FLUFF: Jammers: Turn 28 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 38 of Chapter 7. Chapter 1 has 30 turns...

I thought the brawls with Gantius and his gang were some of my
favorite combats!

Jammers is host by Beyond the Moons at
<http://www.spelljammer.org/www/jammers/>http://www.spelljammer.org/www/jammers/

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

IC:
Round 4:

Holland grimices due to his wound, but his eyes focus on the back of the
green cloaked thug (#4) still fighting.  With an evil looking smile, he
utters arcane words and two thin black lights shoot from his fingers to
strike the back of the thug.  The man gasps in pain as he instinctively
reaches for his back.

Raken drops down and swings his legs beneath the thug, still recovering
from Holland's bolts.  The green cloaked warrior(#4) feels his legs lift
out from beneath him and lands on his back with a thud.

Grigree shoves his swords in front of him and growls, "Drop the sword".

Grimly, massive canines bared in an ugly grimace, Nilaroo moves to retrieve
his sword.  "Let us finish this.  The watch may be here soon."  He snarls.
Reaching the bar he pulls his sword from its resting place on the otherside
and leans against the bar top tiredly.

Kain rolls off of his back up onto his knees, coughing as he tries to catch
his breath.  "Blood...augh..everywhere," he mumbles as he shakes the blood
free from his left hand.  From his knees he sees Nilaroo slumped on the
bar.  "Nilaroo!" he calls, "Don't move, I'll be right there!" Getting to
his feet, Kain tries to avoid the melee between the last thug, Raken, and
Grigree as he makes his way
to Nilaroo's side.  Once past the fight, Kain sheaths his short sword and
wipes the sticky blood the covers his right hand onto his cloak.

Leera rushes forward, drawing her dagger. She sprints to the far end of the
tavern and slits the throats of one of the two thugs near the window(#2).
As she runs toward the thugs, she calls out 'Someone, help me tie up this
guy!' (as she gestures with her dagger at the black-jacketed thug (#1).

Seeing that his victim is responding well to his abilities, Billy quickly
glances up and down the street to see if anyone is giving undue attention
to him or the Thumb. Billy casually walks over to Italapate, keeping his
shortsword carefully hidden from sight. Arriving at the door, Billy steps
inside.

Round 5:

Holland smiles and looks down at the unconscious thug at his feet (#8),
pulling out a dagger he bends over to slit the thug's throat from ear to
ear.  before he can act however the man suddenly leaps to his feet,
grabbing Holland's arm and spinning him about so that Holland is facing
Grigree and Raken.  Holland feels the tip of a dagger lightly prick his
throat.

Kneeling next to Nilaroo and oblivious to Holland's plight, Kain presses
his hands against the Gromman's wound.  "Rest quietly," Kain says
encouragingly as he closes his eyes, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Nilaroo feels his wounds begin to close and heal.

Seeing the thug drops his sword, Grigree steps forward and suddenly punches
him in the face, the thug drops like brick.

Leera slits the throat of the second thug next to her, then sees Holland
being held captive by the blond man (#8).

Round 6:

Leera steps forward, hands and lips moving.  Even as the thug starts to
call, "WE're wal.." a scintallating cone of clashing colors envelpes him
and Holland.  The thug collapses to the ground, again over come by the
spell.  Not wasting a moment Holland drops to a knee,  looks down on the
unconscious thug (#4) and
says softly but determinedly, "Balance the scales," and slits his throat.

Getting dizzy from the blood-loss, Holland looks around the room, then
leans against the bar and in a weak voice says, "Raken? I could use a hand
over here," his hands pressed against his wound in an attempt to staunch
the bleeding.

"Wait...wait," Kain pleads with his wounded companion as he tries to rise.
"I can help a bit more, please just relax Nilaroo."  A light sheen of sweat
breaks
out on his forehead as Kain continues to hold his hands against Nilaroo's
wound and send power into the gromman until exhausted.

Meanwhile, Raken moves to heal Holland.  "You should be more careful," he
says as heals the wounded mage. "By Celestrian's Eternal Journey, heal this
man," he says, healing the mage slightly.

Leera rushes over to the black-jacketed human(#1). She quickly disarms him
before binding him with stips of cloth cut from his blue trousers. As she
does so she calls 'Hey, give me a hand with this creep!'"

Grigree moves off to help her out.

Holland gives a quick smile to Leera and mouths, "Thank you," before
returning his attention to Raken, "Thanks, I needed that.  Got any more?"

"Sorry, I'm tapped out.  Hmmm, maybe I should ask Celestrian for more
healing." Raken replies.

Leera nods quickly before bending to check the bindings securing Gantius.

Holland then leans his weight on the bar and after quickly looking around
the room says, "We need to move quickly..  Kain, Billy, please strip the
bodies of valuables and coin pouches.  Jamila, please grab all of their
weapons and roll them up in the green cloak and bring it with you.
Grigree, Leera, please knock Gantius on the head to make sure he stays
unconscious and bring him here.  If anyone has a means of detecting magic,
please use it now to make sure we get all of the good items."

