Spelljammer Academy (Solo)

[Necrorifter]

I came from here because I decided to make a copy if I was playing this by myself. https://forum.questionablequesting....r-academy-ic.30499/?post=9575514#post-9575514

You stand on the deck of your spelljamming ship, Moonraider, even as explosions obliterate two of its masts and hurl a dozen of your fellow sailors into Wildspace! Distant stars and wheeling clouds of multicolored gas spin around you as the first pirate galleon slams into Moonraider's starboard side, and a gust of foul wind washes over you as the galleon's air envelope merges with your own. Seconds later, your vessel is boarded by astral reavers—humanoids possessed of strange features, waving cruel weapons, and unleashing blasts of magic.

Captain Sardax lies on the deck nearby, her body ruined by shrapnel. "Hold the top deck!" she snarls with her dying breath. "Grant them no quarter!"

You are the only sailors still alive in this section of the ship.

 

[Necrorifter]

"Damnit!" Socium shout as she quickly covers her mouth with her free arm as foul air washes over her. Her hand holds a long sword.

She tried to remember that all the explosions disoriented her a bit. She knew these crews who is gone, stuck outside of the ship for now. She doubts their survival chance with these fucking reavers attacking them, they will be easy targets... but she cannot for the life of herself remember who they are. She cannot even remember what was going on before this attack. It was only her first journey into the Wildspace... and get ambushed by these reavers who must have used some sort of illusion or enchantment magic to fuck with her mind and likely the whole crew given how much disarray the fighting is going on in other decks. It certainly explains why she is way more confused than she should be from this. Likely to make it easy to defeat them and seize their ship. Their Captain is dead and they need to repel or die to this pirate scum. She turns to the last crew member, her little brother Necro, on her deck, their way out behind the deck is blocked by a destroyed mast. They know each other and how important it is to keep this Moonraider from being seized if they want to get home alive...

She turns toward both astral reavers that just boarded the edge of their bow. She saw one jump into an area on the starboard side, who then charged for her little brother behind her... It has a giant goldfish-bowl head containing a floating brain... She quickly charges for both astral reavers in front of her, leaving the one for her brother to deal with.

One on the left has helicopter blades mounted on his head. It is spinning, allow this reaver to hover around 3 feet in the air. One on the right has an infantile second head that keeps shouting at her in strange language. She is pretty sure it is swearing at her.

She decides it shall die first. Her free hand lightly slid along her glimmering blade, causing it to burst into green flame. She grip the handle with both hands before slash at the two-headed pirate.

Attack Dice Roll: Nat d20 + m4, Hit
Critical Slash Damage Dice Roll: d8 + d9 + m2 = 19, Death

The slash was so great that it cleft through both heads and at the end of its arc, the green flame leaped from the blade into the hovering target behind her. The smaller head rolls on the ground, still swearing for a few more moments as it is unaware that it is already dead while the other fly off the ship.

Fire Damage: m2, Injury - 9

The pirate shrieks as the spinning helicopter blades help the flame spread more quickly. It quickly shut it off, landed, and clashed blades with Socium with its own Scimitar, the green flame rapidly dying out. It glared with bloody murder at the wood elf in front of it who met the same glare with her own excited bloodlust glare!

A new astral reaver with fishlike features and needlelike teeth jumped into the forecastle, on the Port side, turned toward Socium from the distance to support its fellow pirate when it saw how effortless Socium struck down one of their own, labeled her as a threat to take down first. It lifts its own light crossbow to fire at Socium.

All of this while the brain in the goldfish bowl charges at the young man in the back.

A young high elf man just stood behind with a book, that has a strange and alienish etching on its cover, in his hand is watching with an uncaring expression yet if one looks closer, one can see excitement dancing across his iris. His book float to between himself and his enemy, rapidly spinning as runes appear in front, aiming at the charging enemy.

Attack Dice Roll: d10 + m4, Hit
Force Damage Dice Roll: d2, Injury - 9

Somehow the reaver with brain in a jar shrug off most of the blast as it quickly get in his face, its scimatar raised to strike him down.

Attack Dice Roll: d15 + m3, Hit
Slash Damage Dice Roll: d6 + m1, Injury - 3

Necro clutching his chest which rapidly grow strained with blood as the brain wobbling within its jar like it is laughing. The attack broke through his barrier like it was made of paper... Necro grew rageful as he point his finger at the reaver.

Wordless noise came from his mouth as black flame burst all over its body.

