This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Zaius holds out his arms toward Krik’Lit “Hold on there, I am not saying you all missed anything, just saying between the fire creatures and clockwork horrors, this rock seems a long way from being abandoned. Did anyone see what started the fire?”Zaius questions the others and investigates the deck to see if he can determine what started the fire and where the mephits came from.
Erma finds, near Ryeback's body, what she now recognises as the remains of a fourth of the elemental creatures; judging by the pattern of burns on the cook's corpse, it seems he was able to slay one of the creatures, but was killed by its death burst explosion.
Pffred and Krik'Lit tell Zaius that they were in the stores chamber when they suddenly heard an explosion, followed by Ryeback screaming in pain, and barking orders for the crew to open the water barrels to fight the fire. Rel thinks that the origin of the fire was the giff's portable cooking surface, which matches Krik'Lit's recollection that the cook was about to start cooking the evening meal, although Pffred is adamant that he's seen the device in use several times before and there's no way it could produce such a conflagration on its own. Neither of them have any magical talent, so can't say one way or the other when Roy asks whether some kind of spell could have been cast on it.
Rel crouches down to comfort Miken. The young spelljammer cadet is fully crying now and barely seems to register the satyr's presence. You can just make out some of what he's saying to himself through the tears, "…couldn't… Ines… hurt. No one… supposed… die! …my fault… should never have… mercane… but I did… now… is dead"
Rel puts a hand on Miken's shoulder, and in a quiet but very serious voice, he asks, "Miken? Are you saying that you tampered with the cooking device? Did someone bribe you to sabotage our mission? Miken, you can still help atone for your mistake, but you need to be truthful with us... right now."
While Rel talks to Miken, Erma receives a reply to her report to Tarto. "Dead?!" the old hadozee roars in Erma's mind. "What in the blazes? Hold your position, cadets, backup is coming to rendezvous with you."
Meanwhile, with a bit of coaxing, Rel is able to get the whole story out of Miken. Shortly before embarking on the mission, he was approached by someone in a security officer's uniform, who said she was working for a certain mercane
(You're unlikely to have ever met a mercane, but they are known for three things: One, being reclusive blue-skinned, twelve-foot tall humanoids; Two, operating vast networks mercantile networks throughout the know universe, dealing in high-value magic items mostly via layers of middlemen and lackeys (if you wanted to purchase, say, a new spelljamming helm, you'd probably end up buying it through an agent of a mercane); Three, being championship-level grudge-holders (if you then reneged on the deal, you'd likely be blacklisted for life not only by that mercane, but probably all of them for several solar systems))
who was never identified by name, only by his sigil—a stylized V. The mercane offered Miken a choice: he could do the mercane's bidding and be paid enough money to set himself and his young fiancé, Ines, up for life; or he could refuse, in which case Ines's safety "could not be guaranteed". The agent even supplied the spell scrolls—glyph of warding and conjure minor elementals—with which he was to sabotage the galley, forcing the mission to be aborted.
Finally, his confession complete, Miken throws himself on your mercy, to decide what you're going to do with him.
Roy nods thoughtfully at Miken’s tale. “Can’t say I would not have done the same if I was in your shoes….. Rel, might I have a word with you, I found something in the controls of the other room and would like your opinion.”
Once Roy and Rel are in the other room, and out of earshot of the rest of the group Roy turns to Rel, “We need to consider that Miken is not the only mercane plant in our group. We may have another sabatour but more likely it’s a spy or two to report back to them whether their plot succeeded or not. I know I’m not working for a mercane, and I’d lay odds that you aren’t, but the rest of the group….. I’m not so sure about. I mean I don’t think any of our training group are but I can’t be sure. As far as those that were assigned to us…..” Roy shakes his head. “You’re the captain, what do you want to do?”
“Miken, lad, what did you do? You have endangered us all.” Zaius places a hand on the young man’s shoulder as he hears the story. “We can get through it, but will need your help. No more secrets.” Zaius remembers the V symbol from the earlier attacks at the Academy, including the one against the old Wolf. “Why would these Mercanes want the mission abandoned? To get back against Mirt, or are they interested in keeping something for themselves?”
