Jammers:Chapter 5, Turn 3 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 and list subscription
info) can be found at the Jammer's webpage:
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/3001/jammers.htm

Bral has no north or south, of course, so other directions are used.
besides Underside and Topside (Topside has the city, Underside the military
base and fields) there is Leading Edge (the side with the Royal Palace) and
the Trailing Edge (the Docks). The other sides are port and starboard, as
if the Rock were a ship with the Leading edge the fore.

----------- = Meanwhile, elsewhere...
*********** = Later...

IC:

Watching silently with an amused smile as Seguld examines the door, Ives
waits patiently for a reply to the knock.

Grigree turns to Ives as they wait and asks, "What you think of our group
so far?"

Closing his eyes for a moment, Ives says in an hesitant tone "Well from the
little I've seen or heard you all seem competent adventuers, but if you'll
beg my pardon most don't seem to have the dirt knocked off their feet yet."

Pausing a moment Ives seems to turn an even deeper auburn in his face then
in a rush he says "I don't meen you or Sequld are groundlings, but none of
you have any idea of how to properly pilot a 'jammer in combat. Not that
you can't fight but from Sailmaster Ferric's description of your last
battle, no one even thought once of bearing off an another heading. Though
using the bomb to knock off the Viper was a brilliant piece of thinking, if
a bit of a waste of a Viper."

"Ay chipango!  Was a waste of our crew member," Grigree replies, his fists
clenching involuntarily.  He takes a deep breath and quickly relaxes. "We,
llrr, learn from mistakes," he says and continues to follow Seguld.  In a
soft voice he adds, "It's only way."

Taking a deep breath Ives continues on at a less rushed pace "But I'm sure
I'll have a chance to get to know the whole crew when we ship out. I've
only really talked to Sailmaster Ferric, and Master Karasivin yesterday and
today. Though I was definatly looking forward to talking to Seguld, Gnomes
always have great ideas of improving smokepowder weapons." Ives says this
last part with a gleam in his eye, and a grin on his face.

Grigree looks up at Ives and nods, but doesn't say anything. He keeps to
himself for the rest of the trip.

"Smokepowder is a fine thing, when it is applied in the proper situation.
It is all critical in the development of the weapon. Take for example the
bombard you are always inquiring about. A simple weapon which could be
vastly improved.  Why just think how much more you could do if the bombard
could be aimed, and loaded by a single individual using a set of pullies,
gears, pedals, a turn-wheel, and a spring. The weapon would then be far
more efficient. And if you were to add a non-incendiary mechanism for
launching the projectile you would clearly see the benefits the first time
you reached a combat situation while in the Flow." comments Seguld
philosophically. "Yes, indeed it is a top quality weapon, but clearly far
more could be done to improve it."

As Grigree and Ives finish speaking the door opens and a young gnomish
priest invites the group in. "Welcome to the House of Gond." He says with
deliberate slowness. "How may I be of service?"

"TheName'sSeguld.... SeguldGuilderholme..." he pauses and glances towards
Grigree and Ives, then continues in similar deliberate slowness. "Let's
just leave it at that for now."

Seguld then continues, "We're from the Silent Star, I mean the Night Prow..
er.. Night Wind. Can't seem to keep the names straight anymore, too much
change, yes indeed, too much change, and without letting me make a single
improvement. Well, the crew has decided they want to trade a ballista,
medium size, for a catapult. Why they would want to give up such a nice
weapon in exchange for a big old clunky catapult is beyond me. Of course,
my Giff companion would prefer the exchange to be for a bombard, but that
wasn't approved, so I guess we need to investigate what you have in terms
of catapults. Now I personally would like to see what you have done to
improve the ballista. Certainly the House of Gond has reviewed the weapon
and come up with numerous modifications to improve the speed, accuracy, and
damage from such a weapon."

Soon Seguld and the young gnome are engaged in a deep debate on the
proposed purchase. Their speech becomes so rapid that the others can't
follow it. After about forty five minutes, Seguld smiles, shakes the
gnome's hand and says, "Anddone! Ilookforwardtotommorrow'sdelivery!"

Seguld turns to the others and says,
"Ourcatapultwillbedeliveredtotheshiptommorrowmorning.We'reinluck,theyjustfin
ishedrefurbishingoneandwegotitcheap!Only700gold,plussomespecialGnomoiammunit
ionthatIcan'twaittotryout!"

Seeing their slightly baffled expressions, Seguld speaks slowly, like to a
gnome child. "They will deliver it tommorrow and it was cheap."

Satisfied, the trio returns to the ship.

Date/time: 3:15 pm 4th day of the 7th Month, 5049 OC

********************

At six the watch on deck sees a commercial rickshaw pulled by a pair of
Shou drive up on the dock in front of the NIGHTWIND. Elrohir, looking
resplendent in red and gold silk, steps from it and moves to the gangplank.
"Ho the ship!" he calls cheerily with his hand resting lightly on his
swords basket hilt, "Captain Amroth has arrived for the Lady Leera."

A few minutes after being alerted by those on watch, Leera emerges. She's
obviously used a cantrip or two to clean and freshen her clothing. Her hair
is brushed and clean. She smells slightly of perfume.

As she disembarks, she laughingly tells her crewmates, "I'll be out
late.... don't leave without me."

Upon reaching the rickshaw, she waits for Elrohir to help her climb in.

"You look beautiful, Tinuviel." Elrohir says with a bow. Then he helps
Leera into the rickshaw and the two drive off.

As the rickshaw drives off, Vais returns from a trip into town. He's
wearing a large cloak wrapped about him which hides his mettalic features
from those who are not close upon him. In his hands are several bundles of
paper, ink, quills, books, herbs, mortar, pestal, and other sundry items.
He greets the deck watch with cheerfullness and heads below deck to his
room.

