Chapter 2-1

Hilda gives the group one final chance to walk away. Asking everyone to risk their life to slay a titan is a big risk. Hilda goes around the circle stating that she intends to keep her promise to everyone and shares the same sentiment as Jasiri in wanting a better world. No one leaves, agreeing that we are all in this together.

The group agrees to name the ship Stormbreaker.

The group asks Hilda a few more questions regarding the Titans.

• She described her experience seeing the titan, Jadwiga, in Port Revelry a few years ago. When the Titan appeared, it’s almost as if the world stopped. A swirling circle of light appeared before the titan and its spawn started pouring out of it. Tendrils of dark energy surrounded Jadwiga.
• Port Revelry has been attacked more than once - the only place known to be attacked multiple times.
• She explained that even though the storm keeps the people trapped on this continent and can’t access any other planes of existence, that it’s speculated that there are moments where the planes still resonate and open a gate to allow the titans through.
• Titans only remain in this world for less than an hour. Once the hour is up, they’re pulled back as if the world corrects itself and they’re forced back.
• When the first titan was slain, the whole world forgot their differences and come together and celebrates. Hilda wants to bring that feeling back and do something good for the world.
• If the Dawnbringer killed a Titan 20 years ago (Gigas), then so can we.
• Cedric Greyvale is known as the Dawnbringer and is Hilda’s father’s friend.
• Hilda’s father was one of the few survivors of the Protectorate when they fought alongside Greyvale and killed Gigas. He is currently a member of Parliament

Hilda claims there are a few things we need to get straight before we set off and looks towards Vaelyn and Torren. They reveal they are half-elves - the first anyone in the party has ever met. They explain they come from a community that wants to break the curse on elves and have been doing selective breeding in order to try and break it. Torren’s grandfather suggested mating with a human and there were eight children born within this project - Vaelyn and Torren among them. They were Batch One. They need to remain human in appearance in order to not draw attention to themselves.

Hilda also then looks towards Jasiri - Jasiri is beastkin and cannot legally operate the ship. Should anyone catch him doing so, there may be negative repercussions.

The group agrees to accept each others differences and work together.

Reparing the Ship

NOVA informs the group they will need to make a few repairs around the ship and unearth the vessel if they wish it to fly again.

Hilda takes the party to the Nexus of the ship adjacent to the engine room. This room runs the length of the ship and appears to be around 180 feet long. There are also empty furnaces and engines that line the room and at the center of it all is a large pillar with many wires leading from it to different sections of the ship. NOVA requests assitance in repairing the various connections, as they cannot fully access the ship without them in full working order. The party manages to re-establish enough connections that NOVA will have access to most of the ship. Once completed NOVA provides direction for the other repairs.

Hazel asks the party if they’d be okay if she took Lavender’s things - the group agrees. The Kobolds show her where Lavender’s things are, trusting her and now calling her their new Auntie. “Auntie Haze.”

The party sets off to figure out where things are and to establish sleeping quarters.

• Hilda takes the Captains room.
• Hazel takes the private room with a bathroom.
• Vaelyn takes a private room
• Torren takes a private room next to Vaelyn
• Excalibur chooses to stay in the Bridge.
• Schmead finds a private spot amongst the vents and cords above. [Author note: Schmead is nesting lol]
• Jasiri chooses to sleep in the crew’s quarters with the Kobolds.

While exploring, Torren asks NOVA a few questions in his private quarters:

• When did the ship crash?
  • Excalibur was informed the ship’s records are incomplete, however, the ship crashed over 7000 years ago.
• Was NOVA keeping track of the records?
  • NOVA was not the original administrator of the ship. Their consciousness is tied to the gem within the ship that Hilda installed.
• Where is NOVA from?
  • No information is known.
• When was the gem made?
  • No information is known.
• When is the oldest record collected?
  • NOVA then plays the recording of the party introducing themselves with their names.
• Does NOVA have any historical databases?
  • NOVA nas no access to any of the ship’s previous information (will need to speak with Hilda to learn its history)
• Does NOVA know Torren’s father?
  • No.
• Can NOVA read?
  • Yes. (Torren plans to write thank you notes to NOVA)

