FLUFF: Jammers: Turn 5 Chapter 8

The Adventures of my Jammers PBEM game.

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.

I lived, I loved, I quaffed like thee;
I died: let earth my bones resign:
Fill up -thou canst not injure me;
The worm hath fouler lips than thine.

'Lines Inscribed Upon a Cup Formed From a Skull'
2nd stanza, Lord Byron

IC:

Drifting Galleon/ISTUS' MAIDEN:

Raken says "Welcome to the party, Ferric! Plenty of dance partners 
left, and our new friends are so kind as to provide us a song we can 
dance to!" Raken charges in to fight even more foes.

Facing off against the mass of newly freed undead Ferric replies, "Dancing is
a specialty of mine. You look tired so I'll cut in while and let you rest
yourself while I have a turn on the floor with these wretches."

Though beads of sweat are visible on his forehead, Raken replies 
"Nonsense! Just getting warmed up! Do you think a trapped, exploding 
journal and a handful
of these curs are enough to finish off a humble servant of Celestian?"

Before Ferric can reply the undead surge forward and survival 
commands his attention.  A thrust from the elven shortblade finishes 
off the first wight to reach him and his rapier manages to deflect a 
cut from another as the gray skinned warrior twists and turns with 
great agility to confound his opponents efforts at harming him.

Beside him, Raken hacks another wight down with his scimiter.

Nilaroo continues to fire Angvoncael from the rigging, shouting the 
arcane weapon's name with each loose of the arrow.  Conscious of the 
wave of cold with the missiles, Nilaroo fires at a wight at the rear 
of the newly freed mob.  Two strikes and that creature collapses to 
the deck.

Talus drops Cutlass and spreads his hands, sending a fan of flame 
that engulfs and destroys two more of the putrid pirates.

Sticking point first in the deck Cutlass stops singing and yowls, 
"ARRGGH! THIS BE WHY 'TIS  WARRIORS FOR ME, MATEY!"

Lellyn positions himself behind those of the company battling the 
undead while continuing his song, encouraging his companions and 
belittling the enemy.

NIGHTWIND, fore:

Holland says, "Dhebun, target those other undead! Allagan, Grigree, 
get over there and help!"

Allagan responds, "On my way!"

Saying nothing Grigree rushes to the rail and clambers aboard the galleon.

Holland moves over to the railing opposite the MAIDEN and looks over 
the edge to see if there are any other undead hiding down there, but 
its clear of foes.

Acknowledging Holland's command Dhebun rushes to the rail and 
launches his hand axe at the nearest wight on the MAIDEN's deck, 
praying aloud that he can help his embattled companions.

His ax flies up and over, slamming into one of the wights attacking 
Ives and Freneth, it bursts the skull like a melon, before returning 
to Dhebun's hand.

NIGHTWIND, amidships:

"Thanks Allagan" Shouts Kain as he heads back to the lines, ensuring 
they have not become tangled in the melee.

Vais looks fore and aft, then heads forward.

NIGHTWIND, aft:

Allagan gets a running start and using the railing as a step, leaps 
across to the other ship.

Knitting his brow, Sekeht extends his left arm forward, his palm out, 
and yells "Al-kahn!" His voice is becoming noticeably hoarse as he 
aims his bolt of force at the wights on the MAIDEN.

A loud PLUNK sounds as the head of the second wight fighting Ives and 
Freneth explodes.

NIGHTWIND, below decks: Leera, Oquid

Leera continues to nervously watch the door.  Holding a dart at the 
ready, she loads her starwheel.

Oquid sits on the helm, describing the action on deck as well as she 
can to Leera.

-----------

Drifting Galleon/ISTUS' MAIDEN:

Raken continues attacking wights, downing another with a vicious 
slash of his scimiter.

Nilaroo continues to fire Angvoncael from the rigging, shouting the 
arcane weapon's name with each loose of the arrow.  Two more arrows 
fly and another wight is down.  Nilaroo has no covered the center ten 
feet along the port railing of the galleon's main deck with ice.

Talus grabs up his weapon and attacks the nearest undead with both cutlass and
dagger.  As Cutlass yells, "AYE, MATEY! SEND THE DEAD TO STARRY 
JONES!" the wight drops motionless to the deck.

Allagan stabs the nearest wight with his new magical spear, skewering 
the wight.    It remains, motionless and lifeless, stuck on the end 
of his spear.

Lellyn continues his song, nimbly avoiding the fight.  Everyone finds 
themselves filled with confidence as his song heartens them.

Ferric keeps up his sinuous dance lashing out with the elven blade 
once again and using the rapier in his other hand to great effect as 
he deflects two more blows.  Then he downs another wight with his 
elven blade.

And that's the last of the creatures. looking about, no more foes 
appear, all save the party are motionless.

With the last wight fallen, Raken sheaves his sword. He uses his 
sleeve to clean his face, which is a mess of soot and sweat. He 
grins, "Well, Ferric, it seems we're all out of dance partners. We 
should probably get back to the ship to recover our strength and heal 
before pressing further into the MAIDEN."

Ferric twirls the elven blade in one hand. "Nonsense Raken, you lot 
had most of the fun. I'm going to find out if there is anything else 
worth the seeing on this decrepit hulk." He turns to the NIGHTWIND 
and says, "Holland if you would be so good as to secure my bow and 
other blade I am going to check below. Allagan you look fit. Care to 
join me?"

Raken says "Very well. Take Talus and Allagan and search below decks. 
I'll take Nilaroo and Freneth and investigate the stern castle, after 
we've removed what can be salvaged from the forecastle and move them 
to our ship."

Allagan says, "Let me heal a few of these guys first, then Talus can lead."

Raken says, "Yes, no need to blunder into another trap half-dead!"

