The Storm Queen

Erastus 11, 4712 

Having found the crude gold featuring a bird of prey on a background of lightning in the hoard of the giants' chief, the Coopers hold hope that these pieces will lead them to discover who sponsored the hit on Zoarth. Maybe the farmers would know. Gerald rubs one of the coins onto parchment so he can show them without having to hand over any of the gold. Daryle wonders why they just couldn't give them a few of the coins since they are down on their luck following their village's destruction by the giants. Darelle agrees.

The Coopers return to the farmers' camp, and make contact with the farmers. The head of the farmers  does not recognize the sign, but he refers them to a sage named Thedan Nammas, a sage who lives in the hills just outside of Jol. Surely if anyone around these parts is able to tell them what this sign is, it will be him.

Gerald gives a gold coin to every person in the farming community, but after 130 coins have been distributed he realizes that the farmers and their families have taken advantage of him by disguising themselves to get more coins. Daryle, seeing this strategem, hints that the coins may be cursed. Many of the children drop their coins and run, but the adults hang on. The triplets return to their cloud and fly away, following the valley as it becomes wider. They pass over the giants' camp again, but none of the hill giants have returned.

In the late afternoon, they see in the distance their destination. Jol is a small city of 9,500 inhabitants. The Coopers can see it from miles away. They get off the cloud about a half mile away, and trek into town from the north. Questioning the first farmer's wife they find, they obtain directions to Thedan's cottage. The woman refers to the weather several times, complaining about the weird storms they have been getting. The Coopers thank her and follow the roads.

A few minutes later they come across a rundown and overgrown cottage. They knock on the door, and Thedan Nammas answers. After pleasant introductions, Thedan invites them over for dinner, since he rarely receives guests. Over the course of the meal, the Cooper reveal their purpose for being here. Thedan identifies the symbol on the gold coin as being that of the Storm Queen, but he doesn't know whom she is. He has, however, heard of the orb beyond and he speculates that this is what is causing the bad weather around Jol. He agrees to perform research for them, but he tells them it will take about two days. The Coopers agree. Over the next two days they mend and fix the cottage, clean up the garden, and tend to the animals.


Erastus 13, 4712  

After a most excellent lunch, Thedan emerges from his library and describes what he has discovered in a little known book about the history of giants. There is enough evidence to suggest that the Storm Queen is named Verakas and is a cloud giant. Once upon a time she was Zoarth's companion, but her birds and herself were attacked by Zoarth's cats and she was left for dead. Clearly, the Storm Queen intended to make Zoarth pay for his treachery.

As they clean the dishes, Darelle and Daryle notice pinkish clouds billowing above the town. Soon it begins to rain, but the rain is like jelly. Slowly the jelly agglutinates and turns into gelatinous amorphous creatures. Gerald transfoms Daryle's arrows to add flames to them, and the Coopers join the city guards in fighting these creatures. Darelle notice a group of children being attacked by one of the creatures, so, headless of her own safety, she jumps inside the creature and kills it. Gerald uses flaming sphere and manage to destroy another one, while Daryle dispatches the last one with her skillful use of her bow.

The Coopers are invited to the city palace and they are rewarded by King Opir Eightfingers for their bravery. He offers them unlimited food and drink for the rest of their lives. Gerald muses this would be a great place for retirement or for a vacation cottage.

Looking up at the storm, the Coopers decide it is time to take the fight to the Storm Queen. Darelle sends a tree token to the Storm Queen asking her if she was behind the attack on Zoarth. The token also provides directions to their location. Meanwhile, she maneuvers the cloud upward. The rain increases and it becomes difficult to see beyond a few feet. The noises of the storm do not obscure the approach of two heavily armed hill giants flying on roc mounts. The Coopers suffer some damage but are able to beat the giants back.

Entering inside the cloud, they discover a flying platform. Four heavily armed and armored cloud giants await them and immediately begin launching stones at them. The battle is brutal and Daryle is taken out. Gerald uses up all of his fireball spells but his efforts, along with Darelle's, manage to slay all of the giants. Exploring the platform, they discover the giants' treasure, as well as the roc's nest. They set up a trap there in case the giant birds return.

On the upper level they find the Storm Queen awaiting them in the middle of a pool of ectoplasm, with a blue dragon standing a few feet away awaiting her command. Gerald artfully attempts to negotiate with her but instead hurls insults. The Storm Queen welcomes them as agents of Zoarth and tells them she will destroy them all and will make him pay for what he did to her. She tells them she was attacked by hellish cats and Zoarth did not lift even a finger to rescue her, and, worse, his other cats ate her birds! She vows death and destruction.

The Coopers mull leaving this fight. After all, they don't really care what happens to the Storm Queen or Zoarth, for that matter. But could they really leave the citizens of Jol below underneath the rendering tear in the sky created by the Storm Queen?

Darelle decide to send a tree token to Zoarth to tell him who attempted to kill him and that his former lover is coming for him. She also tells him about the rift in the sky, and wonders if he could help. She sends another tree token to Thedan Nammas requesting his help. The Coopers withdraw back to their cloud and await an answer ...