FLUFF: Jammers: Turns 16 & 17 Chapter 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.

To give folks an idea of how much is still to come, the game is now
in Turn 32 of Chapter 7. Chapter 1 has 30 turns...

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

IC:
Holland wakes early in the morning and studies his spells.  He then quietly
gathers his possessions and leaves the room, allowing Talus to sleep.

Unfortunately even the slight sounds Holland makes wake the young half-elf,
who comes alert with his dagger in hand.  He gives Holland a wry grin,
"Sorry, force of long habit.  If you sleep too soundly on the streets you
tend not to wake up, or if you do you don't have any boots."

Holland nods and with a smile says, "I'll keep that in mind.  Rest well."

Holland then heads to the nearest bath-house and cleans himself up and puts
on fresh clothing.  Feeling a thousand percent better he heads back to the
inn to get some breakfast as he waits for Italapate.

Talus rises shortly after Holland leaves and dons some old and worn clothes
from his pack. After a bite of breakfast he heads outwards The Great Market.

When Italapate descends the stairs in the morning, it is the first time you
have seen him since the first round of drinks the night before.  He is
clean and sports new clothing.  He wears a nicely cut leather jacket with a
high collar and short fringe on the sleeves.  The jacket is open, revealing
a bare chest.  He wears leather braided pants and mid-calf soft leather,
laced boots.  His breechcloth, intricately designed, and belt/pouches is
all that is retained from the outfit you first met him in. But more
striking is the bald head....bald, that is, except for a top knot, braided
to hang just at his collar. It is dyed black.

As Holland sees Italapate's new hairdo, he quickly covers his mouth as he
coughs softly.  When he puts his hand down his normal smile is all that
remains.

Holland smiles at Italapate and says, "Would you like to get some
breakfast?  I thought that we would talk with the Lady and if she doesn't
have any job opportunities for us to ask her where we might inquire about
some."

Italapate just smiles wordlessly, as he nods good morning to Holland.

Early the next morning, while everyone is partaking of the fine gruel the
inn serves for breakfast, Leera bounces over to Holland and Italapate.
"Friend Holland, mate 'Pate! It is a glorious morning, is it not? As I
mentioned last evening, I intend to visit a bathhouse.  If you'd care to
join me, we can go together." She grins. "You never know, maybe we'll run
into an opportunity for work while we're there.  We're sure to hear plenty
of gossip!"  She finishes her gruel and stretches. She then continues
"Afterward, we can go speak with Lady Moune."  Leera looks out the open
tavern door at the traffic in the street. "I'm afraid I don't know my way
around the city, but I can help if we run into trouble. What say you?"
Leera stands behind Italapate and Holland, an arm around each of their
shoulders.  She grins and waits expectantly.

Holland says, "I awoke a bit early and already visited a bathhouse.  Had
I known that you wished to accompany us today to see the Lady," Holland
says the next with a straight face, "I surely would have waited and gone
with you to take a bath." Holland asks Italapate, "Do you plan to hit the
baths or straight to the Lady's office?"

Italapate declines the offer of a bath, explaining that was where he was
the night before.  "If we must see Moune, I suppose we must," he sighs.
"But afterwards, I have a friend to meet in the elven forests."

Holland nods in return and then says, "How about Leera, you head to the
baths.  Italapate and I will take care of business with the Lady.
Afterwards, Italapate you can take care of your personal business while I
return here to meet Leera."  Holland adds with a smile for Leera, "I would
be happy to show you around."

Leera smiles and nods "That sounds like an excellent plan.  I'll meet you
back here around midday." She turns to walk away, and then pauses "By the
way, where are these baths?" After Holland gives her directions, Leera
heads off to the baths.

Billy arrives at the Broken Tankard the next morning and looks for Kain and
Radick. Seeing that he is early, his sits at a table and orders
breakfast... With a  tankard of ale to start the day just right. When Kain
and Radick come down from their  rooms, they see Billy half way through his
breakfast. "Kain, Radick! Over here," he says around a piece of sausage.
"Won't you join me for
breakfast?"

"That sure looks good," Kain says as he sits down.  "I'll have what
Billy's having," he adds as the serving girl comes around.  Eating his
breakfast, Kain nods as he listens to Billy's plan. "Ah, that's fine with
me, Billy.  After we ah, get that taken care of, well, I want to also visit
a bathhouse and ah, I've got to try to find a scriveners shop of some kind.
I'm..hmm..needing some paper and more ink."  Kain swirls a piece of bread
around in the leftover egg and sausage that sits on his plate.

Radick eats quietly, enjoying the food and drink. As Billy describes his
plan, Radick nods, frowns slightly at the mention of psionics, and then
nods again.  "Well, it wasn't the training I had hoped for, nor was it the
contacts I thought I might establish, but I have nothing better to do
today, so I will join you as I had promised." speaks Radick as he licks the
sausage grease
off of his fingers, then rubs his fingers dry on his leggings.