"What in the blazes? Hold your position, cadets, backup is coming to rendezvous with you."
[Assuming Rel doesn't decide to go rogue:] You secure Miken under guard, and set in to tend your wounds while you wait for the cavalry to arrive.
The next day, the Flighty Founding is once again docked to the tyrant ship. Crew begin ferrying across replacement supplies, while Boatswain Tarto comes aboard and takes charge, summoning each of you in turn to debrief about the incidents since you left Toril. Finally, the old hadozee issues her orders: Miken and his team will go back to the Academy for further questioning. The autognome you found—whose name, it seems, is Wizpop, according to the nameplate on their chest, which gnomish script one crewmember is able to read—will accompany them for further repairs. As for the rest of you—well, you still have a mission to complete.
[Feel free to RP any of your debriefing or subsequent discussions with each other, and otherwise we will fade to black and roll credits on Episode 3 as:]
Boatswain Tarto, Saerthe Abizin and your crew look on solemnly as Miken and Chief Petty Officer Ryeback are carried across to the Hammerhead ship: one in manacles, to face a court martial; the other on a stretcher, to be returned to his fellow giff on the Rock of Bral for Wildspace burial.
Roy nods thoughtfully at Miken’s tale. “Can’t say I would not have done the same if I was in your shoes….. Rel, might I have a word with you, I found something in the controls of the other room and would like your opinion.”
Once Roy and Rel are in the other room, and out of earshot of the rest of the group Roy turns to Rel, “We need to consider that Miken is not the only mercane plant in our group. We may have another sabatour but more likely it’s a spy or two to report back to them whether their plot succeeded or not. I know I’m not working for a mercane, and I’d lay odds that you aren’t, but the rest of the group….. I’m not so sure about. I mean I don’t think any of our training group are but I can’t be sure. As far as those that were assigned to us…..” Roy shakes his head. “You’re the captain, what do you want to do?”
(Sorry for delay).
Rel thanks Milken for his confession, and promises to let the authorities know that he cooperated. He does indeed place him under guard.
---
Rel listens attentively to Roy, and nods in agreement. "Yes, I hadn't considered that, but there could be others... Unless you happen to have a truth serum, my only idea is that we have a buddy system at all times, that no one is ever alone in a place where more sabotage could be done. Do you have any other suggestions?"
---
During the debriefing, Rel is crestfallen and contrite, visibly upset that this happened on his watch. He offers to relinquish command if Tarto thinks a change is needed.
---
During the transfer of Ryeback's remains, Rel sings a mournful song of spelljamming lore:
Let the sweet fresh breezes heal me As they blow and gently curl 'round the face of our mother planet O'er the cool, green hills of Toril.
We've tried each spinning space mote And ev'ry lonely moon: Take us back again to the homes of men On the cool, green hills of Faerun.
The arching sky is calling Spelljammers back to their trade. ALL HANDS! STAND BY! FREE FALLING! And the lights below us fade.
Out ride the sons of Toril, Far drives the spelljamming crew, Up leap the races of Faerun, Out, far, and onward, we few ---
We pray for one last landing where familiar flowers bloom; Let us rest our eyes on the fleecy skies And the cool, green hills of Faerun.
Zaius ensures the guard is placed on Miken. When he reports to Tarto for his debriefing, he informs the Boatswain of his inspection of the ship with Roy and has a few questions of his own for the old hadozee. “I thought you said this ship was abandoned. Miken’s little pets aside, we ran into a pack of clockwork horrors in the hold and stopped them just before they made more.”He also brings up the other incidents at the academy “I remember hearing about this mercane before. Why would they want the mission abandoned? What are they after? What are you not telling us?”
(OOC: Well done, Rel! Great homage to the Green Hills of Earth. One of my favorites and very fitting!)
The Flighty Foundling returned to Toril with the other cadets and the autognome Wizpop, but your destiny lies elsewhere! You remained aboard the tyrant ship, but you aren't traveling to H'catha by yourselves: faculty members Saerthe Abizin and Boatswain Tarto have taken command of the mission. ("Politics," the hadozee harumphed, "the moment the mercane became involved, this became officially a Class Three diplomatic mission, and regulations are clear that requires senior officers in command. Rest assured that if we didn't have complete confidence in the four of you, you'd be on your way back to the Academy with the others.")