Kain gives a tired nod, rising with a pleased grin on his face.  After a
quick search of his cloak,  Kain mops his forehead with a clean fold of
cloth, then scans the bar. With a shrug, Kain begins searching the bodies,
beginning with those nearest the fireplace and working his way towards the
front door.  Slipping his cloak off, Kain turns the fabric inside-out to
hide most of the blood and begins putting the valuables inside, making a
small bundle.

Returning her cutlass's to her belt, "Holland, awya."  Jamila says,  and
begins collecting the weapons and wraps them in the green cloak.  Noticing
that her shoulder is starting to annoy her work, Jamila cuts a few strips
of cloth from one of the thugs shirts and wraps the wound caused by the
axe.

Raken helps with the looting of the dead. "Ug, I don't think I'll ever get
used to this."  He leaves several of their coins for the bartender.

Seeing that his friends have everything well in hand, Billy approaches the
black jacketed thug and double checks Leera's bindings. Billy walks over to
the bar and grabs the dirty rag the bartender was using to clean his mugs
and stuffs it into the thug's mouth, making it sure that he is properly
gagged. "OK guys, get ready  'cause he's gonna wake up now..." You notice
Billy's face visibly relaxing.

When Billy mentions that the thug is likely to wake, Leera watches Grigree
deliver a blow to the back of his head, the man coughs against his gag and
glares up at them,  struggling to speak.  Shrugging, Grigree carries him
towards Holland.

Once the thug is brought forward, Holland takes a deep breath as if to
fortify himself.  Carefully he takes the thug's head in-between his hands
and slowly recites some magical incantations.  When he finishes speaking
the thug shimmers for a moment and then slowly fades away.

Holland quickly sucks in some air and leans more on the bar.  His face
shows his fatigue and after a few seconds he says in a voice that is more
shaky than before, "I have rendered him invisible.  Grigree, Raken, please
help carry him."

"I've got him," Grigree replies, picking up the man and throwing him over
his shoulder.  "Now, let's go.  Don't want him to wake up again."

Leera walks over as Holland casts his spell. She watches appraisingly.
After he gives directions to carry the invisible leader, she comments,
"Nice technique... for someone who specializes in things that go boom and
poof." She grins and moves about after Jamila, helping to gather up the
fallen thugs' weapons.

Holland gives a smile and says wearily, "I am full of surprises.."

Leera then pauses and, standing, asks the group "What about that barkeep
and wench? Ought we follow them and see what they're up to?"

Holland shakes his head, "Leave them be, they are probably more worried
about their own skins."

Kain shakes his head in negation as well.  "I..ah..don't like the idea of
chasing them down.  I think once the fighting started... they.. ah... ran
and probably didn't see much of..ah..anything."  Waving his hand around the
bar, Kain adds, "We've already done enough damage to the place...well, ah,
should we leave a few coins to pay for it?"

Looking around the tavern at the damage, Jamila moves behind  the bar and
knocks on the door and says "I'm sorry for what has been  done to your ...
tavern.  It was unavoidable."  With that said,  Jamila takes out some coins
from her purse, and places them in a mug  at the base of the door.  "Maas
salama."

Holland, with a grunt, pushes himself up from the bar and winces
momentarily.  Favoring his right side Holland pulls the hood of his cloak
up to cover his head.  He takes another deep breath and says simply, "Billy
you take point, lead us to the drop-off point, Leera and Jamila you follow
Billy, then Raken and Grigree, then myself and Nilaroo, Kain you bring up
the rear.  Lets get out of here," and signals for Billy to move out.

"OK. Follow me, but make sure that dog is securly held... We don't want to
lose him after all this trouble..." Billy steps out the 'Thumb's front door
and looks
up and down the street...  Seeing that everything is as it should be, Billy
turns right leading the group towards the rendez-vous by a circuituous
route
using back ways and alleys when possible.

Nodding, Leera falls into line and moves with the group. As the party
leaves the tavern, Leera's disguise fades and she resumes her normal
appearance.

Picking up the cloak full of weapons, Jamila nods agreement and moves  to
follow Billy out.  "Are we going to check home, to see if the  others are
back?  Jamila asks as she exits the door.

Nilaroo walks out ahead of Kain, still leaning forward from the residual
pain of his wounds.

"Sure," Kain agrees.  As the others leave, he scans the room once more,
then tucks his cloak under his arm and leaves the Twisted Thumb, shutting
the door behind him.

Italapate falls in next to Kain at the rear of the group.

Inside Reynard's Run (F):

Seeing his companions walking out of the Twisted Thumb, Deigatt's face
loosens with relief, and he leans back and turns to Radick. "See, Comrade?"
the minotaur says. "Heverything his well hin hand. Perhaps hit would be
wise hof hus to take hanother route hand meet them back hat the Broken
Tankard?"

Radick takes another drink from his mug. "You go ahead, I have a few last
minute things to take care of. I will be there soon." Radick's tone clearly
suggests that he wishes to be left to handle this business alone.

Deigatt shrugs and slips out the door to take a different route to the Tankard.


Date/time:  2:25 pm  17th 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