Jammers Summary: Chapter 1, Turn 12

----------- = Meanwhile, elsewhere...
*********** = Later...

Finishing the duties of tying off the ship, the crew gazes at the Finagle. A scattering of buildings line wide dirt avenues surrounding the wharves, but none of the seediness usually present in port towns is apparent. Two towers, each topped by a ballista and catapult stand tall by the edge of the asteroid, on either side of the wharves. On the tower to the right a giff warrior can be seen, pacing back and forth in a uniform similar to Captain Wilhelmina's. beyond the small cluster of buildings is an orchard, workers can be seen running in some areas just as others can be seen plowing a field beyond. The affect, if one could ignore the stars and asteroids as far as the eye could see, is that of a small farming community in any one of a dozen groundling realms.

The wreckboat which had been escorting the Flowfish and Whirlwind since entering the small asteroid band hovers overhead for a short while, then , apparently convinced raiders were not going to erupt from either vessels hull, it turns sharply and heads back into the field.

"Passenger Nilaroo," Deigatt says gruffly to the shipwright, "Ham I required to hassist with repairs to the ship? Hif not, I would venture honto the hasteroid briefly."

Nilaroo looks up briefly from his list of supplies. "Please, feel free."

Not entirely comfortable with the various meanings which could be attributed to Nilaroo's statement, Deigatt grunts and heads up the dock to the herdside of the asteroid. He finds this side is currently facing away from the sun, and is thus in shadow. It is, regardless, pleasant and quiet, with no work going on and only the occasional patrol of militia warriors or giff (also in the purple uniforms) breaking Deigatt's solitude.

As the others go off for the materials Radick takes his leave of the ship and begins walking the docks.

Billy walks down the plank towards the Finagle Arms, nodding to the occasional passer by. Reaching the tavern he opens the door and steps inside. He spots the bar and hops up onto a stool. "Greetings!" he says to the barkeep. "I'll have a coupla' stouts if you have them, ales if you don't, if you please."

Billy waits to be served and then asks, "Is there any news that is worthy of repeating?" Billy fishes two silver coins from his pouch to pay for his drinks.

"That's what I was going to ask you," the young human behind the bar says as he puts 2 stouts in front of Billy. "We only get our news from company packets like yourselves." He looks pointedly at the coins, "That's 2 silvers." As Billy pays him he says, "Had some pirate trouble?"

Billy takes a long pull at his mug and heaves a sigh of contentment. "Yeah, some half-orc and his band of lackeys. We captured one of the two eelships, though... Maybe we'll run into the other one on the way back. Well, if there is no other news, I'll be sitting down at a table an enjoying your good stout."

Billy sits at one of the empty tables facing the bar. A few minutes later, when he is well into his second mug, Holland walks in and waves to Billy. He steps over to the bar, has a drink and speaks with the barkeep for a few moments and then with another wave to Billy leaves the tavern. Billy winks back and takes a sip of his stout.

A few minutes after Holland leaves, Billy downs the rest of his drink and gets up. "They should have the supplies by now." He gives his thanks to the bartender and strolls back to the Whirlwind.

Back aboard the Whirlwind:

When Radick is finished touring the docks he returns to the Whirlwind, just in time to assist with the rigging work. As earlier he speaks very infrequently and only when it is required to complete a task. While he waits to begin the next task he looks off into space and ignores everything else, until he is again instructed to perform another task.

As they approach the ship carrying supplies (Grigree has a few sailspines over his shoulder; Leera is carrying a large, heavy tarp), Leera and Grigree are deep in conversation.

Holland returns to the ship from the settlement and stops to speak with Leera on the deck, "Leera, could I please borrow those darts that you recovered from the dead mage? I am going to cast a divination spell to try to determine their usage."

Holland catches Leera just as she's returning with the supplies. She replies: "Sure, I'll go get them for you." She scampers below deck, and returns in a moment with the bandoleer of darts.

Holland then says to everyone on deck, "I am going to be in the Helmsmen quarters working on a spell. It takes roughly 9 hours to cast. Please do not disturb me during this time or the spell will fizzle. I would appreciate it if you told the others as they came back as well."

Grigree looks up from the sailspine he's been attaching to the ship. "If you don't want to be disturbed, you may want to wait until we're under way. That way you won't be bothered by any bumps when we leave the dock."

Holland smiles and says, "Unless we debark early, I will be finished in time. If you would excuse me."

"Thank you, I will return them after the spell, hopefully with the knowledge of their properties," Holland says as he heads below deck.

After giving Holland the darts , Leera speaks to Talus. She then goes below with the tarp.

Grigree helps out with the rigging after returning with the group who got the supplies. Not knowing much about sailspine repair, he follows Nilaroo's directions.

Kain sighs when Talus and the others return to the ship, laden with ropes, pins, pulleys, and other gear needed to get the ship in working order. Placing the piece of felt he uses as a bookmark in his tome, Kain slides the book and his writing utensils into the rucksack at his side. Slipping out of his vest and shirt, Kain lays them atop the pack and then pushes the whole bundle out of the way, next to his boots which he's shed earlier. Setting readily to working on the rigging, Kain listens eagerly to the advice given out by the others on rigging detail. Nodding, finding that there isn't much difference between the sailspine and the sails on a seafaring ship, Kain's hands work swiftly and surely as he ties off some lines, and lends an arm when another needs to be given some slack so that it can be untied and moved. Hearing a muttered oath about tying off ropes on top of the sailspine, Kain pauses before saying, "I'll get it." Taking the free end of the rope in his left hand, he looks up at the sailspine. The muscles in his back seem to shift and bend, though it is obvious Kain feels no pain. A flash of brown and white springs forth, unfurling and showing a pair of great feathered wings. Leaping from the deck, Kain flies to the top of the sailspine, the rope trailing behind him. Taking his time, Kain carefully ties a good solid knot, testing it three times before he's satisfied it's not going to come undone. Folding his wings, Kain plunges to the deck, landing lightly upon the wooden surface as he opens his wings just before landing.

