From the journal of Harrison Challenger

It is quite the mess I fear I've gotten us into. Things have been moving fast and nary a chance to lay pen to paper. But here appears to be the lay of the land. A Mrs. Roweena Preston approached us with a story of pirates murdering her husband and making off with his experimental cloudship. I have a keen ear for languages and was certain that she was not British, as she claimed, but instead perhaps German. But a fine adventure was afoot, and I am certainly not one to shy from that. So off my companions and I went on Captain Shoolo's cloudship-for-hire in search of said pirates in the highlands. We caught up with the scoundrel and apprehended him. My loyal Baraak and I had to stop (lethally) a few of his bodyguards, but we've been in many similar pickles in the past requiring such forcefulness. Captain Shoolo deftly dodged the pirates' pursuing ship and we did a bit of interrogating of our prisoner. Long story short, it turned out my suspicions were correct and the "Lady" Preston did no less than shove a revolver straight in my face! A fierce scuffle ensued and we managed to subdue her (while Baraak dealt, lethally, as is his way, with her maid servant). Our sponsor, Thurston Howell, is in a bad way, but survives. Meanwhile the ship awaits us, and I feel adventure's siren call. Now, down goes the pen and off we go!