Session 15: Runestorm and the Vlerryn Report

General Summary

Previously

Following the distress signal on their planetary locator farther in system, the Surprise comes across the distorted wreck of a ship named the Vlerryn, which seems to exude an strong antimagic field. The ship itself seems half melted, with strange crystalline growths in many places. Some of the party boards to explore the ship, while the rest keep watch. Zayre learns some of the background of the ship, by casting Divination, and talking to the apparent ghost of the captain. The captain says that an "AI entity", whatever that is, named Mozck had gone rogue, and taken over most systems on the ship. He has set a course for the Vendav Ring in the Phaeton Halo, expecting that transit through the ring would disrupt Mozck. (As this conversation proceeds, Windellian on the Surprise sees a new signal appear on the planetary display, presumably this ring or halo, farther in system). Meanwhile, in the cargo hold of the Vlerryn, after the boarding party discovers some interesting equipment, Jessa is thrilled to discover a small spacecraft, while BN, Hunter and Windy discover that an apparently inert mental carapace has disappeared from a mummified body in a container, and are bracing for an attack.

Session Notes

As Prax keeps a watchful eye on the ship's surroundings, he spots a Runestorm closing on them. He alerts Windellian and Zayer. The latter flies quickly into the Vlerryn, through the open hatch, to alert their compatriots. Aboard the Vlerryn, Zayer startles the boarding party when he suddenly flies into the cargo bay, and the group stumbles aboard the hovering shuttlecraft, dragging along their salvage. The fist-size, egg-shaped device suddenly lights up, and hovers, and greets them all with a hearty "Howdy Doodly Do" (video), while Jessa attempts to figure out the controls of the ship. The party is intrigued, until the device talks in another, much darker voice, and says something about the group being "grist for my mill", at which point they toss the device out the hatch. Windy notices a bit of shadowy movement, and realizes that the carapace that they saw on the mummified alien body somehow got aboard the shuttle as well. A closer look reveals that is is disturbingly familiar, as if it were based on similar technology to Windy. As he picks it up, its spider-like arms explore his arms and face, almost caressingly (and making the rest of the group slightly uncomfortable), and adjusts something in his arms, causing small crossbows Windy didn't know he had suddenly emerge. The odd mechanism, now nicknamed "Spider Buddy", nestles around Windy's shoulders. The group manages to open the cargo bay doors, and Jessa pilots the ship (which seems oddly well documented with pictograms) roughly out into space. Meanwhile, back on the ship, the Runestorm has rapidly approached, and what appears to be another interdimensional portal has formed. Massive tentacles erupt from the storm, attempting to wrap around the Surprise. Prax fends off the attack for a moment with a well-place ballista shot, and then from beyond the rift voices are heard. A bold, manly voice says, "Activate the Electrobeam!", to which Prax shouts, "Belay the Electrobeam!", causing a fair amount of confusion between the first voice, and another, heavily accented one, arguing about firing on "Queen Anathraxa's living weapon". Eventually, the tentacles are engulfed in lightning (presumably, from the activation of the Electrobeam), and the crew of the Surprise can briefly see another strange ship through the rift, firing on a huge space kraken.

The Surprise, helmed by Grandpa Goblin (Zreestram) escapes the tentacles, and rendezvouses with the shuttle. The Runestorm has traveled beyond the Vlerryn by this point, and the ship retrieves the longboat. After a brief discussion, the group decides NOT to return to the Vlerryn, or to explore the Phaeton Halo, and instead resumes their course for the Paraxin, where the large energy anomaly is. See Runespace map. En route (the journey will take a couple of weeks), the party plans to explore various options:

Jessa will explore the shuttlecraft (now strapped to the outside of the Surprise), trying to figure out more of its systems, especially if it has any sensors that could be useful.
Zayre will try to set up link to the ghost ship Resolution, to share what they found on the Vlerryn.
Windy will commune with Spider Buddy
Hunter will tinker with the various items they found (the hollow tube with a trigger, the suction cup gloves, and the bodysuits)

Campaign

Vagabonds of Greatspace

Protagonists