FLUFF: Jammers: Turn 43 Chapter 7

The Adventures of my Jammers PBEM game.

I'm afraid it's been a slow winter for the Jammers, and i got behind
on posting turn summaries.  I've got at least two more after this
before the Spelljammer list is back with the current Jammers turn.
I'll post them day by day this week.

I hope folks are enjoying these, if there is a consensus that they
suck I will be happy to stop posting them. Let me know what you folks
think. (My players should feel free to comment as well:))

Website: http://lost.spelljammer.org/Jammers/

----------- = 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:

The company is still gathered on deck for lunch, discussing what comes next.

Holland summarizes, "Well, it looks like we are going to try and
sneak back to the temple, pick up the rest of the treasure, then pick
up Italapate and depart the sphere. That is what I've heard talked
about. Anyone have anything else to add?"

Talus says, "I will memorize a separate spell of invisibility for the ropes."

"Hoom, that is all well and good, as long as we do not jeopardize
Italapate by getting the treasure first." Nilaroo adds.

"If he's still alive after all this time, then I expect he'll be able
to stay alive a little longer," Sekeht says. "The jungle is something
like his native environment, right?"

Vais, standing nearby and watching the shore as the ship rolls gently
at anchor, laughs. "Italapate is a native born Bralian. His parents
were immigrants, however, and after their deaths he has adopted the
ways of their homelands. Most likely from guilt. He is a complex
young man, much like yourself, Sekeht."

Sekeht glares over at Vais, then he shakes his head and looks
pensively at the others. "I haven't spoken much with him," Sekeht
says. "I didn't realize he was
from Bral."

Raken laughs. "'Complex young man?' Is that not a requirement for any
adventurer? We all have to be a little mad to face certain death time
and again with the bravado to deliberately seek out trouble."

Grinning Ives booms out "I'm not mad, just merely..." pausing for the
span of two breaths Ives wiggles his ears around and finishes up with
"a Giff."

"After all we Giff don't view it as going out to face certain death
time and again. Its the glory, excitement and challenge of battle.
Mad would be disobeying a superiors orders which if the tales of your
first battles are true 'Pate definitely is." Ives finishes up.

Without missing a beat, Raken replies "given the size and temperament
of a typical giff officer, I would be inclined to agree, Ives."

Holland asks Vais, "Vais, incidentally, how did you keep the natives
from discovering you?"

Vais sounds almost like he is smiling. "I stood in your cabin and
pretended to be a statue! None of them had seen me moving about, so
they just accepted me as they found me. But they seem to have
considered me a statue of some god and possibly an evil omen. I think
they were considering melting me down, but I couldn't understand
there tongue and they never spoke common among themselves. They just
gave me scared looks and avoided staying long in the room."

Holland laughs, "That was genius."

Raken grins "I suppose it is lucky that they decided not to serve
Grigree in a feast in your honour."

Raken offers to take first watch.

"I will join Raken on first watch," Sekeht volunteers.

Talus asks for everyone to bring the items they are carrying from the
treasure trove forward so he can detect them for magic.

After the discussion breaks up Kain makes his way to his cabin and
sits quietly in a corner for some time.

Date/Time: Noon, 11th day of the 11th Month, 5049 OC

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

An hour or so later Kain returns to the deck.

Holland asks, "Kain, were you able to make contact with the Dragon?"

Kain replies, "No, I could not. It is not easy to reach out to a
dragon, their minds are different to ours, and Argonui is a long way
from here. Once or twice I thought I had nearly succeeded but then
there was suddenly a new barrier, maybe Argonui has some magical
protection."

Kain shrugs and continues, "Anyway I am exhausted now and can not try
again for some time, but I doubt there is much point."

"I have a feeling that Argonui will find us, when he is ready," Raken says.

Holland frowns, "Well, he might still be hanging around the Temple."
Holland continues, "Let's rest up and we will head to the Temple
before first light."

"If the worst should happen we can leave him here. I'm sure he can
handle himself on a rock like this. Would serve the old wyrm right
and in any event he has some intrinsic jamming capabilities himself.
If that's not enough to get him away from here we can always send a
Moune ship back for him." Ferric says. "We are probably in more
danger ourselves. With Cartan's ship lurking about and predators on
the wing we need to exercise all due caution. I think we should keep
two people on watch and the rest of us should sleep at battle
stations with weapons at the ready tonight."

Raken frowns. "How long do you think Cartan would hang around?
Undoubtedly he has been through the temple. What do you think his
next move would be? Return to Bral empty-handed or try to find a spot
to ambush us, at the temple, village, or between the stars?"

"Guessing is only half the fun." Ferric says with a smile. "Of course
surviving the actual ambush will be the other half. We'll just have
to be on our toes till we get back to the flow."

