FLUFF: Jammers: Turn 8 Chapter 1 pt 1

The Past Adventures of my Jammers PBEM game.

For me, one of the joys of PBEM gaming is the ability to revisit the
old adventures by reading the turn summaries. I think they make great
fan fiction.

This game has been going on since September, 1997. I thought folks
might enjoy reading the old turns in order, as fluff fiction. I know
I post the current turns as fluff as well, but the past turns were,
well, six years ago and new list members, as well as some old, may
still enjoy getting the old reads in their mailbox once per week. If
not, let me know and I'll stop sending them.

This turn was fun for me, because I loved playing Wilhelmina. There
was a problem with Italapate, the player and I ran into problems in
gaming styles.  But we worked it out over the long run, and
considering how popular the crazy Indian is, that's good. :)

To give folks an idea of how much is still to come, the game is now
in Turn 28 of Chapter 7. Chapter 1 has 30 turns...

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

IC:
On the Eelship's bridge:
Italapate reclines against the confines of the sphere that contains
him.  He crosses his arms across his chest.  He does not appear to be as
happy-go-lucky as he had in the days preceding the battle. "'Pon my soul,"
he mutters quietly, "This wasn't what I planned at all...."

Radick glances toward his encapsulated companion, nods at the gorilla and
quickly moves to the mage's body.  As he begins examining the body he calls
out, "Leera, see if you can do anything to help  him. Talus and Raken, you
guys check the room for whatever might have created that  bubble."
As he continues examining the body he adds, "Grab anything you think might
prove valuable, the Captain will be very interested, we need to make sure
that there is no pocketing by anyone." He glances about at the others as he
finishes his search.

Taking a quick look around the shattered bridge, Raken turns to leave.
"Secure this room.  I will return shortly, after I report to the
Captain," he says as he heads out.  He then heads down the hall and back
onto the main deck, looking for the captain.

Leera's appearance changes.  The armor disappears. The glowing staff now
seems to be a small wand.  She tucks it in her belt.  She glances at the
force holding Italipate and replies to Radick, "I'm not very knowledgable
about that type of magic.  I'd prefer to wait and see if it disipates by
itself."

"Actually, it was that one that created the spell," the Gromman speaks,
pointing to the dead man Radick is searching.

Italapate points to the mage.  "Hey, maybe you should try those darts
strapped across his chest.  I'm pretty sure they had something to do with
it....."

When Italapate mentions the darts, Leera picks up one of the darts. She
examines it and then collects the rest saying,  "We shouldn't fool with
these until Holland and I have had time to examine them."

"Your concern is noted." responds Radick as he takes back the dart from
Leera and continues to examine the mage's person. "If you can't help our
friend, perhaps you can search the rest of the room. I will make sure these
things are turned over to the Captain." He glances up at the manacled
creature, "Perhaps you can bring our new friend above board so that he can
be freed from those manacles."

As Leera and Radick bicker they quickly strip the dead man of what he's
carrying that seems valuable:
a pair of black leather bracers with silver buckles
a bandolier with slots for 8 darts,  holds seven darts currently.

The other two bodies each carry only a dagger,  also in the room leaning
against a wall in its scabbard is a longsword. The helm is a large,  ornate
padded chair,  made of a dark,  mahogony type wood and carved with
thousands of geometric designs

A chart table is against the far wall,  on it sits several large,  rolled
up charts,  tacked open on it is a chart of Bralspace.  It also holds a
spelljamming sextent,  a few quills,  some scrap parchment and a closed
inkpot.

The gromman speaks again, "As you do not resemble any of this pirate trash
that has tormented me, I must assume that you are with the ship responsible
for my rescue.  My name is Nilaroo, and I am most profoundly thankful.  I
must say, if you find a large sword and bow, they do happen to belong to
me.  May I have the honor of your names, and that of your vessel?  I assume
by your lack of haste that you have won this vessel?"

Italapate says "Well, my name is Italapate, Nilaroo.  And we are from the
Flowfish.  Once you and I took the Helm, I'm certain the space trash
surrendered. Pon my soul, one look at our Captain and they probably
surrendered...."

Cudak then enters the Bridge and informs those in that room that the
navigation implements should remain,  along with the helm.  As he examines
the charts on the table he glances at the gromman and says "Our Captain
wants to see you topside,  you can't miss her."

Leera walks over to Nilaroo (taking the bandolier with her), and introduces
herself. "Greetings.  I am Leera, a helmsman on the Flowfish.  Let me see
if I can do anything about those manacles..." Leera uses a cantrip to cause
a pin inside the locking mechanism on the manacles to move, opening the
cuffs.

"Ah, most excellent.  You have my thanks, Leera.  Now, I believe I hear
your captain calling for me, unless you have other gromman on your crew?
No? Well, shall we?"  At this Nilaroo motions Leera to lead the way, and
the pair proceeds to the deck.

Lt Sabbagh enters the bridge, seeing Leera Sabbagh stops her and says "Let
me have a look at your side." Modestly raising her shirt to show only her
side,  Sabbagh chuckles as she winces at his fingers probing the dark
purple bruises,  "That was a very stupid thing, surprising us like that.
Lucky for you the Captain is a thinking giff, else she'd have used her
cutlass and we'd be mopping you off the _Flowfish_'s deck!"  The he places
his hands on the bruises and murmers "May fortune heal this mage's wounds."
Leera feels the cracked ribs shift, then meld back together as Sabbagh's
magic heals her wounds.  When he is
done only a small bruise remains.

