Jammers Summary: Chapter 2, Turn 10

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

Aboard the Silent STAR:

Ferric waits until the fishing boat passes near the Star on its way to the docks then he whistles loudly to get the attention of the old man and two boys aboard it. "Hello good sir, nice day is it not?"

"Not for all I'm afraid! But aye, 'tis pleasant enough for the rest of us." the old man calls back.

"If I may ask what was the hurry in coming back to the docks so early? Is there another storm brewing out to sea?" Ferric answers.

"'Tis no secret; a hammership must have been coming down for a landing last night just afore the storm hit. She's shattered on the rocks a mile down the coast." The old man glances at the two young lads with him, "Not a good sight, you know, and I doubt Shipwrecker left any still in our world, if you take my meaning. The Navy's gone to search for survivors and to keep scavengers off the wreck till the owners can be determined."

"Oh my," Kain says as he continues to lean against the railing of the Star. Glancing away from the fisherman and the two young boys, he asks of his companions, "D'you think the Navy'd accept our help in the search for survivors? I'd.. ah.. hate to think there's someone alive but undiscovered out there."

"You har not suggesting we habandon hour comrades to hinvestigate this rumor, har you, Comrade Kain?" Deigatt says gruffly. "I ham sure that the hauthorities hon planet Shipwrecker har hadept hat rescuing hanyone hon a wrecked ship."

"Indeed not!" Kain says hurriedly, with a vigorous shake of his head. "Well, ah, the trip to the shrine shouldn't last that long, and who knows how long the search could last. "But, as you said Deigatt," Kain shrugs as he leans back on the railing, "on a planet like Shipwrecker they'll know how to run a search and rescue."

"grr.. Fisherman saw the wreck, it's not a rumor." Grigree says.

"I did not mean to himply that the fisher's story was huntrue, Comrade Grigree," Deigatt says. "I meant only to suggest that we should remain here huntil hour comrades return from this mission hof theirs."

Grigree nods in agreement.

"Agreed," Raken says, watching the bay. "No need to leave our comrades stranded. Besides, the Navy might think us to be looters or scavengers and take us into custody." He looks at the bright sky. "Strange that a hammership would be so careless to be destroyed in such a storm. On a world this small, the ship should have easily seen the storm front coming in. The smartest choice would have been to wait out the storm in orbit, not try to make landfall during it. Unless... what exactly was the hammership doing on Shipwrecker, anyway?"

Nilaroo is sitting nearby splicing rope, hearing Raken's comments he says "Hoom... in the upper atmosphere unpredictable downdrafts and tornadoes precede the storms, you can't see them till they hit. Usually four or five ships a year go down that way."

The looking around the town its clear folks are beginning to move about their business. Besides the loading going on at the ship docked beside the STAR, the sing-song sounds of merchants hawking their wares can be heard from the market place and the sound of pounding, sawing, and other construction rolls across the bay from company town.

Meanwhile, at the Shrine:

Jamila leans against the wall, watching the dialogue before her with amusement.

Billy smiles up at the man as he cleans his nose on his the tattered sleeve then tugs on the priest's robe and asks, "Hey, mister... Where are the shipwrecks? Isn't this a shipwrecker's museum or something?"

The priest sneers down at Billy (given his size it must not be often he can look down on someone...). "This is a temple dedicated to The Shipwrecker, the Holy Terror of Wind and Waves, the Destroyer, Most High Latanuut. It is not a museum, little man. You would be wise to appease Her Anger at your impertinence and leave a substantial offering as a petition for Her mercy."

After depositing two silver pieces on the rug, Scruffy Dockhand Leera approaches the priest. Looking a little embarrassed, she asks "Tell me, uh... could I ask you a question?" She lets the priest see the gold piece in her hand.

The priest nods and becomes very business like. Meanwhile, Italapate begins doing a dance in the center of the shrine, hopping back and forth and shaking his tomahawk menacingly while studiously ignoring everyone else in the room.

Leera continues "It's about that storm. I was drinking on my ship last night, and I was saying that it's a shame that there's no way-- apart from prayer to Shipwrecker, that is-- to protect yourself. Anyway, this halfling fellow pipes up and tells me that he knows a way that's sure-fire. He tells me that I'm supposed to come here and drink seawater out of something called the _Chalice of Storms_ and that I'm guaranteed not to die during the next storm I'm in." She fingers the gold piece. "Anyway, I'm wondering how much I'd have to donate to get to drink out of this chalice?"

"The Chalice was made by the usurping offworlder priests, those who don't have the wisdom to respect the powers of this world. Drinking from it in such a way would only draw Her Anger down upon you more fiercely." The priest looks her over carefully, Leera clearly has his full attention now.

Billy looks up at the Scruffy Dockhand Leera and whines, "I thought the Chalice was stolen weeks ago by pirates. Why would you think that it would be here in this museum? Even if it was, I'm sure that his Honor," Billy respectfully indicates the priest, "wouldn't show it to the likes of you!" Billy sniffs at Leera, looking her up and down with a disapproving sneer. He wipes his nose on his sleeve again.

Scruffy Dockhand Leera looks confused. She looks first at the priest, then down at Billy, and finally back at the priest. "So you mean that I *can't* drink from this chalice? I thought it was something to do with Shipwrecker? What IS it, then?" Turning back again to Billy, but obviously addressing both him and the priest, "And you said it was stolen? I don't understand. Stolen from this shrine? By whom? Isn't this where it belongs?"

