Jammers:Turn 46 & 47, Chapter 5 Summary

The Ongoing adventures of my Spelljammer PBEM game.

Comments, questions always welcome:)

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

IC:
<On Iceberg>

As he approaches the end of his count, Deigatt begins to prepare his web
spell. He taps out the last numbers lightly with his foot, then at
one-hundred one-hundred, he steps forward from the opening and casts his
strands so that it
they stretch from one side of the cavern to the other, catching all of the
pirates within his web.

Ives calls out in Giff "Surrender, Lads! I'll make sure you  two get back
to Bral unharmed. My word on it what"

A shimmering curtain splits the air, wavering slightly as if in a gentle
wind in front of you. "You will be slightly disoriented on the other side."
Billy's voice seems to come from the empty air in front of the heroes.
"Quickly now, step through."

Grigree jumps through, crossbow still in hand.

Nilaroo follows Grigree through the portal, aiming for a slightly different
vector than Grigree.

Once the portal appears Holland waits until Grigree and Nilaroo go through,
drawing a starwheel, Holland passes through blinking several times to
adjust to the shock of traveling through the portal.

Allagan steps through the portal after Holland, stepping to the side to get
out of the way.

Dhebun steps through the portal.

Raken hops through the portal.

After everyone has stepped through, Billy draws his shortsword and steps
through last.

Kain and Talus stands motionless against the cavern wall, carefully
watching the pirates.

--------------------
<Back on the ship>

Freneth shouts from the rigging, "What's going on?!"  He grabs one of the
loose ropes, and starts sliding down.

Leera dashes lightly past 'Pate and Seguld. She pauses at the amidship
hatch, and glances down. Seeing no one is there, she starts quietly down
the ladder.

Seguld grumbles, "JaxIsMine, BeReadyToMove, I'llBeRightBehindYou." Seguld
then pulls the trigger and fires his shot at Jax's back. The bullet slams
into Jax's back, knocking the street rat prone and causing blood to gush
out of the wound.

Italapate looks at Seguld and places his index finger, vertically, on his
pursed lips. Unfortunately, the gnome is already firing.

Milken attacks Ferric with shortsword and dagger.

Ferric parries Milken's attack.

********************
<On Iceberg>

The pirates stop struggling as they realize they are trapped and surrounded.

Deigatt moves toward the cavern entrance and waves Ives toward the pirates.

The giff say to Ives, in giff. "We are fairly beaten. We surrender."

Ives says in common,  "Don't attack the Giff, I've  secured them in
exchange for releasing them unharmed in Bral"

Billy staggers towards the ice cave wall trying to shake off his dizzyness.

Nilaroo, Allagan, Dhebun, and Raken stand dizzy.

Talus and Kain stand invisibly against the wall watching events.

--------------------
<Back on the ship>

Freneth looks about, his eyes darting about in near panic.

Leera moves forward quietly, she opens the door to the companion way and
sees the melee aft by the helmsroom door.

Italapate makes a war cry "Aaaahyeayeayeayeayea!" and vaults down the
stairs into Milken. Both tumble to the ground in a tangle of arms and
legs...

Seguld flips his arquebus back over his shoulder as he grabs his mace in
his left hand as he dives headfirst down the hatch after 'Pate.

Seguld does a diving forward roll, sending his momentum into his arms as
they stretch out above his head and strike towards Milken, but the momentum
is too great and Seguld's roll races him past the intended target.

Ferric tries to sort out the tangle of Milken and Italapate on the deck
with little success.

*************
<On Iceberg>

"Ives," Deigatt says. "Try to find hout where Milken his. Hand hif hanyone
helse his missing." The minotaur continues slowly toward the entrance,
looking and sniffing.

"Aye, Aye sir" Ives promptly replies as he fires off a quick salute then
turns to the prisoners "Right Lads, I understand of course that if you wish
to keep mum, but if you'd be so kind to tell us the where abouts of
Milkin,  the gnome witch, and the mind bender we'd be greatful. Of course,
we might in fact actually arrange a ride back to elsewhere in Bralspace. I
must say chaps, there is warmer, and better places to stay than here on
Iceberg."

On the otherside of the webbing, Holland looks around briefly and stepping
within 10 feet of the webs says to the pirates, "Where are Milken, the
witch, and the mindbender? Answer truthfully now, with no questions or
counteroffers, or no quarter for any of you." As Holland is speaking he
stows his starwheel in his belt, snaps his fingers and holds his hand palm
up. In the center of his palm appears a small globe of fire, the light from
the fire illuminates the bottom half of Holland's face and casts shadows
over the rest.

The pirates don't answer Holland or Ives, but they don't struggle or try to
escape, either. They let their weapons drop into the webs.

