Mogan's Run

A short side-plot to explore Mogan.

Plot

Mogan goes out raiding. A victim confronts Mogan with the enormity of piracy and associated murder. Mogan is unphased, and not amused.

Arrival

Mogan sails into a Fay outpost on the solid-clouds. It is a sculpted beauty spot of spires, stalactites, and wide perches. Built by high-air fay who never walk, and on the edges of the savage beauty of the Outer Fire, it is a place of wild calm, and occasional turbulence. The air here is thick with the embers of the Outer Fire, and the rising life-dust detretus from the Enchanted Forest. Huge balloons bulge above the Woe, though a few are sagging slightly. Burners at the bottom are reminiscent of hot air balloons.

Landing

Mogan makes his landing in a skiff, along with a set of four other Zarth brutes. There are cries of "The Mogan has come for us!" from the Fay. The Zarth use their magic to disable all opposition, and trap some of the Fay inside their sculpted tower. Mogan and his gang grapnel up the side of the tower and begin to cage the captured sylphs.

Confrontation

The Sylph speak very quickly, and the Zarth mostly ignore their taunts or pleas. Then, one of the sylph addressed Mogan, telling him slowly (for her) how they have passed down the tales of his rampages for generations. They knew he would come to kill again, but they never knew why. "What do you want us for?" she asks. Mogan crushes the inquisitive fay, and continues to ignore them.

Departure

The skiff returns to the woe. Several of the cages are emptied into the sagging baloons, and we see that many sylph are trapped within, and encouraged to lift the Woe by the flames lapping at them from below. A gimbaled burner within the balloon allows attitude control by shifting the direction the Sylph attempt to flee. As the Woe flies off, the weeping of the newly captured fay drifts back on the wind.

Purpose

What is the purpose of this story? Does Mogan develop at all? Does one of the fay change their view of Zarth, or of the other fay that failed to protect them? Other than displaying Mogan's cruelty, what does it accomplish?