FLUFF: Jammers: Turn 12 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.

IC:

There is only enough rigging to restore minimal maneuverability to the
NIGHTWIND, and not enough wood left fully repair her either.  Despite
long hours of work the crew realizes she will still be showing her
wounds when they return to Bral.

Otherwise, wounds are healed and everyone gets a couple solid meals in.
But the group is still pretty tired. But at least now they can head for
Bral.

Holland says, "Well, looks like that is the best we can get her.  In the
morning, I'll cast a spell of detection on the new stuff, to include all
the various weapons brought over.  I'll then spend the remaining time
before we reach Bral trying to identify their properties."

Date/Time: Noon, 8th day of the 1st Month, 5050 OC

***********

Depending on how we are doing this:
 
The next morning, Holland memorizes and then reloads his hand with the
expended Fireball.  Aside from a single spell of magical detection,
Holland memorizes spells of mending for the rest of his allotment.
After determining which items are magical Holland says, "I'll try to
divine their specific properties over the next few days as we travel to
Bral."
 
Holland then moves about the ship, under Nilaroo's guidance, and expends
all of his mending spells to repair any remaining serious damage.

While Holland is out & about fixing the damage he caused to the
Nightwind, Raken makes a morning prayer. With a full allotment of cure
spells, he goes about patching up the crew, starting with the most
battered and working his way to the least battered.

Leera asks Raken if he can spare any healing. She's looking very frostbitten.

Raken responds "Certainly.  Celestian granted my request for spells of
healing and curing, to remove wounds grievous and restore the Company to
health."
He proceeds to use enough healing spells to get Leera restored to full health.

After Raken has spent his daily allotment of curing spells, and has
treated whatever injuries his skills can mend without magic, he rolls up
his sleeves and
gets to work helping Nilaroo and Holland repair the damaged ship.

Allagan assists Raken with the healing, picking up after Raken has expended all of his magical healing.

Kain politely refuses the priest's healing. "Thank you for the offer but
while there is no immediate threat I would prefer not to presume upon
the Gods' generosity to achieve something I am capable of doing myself
given a little time. I am sure I will need their help in the future when
time is pressing and would not want to ask for more than I need."

As the day passes Kain assists with the repairs and does his best to
find ways to work around the limitations imposed by the damaged lines
and sails. He tries various techniques to  improve the maneuverability
hoping to at least become familiar with how the ship moves in her
current state. "I hope we will not be forced to hire a tug to tow us
into the dock, that would be most embarrassing."

Allagan asks, "What was that undead creature thinking?  If we wouldn't
have moved the ship away from that galleon, we both would have been
blown up.  What good would that have done him?  And how did they appear
on our ship?"

Vais, standing nearby, says, "Undead often seek destruction, perhaps
that was his goal, but trying to take others with him."


Date/Time: 9th day of the 1st Month, 5050 OC

***********

One day, towards the end of first watch, Sekeht makes his way to the
helmroom, knocking gently before opening the door to find Leera on the
helm. He greets her with a warm smile and draws his scimitar.

Raken, who is also in the helmroom at the time, discussing navigation
with  Leera, looks up at Sekeht as he eners.  When the warrior draws his
blade,  Raken's right hand instinctively grabs his hilt at his right
side.  He does not draw his weapon.
 
"This has been a good sword to me in the years I've had it, but it did
little good against those undead beasts that attacked our ship," Sekeht
says. "I think that, when we get back to Bral, I need to find a
replacement, one with magical enhancements."
 
"I expect it will be an expensive purchase," Sekeht says. "And I'm
hoping you might come with me to find such a weapon, to verify that it's
magical. I'm not able to do that myself, and I don't want to be
swindled."

Leera smiles and agrees, "Surely. We'll make an afternoon of it."

Raken visibly relaxes, releases his grip on his sword, and sighs.
"Sekeht, you may be unaware of this, but it is good manners to keep your
weapon sheathed when you enter a helmsroom.  We were cleaning the bits
of the last person who... lacked manners... off the walls for months, if
you take my meaning.  Too easily friend can be mistaken for foe, and the
helmsman is not easily able to defend herself if confronted by foe,
because the helm takes her spells.  No insult intended, just keep that
in mind."

***********

Holland spends the first half of the voyage using his magical mending to
further repairs on the ship.  After five days of repairs Holland
recharges Vais and then secludes himself in his quarters for the next
few days to study and identify the new magical items.

Freneth spends the next week helping out where he can.  He attends
whatever meetings are held.  He quite obviously takes interest in how
the ship moves when it has such damage.  Otherwise, he continues along
with his normal practices.

Talus spends the time attempting to learn spells and training with the Cutlass.

During the rest of the trip to Bral, Allagan will practice-spar with
anyone willing to get familiar with fighting with spear and shield.

Nilaroo quickly takes him up on this, when he is not reinforcing repairs with the meagre supplies available.

Freneth, though unable to pick up a full spear while carrying a shield,
helps Allagan whenever he likes, using his javelin as a spear, and using his
atatl in place of a shield.

As the journey continues Kain uses the last few days before making port
to sketch a few drawings of the Nightwind as she used to look in her
full glory and others showing her now in a more sorry state.

On the journey back, Dhebun spends most of his time helping with
repairs.  He practices with his new axe, tossing it and calling it back
to him while on watch.  Grumbles a lot as he smokes the last of his
pipeweed, and spends a little time with Oquid when he can.  Over all he
seems in good spirits, if often pensive and his mood seems to grow
cheerier, the closer to Bral he gets.  He tries to spend some time with
Freneth, and he makes time to play some music with Sekhet.

One day while on watch, he looks out across the sea of stars and
chuckles into his beard.  An unaccustomed smile lights up his face and
he spreads his arms to the void.  "Who'd have ever dreamed that we would
travel so far, lose so much, and still manage to see home once more?
Thanks be to Mahl for our good fortune!  I will be only too merry to see
the lights of Bral again.  I did not know I would miss it until we were
so long away and I wondered if ever we would see her again. Truly it has
become almost like home to me.  Let our enemies tremble, let our friends
rejoice, for at long last we are returning, battered, but triumphant...
home."

***********

Bral is as busy as usual when the asteroid city is finally reached,  at least 8
other vessels are either pulling in or heading out as NIGHT WIND makes its way slowly towards the docks.   

A Royal Bralian Squidship can be seen hovering nearby,  but a Bureau of
Customs wreckboat comes out to greet the galley.  The wreckboat is armed
with a ballista, and two crewmen in chainmail lounge against it in bored
poses.  The wreckboat aligns itself with the gravity plane of the galley
then heads slowly in on an intercept course.

Date/Time: Noon, 18th day of the 1st Month, 5050 OC

-- 
"'If they valued what they stole, if they knew what they were
destroying,' says the old Vadhagh in the story, The Only Autumn Flower,
'Then I would be consoled.'"  Michael Moorcock, _The Books of Corum_.

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