28 - An Even Newer Frontier
The party met and helped Fen, who brought the party into Astral Sea, making us probably one of the first group of Wunderran to explore this new plane.
Previous session: 27 - The Peak of Alderahk
Taking off from Wundera...
A few days later...
During that time period, we discover that Fen is pretty strong as he carries stuff around easily by his own, where it would take at least the whole party to move that around.
We just finished to load Fen's mother bed into the ship, while Fen carries his mother all alone. As it was the last element to load, we're all standing on the deck of the ship, ready for the next step.
Fen reaches his bag, and pulls out five little black capsules.
Azzy swallows it without asking more information, or waiting the answer.
We all swallow the pill after that answer.
[Insight] After a moment, he starts to speak in his mother tongue, where we still don't understand.
After he's done, he seems to say the same thing again, but we do understand it this time.
Persy tries to answer with that language, but it sounds badly.
Ship directions reminder (when facing the front of the Vessel):
Port: Left
Starboard: Right
Bow/Fore: Front
Stern/Aft: Back
Fen gets into the Spelljammer seat, starting with a T pose. then the dome starts to glow in rainbow lights, then in swirls of colors, like a belt/harness of some kind. As Fen tests the controls, he leans to right, and the ship tilts to Starboard, and leaning to the left tilts the ship to the Port.
On that note, he starts to move, and the ship sails off the snow, then it starts to raising up. He stops the circular motions, and moves his arm back, pulling up the ship.
We're moving a bit towards the cliff, then we're free falling the mountain, building more and more speed.
[Sleight of Hand Party Group - Pass ✔] We manage to pull it out with a team effort.
We're starting to raise up, with such a high fly speed for what we're used.
We're getting near the needle.
[Perception - Pass ✔] Everyone but Nesvalyn (who closes his eyes for the passage) sees a big circle in the sky, until we pass through, and suddenly we're all on our backs, flying in hyperspace with kaleidoscopic colors/tunnel for a long minute or two.
Everything goes white and we hear a pop with a sound like a ship getting out of water, as it seems it what we did, and now we're sailing at "normal speed".
Around us, the skies are in shades of oranges, blues, purples, shifting slightly and in harmony. When looking down, it looks we're on water, except this body of water seems to end right below us. Along this rainbow rivers along us, there is light everywhere, and no sun, but it's enough lit for the mood.
We are now in the Astral Sea.
We see flying up a family of space whales above and below the body of water we're travelling on, along a few strange jellyfishes in the air.
When looking behind us, we're looking at this giant kind of translucent/opaque golden bubble, that's floating in the air. We see a big hole that narrows into a tunnel, which shapes a bit like a needle.
Travelling on the Astral Sea...
Fen smiles and shouts:
He reaches his hand down, which seems to speed down the ship into a cruse speed.
The party follows the order, then Persy takes a look at everything at all angles he can.
Nesvalyn finally opens his eyes and observes his surroundings.
[Insight] Nesvalyn feels an odd sense of familiarity, like he has seen it before.
I must have dreamed it before...
Many orbs are around of us, and Fen gets out of the Spelljammer helm, mentioning an auto-pilot and goes into the deck to check his mom.
Nesvalyn feels sick from the jump and retreats for a while.
Azzy observes their surroundings, and even with the amnesia, they feel like they've been there before.
[Insight] It feels like home, but there is no precise memory.
Stars are shining in the distance, some much than others. Same as the sizes. The shining stars we can see emit golden lights, bringing a glossy hue tone to the rainbow skies around us.
An hour passes, then we hear Fen running back excited from underneath of the deck. We can all tell he's now a bit older and taller.
By saying that, you have the feeling that a magnetic field hits the ship, pulling us out of the river.
Fen runs up to the deck, while Nesvalyn emerges back and rejoin the group.
Fen runs away and hides her mom, and we're being pull off until we get chained back to another ship.
Suddenly, we see a group of four humanoids, similar to Azzy but with different shapes and colors.
They're carrying torches and walking near us.
We go off our ship, and follow the signs, and pass through double swinging doors to reach the Customs.
The customs...
Once inside, it looks like a lobby with many wooden chairs, with a metal desk with a chair behind, with that big green jelly blob with no specific shape.
The blob forms into a humanoid like an older woman, and puts a thick pair of silver glasses.
The plasmoid agent starts to move and goes in front of us.
The Custom agent aka "Italy" stops in front of a curtain and gestures us to get in one after the other. Balnorin tries to cast [Thaumaturgy] to mess with the entrance, but his magic is not working.
Azzy enters first the application room, going through a black curtain. Someone is seating in a meditation pose, with a black veil, and encourages them to sit down and tells their name.
