(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.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Showing that even the most promisingly talented practitioners could make mistakes when first learning, Nic quickly adjusted his thinking and got the hang of Spelljamming very quickly. Flapjack floated nearby, turning various colours of encouragement and sending soothing and instructive feelings to the gnome. Soon they were off, speeding along through Wildspace at what would have been unimaginable speeds to anyone who could understand them.

On the world now gone, there were many tales of what lay above the sky, but none of them had been quite accurate to what they saw as they moved. At one point, Nic felt a pressure ahead and the ship slowed down and hove-to as a pod of space-whales swam past. The new crew marveled as one of them blew a sparkling spray of star-stuff and dove "under", swimming at an angle that revealed that "up" wasn't quite the same as it had once been.

The ship continued to sail away from the world that had once been, far enough now to appear as a star (though still slightly flower-shaped). Life aboard settled down long enough for the refugees to get a much needed rest. The crew rested as well, now split into shifts.

The following afternoon, Phlox spotted an object in the distance. He pointed it out to his closest experienced crewman, which was Gordo the winged-ape-folk (who's species was called the Hadozee). Gordo nodded, pulled a spyglass and scrambled to the topmast. Soon he called to the captain, "A ship to starboard! She's turning... headin' for us!"

Nic found it interesting that not only could he easily "hear" this conversation from the helm, but he could feel the other ship off in the distance, as if a pressure was pushing on his ribs and getting more forceful as it came.

After a minute or two, Gordo called again, "She's a Star Moth an' she's after us for sure!"

Captain Sartell cursed and said to those nearest her, "Astral Elves, and I don't think they're friendly."

 

[Kobold Stew]

Rumours spread quickly on a ship and the news of the impending attack hit Sanderson's ears before he fully understood what was being said. He reaches into his sack, sealed and waterproof, and unhooks the loop that had been affixing the rope to the outside. He unfurls ten feet and ties it around the child's waist. The rest he ties around his own.

"Sssstay close to me, sssmall one," the lizard barks, in a tone harsher than he intends. "Hold on to my shouldersss if you can."

 

[Leatherhead]

Glau was below decks, inventorying and packing up the belongings of the crew lost on the planet, when they heard the call. Quickly, the plasmoid gathered some nearby weapons, a Saber from Tik-tik , Skalkash's Harpoon, and a Chain from Nicklebottom. Even if they weren't here physically, they could be here in spirit.

Once armed, Glau rushes to Captain Sartell's side. "Standing by for orders, Captain!"

OOC: I would imagine the ship has an armory of sorts, but this seems more cinematic.

 

[Steve Gorak]

Nic was still getting used to all these different sensations and quirks of flying a ship, most surprising was that he was able to hear conversations pretty much everywhere on the ship. He sensed the approaching vessel and was surprised that Astral Elves were likely going to attack. He had met elves on many occasions, many were haughty or aloof but they tended to be good folk. Why these Elves would attack them was disconcerting to Nic.

It is likely FlapJack felt this and he says to the Flumph: "Ohmyohmyphmy Flapjack! Astral Elves and a Month Ship! If we're going to be attacked, maybe you should take over. I'm still a novice, and I'm sure you have a few tricks up your tentacles! Besides, I have a feeling I will be more useful above deck to defend the ship. What do you think?"

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Flapjack agreed with Nic - this was as good a time as any to teach the gnome how to transfer attunement to the helm. The flumph eased the gnome through the process. When Nic stepped out from the helm, it took him a few moments to reacquaint himself with his own limbs, and he stumbled about awkwardly as he headed toward the door.

* * *

Monty (the hippo-man Giff) barrelled up the ladders from where he had been checking the ship's stores. He was the cook, but his first duty, his first love, was as the ship's gunner. This put him in charge of organizing a new crew for their two ballistae (Monty cursed that their mangonel had been unloaded for repairs, leaving it and its crew lost to the crystal vines).

"If you're apt with the crossbow, you'll jolly well be good with a ballista!" he declared to nearby members of the new crew.

At that moment, a large rock came hurtling at the ship from the Star Moth, that had closed to a distance where its longer range weapons had them at a disadvantage. The rock near-missed; it made a popping noise as it came through the air-bubble that surrounded the ship, but it flew between the main and mizzen masts at a steep angle and harmlessly exited the air bubble on the other side, whistling as it went.

"A star moth is the faster ship. We can't outrun her, and we're outgunned as well." Captain Sartell mumbled as she tried to make up her mind on what to do.

* * *

Sweet William was below, seeing to his Elk, who had been lowered by crane into the ship's menagerie, which was already quite full. The captain had picked up a small herd of mules, to sell for a pretty penny to folk from worlds that lacked such useful beasts of burden. The elk was wary but well-behaved.

Now, William helped to lead the civilians to the safest part of the ship. While a spelljamming ship's hull was far more exposed to enemy fire (not being protected by the ocean, as a normal ship would be, still, the safest place for civilians was in the hold, where the hull was thickest and the ship's stores added another layer of potential armour. The refugees huddled together there, utterly distraught that their worries were not yet over. William stayed to comfort them.

OOC: Anyone want to man a Ballista? Captain Sartell will come to the conclusion that her only recourse is to turn and fight a boarding action, but there will be time to shot before the ships collide.

 

[jmucchiello]

Delphne helps Nic steady himself. "Let's go topside and see what's going on." She heads up on deck.

 

[jmucchiello]

OOC: Will the ballista require strength, dexterity, or both? Delphne is 8/16 so she's good at aiming the things.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Will the ballista require strength, dexterity, or both? Delphne is 8/16 so she's good at aiming the things.

OOC: Weirdly, they appear to just need manpower. Anyone can fire the Ballista with a +6 to hit. It takes a team of three, all using their actions each round to load, aim, and fire. (Only the last requires a roll, so the other two are pretty much fluff, and therefore can either be NPCs or PCs who are happy to help without much of the glory). I'm just fluffing it as Monty's expert instruction on how to do it.

 

[Lidgar]

Gunthar hears Monty's call and moves to help the ballista crew. While certainly not a crossbow expert, he knew his way around most siege weapons, and it looked pretty familiar on that front. All the while he eyed the enemy ship, trying to judge its distance and speed.

OOC: Survival check to determine how far away the star moth is and how soon it will be within boarding distance. Survival Check: 1D20+7 = [1]+7 = 8 And apparently wildspace has completely befuddled the survival instincts of the poor dwarf...ugh.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

It was difficult for Gunthar to judge the distance between the two ships. In particular, he had no idea at what speed either were travelling. Still, the movement of the ships (and the rocks being hurled toward them) seemed surprisingly "normal", though the sky was black instead of blue.

Captain Sartell ordered the ship to come about and to close with the Star Moth. She quickly addressed the newcomers, saying, "I don't know what they want, but they don't seem keen to parlay. I hope that I can expect you to defend our ship to the best of your ability. Our best chance of success is a quick and dirty boarding action. Take a prisoner if you can! I want to know what's going on here!"

OOC: See the OOC for commentary.