Jammers:Chapter 3, Turns 29 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:
Billy stares in amazement at the growing ooze in front of him. After a few
seconds, he comes to his senses and looks around the rapidly changing helm
room for anything important looking that could be salvaged before it too
transforms into slime. He quickly sees that the helm's explosive death has
left only ruin and wreckage, however. After a final look, Billy dashes
through the holes left in the walls by Deigatt.

On the topdeck, Holland wipes the water off of his face and says, "Those
who know healing, help Vais.  Get to Leera, Kain and Seguld.  The rest,
make sure the Scro are  dead," as he slits the throats of the Scro on the
deck.  "Let's take a minute to regroup and then we will head below deck, I
have a bad feeling about the source of that downpour. Good thing we have
another helm handy."

Wiping the sweat from his brow, "Thanks guys. I wasn't sure about surviving
his next blow." Robert says to Grigree and Ferric. Sheathing his sword,
Robert grabs his crossbow from where it lay, and moves over to Raken,
calling over to Vais, "I've got two healing  prayers left. Who's in the
most need of them?"

"I do not yet know." Vais says as he examines Kain.  "I need time to
examine them." He places his hand on Kain's slowly bleeding wounds, and the
blood ceases to flow.

Seeing no scro above decks Ferric quickly goes below.  As he climbs down
the ladder, he sees that the front of the vessel is rapidly being
transformed into some sort of green, slimy substance from the bottom up.

Below decks, Billy meets Ferric. "Quickly, Ferric! We must abandon ship. We
need to warn the others!"

"I'll do it." Ferric answers firmly.  Billy continues aft.

Ferric reverses direction and pulls himself back onto the top deck.  The
large, grey skinned warrior speaks calmly, "Gentlemen, this ship is
dissolving away into some sort of green goo.  We have perhaps three to five
minutes to get off this tub and back into the STAR's debris. Grigree, pull
in our tethered wreckage. Holland get Leera. Talus, grab Kain. 'Pate you
have Seguld. Robert take Raken.  Vais you get Nilaroo. I'm going below to
make sure Billy and Deigatt make it out.  Once everyone is on the raft
don't wait for us, shove off."  Ferric drops nimbly through the ladderwell
and runs toward the helm area in search of the two missing members.

With the battle ended, 'Pate's adrenaline visibly starts to fade out. He
holds his gut wound, dropping to his knees. Head bowed, he breathes through
clenched
teeth. He looks up and nods at Ferric's orders.  "Talapas coyo et
_Shtaju_!" He curses, the sound hissing out between his teeth.  He stands,
uncertainly, then moves as quickly as he can to Seguld's side.  Struggling,
he lifts Seguld to a
hold over his shoulder.  He secures Seguld with his right arm, holding his
abdomen with his left. "Let's... get outta... here, Seggy," he says, then
moves quickly as he can to the edge of the ship the Star was on. "So....
boss-men, we gonna just... jump inta the plane?"

>From where Robert is carefully moving Raken towards the edge, Robert  says,
"Guys, chuck anything that's not nailed down overboard. We  might need it,"
and pointing towards the growing green goop, "and  that isn't going to let
us come back."

Vais moves to Nilaroo and carefully lifts his great bulk, then walks slowly
to the ship's edge.

A defeated expression crosses his face when Talus learns of the slime
dissolving the ship.  The half-elf directs a glare upward and mutters,
"Someone out there must really dislike us, and is probably having a
laughing fit at the moment." With a sigh he turns his attention back to the
ship and starts dragging Kain over to the railing nearest the wreckage of
the Star.

Grigree tries to pull in the STAR's remains, but its clear it will take far
too long.

Holland comes over and helps Grigree pull on the rope, but the rate of
closure only increases slightly.

"Noy Jetat!" Grigree exclaims in anger. "This take too long.  Everyone,
jump off ship and hang onto rope. We lower wounded to you, then you float
out holding rope. Last one cut rope, then pull we to wreck."

Holland slumps.  "I guess that's our only option."

One by one the concious members of the Company of the Silent Star climb
over the railing while the others hand the wounded down to them.  Vais and
nilaroo go first, as the gromman's massive bulk would be almost impossible
to lift without everyone helping.  Then 'Pate and Seguld and so on.

While waiting his and Leera's turn, Holland grabs a few of the Scro weapons
and tosses them overboard in the general direction of the STAR's wreckage
and then begins searching the scro corpses for booty.

Below, Billy finds his large horned friend stunned in the pantry. "Deigatt,
are you well? We must abandon ship as soon as possible! It's turning into
some green goop," Billy informs.

After a few moments, Deigatt suddenly shakes his head and opens his eyes.
In great pain, he sits up and sees blood flowing from the back of his
shoulder down his left arm. He grunts, then takes a potion  from his
backpack and downs it quickly. Rejuvenated, he stands, picks up his spear,
and heads fore, Billy right behind him, just as Ferric drops nimbly through
the ladderwell and runs toward the helm area in search of the two missing
members.

Seeing the green slime rapidly emerging from the cabins across the ladder
well, they quickly climb up the ladder and emerge onto the top deck.

On the top deck, the slime's advance is apparent, as it has already
consumed the forward catapult station, and is rapidly nearing the second
ladderwell. Judging from the swift disintegration of scro bodies consumed
by the slime, the company's exit was well advised. All of the other company
members except Grigree are now floating on the gravity plane, holding a
wounded companion and the rope.

Billy, Deigatt, and Ferric each jump in turn, being certain to get a firm
grip on the rope as they bob beside it.

Grigree grabs one of the scro scimiters and uses it to slash the rope,
which instantly begins drifting away from the viper.  Then he steps back,
and leaps into the air, using his wing membranes to glide to the STAR's
wreckage.

Grigree sets the scro scimiter aside, and begins pulling in the rope. One
by one everyone is pulled aboard this chunk (the former aft, maindeck of
the STAR).  Everyone except for Vais collapses for a few moments in
exhaustion. Vais begins treating the wounded at once.

The scro vessel is quickly consumed by the greenish slime,  which remains
drifting a few yards away in a vaguely viper-like shape.

After a few moments, "Does anyone need healing?" asks Billy. "Vais, who do
you think is worse off and needs me the most?"

Vais looks up from where he is working steadily on Leera, "All are now
stable.  Assuming we can keep them quiet, and reasonably comfortable, all
will live.  Of course, their healing would take several months without
supernatural aid.  We should decide which of our companions has the skills
we most require currently, and concentrate our healing there. The others
must wait till our priests have had a chance to rest and pray."

Date/time: 6:50 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