I am surrounded by water and darkness. My eyes are closed but the sound of waves breaking against the shore fills my ears. I feel the gentle spray of mist tickle my cheekbone as the coolness of sand cradles me. I reflexively reach my hand up to wipe away the spray and pain blossoms across my side. I gasp and I open my eyes in alarm as the numbness of my limbs from being in cold water gives way to aches and pains that are eager to make up for lost time.
The light of the sun pains my eyes, and I quickly squint. I stare into a brilliant blue sky without a cloud in sight. I slowly turn my head to either side, taking in my surroundings. As far as I can tell I am lying on a beach surrounded by wreckage from some kind of ship, there do not appear to any other bodies here.
Summoning the courage to look where the pain flared on my right side, I see a slash wound along my ribs. Blood is beginning to seep from it once more due to my movement, it stains the creamy white of the shirt I am wearing.
I groan with effort as I attempt to move myself from my sunken position in the sands. Muscles ache in ways that make me certain I had been swimming for a long time. I am weak and fail to rise.
I attempt to recall what landed me in this position but the details are fuzzy: Disjointed memories flit through my mind's eye. A blade rasping from a scabbard, a cry of alarm, the splintering of wood. A face I do not know, pale in death. I feel a sense of sorrow at that last memory, but I don't know why.
There is a lot I don't know.
I can recall the name Cyrus Stone. Is it my name? Was that the name of the dying man? I do not know, but for now it is a name that will have to do.
I suppress the growing panic fluttering in my chest with some difficulty. I recall unbidden a grim, sardonic voice stating "Panic is the enemy, panic does not solve problems it only makes them worse."
These words aren't mine, I know this. Yet the words stay, comfortable in my mind like they've been recalled many times. I am struck by curiosity: What is my voice?
I clear my throat, it is a painful process as I am parched. "Help me." says a ragged male voice to no one in particular. It is my voice, and it is a sorry sound even to me.
I grit my teeth and summon the will to try and sit up again. This time I am successful as I continue clutching my wounded side and fighting back the urge to yell in pain.
My head spins for a moment, but I am able to stabilize myself by resting one hand down on the sand behind me. My fingers brush something, and I turn my head to see a leather strap. I idly pull on it and a wax-sealed leather map case partially emerges from where it was buried in the sands. A short distance from it, a feathered hat with a wide brim has washed ashore. The feather is waterlogged and its stem is broken, but it appears to match my outfit.
I drag my boots from their sandy cover, my legs feel heavy and complain with each movement but that was a problem for later. Not certain I am fit to stand just yet, I perform a mixture of crawling and dragging myself away from the water and towards what I assume are my things. As I do so something at my waist hitches in the sand. I look down to see the fine handle of a rapier on my left hip. My eyes trace the length of the rapier to an abrupt end about halfway down where the blade has been snapped clean off.
Grabbing the hilt with my left hand I shift the blade to avoid dragging the tip and resume my journey to my things. It is a short journey, but I am winded by the time I reach my hat and collect the map case. I remove the feather from the hat entirely, then place the hat upon my head where it fits without need of adjustment. Just more evidence to support this being my hat, I suppose.
After another minute or two of watching the waves crash against the shore, I resolve to stand. Surveying the area, I spot a small boulder roughly half my height embedded in the sand and begin to crawl towards it. I feel around its surface with my hands, searching for a handhold. I find what I seek and begin to pull myself up, leaving some smears of blood behind.
I manage to prop myself up atop the rock, once again fatigued by the effort. Taking a moment to catch my breath again, I think hard about my next steps. I don't know who I am, what I'm doing here, or even where here is. I'm also wounded, though I'm fortunate enough that it's only debilitating instead of urgently life-threatening. I should still likely try to treat it soon though, lest it worsen or get infected. I should also try to find shelter and a source of fresh water, which will probably help me determine where I am and if I'm alone or not.
Wait, maybe the sealed map case can help me find my bearings? I waste as little time as I can unsealing the case, my hands tremble slightly as I unfurl the scroll within. To my immense frustration, the case contains not a map but a rolled up codex of some kind. What's worse, the codex is gibberish to my eyes. Geometric designs loop around the center of the first page, layered over each other to the point it was an indecipherable mess. The pages that follow are no better, alternating between more unreadable diagrams and pictographs and text that was either an unknown script or a code, maybe both.