Leera pauses as Lt. Sabbagh heals her, and then leads Nilaroo up to see
the Captain. As they walk up to the maindeck, Leera asks Nilaroo: "How did
you come to be on board this ship? I'm sure the Captain will be very
interested in anything you can tell her of the Pirates."

"Ah, that is a very tragic story.  Some weeks ago my ship was captured by
this neogi-scat crew.  Most were killed, although I was captured and
enslaved as shipwright for this pirate vessel.  As for the rest, I believe
you are right that your captain will wish to know and we should not keep
her waiting.  Later, I will gladly tell you, for where else could I go but
to accompany you on your ship?"  With this last question, Nilaroo steps
faster to meet the captain.

After 10 minutes the sphere surrounding Italapate suddenly vanishes,  as if
it never existed,  dropping the resting gentleman to the deck with a
resounding thud.  "Pon my butt!" he mutters to himself rubbing his
backside.  Then he hops up and joins the search.

Seeing Italapate is free Sabbagh says "Go see the Captain now." in a
grim voice.

Italapate concedes to the order,   heading above decks but stopping along
the way to pick clean a pirate that used a short bow.  Strapping the quiver
of arrows across his chest, he uses the fallen pirate's shirt to wipe the
blood from his face.

Meanwhile, above decks:

         Once the pirates have dropped their weapons, Grigree helps to
tie them up.  As the rest of the group searches the ship, he keeps an eye
on the humans to make sure they don't try anything stupid.

As the pirates are rounded up, Billy helps Grigree to guard them,
pointing his loaded crossbow in their general direction. "Now don't
try anything funny, laddies," Billy says with an evil leer. "You wouldn't
want my trigger hand to twitch, now, would ye?" Billy cackles evilly.

Having no desire to attempt to squeeze his large frame into the cramped
innards of the eelship, Deigatt follows the prisoners as they are led aft
on the FLOWFISH. There he helps Billy and Grigree secure them. Through all
this Deigatt remains silent and, other than a brief glance at the
staggering Kain to reassure himself that his crewmate will survive his
wounds, Deigatt's eyes do not meet any others'.

When Radick pases him on the deck, Grigree turns and says, "Nice shooting
with catapult.  I bet you could castrate a scavver at four miles with that
thing."  Dropping the smile from his face, Grigree turns his attention back
to the prisoners.

Holland climbs onto the Eel ship and helps with the searching.  He heads
down the stairs and begins searching through the cargo hold, lighting up
a small hand light (cantrip) to help him see.  His thorough search of the
hold reveals it is pretty empty,  holding just 4 unmarked crates.  The rear
wall has
several cast iron rings bolted to it, for securing cargo. It appears two of
them have been ripped from the wall.

Holland then continues his search,  finding that all of the other rooms
below deck appear to be lit by continual light spells cast on small stones,
then placed in shuttered lanterns (so the light can be turned "on/off").

The next two rooms he searches appear to be the galley and pantry.  The
galley holds a table and benches that can seat 10,  an unlit coal heated
stove (with a box of coal next to it),  and a cabinet full of rough wooden
dishes and metal cookware.  The pantry,  reached through the galley, is
stocked with flour, vegetables,  a barrel of salted pork, a barrel of ale,
and other assorted foodstuffs of low value but average quality.

The next room has ten bunks stacked 5 high on either side.  It smells of
unwashed bodies and has several canvas bags littering the floor.  Holland
takes the canvas bags and drops them in the hallway, he also takes the
continual light shutter.

As he starts to remove the lantern Bosun Cudak walks by,  "Not the
fixtures,  just cargo and crew effects." Cudak says as he heads past
towards the bridge.

The next cabin is far cleaner,  Holland finds.  A comfortable looking bed
shares the space with a desk and chair. The desk has a single,  locked
drawer. A metal box is visible just beneath the bed.  Several decent cloaks
and other clothing
hang neatly from pegs on the walls.  Holland takes the cloaks and holding
one up, in front of him, he uses a cantrip (cast from as far from the desk
as possible at an angle) to open up the desk. Searching through the drawer,
he finds a stack of papers and some quills and inkpots which he places in a
bag.  He then goes on to the next room.

This final room (except for the bridge) is a pigsty,  dirty dishes litter
the floor,  and unwashed clothing lies draped across any unused area.  The
bed is unmade,  but ornate.  It obviously is a matching set with the
wardrobe and desk beside it,  possibly made of Chultean teak from
Realmspace.  The desk has two
drawers,  both closed,  and a plethora of papers lying across its top.
tThe wardrobe is open,  and empty.  A huge two handed sword,  a longbow,
and a quiver of arrows lean in one corner. Holland takes the sword, bow and
arrows and puts them in the hallway, he then carefully opens the wardrobe
and the desk checking for valuables. The desk drawers easily unlock with a
cantrip.  Each contains several sheets of parchment as well as assorted
quills and dried up inkpots.  One also holds a gold letter opener,  with a
griffon head forming the handle, and a small book ,  maybe 8" by 12", 30 or
so pages, tan leather covers, with an elven "B" rune etched out in black
ink on the front.

Holland takes the parchments and quills and adds them to the other
parchments/quills that he took from the other room.  Holland then takes
the letter opener and starts to reach for the book but pauses..  Looking
around the room, Holland picks up an article of clothing of thick
leather and uses it to pick up the book.  Holland wraps the book in the
leather and then collects all of the sheets of paper on top of the desk.

continued in Part 2
--
"...How shall a man judge what to do in such times?!"
"As he has ever judged," said Aragorn "Good and evil have not changed
since yesteryear..."
J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_

Paul Westermeyer,  pwestermeyer@????????.??.com