Grigree watches the whole event with the wide-eyed stare of shock and surprise.

Pushing his headband back up, it having slipped a bit during his work, Kain dabs the sweat from his brow. The feathers shrink slowly for an instant, before suddenly disappearing, leaving no indication they were there at all. Kain stretches once, cracks his knuckles, and gets back to work on another section of the rigging.

Leera gapes openmouthed as she watches Kain's display. As he lands and begins working, she walks over and speaks to him.

Talus just glances at Kain's little stunt, then turns back to his work. It is evident from his lack of surprise that he has seen Kain do this before.

Kain straightens from the mass of tangled ropes he was working on when Leera walks over. Flushing, as flustered as Leera seems to be, he shrugs into his vest quickly, buttoning it up as she speaks.

The hadozee shakes his head as if to clear it. A small smile crosses face as he looks down at his own "wings", then back at Kain. "Showoff," he mutters under his breath and continues to work, still smiling.

Italapate assists with the rigging. He is quiet and appears to be miles away. His ever-present smile is most noticeably missing. When he sees Kain winging his way to the top of the sailspine. His eyes sparkle briefly, and he whispers, "Truly blessed by Eagle." Then his serious demeanor returns and he moves back below decks.

After speaking with Kain, Leera walks off to help with the repairs. She resumes singing a lively sailor tune as she works. Her singing voice is soft and melodious. She seems to really enjoy singing.

Billy walks up the gangplank, a contented smile on his face, just as Kain finishes his stunt! Billy laughs out gleefully and claps his hands. "Good one, Kain... Now if only all of us could do that... Hey, why didn't you wait for me before starting the repairs... Now that my energies are back to par," he pats his belly affectionately, "I will be able to help you all." Billy then proceeds to work as directed by Nilaroo.

Leera calls out "My, Billy, couldn't you have waited a couple of hours? I would have joined you!"

"Ha! Ha!" exclaims Billy. "Don't you worry your pretty little head! To your knowledge, has a halfling ever refused to keep his friends company when they go and drink? I'll just have to go with you, I guess..." says Billy in a mock faint, the back of his hand on his forehead. "The duties of a halfling are many..." Billy winks at Leera.

After helping with the transport of supplies to the Whirlwind, Raken helps out with repairs for a while. Once the sail is repaired and the tarp is in place, he takes a quick tour of the asteroid. He spends a short time chatting with some of the locals and the priests of Demeter before heading back to the ship. Along the way he plucks an apple and munches while he tours.

Under Nilaroo's expert supervision the repairs go well; within 4 hours the Whirlwind's damaged sailspines have been repaired, returning full maneuverability to the ship. Glancing across the dock at the Flowfish it is apparent that the newcomers had been of little obvious help, the Flowfish's crew move together unloading goods and loading foodstuffs in a tight, focused manner. Captain Wilhelmina can be seen often, striding across the deck, speaking with Lt. Sabbagh but often glancing at the progress of work aboard the Whirlwind.

Both ships are easily finished with their needed work by the 12 hour deadline. Taking her leave of the Flowfish with a snappy salute from Lt. Sabbagh, Captain Wilhelmina returns to the Whirlwind at the end of the 12 hour period. She glances about the deck with interest, examines the sailspine carefully, grunts, "Well done." to Nilaroo, then calls everyone together on the main deck. Leera explains that Holland is still resting from his magical examination of the darts, Wilhelmina nods at this then speaks once everyone else has arrived on deck.

"Sabbagh has questioned the prisoners, several were willing to cooperate provided we request they not suffer the standard penalty for piracy on Bral, jettisoning. They revealed that the other eelship was the TEMPEST, under Captain Laocoon. He was apparently the commodore" Wilhelmina glances at Italapate, "of this little pirate band, and a wizard of some power. None of them, including the half-orc captain, knew if the attack on the Flowfish was planned or simply opportunistic. Apparently Laocoon is not the sharing type. He is an older human male with an unkempt white beard and one milky white eye, the other eye is a brilliant blue. They often frequented the less reputable ports of this sphere, the Barre Sinister for one."

"Well, since its conceivable that Laocoon may come looking for his ship, you needed to hear that." the Captain gestures towards the Flowfish, whose crew have already cast off from the wharf as she slowly eases back and up, away from Finagle. "It's six days from here to the Rock. try to get me there in one piece." She then moves to the forecastle, and leans against the ballista so she can observe the cast off.

Talus takes the helm, and everyone sets too casting off. While the result is not as crisp as the Flowfish's departure, no embarrassing gaffs occur. Within a short while the Whirlwind, trailing the Flowfish the required thousand yards, has left the asteroid cluster of Finagle and jumped to spelljamming speeds. Everyone settles in for the six day journey ahead.