I let out a small sound of frustration before returning the codex to its case, carefully resealing it. I sling the map case over my left shoulder and return to my musings. The map case was a bust but what could I learn from my surroundings? I look over the beach once more to take in anything I might have missed. I reflexively stroke my beard before realizing I have one with a small startle.
What do I look like?
The curiosity is enough motivation for me. I stumble to my feet a touch unsteadily, but manage to keep my balance as my knee high boots sink a short distance into the soft sand. I test my stride carefully, still resting a hand on the boulder. When I feel I am ready, I let go of the rock and take my first steps. My legs muscles complain, but obey without failing me. I close the distance to the shoreline once more and find a pockmarked rock that had collected a pool of water. I kneel at it with some difficulty, remove my hat, and gaze at my reflection.
A man with messy long brown hair and a thick beard stares back at me, his blue eyes widen in surprise as I register the state I'm in. "I look like castaway already" I think to myself, how long had I been at sea before washing up here? What's more, how long have I been on this beach?
I shatter the reflection as I scoop up some of the water and splash my face with it, it's cool, refreshing, and causes a lock of hair to plaster itself to my forehead.
Fixing my hair as best as I can, I don my hat again and return to a standing position. My muscles don't complain so loudly this time, presumably a little more warmed up to movement. I allow myself a small measure of comfort at that indication that basic locomotion won't be so arduous forever, then I turn away from the shoreline.
I am greeted by rocky cliffs to my right and a Overland Region(27)Jungle thick with vegetation to my left. I'm not entirely sure what to do, but after a moment I decide to dare to hope that there might be some useful wreckage washed up along the cliffs, maybe even a compass. I wander the cliffs for a time, the wind steals the warmth from me with the help of my damp clothes.
50/50(100)No
This ambling around bore no fruit beyond allowing me to work the aches out of my muscles and admire the seaside, but at least I was ready to brave the jungle now. Well, mostly ready. I draw the broken rapier from where it hangs on my hip and I give it an experimental swish or two, feeling how the balance had changed and getting a feel for the reduced reach. The sword is more of a dagger with a grandiose hilt, it's definitely seen better days. "A little like me." I mutter under my breath as I sheath the blade once more.
Content that I had at least taken inventory of my defensive capabilities, I began to walk toward the jungle. Upon reaching the edge of the jungle, I stop and observe it for a moment. A medley of birdsong reaches my ears as the jungle canopy inhabitants went about their business. The buzz of an insect goes by my ear and I reflexively wave it away with my right hand before wincing and clutching my side as the error takes its toll. Inside the jungle I hear a chittering call ring out surprisingly loudly. I'm not sure what to make of that, I'll have to keep my wits about me in there.
Swear an Iron Vow(Heart)—4 vs 8|3 Get to Safety
Momentum:2 → 3
I need to find some signs of life, if any, on this island. I have no better way to do that than to go explore. At worst, if I can't find anything I'll turn back and continue scouring the coast.
With that, I begin to explore the jungle depths.
Explore the Jungle
Undertake an Expedition(Edge)—4 vs 5|9 Pay the Price(50)A new enemy is revealed
It didn't take long for the chittering noise I heard earlier to make itself known: A angry bird the size of me leapt out of the bushes in front of me, a bundle of bright feathers clearly looking for a fight. It scratches the ground with its claws in a threat display that leaves large gouges that I'm painfully aware could be inflicted upon me. I'm in no shape for a fight, much less a drawn out one so I either need to quickly pacify this thing or escape.
I raise my voice and yell loudly, waving my hat above my head with my left arm above my head as I draw what's left of my rapier with my right arm. Compel(Iron)—9 vs 7|1 Momentum:3 → 4
To my immense surprise, this actually works and the bird hesitates. Seeing my chance, I raise my voice even louder, yelling nonsense and stomping my feet. I draw a large gash in the ground with my rapier, imitating its threat display. When the bird takes a step back, I begin to follow it, maintaining my display until the bird truly turns tail and runs.
I stop chasing it, finally letting my voice rest a moment after all the sustained yelling as I sheath my blade and don my hat once more. Not sure how that one worked out in my favor, but I know I'm very fortunate it did and offer an internal thank you to whatever granted me such luck.
Overland Details(59)You catch sight of a glimmer of metal within the undergrowth
Cautiously investigating the bushes the bird came from in case more are around, a glint catches my eye. Peering through the brush, I spy small nest decorated with colorful rocks, nails from the flotsam washing up nearby, and to my surprise, some gold coins and a couple jewels! No doubt this bounty washed up on the beach as well, though it likely wasn't from my ship or the bird would likely have taken a liking to my silver handled rapier as well.
