Randsthry Blackstone: The Rage of Kanaloa

The salt spray washed gently upon the prow of the great steel behemoth as it bore its charges ever onward to Lalotai. Blackstone stood proudly upon the deck, a piña colada in one hand.

“Nothing but waiting now, friends! Eh? Ready to meet some fire elementals?” He shouted to his two companions, Etcher the construct and Nolunisinulon his ioun wyrd familiar.

“I am ready, only the hottest fire can melt my steel.” Responded Etcher.

The construct stood, relaxed, while Nolunisinulon took the form of an onyx skinned woman with fiery hair and gemstone eyes.

“Sure, hopefully we can reason with them.” She said.

“Aye, violence isn’t what we’re coming for, friends. I’d rather make some connections with these misguided elementals than simply destroy them. Besides! We’re practically cousins, shouldn’t be fighting.” Blackstone proclaimed, jovial as usual. He finished off his drink and poured another, peering off into the distance. Surely, the island would become visible soon and all the pieces would fall into place. For now, he’d relax.

It was late in the afternoon as the great steel ship pulled itself onto the Lalotaiian beaches, a plank pulling itself out from the ship for Blackstone and his two crew to disembark. Black smoke hung heavily over the trees, evidence of the elemental fury raging deeper inland.

“Let’s be off! Daylight wasting. I’ll fly overhead, you just follow along quietly, like little mice, eh? Haha!”

Blackstone donned his iconic gold-plated adamantine plate and hefted his equally ostentatious longhammer before dousing himself in lantern oil, lighting up like a beacon and rising into the air, shooting away overhead.

“As he says then. He better stay out of trouble.”

Nolunisinulon shook her head, hopping up onto Etcher’s back as they made their way through the tropical woodlands.

The moon now hung overhead, providing but dim illumination of the island below. Blackstone surveyed the land from above, his eyes searching for bright burning light among the dark trees below. Soon he spotted it, a great billowing black smoke and a raging inferno below. He descended quickly, going into a freefall, only stopping to hover midair near eye level of the grand elemental. The magma giant was massive, a wonderful sight to behold, though certainly angry.

“Ho there! A fine evening is it not?” He called up in Ignan, repeating it in Terran just to be sure the message was understood. He didn’t want to have to fight this fine fellow, but...well if it couldn’t be helped he would indeed. The magma giant only gave a rude answer, something about Blackstone’s mother and his sense of style.

“Come now! No need for that, what do you want anyway here, I’m sure I can help. Gems, gold, more fire perhaps? I can create huge fires like you wouldn’t believe! A good snack for a big fellow like yourself, right?” He tried reason once more, though it seemed futile. Whatever this big guy wanted, he planned to take by force. Blackstone decided to fly off and reason with the smaller elementals, after all they always loved him, surely he could convince at least the little guys to give it up. As he backed off, other adventurers were already advancing on the giant, their intent plain. A sad sight, but the giant chose this for himself. The sounds of battle echoed after him as he flew through the night, no doubt appearing as a rogue fire elemental himself as he headed off to help defend any outlying houses or secluded dwellings upon the island. He was a shooting star, a lone beacon burning bright over the dark trees below.

Sand exploded outward from the heavy impact, a golden warrior appearing in the small crater in front of the hut. Blackstone had arrived to find a small clutch of fire crabs assaulting the lone hut, an old man peering fearfully out.

“Come little crabs, you mustn’t attack this old man, what’s he done to you?” He says, in Ignan.

The flaming crabs crowded around him, apparently sensing his mythic power and the fiery kinship he shared with them, somehow understanding him.

“Come little ones, you need not fight! Let’s have some fun!” Blackstone doused himself in more oil, burning brighter through the night and began to march away with his newfound buddies. At least someone was finally listening to him. The old man stared in shock as the strange newcomer marched away, singing happily with his erstwhile attackers in tow.

Blackstone went on in this way the rest of the night, rounding up any of the smaller elemental creatures attacking the village and showing them aggression was not the way. The bigger elementals didn’t seem as receptive, sadly enough, but he would at least save the poor fiery underlings from a certain demise while defending the villagers. By the end of the night a couple dozen fire crabs, a few fiery boars, a fire fox, two fiery monitor lizards, and some flaming birds had joined his entourage and broken off their attacks. A job he could be proud of! He met back up with Nolunisinulon, Etcher, and the rest of the adventurers back at Lalotai proper. Bet they hadn’t seen that before!

“Please excuse these fiery animals, they’re quite helpful now, just needed some patience and understanding that’s all! Haha!”

He laughed heartily and did a little dance as he gave some hot coals to the lizard as a tasty treat. His expression grew somber as he gazed off at the distant volcano. What was at the heart of all this? Could this be resolved peacefully? Time would tell.