(IC) We be Jammin' (5e PBP)

[FitzTheRuke]

Captain Sartell addressed her new crew, saying, "Welcome to the Moondancer. She is a Spelljammer, though that name more correctly belongs to our helmsman, Flapjack, and his mates, who control our Spelljamming Helm. With it, they magically empower the ship to fly through Wildspace - the space between worlds. They can steer, tack, and fill the sails, but it all takes a toll. The more you crew can help (very much like the jobs you had on seagoing ships), the less exhausted our Spelljammer will become. If our Spelljammer needs to rest, we will become becalmed. So I need you to do your jobs."

She put the new crew under watch of her regular crew in groups before continuing, "I plan to set course for the Rock of Bral! You can think of it as an Island Port. Wildspace is not as empty as it looks, so lookouts stay sharp! Learn your tasks - we will go easy on you at first, but I won't abide shirking. That is all."

When she announced their destination, the crew who knew the place nodded, smiled, and voiced their approval.

* * *

Below decks, Flapjack offered to show Delphine (who they'd found looking at the helm) and Nic a crash-course in how to use the helm. Spelljamming was a 24-hour job, and it was best to do in shifts. The flumf sent feelings of appreciation and guidance, and gestured with a tentacle for one of them to step up and try it.

OOC: If you want to try it, give me a dc10 INT (arcana) check.

 

[Steve Gorak]

“Ohmyohmyohmy” Nic says excitingly as he moves closer to the spelljamming helm. He pauses a second to mutter a few arcane words to help, and sits on the chair as his heart races.

OOC: cast guidance Arcana check: 1d20+1d4+7= 10 Darn, total flop! Natural 1 on the d20…

 

[Steve Gorak]

OOC: I just remembered Nic has inspiration from a prior natural 1 (see post 38) Here is another go at it: unbelievable, got a 2 instead of a 1 on the d20 - total of 11, but at least it’s a success on the DC10 check! Edit: I actually got a second 1! so I guess its a fail, and he still has inspiration (1 in 400 odds!)

 

[jmucchiello]

Delphne finds it hard to follow the "conversation". She tries to nod in the right places, though.

Arcana check: 1D20+2 = [5]+2 = 7

 

[Kobold Stew]

Once Sanderson has moved the raft of lifeforms to the jetty, and he knew they were safe, he had moved out into the water to get a view of what was happening. He was about to go under when he saw that the small child he had found under the applecart was still clinging to his neck.

"What are you...?" He began, but was unable to finish. Massive vines, clearly not natural in the sense that he understood the term, continued their movements up from the streets of the heaving city. None in the water. He was safe for now.

Many were piling aboard a ship, and though he could see it had tight lines, it would soon be overloaded, and would have no chance of...

He was wrong again. Somehow, the ship began to rise into the air, and as it did so, aware that the child on his throat would have not chance of making it in the open sea, he swam towards the boat.

There was a painter trailing in the water, and Sanderson grabbed the rope with both hands as the ship lifted him out of the sea and into the air. He heard the wood of the hull creak as the shp began to turn, and when one of the crew moved to clean up the loose rope, she was startled to see the lizard and child dangling from it.

With some effort, Sanderson is lifted onto the ship. "Thanksss to you," he says, and introduces himself. "I am Sanderson, and this isss..?" He looks at the child, who clings to the lizardfolk's thin waist, unwilling to let go. The child says nothing at this point, only holds on tight.

"How may I be of servissse?" he asks, standing up and sliding the child around to his back.

OOC: Apologies for being silent. I hope it's okay to bring the child along (post 73).

 

[FitzTheRuke]

The new crew were taking their stations, learning what they could from the more experienced hands (in some cases, they were surprised to find how similar it was to their usual jobs) when the ship suddenly lurched sideways relative to its own gravity. People and objects tumbled across the deck and there were a few minor injuries.

Sanderson had just been discovered, clinging to a part of the ship's netting with a small child on his back. There were a few aboard that had been rescued by the lizardfolk that had followed Glau aboard (while the latter had lost track of the whereabouts of Sanderson and the child). Pulled aboard just in time for the ship's lurching, Sanderson held the child as she screamed.

Below decks, there was pandemonium as Monty and a few of the new crew were checking on the ship's stores (to figure out how long they would last with so many fugitives aboard) and deciding on berthing for them all. The civilians were terrified anew, poor things, as the ship seemed to have crashed or something.

In fact, it was Nic, who had completely misunderstood what he was about. Flapjack had touched him gently with a tentacle (which had transferred attunement of the helm). The gnome felt a tingling sensation, first along his arm, and then to the rest of him as his mind-body connection merged with that of the ship. He could "feel" everything. The crew walking on the decks, the current of the Wildspace around him. He tried to turn to speak to Flapjack, and the whole ship turned with him, which caused all the commotion.

Flapjack turned a worried shade of green and shook a tentacle, trying to take control back (an act that was not possible without Nic voluntarily giving it up. Or at least, not without harm.)

Delphine had no idea what was going on, other than that it was obvious to her that Nic had made a grave mistake. Captain Sartell was stomping her foot on the deck above and shouted, "Get it together down there!"

OOC: @Steve Gorak You can try to redeem yourself by trying again, or you can give control back to Flapjack.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Brother Phlox had endured a lot in the monastery, but those trials were ones of suffering and privation; this, whatever this was, was something different. He had spent all of his young life mastering his emotions, but surrounded by the tumult of strange crew and people, burdened by the sight of ... his ... world ... destroyed, and realizing that everything he thought he knew was gone, Phlox felt numb. Not from his training, not from the strictures and teachings of Zuoken blessed be his fists and his way but from the sheer enormity of the riot of information that his brain simply could not process.

He slumped slightly, until he heard the Captain's voice ring out. He will stand watch. He will perform his duties. He will show that he is of use.

For that was one thing that Phlox knew, it was that service was salvation.

 

[Steve Gorak]

“Ohmyohmyohmy” Nic states as he is overwhelmed with sensory information. In his eagerness, he is oblivious to the distress he just caused and and adds “Hold on Flapjack, I can do this”.

He concentrates to clear his overactive mind and mumbles a few arcane words and is hopefully able to control the ship this time around.

OOC: finally! Arcana check 24, or 28 if he is able to cast guidance while attuned to the helm. With a +7 in arcana plus guidance, Nic will be a rather solid spelljamming pilot!

 

[jmucchiello]

"Is what he's doing right?" Delphne says as Nic fiddles with the ship.

 

[Lidgar]

Suppressing his rage, Gunthar checked on Tanner and the others before joining the crew. Best bury oneself in familiar work, he thought to himself. He tried to ignore the fact the ship was sailing amongst the stars, preferring rather to picture himself on the open see at night. He went around checking rigging and securing knots, lending a hand where needed when tacking.

Even so, he struggled with a dreadful feeling of deja vu. Years ago he lost his clan to the goblin horde, only now to see his entire world destroyed. That familiar feeling of total and complete loss was almost unbearable.

Just keep working, they need you. And he did.