Dexterity Saving Throw: d11 + m1, Succeed
Fire Damage Dice Roll: (d7 + d5) / 2, Injury 3

... Somehow the reaver is still standing despite nasty burns and even the liquid within its jar is bubbling. Necro is start to wheezing as he feeling his chest start to burning while his lungs is filling with blood...

While this is going on. Socium is facing her own challenge locking blade with a burned reaver that have helicopter blades on head. The reaver with fishlike features and needlelike teeth fire its light crossbow at Socium.

Attack Dice Roll: d19 + m3, Hit
Pierce Damage Dice Roll: d8 + m1: Injury - 1

In that instant, she knew she will be killed right there and her free hand release from the handle and rapidly going through signs, barrier slimmer around her body... unforunately, she wasn't fast enough as arrow pass the barrier into her chest, very close to her heart but still strike her lung.

She open her mouth in pure shock as she trying to register the pain. She nearly lost her grip on her blade. The reaver in front of her took advantage of this to finish her off.

Attack Dice Roll: d7 + m3, Miss

Thankfully, the blade stop at the barrier. She realize that she waste her spell that could have been used to heal. Now she won't live to learn from her mistake... Is this how it will end? Both for her and her little brother?

OOC: First full round of combat and it not looking good for our duo... Will they survive or is it already the end for them before their tale truly begin?

 

[Necrorifter]

Necro prepares his spell to finish off the reaver in front of him so he can try to save his big sister... Before he can even do that.

Outside Aid Attack Dice Roll: d13 + m3, Hit
Pierce Damage: m5, Death

The jar shattered as the arrow implanted itself inside the brain which fell down and rolled on the floor of their ship. The body then fell on top of it, crushing it under its weight. Necro quickly looks behind him and spots an allied sailor on the main deck waving at him before returning to their fight with another reaver.

Necro smiled as he quickly turned his attention to the reaver armed with a light crossbow that hurt his sister the most. There he sang a songless song while the glyph on his book glowed bright. Nobody hears it... except the reaver who quickly clutches his head.

Wisdom Saving Throw: d15, Succeed
Psychic Damage Dice Roll: (d5 + d3 + d2) / 2, Injury - 6

Not even his song is enough to stop the bastard. The glow fades away and the glyph becomes faint, indicating that the power he has in his book is low. A new reaver jumps on the ship right behind him. It has a glass bowl with a brain just like the one he killed earlier... perhaps they know each other?

Socium growled as her left eye suddenly became pitch black with a bright purple slit in the middle. The helicopter head reaver suddenly felt cold in his heart.

"I will devour you." She quickly lunges with her both hands at the reaver.

Cursed Attack Dice Roll: Nat d20 + m4, Hit
Critical Cursed Slash Damage Dice Roll: d7 + d9 + m4, Death
Cursed Heal: m4, Heal - 5

It went through the reaver chest up to the hilt before it could even recover. Black flame burst from the hilt, consuming the whole body, leaving behind bright purple flame floating in the air, seeming to be satisfied at their latest feed. They then absorb back into the Socium's left eye. An arrow pops out of her chest as it reknits itself. She can breathe a little easier as her lung repairing itself although her left eye felt droopy. She quickly focuses her attention on the crossbow reaver, seeking her revenge for that earlier stunt. The said reaver stepped back out of fear at what it just witnessed. Screw what it was thinking earlier. She is far more dangerous than they are expecting.

Attack Dice Roll: d9 + m3, Hit
Slash Damage Dice Roll: d5 + m1, Death

Socium paused as her eyes widened in shock. She watches her... little brother... gasping as he is clutching the blade sticking out of his chest by the reaver behind him. She could see his face making motion and she knew he was trying to talk to her. Her brother was sick long ago when they were young. That sickness drove her into arena combat trying to get money for medicine. He is healed but he lost his voice ever since. The day he acquired his strange book. He has been able to talk to her via telepathy that he acquires but there is distance limitation to that...

The reaver then lifted the boy up in the air as he just lay there limply before tossing him aside like it was nothing... It then taunted her to come.

She never got to hear what was his last words to her... LAST WORDS... She shrieks in pained rage while charging at the murderer.

Attack Dice Roll: d14 + 3, Hit
Pierce Damage Dice Roll: d6 + m1, Death

Her tunnel vision on the murderer causes her to not notice the crossbow reaver take advantage of this to fire at her... She saw the bolt at the final moment flying to her face... Then she saw no more...

Or at least that was the case. She felt herself disconnected from her body which promptly fell forward into the ground, a bolt sticking out of the other side. She looked and saw the ghost of her little brother floating above his corpse, seemingly confused as he looked back at her with a shrug.

"What the fuck!" She hollers out but no sound left... right ghost...

