The Captain apologizes for the initial limitations set upon the party when they first came on board. Diomede's, and by extension Volo's, recognition of them has assuaged her concerns and they are to be given free access about the ship. However, the party should know that there are rooms that are the quarters of other passengers, some storage of volatiles, and a few areas that are off limits due to ill-repair. Within the confines of the air envelope about the ship, she is still safe enough for their travel needs.

From the Captain and Diomede, the party learns that the ship is an older model of a ship that has been developed by the people of Kara-tur for interstellar travel as well as terrestrial travel. This ship was retro-fit with a spelljamming helm which allows it to leave the confines of Toril. The crew, including the captain, were new to this form of travel, but have made several trips back and forth to Selune to establish initial intelligence for Volo's enterprise. The silks, in particular, should trade well in Selune, as well as any finery or comfort items. 

The crew has discovered the safest means of approaching Selune (from the back) as it is shielded by an illusion from the side which faces Toril. The people of Selune, which the inhabitants refer to as 'Leira' after their protecting deity - the goddess of illusions and untruths, do not appreciate ships approaching in a way that could call to question the illusion. They refer to themselves as Leirans. Also Leirans are VERY distrusting of all visitors from Toril, suspecting them to be spies. Travelers from Toril are thus restricted to only the Leiran Trading Center. If they are caught in unrestricted areas, the assumption will be espionage with punishment being summary execution. Other than that, Selune/Leira is a bustling hub of merchant activity and the people happy to buy wares - the more frivolous the better. 

However, the ship will not be staying long there and it will be best for the party to discover other close trade ports and what goods might sell well or be bought cheap there. This will guide the next stages of travel. In the meantime, the Captain will look into repairs on the ship. If the party could find someone able to look at the Spelljammer helm, that might be good as well.

((working on a map of the ship but for now - here is a description))

They are currently on the crew deck which contains quarters ands storage rooms. Below this is the cargo hull proper, which is in what looks from the outside to be the belly of the dragon. The stateroom they are in is furthest fore on this deck. It was formerly an Imperial Recorders library, but since this is a private vessel, there is no recorder and it is at the party's disposal.

At the aft end of this same deck is the bridge and helm. Near to it are officers quarters which the party can use as a shared berth. 

The next deck up is divided into two structures, fore and aft. The forward structure is a blocky, two stories, with the second being smaller and set closest to the fore. The lower level holds kitchen, head and other operational facilities. The second is a drill deck, and the roof of the foremost 'tower' is a scouting deck. 

The aft structure is the most unique. It is shaped like an ancient land-based temple of Shao Lung - octagonal and multi-story. While this version is only two stories, it is somewhat elevated, and as such, gives a good view of all other exposed decks, much like the aft quarter-deck of a galleon might. In the upper story is the Captain's quarters. The first level of this temple structure, is a shrine. Having formerly been dedicated to the deities of its former owner, those elements have been removed. Apparently, in respect to Djoser's beliefs, as well as to ensure good fortune for their endeavors, statues in reverence to Waukeen have replaced the former - even if the new statues don't quite match or fit the former fixtures. There are a few shrine alcoves left open to be appointed to other deities, should the franchise see fit.

Djoser listens intently to the Captain and Diomede, his hands clasped before him as he absorbs the information.  His mind works quickly, categorizing the trade opportunities, the risks, and—most importantly—the laws and restrictions of Selune.

His gaze sweeps over the others before he speaks again, his tone measured but firm.

"The laws of Selune are clear.  We must adhere to them.  Leirans do not trust those of Toril, and we will not change their minds in a single visit.  I request a copy of both their civil ordinances and their trade laws, if such records exist aboard this ship.  I should like to review them thoroughly before we step foot into the port."

A pause. "We deal in goodwill as much as in goods.  If we are to establish trade relations, we must be beyond reproach."

Djoser turns his focus back to the Captain.

"You say frivolities trade well.  And we have some to offer.  That is a good start.  But what of the goods available in return?  Is Selune known for any rare goods or commodities that we should secure in payment?"