Behind them, you hear the secretary getting through the curtains and waiting a bit.
After two minutes, this creature turns their arm and pulls a thumbs up.
Balnorin goes next and same thing, and gets a thumbs up.
Everybody passes by and gets approved (even Nesvalyn, to his surprise).
A glass tube get around the custom agent, and a gelatinous cube falls on us and engulf us and blocking us. Surprisingly, we don't feel we're being eaten, but it's a warm sensation that doesn't even stop us from living. At least for now.
Something opens below us, and we start to fall down.
After landing, the gelatinous cube melt away in the grid under us and we're all fine from this experience.
The custody room...
There's an office with a huge mechanical lock, with a magical seal on top of it. They are a few couches where we can sit, and rest until further notice. On the center of the room, there's a diamond, pulsing in a certain pattern.
Persy tries to interact with the diamond.
A little jingle plays.
VALUED CUSTOMERS AND DEAR ADVENTURERS, WELCOME TO THE ASTRAL SEA.
Hello! My name is [INPUT CUSTOM INTRO] and if you’re hearing this ASTRACOM CO. audio crystal recording, that means you’ve just discovered the Astral Sea! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Please, take a moment to celebrate, or scream in existential horror, before we continue.
A few party members scream to celebrate and mock the message during the pause dedicated to this.
The Astral Sea functions very similarly to any large body of fluid, except with challenging and dynamic physics, and a fun and fresh color palette to boot. The fluid of the Astral Sea is called the Phlogiston, which can be navigated by any suitably seaworthy vessel that operates on a Spelljammer helm.
Tired of your old, cracked, dusty spelljammer helm? Unable to surf an astral tide like in the good old days? Having hyper realistic night terrors or seeing dead relatives when you’re trying to sleep? Then it’s time to upgrade to the ASTRACOM SpellJamz 13. Now only 1.2 million credits when you bring in your old model.*
*offer not valid in spheres or corporate territories where discounts on ASTRACOM products and services may not apply
Welcome back. Now, you may be wondering, how have I lived this many [INSERT TIME UNIT] and never known about the Astral Sea? Well my friend, it’s either because you have poo-brains, or the fact that most corporeal life in the multiverse originates in Crystal Spheres. Crystal Spheres are floating orbs that bob along the phlogiston currents, with each crystal sphere containing one, if not multiple, planetary systems within its borders. Some crystal spheres are super massive giants, others are tiny grains of sand spinning wildly in the chaos of existence. The exact science of Crystal Spheres is still unknown to even the most advanced scientific minds in the multiverse, however, they can be easily navigated with the use of Portals. Portals are either naturally occurring in the shell of a crystal sphere, or can easily be accessed by those with a portal license. Application requirements and processing times depend on the sphere in question, but you can access any necessary regulations and easily apply for portal access with ASTRACOM’s PORTAL app, available to download via your Spelljammer’s in helm purchases section.
Concerned you may have poo brains? It’s okay. Did you know that it’s theorized that up to 65% of astronauts suffer from chronic poo brains? You don’t have to be alone. Visit an ASTRACOM shrink center and take our Poo Brain aptitude test, and receive resources and support to navigate your poo brain diagnosis, and take control of your life again.
ASTRACOM: Let us tell you if your brains are poo.
Now you may be wondering, who’s in charge in this great big cosmic gumbo? Are there laws? Kings? Tyrannical overlords? The answer is YES to all three! There’s always a violent and bloody struggle for power somewhere in the Astral Sea. Always remember to find out who’s the big chief in your local sector, but for now I’ll take the time to educate you on who’s making the major moves, so that you can remember what your place is. Of the many fringe rebel groups and burgeoning governments, there are three superpowers that you need to show respect for.
The first is ASTRACOM, technological super giant and inventors (and patent holders) of the SpellJammer helm, as well as several other scientific wonders that make your lives easier.
Then of course, there is Death Inc. A conglomerate of beings that have been legally and morally classified as undead, building fulfilling second lives in the open waves of the Astral Sea!
Lastly, the Federal Council of Astronauts acts as the ruling “governmental” body of the Astral Sea. While they do provide a centralized currency and regulations regarding travel and customs, the fundamental rule of the Astral Sea is a timeless saying If there’s no cop, don’t stop!
Thank you for listening and once again, my name’s [INPUT CUSTOM OUTRO], provided to you by ASTRACOM! Stay safe out there sailor, and in times of trouble remember our core motto.
ASTRACOM: You can’t buy new things if you’re dead!
The same jingle plays again, the diamond turns off.
We try to settle a bit, as we can only wait from now, and we start to rest a bit, until Fen wakes us up.