"Of course," Raken responds, "it would be best to escape the ambush
altogether. While having Cartan's head decorating our figurehead
would be entertaining, I think making him return empty-handed would
be even more entertaining," he says with a smile.

Kain leaves the deck, announcing quietly, "I will rest now, perhaps I
will be able to reach out to Italapate this evening, and still be
ready at dawn.

Back in the cabin Kain meditates quietly for some hours. He takes his
turn on watch, but returns to the cabin afterwards. He studies the
black pearl carefully for some time, but then returns to his
meditation.

Date/Time: 1:00 pm, 11th day of the 11th Month, 5049 OC

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

Once all of the items are present Talus casts his spell and tells
everyone the results.

After Talus relates the results of his detection spell, Sekeht looks
at the items curiously. "I don't know much about magic. Some of these
items could be dangerous, right?"

Allagan replies, "I would imagine so. The weapons should be fine to
use but everything else might be too dangerous to play with until we
know their actual properties."

Raken replies, "unfamiliar magic is always dangerous. There could be
curses or uncontrollable forces hiding within. Most of the time magic
is safe, but at times you have to wonder how good the magic is if it
is no longer in the hands of the original owner..." he finishes with
a bit of a sardonic smile.

Casting a look at the collected magical items the Giff snorts "I'll
be taking my share of the treasure in a more material form. If we get
back and have enough to upgrade our vessel to a true man of war, and
have extra I'm thinking of commissioning a masterly crafted sword."

Holland examines the ivory sailor statue.

Holland announces, "There isn't any command words on the statue
itself, I didn't think there would be but it didn't hurt to hope."
Holland looks over the other magic items and says, "Aside from the
weapons, I don't think we should tinker with the other items right
now. It could be dangerous. Once we depart the sphere, I will spend a
few days delving into the magical properties of the items. Each spell
will require a pearl, but we have an ample supply of them now."

Holland continues, "The other option is to ask the Cutlass to help
identify any items that it recognizes and knows the properties of;
but I am not too sure how forthcoming it will be."

"Ye should be matey. I ken spell ye all the secrets of this hoard,
but without ye solemn oath not ter let that worm melt me down I'll
tell ye naught." Cutlass says from where Leera is holding him.

Holland adds without missing a beat, "As I said, I am not sure how
forthcoming it will be, considering we have already sworn an oath to
give it up."

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

Once everything is set and guards are posted, Holland casts some
spells into his hand and then says to Leera, "I'll memorize an
improved illusion spell after getting some rest. Between the two of
us, we should be able to mask the ship."

Holland says to everyone, "We will be leaving a few hours before dawn."

Date/Time: 2:00 pm, 11th day of the 11th Month, 5049 OC

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

Later Ferric pulls Holland and Talus aside and speaks with them for
several moments. He warns Holland and Talus to memorize a spell of
detect invisibility in case Leera's mind is overpowered by the
cutlass and she is compelled to try and save it.

Then Ferric goes back to the business of double-checking that the
ship is fully functional.

Date/Time: 3:00 pm, 11th day of the 11th Month, 5049 OC

***********

The ship was unmolested during the night and took off in the wee
early hours as planned. The trip through the dark to the lake in the
center of the island was a bit tense in the dark. To make it worse it
was partially cloudy so that the ship was constantly ducking over or
under clouds, and had to fly very slowly to avoid possibly hitting
the mountainside. But it was accomplished with no problems and the
ship was now coming back up on the great lake which surrounding the
ancient, ruined 'City of the Gods', the homeland of the Kopru.

Nothing else is visible in the sky, and nothing unusual can be seen
on the lake or around the ruins, though it remains dark and
visibility is far from perfect.

As the ship flies, Freneth works close to the midship ballista he had
been assigned to. Kain helps man the lines, and follows instruction
from the sail master.

Before crossing the volcano lip the group climbed on their exodus
from the temple Holland talks to Leera, "We should cast our spells
now to cloak the ship."

Holland asks Leera, "Do you think a bank of clouds would suffice for cover?"

Leera nods, "As long as we move slowly....."  She casts her spell.

Holland takes care to lash himself in place and then chants the words
to a spell. Immediately a swirl of clouds envelope over half of the
ship, Holland says, "This is an illusion. I have to concentrate to
maintain it, so after Leera casts hers lets get going.."

Cloaked by the illusory clouds the ship moves in over the island.  In
the darkness nothing of importance can be seen, but once the ship is
hovering above the remains of the temple Talus flies down invisibly
with ropes to tie to the chests left hidden beneath the water.

Talus finds the chests just as they were left, and he ties them off
with out any interference.  The SILENT STAR takes him back aboard and
takes off into the air.      The chests are hauled aboard with no
trouble, despite the darkness.

Date/Time: 4:30 am, 12th 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,  westermeyer@????????.net