"We can't let that jumped up dagger have all the fun. Catch up when 
you are finished or when I start screaming." Ferric chuckles.

"Plenty of fun to go around then, matey!" Cutlass rejoins happily.

Allagan goes and heals Talus and Freneth.

Talus wipes the Cutlass clean and says, "Thanks Allagan."

Nilaroo slides neatly down the rigging, a mighty thump resounding as 
he lands on the deck.

Raken applies his healing spells to Nilaroo, Ives, and then finally himself.

Nilaroo nods his thanks.

Ferric begins making his way cautiously below deck.

Talus moves in front of Ferric and begins checking for traps as they 
head below decks.

Allagan joins them...

Raken says, "Nilaroo, Freneth, if you gentlemen would be so kind, we 
should remove the valuables we discovered in the fore castle, then 
we'll search the stern castle. Let's not trip any more traps, shall 
we!"

Nilaroo follows to the fore castle, sword sheathed and Angvoncael 
comfortably slung.

Freneth seems loath to go near any of the no longer moving dead 
people, and watches apprehensively as the others search the bodies. 
His grip on his javelins loosens only when the last body is flung 
from the ship.

As the small group that is preparing to 'loot' the forecastle 
prepares to go in, Freneth quickens forward to help move whatever 
needs moving.

Ives and Grigree beginning clearing the dead bodies from the deck, 
hurling them off the port side.

Lellyn says, "I need to return to our ship to retrieve my weapons, 
and bandage this shoulder. I'll see to searching and removing the 
bodies there, as you do so here. Before we depart however, I would 
like to explore the MAIDEN, there is a tale to be had here I am quite 
sure and would like to learn as much of it as may be."  Lellyn makes 
his way back aboard the NIGHTWIND, leaping nimbly down to her deck.

-----------

On the NIGHTWIND:

Sekeht tends to the wound in his thigh, using his ripped britches to 
sop up some of the blood. He looks down at the bodies on the deck. 
"Do you think these weapons would be worth anything?" he calls out in 
a rasping voice. "And might these things start moving again?"

Holland says, "I am sure they are worth something. Let's search all 
of the 'bodies' for equipment and any possible loot."

Looking up Kain replies. "Perhaps we should throw the bodies over the 
rail, just in case. And it would make the deck a bit tidier."

Holland agrees, "We can do that after we search them."

Holland begins at the fore and works his way back to the rear of the 
ship, searching the remains. He sets aside any functional weapons, 
armor/etc, on the deck and then heaves the searched remains over the 
railing.

Kain assists starting with the bodies closest to him amidships. He 
kicks any swords away from the decayed hands before quickly searching 
the remains a look of disgust on his face. He then drags the bodies 
to the side opposite Istus Maiden and levers them up and off the ship.

Cleaning off his mithril axe head carefully, Dhebun watches as 
Holland and Kain search the corpses, then walks over to Holland. 
"I'd feel much better if one of our priests could say a proper word 
or two before giving these creatures a burial in space?  I'd just as 
soon that their spirits sleep peacefully this time around, if you 
take my meaning."

"Um yes that sounds good" Says Kain, "But perhaps they could just say 
some prayers later? That would make it all ok wouldn't it."

Sekeht watches Holland going about the unsavory task. He leans over 
to watch the corpses bob in the gravity plane before making their way 
away from the ship and into Wildspace. "Perhaps scavvers will take 
them," he muses.

Coming aboard and making his way below Lellyn finds materials to 
bandage the wound in his shoulder and then returns to the deck and 
reclaims his dropped weapons. He then begins the process of sorting 
out the bodies of the wights, searching each body for useable weapons 
or armor, checking also for jewelry and coin that may be on the 
bodies. Any spoils he finds are stacked neatly to one side and the 
bodies are laid out neatly near the rail for disposition.

As they work, Vais moves among those still aboard the NIGHTWIND, 
applying his first aid skills to their wounds.

-----------

Back on the Drifting Galleon/ISTUS' MAIDEN...

Raken leads his team back to the fore castle rooms. From the portside 
room, the team carefully removes the five bags of gold dust, making 
sure to "feel" the bags to make sure nothing solid is inside. From 
the starboard room, they remove the two cases. They haul these prizes 
to the deck, then carefully transfer them to the NIGHTWIND.

Raken says to Holland "Here's what we've found thus far. Put them to 
the side, and once we clear the ship of treasure, we can determine 
what is magical and what is not. My gut tells me the pistols and 
daggers might hold special properties."

Holland looks up from his work and says, "Okay, don't forget to 
search those bodies too."

Raken replies "Certainly." He looks over the mess on both ships. "I 
suppose we know what happened to the unfortunate crew of the MAIDEN."

Meanwhile, below decks...

Talus, Allagan, and Ferric's trip down from the maindeck has led them 
down a stairwell to the cargo deck beneath the cargo doors.  They can 
see another set of stairs heading down to the stearage deck.  There 
are two door frames in the bow, but the doors to both have been 
shattered.  The stench of rotting meat fills the air.  The walls and 
floor are soft, and clouds of mold are raised whenever they raise 
their feet.

Looking through the two shattered doors into the cabins in the bow, 
reveals that the starboard cabin is empty save for some nondescript 
rubbish scattered about the deck.  The portside cabin, however, has 
thirteen mildewy hammocks hanging from the bulkheads, and they appear 
to be occupied.

Date/Time: 5:10 pm, 7th day of the 1st Month, 5050 OC



-- 
"Can a magician kill a man by magic?" Lord Wellington asked Strange.
Strange frowned. He seemed to dislike the question.  "I suppose a 
magician might," he admitted, "but a gentleman never could."
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Paul Westermeyer, westermeyer@????????.net