Schmead goes to speak with the Kobolds, asking if they have any forms of potions left over but they indicate they would be with Auntie Haze now. Schmead asks if they have any holy symbols other than the ones Schmead currently owns. They show them a bunch of random jewelry, unsure if any were of a holy nature - they were not. [“ROLL FOR GOD, SCHMEAD~!” God is not among these symbols lol]

Jasiri asks NOVA if they identify themselves as a tool. NOVA is unsure - they believe they will change to reflect what is needed from them during the ship’s endeavors. Jasiri tells NOVA he is glad to have them as a crewmate.

Jasiri asks NOVA if they’re always listening. They respond affirmatively - though the functionality of this ability can be turned off. Jasiri instructs NOVA not to tell the party he asked that question.

While going through Lavender’s belongings, Hazel finds a letter alongwith a small totem made with small bird skull tied to a beautifully carved piece of wood bound with other leaves and pieces of nature. In the letter, a woman named Amelia writes to Auntie Lav (Lavender) who was once the Coven Mother. In her letter, Amelia says she has two individuals who would be perfect for her apprentices, claiming they always wanted to meet more sisters. Gloom - the strange sparrow-like creature she keeps within her cloak and nestled within her hair - lovingly places their head against the small bird skull on the totem, which Hazel then takes as her own. Hazel spends the rest of the night gathering Lavender’s things and cherishing them to ensure they’re held with care. She clutches to the letter from the woman named Amelia, placing it in her personal bag for safe keeping.

Vaelyn begins growing herbs in his room, taking a lamp from an old engineering lab [grow-op lol]. Vaelyn scopes out the ship and discovers strange vines that are half alive and half dead strewn throughout the area Lavender used to occupy but chooses to avoid them as he is unaware of any medicinal properties. NOVA chimes into his personal quarters and asks if Vaelyn is ill as he looks unwell. If he requires medical attention, there is a medical wing on the ship where he could find the assistance he needs. Vaelyn tells NOVA to stop spying on him and shuts down NOVA’s entire communication system on the ship.

Meanwhile, Excalibur is walking around the ship to collect any useful parts they can re-salvage and going through the parts list with NOVA to catalog them. Suddenly, NOVA stops responding. After returning to the nexus, Excalibur is informed that the function allowing NOVA ability to speak freely around the ship has been shut off by Vaelyn. Excalibur instructs NOVA to turn it back on but keep the sleep quarters private. Excalibur then continues to catalog parts for the rest of the night.

Next Day

In the morning, Hazel goes to meet the Kobolds to try and keep the traditions that Lavender held with them. She tries to do her rounds and greet them good morning until she finds Quinten who wishes to bid the party farewell and to meet him outside. Quinten bids the party farewell and says he hopes to meet them again. Excalibur spots that Quinten seems to keenly believe they will.

While together, Hazel asks if the party would be okay with the Kobold’s joining the crew. The party agrees.

Returning to Hilda, she notes all of the things needed to get the ship running again. Celestials built this ship and the ship doesn’t require fuel, but it will still need the following things to get running again:

• Engine doesn’t work - needs a jumpstart
• Furnaces will need to be lit with some heavy duty fire
• Navigation System is broken and will need to be repaired - NOVA needs a map in the meantime
• Ship is buried and will need to be dug out
• Appliances in the Kitchen don’t work and will require fixing (not a priority)

Hazel asks the Kobold’s to join the ship’s crew. She promises they will never go hungry again and will do her best to take care of them too. After they agree, she asks if they will help her and Jasiri begin to clear out the ship - they can use all the explosives they want.

While Hazel, Jasiri, and Vaelyn work on the ship, Torren, Schmead, and Excalibur go into town.

In Town

The group talks to the Mayor and inform him that Tobias has been caught and that they will be turning him in when they get to Ashborne. The Mayor will write a report and send the report ahead of the party to get things in order for Tobias’s arrest. The party asks for a copy of the report once it is written (which they recieve later in the week). The Mayor offers a small thank you for stopping what Tobias did and gives the party 30 gold pieces.

