Gneuman whispers to Ajax, "Why don't you disappear and take a quick look around the ship. We don't want any unexpected surprises." The gnome looks around, "While I trust this captain, you never know."
Gneuman whispers to Ajax, "Why don't you disappear and take a quick look around the ship. We don't want any unexpected surprises." The gnome looks around, "While I trust this captain, you never know."
Ajax looks to Gneuman, nods and fades out of sight.
Not sure if Chadwick would be familiar with a block and pulley system from his days on the farm. Maybe?
"I've never been aboard a ship before, so can't say I have any experience with that kind of work. But I did grow up on a farm so we were always repairing something, so I'm fairly handy.
Mallinora starts handing tasks to everyone as they come aboard. Mostly it is general clean up. "Does any here know the Mending?," she asks. "If so, follow my lead." She says this and begins to cast the cantrip holding a broken plank together making it whole.
Chadwick is familiar with setting up a block and pulley. They used those to lift heavy hay bales up into the lofts of barns growing up. He has one large enough set up in no time with the spare parts brought up from the ship's stores by Mallinora. An old sale is wrapped around a spare spar to create a cradle to hold the horses. The least favorite mule is selected for the test run and all goes well. Each of the animals is lifted into the hold of the ship.
Several things are noticed during the next hours of work. Firstly, you see no other crew aboard. Secondly, there is nothing in the cargo hold. Finally, Mallnora stops and comes up short at Chadwick's innocently asked question about the last group of marines. You see a tear in her eye as she turns to head below, "They are all dead.....hopefully."
Starker didn’t have Mend prepped for today. As soon as he can get it prrpped he will start a-Mending. While doing so, he will Investigate, looking for clues as to what happened in the ship, how many crew there had been, what they had been transporting, and how they met their end.
It is clear that a melee took place on the main deck of the ship. Damage from siege engines is evident across the deck. Blood stains are throughout as well. Gouges from what appears to be huge claws are seen leading across the main deck to the side of the ship where a 15’ section of railing is now missing.
Below decks are a mess. Items are strewn about as if the ship was shaken like a snow globe. Furniture is upended on each deck. The cargo hold is empty. No signs of fragments as a clue of previous lading.
Only the ships water and rum stores remain intact. All of those barrels are securely lashed to the walls.
As Mallnora turns to go "I've lost friends in battle as well, I'm sorry for your loss. They were clearly more than just Marines to you. It's good to see a leader who values the lives of those they command."
Later in the day when whe he has a chance to speak with her again. "Earlier you mentioned you hoped your shipmates were resting in peace. Is there something that makes you think they might not be?"
The day is spent generally cleaning up. The equivalent of a long rest is taken so everyone can recover used abilities and HP's. Spells can be reselected for the day. Everyone that can cast Mending is encouraged to do so. Mallinora goes over how best to use the spell to repair the hull and major structures that have been damaged. The cosmetic stuff will have to wait for later. Thankfully, the day's weather is beautiful. The white dragon that attacked you already knew this. It is also peaceful with no further aggressive incursions on the mountain lake you are sitting in.
That evening Mallinora gathers all together for a meal. The ship had food stores that have been tossed about, but are still fresh. A decent meal is cooked on the shore and eaten together. She then addresses you, "I have some things you need to know about what you are about to get into if you sail with me. Being crew for a spelljamming vessel is similar to sailing on the oceans. And different." She then speaks for a while on how gravity works on the ship, how an air pocket will travel with you to sustain you for a time, taking care to not leave the ship because you will be helpless floating in space unless you can fly here on Toril, and many other important topics. She discusses the basics of how a spell jamming helm works and the need to be able to use magic, either arcane or priestly, to operate the helm.
