STORY ARC #4
Trouble at the Ballast Tanks
A Hero of Pendown Adventure
You can read the opening of The Hero of Pendown here, a tale started by Jonathon Sawyer. You can also return to read the previous chapter here.
You’re a hero, and it’s time for action.
Ketal, the ghostly Master Servitor that you have met onboard Prison Arc 2–3–7, has told you that the ship has suffered damage, and you need to secure several areas.
“I’ll start with the ballast tanks,” you say, picking the area that sounds most familiar to your experience with ocean-going ships. “After that we can investigate the control room, that matter-stream thingy, and, uh…”
“The engine room,” supplies Eshami.
“Right!” you say, drawing your sword. “Onwards!”
“Ahem,” calls out Ketal as you stride away, and you glance around to see him pointing towards the other direction up the corridor. “It’s that way, sir. Big blue door on the left. You can’t miss it.”
“Just where I was about to go,” you reply, turning on your heel.
Eshami falls in alongside you. The row of doors is to your right. As you go, you do notice that each one is a subtly different color. Only a minute or so has passed when you see one that has a vivid blue sheen to its metallic surface.
“Looks like we found the ballast tanks,” you say with a grin. “Easy.” You then hammer your fist against the panel alongside the door.
Nothing happens.
You hit it again, then press your palm firmly against the small panel, but still nothing.
“Damn thing’s broken,” you murmur.
But before you have time to consider going back to ask for help from Ketal the Master Servitor, Eshami has murmured an enchantment, and the door slides open obligingly. Inside there is darkness.
“Even here, the gods provide us with blessings,” she says with a slight smile. “For the true of heart, anyway.”
“Good, good,” you reply. “Perhaps if you could now summon up a light spell?” Without waiting for a response, you step forward into the dark area beyond.
And find yourself falling.
“Shit!”
Still clutching the hilt of your sword, you try to bunch yourself into a ball. Soon you thump against a sloping surface below, then again, and then find yourself sliding downwards.
You briefly wonder whether you are going to fall right out of the magical ship, and somehow end up back in Pendown. But before you can think too much more about that possibility, you land with a splash in around a foot of water, and find your feet with a groan. Moments later, Eshami lands much more nimbly beside you, and looks around.
You are in a wide area surrounded by metal tanks. The floor is covered with a brownish liquid, and here and there are scaled humanoid creatures, each around four feet tall.
You recognise them — they are kobolds, dangerous denizens of the caves of Pendown. You have slain many of their kind over the years.
These ones seem to be holding… mops? With buckets alongside them.
As a hero of action, you quickly decide to…
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