Then, after a moment’s thought:

"And this 'Spelljammer' helm.  If it requires maintenance, it would be wise to know its workings.  Perhaps one of us should take charge of that project.  If an artisan or tinkerer is required, we may see if one may be found among the Leirans.  A ship reliant on magic must not rely on ignorance."

With that, he steps away, already considering his next steps.  He will inspect the shrine more closely later—it must be tended to properly.  But first, there are laws to examine and cargo to assess.  There is much to be done.

Vic nods at Djoser's wise words- although internally his admonition to follow the law did make her squirm.  Did he know her past?   But she was no fool-  this was too important to mess up.   Opportunities would come.

aloud, she says, .  "I fully agree.  Build trust and connections, do not offend, and better to make a quick trade at fair profit than squeeze every gold out of every deal.  I know a bit about magic, but am no expert.  I can help look at the spelljammer helm with Archael- I am sure he's more capable.  And agree lets get a good look at our wares- best to know what we have to trade and get some idea of value.". 

(she can use the Help action to support troubleshooting on the helm, with her arcana skill.  She also can identify materials and things with her alchemist kit proficiencyi)

So Selune wasn't part of Toril, for some reason, Tahlia thought it was.. just far away.  They were already planning on leaving Toril, were they now??

The idea made her get up fast and head back up to the deck, wanting to see all she could see.  She wondered where the 'air safe' areas of the ship were?  She doesn't really ask though, figuring it would be pretty obvious as they get moving.  

All the things people are talking about are making her head spin.. but in a good way.  Locations on the ship, Selune.. no Leira?, the storage, trade they needed, a new trading post, the arcane helm of a spelljammer, someone needed to fix said helm... whoa.

In the meantime, she wants to drink it all in.  She debates pulling out her Whisper Jar, but decides that can wait for a bit.

The young white-haired waterdhavian noble listens attentively and nods as the Captain and Diomede continues to brief them on their mission. He continues to nod in agreement as Djoser talks. "I am no artificer but I would still like to take a look at that Spelljammer helm. We will most likely need an expert, possibly we'll find one on Selûne." He says with calm. "Unless there was anything more immediate I would like to join Miss Willowmere on deck, I can only assume Realmspace is a true wonder to behold." He says and turns to follow Tahlia up on deck. The possibilities were staggering, the young noble seemed to remain calm but inside he was excited as a little boy over all his new toys. He didn't expect to return to his father in a long time, but when he did he would do so in a manner befitting a true heir.

Vic also follows the group up to the deck, to see the stars and take a look at the helm.  

Less enamored than the others with the potential beauty of Realmspace, Djoser instead asks to be shown to the hold so he can take direct stock of their wares and make his own appraisals.

Djoser is shown the cargo hold to inspect the wares. Investigation or Perception check if desired.

Vic, Tahlia and Archael make their way to the temple deck, then up to the drilling deck for a better view. 

From the drill deck of The Pen & Parchment, the sky stretches into a velvet sea of stars. Toril hangs below like a painted jewel, wrapped in clouds and sea-blue shimmer. As the ship rises, gravity loosens—the party member's stomachs lurch, their breath catches. Ahead, Selûne gleams like a silver coin suspended in the void, her Tears trailing like frozen sparks. Starlight refracts off the ship’s crystal veins as faint auroras shimmer in the vacuum. Silence reigns, broken only by a pervasive hum and the creak of ancient wood sailing boldly where no tide flows.

Eventually, Archael and any who wish to join him descend below again and head aft to the bridge - and the helm. As they approach the bridge, the humming grows slightly louder.

The bridge of The Pen & Parchment is a fusion of Kara-Turan elegance and arcane machinery. Curved teakwood panels frame glowing crystal consoles, pulsing with light in rhythm to the ship’s heartbeat. A great orrery hovers midair, displaying stars, moons, and orbiting spheres in constant motion. Brass levers and rune-etched controls extend from a central helm shaped like a dragon’s spine. Faint constellations drift across the domed ceiling like living murals. The air is hushed, charged with magical potential, as if the ship itself is waiting—listening—for its next command. The stars beyond shimmer like beckoning gates.

