top of page

Chapter 55 - Captain Kildo T. Hammerhand


“We be needing to stop that ship!” Kildo shouted, pointing outwards from the top of The Spiral and the former home of the Feathergale Society. Better known as the yellow cultists. A ship, impossibly made entirely of fire, sailed away from its prey. On the sea, their ship, the Sea Ghost, was engulfed by flames. The air wailed, wood squealed, splintered, and snapped as it broke down the middle. The ship’s lamentations gave voice to the death of the mighty craft. The sea churned, pulling the vessel under without prejudice. Steam from the intensity of the flames as they were extinguished covered the area in fog.

A thumping of energy began pulsing out on the waves. Its sound intensified and increased in tempo. Then, if a ship composed of fire wasn’t impossible enough, it began to rise from the ocean surface. Its bow pointed to the sky. In the far distance, there was an explosion. A black hole opened in space. Stars blurred as they circled forming an event horizon. The fire ship then elongated as its flames streaked behind it. A thunderous boom echoed over the night sky as it disappeared into the heavens.

“The nine hells,” Kildo said in awe. He’d never seen anything like that in his fifty years of life. That vessel was as far above the latest invention that the best dwarven minds could craft, as a simple hammer was to a mouse. His mind stirred, as if awakened. He had to know more about that technology. How it worked. How it moved as easily in the heaven as a ship crossed the sea’s surface.

“Come on, we need to see if any of the crew are still alive!” Kai shouted, dove off the Spiral’s top, and sped toward the waves below. As he was about to hit the water, the triton descent slowed to that of a feather. His form then disappeared under the surface.

Snorting, Kildo said, “I be taking the stairs.” Traveling downwards as fast as his feet would carry him, Guo Gan quickly outpaced him and soon was long gone. Making it outside and down to the docks, securing his Helm of Underwater action, he saw something moving toward him under the waves. A humanoid figure’s head broke the surface. It didn’t appear alive or undead. It was a jigsaw puzzle of body parts of several different creatures, as their sizes didn’t match. They were all stitched and bolted into a new and gruesome humanoid form. It was bigger than a living man, at least 8 feet tall. A tattered pair of drenched trousers clung and covered its modesty. There was a slight, sweet smell of decay and fish. It was 9 of 5.

Cautiously approaching the flesh golem, ensuring he was calm, Kildo asked, “What be happening on the Sea Ghost?”

“Fire bad!”

“Yes, fire be bad. Anything else?”

“Water better.” 9 of 5 then pointed down the beach.

Following, Kildo saw a form lying on the sands. Rushing over, it was Johnny One Bags. He was face down. Turning the boy over, the dwarf balled his fist and gave his chest a hefty thump. The former bartender spat water into Kildo’s face and started coughing. More of the sea exited his lungs.

“Ye be lucky we be coming back when we did,” Kildo said, giving a few helpful pats on Johnny One Bag’s back. The hippo creature, Silas and halfling, turned goblin, Scomatch, joined them. Neither seemed interested in dipping a hairy toe in the cold sea.

“Yeah, the crew ain’t be as water strong as the command staff,” Johnny One Bags said.

Building a fire to help keep them warm, about a half an hour passed before the water’s surface broke. Kai and Guo Gan emerged and began to warm themselves.

“Ye be finding any more of the crew?” Kildo asked.

“We didn’t find any bodies, alive or dead,” Kai replied.

“Sharks?”

“No, I reached out and most of the various sea creatures moved away as the battle commenced,” Kai said.

“Ye be salvaging anything from the ship?” Kildo asked and then shuffled his feet, hesitating to ask what he really wanted to know. Breathing deeply, he continued, “Maybe like any scone recipes?”

“No, nothing like that. However, we did see a couple of large, barnacle-free, boulders, freshly wet with embedded wood in them from some tremendous force. It broke the ship in half,” Kai said. Turning to Johnny One Bags, he continued, “What happened to the Sea Ghost?”

Sitting beside the fire warming his hands, Johnny said, “I don’t know. I was cleaning out the bilge when I heard the muffled shout of Odium yelling, ‘battle stations’. I headed towards the ladder when there was a large explosion. The next thing I remember was finding myself in the water and somehow getting to shore. Sorry Captain. I wish I could tell you more.”

“Did you see any of the crew?” Kai asked.

“No, it was pretty dark in the belly of the ship and I was the only one down there at the time. “

Grasping him on the shoulder, Kai said, “You did the best you could and I’m glad you made it out.”

Johnny asked, “No one else? They got to be out there somewhere. I didn’t see any other ships.”

“There was another vessel. It was above the waves and vanished into the heavens,” Guo Gan replied.