Not one to let a treasure go unappreciated, I scoop up the valuables and a square of cloth from the nest. I bundle up the treasure and tuck it into my belt for safekeeping. Ensuring I didn't miss anything useful from the nest, I take my leave of the undergrowth and return from whence I came. Figuring most settlements would be on the coast, I tried to keep to the edge of the forest where I could while wandering without a defined target in mind.
Undertake an Expedition(Wits)—7 vs 4|10 Explore the Jungle +1 (2/10)
Lose Momentum Momentum:4 → 2
I wandered a while, trying my best to stay vigilant as the noises of the jungle continued unabated. Unfortunately for me there weren't exactly signposts or well trod paths to follow, so I lost the coast a few times and had to backtrack a bit. Continuing to follow the coast did pay dividends in the end though, as I eventually found a clearing that allowed me to spot something stone peeking over the treetops. I wasn't sure what it was, but it was the first sign of civilization I'd seen since waking up and I wasn't about to pass it by,
Explore a Waypoint(Wits)—5 vs 4|9 Momentum:2 → 3
The way towards the structure is difficult, the jungle canopy is so thick the path that things were almost dark in the brush but eventually I find my way there. The structure is an old stone step pyramid, overgrown and crumbling. As I get closer, I notice a large stone stele at the edge of the pyramid's clearing. Approaching, I can see it's inscribed with a worn picture: demonic spiders descending from the moon. A pile of skeletons ring the picture.
Surveilling the area cautiously, I'm not seeing any signs of life. "Hello?" I call out, my voice still a touch hoarse from my earlier encounter.
Silence is my answer. It occurs to me that the birds that were singing so much on the way here have fallen silent and a chill runs down my spine as I look at the treetops around the clearing.
It's only now that I notice the large webs in the canopy around this place. I freeze in place, eyes darting around for any signs of trouble. Thankfully for me, the pyramid is still and nothing moves within the treetops.
I decide to make a swift and silent retreat, not waiting to see if anything comes to investigate my earlier call.
Undertake an Expedition(Wits)—4 vs 4|4match
I make a hasty withdrawal from the pyramid and return the to coast, trying to stay out of the darker patches of the forest and ensure I can avoid trouble.
Unfortunately for me trouble had no interest in avoiding me. I continued to struggle stay in the light, and in a moment I still curse myself for I failed to notice a single strand of webbing hidden in the underbrush like a tripwire. I went down hard, my foot caught in the web. I fumble for my blade and hack the web on either side of my boot to free it.
Face Danger(Iron)—8 vs 10|10match
Pay the Price(8)You create an opportunity for an enemy
Almost as soon as I free my boot, the left side of the webbing zips away into the underbrush as though being reeled in at high speed. I can barely make out the end of it stopping a distance away. Without more than a moment's pause, the whole strand cracks like a whip, flying straight at me.
Face Danger(Edge)—6 vs 9|7
The web connects with me, hitting me straight in the chest before I have time to react. I'm yanked forward, stumbling to keep on my feet just as the shiny black carapace of a massive spider becomes visible at the end of the strand of webbing, reeling it in with 8 beady eyes fixed on me.
Enter the Fray(Wits)—7 vs 2|5
Momentum:3 → 5 Defeat or Escape from the Giant Spider
Position:Initiative → <from>
Thinking quickly, I once again slice the strand connecting myself and the spider. It hisses as its line goes slack, and something green drips from its mouth mandibles.
I'm not convinced I can run without running into more tripwire webs, and with the spider this close to me I doubt I could free myself before it stuck. That leaves my only option as fighting until I can find an opening to create some space between us.
I hold my rapier out in front of me, if the half blade seemed short before, it was now dwarfed in comparison to the reach of a spider as wide as four men shoulder to shoulder and standing taller than me with someone on my shoulders.
While waiting for an opening, I sidestep around the spider. It turns to watch me as I slash and hack at the bushes between us and create as big of an opening as I can so I can see any more web whips, tripwires, and whatever other traps the spider has coming.