"Lastly, I need to tell you of the dangers out there. We were attacked while running light and fast without cargo to a dwarven mining colony to pick up a load of metals. It is a lucrative run that pays enough to cover the round trip plus some just to sell one way. On the way we were ambushed by a neogi mind spider ship. The neogi are terrifying, cruel and wicked as any creature in the multiverse...plus. They attack to take on slaves as well as for financial gains. Most ships also have umber hulk slaves. This one did. A big one. In the fight that occurred they boarded us and sent their mind controlled slaves and the umber hulk onto the Rogue's Respite and then backed off to pepper the ship with catapult and ballista fire. My crew," she chokes up a bit, "my Friends...fought valiantly. Ultimately, three were dominated and taken as slaves. Ullric is a wizard and he turned his magic on us, setting the ship afire. I saw only one way to escape alive at that point as I was helming the ship. I pitched the deck violently, throwing the umber hulk through the railing to fall to the ground. During my maneuver, the mind spider rammed the Respite and I lost stabilization. The ship started to tumble, afire into the atmosphere. I was able to regain control enough to crash land here in this mountain lake. The hull is mostly intact but cannot stand another fight. My only hope is to dash to the Rock of Bral to refit the ship. I have funds there so that is not a problem. We have been good at trading, and bounty hunting when it serves us, for a while. I just need to get to Bral." She looks around the fire to each of you. "We may come under attack, we may not. I was not able to see what the neogi ship did as I fell. This will be dangerous."
(( If you can find references to read about the basics of Spell Jammer do so. There is a resource book on DnD Beyond called Spell Jammer Academy. That has some good background information in it. Mallinora's discussion covers all of that. ))
I thought that had background material in it as well. My mistake.
This is an online version of the book Spell Jammer but is annoyingly full of ads. We are not going to get into the weeds of this setting. Just have enough familiarity so that everything isn't new. The first half of chapter 2 is mostly what you need.
Starker sits with his back to the mainmast, facing forward, and starts to nod in sleep after a hard day’s work when he jerks awake, slaps his forehead, and calls Cyrus down from the top masts where he is monkeying around. While Cyrus makes his way down, Starker puts on gloves, opens his bag of dried mangoes, and pulls one out with the number 4 marked on it. When Cyrus reaches the deck Starker hands him the mango, saying “There’s a good monkey?” He takes off the gloves turning them inside out in the process, measures Cyrus’ left femur using the smell length of marked rope and makes a note in his notebook. Cyrus curls up on Starker’s shoulder and they both begin to sleep the untroubled sleep of the innocent.
Starker sits with his back to the mainmast, facing forward, and starts to nod in sleep after a hard day’s work when he jerks awake, slaps his forehead, and calls Cyrus down from the top masts where he is monkeying around. While Cyrus makes his way down, Starker puts on gloves, opens his bag of dried mangoes, and pulls one out with the number 4 marked on it. When Cyrus reaches the deck Starker hands him the mango, saying “There’s a good monkey?” He takes off the gloves turning them inside out in the process, measures Cyrus’ left femur using the smell length of marked rope and makes a note in his notebook. Cyrus curls up on Starker’s shoulder and they both begin to sleep the untroubled sleep of the innocent.
Gneuman and Ajax eye Starker and the Murder Monkey curiously. Gneuman whispers over his shoulder, "Your guess is as good as mine." "....no, I don't think so""...well, why don't YOUask him?" Gneuman then turns directly to the tiny dragon, "I have no idea what monkey tastes like!"
Everyone returns to the ship for the night. Staterooms are available for everyone. There are sacks of grains in the larder for feeding the animals.A series of watches is held on the top deck without event. Mallinora is up early with the sun. She rings the ship's bell four times and gets to work. Much use of Mending is used for repairs of the hull primarily. The rest of you work and cleaning up the ship and putting things back where they belong. By the mid-afternoon the ship looks more presentable. Several holes in the hull are repaired and Mallinora seems satisfied. She addresses all of you at midday's meal, "I do not want to be ground bound for another night. Before sunset we will depart. If there is anything you wish to complete before leaving, now is the time."
Mallinora proclaims the ship to be as ready as is reasonable to expect at this point. She cautions you about being on the top deck since you are not familiar. It may be better for you to be below decks. She takes her place at the helm and assumes control of the ship. Very slowly, the ship begins to rise from the lake up into the air. Nearby birds startle and take flight from the canopy of trees. You look around the terrain as you sail higher and higher into the sky. Trolkarl spots a patrol of 4 trolls heading up the valley you just left, seemingly just in time. They spot you in the sky and begin gesturing in what seems to be an angry way. Higher and higher you rise. As you clear the peaks you see a high peak that is enshrouded in fog. That seems to correlate with the map held by the orc shaman.