The spelljammer helm at the center of the bridge is an intricate throne of polished wood, lacquered in deep red with gold inlay forming celestial constellations. Its shape mimics a dragon’s spine, arching high behind the seated pilot like unfurled wings. The armrests are studded with crystal nodes, each glowing faintly in different hues—one pulses in rhythm with the pilot’s heartbeat, another flickers with directional input. Arcane sigils float around the base, rotating slowly in the air. When active, fine threads of light extend from the helm to the surrounding orrery, tethering the ship to the stars themselves. In the chair is seated an exhausted looking young man in acolyte wizard's robes. In similar robes, next to the chair, stands another young wizard, a female, standing at attention to take over should the strain become too much for the wizard at the helm in the moment.

If Archael would like to investigate the helm (without disturbing its operation) make either an Investigation or Arcana check.

If Vic would like to begin to see about establishing contacts, make an Investigation, Insight or Survival check.

If Tahlia seeks creative inspiration, make a Perception, Investigation or Performance check.

Vic looks in wonder at the ship, and then starts investigating contacts. 13

"That is...truly breathtaking..." The young white-haired waterdhavian noble says with a look of awe as he admires Realmspace around him. He had been to sea many times but what he felt now reminded him of when a Dezlentyr merchant vessel was thrown up on giant waves in a terrible storm once. He barely manages to stay calm and collected but finally decides to take a closer look at the helm.

Once there he again stops to simply admire it all, the magificent details, the arcane beauty of it all, and with great curiosity he finally takes a closer look at the helm.

(Casting enhance ability for advantage)
Investigation: 20

Tahlia finds herself rendered speechless by the view, which was quite the feat.  She stands there for quite a while, so many thoughts racing and at times, completely blank absorbing the beauty of it all.

At the helm, she is taken over again.. the magic, the intricacy of everything.. she starts running her fingertips over things that she doesn't think would be an issue, steering clear of floating objects and the fine threads of light.  She starts humming as she does, feeling the melody flowing from all of it through her.  So words emerge, just notes.. and the elf becomes quite light on her feet, as if almost dancing.  

Performance:  12

Djoser busies himself in the hold, examining the contents of their cargo.  He takes a measure of the silks and spices, toys and inks, to get a sense of how much trade value they were really carrying.

Investigation:  8 [rolled in game log]

Perhaps it was the headiness of this whole endeavor, or perhaps his thoughts betray, straying off the task and toward the future outcomes of this mission.  Still, he does his best to take a thorough accounting of what they have and match it against what appears on the manifest.

Djoser finds the cargo to match the manifest, but without any further market context, he is unsure as to what values they could demand.

Tahlia, inspired by all the sights and experiences, makes a start at a new composition.

Vic, manages to make an connection among the crew, the ship's cook, a broad-shouldered, sharp-tongued woman with a voice like gravel and a taste for fermented squid. Known to the crew as “Salt,” Ketta Grannish is half-Chultan, half-Uthgardt, and 100% unflappable. She’s been in wildspace before—briefly—and considers most of the crew “land-legged glass-spined poets.”. While this new connection does not provide her much insight into off world markets, it does provide her a valuable contact regarding crew morale or potential off-books acquisitions.

Archael, while uncertain about the specific workings of the helm is able to glean that it seems to be powered or enabled by individuals able to cast spells. Talking to the wizard who is standing in waiting, he discovers that the helm seems to drain the spell casters rather quickly, in a matter of hours. Thus, they have on board a series of spellcasters to take shifts at the helm. Also, the helm is somewhat erratic and difficult to control - sometimes it will not launch, other times it deviates course, other times its speed varies greatly. This information relayed to a proper technician at some port, might be enough to help them diagnose and fix it.

Bells begin to ring on the deck again - they are approaching the far side of the moon Selune - to land at one of the fifty ports of the Leira Trading Center.

