Enemy At The Gates

The real foe is revealed and their subtle war of deception grants them the opportunity to strike a crippling blow.

Amongst Pirates

Having cast doubt on the evidence linking House Lions to the weapons being smuggled to enemies of Fortuna, The Silk Glove have have been contacted by Stern Lions and invited to act on his behalf in search of the source of these weapons. Stern has a contact named Tigermane based at the free port of Greenhaven amongst the pirates and independent traders of The Anvil coastline.

Passage could be difficult, the winter storms have only recently abated and most merchant vessels have either sailed on the first trip of the season across to Arnia, or are expected any day on the first trip in return. Furthermore, Stern has intimated that at the end of last season, House Lions sent four Typhoon class clippers across to Battle these were a new class of ship that was built purely for speed - he expects that they will outstrip the main fleet by at least four days on a crossing. No sign has been seen of them yet and since the main fleet will be behind them he is concerned that there may be difficulties.

Travelling to Greenhaven the party's ship, The Blushing Maid is attacked by a Hanorian Ghostship named The Defiant. The battle appears one sided with the enemy able to control the range and attack with animated siege weapons, however its attack is mysteriously broken off as it turns and heads off into the waning light.

In Greenhaven it is clear that the pirates are in fear of The Defiant a recent squadron of warships sent to finish it has not returned. The pirates say that it has defeated up to a dozen other well armed warships, and no captain is moving out from the town until the vessel moves on or is defeated. The Blushing Maid has a cargo of food and this fetches a fine price once the party are able to elevate themselves from /Fair Game/ to /Nobody/ and finally to /Somebody/.

Tigermane proves easy enough to find and he tells the party that about six weeks ago, a crewman on The Dirty Blade was offering pristine weapons for sale, each bearing the lion motif of House Lions. this was when he sent the message to Stern Lions and he has heard nothing since. He does know however that The Dirty Blade maintains it's own private berth amongst the Lizardfolk near to Cemetery Hill and suggests that the party investigate there.

The Path to War

Investigating Captain Chiral's hideout the party defeat its guardian and discover evidence that shows that The Dirty Blade has been acting on behalf of the government of Hanoria in a clear provocation of war. They are arming the enemies of Elan and they have been seeking to engage mercenary groups to act against the interests of their home state.

The evidence is collected and the party return to Greenhaven here they discover the pirates celebrating the destruction of The Iris a bounty hunter that has taken many pirate prizes over the last few years. It seems that she has fallen to The Defiant and that the captain, Laurelin Starmaster had landed his stricken vessel close enough to Greenhaven to lead a party of crewmen inshore and attempt to steal a replacement vessel from the pirates.

The elven captain was caught by the lizard folk and sold to the pirates - who have hung him in a gibbet over the waters of the port - every so often he is dropped into the murky harbor to be pulled up just before he has drowned. Laurelin is known to the party and they manage to effect a rescue as The Blushing Maid slips out of the safety of the port and into the teeth of the storm that her captain hopes will hide them from the prowling ghostship.

Laurelin Starmaster persuades the party that the ghostship can be defeated with the help of his remaining crew that are with the wreck of The Iris. The party devise a strategy and with the help of the shipwrecked crew they take the vessel. In doing so they discover that the Hanorians have learned how to harness a red dragon using an animated exoskeleton that tortures the creature into submission - it is this dragon that has allowed the ghostship to dominate the waters by spotting enemy vessels from a great distance. The dragon is released and offers a service in return.

The First Blow

The Blushing Maid and The Defiant return to Fortuna however as they approach it is clear that there has been a great fire, for despite the recent storm, a pall of smoke still hangs above the city. As they approach the city they are engaged by three ghostships along with their three enslaved dragons, they make for the city but things look bleak however from the skies, Malleous the red dragon that they have recently released flashes from the sky and the ghostships, so startled by this reverse, give up the chase and The Silk Glove return to their home town.

They rapidly discover that the fleet finally returned but as it entered the ports it was discovered that the vessels had been converted to fire ships, crewed by the animated servants of Hanoria. The docks were destroyed along with every ship of the line that was sheltering, and war with Hanoria was effectively declared.

As the only two fighting vessels in the city, The Defiant, now under captain Starmaster and The Blushing Maid were swiftly commissioned and set the goal of escaping the Fortuna before the blockade could be reinforced. Clearly three ghostships were formidable however a strategy was again devised and using ritual magic to control the weather and feinting with every seaworthy vessel in the docks the two ships escaped again into the open sea.