--------------------

Holland takes a nap during the afternoon but gets up in the early evening.
Putting on his backpack, Holland disappears into the city.

Jax wakes up and leaves the ship aout three quarters of an hour before
dusk. On his way into town he tells the watch he'll be back in a few hours.
Then he disappears into the busy port city.

Date/time: 6:30 pm 4th day of the 7th Month, 5049 OC

---------------------
<On the topdeck>

Billy wakes up around 8 pm from fitful sleep. He enters the galley, rubbing
the sleep from his eyes. He fills a mug with water and rinses out his
mouth. "That'll teach me to eat raw onions before bed time," he mutters. He
looks for left-overs and eats them cold. After a quick bite and a loud
burp, he heads for the main deck. On deck he nods to his shipmates and
walks over to the bow. He sits cross-legged and takes a deep relaxing
breath. Pretty soon, he is in a meditative trance.

Nilaroo, perched comfortably in the rigging, long bow in hand, watches the
halfling briefly, then returns to watching the quay.

Nilaroo blinks his eyes and stares: a large, black writhing mass has
suddenly appeared on the quay where it meets the Rock, flowing from either
side as if from below. The mass boils down the quay towards the NIGHTWIND,
as it comes within ten feet of the gangplank Nilaroo realizes it's a group
of several dozen giant rats...

"Rats! We are boarded by rats! Hoom, awake!"  Nilaroo howls as he makes his
way down from the rigging at an unbelievable velocity, finally leaping from
the lowest rope and tumbling to the gangplank. Reaching the gangplank he
rips it upd from the deck mooring by brute strength and hurls it aside.

Ferric snaps around from where he has been gazing out across the other side
of the quay. Running across the ship he twists his arms sending a dagger
springing from a sheath on each wrist.  Reaching the other side he stands
at the ready next to Nilaroo.

As the cry of rats is called Ives turns with a quickness that seems odd for
his massive girth to see Nilaroo knock the gangplank off. He charges
forward from the aft where he was practicing with his sword.

Billy scrambles to his feet and hurries to the gunwales. Seeing as he has
little time to act, Billy sighs and concentrates. His body transforms
itself. He seems to have grown a chitinous shell and his right arm has
changed itself into a shortsword.

Allagan, sitting with his back to the rear mast, jostles awake from where
he was taking a light nap. Allagan stands and with spear heads to the front
of the ship.

Dhebun sits quietly his back to the mast, his attention on Freneth. As
smoke rings drift into a hazy wreath around his head, he leans forward and
begins to speak to him in a strange guttural tongue that seems more suited
to musty tomes than casual conversation. Their conversation is interrupted
by Nilaroo's warning call...

Dhebun's eyes grow wide with alarm and he quickly puts out his pipe. "Come on,"
says the dwarf as he waves a hand to Freneth to follow him and rushes to
the rail to see what Nilaroo is shouting about. Scanning the docks
frantically he soon spies the tangled mass of fur and teeth heading for the
NIGHT WIND. "Hammer and tongs!  What foul purpose could have driven that
reeking brood from their holes this night?  Curse our luck."  Gripping the
haft of his hand-axe, Dhebun grits his teeth in firm resolve.  "Baruk
Khazad! Baruk Khazad!  What say we teach these vermin not to leave their
nests my fellows?"

Freneth grabs his stuff and runs over to see whats going on. He watchs in
awe of the swarm of strange beasts rushing toward the ship, seemingly not
sure what to do or what is going on.

"What the..." Kain begins to laugh as the rats first appear, stopping in
his pacing of the deck before the smile disappears and a slightly worried
look takes its place. "Someone has to be controlling 'em," he grunts as he
slings his crossbow over his shoulder and begins to pull himself up into
the rigging.

As the rats boil down the wharf, shouts of "Rats! Rats!" can be heard
eching from other ships up and down the docks. In the distance, the sound
of arquebus fire can be heard echoing across the city from the port-side
Low City.

The rats spread along the side of the ship in a mass and leap across the
few feet to the side of the ship, easily climbing up, over the egde and
onto the NIGHTWIND in several different groups.

They break into small groups and swarm towards those on deck....

----------------
<below decks>

At Nilaroo's urgent cry, Talus drops the spellbook he was studying in his
cabin and runs up onto the deck.

Nilaroo's cry startles Deigatt from his sleep. He opens his eyes and stares
at the ceiling for half a second, then jumps up, grabs his axe, and heads
topside.

Arms crossed behind his head and in the same quarters, Grigree is lying in
his bed staring up at the ceiling in deep thought when he hears Nilaroo's
warning.  It takes him several moments, and the commotion on deck, to bring
him back to
reality. With a jerk the hadozee gets up.  He fumbles with his swords,
taking both but leaving the scabbards behind. Grigree makes his way up the
stairs and to the deck.

Raken is still in bed slumpering soundly. At the calls of rats, Raken opens
his eyes slightly for a moment, then rolls over in bed and falls right back
asleep.

Seguld remains in the cabin below deck talking aloud to Vais.
"DoYouHearThem? GroundlingsGalore! AsIfThey'dNeverSeenARatBefore!
DisturbingMyWorkTheyAre,AndI'veGotAlmostTheMindToGoUpThereAndGiveThem
ALittleWhat'For IfYouKnowWhatIMean. ButFirstI'mGonnaFinishThisDesign."

"Mmrrmf." grunts Vais in reply, bent over his own tomes in concentration.

Date/time: 8:06 pm 4th day of the 7th Month, 5049 OC

Paul Westermeyer,  westermeyer.3@???.edu
Phd Candidate, OSU Dept of History
Adjunct Professor, Columbus State Humanities Dept