A thunderous explosion shakes the ship, filling the air with splinters of wood. Bodies are hurled into Wildspace—and then everything stops. Wreckage hangs motionless. Reavers freeze in the middle of their attacks. Even the stars stop twinkling.

The illusion of Wildspace melts away, and you find yourselves in one of the magical chambers of the Simulations Deck, your memories slowly fitting back into place. You recall being warned that your first experience of a Wildspace simulation would be disorienting—to test your ability to function under pressure.

A hulking figure emerges from the center of the explosion: a hadozee with a missing wing flap wearing a military uniform bristling with medals.

The air around her smells like cigar smoke. "As you can see," Boatswain Tarto growls, "the battle of H'Catha didn't go so well for Captain Sardax and her crew. But her last battle makes a good testing ground for new recruits. End simulation!"

Due to death in simulation, Necro and Socium, have +1 to their Exhaustion as a result of lingering psychic shock.

The siblings look exhausted. Even if it was just an illusory exercise within one of the academy's simulation chambers. The experience of dying and stress took a toll on their mind. They look around large circular spaces whose rune-scribed walls channel potent magical power, and which contain training versions of spelljamming helms (akin to those used to propel real spelljamming ships).

They look at their Training Officer... Yeah, they are not going to get sleep anytime soon...

 

[Necrorifter]

Necro took a glance at his book which lit up with this information on Boatswain Tarto.

Boatswain Tarto (Spelljammer Corps Training Officer)

Hadozee Seasoned Boatswain

The scars that Boatswain Tarto (pronounced BOE-sun TAR-toe) bears are testament to her status as a battle-hardened veteran. Despite having one of her wing flaps torn away long ago, she remains as capable as ever while on board a ship. Spelljammer Academy has no better person to spearhead the training of raw recruits—and Tarto knows it. Never one to mince words (even when those words are directed toward those who outrank her), this old, grizzled hadozee has light-tan skin and ebon-black fur graying at the temples. She's perpetually shrouded in a thick haze of cigar smoke, the smell of which often signals her imminent arrival.

Quote: "Listen to what I tell you; it might just save your life."

Click to shrink...

He showed the page to Socium who nodded. The book is useful in revealing this sort of information. It won't show the whole thing but a summary of any place or people are very useful.

To put it simply what happened when they left for the academy? They arrived this morning on Belligerence, a chartered galley out of Waterdeep, which picked up passengers and crew in the Moonshae Isles, Baldur's Gate, Candlekeep, and Port Nyanzaru. They come to seek fortune and a future at Spelljammer Academy: a secret enclave of spellcasters and swords-for-hire on the mysterious isle of Nimbral. Graduates from the academy join the Spelljammer Fleet, a magical navy sworn to protect Toril and explore worlds far beyond.

The academy is carved into a two-thousand-foot-high column of rock that juts up from the cliffs of the island's west coast, its multiple levels connected by stairs, ramps, and magical lifts. After docking in a sea cave at the base of the column, you marched to the Simulations Deck midway up the academy spire. Your mettle has been tested, and now it's time to settle in!

Tarto gave them papers and an assessment. The paper is a note and a map. Necro's book reveals a fuller detailed version of the map.

Spoiler: Map

She looked at both Necro and Socium with a frown, "Socium, you did a great job at dealing with threats. I can tell you realize the mistake of casting that Shield spell instead of saving it. Next time, try to stay close to your brother so you can protect him." She turns to Necro, "I am going to put it bluntly... You need a lot of training with your magic. It is not good enough to survive out there. Work with your sister. You have potential but you need to bring it out."

The officer then goes into lecturer mode on the history and mission of the Spelljammer Academy. The book is recorded and displayed on the following page.

Spelljammer Academy

While adventurers of all stripes explore Faerûn and deal with the perils of ancient ruins, malevolent cults, and long-forgotten tombs, those who come through Spelljammer Academy on Nimbral strive to protect the world from far greater threats. Spelljammer Academy trains cadets for service as Spelljammers and members of the Spelljammer Corps: both branches of a magical navy sworn to protect Toril and to explore other worlds beyond. Few people know of the academy's existence, and its leaders try to keep it that way.

Mirt the Merciless—also known as "the Old Wolf"—is Spelljammer Academy's founder and chief financial officer. He manages the institution's operations alongside a small group of powerful high-ranking officers, known collectively as "the Bridge." While most of its candidates are from Toril, the academy occasionally recruits from outside Realmspace (the Wildspace system that is home to the planet Toril) to bring individuals with unique talents into their ranks. Giff, githyanki, hadozee, plasmoids, and myriad other peoples can join the cadets alongside folk native to Toril.

