Jammers: Turn 14, Chapter 7 Summary

The Ongoing adventures of my Spelljammer PBEM game.

Here's the Jammers web address:

http://jammers.s5.com/

Comments, questions always welcome:)

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

IC:

Seeing some of the warriors' throwing down their weapons, Sekeht
returns to Kain, who remains unconscious. Careful to avoid disturbing
Kain's wounds, Sekeht searches through his belongings. He glances
frequently down the hallway.

As Sekeht searches Kain comes awake.

Seeing that the big giff has fallen upon his arse, Raken moves to try
to defend Ives and interpose himself between the natives and the
giff.  He uses his blade to strike aside spear thrusts with ease.

Allagan bends over and picks up two more javelins. Straightening up
Allagan heaves one at rearmost of the natives still fighting. The
javelin slams into the man's shoulder.

Holland points his index finger at the rearmost native accosting Rake
and chants a short phrase. Three small black missiles of energy burst
from Holland's finger and like beats of a drum strike the native in
rapid succession.

Freneth readjusts his atatl, and setting his javelin upon it, hurls
his weapon across the room at the men standing over Ives. It slams
into him.

Struck by two javelins and Holland's spell the warrior drops dead.

Nilaroo switches to his bow.

Rolling to his feet Ives draws his sword and sets his shield in a
swift motion.  "Blasted glaive" Ives grumbles.

Dhebun glares defiantly at the natives.

The surviving natives toss their weapons aside and raise their arms
in gestures of surrender. There are six natives still standing, one
wounded, and two more asleep from Talus' spell. All are on the
southern balcony with Ives and Raken. They look fearful and shocked
by the ferociousness of the company's response to the ambush.

As Kain awakens Sekeht stops searching. "Kain, are you okay?" he asks. "Did you
bring any of the company's healing potions?"

Sitting up and blinking a few times, Kain looks towards Sekeht.
"Fine, I think," he says, though he doesn't sound completely
positive. "Healing potions," Kain adds, "Let me see." From his seated
position, Kain slings his pack from his back and begins a search.

Freneth hurries over to Dhebun. "Are you alright?" he asks, speaking
in dwarven. He inspects the dwarf's wounds, and helps him take the
javelins out.

Wincing, Dhebun places a hand to his chest and forces a smile to the
halfling. "I have taken worse anzhal... I will be all right to walk.
It would take more than an ill crafted weapon such as that to lay low
a dwarf eh?" Despite his words, Dhebun looks gratefully to Freneth as
the halfling examines the wound. Holland says, "Raken, Ives. Please
tie those guys up. See if any of them can speak our language."

Raken nods. "Toss me a rope", he calls.

Nilaroo tosses him a line from the opposite balcony, then resumes
watching the surrendered prisoners. His wounds and his fur have
matted together to create a truly ugly picture.

Holland adds, "Freneth, Dhebun, why don't you start searching the
bodies up there for any valuables. Talus, please handle the south."

Holland says, "Good job with the illusion Leera, probably saved a lot
of us with it. Are you doing okay?"

Leera smiles. "That bit of flash-bang of yours wasn't bad. either."
She looks down at her wound. "I think I'm okay, but I'd bet those
spears were poisoned. That's probably what knocked Kain out."

Ferric finishes pulling the last of the three javelins from his
leather breastplate. "Maybe." Ferric shrugs. "I'm just glad you gave
us some cover.  Once I stepped in front of Kain and Sekhet I had too
many visions of looking like a tailor's pincushion to suit my tastes."

Holland replies, "I didn't know Talus was casting a web on them. I
was just trying to give them a hot foot. We will have to remember
that combination for the future. It worked out very well."

Holland picks up one of the spears to examine the tip and the
substance that is smeared on it as he walks towards Kain, "How do you
feel Kain?"

"Tired and I have a headache, but.. ahh... other than that," Kain
shrugs, "I feel okay."

Holland drops the spear he was looking at and says, "It appears to be
a natural substance, causing a mild paralytic agent based on it's
effects on Kain. I wonder what herbs or plants they use to make it...
Hmm, keep on the lookout for jars of the poison. We might want to
make us of it ourselves."

Talus reappears hovering over the southern balcony. He flies over to
the witchdoctor and searches him first and then works his way around
the balcony counterclockwise to the stairs. As he searches Talus
says, "Sorry guys, I searched the ground floor for any hidden
passageways first before checking out the balcony. They were all set
for us. They must have heard us digging and got all set up for us."