Persy gestures the face and mimics the fact he grew up.
Breaking out...
We woke up suddenly due to an alarm and a buzzer.
The space magic lighting goes out, and the buzzer goes out. The message repeats a few times.
We hear a roar that sounds like someone who screams like a pig roar.
We also notice that lock on the door doesn't have the magic protection anymore.
[Lockpick - Success 🔓] Nesvalyn unlocked the door.
The only light present is the red alarm. We hear a couple of people running with "Run, run!"
We start to follow the people running away, until we hear "Wrong way!" from them, and they run pass us again.
We run for what feels for a long time. We finally reach a set of stairs going up. Someone screams "Above you!" to someone else.
When looking up, we see a large blue hand grabbing the received of the warning, and they get pulled from the floor, unfazed. Persy thinks it's Fen's mom.
✒Journal entry added: Auraim
Persy starts to run in her direction, and we follow him. We jump in the hall, and we see this 15ft tall woman figure, and she turns to us, naked by partially covered from her her, and covered in blood.
When suddenly, we hear someone shouting at her, Fen appears from the floor and holds her back.
We're taking the opportunity to cross the room, and we're using the pile of boxes to hide and get by. She gets a person and eats it. Fen is struggling with her to gain time for us. We manage to pass the double doors and be relatively safe.
[Investigation - Pass ✔] We manage to find the way through the exit, using the signs, as we're running through the darkness. We can hear Fen's mother moving behind us, or running parallel from us.
We finally make it out to the main board deck, with our ship visible, 300 yards away.
[Acrobatics] We manage to run our way through as best we can.
We see a looming shadow above us, a vision of terrifying beauty. Fen shouts "Stop" and can't catch her, being probably the last thing that we're going to see until our demise.
When suddenly, an humanoid of the size of an halfling appears, in a black suit similar to Sprigg, then moves her hands in an interesting motion. Suddenly, the planks from the deck raises up in the air and forms a ball around the mother.
A much bigger figure, around 9-10 feet tall, appear in a similar suit. He jumps, gets the plank ball and jacks it up to the air, when appearing in the middle of them a third figure.
We recognize Sprigg, as he gestures us to follow him. However we're supposed to follow Fen.
Nesvalyn looks at Balnorin and Persy to wonder which side to pick.
We run and follow him, until we pass by our ship.
It would be really easy for us to just get into that ship, and wait for the end of the bloodlust, right? But on the other hand, we kind of know Sprigg, and he sees us as friends, at least that's the impression we had.
What should we do?
We decide to keep going with Sprigg.
Even if Persy is slightly mad to leave the ship behind, but mostly the promise from Fen to learn a few tricks, we join Sprigg and keep running until the end of the dock.
We do as he says.
We do a leap of faith into the Astral Sea.
As we're falling, we're getting into the void of space with the thought of dying, and then we all blink and we're bouncing on a trampoline.
By looking around us, we seem to have teleported in some kind of a common area.
While we're talking, it's definitively Sprigg who saved us, as he's removing his visor-helmet, revealing his sweaty and a bit bloody face.
Sprigg's crew ship...
We see that the trampoline is gone, and then appears the two other people in a similar outfit. The halfling is sitting on a chair shaving her legs, and the giant one is wearing a pink tutu and clown shoes.
They seemed annoyed with their appearing position and activity they appeared with.
The halfling throws the razer into the sink.
They both remove their masks. The small one looks like an halfling, but it's shaped more like a deer for her face, and introduces herself as Adala.
For the big dude, he shrinks down to 5'10", then introduces himself as "Chills". He looks to be human, at least to the Wunderran standard.
✒Journal entry added: Operation SideSpear
[Insight - Pass ✔] Azzy suddenly remembers about the black cube inside his inventory and pulls it out in front of everyone. They instinctively press it, which lights up upon the action, and reveals a Star Map.
The party agrees to join Operation SideSpear more or less enthusiastically.
The three of them make a triangle shape, and their eyes roll back white, being focused and can't be distracted by something else.
After an hour, Sprigg and the others snaps back in and turn to us.
He takes us through some metal archways to reach the Ship bay. We see several interesting things on the way, like mechanical horses powered down, weird surfing boards made for the astral sea? But mostly, three slick beautiful Spelljammer ships.
The first one is a single sail Skewer, the next one is a Wunderran ship, smaller than the skewer but faster (which is common for smugglers, along guessing it's Sprigg's), and the last once is a Longboat.
Sprigg passes by all these beautiful ships and cool technology, then turns to us:
When looking behind, we notice a small ship, with one sail, most of its structure is whole at least, covered in dust and reflecting its old age. But it's ours now.
Next session: 29 - Welcome to Halloween town