Ives continues on in a louder voice "He's just a tad upset, loosing his
hand and all that,it does tend to cause that in mages."

The dour dwarf scans the dim cavern, nodding in satisfaction at the
imprisoned pirates. Dhebun calls out to them. "Yield now to our company and
you shall be shown mercy, which is more than you deserve."

Allagan turns sideways and rotates his head between watching the webbed
pirates and down the alcove.

Grigree trains his crossbow on the pirates in the webbing.

Raken holds his position with his weapon drawn and ready.

Still invisible, Kain continues to wait by the back wall, his crossbow held
tightly in hand.

Invisible, Billy walks carefully to the deeper  end of the cavern to see
what is there. The soft padding of feet receedes into the depths of the
grotto.

Talus waits undetected against the cavern wall, watching events unfold.

--------------------
<Back on the ship>

Freneth glances at the others rushing to the doorway, then starts as he
sees a gnomish female with wiry hair appear as if from no where in the act
of hurling a ball of opaque green fire at Druasnon. The ball slams into the
elf and knocks him from his feet. He crumples into a motionless heap on the
deck amid a cloud of greenish vapor that burst from the opaque, mystical
ball of light.

Freneth shouts out warning to the others as he heaves his javelin at the
gnome witch. His aim is true and it slams into her shoulder, spinning her
around to face him.

Meanwhile, Down below:

Scruffy black-haired bronze-skinned dressed in worn, dirty breeches and
shirt human male Leera moves forward quietly.

Seguld pauses beside the tangle of bodies. He backs up against the wall and
waits with his mace at the ready, his eyes darting from the battle before
him to look down the hall.

Italapate beats upon Milken mercilessly with his ax.

Ferric thrusts down into Milken with each of his rapiers.

Milken, despite the wounds he takes from Ferric and Italapate, manages to
roll away from the priest of Coyote.

********************
<On Iceberg>

Dhebun shouts at the orcs, "Talk or perish, RUKH!"

Seeing the pirates are not answering, Holland cries "You were warned.Have
at them!" and takes a few steps closer with his hands out to cast a spell.

"STOP!" Ives shouts "They given us their parole,  attacking them now is
cowardly, and dishonourable. "

Holland says coldly to Ives, not taking his eyes from the pirates, "You
forget yourself Ives; they will choose their fate."

Nilaroo puts his hand on Holland's shoulder, stopping his spellcasting, and
says, "Wait. They have surrendered."

Allagan alternates between watching the pirates and down the alcove.

Raken remains holding his position and stands ready for a fight.

Deigatt looks around the opening of the cave.

Grigree keeps his crossbow trained on the pirates.

Talus waits undetected against the cavern wall, watching events unfold.

Kain continues to wait by the back wall, his crossbow held tightly in hand.

Billy sees another halfling against the back of the cavern. His face is
blank, in a look of concentration which Billy recognizes as needed for
using his mind powers. Billy sneaks forward, and then pops into view as his
shortsword plunges into the pirate's back. The halfling crumbles lifelessly
to the ground.

--------------------
<Back on the ship>

Freneth continues shouting, draws out another javelin and, while rushing
toward the gnome witch, throws another. This one strikes her full in the
throat even as she is beginning her next spell. The force of it flips her
over backwardsso that she lies sparled on her back on the deck. The light
in her eyes fades as her blood pumps from her throat. She manages to croak
"Curs..." and then dies.

Meanwhile, below:

Leera dashes forward and draws her dagger across Milken's throat.

Seguld now sees his chance and tucks and rolls forward slashing his mace in
a massive strike into Milken's head.

Italapate beats upon Milken mercilessly with his tomahawk.

Ferric stabs him with his rapiers.

The beaten, slashed, and pierced corpse of the spelljammer captain lies
motionless at their feet after they all draw back from the savage assault.

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

Tired yet victorious, the Company of the Silent Star starts the work of
gathering the loot and dealing with the prisoners.

The prisoners are rounded up and secured on a raft for now. There are 2
giff, 4 orc, and 12 human prisoners now total (not counting Oquid, who
stayed hidden in the kitchen during the battle).

All the loot from the various bodies is gathered together onto the
NIGHTWIND so that the company can deal with it later.

The bodies of Robert Twofeathers and Druasnon are carefully wrapped and
given a proper burial. The bodies of the pirates, including Jax, are tossed
overboard for the scavvers.

The Company then gathers on deck around a simple meal to discuss what
happens next...

Date/Time: 2:00 am 11th day of the 7th Month, 5049 OC

Paul Westermeyer,  westermeyer.3@???.edu
Phd Candidate, History, Ohio State University
Instructor, Humanities, Columbus State Community College