Jammers:Chapter 3, Turns 27 & 28 Summary

Comments, criticism, and flames always welcome and in fact are requested. I
crave feedback:)

Past turns and further information (such as who's who) can be found at the
Jammer's webpage:
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/3001/jammers.htm

To subscribe as a lurker to the Spelljammers Onelist (used to run the
Jammers PBEM game) go to the following URL:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/Spelljammers

-------------- =storyline break
*************** =time break

IC:

<in the wreckage>
Vais grabs Holland and lifts him to his feet, "Follow me." the golem says
as he leads Holland to the catapult. "I've got an idea."

<In the fog>
"Humph!" Seguld stamps his good leg in indignation. "GoAfterMeNoseWillYa?"
Seguld then drops and rolls smashing his mace into the scro's leg.
"An'AnotherThing..." Suddenly he drops and rolls back the other way, but
the scro nimbly dodges the second blow.  The scro's own pair of
counterattacks slam into the deck, inches behind the rolling gnome.

Holding a hand on the wounds of his neck, Talus staggers away from the scro
he has slain towards the sounds of the scro battling Seguld.  Silently
moving through the mist behind the creature he strikes with his dagger, the
blade striking deep into a gap in its armour, and black bile pours out as
Talus' strike finds the intestines. The scro drops to the deck in agony as
it slowly expires.

Ferric moves forward, searching the fog for a foe. He has only moved
perhaps twenty feet past Seguld and Talus when a pair of scro suddenly loom
up out of the fog before him.

Ferric moves in, his rapier flicking and weaving.  The scro both launch
savage slashes, but Ferric sidesteps them and his rapier thrusts out,
straight through the eye and on into the skull of one of the scro. Ferric
has already turned to focus on the other when the scro crumples lifelessly
to the ground.

Clutching his gut wound, Italapate feels the broken, splintered wood of his
vest and thanks Coyote that he wore it.  Teeth clenched, Pate ducks low and
tries to crawl out of the fog, but he is disoriented and finds the portside
railing first.

Grigree steps out of the fog by the starboard railing, his sword and dagger
at the ready.

<Outside the fog>
Nilaroo overcompensates on his swing, and feels his knee twist painfully as
he tries to recover.  The scro takes advantage of the gromman's momentary
distraction and sinks his scimiter into Nilaroo's gut.  With a surprised
look on his face, Nilaroo slides off the blade to the deck in a furry heap.

Raken continues fighting the scro before him.  His face contorts with the
pain of his injuries, and the grimace deepens as the scro lands a solid
blow to his side.  Raken feels a rib crack, but his armor somehow turns the
edge.

Leera turns to the spellcasting scro, and calls, "Hold, friend! We're in
great danger here and could use your help clearing up this situation. Can
you help us subdue your comrades so this can be worked out peaceably?"

The scro laughs, "This will help clear it up!" he replies while moving his
hands carefully before him.  Leera gasps as an invisible force, roughly
hammer-sized,  slams into her side with bruising force.

Pointing with his crossbow at the scro between him and his shipmates,
Robert says "Kill the scro." to the small zephyr, while aiming and pulling
the trigger at the spellcasting scro.

Robert's zephyr flies into the scro with bruising force.

<On the vipership's bottom>
Deigatt keeps swinging with his axe. "They'll have heard hus by now," he
mutters during his upswing.

<On the wreckage>
Vais pulls Holland up so they are both perched precariously on the
catapult's arm, Holland can see that Vais has recocked the weapon.  "Wait a
sec..." Holland starts to say when Vais pulls the trigger arm and the
catapult fires, flinging the two high into the air above the vipership.

The catapult rips itself to bits as it fires, unable to syand the strain
when properly mounted.  Holland realizes their trajectory will lead them
into deep space just as their forward speed suddenly dissipates, and the
two begin floating downward like a pair of feathers. "It appears to have
worked." Vais remarks.

<In the fog>
"That'llLearnYaTaNotGoAfterAGnome'sNose!"  Seguld says in triumph, but
suddenly his eyes flash wide as two more scro loom out of the fog,
scimiters swinging as they attack Seguld and Talus. Seguld lets loose a
wild battle cry. "BringOnTheBacon!" With a full speed leap off the fallen
scro, Seguld launches himself mace first towards his foe.  The thick mace
head slams inton the scros chest, knocking him back and cracking ribs. As
Seguld rebalances himself, however, the scro's scimiter leaves a gash in
his forehead.

Talus incants the words to another spell, with a gesture he finishes the
spell creating a vivid fan of colour across the deck arcing above Seguld's
head.  Both scro are hit by it, Seguld's scro ignores it but the one
attacking Talus collapses to the deck unconscious.

Ferric launches a sudden flurry of attacks and feints at the remaining scro
before him. One of the attacks lands, leaving a nasty slash across the
scro's bicep.  The scro's scimiter in turn leaves a nasty cut on Ferric's
thigh.

Following the portside railing aft, 'Pate moves out of the fog cursing and
hissing in pain as his abdominal muscles pull against his wound.

