +3, and that -2. Total of 6.

DM: *The moment Muria hands it off to you, it drags you to the ground! With both hands, you’re able to lift it, albeit unsteady. As you wield it, you notice that embedded in the grip are two more of those Floatstone Pebbles.*

Silva: [sigh] I’d better not end up stuck in the air again.

Muria: (I feel like I missed something.)

Grokkus: (Well, as it turns out, our fearless Silva here is afraid of heights!)

Silva: (I am not!)

Grokkus: (Then go float with the hammer, Mr. Thor!)

*Before the two of you are able to continue your rather entertaining banter, the hatch at the top of the stairway flings open. Another Human fellow steps in and stops halfway down the stairs with a bow and arrow drawn. He’s got dark skin, black hair in a short crew cut, a thin mustache, and a scar on his cheek. He calmly shouts in your direction.*

Human: Halt, prisoners! Make one move, and I’ll shoot.

Silva: I’m beneath the staircase still, right? Is his stair within melee range?

DM: Uhh, I suppose with a jump, you can probably strike it.

Silva: Neat. I take my new sledgehammer and swing it at the stair where he’s standing.

DM: Roll Speed to outrun him, beat a 13.

Silva: 17, with +2, and -2. Still higher!

DM: *He’s about to take a shot, when you suddenly swing your hammer upwards, striking the supports and causing the step to cave in. The Human trips forward and tumbles down the stairwell the rest of the way!*

Muria: Ooh, I pull out my shiv and hold it at his neck before he can get back up! Err, can I do that?

DM: Roll Speed, beat an 8.

Muria: 13, with +2!

(The luck has turned around!)

DM: *He’s about to scramble to his feet, but with a shiv at his throat, he halts.*

Human: Fine, you got me. What do you want?

Muria: (We want… umm, what do we want?)

Silva: (Everyone on this ship seems to have it out for us, so…)

Muria: We want to get off this ship! And give us your food and supplies while you’re at it!

Human: You think I can just magically get you off this ship?

Silva: I know we’re on an airship. Surely you can land it somewhere.

DM: *He pauses, then gives you a chuckle.*

Human: Hah… the rumors are true, then. You all really did have your minds wiped!

Silva: What’s that got to do with landing the ship?

Muria: Hey, that hammer lady was saying the same thing earlier after I asked about monsters. What’d she mean?

Human: Then you probably don’t know what Floatstones are, either.

Silva: What, these damn things that make you float?

I point to the two on my sledgehammer.

Human: Yeah, and I bet you don’t know it also does this!

*He moves his grip on his bow to the middle, where there’s three Floatstones embedded. The moment he touches one of them, he closes his eyes, and the bow suddenly glows really bright, blinding all three of you!*

Muria: Woah! Umm, is my shiv still at his throat?

DM: Roll Mind, beat a 14.

Muria: 7, with +2.

DM: *You’re caught off guard by the sudden bout of blindness, disorienting you. You pull the shiv away and step away, trying to regain your bearings.*

Silva: (You can float and blind people with them?! What the hell kind of magic system is this?)

DM: (One that’s surprisingly grounded, once you learn it.)

Grokkus: (It’s not grounded if it’s floating!)

DM: (… Touche.)

Grokkus: (Alright guys, stand back, I got this!)

I put a hand over my beautiful eyes, and I say to him:

Hey, wait, don’t shoot! We haven’t even gotten to know each other yet!

Silva: (Oh, don’t you dare-)

Grokkus: (C’mon, we’re already messed up. Gimme a chance, yeah?)

Muria: (I’m willing, if you are.)

Silva: [sigh] (Fine. But if he shoots someone, it’d better be you.)

Grokkus: (It’ll be a shot of friendship!)

DM: *You hear a bowstring being pulled, then held in silence.*

Human: Oh, but I do know you. You’re the pack of lowly prisoners that we’re to deliver to that devilish Lady Lumena at the Hub Fleet.

Grokkus: Ahh yeah, your other Human friend here mentioned that. Swell guy he is… or was. I don’t know, we kind of fell on him by accident earlier.

Human: So you’ve been interrogating our guards.

Grokkus: Nah, we were just gettin’ to know each other. You know, bonding, friendship, best buds and all, right? I bet you don’t even know our names!

Human: Why should I?

Grokkus: Well, for all you know, we’re not the lowly prisoners you heard about. We could be supremely kind fellows that are just a wee bit grumpy after being locked up for so long.

DM: *Your vision starts to return, but it’s not enough to make out anything.*

Human: You knocked out two of our guards.

Grokkus: Oh, you know, they just partied a bit much.

Silva: (Get to the point, Grokkus.)

Grokkus: (Chill your hooves, bud, we’re just gettin’ to know each other better.)

Silva: (It’s no good if you’re not making any rolls. You need to actually do something so that the DM tells you to make a roll.)

Grokkus: (Ooh… so that’s how I’m supposed to play!)

Silva: (DM, how in the world did you get someone this oblivious to join our game?)

DM: (He bought me a drink, I got a bit inebriated, and I told him about the game. He got a little excitable, to say the least. I don’t think he even knows what D&D is.)

Grokkus: (You won’t regret the choice you made that day! I got this!)

Through my blinding blindness, I stroke my chin and throw a flattering glance in the direction of his voice.

The name’s Grokkus Grok, and we can be more useful to you than you think.

Human: Really now?

Grokkus: Of course, bud! So what’s your name?

Human: … It’s Gilroy.

Grokkus: Gilroy, eh?

I drop my voice a bit more.

"What a pleasant name for a strong man such as yourself."

DM: (Hang on, just a moment. Are you… trying to seduce him?)

Grokkus: (Would you have it any other way?)

DM: … Roll Influence + Charm, beat a 16.

Grokkus: 14, with +4 from Influence, and +2 from Charm! Total of 20!

Silva: (What the hell do you have +4 on Influence for?! You’re an Orc!)

Grokkus: (To charm the ladies, of course! And the men, if the situation calls for it!)

DM: (I am at a loss for words.)

*By now, your vision has recovered. Silva and Muria, the two of you watch in shock (or awe) as the bow-wielding Gilroy, who was pointing an arrow at Grokkus’ face, steadily lowers the arrow and returns a nervous grin. The arrow remains drawn, it’s just aimed at the floor. Grokkus, he’s staring you straight in the eyes, and apparently, you actually have a chance at… ahem, seducing him.*

Muria: (Oh. My. Gosh.)

Gilroy: Well, why yes, I am a strong man! You seem like the strong type, yourself.

Grokkus: You bet your bow I am!

Gilroy: So… if I’m so strong, what would I need you for?

Grokkus: "Why, surely this world is full of dangers. How ’bout you get us three as bodyguards? We’ll even keep you company when you’re