Holland says with a smile, "All's well that ends well.  Next time
check the entire area out before focusing on the details, eh."

Meanwhile, Raken nimbly catches a coil of rope tossed his way, then
says "Ives,  keep a sword on them while I tie them up."

"Of course Raken." Ives booms out as he keeps his unblooded sword ready.

Raken ties them with their hands behind their backs, in a line, with
the rope.  He then takes the end of the rope and leads them down into
the level below, and orders them to sit down near the center of the
room. they obey all of Rakens commands, but only when he shows them,
none seem to understand what he is saying. They still looked scared
and beaten, like youngsters who've discovered the boogie man has them
in his power.

After Raken has tied up all the natives Ives sheathes his sword.
Stepping among the fallen foes he checks to see if any have signs of
life. A few are still alive but clearly will not survive long as
their lives drain away.

"Ahem" Ives booms out "A few still live, letting them die needlessly
just isn't honorable what!" Moving to the first he found alive Ives
moves to staunch the worst wound with cloth torn from his shirt.

Allagan says, "Does anyone require healing? I have not prayed
specifically for any healing but I can always purge some of the
prayers I am currently holding."

"Yes, Allagan, over here," Sekeht calls.

Pushing himself to his feet, Kain looks around. "I can heal... mmm..
a few wounds myself, if you don't want to.. ahh... remove those
spells you've got Allagan."

Holland replies, "Why don't you do what you can first Kain, let's
hold onto the priest's spells for as long as we can."

Allagan, who had started towards Kain, stops and says, "How about you Talus?"

Talus has bruises around his throat and says, "The witchdoctor cast
some sort of choking spell on me. It felt like someone's hands were
squeezing the life out
of me. I could use some healing. But it looks like Nilaroo got it the worst."

Allagan says, "Okay, Talus, come here and I'll heal your injuries."
Allagan then casts a minor spell of healing on Talus.

Many of Talus' bruises disappear under Allagan's tendings. Talus
takes in a deep unrestricted breath and says, "Thanks Allagan."

Allagan asks Raken, "Raken, did you pray for any healing spells?"

"I believe I could burn some spells for healing purposes," Raken responds.

Raken walks over to Holland and says in a low whisper "Might want to
have someone double check my knots.  I can't tell if they could
escape or if I've cut off the circulation to their hands."

Holland nods as he looks over the spear-point and replies back in the
same tone, "Go ask Nilaroo, he is a sailor."

Raken nods and then heads over to quietly ask Nilaroo to check the
bonds on the prisoners. Nilaroo quickly does so and finds them secure.

As Nilaroo does this Raken casts three healing prayers over the
gromman. This closes most of Nilaroo's wounds.

Raken then starts checking on the comatose natives, seeing if he can
bring any of them back from the Light, but aside from the conscious
wounded warrior he can do nothing for them and they all slip away
into death.

Raken then checks his own wounds. "Hmmm, seem to have taken a couple
of nasty cuts. I think I need someone to help me bind them."

There seem to have been thirty warriors led by three older warriors
and the witch doctor. None of the leaders lived.

All were armed with stone-tipped spears, javelins, obsidian knives,
and slings. They had one spear, knife, and sling each, and there are
still several dozen javelins lying about. The only exception was the
witchdoctor who carried an ornately carved club, a blowgun, and a
score or so of blowgun darts.

Each carried a shield of leather and wood, but no other protective
gear. They wear loincloths and feathers and are tattooed exactly like
the natives of Panitubi.

Talus asks, "Does anyone have a magical detection spell handy? It
would make things a lot easier in searching. Who knows what these
primitive people could have that would be magical."

Surveying the captives Ferric walks to them and says pleasantly, "Who
leads here?"

None respond, it is hard to tell if they understand the language or not.

As Ferric interrogates the prisoners Talus checks the balcony (north
and south) for any secret passageways. He finds one such door,
leading back towards the lake on the northern balcony.

Following that, Talus checks each of the doors on the balcony to make
sure they are not trapped or locked. None of the doors are locked or
trapped, and all open easily. Talus gives each a quick glance to
insure no foes are inside.

