"All who stand before the mast stand in the light of them as holds it." -old Eliksni saying
Howls filled the corridors and holds of the ketch. The bulkheads stank of despair. The Houses were scattered. Everywhere, the Taken King's fingers had reached down and snatched away entire skiffs and ketches. Surely this was a sign, the despondent wretches wept, that the Black Gale would sweep down upon them all with a veil of shadow.
One Baroness stood in the bridge of the ketch as skiffs hurriedly docked within the vast hangar. Nearby, Archon Praksik Hasp chanted with his retainers, their words being broadcast on a common frequency to help calm the rabble. Soon the rest of the Barony would march into the bridge, and the Baroness knew what would happen next. Squabbling, bickering, and fighting as they all would clamor for the throne. Their House, which had survived the last Whirlwind, would break like all the rest.
The Baroness looked at it, and reached a decision. She would not allow their noble House to scatter.
When the Barony arrived on the bridge, they found a new Kell before her throne. Clutched in one hand was a burning spear, in another pair were the swords of the Kell-That-Was, and the fourth hand was charting a course.
"Hear me, O Barons," the new Kell declared. "To stand against the gale is to scatter before it." They looked at one another, but chattered their agreement. This was so. Had the vaunted House of Stone not fallen before it, perishing that other Houses might escape?
The new Kell continued, "So we shall sail before it, until its fury blows out." They raised the spear and pointed it ahead of them, toward the infinite starscape as the ketch leapt forward into jumpspace. The Barons clamored a bit, and one stepped forward, drawing their sword in anger. The Kell intercepted their attack with her swords, the spear coming around and removing one of the upstart's lower arms.
When the bellows of pain subsided, the Barony all made obeisance. The Archon followed suit, and the ketch rang with the House's support. The Kell clanged the butt of their spear on the deck before them.
"Before this mast, this House will stand."