Kragen reluctantly assists throughout the day, by using Mending as instructed by Captain Mallinora. This gives him a chance to assess the Captains intentions and start to develop confidence that She can be trusted and is genuine in nature. By the end of the day, Kragen is exhausted however satisfied that this is the right path to take.
As the captain explains planes, air pockets, and gravity on ships Chadwick nods along sagely. Afterwards he turns to Hoid and asks "Did you follow any of that? I'm not sure how much to real or if she's pulling out leg."
Later when the trolls make an appearance Chadwick looses a couple of arrows at the trolls out of spite.
The ship continues to climb up, up and up. Soon you are looking down upon the tops of clouds. Shalecliff can be seen off to the west. The city of Mirabar is seen to the east. Far off you see a castle resting on top of a great cumulus cloud. Gardens and a lake can been seen as well. You still continue to climb. The sky becomes a deep purple color and then changes to black as the stars become visible. More stars than you have ever seen. The entirety of the sky is opened to you, yet you still climb. Below you can see that Faerûn covers a large area of land bounded to the west by an ocean and to the east by more lands you have not ever heard of except as the Utter East. It takes about two hours to complete your climb and you begin to see that you are moving laterally around Toril. Selûne is rising on the other side of planet below you. The Tears following behind her. You are headed straight for it.
Walking about seems no different than walking upon the decks of a ship sailing calm seas. You venture to the top deck to take in the wonder of the views around you. The air is normal, as you would expect at home. It is slightly cool on deck with no wind. Despite this, what remains of sails are billowed as if full of wind. Several hours pass and you see something ahead off the port bow. It takes a few more hours for it to clarify shape as that of another ship like yours. The Rogue's Respite seems to come to a halt. Mallinora comes out of the bridge to join you on deck. She has a curious tube of wood with glass lenses set at each end. She expands this and looks through it at the ship. "That is a living ship. Built around a treant. Typically, elven crewed. But, something is off," she looks through the device again. "It seems to be tumbling and the sails are slackened." Looking up you see that your sails are slackened now as well. "She doesn't have anyone at the helm, which is odd. The treant typically helms those ships." She looks around at all of you and her ship then back through the device. "We are called to assist when possible finding another ship in distress." She seems unhappy about this turn of events.
Gneuman whispers to Ajax, "Why don't you disappear and take a quick look around the ship. We don't want any unexpected surprises." The gnome looks around, "While I trust this captain, you never know."
Ajax looks to Gneuman, nods and fades out of sight.
Not sure if Chadwick would be familiar with a block and pulley system from his days on the farm. Maybe?
"I've never been aboard a ship before, so can't say I have any experience with that kind of work. But I did grow up on a farm so we were always repairing something, so I'm fairly handy.
So what happened to your last batch of Marines?"
Mallinora starts handing tasks to everyone as they come aboard. Mostly it is general clean up. "Does any here know the Mending?," she asks. "If so, follow my lead." She says this and begins to cast the cantrip holding a broken plank together making it whole.
Chadwick is familiar with setting up a block and pulley. They used those to lift heavy hay bales up into the lofts of barns growing up. He has one large enough set up in no time with the spare parts brought up from the ship's stores by Mallinora. An old sale is wrapped around a spare spar to create a cradle to hold the horses. The least favorite mule is selected for the test run and all goes well. Each of the animals is lifted into the hold of the ship.
Several things are noticed during the next hours of work. Firstly, you see no other crew aboard. Secondly, there is nothing in the cargo hold. Finally, Mallnora stops and comes up short at Chadwick's innocently asked question about the last group of marines. You see a tear in her eye as she turns to head below, "They are all dead.....hopefully."
Starker didn’t have Mend prepped for today. As soon as he can get it prrpped he will start a-Mending. While doing so, he will Investigate, looking for clues as to what happened in the ship, how many crew there had been, what they had been transporting, and how they met their end.
Investigation check = 14
It is clear that a melee took place on the main deck of the ship. Damage from siege engines is evident across the deck. Blood stains are throughout as well. Gouges from what appears to be huge claws are seen leading across the main deck to the side of the ship where a 15’ section of railing is now missing.