“Maybe the crew was captured?”

Bringing his hand to his chin, Kai turned his eyes up in thought. “Perhaps. It seems things happened pretty quickly. Some of the crew would have put up a fight, unless they were overtaken suddenly. However, the fact remains they aren’t here anymore.”

Turning to Silas, Gui Gan asked, “Do you know what the hell that fire ship was?”

“No, I’ve never seen a craft made out of fire. That’s a new one. I don’t get around that much, but I’ve seen more now,” Silas responded.

“There are a couple of large boulders on the sea bed. Could that ship have dropped them from high above?” Kai questioned.

“It certainly could have been dropped out of the vessel. It would have caused catastrophic damage to anything they would strike. It sounds like your ship the Sea Ghost was rock nuked from orbit,” Silas replied.

“What’s a nuke,” Scomatch inquired, his eyes wide with interest.


* * *


Returning to the Spiral, the group, including the hippo Silas, the flesh golem 9 of 5 and Johnny One Bags, tended to wounds, ate a meal, and rested from the battle with Shatterkeel on the Island of Rilandria in the watery caverns. The party returned to the Dark Council Chamber.

“We need to pay Vanifer a proper visit,” Kai said eyeing the red portal

Scomatch jumped in front of Kai, eager to pass through the gateway.

Kai bend to kneel at the goblin’s level. “Now, remember. Once you enter, look around and verify if you are in the belly of that fire ship. If so, we’ll all come through. If not, the plan is to go through the purple portal and visit the Human Qhaarlex, who is not human, and commandeer the spelljammer Damselfly-”

“Space Ghost,” Scomatch interrupted.

“Space Ghost,” Kai corrected and then nodded to Kildo.

Opening his hat of holding, Kildo pulled out the ring of keys and turned them until he held the red one. Inserting it in an angled short, stone pillar next to the doorway, turned it. Power hummed and radiated from the entrance and glowed red.

Scomatch entered. Six seconds later the goblin mage came back through. Soot covered his face and his clothes were smoldering. He coughed out smoke.

“What did you see?” Kai asked.

“It’s like a plane of water,” Scomatch replied, and upon seeing confused looks continued. “It’s a world of fire.”

“Anything to suggest that it’s the interior of a ship? Was the roof on fire?”

“Nope, it was like walking into a raging inferno.”

“Fire bad!” 9 of 5 roared in protest. His face turned to rage.

“All right, that’s settled. Time to go see the Human Qhaarlex, who is definitely not a human.”

Silas the hippo asked, “Where is your group’s spelljammer helm?”

“What?” the group asked in unison.

“You know to see the stars.”

Kai tilted his head in curiosity and inquired, “Stars where water sometimes falls through?”

It was then Silas’s turn to scrunch his face up in confusion. “You mean space? No, that’s a void. Wait, I think I understand. So, do you believe worlds reside on the back of turtles or are inside some giant shell?”

Shaking his head, Kai said, “No, that’s ridiculous. Behind the stars is the Great Ocean that surrounds us, bringing the rain that feeds the oceans, sea, and streams.”

“Um, no. That’s not how things work.”

Brow crinkling in confusion, Kai said a bit deflated, “Well, that’s a blow.”

Giving a sympathetic pat on the paladin’s back, Silas said, “That’s a great metaphor. So, I take it spelljammer technology is not common in this world? Well, that will make it hard to get off of here, but that Dragonfly-class ship would do. Your group would be enough to crew the ship.”

The group made their way through the purple portal. They materialized in a small jail cell. Throwing the door open, it led to a much larger room. There were several odd creatures inside. They were similar to giant earthworms with long pink tubular bodies with two arms and two legs that were also long and tubular in shape, ending in sharp claws. Their entire bodies were marked with faint rings. In the place of a head, the creature's body ended in a circular maw filled with sharp teeth. Rising to human height, they writhed, but were non-threatening and kept their distance.

“Any thoughts on these otherworldly worm things that maybe your world might have encountered?” Kai asked Silas.

“Psurions they be calling themselves,” Kildo added.

Sila shook his head and said, “No, they are nothing I’m familiar with.”

Carefully continuing past the worms, they entered a large room. Taking up the middle was a massive statue of a worm with an enormous open maw. It was much fiercer than any of the creatures they had just passed. To the west was a bedroom, but any furniture was long decayed and was filled with dirt and leaves. A set of steps led upwards to the south, and another led down to the northern part of the room. At the bottom was a medium-sized room with double doors to the north leading to the Dragonfly spelljammer craft. Within the room were over a dozen plant-like creatures with long tentacles with sharp thorns along their entire length.