The trek to H'Catha takes many days. Tarto spends most of her time grimacing and gnawing on her cigar as she assigns you to dull tasks. Meanwhile, Saerthe takes control of the tyrant ship's newly installed spelljamming helm. Finally the ship drops out of spelljamming speed and you get your first glimpse of your destination.
Episode Four: Behold H'Catha
The outer planet's description doesn't do it justice. H'Catha is a watery disk thousands of miles wide, with a towering mountain called the Spindle at its center. Saerthe maneuvers the tyrant ship so that it hovers a few feet above the surface of the water at the Spindle's edge.
Boatswain Tarto flicks away the stub of her smoldering cigar as she orders you to unfurl a rope ladder. "Here's the deal, see. You have one sending stone, and I have the other. When you find the meteorite, contact me and let me know, then await further instructions."
Saerthe tosses you a satchel. "This here is a bag of holding. You can use it to contain the meteorite. The impact site should be is nearby. If the meteorite isn't there, try the nearby caves. The Boatswain and I will stay here and guard the ship."
[Who is carrying the sending stone and the bag of holding (doesn't need to be the same person)?]
“I remember hearing about this mercane before. Why would they want the mission abandoned? What are they after? What are you not telling us?”
(You recall your conversation: "Vocath," the Boatswain replied. "Bears a grudge against Mirt the Merciless—one of the Academy's founders, I think some of you met him?—and seems to be escalating his efforts to disrupt any of Mirt's plans. If the old wolf even remembers what he did to offend the mercane, he hasn't told the rest of us.")
Zaius spends the rest of the trip in a mix of nervous anticipation and boredom, pacing the ship that was now thankfully free of surprises. As they approach their destination and receive their final instructions, he puffs out his chest and calls out in a loud voice, either to build up his own confidence or to impress Tarto. “‘C’mon you lot, over the side. Let’s find this rock.” He doesn’t let Erma’s question slow him down as he takes the bag of holding and moves to clamber down the rope ladder.
Erma follows the others off the boat and starts a mental catalog of the various types of hard sediment around them.
( as a Hill Dwarf she has the Stonecunning feature: Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. )
She's first looking at how the whole thing is shaped and will try to see if any areas show some "layering" information. Just something to help her orient herself, like an elevation marker on a map or something.
Rel follows the others, carrying the sending stone. He looks around nervously. "So... this is the homeworld of the beholders? I've never met one but I've seen drawings... they seem... terrifying."
You drop from the ladder onto the rocky shores of H'Catha. Though it is ostensibly daytime, this far into outer Realmspace the sun is barely more than an unusually bright star amongst thousands visible in the sky, providing little illumination and less heat. To one side of you the vast planetary ocean stretches out to what you first take for a horizon, but then realise is actually the rim of this strange, disk-shaped world. Nothing stirs in the shallow waters but for gentle waves that lap at the stony beach, though in the distance you can hear the cries of seabirds looking for food in the deeper waters.
The thin stretch of shoreline is bounded a few hundred feet inland by sheer cliffs that form the base of biggest mountain any of you have ever seen: the Spindle rises dizzyingly to a peak a thousand miles above you. In the dim light of the distant sub, you see caves dotting the cliffs, and a blemish on the face of the Spindle where something must've struck it at great speed, shattering the rock and leaving a huge indentation. Whatever struck the mountainside tumbled down toward the shore, leaving a furrow of melted rock.
Erma follows the others off the boat and starts a mental catalog of the various types of hard sediment around them.
( as a Hill Dwarf she has the Stonecunning feature: Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. )
She's first looking at how the whole thing is shaped and will try to see if any areas show some "layering" information. Just something to help her orient herself, like an elevation marker on a map or something.
Erma is familiar with various mechanisms of mountain forming, from volcanic blisters bubbling up from the earth, to great ranges forced up by colliding continental plates, and none of them explain the Spindle. By all rights, it shouldn't exist, and yet there, impossibly, it stands. You almost wouldn't be surprised to look over the rim and discover the whole world is being carried through space on the back of an enormous turtle.
