流浪の淑女／Rogue Mistress

　The Rogue Mistress is a sailing craft of mysterious origin, an unusual hybrid of age-old ship-building techniques and ultramodern technology. Powered by atomic engines, she is capable of flight; properly navigated, she is able to slip through dimensions, traveling between the different planes of the multiverse.

　Discovered some two hundred years ago by the sorcerer Draa'k Ferenz, the ship had been abandoned on a distant, lifeless plane. On board remained the Tenatir, a strange alien being, difficult to communicate with but cooperative, and capable of navigating the ship between the planes of existence. With the Tenatir's assistance, Ferenz restored the vessel to running order and, captained by himself and navigated by the Tenatir, the renamed Rogue Mistress sailed from the dead and dreary plane.

　Ferenz captained the ship for over two hundred years, gathering crews from all over the multiverse and living the life of a free-booter and pirate. It was Ferenz who outfitted the ship with its present armament, four black powder cannons from Albyon, a huge laser weapon on the bow, and an aft acid cannon stolen from some distant technological plane.

　A few years ago, while sailing as a privateer for the then queen of Albyon, Ferenz visited the far eastern isles of Grekia, one of the few places in the lawful world of Albyon where the conjurer's arts are practiced to any great degree. Here he met a young woman named Pollidemia, an apprentice sorceress who, at the age of 15, had ran away from an inattentive mother. Ferenz, fascinated by the woman, lived with her for many months, enjoying the warm climate of the isles and teaching Pollidemia much of what he knew of the sorcerous arts. It was Ferenz who taught Pollidemia her first major enchantments, and she adored her lover and mentor.

　When, after a time, Ferenz announced that he must return to the island kingdom of Albyon and resign his commission from the Queen, Pollidemia promised to wait for him. He assured her he would return as soon as he had seen the Queen and returned to her the marque given him and his ship.

　Ferenz never made it back to the isles of Grekia. After his audience with the Queen, he was laid over for repairs in the Espaniac port of Re' Hildago when he chanced to meet the lovely, dark-eyed Maria de Tres Pistolas, an infamous Espaniac outlaw. Completely forgetting Pollidemia, Ferenz and the fiery bandit embarked upon a long and notorious career of interplanar piracy. Flying the Rogue Mistress from one world to the next, they robbed merchant vessels, royal treasure ships, and other profitable victims.

　Pollidemia, forsaken, plotted her revenge, casting a great summoning that brought to her the Chaos Lord, Gashoram, Master of Darkness. Gashoram promised aid to Pollidemia's vengeance, but in returned desired the Tenatir, the strange being who served the pirates as their navigator.

　An attack led by Pollidemia's demon, Gath, finally surprised and took the Rogue Mistress off the coast of Gollia. Ferenz was overcome, and Dog, the blonde-haired captain of the warriors, dragged Maria below decks where he was to execute her. There, defying Gath's orders, Dog sought to enjoy her charms first, but Maria produced a hidden dagger and before Dog knew what happened he had been stabbed and had his left eye gouged out.

　In the fight that followed, Gath killed Ferenz, but Maria was able to retake the ship. With general grief, the body of the dashing and valiant Ferenz was ejected while the Rogue Mistress cruised between the planes, disappearing forever into the ethereal mists.

　Maria continued her piratical ways, commanding the loyal crew every bit as well as Ferenz had. They now spent most of their time in the world of Ildaron.

　Pollidemia continued to scheme. Since Ildaron was suffering the deprivations of the Rogue Mistress, Queen Media of that land gratefully received Pollidemia's information that the troublesome pirates were hiding on one of Ildaron's free-floating lakes. The ship was boarded and although they were able to make off with the Tenatir, they were unable to capture Maria, who killed five of the attackers with her own hands.

　Without the Tenatir to guide the ship, the Rogue Mistress is trapped in Ildaron, eventually to be tracked down and destroyed. Maria, suspecting the handiwork of Pollidemia, has vowed to rescue the Tenatir after which she will find and kill the wicked sorceress.

　Queen Media has so far refused Pollidemia's demands to hand over the Tenatir, suspecting that the creature can extend her own power. Pollidemia has grown impatient, and presently seeks a band of mercenaries to raid Queen Media's castle for the Tenatir.

　This is where the player-characters come in.