<Outside the fog>
Raken and the scro warrior fighting him continue their scimiter duel, but
neither can push an attack through the other's guard.  The scro who just
downed Nilaroo moves into the contest as well, slashing viciously but
inaccurately at Raken's skull.

The spellcasting scro spins towards Robert after being hit by the arrow and
the zephyr, gasping for breath.  He raises his hands as if to cast a spell,
but the zephyr again slams into him and the scro drops to the deck,
unconcious.

Ignoring the fallen scro spellcasters Robert turns towards the rear
ballistae, just in time to see that his cloud of noxious vaoprs on the rear
of the vessel has dissipated, and that the three scro it had incapcitated
are now up and attacking.  The largest of the three slams his blade into
Robert's side, but Robert's chain holds firm and the potentially
deathdealing blow is reduced to severe bruising.

The two other scro charge past Robert and their leader, moving through the
four Leera has mesmerized as the charge her.  Leera quietly mumbles a few
words and makes a quick gesture or two, scattering some colored sand. A
wedge of clashing colors appears and envelops the scro chargeing her and
those she has mesmerized. Three of the mesmerized scro fall over, stunned.

The other two pull short as Grigree steps between them and Leera, attacking
with his longsword and dagger.  Grigree scores a solid hit on one,  gashing
it across the chest.

<On the Vipership's bottom>
Deigatt finally chop's a hole large enough for Billy to fit through.

Billy enters the cargo hold and sees that it is unoccupied, and partially
furnished as crew quarters.  He moves quickly to the cargo hold door and
starts picking the large padlock that secures them.

<In the fog>
"HeyHogHead!" Seguld cries. Seguld trys to parry the scro's first attack
but fails, and before he can recover from the bruising blow to his side, a
second blow slashes across his chest, exposing bone and blood as the gnome
collapses to the fog covered deck.

Coming up out of the fog as the scro looks at Seguld's collapsed form,
Talus sinks his dagger deep into the creatures chest and twists it til pink
froth bubbles from the wound, then he allows the dying creature to slide to
the deck.

Ferric takes a mild cut from the scro's scimiter, then finishes it off with
a straight thrust through its chest.  Another scro slashes at Ferric
suddenly from the fog but misses.  Ferric turns to face the new threat.

<Out of the fog>
'Pate sees his path to the ladderwell is blocked, so he draws his shortbow
to help the others fighting on the aft deck of the vipership.

Raken's scimiter sinks deeply into the face of his original opponent,
cracking bone and killing the creature instantly. For a split second,
however, Raken's blade is stuck, and the scro who downed Nilaroo adds
another company member to his tally as he slashes Raken viciously across
the back.  The Star Druid drops to the deck bleeding profusely and lies
motionless.

Grigree finishes off the scro he wounded a moment ago with a one-two
sword-dagger combination.  His second opponent aims a wild swing at
Grigree's skull, but his fingers loose their grip and his scimiter goes
flying off into wildspace on the back swing.

"Vais, get over here!  You're needed." Grabbing the black grip of his short
sword, Robert draws it as the large scro attacks.  Robert cuts the scro,
and dodges back as his zephyr flies into it. The scro shrugs off the
zephyr's assault then slashes his blade through the minor elemental,
dispersing it with a whispery "Pop!"

Leera grabs three darts from her belt and hurls them at the remaining
mesmerized scro who has shaken off the pattern's affects and is charging
her.  Two of the darts strike home, inflicting painful wounds.  Roaring in
pain, the scro cuts her down.  Leera collapses to the deck as her robe
begins to stain with blood.

Vais and Holland float down onto the vipership's deck between the two rear
ballistae.

<On the vipership's bottom>
Billy finishes picking the lock then quickly unbolts the cargo hold door
and lets Deigatt in. "Let's head for the helm room," Billy whispers to
Deigatt.

Deigatt nods as he lowers himself into the cargo hold.

Date/time: 6:34 am 12th day of the 6th Month, 5049 OC

<In the fog>
Leaving the dying scro to twitch its last on the deck, Talus kneels beside
Seguld with a grim expression on his face at the gnomes wounds. Gingerly
touching his neck, Talus finds faint signs of life.  Hoping that it will be
sufficient, he uses the remains of Segulds clothing as a crude bandage to
stem the flow of blood. The blood from Seguld's wound slowly begins to
lessen.

Further aft in the fog, Ferric and a scro continue to fence. Gritting his
teeth from the pain Ferric growls as he parries his foe's blade wide and
closes immediately with a riposte.  The rapier sinks deep into the scro's
chest, and the surprised creatures collapses to the deck.

<Outside the fog>
Pate sees Leera and Raken strewn about the deck, bleeding.  He drops his
short bow, readying his tomahawk.  Hissing through clenched teeth, he
rushes to the downed illusionist.  Leera lies, crumpled yet graceful, on
the deck. Her lifeblood slowly forms a pool around her.

The scro Leera hit previously with her darts falls to the deck, laughing
maniacally.

Holland looks over the scene and frowns.  Pulling out his two wheelocks,
the invisible Holland steps forward, placing both wheelocks six inches from
the chest of the Scro that downed Raken and Nilaroo, and with gritted teeth
pulls the triggers.  Holland fades into view with a ripple as the scro
steps back, startled by the pain and smoke.