Still, Erma is able to identify a number of geological landmarks, so there' little chance of you getting lost.
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Roy nods and continues to look around the room looking both for the source of the fire and anything that he could use to further repair the autognome.
Oriovar - Wood Elf Cleric (1) - Sword Coast Campaign
Roy Quigley - Human Artificer (1) - Karrion's Spelljammer Academy Starboard
Zaius holds out his arms toward Krik’Lit “Hold on there, I am not saying you all missed anything, just saying between the fire creatures and clockwork horrors, this rock seems a long way from being abandoned. Did anyone see what started the fire?” Zaius questions the others and investigates the deck to see if he can determine what started the fire and where the mephits came from.
Investigation: 14.
.
Erma finds, near Ryeback's body, what she now recognises as the remains of a fourth of the elemental creatures; judging by the pattern of burns on the cook's corpse, it seems he was able to slay one of the creatures, but was killed by its death burst explosion.
Pffred and Krik'Lit tell Zaius that they were in the stores chamber when they suddenly heard an explosion, followed by Ryeback screaming in pain, and barking orders for the crew to open the water barrels to fight the fire. Rel thinks that the origin of the fire was the giff's portable cooking surface, which matches Krik'Lit's recollection that the cook was about to start cooking the evening meal, although Pffred is adamant that he's seen the device in use several times before and there's no way it could produce such a conflagration on its own. Neither of them have any magical talent, so can't say one way or the other when Roy asks whether some kind of spell could have been cast on it.
Rel crouches down to comfort Miken. The young spelljammer cadet is fully crying now and barely seems to register the satyr's presence. You can just make out some of what he's saying to himself through the tears, "…couldn't… Ines… hurt. No one… supposed… die! …my fault… should never have… mercane… but I did… now… is dead"
Rel puts a hand on Miken's shoulder, and in a quiet but very serious voice, he asks, "Miken? Are you saying that you tampered with the cooking device? Did someone bribe you to sabotage our mission? Miken, you can still help atone for your mistake, but you need to be truthful with us... right now."
While Rel talks to Miken, Erma receives a reply to her report to Tarto. "Dead?!" the old hadozee roars in Erma's mind. "What in the blazes? Hold your position, cadets, backup is coming to rendezvous with you."
Meanwhile, with a bit of coaxing, Rel is able to get the whole story out of Miken. Shortly before embarking on the mission, he was approached by someone in a security officer's uniform, who said she was working for a certain mercane
(You're unlikely to have ever met a mercane, but they are known for three things: One, being reclusive blue-skinned, twelve-foot tall humanoids; Two, operating vast networks mercantile networks throughout the know universe, dealing in high-value magic items mostly via layers of middlemen and lackeys (if you wanted to purchase, say, a new spelljamming helm, you'd probably end up buying it through an agent of a mercane); Three, being championship-level grudge-holders (if you then reneged on the deal, you'd likely be blacklisted for life not only by that mercane, but probably all of them for several solar systems))
who was never identified by name, only by his sigil—a stylized V. The mercane offered Miken a choice: he could do the mercane's bidding and be paid enough money to set himself and his young fiancé, Ines, up for life; or he could refuse, in which case Ines's safety "could not be guaranteed". The agent even supplied the spell scrolls—glyph of warding and conjure minor elementals—with which he was to sabotage the galley, forcing the mission to be aborted.
Finally, his confession complete, Miken throws himself on your mercy, to decide what you're going to do with him.
Roy nods thoughtfully at Miken’s tale. “Can’t say I would not have done the same if I was in your shoes….. Rel, might I have a word with you, I found something in the controls of the other room and would like your opinion.”
Once Roy and Rel are in the other room, and out of earshot of the rest of the group Roy turns to Rel, “We need to consider that Miken is not the only mercane plant in our group. We may have another sabatour but more likely it’s a spy or two to report back to them whether their plot succeeded or not. I know I’m not working for a mercane, and I’d lay odds that you aren’t, but the rest of the group….. I’m not so sure about. I mean I don’t think any of our training group are but I can’t be sure. As far as those that were assigned to us…..” Roy shakes his head. “You’re the captain, what do you want to do?”