Below decks are a mess. Items are strewn about as if the ship was shaken like a snow globe. Furniture is upended on each deck. The cargo hold is empty. No signs of fragments as a clue of previous lading.
Only the ships water and rum stores remain intact. All of those barrels are securely lashed to the walls.
As Mallnora turns to go "I've lost friends in battle as well, I'm sorry for your loss. They were clearly more than just Marines to you. It's good to see a leader who values the lives of those they command."
Later in the day when whe he has a chance to speak with her again. "Earlier you mentioned you hoped your shipmates were resting in peace. Is there something that makes you think they might not be?"
The day is spent generally cleaning up. The equivalent of a long rest is taken so everyone can recover used abilities and HP's. Spells can be reselected for the day. Everyone that can cast Mending is encouraged to do so. Mallinora goes over how best to use the spell to repair the hull and major structures that have been damaged. The cosmetic stuff will have to wait for later. Thankfully, the day's weather is beautiful. The white dragon that attacked you already knew this. It is also peaceful with no further aggressive incursions on the mountain lake you are sitting in.
That evening Mallinora gathers all together for a meal. The ship had food stores that have been tossed about, but are still fresh. A decent meal is cooked on the shore and eaten together. She then addresses you, "I have some things you need to know about what you are about to get into if you sail with me. Being crew for a spelljamming vessel is similar to sailing on the oceans. And different." She then speaks for a while on how gravity works on the ship, how an air pocket will travel with you to sustain you for a time, taking care to not leave the ship because you will be helpless floating in space unless you can fly here on Toril, and many other important topics. She discusses the basics of how a spell jamming helm works and the need to be able to use magic, either arcane or priestly, to operate the helm.
"Lastly, I need to tell you of the dangers out there. We were attacked while running light and fast without cargo to a dwarven mining colony to pick up a load of metals. It is a lucrative run that pays enough to cover the round trip plus some just to sell one way. On the way we were ambushed by a neogi mind spider ship. The neogi are terrifying, cruel and wicked as any creature in the multiverse...plus. They attack to take on slaves as well as for financial gains. Most ships also have umber hulk slaves. This one did. A big one. In the fight that occurred they boarded us and sent their mind controlled slaves and the umber hulk onto the Rogue's Respite and then backed off to pepper the ship with catapult and ballista fire. My crew," she chokes up a bit, "my Friends...fought valiantly. Ultimately, three were dominated and taken as slaves. Ullric is a wizard and he turned his magic on us, setting the ship afire. I saw only one way to escape alive at that point as I was helming the ship. I pitched the deck violently, throwing the umber hulk through the railing to fall to the ground. During my maneuver, the mind spider rammed the Respite and I lost stabilization. The ship started to tumble, afire into the atmosphere. I was able to regain control enough to crash land here in this mountain lake. The hull is mostly intact but cannot stand another fight. My only hope is to dash to the Rock of Bral to refit the ship. I have funds there so that is not a problem. We have been good at trading, and bounty hunting when it serves us, for a while. I just need to get to Bral." She looks around the fire to each of you. "We may come under attack, we may not. I was not able to see what the neogi ship did as I fell. This will be dangerous."
(( If you can find references to read about the basics of Spell Jammer do so. There is a resource book on DnD Beyond called Spell Jammer Academy. That has some good background information in it. Mallinora's discussion covers all of that. ))
"The white dragon that attacked you already knew this."
Just gonna run some salt in that wound huh.
😈
This looks like 4 adventures.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/sja
Just want to confirm this is the right thing.
I thought that had background material in it as well. My mistake.
This is an online version of the book Spell Jammer but is annoyingly full of ads. We are not going to get into the weeds of this setting. Just have enough familiarity so that everything isn't new. The first half of chapter 2 is mostly what you need.
Starker sits with his back to the mainmast, facing forward, and starts to nod in sleep after a hard day’s work when he jerks awake, slaps his forehead, and calls Cyrus down from the top masts where he is monkeying around. While Cyrus makes his way down, Starker puts on gloves, opens his bag of dried mangoes, and pulls one out with the number 4 marked on it. When Cyrus reaches the deck Starker hands him the mango, saying “There’s a good monkey?” He takes off the gloves turning them inside out in the process, measures Cyrus’ left femur using the smell length of marked rope and makes a note in his notebook. Cyrus curls up on Starker’s shoulder and they both begin to sleep the untroubled sleep of the innocent.