Kain steps over to Italapate and Holland, and says, "Hi folks. We're ..ah..
getting ready to leave, that is, Billy, Radick, and I are leaving soon.
Going to see Billy's friend Jored" Kain explains.

As Billy and Radick finish eating, Kain says, "I..ah..need to go talk to
Talus before we leave."  Looking down at his empty plate Kain smiles as he
stands, "Be right back."

Perhaps five minutes later Kain comes back down the stairs, swordbelt in
place, rucksack on his shoulder, and his cloak hung on his shoulders.
Sitting back down he says, "Ready to go" with a smile.  Kain, Billy, and
Radick then leave the inn.

Holland and Italapate head out to the Mourne Office and present themselves,
explaining why they are there and asking to see the Lady.

After a well-earned night's sleep, Raken wakes, ordering breakfast and
waits for the others to wake up. His clothing is particularly neat and
preped.

Deigatt comes in from the back alley,  axe in hand and a sheen of
perspiration covering his body.  Breathing heavily he sits down with Raken
and orders breakfast.  As he does so Grigree and Nilaroo come down from
their rooms above and order breakfast as well.

"Ok, who's coming with me in the search of work?" Raken asks them after
finding out that everyone else has already left the building.  He then lays
out his plan.  "We'll start with Sidiath Line, then work our way through
the Smith's Coaster, the Council of Captains, the Trading Company, and
finally the Elvish Embassy.  If it's ok with everyone else, I would rather
take the main routes over the side streets; they're a good place to get a
knife in the back."

Nilaroo says, between bites of bananna, "I need to visit the Shipwright's
Guildhouse this morning,  but that shouldn't take long and my contacts
there might provide us with a job oppertunity."

Date/time:  9:00 am  16th day of the 4th Month, 5049 OC

-----------------------

Deigatt places his soup bowl down on the table, having emptied its
contents. "I will haccompany you, Comrade Raken," he says. "I know nothing
hof these places you have mentioned, but I ham eager to learn more hof this
'Rock.' Perhaps we should harrange a time to meet hup with Comrade Nilaroo
before the lunch hour. Hand you, Comrade Grigree, you will come has well?"

Nilaroo says "You could all accompany me to the Guild first,  as I said it
shouldn't take long."

"I certainly have no hobjection to doing so," Deigatt replies. "Comrade Raken?"

Raken and Grigree both give their agreement and the four get up and leave
the inn,  the last members of the Company of the Silent Star heading out
into the bustle of the Rock looking for adventure.

         They find that the Rock is a bustling, dirty port city filled with
the most outlandish collection of traders, rogues, mercenaries,  pirates,
and thugs imaginable.  Law and order are virtually nonexistent;  their are
few watchman keeping order in the streets.
         Strolling along major thoroughfares like Grand Street or Lamp
Street is a breathless affair, as the milling crowds swirl and chatter
endlessly in the cacophony of a hundred languages.  vendors hawk their
wares,  bold spacefarers strut down the street seeking taverns and less
reputable places to squander their hard-earned gold, and entertainers and
minstrels plead with passersby to pay a couple coppers for a song.
         Passing from Low City to the Middle City the streets clear abit.
The taverns and ale houses of the lower regions are replaced with shops and
inns of greater quality.  From here Andru's palace can be seen,  rising
above the noise and grime of the city, just beyond the greenfields of the
noble villas.

The companions pass the day the day moving about this bustling little city,
going about private business and looking for job opportunities.  As the
day wanes and the six hour long twilight of Bral begins to deepen into
night they return to the "Broken Tankard" for evenfest.  Etedrilin, the
innkeep is again behind the bar, jovially pouring drinks for the company as
they wait for their waitress,  Ariassa (a pretty human woman approaching
30), to bring their meals from the kitchen.  The tavern is more crowded
then the night before.  a large group of Bralian shopkeepers have ensconced
themselves at the two center tables, pushing them closely together and
animatedly discussing the rise and fall of prices as they drink large mugs
of Furyondian Bitterrrot ale.  Several older sailors have taken stools at
the bar,  eating slowly and occasionally speaking quietly together.  At the
square table closest to the door 4 teenaged human males in the white robes
are drinking and talking happily,  they appear to be acolytes of some sect.

The Company of the Silent Star has turned the other two square table (the
two nearest the fireplace) sideways and joined them.  You sit telling each
other of your day and watching passersby through the windows. Ariassa soon
brings out your meals,  passing them around the table and passing another
round of refills.

As she does so you notice someone new enter the tavern. She's of average
height and weight for a human woman, with midnight black hair and bright
green eyes.  She looks young,  but wears her two cutlasses with confidence.
Her clothing hints at a life under a hot sun...

Date/time:  6:00 pm  16th day of the 4th 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