The party cautiously entered. The fauna didn’t seem aggressive, but as the group attempted to move past them to the double-door exit, they countered preventing them from proceeding.

“Hello, flesh slugs,” a creature hissed, pushing through the others. Waving a tentacle toward Charmander, it asked, “Who owns that Pokémon?”

“You mean my familiar,” Scomatch answered moving closer to the flame lizard.

Attempting to move toward the double door again, the plants intercepted him. “We don’t mean any harm. We’re just making our way through here like last time.”

“That’s the difficult situation. You are not supposed to be coming back. While we are pleased you killed those psurions and we can expand into their space, we are not pleased that we cannot expand into your world,” the creature hissed. “However, there is a solution. We will let you pass, if you do one thing.”

“What’s that?” Kai asked.

Then rising, the plant bellowed, “You will once again have to defeat our latest Pokémon. Venonat!”

An insect-like creature moved from behind the plant. It had a spherical body covered in purple fur, which seemed to be oozing a toxic-like liquid from its body. It had a pink pincer-like mouth with two teeth, stubby forepaws, and two-toed feet visible through its fur. While its limbs were light tan, it had a pair of white antennae sprouting from the top of its head. However, the most prominent feature of its face was its large, red compound eyes.

“Bring it,” Scomatch said.

“Char! Char!” Charmander replied excited.

A high-energy field rose in the room. Inside were Scomatch and Charmander. Across from them one of the tentacle plants and the Pokémon Venonat.

“Charmander, kill that thing,” Scomatch said.

The flaming lizard charged the insect. Venonat squealed in dread as it easily dodged the simple attack.

“This is awful!” Scomatch complained.

“I think you mispronounced ‘awesome’!” Guo Gan cheered the combatants.

“Venonat! Use Silver Wing. Hurry!” the plant hissed.

The insect sped forward, striking and knocking Charmander hard to the ground.

“You have to instruct it and tell it what attacks to use,” Guo Gan explained. “Can’t you Pokémon?”

Moaning, Scomatch yelled, “Stand up! Use Flame Burst!”

“Fire bad!” bellowed 9 of 5.

A torrent of fire shot from Charmander’s tail scorching Venonat. The insect Pokemon’s backside caught fire and began to run in circles before collapsing. Its fur singed.

“Char! Char!”

There was a collective hissing groan from the plants. “As agreed, you are a better Pokémon Master than we. You win our gym badge.” The creature then handed Scomatch a pin that resembled a long green leaf.

The creatures retreated from the area and removed the blockage from the doors to the spacejammer. Also revealed to the west was what appeared to be a human slumped but incredibly wrinkled, almost like a skin suit in a purple robe. It was the Human Qhaarlex, but he didn’t appear alive or dead, possibly resting.

The party crept past the figure and pushed open the double doors. On the other side was a gargantuan dragonfly bug. The main body was made of enameled metal and a covered deck. Due to the size, a small crew could pilot the vessel. A set of stairs was propped on its side to board. Approaching the group passed through a bubble that wabbled briefly before returning to reality. Climbing on the upper deck, it had a forward-facing ballista and a semi-circle couch with a small table at the back. An open hatch with a ladder descended into the ship.


“So, what be that thing we passed through when we approached the ship?” Kildo asked.

“You mean the gravity well maintaining the air around the exterior of the wessle,” Silas inquired.

“Wessel?” Guo Gan asked. “You mean vessel?”

“Wessel, right. That’s what I said.”

Guo Gan smiled and let it go.

“If it weren’t for the gravity well, you wouldn’t be able to access the upper deck.”

“Be holding on. Why do we need air as we not be going underwater, but the sky where there be all the air ye need,” Kildo questioned.

“There isn’t air in space,” Silas explained.

“What? Ye be saying that there isn’t air up in the Great Beyond?” Kildo questioned.

“Nope.”

“Why wouldn’t there be?”

“Why would there be? What can I say but welcome to spelljammer,” Silas shrugged. “There is another thing I should explain about gravity. It flips.”

“Whaaat!?” the group said in unison as 9 of 5 scratched his head.

“Yes, the legs of the Damselfly help trap the air, but gravity can flip. For example, the wessel’s center of gravity changes if the ship goes down. So, if you are on the bottom of the ship, your feet are standing on the ceiling compared to the deck above. It’s confusing and makes sense at the same time. Suffice to say, you won’t know the difference,” Silas explained. He descended the latter into the ship.

The next level comprised of a long cargo deck with a situation room, guest quarters, and a storage area with minimal furnishings. A set of stairs toward the front descended into the command center of the ship. This held the captain’s quarters, a lounge area, five cots for the crew, and the bridge.

