Jammers: Turn 30, 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...
{} = Actions and descriptions within these brackets take place within
the psionic mindscape and are OOC knowledge for all accept the
parties directly involved.

IC:

In the darkness beyond the cavern mouth their are many sounds of
animals moving about the savannah...

Grimacing Ives lays down after barely eating more than a handful of
greens and is soon fast asleep.  The large giff does not make a sound
through the night.

Allagan says, "I have decent night vision and am hard to surprise, I
will take half of the nightly watch. That will let most of the rest
of you sleep and
recover.  I'll need someone to relieve me a few hours after midnight,
so I can get a little sleep."

Raken nods.  "As do I, so I shall take a shift as well.  My eyes are
sharp at night."

"This one would be willing to relieve you Allagan," replies Freneth.
"Awaken me when you are ready."

Once most of the others have settled down for some rest, Kain
approaches Allagan, "Could you ... watch that no one ... disturbs me
for a few ... minutes, I will need to ... concentrate." He then
settles down into a quiet corner.

Allagan nods his head, "Sure."

After a few minutes of almost complete stillness Kain stretches and
rises to his feet. After pacing briefly, his hands constantly busy at
his belt, Kain sits down at the mouth of the cave close to Allagan.
However he does not settle, and is still constantly fidgeting, moving
and readjusting his position. Still he remains with Allagan for the
best part of half an hour, before getting up and heading back to his
corner, seemingly calm and now suddenly decisive.

{Oquid its me, Kain. Are you still alright?}

{Thank Mystra!} She thinks, {I'm okay for now. They aren't hurting
me, I think they want me to fly the ship.}

{That's good, try and keep them happy, don't do anything stupid.
You'll be fine.
We're coming to find you. Can you tell me where you are?}

{They forced me to land on the river.} She replies. {In the delta.
The landing was rough. They don't know how to use the sails, so the
ship didn't maneuver well. They had me push her up on a beach, by
some huts. They locked me in the out-rigger holding space, on the
port-side. Grigree's in the other, and I don't know where Vais is, or
if they caught him. I've been in here for hours.}

Her thoughts are filled with dread, {Kain, something besides the
natives is above decks. I heard slithering this morning...}

{I think we killed something similar in the temple, don't worry too
much, just try and be strong. Do you know if many villagers are on
the ship or are most staying in the huts?}

{I don't think it is a village. I saw only about a dozen huts,
surrounded by a wall.  And i didn't see any women or children, just
warriors and a couple old men who looked like priests or witch
doctors.} Oquid replies.

{I can't talk much longer as I need to see how Grigree is, but I'll
check back with you about this time tomorrow.}

{Please hurry.} Oquid thinks back, her thoughts tinged with fear. {Please...}

{We're on our way, I'll speak to you tomorrow, be brave and we'll be
with you soon.} Kain replies calmly.

Kain sends his thoughts across the ether to Grigree  {Grigree its me,
Kain, can you hear me? Are you OK? Try to not to speak, just think
what you need to say.}

{I'm okay.} Grigree thinks back, {They trapped me with some sort of
magic, then locked me down here. I've been down here long time now.
They killed Billy, and Argonui I think.  Either Vais or Oquid is
alive still, the ship has been flying.}

Kain's thoughts return clearly, {We are coming to get you out, but it
might take a couple of days to get to the ship. Are the villagers
treating you OK, have you got food and water? Oquid is alive, they
made her fly the ship away. She's locked in the out-rigger space,
now. I don't know about anybody else yet, but I am trying to reach
everyone and find out as much as possible tonight.}

{I'm good for now.} Grigree thinks back, anger clearly tinging his
thoughts, {I want to gut 'em, but I'll wait for you.}

Kain then attempts to contact Argonui, but he finds the effort
incredibly difficult... Argonui is present, but Kain simply cannot
get his mind to connect with the old man's mind, it seems different,
alien...  Kain finally is forced to give up, exhausted.

Kain lays down and drifts off to sleep.

Date/Time: 10:30 pm, 8th day of the 11th Month, 5049 OC

***********

The night passes uneventfully, despite the strange trumpeting sounds
which occasionally echo across the savannah before the cave, and the
uncomfortable floor of the cavern.

The next morning Talus does a quick recon to the south, towards the
rope bridge, while people are still asleep and eating.  He doesn't go
far, about 30 minutes out and then 30 minutes back.

he finds no sign of a road or trail through the high grasses of the
plateau, but he does see several herds of large reptiles grazing.
Judging from their slow pace it should be easy to avoid them.

Talus returns and passes the results of his scouting on to the group.

It is many hours before Nilaroo and Ives have recovered from their
ordeal of the night before. Finally, late in the morning, spells have
been studied, breakfast eaten, and the last of the group awakened to
begin to march...

"This one would like to suggest that he be allowed to range ahead
slightly, to perhaps find game," says Freneth as he chews around
another leaf as the others pray and regain spells.

Moving and stretching stiffly Ives gets ready for the long march
ahead.  Eyeing the sheer rock face once more Ives booms out "I never
want to climb anything like that again what!  I'll dig straight
through if I have to, but not climb."

Raken chuckles.  "I think you'll find tunneling through solid rock
sans tools a most difficult task. Though I too, have little desire to
climb another cliff that is the better part of a mile high."

"So how far in did those natives have that protective wall? The one
that keeps the worst of the large creatures away." Ives asks the
others.

"Probably several days march," Raken replies.  "Though we must cross
the territory of said creatures... we should take great care until we
reclaim our ship."

Allagan asks Raken, "Do you have access to the sphere of plants?  I
do not and I think it would be helpful in our cross country trek."

Raken nods, "if you mean Celestian grants me power to command and
influence plants, then yes, I have been granted those abilities."

Allagan asks, "Do you have any blessings that will allow us to move
faster across this landscape?  Faster and safer?"

Raken considers for a moment.  "Nothing that would aid us in such a
fashion.  Journeys on the road are the domain of Celestian's brother,
Fharlanghn the Dweller on the Far Horizon.  I do not believe
Celestian would appreciate me asking his brother for help."

Holland laughs as he looks over the plains, "Roads?  Where?"

Raken laughs, "Figure of speech, as it were.  Though the Brothers of
Travel are on amiable terms, their paths rarely cross."

Holland chuckles, "Well, I don't have any gods in my pouch but I have
an idea that will speed things up.  We will have a good 10 to 15 mile
hike today to the rope bridge.  After that," Holland smiles as he
leans against a tree, "We'll be able to move a little faster."

Dhebun's eyes grow wide and the left corner of his bushy moustache
begins to twitch.  Clearing his throat quickly and pausing for a
moment he fixes his eyes on Holland.  "Your pardon, Holland, but I do
believe I heard you say... er rope bridge?"

Date/Time: 10:00 am, 9th day of the 11th Month, 5049 OC

--
"...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