Gain Ground(Wits)—8 vs 2|8
Defeat or Escape from the Giant Spider +1 (1/10)
It hisses and feints a lunge, testing my reactions but I stay out of range and continue circling slashing the brush when it's safe. The makeshift clearing I've now created gives me a little more room to breathe but I'm a long ways from letting my guard down. My side aches, I'm pretty confident that I've torn open the gash my side again but there's no time to worry about it.
Strike(Iron)—5 vs 4|7 Defeat or Escape from the Giant Spider +2 (3/10)
I wait for the next feint, and when it comes I'm ready, I slash two of the outstretched legs of the spider, a splatter of deep blue blood spurts from the sliced legs as the spider shrieks in pain before charging me with reckless abandon. It's all I can do to keep it at bay, my back is against the edge of the clearing and I'm not confident I want to step back when my footing would be unsure so I'm pinned between a potential trap and likely death.
Position:Position → In Control
I consider my tactics carefully.
The spider uses two legs to try and corral me into its fangs when it attacks, it's not easy to avoid the fangs of the giant spider when this happens so I focus on blocking the fangs and keeping my blade between me and a potential bite, leaving dodging as a last resort.
Clash(Iron)—8 vs 4|5 Defeat or Escape from the Giant Spider +2 (5/10)
The beast is strong, and well rested. I'm not feeling either at present, but at least I had some good fortune and wounded its arms. As a result those same arms are slower to swing at me during a charge and my window is wider. I slash the arms again as the next attack comes, aiming to intercept the arms before they could line me up for a bite. I'm rewarded with the sensation of my sword biting into the arms again and a new cry of pain from the spider. I press my advantage, slashing at its face as a follow up. The spider backs away, ceding ground until I'm no longer against the edge of the clearing.
Position:Position → In a Bad Spot
Back in the center of the clearing, the spider seethes. I consider making a run for it now, but the spider still has six good legs and I'm not convinced that winded as I am now I could successfully outrun it. I need to damage more of its legs before I can end this fight.
Something that had been bugging me about how this spider was fighting hit me now: It was avoiding direct sunlight! It's eyes must be adapted to the dark parts of the jungle it hides in. The clearing I had made was brighter than the surrounding forest, but was still pretty well shaded by the surrounding trees. I needed to widen the clearing even further and try to let more light in if I wanted to capitalize on my edge!
I sized up the trees along the edge of the clearing, looking for one young and thin enough that my rapier could hope to damage it enough that I could physically bend or break it and let the light in. I spot a likely candidate and use some fancy footwork to get over to it as I stab at the spider and feint it. Reaching my I slash it with as much force as I could and yank on it, hard. The spider is almost visibly confused by what I'm doing, but rushes in anyways to try and capitalize on my blade being busy.
Gain Ground(Iron)—6 vs 8|3
Defeat or Escape from the Giant Spider +1 (6/10)
The spider reaches me just in time for the tree to give way, a stream of strong sunlight pours into the clearing. More specifically, the part of the clearing the spider's face just began occupying. The polished plates that make up its exoskeleton shine brightly with reflected light as the creature screams and recoils from the bright intrusion into the shady clearing.
Hoping that it's still reeling, I start on the next young tree before it can get its bearings.
As I frantically alternate between hacking and sawing motions, the spider focus its eyes on me and begins to spin it's web, making a sort of net between its bleeding limbs.
Gain Ground(Iron)—5 vs 1|6
I succeed in felling another tree, breathing heavily as I rip it down. Another stream of sunlight enters the clearing. The spider makes to retreat but I remember the web whip it used earlier and intercept it before it can hide and try to pick me off from the canopy.
The monster hisses its displeasure at being denied it's plan. The green venom pools beneath its fangs as it crouches and completes the newly made net. I slash at it, forcing it to stay on the retreat and unable to throw the net. I use careful footwork to put the light at my back.
Gain Ground(Wits)—5 vs 4|9
I realize now that I've made a mistake, I glanced back to confirm I'm in the light instead of keeping my eyes on the net. By the time I return my vision to the spider the net is already midair. It ensnares my legs and the spider wastes no time rushing at me. Fancy footwork is off the table and the only thing left for me to do is desperately use my blade to keep it back while keeping my balance.
Strike(Iron)—6 vs 6|3 Defeat or Escape from the Giant Spider +2 (8/10) Position:Position → In Control
Iron and fang clash, and I'm falling backwards in a shower of blood. Fortunately for me, it's blue blood. The two limbs I've been hacking at over the course of the fight are on the jungle ground between me and the spider. The scream echoes through the clearing as the spider staggers back, crippled but not out.
