Spelljammer Academy Session 5.
Seeds of Destruction Part 1 and Part 2
Day 60 1200 To Day 60 1800
PC Killed 0 Monsters Killed 43 Villains Captured 9 Villains Escaped 5
Start time 6:28 PM End Time 8:35 PM
GP 500, and nothing else.
Treasure up to 3 weapons of your choice FREE from Player’s Handbook.
Story Award. Ship Thief. You stole Dark Star and set adrift. The Astral Elves will not be happy when they discover this.
I had a weak group of four. Ben 3 Battle smith Artificer Autognome. Krush Half-orc Totem Warrior Barbarian 5. Udzirc Druid Bard total 6 Wood Elf. Taz Rogue 5.
(Note I downloaded the Flash theme. For introduction of different parts.)
The Spelljammer academy cadets um sailors are on seven days shore leave. Ben 3 has taken a job at a tavern to experience drunken frat boy bazooka barfing. About three days ago, falling stars started happening over No Named Island. Bob The Blacksmith straggles in.
Bob Blacksmith, “Last night Miss Lovett’s Bakery was hit by a falling star and a huge crystal pea vine started growing out of the ground. It killed her son Jack. But hey Hermes must have got tired of her bad tofu impossible meat pies. I will have a beer and some of the three-day old stew Ben 3.” Suddenly the earthquake hits. Most of the crowd and the party makes it out with no damage. Looking south the crystal pea vine has grown to a hundred feet. The earthquake continues and three crystal peas shoot from the vine and toward Krush. The crowd parts rushing toward the docks or their homes. A human sailor trips over Ben 3.
Elaina, “You cadets should head toward the docks. Or you could fight those things. See you at the docks.” The three crystal peas crash next to the ruin end and morph into.
Ben 3, “Two of Spades. Astral Blights.”
Udzirc, “It was one of Spades.”
Krush, “Spades, Hoes, whatever. It will eat my axe.” After a swift but tough battle, they explore the bakery. The pea vine has grown to a thousand feet and turning the town crystal. The Academy Sailors know this is not good. But can’t remember which class which told them it was not good. Arriving at the docks they see Elaina.
Elaina, “Captain Elaina Sartell. Of the galleon Moondancer. Those punks lead by Taevus are blocking my ship and the other two longships.”
Ben 3, “Taevus. Head of Sea Dog Dock Gang. Serve and call cops immediately. Threat level CR 2. No problem. Charge!” A Thunderwave drops one of thugs into the drink, another up the gangplank, and the third holds fast. Krush rolls under the third’s Attack of opportunity and engages the thug who is now on the ship. Ben 3 attacks the thug on the dock and Udzirc fumbles for his spell pouch. Captain Elaine organizes the mob to attack the gang on the two longships. Just as the wet thug is about to climb on the ship. Udzirc casts sleep dropping the thug into the water and both Taevus and the other thug drop.
The group, Captain and twenty commoners board the ship. Over the intercom, “This is your helmsman the Fabulous Flapjack. Going up up and away.” The ship does a vertical take off.
Sound track, “FLASH AH HA SAVIOR OF THE UNIVERSE.”
Universe, “Where is he. Do you mean this group is going to save me. I am….”
Part 2.
Captain Elaine, “Well you weren’t crushed to the deck so you must be Academy Sailors. You Ben 3 check stocks. You Helmsperson go check in with the helmsperson. You Barbarian calm the commoners down.”
Krush, “Commoners Calm Down. Or Krush axes you in face until I calm down.” The commoners calm down.
Udzirc enters the bridge. A Flumph with a Tricorn hat is piloting. “I am the Fabulous Flapjack. VTOL you want to learn newbie. VTOL I will teach you. See how I roll.”, sings Flapjack. The ship starts to roll. “Flapjack if you roll this ship while we in a gravity plane. I will put my boot in your nether parts you be a waffle!”, yells Elaine. Flapjack, “She is a bit uptight. Attention commoners and crew. Approaching mile limit. Prepare for Spelljamming speed in ready steady NOW!” Suddenly the ship and crew are in space.
A short rest later. Taz is found in stores having eaten all the fresh rations. Leaving only iron rations for thirty days for ten crew. Since the crew is now six with twenty commoners this is not good.
Captain Elaine, “Thanks Ben 3. What else could happen today.”
Flapjack, “Strange object in the imperial vortex. Um. Klingons on the starboard side. Um Star Moth approaching from stern. We are crashing to normal space. I am the Fabulous Flapjack and will out maneuver this moth.”
The group and commoners man the weapon platforms two ballista and one mangonel. The combat goes well. Due to Flapjack the crew gets advantage on the weapon system. They don’t get sneak attack Taz. The crew and commoners make a good showing except for one mistake by Taz.
Honor, “Poor Joe Buckley. Floating thru space forever!” She watches as the poor commoner is lost to space due to Taz rolling two Nat ones. Once they take out the weapon platform of the Star Moth Dark Star and get within two rounds of the ship. The group switches to targeting the crew taking out half the Hadozee shipmates before they are boarded. Once again Udzirc uses Sleep on the enemy and takes out only one Hadozee.
The boarding action is tough with two of the group nearly dropping. Flapjack crashes the ship into the Star Moth just as the last Astral Elf and Hadozee surrender. The Star Moth tries to jump to warp but bad things happen. The ships drop out of warp space just a few hours from the Rock of Bral. They loot the Dark Star and destroy the Spelljammer Helm and cut the ship adrift.
The two astral elves know the following. The astral elves, by order of Emperor Xavan of the Xaryxian Empire, are responsible for dropping astral seeds on the party’s home world.
The leader of the astral elf forces in this Wildspace system is Commander Vael. Most of Commander Vael’s fleet has already begun sailing back to Xaryxispace. The
Dark Star was left behind to monitor the astral seeds’ progress.
The vines and astral blights will feed on the planet’s energy and that of its flora and fauna until the party’s home world is a dead husk, a process that takes several months. The energy then will be transmitted in a single, enormous burst of light back to the astral elves’ home system to be absorbed by their star, Xaryxis.
Once the astral seeds have begun their work, there is no way to stop the process.
The Hadozee shipmate knows The
Dark Star’s cargo hold was packed with at least a hundred astral seeds, which were jettisoned one by one into the atmosphere of the party’s home world.
The astral elves hail from a faraway Wildspace system called
Xaryxispace.
The
Dark Star was one of several astral elf ships that traveled to the party’s home world. The rest of the fleet has already departed.
The Moondancer goes to warp but drops out warp in a half hour. Captain Elaine, “Great a Mind flayer ship. We are beep.”
End of part 2.
End of Session 271.