Fellow role-players, here are Josh C.’s and my notes for Session 3 of his Spelljammer: “the Show Must Go On” space fantasy miniseries, which met on Sunday, 22 April 2012. We’ve been using Cubicle 7’s Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment (FATE) 3rd Ed.: Starblazer Adventures—Legends of Anglerre, Skype, and an online dice roller.
>>From the “Grand Show,” a port shaped like a top hat floating in the Hysgeu sphere, the performers of “Le battant elephant” and the “Dragon Fly” workers joined the crew of the Drowned Swan in preparing to depart for Prince Andru’s birthday celebration at the Rock of Bral. However, our heroes soon discovered that not all is as it seems….
-“Oner Walek” [Gene D.]-male Wolfen sky pirate, romantic swashbuckler, prestidigitator and deck hand hailing from the “Vanished Lands” now aboard the Drowned Swan
-“Scylla” [Sara F.]-young female Amethyst Dragon fortuneteller, raised by Gypsies and devoted to protecting the weak
-“Samael Muckblood” [Geoffrey C.]-male Hill Dwarf hunter, sniper, and “bad cop” serving in ship’s security; has a steam-powered crossbow “Guinevere”
-“Zanzibar” [Robin H.]-female Lizard Wizard, pyromaniac mistress of time and space (Spelljammer)
-“The Amazing Lorenzo Le May” [Byron V.O.]-male human Thief-Acrobat, juggler, and sometime cat burglar in “Le battant éléphant” circus troupe
>>As the Drowned Swan made its way between crystal spheres to the Rock of Bral, a party of rogue crew members continues its exploration of the massive ship. Wolfen Oner notices musty odors of wood and oil.
The first time the group reached the hatch to the ship’s bowels, The Black Heart of the Woods — a pirate ship hewn from darkened oak crewed by the damned — attacked. The eyes of the lost souls burned with hellfire. The crew fought valiantly, and the invaders were handily defeated, just as the damned approached Vermelle Rognoni, lead actress in the play “The Harrowing of Princess Crispina.”
Fortunately, the damage is light and can be repaired over the next three days. The Drowned Swan sails to the sphere of Zeal and the port town of Halelbaovo. Zanzibar studies in the library of fellow Spelljammer Nonius Vatinius and considers Oner and Lorenzo’s request to study the problem of space for the crew and passengers.
Sometime after the battle, Scylla and Sam lead the way back to the hatch to discover that the boards and wards against the restless dead have been carefully moved. As the covert party progresses, it finds another hull. The Drowned Swan apparently consists of multiple ships, each built around the one before, like layers of an onion. Zanzibar is disappointed not to find more Spelljamming helms.
The explorers find storerooms that were abandoned in a hurry, with rotten supplies as well as a trunk of some nice clothing. Zanzibar stashes some nice clothing, and Oner claims an officer’s greatcoat. Lorenzo catches up and says that someone is following them.
After more stealthy climbing down ladders, the ship seems to attack: Rope rigging, cutlasses and sabers, and mops and buckets fly at the crew!
Sam snipes with “Guinevere,” and Zanzibar warns against engaging. Scylla bumps into a mop, and her dragon’s breath slows down the animated rigging. Oner draws his sword and happily parries the mops and swords. Lorenzo dodges attacks and heads for the wide mast.
Scylla nimbly avoids entanglement by the writhing rigging, while Wolfen Oner is slashed protecting her. Dwarf Sam punches a bucket and pins it to the deck with a quarrel. Juggler Lorenzo destroys another bucket with a well-thrown dagger, but a hovering blunderbuss blasts everyone!
Sam is singed, as are Zanzibar and Lorenzo, but scaled Scylla and furry Oner escape harm. The team beats a hasty retreat and descends to the innermost ship, an old galleon.
Oner is impressed at the ebony and silver staterooms, and Scylla notices a painting of a human mage shaking hands with an Elf admiral. Sam reloads his crossbow, which is powered by pressurized water rather than explosive steam.
In a desk in the captain’s quarters, Lorenzo finds a journal, which he gives to Zanzibar. The Lizard Wizard looks at the leather-bound tome, whose last entry is dated five years ago and mentions the use of ghosts as crew.
The group’s inquiries are halted when Vangar, the Wild Elf head of security for the Drowned Swan, drops down and angrily orders it topside. There, they find the regular crew fighting more animated rigging.
Oner slashes at flying sacks with his trusty cutlass, and Lorenzo jumps out of the way. Scylla replies defiantly to Vangar, who had ordered her to stay in her “elephant cage.” Zanzibar goes to take the journal to her superior, Nonius. Sam finds himself staring down an approaching bucket….
Gene's Worlds 