As the seven members piled in the command center, by the three chairs, it was designed only to hold three comfortably. In the middle was the perceived captain’s chair. A swirling design inlayed the plush, cushioned material. The ornate chair was perfectly balanced on a large azure-blue crystal embedded in the deck. A retractable golden helmet with a multitude of wires was above and attached to the ceiling.

“Right, how do we fly this,” Scomatch said rubbing his hands together eagerly.

“It’s relatively simple, but not so simple,” Silas said, pointing to Scomatch and Kildo. “The spelljammer runs on magic from the weave, so only a pure caster, for example, a wizard or a cleric. However, it will deplete their energy and prevent them from casting.”

Guo Gan asked, “I’d rather not have our spell casters devoid of their magic. Is there any other way?”

“Well, yes, but it’s not accepted in most civilized circles,” Silas said.

“What’s that?”

“You can have the spelljammer use the life force from a humanoid. Some nefarious space-faring races would rather use prisoners than strap in a spell caster,” Silas explained.

Clearing his throat, Scomatch asked, “So, you have to be a full caster, sit in that chair, put that helmet on, and you can drive the ship, but lose all of your spells?”

“Yes, you have to attune to the spelljammer,” Silas said, staring at the goblin.

Gulping hard, Scomatch said, “With the nine hells knows what’s out there, you can count me out man.”

“Count you out? You’re our wizard. I thought you wanted to fly the Space Ghost?” Kai questioned.

“Why don’t you do it?” Scomatch retorted.

Kai snapped, “The one thing we need you to do-“

“I do everything!” Scomatch interrupted.

“I’ll do it,” Kildo said quietly.

“What?” Guo Gan asked, coming between Kai and Scomatch.

“I’m the only other one qualified to pilot this ship anyway,” Kildo stated.

“You’re right dwarf. Kildo should do it,” Scomatch said. “Good idea.”

“Believe me, I don’t be wanting to lose all of me spells either.”

“Silas, I’m presuming you were the captain on your hammerhead class spelljammer?” Kai inquired.

“Me, oh no. I was the quartermaster.”

“An honorable position,” Guo Gan said.

“So, what I be doing next?” Kildo asked Silas as he approached the captain’s chair and looked at the abovementioned helm.

“Easy, climb in and attune yourself to the ship,” Silas said.

The chair was made for someone taller, so Kildo had to climb into it.

Clearing his throat, Silas asked, “If you like some help. I can give you a little toss.”

Turning on the hippo, Kildo stated, “No one tosses a dwarf.” He then used the blue crystal under the chair to climb in. His weight caused it to sink, so his feet touched the floor.

Silas took the golden helm in both hands and gently lowered it onto the dwarf.

As soon as the cushioned inside touched his head, a humming of energy shot up through the wires and the ship came alive. He felt Space Ghost’s legs gently retract. They were slightly hovering on the platform.

Silas went over to the long, curved table secured to the wall where one of the seats was bolted to the floor. The hippo brought over a sizeable colorful map, primarily purple with splotching’s of green, blue, and some red. There were hundreds of circles with many lines connecting them. It was the most complicated map he’d ever seen.

“What that be?”

“A map of all the Spheres,” Silas replied. “Just tell me your crystal sphere and we can go anywhere on this map.”

“I not be having any idea what ye be talking about,” Kildo said.

“Oh dear,” Silas stammered with more than a little concern in his voice.

“Where ye be from then?”

“The Known Sphere,” Silas said, pointing to a green area in the middle of the map.

“I know, I’ll go ask the Human Qhaarlex,” Guo Gan said and bounced from the bridge.

A few moments later, Kildo could see Guo Gan outside the Space Ghost and heading across the landing pad towards the double door. The monk abruptly stopped. A moment later, the elf was sprinting back to the ship.

“This ain’t be good. Prepare for take-off,” Kildo ordered.

Twelves seconds later, Guo Gan came down the steps onto the bridge.

“What happened?” Kai asked.

“The Human Qhaarlex attempted to read my mind.”

“Yeah, we ain’t be sticking around for any of wormy’s antics,” Kildo said as he saw the Human Qhaarlex watch them from the doorway. He banked the Space Ghost away from the floating asteroid they were on and into the nothingness of space.

“Silas, be telling me what this ship does,” Kildo ordered.

“Well, it holds cargo and flies around the stars. That’s about it, but what else do you want?”

“Bah!”