Seeing Leera fall, Grigree renews his efforts against the scro.  With a
rush, he continues attacking with both his sword and dagger.  The scro
warrior dodges the longsword, and manages to grab the scimiter of his
fallen companion, but Grigree's dagger sinks into his side. Clutching the
wound with his free hand, the scro resumes a guard position facing the
hadozee.

Shouting out, while parrying a swing from the scro, Robert yells,"I  could
use some help over here."

Ignoring the battle raging around him, Vais walks over to Nilaroo lying in
a furry heap.  he rolls the massive gromman over with ease and places his
hands upon his wounds while examining him.  The blood ceases to flow from
the wound, though the gromman doesn't return to conciousness.

<In the Hold>
"Billy," Deigatt commands, "check the ladder while I make sure there's no
one here hin the hold."

"Looks like we're in luck for once, Deigatt." Billy adds,  "Hopefully, we
can disable whoever's on the helm before they know we're here." Billy heads
for the ladder well and climbs up slowly. Just as he reaches the gravity
plane, he stops and listens, looking "down" at the the floor of the next
deck. There doesn't seem to be anyone close by so Billy whispers to
Deigatt, "Move slowly and watch me carefully." Billy proceeds to climb up
the ladder. When the gravity plane bisects his body, Billy nimbly flips
upsidedown and climbs down onto the deck above.

<In the fog>
Standing up from where Seguld lies, Talus tightens the grip on his dagger.
Bending down, he slices the throat of the scro he caught in his colour
spray spell before heading aft into the mist looking for an new opponent.

Ferric moves cautiously back towards the sound of the fray.

<Outside the fog>
Holland drops his pistols and draws his longsword, steping back too slowly
from the scro's counterattack, which leaves a small cut on his forearm.

'Pate rips off his loincloth (purely decorative, folks), folds it and holds
it against Leera's wound.  He fishes through Leera's things, grabbing three
darts.

Grigree makes a another series of one-two strikes with sword and dagger,
finishing off the scro fighting him.

Robert attacks with his shortsword, but the scro dodges it easily, and
responds with a powerful scimiter slash that Robert's chainmail barely
turns from a dangerous cut into a very painful bruises.

Having aided Nilaroo, Vais turns to the closest wounded, Raken, and quickly
places his hands on his wounds.  The bleeding stops.

The laughing scro gets control of himself and gets weakly to his feet.

<On the Maindeck>
"I believe the helm his to the fore, Billy," Deigatt says in a low voice as
he climbs the ladder to the main deck.

Billy takes a quick peek inside the closest room and seeing that it is
empty, quickly crosses it to the helm room door. Billy places his ear flat
against the
door, but hears nothing from inside.

Deigatt joins him at the door.

<On the Top deck>
The fog suddenly lifts, fading away as if it had never been.  The maindeck
is covered with bodies, mostly scro though of course several of the Company
lie motionlesss as well.  Only three scro remain standing on the top deck.

Holland swings his sword again against the Scro, and the blow slips past
the scro's guard to slash open its neck. It drops gushing to the deck.

Vais aiding the wounded, 'Pate stands nearby, ready to shield him from any
attacking scro.

Talus slips forward and buries his dagger to the hilt in the deck of the
scro recovering from the laughing fit. The creature drops lifelessly to the
deck.

Grigree and ferric rush towards the scro fighting Robert. The scro hears
their approach and spins, allowing the half-elf to step back and catch his
breath.  The scro's desperate parries fail, and he goes down under Ferric
and Grigree's swords.

<On the Maindeck>
"I think there is no one in there, Deigatt," says Billy. He grasps the
handle and enters the helm room with Deigatt right behind him.

Inside, a scro is standing next to the helm, a flask in his hand.  Billy
levels his shortsword at the occupant and says, "It's over, you are
overwhelmed. Surrender or die!"

"I choose death!" the scro screams in common, then hurls the flask onto the
helm.  It shatters, and the room is suddenly filled with blazing flames.
The scro warrior stands like a flaming torch in the center of the room.

Then chaos erupts.

A massive gust of wind picks Deigatt bodily up off his feet and hurls him
through thin walls and doors until he's lying stunned at the rear of the
main deck, among the broken pottery of the pantry.

The entire ship is suddenly drenched as a hard rain falls for just a
minute.  When it stops the ship is soaking wet and pools of standing watter
abound.

The remains of the helm disolve into a massive, green, slimy ooze.  As
Billy watches it begins to grow at an incredible speed, transforming much
of the room's wood into the same, green, slimy substance. Judging from the
rate of growth, it will engulf the ship in five to ten minutes.

Date/time: 6:37 am 12th day of the 6th Month, 5049 OC

"We look on the same stars,  the sky is common,  the same world surrounds
us.  What difference does it make by what pains each seeks the truth?  We
can not attain to so great a secret by one road..."
Symmachus,  "Memorial on the Occasion of the Removal of the Altar of
Victory from the Senate House" (392 AD)

Paul Westermeyer,  westermeyer.3@???.edu
Phd Candidate, History, Ohio State
Adjunct Faculty, Humanities Department, Columbus State Community College