Pardons for Pirates

Oridon of Crestfell was tasked with approaching the pirates of Greenhaven and offering a pardon and a fat purse to any that would fly the colours of Fortuna and oppose Hanoria. The Silk Glove was asked to help this embassy to establish some kind of credible foothold with the pirates and so they agreed to travel back to Greenhaven.

As negotiations with the pirates of Greenhaven proceed, The Silk Glove discover that the turncoat crew of The Dirty Blade is due to return to the port imminently and they elect to confront them. Managing to convince their allies on The Defiant to remain at anchor in Green Bay for a few more days they have a stoke of luck when the captured Hanorian warship is approached by the returning Dirty Blade. Captain Starmaster has his elven marksmen lay waste to a significant number of the traitorous pirates before they can escape to the cover of the trees. When the enemy ship limps into the woodland port it is woth their numbers significantly reduced.

The enemy crew is still too lare to confront so the party decide to wait and see what transpires when their raid on the pirate's safehouse is discovered. They do not have to wait long and soon negotiations are underway for the return of the stolen papers that inciminate Dann Chiral and his crew. The negotiations break down and in the fight that ensues, Corin is slain, Abe is captured and the remainder of the party flees.

The Silk Glove is defeated and scattered, attention now moves to the South of Elan where the Hanorian army is attempting to gain a beach head.

Covenant

To the extreme south of Elan, the so called county of Keepsafe has only one settlement of any significance. Partly this is because of The Wildwood that stretches for six hundred miles in a triangle defined by the mountains of Wilder Range the ocean and the River Stoney. At the southernmost tip of the triangle, is the monastic retreat of Covenant, and here in the small logging community that has thrived in its shadow, some new heroes are ready to join in the defence of Elan.

Following a suprise attack by Hanorian Animae the river port at Covenant is destroyed and the small fleet of coastal barges is sunk. Fortunately the mercenary marine army of The Drengr Nidgogg was anchored nearby and is still effective. One of their dragonboats is commissioned to take the party north along the coast in search of any sign of where the Hanorians can have come from - their arrival in a coastal barge means that they must have some kind of foothold on the coast of Elan.

The party head north and within a day and a half they spy a large fleet at anchor. They are ambushed by an great underwater vessel but escape and manage to make it to the shoreline. Here they meet with the Wilden Forestguard.

From the Forestguard the party discover that The Wildwood has been attacked by some massive force and is retaliating by striking out at any intruder within. The Wilden are seeking out the source of the affront but until it is discovered, the party will not be left in peace by the forest. The wilden agree that one of their number, Goldie, will escort them to the nearest place of safety, The Greenwatch.

A day later Goldie seeks out the party to explain that a great evil has been discovered and that the Wilden with whom he travelled have become trapped. The party escort Goldie back into the forest and discover the Hanorian's have landed a huge force of animae, destroying a great swathe of forestland.

The Wilden are rescued and their leader says that they will seek the advice of the wisest amongst them, a druid named Great Elm - he recommends that the party seek out Lowly Worm as the wisest amongst their kind. Goldie escorts the party back to The Remembered Mountain.

The party seek out Lowly Worm discovering that he is now almost bound to remain in the form of an ancient white dragon. The party aid him in recovering the Book of Iggly and upon returning to the monastry he explains to them that it is his belief that The Covenant has profoundly weakened the magical landscape of Elan and is permitting the Hanorians to act outside of the normal limitations of magic.

Lowly Worm explains how the legitimacy of The Covenant is bound to his own lifetime and that as he is now going north to seek his own death, he needs a volunteer to go to Fortuna and see that the ancient magical compact is revoked. he will carry one person to the outskirts of the city and then go to the lair of Crucius where he will seek to defeat him. He does not expect to survive the ordeal.

Fortuna

Three of The Silk Glove have returned to Fortuna where they find the city stripped of most of its garrison, blockaded by the enemy fleet and subject to a continuos attack from mystical and occult forces. Assassins and saboteurs strike at the fabric of the city and Stern Lions tasks them with helping in the defence of the city. Meanwhile the armies of Fortuna have gone south to meet the enemy in the field at Tine Vale where the story began.

Abe has also returned to the field as well however he is in service under his captor Dann Chiral of The Dirty Blade. Forced to act as the Ship's Mage for a year and a day, he is held to his committment by the presence of Livia Blackstock a friend and hostage aboard the pirate ship.

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