Attention σ cadets: The game

Johnny walks in ducking to avoid his horns on the doorframe, "Ahoy me good landlover I would love a heavy crossbow and bolts, oh and a potion of healing to stay me trip to Davie’s locker."

Torch watches wide-eyed while others grab their items, trying to count in her head. She doesn’t want to let any money slip away. On her turn, she steps to the window. "Hello! That sickle, please, for my weapon. And um… one healer’s kit, one component pouch, a deck of cards, a signal whistle, painter’s supplies and 9 sprigs of mistletoe. Please. Torch counts along as Blip collects the items. Before finishing she says "Wait, can I add another deck of cards? That’ll make it right on the voucher, right? She turns to the group "I don’t want to waste any."

Acaelia looks around at all the items.
Really, she doesn't need all that much. The spellbook and the crystal in her necklace, combined with all the supplies she brought will do.
At one section she looks quite long at a nice looking violin. But that would be irresponcible to buy, although she'd love to play again.

In the end she just picks up a small vial of red liquid and turns in her voucher. Safety first.

Frug minds the various nick knacks around the stores. He thinks about the implications of being in a flying ship, and thinks of some items that may come in handy, like a grappling hook and some more rope. He is a resourceful little guy, and thinks about some small items that may prove useful if they explore strange places.

He then thinks to the encounter he just had, and how close he could have been met with death at the hands of the reavers, and did not know what diseases those scary creatures may hold. If he really wants to participate in swashbuckling adventure, he figures he should upgrade his armor. He finds a studded leather armor that would fit him, places that on the counter, and then he picks out a few other items to total the value of the voucher. He also asks if he can exchange his leather armor, and add the value of the remainder of the voucher in order to obtain 50 feet of silk rope and 5 pieces of chalk.

Acaelia looks at her list and metally crosses out two tasks.

"That leaves the ship inspection... the... owww... oh gee.... assault course, really?.... And bunk assignment, but I guess we can do that at the end of the day"

Looking quite nervous about an assault course which sounds quite rough and physical, she asks "Who is up for ship inspection?"

Johnny had retired to a corner to practice with the newly acquired crossbow while the others haggled or order to their hearts content. As Acaelia speaks up and makes her suggestion to inspect a ship a smile come across he snout, "Aye Lass a ship inspection sounds swell."

Torch tries to wrangle all their new supplies, finding pockets and getting the pouch on a belt. Unwilling to leave the group, for fear of loosing any progress with making new friends (hopefully friends, it’s been a long time since they had REAL friends), they call out "Yeah, to the ships!" while gathering their new stuff.

On your way to the Sky dock, you are met by a group of officers pushing a gurney
Make way! They order, and you each comply by pressing yourself to the wall. A strange creature purple creature, with a large ironmast on the bottom of its face, is strapped to the gurney

---

You get to the Sky dock and with your blue helmet on, granting you access to the sky dock. Spelljamming ships frequently dock at the summit of the academy. Most vessels are assigned to the Spelljammer Academy, but some are independent merchant vessels delivering supplies.

Twin gnome officers named Kip and Pik show the characters around a spelljamming ship, teaching them the basic operations of the vessel and explaining how equipment should be handled. Kip and Pik often finish one another’s sentences, a trait that others sometimes find unnerving. The two gnome ship inspectors wear meticulously maintained uniforms and the most-feared white gloves in the academy. Both have walnut-colored skin and carefully groomed long black hair, kept in tidy buns. Kip is well known for his no-nonsense attitude, which is complemented by his sister Pik’s quick-witted jovialness. Pik has a red scar down one cheek—a stern reminder of an inspection gone wrong.

Over the next hour, they introduce you to the academy's own Hammership. They answers your question, in their own odd manner. The only thing you are not allowed to touch is the helm. The arcane throne where magic using pilots can stear the ship.
If you have the magical ability then you will be trained in the simulation deck They explain.
By the end of the lecture, Johnny notices something on the nearby dock. A hobgoblin academy officer supervising the unloading of a merchant ship surreptitiously slips the merchant a platinum piece. In return, the merchant hands the hobgoblin a small bottle, which the officer conceals in his pocket.

