A Modest Success

You scream into the void. And – {if A Heretic = 1} by some stroke of luck {else} by divine providence {endif} – the crew answers. As briny waters scourge the rocking boat, two mariners take hold of another, saving him from being swept overboard. A rope snaps and threatens two more with a watery ****. They are saved, by your quick thinking and by the bold actions of their mates.

Days of gruesome toil follow. You get at most four hours of sleep each night, and sometimes less. The wind tosses your ship over the dark and foaming churn. It demands all your attention to keep you from capsizing, and its howls keep you up at night.

Then there are the few moments of treacherous peace. Thick banks of fog quiet the storm. Fey whispers lure you to deck and tell you things no human should ever hear. The descending darkness swallows the false light of the Liar Stars and renders the Sundered Sun’s smile a distant memory.

You have the watch, and you stand alone with the rudder and the Sea, calm and cruel. The weak light of your Tar Lantern fails to penetrate farther than your foot, and misty tendrils swallow all sound. But there are other lights, mariners braving the night, and singing to drown out the whispers of the Foe.

The lifeless air bites your ear. A sudden squall brings the taste of salt to your tongue and chills you to the bone. Renewed rain lashes the ship, and spray sweeps over the deck. The bow groans under the surging tide, and a cable is torn asunder. A flurry of shining stars, lamplight behind glass, descends on the breach. The crew, under your command, prevent the worst and affect some scant repairs.

And after close to a scorenight filled with anxiety, you one day find {if A Tattooed Mariner = 1 }the {else} a {endif} Tattooed Mariner on deck. She raises her hands and face to again greet the Shattered Sun. A prayer is on her lips, but she stops when she notices you.

You have lost [1] Sanity

Your Sanity is now 3 – Bad Dreams