"The Chalice has nothing to do with Shipwrecker, I can't help you with that." The priest becomes very cold, very formal. Then he purposefully turns and returns to tending the altar, keeping a wary eye on Billy. "Those who steal from Shipwrecker end in a watery grave, rodent, so keep your paws to yourself."

Scruffy Dockhand Leera looks worried. "Oh! I didn't mean to offend you..." She gets an angry look in her eye. "When I get a hold of that lying halfling....!" She turns and leaves the shrine, making eye contact with the scar faced man at the back as she does so.

Seguld sits by the brothel's door under the 'CLOSED' sign with his chin resting in his hands as he stares intently at the female dockhand who has left the shrine. Eventually she passes out of his sight and his eyes return to the shrine door.

Billy holds his hands up close to his chest, a look of innocence on his face. He then starts rummaging about his torn clothing looking for something. With a gleeful "Aha!" Billy proudly fishes out a shiny copper piece, holding it up for all to see. He walks to the rug, holding the coin between his thumb and index finger and drops the coin very conspicuously on the rug. Billy quickly brings his hands back to his chest and slowly backs away from the rug.

"GET OUT!!!" the priest suddenly screams at Billy, shaking his fist and advancing threateningly as the halfling turn and sprints from the shrine. "AND NEVER RETURN! MAY THE WINDS STEAL YOUR AIR AND THE WAVES SWALLOW YOUR CORPSE!" the priest screams after Billy.

Back at the STAR:

About twenty minutes after leaving the Silent Star, Leera returns. After boarding, she wanders over to the mainmast, turns to lean against it, and begins to laugh. Slowly she allows her back to slide down the mast until she's sitting on the deck, her back still to the mast. Looking up at her crewmates, she explains, chuckling "Billy and I really did a number on that priest." She grows serious for a moment and mutters to herself, "I'd better not use that disguise again for a while."

Turning back to the group, she continues "We definitely got him thinking about the 'Chalice'. If Holland was the other fellow in there with us, and I suspect he was, he should have had plenty of opportunity to use his mind-reading spell. Unless he and Billy got up to some other mischief, I'd suspect that they'll be along soon."

"And here he is!" Billy suddenly states spreading his arms and bowing to unheard applause as he walks up the gangplank directly behind Leera, startling the mage and giving everyone a good laugh.

Seguld is only a few steps behind Billy. "How'd it go? What'dthey say?Arewe gonna getthischalice thing?" He seems rather excited as he hops about asking questions.

Back at the Shrine:

'Pate continues dancing and chanting in a low voice in the center of the shrine.

The scared man in the back of the room's voice suddenly fills the room, "Priest! Who stole the Chalice?"

The priest spins on his heel and a horseman's mace appears suddenly from underneath his robes. "Shipwrecker has no need for the petty artifacts of off worlder gods, and I serve only Shipwrecker's needs. I don't know who stole that beer mug. Now leave."

The scared man smiles as we stands, his hands empty at his sides and says, "Priest, your guilt radiates from you. Where can the pirates be located?"

The priest smiles disarmingly; "Why didn't you just ask politely? Shipwrecker can tell us the pirates location." He raises his left hand and points a small iron nail at the three remaining.

Jamila and Holland each react instantly. Jamila push off from the wall and whips out her scimitars, leaping to cross the distance and interrupt his spell. Holland's hands start to weave and chants form on his lips as he prepares a spell of us own. The priest's harsh "Latanuut Krimpar Lati!" echoes across the room, Jamila collapses to the floor in mid-leap, her muscles no longer under her command. Beside her Italapate falls as well, and Holland's spell dies on his lips as the priest's prayer binds him. He also slides to the floor as his muscles no longer hold him upright.

The priest stares down at the three victims of his spell, smiles in satisfaction, and walks to the door of the shrine. "WATCH! WATCH!" he calls several times. After a moment the paralyzed trio hear him call "Trakle, here's a silver, be a good lad and go get the watch."

Then he returns to the shrine and quickly binds everyone's arms behind their back with some twine. "I don't know what game you folks are playing at, but blaspheming in a shrine is the same as trespassing, even when it's this shrine."

Only five minutes or so pass before a troop of the watch storm into the shrine. There are five of them, each wears leather armor and carries a crossbow. A shortsword hangs from their belt. The sergeant, a tall, vain man with long, flowing brown hair; interviews the priest in a perfunctory manner, referring to him as "Prior Pelisset". Pelisset answers all his questions honestly, carefully recounting the events in the shrine just as they occurred.

The sergeant turns to look at the bound trio, as he does so the priest's holding spell fades with a prickly sensation. Italapate, Jamila, and Holland feel muscle control flow back into their bodies. "What is all this?" the sergeant growls. Before anyone can answer, the scared faced man's features and body begin to shift and melt, within a moment Holland is lying in his face. The previously bored guards step back, cocking crossbows as the leader whips his shortsword out, "What sorcery is this?" he calls.

"See, Sergeant Tagart," the priest mutters, "Sorcery. Please remove these infidels."

Date/time: 8:50 am 1st day of the 5th Month, 5049 OC