The Space Ghost raced past a colossal form. A ball of blue and green covered with white streaking clouds, Faerun. The craft whipped across the planet’s axis at incredible speed. He felt the ship being slightly tugged towards it, but a quick thought corrected the ship. Wanting to see what the craft could do, Kildo banked and turned. It had good maneuverability. It also slowed down pretty quickly at the mere thought of it. The rest of the group was in awe as they pressed their faces out the portholes on the side or front of the craft. Bringing the vessel closer to the planet, they watched as the large continents and smaller islands zipped by.

“The Great Conjunction should be happening in the next few hours,” Scomatch, the goblin stated as he stared at the stars.

“The cargo hold was pretty empty. If things go sideways, we might want to be stocked up on supplies,” Kai said.

“There!” Guo Gan exclaimed.

Following the monk’s gaze, Kildo saw a familiar patterned archipelago emerge on the horizon. The Space Ghost dove and raced toward the island of Scarlet Peeks. The island’s surface quickly approached before he slowed down without the effect of slamming everyone into the bulkhead of the ship. The wings fluttered as they landed softly outside of town in the woods.

Kildo said, “Kai, Guo Gan, and Johnny One Bags, be heading into town and be purchasing supplies. I’ll remain on me ship, just in case we be needing a speedy take-off.”

“Aye, aye, Captain Kildo,” Kai saluted sharply and smiled.

As the group began to exit, Kildo shouted, “Don’t ye be forgetting about beer!”

A couple of hours passed when the excursion party returned with a cart full of supplies. “Silas, Scomatch, and 9 of 5, be helping them load them items.”

Guo Gan returned to the deck. “All set Captain. We have thirty days’ worth of food for eight people, water, carpentry supplies for repairs, and even a few extra ballista bolts.”

“Fine, fine, fine. Did ye get da beer?”

“Uh?”

“Woit!”

Smiling in jest, Guo Gain said, “Yes, three kegs. Scomatch is chilling it now.”

“What be happening in Scarlet Peeks since we left?” Kildo asked.

“Things have settled down. The Feathergale Society and their dropping vortexes on the town have been pleasantly absent. The various council members are doing their own thing. Sherriff Eliander has been running things. It’s been quiet,” Guo Gan said.

Grumbling under his breath, Kildo said, “Aye, the quiet before the storm.”


* * *


“Any moment now,” Scomatch, the halfling, turned goblin, said.

The Space Ghost hovered in the air just north of Scarlet Peeks. Kildo watched from his captain’s chair as the group stared out the front. He didn’t know what to expect. None of them did. Earthquakes, tidal waves, cosmic eruptions, or perhaps nothing at all.

The sun began setting and soon it was getting dark.

“Humph, it’s happened by now,” Scomatch said, folding his skinny green arms.

“Something’s happening with the water. There’s been a seismic eruption somewhere. Likely far to the west,” Kai said pointing out to the sea.

Turning the craft, the Space Ghost zipped westwards across the island and over the water.

“Hey, look at Scomatch,” Guo Gan said.

Turning, Scomatch had returned to his normal form and was no longer a goblin. Examining his pudgy hands and furry feet, he said, “Will you look at that?”

The full moon provided light guiding them through the Ironthroat Straights and out to the South Sea. Stopping the ship, there wasn’t any indication of activity on the water.

“Thoughts people?” Kildo asked.

“Well, we could go north to The Green Forest where the Dragon of the Woods lived and see how she is settling into her new position,” Guo Gan said.

“Well enough, at least we be getting to choose the form of the destroyer,” Kildo muttered and shrugged his shoulders. He was about to turn the Space Ghost northwards when a brilliant green light ignited the sky to the far south. It flashed for a moment, then stopped.

“South it be,” Kildo said as the Space Ghost hummed and sped towards the disturbance. Hugging the shoreline to keep his bearing, they passed over a forest and towards the settlement of Ova. They followed a roadway. Fallen trees blocked sections that would prevent any carriages from passing through. Ova, a well-known area for training magic users, was now an eerie shell of its former self. Many of the buildings stood precariously upright despite looking like they had no means to do so. It’d take just a slight nudge to topple them. Destruction was everywhere.

As the Space Ghost rolled through the town, another bright burst of green light shot in front of the craft. The silhouette of a being was in the distance. A spheroid levitating creature had emerged. A great bulging eye sat in the middle of its body and above a wide, toothy maw. Smaller eye stalks sprouted from its crown, which constantly twisted and turned to keep everything in sight. It seemed to be chucklingly nastily at them.

Snarling at the floating abomination, Kildo said, “Time to splatter this thing like a bug. All hands brace for impact. Ramming speed!”


Treasure

· One Dragonfly-Class Spelljammer - The Space Ghost

Comments


RECENT POSTS:
SEARCH BY TAGS:
bottom of page