Act 1 Scene 3:
(We are now next to a battered Æther craft in its secure dock. The scars of a recent attack run deep. Torn panels and fractured suspension lines hang like wounded limbs, while arcane energy conduits flicker erratically)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKj055tlL1D
(Upon sighting the craft, the Adepetus Æther exclaims in shock)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN418A9yf2i
Adepetus Æther: By the heavens! The extent of this devastation....it doth boggle the mind!
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXRdR0QcpV
Lord Preen: Adepetus, this battered craft in front of us reminds me of an expedition into the Misty Woods to collect Suspendium.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPj3LStOOmk
Adapetus Æther: Ah, a tale I have heard whispers of but never had the fortune to witness. Pray, do share the details.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCq1em1ngC7
(The protagonist shifts uneasily at the subject)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOM7dvBeOQ
Lord Preen: (Dryly) Were mine am that day successful, I would bear a trophy but lack a narrative of redemption.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPW1QSQg2qW
Adepetus Æther: Pardon?
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFANEU7p2n
Lord Preen: (Dryly, with an enigmatic grin) In that cursed thicket, where shadows whispered secrets, the quiver of my purpose held a lingering arrow of profound precision, yet some tales remain better left in the dark.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCj9Jeeq3pe
(The Adapetus Æther walks toward the damaged Æther craft, carefully inspecting its intricate mechanisms with a sense of fascination)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmewqCBkYx
(The lights focus on him)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4f27JC5pJ
(There is a moment of silence)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOECAWhn1Em
Protagonist: (Deadpan) He almost shot me.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jpuIXWF7X
Captain Star-Caster: (In disbelief) Thou nearly did what!?
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7q82nhSci0
Lord Preen: Thine intentions in the Misty Woods were deplorable, and I am profoundly sorry for that.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLxeeqRW4M
Protagonist: Your humility is a rare trait, my lord, and it speaks of your character’s strength.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCRcRjAiYs
(The Adapetus has finished inspecting the craf. Hee walks over to Captain Star-Caster and stands beside her)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5B83yq9Vod
Adepetus Æther: I fear, dear Captain, that the vessel’s plight is dire; it is damaged beyond redemption. We must regrettably part ways with it.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4MHmR4PdS
Adepetus Æther: (With enthusiasm) Ah, this vessel! It is reminiscent of the early experiments with Suspensium propulsion, much like the advancements we have seen in the last five years....(He pauses) Well, I suppose thou art unaware of the recent changes in our world?
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMk96g7XSrV
Protagonist: (Nods in agreement) Indeed, we have been out of touch for quite a while. What has happened in the last five years?
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4AKNQ8M4H
Lord Preen: (Dryly) It seems, my dear, that we have been inhabiting a most splendid and oversized boulder, blissfully oblivious to the cultural and political shifts of the past five years.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Tp6eKyE2I
Adapetus Æther: (Excited) In essence, our current era of Etheric progress is a thrilling continuation of the ground-breaking Suspendium research my master embarked upon.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfVMqneuWF
Adepetus Æther: (Enthusiastic) The essence of the skies, my dear friends, empowers Æther in a most exhilarating manner! The possibilities are boundless – we hath mastered flight, harnessed the cosmos for energy, and discovered technologies that, in days of yore, were deemed utterly unimaginable!
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DIheguf1E
Lord Preen: (Sarcastically) Suspensium Cannons- where they finally figured out how to shoot something other than themselves.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgU7X8b5Fii
(The protagonist and the sky pirate desperately fight to appear unamused)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyBNF7T3SF
Captain Star-Caster: (With a serious tone) Forgive my abruptness, but in the past five years, the world hath transformed dramatically. Warfare hath undergone a significant shift, with advances in weaponry, particularly Æther powered armaments, airship fleet combat hath become commonplace.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIR9kenNeuI
(Lord Preen and the protagonist do not respond, waiting for her to continue)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSw2Dh0Vl9
Captain Star-Caster: The advances in weaponry have given rise to more accurate Suspendium cannons, while new Suspendium lasers cut through the skies with precision. In our sky-faring world, we have seen the emergence of agile strikers, designed for rapid attacks, and the innovative Corsairs – specialised vessels for stealth and reconnaissance. And there is talk of Dreadnoughts, akin to mobile fortresses, under construction to rule the upper atmosphere. These developments have transformed our approach to warfare in the skies.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLwYXP9TjS
Lord Preen: (Smirking) Dreadnoughts sound like the physical embodiment of the Narciss ego – what they might build when they are composting for something.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEp8S631lBI
Adapetus Æther: (Nervously) In the past, the Order of the Dragoon was known as noble guardians of the skies, but recently, they have taken a darker path.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31eF6fvCAa
(There is a pause. The Adapetus recalls something he heard)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2FWfeQtfY
Adepetus Æther: I have heard a rumour that there’s an airship launch happening soon. We should make our way there.
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5SknaWHBY
(The protagonist and Lord Preen exit the stage)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3HSbw5iM5
(The Adapetus Æther and Captain Star-Caster remove the craft from the stage and exit themselves)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkx8UGqI7d
(The lights dim to nothing)
221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZJuo82E74
End of Scene Three
ns216.73.216.65da2