Oriovar - Wood Elf Cleric (1) - Sword Coast Campaign
Roy Quigley - Human Artificer (1) - Karrion's Spelljammer Academy Starboard
“Miken, lad, what did you do? You have endangered us all.” Zaius places a hand on the young man’s shoulder as he hears the story. “We can get through it, but will need your help. No more secrets.” Zaius remembers the V symbol from the earlier attacks at the Academy, including the one against the old Wolf. “Why would these Mercanes want the mission abandoned? To get back against Mirt, or are they interested in keeping something for themselves?”
[Assuming Rel doesn't decide to go rogue:] You secure Miken under guard, and set in to tend your wounds while you wait for the cavalry to arrive.
The next day, the Flighty Founding is once again docked to the tyrant ship. Crew begin ferrying across replacement supplies, while Boatswain Tarto comes aboard and takes charge, summoning each of you in turn to debrief about the incidents since you left Toril. Finally, the old hadozee issues her orders: Miken and his team will go back to the Academy for further questioning. The autognome you found—whose name, it seems, is Wizpop, according to the nameplate on their chest, which gnomish script one crewmember is able to read—will accompany them for further repairs. As for the rest of you—well, you still have a mission to complete.
[Feel free to RP any of your debriefing or subsequent discussions with each other, and otherwise we will fade to black and roll credits on Episode 3 as:]
Boatswain Tarto, Saerthe Abizin and your crew look on solemnly as Miken and Chief Petty Officer Ryeback are carried across to the Hammerhead ship: one in manacles, to face a court martial; the other on a stretcher, to be returned to his fellow giff on the Rock of Bral for Wildspace burial.
(Sorry for delay).
Rel thanks Milken for his confession, and promises to let the authorities know that he cooperated. He does indeed place him under guard.
---
Rel listens attentively to Roy, and nods in agreement. "Yes, I hadn't considered that, but there could be others... Unless you happen to have a truth serum, my only idea is that we have a buddy system at all times, that no one is ever alone in a place where more sabotage could be done. Do you have any other suggestions?"
---
During the debriefing, Rel is crestfallen and contrite, visibly upset that this happened on his watch. He offers to relinquish command if Tarto thinks a change is needed.
---
During the transfer of Ryeback's remains, Rel sings a mournful song of spelljamming lore:
Let the sweet fresh breezes heal me
As they blow and gently curl
'round the face of our mother planet
O'er the cool, green hills of Toril.
We've tried each spinning space mote
And ev'ry lonely moon:
Take us back again to the homes of men
On the cool, green hills of Faerun.
The arching sky is calling
Spelljammers back to their trade.
ALL HANDS! STAND BY! FREE FALLING!
And the lights below us fade.
Out ride the sons of Toril,
Far drives the spelljamming crew,
Up leap the races of Faerun,
Out, far, and onward, we few ---
We pray for one last landing
where familiar flowers bloom;
Let us rest our eyes on the fleecy skies
And the cool, green hills of Faerun.
(Apologies to Robert A. Heinlein)
Erma is just quiet and deeply depressed about having someone actually die on her watch.
Zaius ensures the guard is placed on Miken. When he reports to Tarto for his debriefing, he informs the Boatswain of his inspection of the ship with Roy and has a few questions of his own for the old hadozee. “I thought you said this ship was abandoned. Miken’s little pets aside, we ran into a pack of clockwork horrors in the hold and stopped them just before they made more.” He also brings up the other incidents at the academy “I remember hearing about this mercane before. Why would they want the mission abandoned? What are they after? What are you not telling us?”
(OOC: Well done, Rel! Great homage to the Green Hills of Earth. One of my favorites and very fitting!)
The Flighty Foundling returned to Toril with the other cadets and the autognome Wizpop, but your destiny lies elsewhere! You remained aboard the tyrant ship, but you aren't traveling to H'catha by yourselves: faculty members Saerthe Abizin and Boatswain Tarto have taken command of the mission. ("Politics," the hadozee harumphed, "the moment the mercane became involved, this became officially a Class Three diplomatic mission, and regulations are clear that requires senior officers in command. Rest assured that if we didn't have complete confidence in the four of you, you'd be on your way back to the Academy with the others.")
