Episode 4, Part 1: Journeys of the Mistress of the Blue

As promised by the Sage's Guild, the characters are well rewarded for the things they find, and there are a few minor items they are allowed to keep from the Temple. With a few strings pulled, Halmaro the Red is making a serious bid to fund both the Temple venture and will be putting the town to work. New offers for jobs for the team is available... :)

The rescued villagers are incredibly thankful and decide to settle and work in Wayhaven. Rumors of how the Sun Lord helped the adventurers are floating around, and Beorn Fletcher and his religion start to experience quite a bit of popularity. It helps (Not) that Sandy has been seen by one or two of the villagers.

During the year that they are resting, helping, and learning more about themselves, they are also contacted by Mark Hall, the Jedi who pointed them in the direction of Lantara. Since they've found out about who they are, he offers to help them with the next step and gives them a special Skyship called "The Mistress of the Blue" with a friend of his, Captain Titania. He packs them off to Gambit Isle.

Gambit Isle is a bit of an enigma wrapped in a mystery. A little over a dozen years ago, it rose from the Blue with an intact Kroyu research facility. Mark Hall and his Team of stalwarts overcame the numerous challenges on the Isle and befriended a trapped man who was, at one time, also tortured there, a Kroyu Tech-mage named Gambit.

Someone else had made it to the aisle a little before them: Captain Aurelius, a vicious mercenary who had somehow made the jump from Earth. Mark Hall, Debreu and crew dealt with Captain Aurelius and locked him away and turned Gambit Isle into a research and training facility in light of the coming war with the Dragons... Oh, you don't know about that yet? Let me clue you in.

Dragons are said to be either offspring of the gods of Old (the Kana) or actually Kana themselves. They were spawned by during the War of Heaven to defeat the Consulate. They were defeated by Torian Starwielder who took the Starsong into the heart of the Sea of Fire, defeating several of the Great Dragons and forcing the rest to yield to him, becoming the Dragon King. Most of the dragons moved to Sevenheim, a cluster of 7 islands which fell into the Blue during the 7 Days of Endless Light. The sleeping dragons descended into their strange "grave".

Rescuing Gambit, Mark Hall, Debreu, and team find out that at least some of the dragons are alive and have been patiently plotting a way to return to the 7 Skies. Gambit Isle is proof and prototype, and it won't be long before the isles of Sevenheim rise with their none-too-happy passengers.

While visiting the island, the Team takes on a dragon. They win the confrontation, forcing the dragon to leave, though hindsight indicates that the confrontation was much too easy, and no one on the island seems surprised when they tell what happened. Hmm...

To Barathi

After leaving Gambit Isle, it's noted that a cloaked (invisible) Barathi ship is following them. Dee, with his typical brand of diplomacy, manages to damage the ship. Technically, there's no law from following someone, even while cloaked, so things get sorta twisty. The ship's captain settles for an IOU of favor to call in at a later time. The characters then decide that it's time to change course and head to Barathi...

Through the Mists

While on their way to Barathi, the characters are travelling through The Mists. There is a heavy presence of ghosts hanging around the ship and the crew becomes rather edgy. Their dreams become rather vivid, somewhat outlandish. One night, Titania is found to have suddenly grown to 12 feet tall, putting a hole in the ship. In order to get help, the ship changes direction and heads for the Cloud City and the Oracle.

Saving The Rowyn

Suddenly, Alex is jolted awake with a sudden desire to lay in a new course. The ship draws close to the new location and finds an incredible battle taking place - 10 miles out they realize that powerful mystical weapons are being used. At half a mile out, they are able to see the battle taking place - The Rowyn is under assault by a ship of strange design. Alex discovers they are using Psion Ballistae, weaponized devices used by the A'Tari to enhance the range and scope of their own abilities, a system that would be very effective against ships. The team hatches a plan to redirect one of the bolts using a dimensional gateway created by Alex - using Dee as a target/"bait"; the alien ship explodes. They gather what debris and refuse they can and help the survivors. The last survivor turns the Ships Log over to Titania, charging her to get it to Mark Hall.

At Ashcroft

The characters continue their journey; Titania informs them that the best chance to get hold of Mark Hall is to stop at the village of Ashcroft, on a minor island of the same name 4 days away from Barathi. Ashcroft is a food source (mostly trigo) for Barathi - and is also home to the First House of the Jedi. They meet with Mark Hall who receives the ships logs from Titania and helps them to understand what happened during the battle.

The 14 person crew of the Rowyn were led by 3 Jedi who had been trailing the strangely designed vessel for awhile. They are not sure how they were detected, but they were suddenly fired upon by the alien vessel. They were taking precisely targeted shots designed to cripple and play with them when The Blue came to their rescue. 7 of the crew - including all 3 Jedi - survive the battle, but their physical and psychic wounds were severe enough that they had to be placed in medical comas and worked on by healers. The reports indicate that the Rowyn could have, perhaps should have, been taken out quickly. It seems that the alien ship was using the Rowyn to test the power of the Psion Ballistae. When the alien ship was heavily damaged by their own bolt, it triggered a self destruct mechanism which finished the ship thoroughly.

This is crucial and disturbing information which Mark Hall takes to the Council of Regents.

Mark Hall informs the team that the Oracle is looking forward to meeting them all, and they head off to meet her at Cloud City, a growing fortress-island which apparently moves!