Gneuman and Ajax eye Starker and the Murder Monkey curiously. Gneuman whispers over his shoulder, "Your guess is as good as mine." "....no, I don't think so" "...well, why don't YOU ask him?" Gneuman then turns directly to the tiny dragon, "I have no idea what monkey tastes like!"
Everyone returns to the ship for the night. Staterooms are available for everyone. There are sacks of grains in the larder for feeding the animals.A series of watches is held on the top deck without event. Mallinora is up early with the sun. She rings the ship's bell four times and gets to work. Much use of Mending is used for repairs of the hull primarily. The rest of you work and cleaning up the ship and putting things back where they belong. By the mid-afternoon the ship looks more presentable. Several holes in the hull are repaired and Mallinora seems satisfied. She addresses all of you at midday's meal, "I do not want to be ground bound for another night. Before sunset we will depart. If there is anything you wish to complete before leaving, now is the time."
Mallinora proclaims the ship to be as ready as is reasonable to expect at this point. She cautions you about being on the top deck since you are not familiar. It may be better for you to be below decks. She takes her place at the helm and assumes control of the ship. Very slowly, the ship begins to rise from the lake up into the air. Nearby birds startle and take flight from the canopy of trees. You look around the terrain as you sail higher and higher into the sky. Trolkarl spots a patrol of 4 trolls heading up the valley you just left, seemingly just in time. They spot you in the sky and begin gesturing in what seems to be an angry way. Higher and higher you rise. As you clear the peaks you see a high peak that is enshrouded in fog. That seems to correlate with the map held by the orc shaman.
Kragen reluctantly assists throughout the day, by using Mending as instructed by Captain Mallinora. This gives him a chance to assess the Captains intentions and start to develop confidence that She can be trusted and is genuine in nature. By the end of the day, Kragen is exhausted however satisfied that this is the right path to take.
As the captain explains planes, air pockets, and gravity on ships Chadwick nods along sagely. Afterwards he turns to Hoid and asks "Did you follow any of that? I'm not sure how much to real or if she's pulling out leg."
Later when the trolls make an appearance Chadwick looses a couple of arrows at the trolls out of spite.
The ship continues to climb up, up and up. Soon you are looking down upon the tops of clouds. Shalecliff can be seen off to the west. The city of Mirabar is seen to the east. Far off you see a castle resting on top of a great cumulus cloud. Gardens and a lake can been seen as well. You still continue to climb. The sky becomes a deep purple color and then changes to black as the stars become visible. More stars than you have ever seen. The entirety of the sky is opened to you, yet you still climb. Below you can see that Faerûn covers a large area of land bounded to the west by an ocean and to the east by more lands you have not ever heard of except as the Utter East. It takes about two hours to complete your climb and you begin to see that you are moving laterally around Toril. Selûne is rising on the other side of planet below you. The Tears following behind her. You are headed straight for it.
Walking about seems no different than walking upon the decks of a ship sailing calm seas. You venture to the top deck to take in the wonder of the views around you. The air is normal, as you would expect at home. It is slightly cool on deck with no wind. Despite this, what remains of sails are billowed as if full of wind. Several hours pass and you see something ahead off the port bow. It takes a few more hours for it to clarify shape as that of another ship like yours. The Rogue's Respite seems to come to a halt. Mallinora comes out of the bridge to join you on deck. She has a curious tube of wood with glass lenses set at each end. She expands this and looks through it at the ship. "That is a living ship. Built around a treant. Typically, elven crewed. But, something is off," she looks through the device again. "It seems to be tumbling and the sails are slackened." Looking up you see that your sails are slackened now as well. "She doesn't have anyone at the helm, which is odd. The treant typically helms those ships." She looks around at all of you and her ship then back through the device. "We are called to assist when possible finding another ship in distress." She seems unhappy about this turn of events.
Chadwick checks his Lucien hammer is secure on his back, knocks an arrow, then moves to get a closer look at the approaching ghost ship.
He'll cast Divine Sense once they are within short range of a longbow.