The trek to H'Catha takes many days. Tarto spends most of her time grimacing and gnawing on her cigar as she assigns you to dull tasks. Meanwhile, Saerthe takes control of the tyrant ship's newly installed spelljamming helm. Finally the ship drops out of spelljamming speed and you get your first glimpse of your destination.
Episode Four: Behold H'Catha
The outer planet's description doesn't do it justice. H'Catha is a watery disk thousands of miles wide, with a towering mountain called the Spindle at its center. Saerthe maneuvers the tyrant ship so that it hovers a few feet above the surface of the water at the Spindle's edge.
Boatswain Tarto flicks away the stub of her smoldering cigar as she orders you to unfurl a rope ladder. "Here's the deal, see. You have one sending stone, and I have the other. When you find the meteorite, contact me and let me know, then await further instructions."
Saerthe tosses you a satchel. "This here is a bag of holding. You can use it to contain the meteorite. The impact site should be is nearby. If the meteorite isn't there, try the nearby caves. The Boatswain and I will stay here and guard the ship."
[Who is carrying the sending stone and the bag of holding (doesn't need to be the same person)?]
(You recall your conversation: "Vocath," the Boatswain replied. "Bears a grudge against Mirt the Merciless—one of the Academy's founders, I think some of you met him?—and seems to be escalating his efforts to disrupt any of Mirt's plans. If the old wolf even remembers what he did to offend the mercane, he hasn't told the rest of us.")
Erma says, "It's all rock. How do we know which rock exactly are we looking for?"
Zaius spends the rest of the trip in a mix of nervous anticipation and boredom, pacing the ship that was now thankfully free of surprises. As they approach their destination and receive their final instructions, he puffs out his chest and calls out in a loud voice, either to build up his own confidence or to impress Tarto. “‘C’mon you lot, over the side. Let’s find this rock.” He doesn’t let Erma’s question slow him down as he takes the bag of holding and moves to clamber down the rope ladder.
Roy looks at Erma smiling, "I'm sure we'll know it when we see it...." and hoists himself over the side.
Oriovar - Wood Elf Cleric (1) - Sword Coast Campaign
Roy Quigley - Human Artificer (1) - Karrion's Spelljammer Academy Starboard
Erma follows the others off the boat and starts a mental catalog of the various types of hard sediment around them.
( as a Hill Dwarf she has the Stonecunning feature: Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. )
She's first looking at how the whole thing is shaped and will try to see if any areas show some "layering" information. Just something to help her orient herself, like an elevation marker on a map or something.
Rel follows the others, carrying the sending stone. He looks around nervously. "So... this is the homeworld of the beholders? I've never met one but I've seen drawings... they seem... terrifying."
You drop from the ladder onto the rocky shores of H'Catha. Though it is ostensibly daytime, this far into outer Realmspace the sun is barely more than an unusually bright star amongst thousands visible in the sky, providing little illumination and less heat. To one side of you the vast planetary ocean stretches out to what you first take for a horizon, but then realise is actually the rim of this strange, disk-shaped world. Nothing stirs in the shallow waters but for gentle waves that lap at the stony beach, though in the distance you can hear the cries of seabirds looking for food in the deeper waters.
The thin stretch of shoreline is bounded a few hundred feet inland by sheer cliffs that form the base of biggest mountain any of you have ever seen: the Spindle rises dizzyingly to a peak a thousand miles above you. In the dim light of the distant sub, you see caves dotting the cliffs, and a blemish on the face of the Spindle where something must've struck it at great speed, shattering the rock and leaving a huge indentation. Whatever struck the mountainside tumbled down toward the shore, leaving a furrow of melted rock.
Erma is familiar with various mechanisms of mountain forming, from volcanic blisters bubbling up from the earth, to great ranges forced up by colliding continental plates, and none of them explain the Spindle. By all rights, it shouldn't exist, and yet there, impossibly, it stands. You almost wouldn't be surprised to look over the rim and discover the whole world is being carried through space on the back of an enormous turtle.
Still, Erma is able to identify a number of geological landmarks, so there' little chance of you getting lost.