The Pen & Parchment descends in slow, but stuttering arcs through the glittering mist of Selûne’s upper atmosphere. Below, the sprawling expanse of the Leira Trading Center unfolds—fifty ports like silver petals encircling a luminous crater, each docking tower crowned with lanterns that glow in impossible colors. Other spelljammers drift in slow orbits, sleek and strange. As the ship eases into its assigned berth, arcane moorings extend like grasping vines, securing it with a low harmonic hum. The faint vibration of lunar gravity returns, and ahead, gates open into a bustling port of languages, wares, and wonders from across the spheres.

Diomedé clasps his hands behind his back, optics gleaming.

“You have two immediate opportunities, esteemed franchisees.”

He gestures first toward a gleaming tower pulsing with arcane energy.

“Option one: secure a qualified technician to assess and properly calibrate the helm—assuming you value surviving future transitions.”

Then he gestures toward the bustling domes and colorful banners of the market concourse.

“Option two: descend into the Leira Market Center and begin your sacred mercantile quest—haggle, observe, and perhaps procure trade leads before they’re scooped by elven cartels or rogue Modrons.”

He pauses.

“Or split up and do both, efficiently and fashionably.”

"Thanks Diomedé." The young white-haired waterdhavian noble says with an appreciating bow of his head. "I can see no strong reason to do the one before the other. I would personally very much want to visit both places before we leave again though. Perhaps we all go to the market center and see what we'll find and later I and anyone who would want to come can secure a qualified technician to have a look at the helm of the Pen & Parchment." He calmly suggests, hoping for the others' thoughts and opinions on this. 

Following the Decionist's lead, the franchise descends from the ship and heads into the Leira Trading Center.

At the heart lies the Grand Market of Leira—a surreal, shifting bazaar of color, noise, and illusion that seems to rearrange itself when no one is looking. Glimmering bridges of light and crystal connect stalls stacked like puzzle pieces, each radiating a different scent, sound, or language.

Banners ripple in no wind. Lanterns float midair, flickering with impossible hues. Clockwork hawkers drone multilingual sales pitches while magical signs flash inventory updates. Masked merchants trade in whispers, contracts sign themselves, and currency exchanges levitate before vanishing in golden smoke. A troupe of illusionist-bards duel with living murals. Near the registrar’s ziggurat, bureaucrats wield styluses like scepters, guarding licenses and permits as if they were holy relics.

Over it all looms a hollowed-out lunar crater, retrofitted into a vault—the Vault of Winds—where high-value trades and reputation-based transactions are recorded in runes of starlight. The whole structure hums with a deceptive elegance, like a dream you half-remember—equal parts opportunity, trap, and trickster’s temple.

((The market is the 'enemy'. You will have a pool of market points equal to the sum HP of your party. Defeat the market with your actions and a percentage of your remaining market points will be your 'profit'. If the market defeats you, well, trade is war...))

But first, for this first encounter off world - roll initiative!

"Market first, sounds good to me.  Opportunity awaits those quick enough to grab it!".  Vic says.   She's buzzing with energy and excitement.  "Perhaps let's bring some small sample of our wares, and be prepared to make connections?" 

She readies herself for the trip, and then will follow the group closely, eyes watching for danger, or opportunity, as they explore the market.  

Archael trade war initiative: 5

Initiative:

Vic : 24 (nat 20)

Tahlia: 23

Djoser: 13

Archael: 9

Market: 12

Team base market value (98/98)

The market has these areas which are immediately obvious for you to interact with:

• Main thoroughfare: Loud vendors, bright banners, roaming entertainers, and aggressive barkers.
• Trade Exchange: Formal area where commodities, goods, or contracts are bought and sold in bulk.
• Spice Lane: Row of exotic food stalls, intoxicating aromas, and aggressive food-hawkers.
• Merchant Registrar: temple-like structure with massive ledgers, forms, and scrolls.
• Currency Exchange: Large central booth, magical coin-weighers, suspicious accountants, ever-shifting rates.
• Entertainers' Row: Bards, buskers, actors, illusionists, and hecklers drawing crowds.

Vic as first up, roll 1d100 with disadvantage and post the result.

Then describe your first interaction with the Market.

Each of you will then describe your interaction in turn.

Init Order: Vic -> Tahlia -> MARKET -> Djoser -> Archael

(so sorry work got crazy).  catching up now