The two smaller rooms on the northern balcony appear to have been
quarters for most of the warriors. Each room is hung with ornaments
and headresses of bones, feathers, and fish scales. Mats, gourd pots
of paint, and carved obsidian bowls filled with mud and ash are
arranged in a circle around a small fire circle made of rough stones
in the center of each of these rooms. The air reeks of grease, sweat,
smoke, and fish.

The older warrior leaders seemed to have used the larger of the
northern rooms, and it looks much like the other two, but with less
in it and more room.

The southern room seems to have been used by the witchdoctor. It is
cluttered with pots, gourds, a rack of skulls, necklaces of bones,
and many skins and furs of animals.

Talus starts in the southern room and searches it for items of value
and any secret panels.

In the witchdoctor's room are a large bundle of fifteen sticks. each
stick is about the thickness of a thumb, and perhaps two feet long.
Each is intricately carved with various symbols and images, it
appears to be some sort of writing system.

The only other obvious item within is a small jar holding a greenish
paste that looks and smells like the stuff on the tip of the native's
javelins.

Holland says, "Sekeht, Dhebun, Freneth, Kain--if you're up to it--why
don't you help me search the northern rooms."

"Certainly.. ahh.. Holland," Kain nods.  "Give me a few minutes to do
what I can, then I'll... mmm.. be ready."

"Yes, of course," Sekeht says, standing ready to follow Holland up
the stairs. "Do you need any help moving?" he asks Kain.

"I should be okay," Kain says with a grateful smile. "I'll just need
a chance to well.. erm... tell my body to heal itself," he says with
a weak smile.

Dhebun nods and then gets to his feet with an effort. Turning to back
to Freneth the dwarf says in Khuzdul. "You go ahead Freneth, tell
Holland I'll be there in a moment."

Allagan asks Kain, "Are you able to heal yourself?  Do you need any
additional healing?"

"Unless I really.. mmm.. mess up somehow, I'll be able to heal my
battle wounds," Kain grins. "But hopefully it wont'.. ahh.. happen,"
he chuckles.  Placing his hands over the spear's puncture wound, Kain
takes on a look of concentration as he presses his hands against the
gash.

After a noticeable pause, Kain straightens and slips his crossbow
from off his shoulder, his wounds absent and as if they had never
happened. "Okay, I'm ready to check the.. erm.. rooms," he says
quickly.

Holland heads for the stairs and says, "Nilaroo, Ferric could you two
stand guard? Wouldn't want anyone to sneak up on us while we were
looking around."

Holland stops on the stairs, in realization, and says, "Wait a
second.. Where are the women and children?"

Allagan replies, pointing at the huge mouth and the hallway beyond
it, "Maybe they are down there."

Ferric waits, guarding the prisoners with an arrow knocked to his
bow. Without letting his eyes stray from the captives he says to
Nilaroo, "That was a rather brutal display of swordsmanship up there.
Of course next time you might want to think about parrying some of
those spear thrusts so as to not tax our poor priests." Ferric
smiles, "I doubt any of this lot will risk escape after seeing what
you did to their comrades."

"Hoom, that is why I stand here watching them, Ferric." Nilaroo
softly replies to Ferric.

Walking back to Nilaroo and Raken after inspecting the line of
prisoners Ferric leans close to the pair and says softly, "Take a
look at the tattoos on these men. They look like the same markings as
those on our hosts last night and on our guide. Think something foul
is afoot? We may need to use magic to question them if anyone has
such spells."

After applying a healing spell to Nilaroo, Raken responds quietly
"Perhaps the witch doctor ensnared them to be his slaves and  foot
soldiers. Leera has such a spell, and I have a similar spell as well.
That's why I want to save as many as possible; it would be bad
manners to slaughter the stolen relatives of our hosts."

Ferric shakes his head, "I think these men followed the witch doctor
but I would wager that they did so of their own will. Best if we were
careful upon our return to that village. I only hope Italapate can
stay clear of trouble there."

Date/Time: 2:10 pm, 7th day of the 11th Month, 5049 OC
--
"...And nobody is to be killed at all, if it can be helped. Keep your
tempers and hold your hands until the last possible moment!"
"But if there many of these ruffians," said Merry, "it will certainly
mean fighting. You won't rescue Lotho or the Shire, just by being
shocked and sad, my dear Frodo."

Paul Westermeyer,  westermeyer.3@???.edu
Phd Candidate, History, Ohio State University