Tinker Hollow

Tinker Hollow an airship port city that relays on the fog for it’s energy and water. The sea below is too salty and only rust everything in sight. No sea ships except fishing boats get close due to the salt is thicker in these waters. The rocky reef makes it impossible for ships to get into. Fishing boats stick near the shore due to the fog and the rocky reef can shred them blind if they get close.

Outside of Tinker Hollow is arid land. South a few days you meet the Mogi Wastelands that wasn’t wastelands a few centuries ago, but due to war from the former Mogi nation going extinct it became one. Go further south you will see jungle lands and bountiful cities full of wealth and prosperity.

Head North and you enter Mountain ranges followed by the Northern nations who bare thin patience from outsiders. Head east a couple weeks and you’ll meet nations and terrains only the imagination can describe.

Dropping the keg of the local beer Emmett burps loudly. Catching a few strange eyes in the process in the bar. He brushes them off by looking toward the captain who hasn’t been herself these past few days. “A few more cargo shipments and we’ll get paid a decent amount.”

“If the dumb plate Queen Lulu and the Pinnocks don’t screw us over that is” Ada reminds him of the number of times Queen Lulu has screwed them over in the past. The Pinnocks are a race that dominates the sky’s not with airships, but with their mechanical wings on their backs. Their eyes are able to see 1000 miles when over sea. A formidable adversary during war that is best to be an ally of. During peace as is currently they are suspicious of all outsiders. Only a selective amount of traders deal with them.

“Quite down you two” Captain Kato responds in a soft authoritve voice. “We don’t need any trouble in these woods.”

“Uh...” Emmett about to say something when the other two crew members are thrown in to the bar. The Air Marshall walks in behind with every patron including the bartender lifting a weapon toward them. Kato and her two alien crew mates turn toward the Air Marshall.

“Mother...” Elena responds terrified and silenced by a gun pressed behind her from Roy.

“Kato where’s the device you stole?” Roy shouts out to her looking at her in the eyes.

“What may that be Marshall?”

“Don’t be coy with me” he places his arm around her daughter’s neck “I have the advantage.”

“The Lustful device!” James stammers before Roy directs the gun toward his head.

Kato looks around the room before responding toward the Air Marshall’s question “That’s a myth.”

“Nay, you stole last night from the city archives and left this note” Roy pulls a rolled up note and throws it toward her.

She grabs it and read it a few times before throwing it back to him “Not my handwriting.”

“Then who?” Roy asks pressing harder to both of his hostages.

“We are heading north to the mountains” Kato walks closer “Their are some individuals I know who can solve this.”

“Your Airship and crew aren’t going anywhere” Roy points the gun toward Kato now between Elena and James. “If I find out that you are indeed hiding it or delaying or playing cat and mouse with me I will end yours and your entire crews lives.”

Kato stands still before responding “Do you know of a Mr. Lynch, Marshall?”

“A dirt bag that ain’t welcome in this city” Roy begins to relax by shoving James toward the side.

“We will head out tomorrow at first light” Kato reaches his gun and pushes it down as she looks him in the eyes.

“Deal!” The bar calmed down with Kato and their Air Marshall brokering a deal. The group got together around a round table to go over the travel plans. Both parties resolve all the logistics and sent out a message to Mr. Lynch.

Later in the evening the crew is held upstairs heavily guarded in the tavern. In exchange the crew got it’s airship cleaned, restocked, and refueled for the journey. The crew limited to one room due to prostitution duties the tavern profited on. None of them allowed to be near the prostitutes.

Captain Kato and her daughter shared the lone bed with James as Emmett and Ada used the floor. Midnight Emmett who hadn’t been able to sleep due to the sounds of prostitutes asks ominously “What is the Lustful Device?”

James hearing him sits up in the bed and helps explain it “The lustful device is a mythological device that gives untold power for the bearer who desires far exceed the normal amount. It was made millennium ago by an old race of people named the Vero’s who used wood and fire as their main sources of power. Their empire fell with the device. There are some descendants of the race that have inter-married with other species, but you wouldn’t know now if anyone was a descendant. They created the device for their old rulers desired a device that may be given to strengthen them, but in return it became a curse and ultimately the downfall. No one has seen the device in centuries. For Tinker Hollow to have it in their archives it is astonishing that this place isn’t a ghost town.”

“Geez, and I thought you humans were bad” Emmett jokes mildly.

“Well, my gut feeling is this Marshall is working for someone who desires it” James responds “That is extremely worrisome.”

Emmett takes a deep breath nodding in disapproval “another fucking war.”

Behind the door where James and Emmett are speaking a young prostitute is listening in. Once they finish talking she heads to a room where the Air Marshall is lying in bed asleep. She lies besides him ready to drift off when he grabs her wrists and asks for details.