The party goes to see Chester, Jonah, and Hudson - The hunters outside of town. The hunters are all home at the moment and Torren apologizes again for Tobias’s behaviour towards them and the bad impressions the party has made. He mentions they could use Chester’s (the fire genasi) help to light the ships furnaces. Reluctant to do so, Torren reveals that they have Tobias in custody. They ask for 10 minutes with him - which the group accepts. Schmead takes the opportunity to buy another wolf pelt.

While they walk back to the party’s new base, the hunters tell the general story of what Tobias has done to them over the years. Their past crimes have made them a scapegoat for every possible issue that has arisen in Jorren’s Rest since. Tobias was quick to point fingers at them and much of the town followed suit, making them outcasts that not all were willing to do business with. He’s made it difficult for them to survive and work with the negative impressions he’s forced on them.

Back at the Ship

When they return, Hazel and Jasiri notice the rest of the party bringing the hunters inside the base. Hazel tells Jasiri - who is clearly upset - that she liked the kind man who saved the wolf from the well. Hazel agrees to continue watching the Kobolds while Jasiri goes to investigate.

Inside, Excalibur reveals he’s a healer and the hunters seem even more eager to see Tobias. The three of them lead the hunters to the prison cell that holds Tobias. Tobias sees them all and looks nervous as Chester starts to wrap his fists - he doesn’t get any response from them before they start beating Tobias. Schmead panics and casts Sanctuary after a few punches, then runs out of the room to go find Jasiri. Two of the hunters are unaffected by Sanctuary and continue hitting Tobias. Excalibur and Torren watch - unsure what to do, or how far they’ll go.

Jasiri enters the cave and finds Schmead in a panic who tells him to hurry to the prison. They return to see the hunters pulling out knives for the next step in their “retribution”. Jasiri sees this and pulls out his war hammer. He roars his anger and disappointment. In hindsight, Torren recgonizes that 10 minutes is a lot of time. Jasiri states that any time is too much time. Satisfied with their time, the hunters begin to leave while Excalibur heals Tobias.

Jasiri scolds the party members for making this decision. Tobias is an unarmed man. He does not want to have the party operate in this way. Torren asks if Jasiri has ever been a victim like they have. Jasiri responds and says not often but sometimes. He wants to strive to be better that that. Power shouldn’t be used this way. It doesn’t matter if years of oppression caused them to be angry - their anger should not be acted upon in this way.

Jasiri tells the party members to leave. Excalibur interrupts and says Jasiri has no right to direct orders to Torren. Excalibur and Schmead apologize for what happened - they did not think it would come to this. Torren does not apologize. Jasiri makes the decision to move Tobias to the ship’s brig.

Torren goes to find the hunters before they get too far and when he catches up with them, apologizes to them. He says he empathizes with them more than he does Tobias. They claim Jasiri makes no sense to them. He threatened people like them without cause, but defended people like Tobias? Torren manages to convince them to help lighting the furnace and they agree as long as they can avoid Jasiri.

The hunters come down to the engine room and Chester is intructed where to light the flame. He creates a large swell of fire into the furnace and they begin to light one by one. After they finish, Torren walks them out and at the mouth of the cave tells them they shouldn’t come back after the earlier events. The hunters accept, believing Tobias got the point.

Meanwhile, Jasiri takes Tobias up to the brig. Within it are four cells on each side though one half of the room is collapsed inward from the crash. One of the cells contains bone remains. Jasiri leads Tobias inside one of the cells and cuts the vines that bind him. He thanks Jasiri, who leaves him some of his bread and says he will bring him water when he can. Jasiri tells him they will take him to Ashborne and hand him over to the authorities. Tobias says he hasn’t earned any good faith but if we let him stay - he will help on the ship. Jasiri immediately says no, reminding him of the months of planning to escape and abandoning the people he was supposed to protect - the people who trusted him.

Jasiri instructs NOVA not to take any orders/requests from Tobias which they claim is normal prisoner protocol. He also instructs NOVA to inform Jasiri if anyone goes to the Holding Cell room.