(Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10)
The crew return to Scrimshaw, where the magistrate is happy to see the Captain is okay. But he also has a critical announcement: the Arcadian government has requested all ships and crew to the mainland to track enemy activities... the Swindon empire is on the rise! The Cap'n, happy to get away, gladly accepts the assignment, and the crew depart for the town of Decanter in southern Arcadia.
The Stormstalker is too big to sail up the river to Decanter, so the crew take a sloop to the docks.
At the docks, a cryer invites them to see Fratelli's Fabulous Flying Fiends! Free admission to anyone that can win a Hoofball match!
The crew politely decline, and head towards town. The road is strangely decorated with pumpkins that glow from the inside...
Gaius stops to nibble one of the pumpkins, leaving only a nub with a still glowing candle on it.
The road is blocked by a garishly dressed... Hoofball team, "the Lunatics", led by none other than Bruce "the Moose" Brenkman, the famous player from Swindon. Didn't he retire? What's he doing here?
Before the crew can even ask, Bruce hurls a Hoofball directly into Cap'n's head, stunning him! The game is on!
Cap'n manages to toss the ball to Squalor, who charges forward.
The Lunatics' blocker snags Squalor's leg, sending him spinning toward the ground, where he inadvertantly steamrolls the Lunatic's bagpipe player, putting a stop to his nerve-wracking noisemaking. Somehow Calico manages to snag the ball from Squalor without anyone noticing...
...and laterals the ball back to Cap'n, who quickly skulks through the Goal. Victory! Fratelli the Hippo congratulates the crew personally, and waives their entry fee to the festivities.
Cali meets a plucky Giraffe named Gillianne, and accepts her marksman's challenge. Using Arrow Magic, Gillianne performs several tricks including shooting a man's backpack off in one shot, and a shot that smells like fresh caramel apples. Cali shoots one of her Sea Serpent arrows through a trough of water, impressing Gillianne.
Purket and Tara run into Gail, the wizard from Scrimshaw selling magic books that actually fly and even talk, albiet not always politely. Purket wonders, how did Gail get here? Magic, presumably...
Everyone is lining up outside the Big Tent to see a most rare and curious attraction: an actual, living, breathing Glint! Squalor is curious, and gets in line, the irony lost on him as everyone nervously glances back at him- it must be a costume, right?
Griff meets Humphert, the local animal trainer, and his elephants. Griff produces a treat for the Ankylosaur on display, a potential new friend for Gaius.
Squalor finally makes it into the tent, to find a glint named Shank- the real deal! The two exchange small talk, while onlookers gape in awe.
Suddenly, an Airship appears over the horizon! Crowds gather to watch as... it... scrapes over the trees, almost crashing into the Big Tent. Patrons dive aside as it makes a barely controlled landing.
A wild eyed, grizzled man steps down from the airship, proclaiming himself Doctor Ossuary, living Panjandran descendent! His gruesome Necromancer's garb is less convincing when he shouts bold (and inaccurate) claims of Panjandran power, technology, and lore. Dima looks on, face scrunched in scepticism and disapproval, as the airship slowly drifts away.
Before the crew can challenge Ossuary's bold claims, an explosion rocks the place, and a massive warbeast crewed by Swindon raiders crashes through the trees! Swindon raiders use a glue sprayer, shock staff, and magnet mines to take down Shank the glint, while others ward off any do-gooders with brutal flails and other weapons. The Butcher leading them proclaims "Oh lucky day: two Glints for the price of one!"
Before anyone can stop them, raiders load Shank's immobile frame into the Airship, making a rapid getaway into the skies.
Other Raiders get the jump on Squalor, stunning him and lashing him to the back of their siege beast and dragging him away.
Calico manages to shoot one of the cables free, and Squalor gets one arm loose, but not enough to escape. The raiders form a wall between Cali and their prize.
Fratelli, horrified by these events, offers his own personal airship so the Crew can pursue and recover the kidnapped Glints.
Humphert insists the crew also take his pack elephant, Belle, to aid in the pursuit.
The crew set out to pursue the raiders, joined by Bruce "the Moose", who explains he left Swindon because he disagreed with their warmongering politics. He can't let them take away his friend Shank. Calico befriends an ornery circus lion named Fray, who carries her in pursuit.
The siege beast carrying Squalor nears the stolen airship, so Squalor fires his free hand to grab onto the balloon. But the Swindon raiders cut his cable loose, leaving Squalor's hand dangling. "Hey look, a trophy!"
The Siege Beast slows to climb over a low bridge across the road, giving Belle and the crew a chance to catch up. Some of the Swindon raiders dismount and charge at Belle, but Calico and Bruce take them out with bow and Hoofball attacks.
Calico slides Fray under the bridge, firing a Sea Serpent arrow into the Siege Beast's ankle, slowing it with toxins.
Cap'n, Dima and Purket push their airship in pursuit. Purket climbs atop to take a shot with his sling, attaching a sticky magical tracking device to the enemy airship.
In a desperate bid to stop the kidnappers, Squalor pours his burning heart into a blast of fire, engulfing the top of the Siege Beast in flames that set off the cannon's powder supply in a devastating explosion! His captors are blown away, but the stolen airship is only pushed further ahead.
As the stolen airship makes its escape, Squalor at least knows that, with his hand attached, there is a chance they can use Dima's ring to portal to the one still on his severed hand...
The crew catch up with the frantic, burning Siege Beast, while an unconscious Squalor lies pinned beneath the massive cannon. Dima boldly leaps aboard, but can't budge the cannon aside.
Cap'n dives from the airship onto the beast's head, Jabbing it in the eye and causing it to keel over and finally stop moving. Everyone rushes forward to see if Squalor is okay. Even Tara, with his lost leg, manages to catch up with the rest of the crew.
Dima tries to use her ring to portal to Squalor's hand, but it doesn't have enough charge... They must find a way to recharge the ring before they can rescue Shank. At least with Purket's tracker they have some idea where the Swindon raiders are headed...
CONTINUE TO PART 6!
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