Jammers: Turn 15, 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:

With a glance down the hallway, Holland continues up the stairs and
begins to search the first room.

Sekeht follows him and does likewise.

Inside the southern room Talus packs up the bundle of sticks,  and
jars.  After, Talus flies over to the secret door and after checking
it for traps, opens it and explores the area behind it.

Closing the eyes of the dead native warriors Ives stands still for a
moment. "Raken Ferric we should deal with the bodies of the fallen
warriors, leaving them to rot where they fell defending their temple
just isn't the right thing to do what!"

"Once we get what we came for and see to the safety of our own people
then we may consider what to do with the corpses. Until then that
cowardly carrion can lay where it fell when it ambushed us." Ferric
says in a hard tone.

Working his glaive free Ives inspects the steel head of the weapon
carefully after cleaning it of blood and gore.

After doing what little he can for Dhebun, and searching over the
burned corpses on the northern balcony, Freneth goes about the room,
retrieving his javelins.  He also picks up several of the other
javelins as the others decide what to do.

Dhebun turns from the entrance and heads back towards the northern
stairs stopping to pick up one of Freneth's spent javelins. "Here
anzhal, I think this one is can still be of service, " he says, in
Khuzdul, as he offers it to the halfling. "Shall we go and help
Holland search. There is no telling what misadventure he might come
to without a friend at his back."

Freneth nods his head in agreement.  "Yes, it is best to stay in
groups while in unknown territory," replies Freneth speaking Khuzdul.
Freneth hurries along after Holland, keeping a wary eye out for more
surprises.

Along with Sekeht and Holland they find only some jars of the
greenish paint and some ivory carvings and pearls which may be of
some value.

Allagan picks up one of the javelins and his spear and walks down to
the big mouth. Allagan stands to the left side of the mouth, against
the wall on guard.

His wounds mostly healed, but his fur still standing in shocks of
clotted clumps, Nilaroo keeps watch on the prisoners. Remembering the
effect his exotic appearance had in the village, Nilaroo catches the
eye of the youngest looking of the survivors. Deliberately
maintaining eye contact, the grom licks at one of the bloody patches
on his arms, then smacks his lips as if experiencing something tasty.
Nilaroo then grins at the warrior, baring his canines.

The prisoners stare at the gromman but seem to much in shock to
really react to such gestures.

Talus comes back from searching the secret room. He reports it was
nothing but a  spy room looking down on the entrance to the temple
through the eyes of the northern most of the two bas-reliefs of
humans holding braziers on the walls. Nothing else was found within
the room, though the dust was disturbed enough to make it certain
that the natives had used the room to spy as it was intended.

Surveying the total take from the rooms and dead, having completed a
thorough search, nothing much has changed. As noted earlier the
natives 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 also 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.

 From the rooms 7 ceramic jars of greenish paste were discovered, plus
the carved sticks, a bundle of fifteen (each stick is about the
thickness of a thumb,perhaps two feet long and intricately carved
with various symbols and images, it appears to be some sort of
writing system). Also 7 carved ivory necklaces and 17 pearls of
various sizes.

 From his position by the exit tunnel through the faces mouth Allagan
calls, "Talus asked about someone detecting magic earlier but no one
answered, we could really use such a spell since I mistrust our
ability to tell dross from gold amongst this primitive hoard."

"These pearls and carvings will get us a nice reward whether they're
tainted by magic or not," Sekeht says, rolling one of the pearls in
his fingers.

Talus replies, "I'll go scout a head again." Turning invisible, Talus
slowly flies through the mouth.

"Yes, but before we get greedy I would like to see what can be done
about our wounds." Ferric says to Allagan. "Holland, Leera would one
of you mind doing the divining to save our priests blessings for
healing? I am sure there will be ample time for one of you to
memorize a spell while our remaining wounds are tended to."

Holland frowns, "I did not bring my spellbook."  Holland continues,
"If someone else has a spellbook with the spell in it. I will restudy
the spell." Holland asks, "Does anyone already have the spell
memorized?

Leera nods. "I can cast it now. Let's gather everything together and
I'll look it over."

Ferric says, "Perhaps we should bring the ship in and put one of our
prisoners on board while we wait. If anyone can read minds it might
be best to have that magic cast and see what he is thinking despite
his outward reaction. I mislike the chance that these men will be
here when we return. While the whole lot might be trouble on a
lightly crewed ship I think one for questioning would present little
risk to our companions."  Ferric looks around at this companions.
"Any objections?"

"If these fellows are related to the tribe we've already encountered,
then our friends might not be particularly happy to learn we've
killed so many of them," Sekeht observes.

"Good point Sekeht." Ferric agrees. "Perhaps we should invite our
friends to join us here and get their reaction. Does anyone have mind
magics to let us know if they speak truthfully?"

"Or we could just talk to them before showing them a captive," Sekeht
suggests. "That way we can control their understanding of what
happened rather than let
them jump to conclusions when they see a wounded brother. I don't
think it's a good idea for them to see how many we killed, friend or
foe. We don't want them to think we're barbaric."

"If.. mm... I'm within thirty feet of those being questioned, I can
detect surface thoughts," Kain shrugs and fingers the gold medallion
around his neck. "The stronger the.. ahhh... feeling, the easier it
is to read a.. hmm.. person's mind."

"Best stay close then. How many times and for what duration can you
maintain the reading?" Ferric asks.

"Unlimited on both of those, as far as I know," Kain replies. "It's
not all that..ahh..difficult. I'll try to.. erm... start once they're
within thirty feet, just to.. ahh.. see what their mindset it."

After the loot has been put in one place, Leera closes her eyes and
intones a series of spell words. She opens her eyes and begins to
look over the assembled items.

Meanwhile, Talus returns from scouting ahead and quickly recounts
what he found. The tunnel through the mouth turned and then became
stairs going down that ended at wall of bamboo bars blocking the
passage. There was a gate with a very ancient, and simple lock,
though it had been recently oiled. Talus easily picked the lock on
the bamboo gate (he could see through the bars that no one was on the
other side) and scouted on, finding a passage of floor rigged to drop
those standing on it down, though he wasn't certain where. then the
corridor ended in a locked door, and if someone were on the other
side Talus could not open it without alerting them so he headed back.

Date/Time: 2:20 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