A little disappointed to hear only those with magic ability can be cockswain on a ship, Johnny‘s attention is diverted from the conversation with Kip and Pik.

His eye catching the Officer’s action, "Excuse me me hearties," he says towards Kip and Pik raising a hand, "What be that fine swaggers duties?" Johnny points his thick muscled index finger in the direction of the Hobgoblin Officer.

Acaelia looks quite worried at the mindflayer being carried away. She had heard stories and read about things.
But never had she actually seen one until now. Why was it here? Would they feed the brains of students who failed to it?
"Uhm... Excuse me... isn't that thing like... dangerous?" she asked."Well, sir Pik and sir Kip... you are in luck" Acaelia says with a little smile "I'd happen to be an excellent wizard in the making."

She steps forward looking at the ship. "I'd love to learn how to fly this. It looks quite fascinating."

Torch soaks it all in and touches everything possible, admiring the ship. She has so many questions, but only asks the basic ones. There will be time… she tells herself.

Frug traveled with a strange mind flayer on his way to the surface (named Grazilaxx), but hadn't seen or heard of the apparatus that bound this mind flayer.

Frug is just amazed at the sensory overload of this place. It is so amazing, more than he ever imagined! Oh, he is ready to write in his...WAIT! HE FORGOT TO BUY A JOURNAL AND A QUILL!

"Um...guys? Can I ask you all if we could go back to the storeroom, so that I can procure a journal and a pen or pencil? I would love to document our adventures in it."

Kip listens to Johnny and the small gnome goes to confront the giant hobgoblin. Pik hands Frug a small notebook and a worn pencil as they walk to the dock where the hobgoblin is located.

It is almost comical how gnome dresses down the hobgoblin. The hobgoblin hands over a bottle with fine Yggdrasil Garden Rum. The hobgoblin officer is consigned to the brig for violation of customs charges. You learn later that the hobgoblin is beloved among the graduate sailors. A sniff of rum is the officer’s off-the-books reward for each sailor who returns alive from a mission into Wildspace.
The hobgoblin eyes Johnny and the rest of you before he is escorted to the brig.

Frug thanks Pik profusely as he starts jotting down all fo the cool and crazy things he is observing.

After doing so, he Walks with journal and pencil in-hand and says, "To the gymnasium!"

"Assault Course! Then we pick out our bunks, then we head back to the sim deck. What a day."

"Right... gymnasium...." it was quite clear that Acaelia wadn't looking forward to this. "Yaaay" she added but sounded completely lame as she did.

The Gymnasium features a magically powered arena that can be reconfigured for a variety of training exercises. For the induction of new recruits, it is set up for a standard cadet training course. The instructor tells you that each of you has to:
1) Make a straight dash while targeted by loud illusory explosions
2) Leap across levitating platforms over pools of electrified water
3) Swing from ropes through a spinning wheel of maces
4) Climb a slippery pole and ring a gong at the top
NB) You can't assist each other, this is a test of your personal capabilities.

Acaelia stands nervously at the beginning of the trail. She like really doesn't want to do this.

"Right... I can... I can do this!.... Best... go first and get done with it..."

She starts running, ignoring all the explosions, it needs more than illusions to upset her...

... and takes a great leap gracefully over the water...

... grabs the rope in such nervous fit that she swings over before the maces even started...

... grabs the pole... to crash down...

"Stinking wererats! I almost made it!"

But she climbs up again...

She stand panting, not yet that she actually did it.
She just repeats quickly.
"I don't like this! I don't like this! I don't like this!"

She just stands there, out of breath, next to the gong, for quite some moments before she remembers she needs to ring it. Which she does.

Torch is ready to dive right in. If others in the group are standing close to her they may even feel a fair bit of heat radiating off her exposed skin. She undoes the tie holding her hair half up, and then reties it back in place, tighter. On her turn she takes one even breath in with her eyes closed, and on the exhale, launches into the course.