The academy was founded by Mirt as part of a joint investment with the retired elf adventurer Elmandar, who operates a shop on the Rock of Bral—a city built on an asteroid. Prince Andru, the monarch of Bral, has invested heavily in the academy, though his support has waned of late over questions regarding security within the institution.

Click to shrink...

The siblings seem intrigued by that last bit... Security? Never mind the whole Realmspace.

"I have given you a task list for you two to do as part of your training. Get to it." The sibling then looks at the task list found on their note which also has a small warning at the bottom.

Spoiler: Task List and a warning

Disintegration... How terrifying. They do not mess around here.

Socium looks up to their officer who immediately reveals that several navigational charts depicting Realmspace were stolen recently from the Spelljammer Nexus, the training area for Spelljammer cadets. The thefts have shaken the confidence of the academy's investors and caused them to reduce their monthly funding. Mirt is not happy!

"Necro. You are with the Spelljammer Cadets. Socium, while you have the capability for Spelljammer due to some magic. I feel like you will be great for Corp Cadet but that is up to you." After a brief discussion. Socium decide to become Corp. She can always take on Spelljammer cadet in the future if she wants to.

Boatswain Tarto tells the characters to get on with their tasks, then report back to her once all those tasks are complete while she remains on the Simulations Deck to deal with other newcomers.

Academy Events Dice Roll: d8

They walk their way to the administration. Two sailors walk past, discussing how even in spite of recent improvements, three out of ten exploratory fleet missions still result in all hands lost. Wow, that is quite a high number for full defeat.

 

[Necrorifter]

Administration occupies the level above the Sea Dock. It includes a visitors' lounge with a bar, guest rooms for visiting off-world dignitaries, and the academy reception. A record room requires purple-level security to enter and contains paperwork on all academy personnel.

The duo walk up to the reception thri-kreen whose name is Sor'kur, presenting their task list. She nodded as she pulled out cadet-issue welcome packs for them.

They open the pack, noticing a red-level cadet uniform along with a spare for that too. There is a toiletry bag. 50 gp requisition voucher at the academy stores. Blue-level security helmet.

They change into their uniforms, which is gear as they wear regular clothes, easy for them to put the uniform over without changing out of it.

While they doing this. The staff member gives them a rundown on academy security protocols.

Spoiler: Security Levels

Security Level	Rank	Locations
1: Green	Visitor	Administration (except Record Room), Sea Dock (except Cargo area), Simulations Deck (except Officers' Mess)
2: Red	Cadet	Cadet Quarters, Gymnasium, Spelljammer Nexus, Stores
3: Blue	Sailor	Sea Dock (Cargo area), Sky Dock
4: Purple	Officer	Administration (Record Room), Simulations Deck (Officers' Mess)
5: Gold	Bridge	Bridge Quarters

Necro's book also reveals information on the reception.

Sor'kur

Thri-kreen Receptionist

The thri-kreen receptionist Sor'kur (pronounced SOAR-ker) is always busy, and there's no one better suited for the job. Whether she's sorting mail, passing messages, asking requests for assistance via several sending stones, or handing out welcome packs to new recruits, her multiple arms make it all look easy. Sor'kur has white chitin mottled with patches of brilliant blue, and matching blue eyes.

Quote: "Academy accounts payable, Sor'kur speaking, please hold."

Click to shrink...

The duo looks at their task list. Quarters it is...

"Did we seriously just try to go to the first one on the list... instead of whatever we walk across on our way..." Socium pointed out as Necro nodded in annoyance.

In their walk to Administration. They completely ignore the Gymnasium, Quarters, and Store... Well, at least they did this first to get that voucher. Imagine if they went to the store and didn't have a voucher. They would have to walk back again. Also, they have toiletry bags. This means they don't have to lug it around since next on their list is quarter. Convenient where they can drop off their stuff. Maybe it is meant to be followed on order instead of trying to be efficient... Probably set in such a roundabout to help cadets remember the pathway as they travel it multiple times instead of a single time.

"Well, it doesn't matter. It is nice to take our time after that... experience" Socium says with tiredness in her tone. Necro places his hand on her shoulder in sympathy as he too feels the backlash. They need to do better if they want to survive this for real. The idle comment of all lost hands earlier rang in his head. That scenario, while one of the worst cases, can still happen to them if they are not prepared for it.

They start walking for Quarters for their bunk assignment. A magical voice announces: "All purple rank security officers report to the Sky Dock for docking inspection." Isn't purple rank already officer rank? That is just redundant at this point.