My chance to run is definitely spent, this webbing is more that I can hope to cut in a hurry. The spider is clearly furious and in whatever passes for its mind I suspect it wanted me to pay for this wound I had dealt it. My only chance was to kill it.
I taunt the spider, not caring if it understands me "Come on you brute, I'll take your other legs too!"
I'm not sure if my challenge had anything to do with it, but the spider charges me with finality.
I ready my blade in my non-dominant hand, hoping to catch the beast off guard with where it comes from as I can do nothing but wait for it to close the distance.
Clash(Iron)—7 vs 9|6 Defeat or Escape from the Giant Spider +1 (9/10)
I'm fortunate that I came up with the trick in time, I manage to surprise the beast with a slash from a direction it wasn't expecting as it comes within bite range and a mandible lands next to my head. I break into a grin, then the accursed severed limb begins to dripple green liquid, it smells vile and the ground smokes where it touches. On a completed unrelated note I have decided I don't want that stuff to touch me. Ever.
The spider, with some difficulty, begins to spin more web into a net. With only four legs to support it and blue blood dripping onto the ground, it's looking a little unsteady. I interrogate myself on how I can avoid getting hit by the next volley of web. My legs are entangled, but I might still be able to roll thanks to the blanket of leaves I covered the ground with as I made the clearing.
My time is up, the net is finished and the spider doesn't seem keen to miss.
React Under Fire(Edge)—4 vs 9|10
I try to roll to the side but I'm a fraction too slow to avoid the net. My legs become not only stuck to each other, but now to the ground as well. Things are looking bad as the spider has figured out it enjoys a ranged advantage and is now making another net.
A bead of sweat runs down my face as the acidic poison continues to inch closer to the side of my head.
Ready to throw the next net, the spider tenses and wiggles slightly. I know I need to avoid it, but I'm not sure I can. I resolve to sit up and try to intercept the web my left hand so I can potentially let my right arm stay free to attack.
React Under Fire(Iron)—8 vs 4|1
Position:Position → In a Bad Spot Momentum:5 → 6
My plan is a success, I intercept the net and it wraps around my left arm and chest. I hold right arm as close as I dare to my body, feigning that it's stuck too.
The spider falls for the bait, not spinning any more nets and moving in for the kill.
I pretend to struggle as it staggers over on it remaining legs. As it looms over me I get a good look at its highly unsettling (if now incomplete) mouth anatomy. It's eyes fix on me with malice as its fang dripped venom so close to me I couldn't help but flinch.
Take Decisive Action(track)—0 vs 9|6 Momentum:6 → 7
As the spider made to finish me off, I took my chance. The wretched thing threw its weight into driving its remaining mandible into my neck as I drove my blade upwards with all my might. Luckily for me, my weapon was longer and it intercepted the beast's trajectory. Between its weight being brought down upon me and my stab going up, the blade pierces deeply into the underside of the monster's head.
Defeat or Escape from the Giant Spidercompleted
In an almost anticlimactically quick fashion, the beast shutters and dies. It collapses, just narrowly missing landing on top of me. I breathe a sigh of relief and wrench my blade from the beast, only to startle as I realize more acidic poison is beginning to pool by my head.
I get right to work cutting the webbing holding my legs to the ground, and freeing myself. It's difficult work with only one free arm, but I do manage to liberate my legs from the ground. With a somewhat undignified scoot, I escape from the shadow of the dead spider's curled up legs and the pooling venom.
Now less pressed for time, I free my left arm, then my legs from each other. My right side is covered in blood, both blue and red. I pull open my clothing and see the my wound has reopened from my battle. If only I had a way to bandage it or bind it.
My eyes drift to the sticky webbing covering the ground and patches of my clothes. "I can work with this" I think as I grin, then wince as my side complains while I gingerly apply some webbing to it to keep it closed. The webbing does the job nicely and I cut a sleeve off of my shirt and fashion a cloth square out of it before turning the rest into bandage strips. I place the cloth square over the webbing so it won't stick to my clothing.
My work done and some bandages ready for future use, I look over the dressing. It was acceptable given the circumstances, though it was going to hurt like hell when the time came to change it later. I could only hope the healing process would be far enough along it wouldn't reopen the wound.
Exhausted, I wander over to the spider and wipe my blade off on its corpse. To my surprise, my blade remains a blue tinge even after it's wiped. I immediately wiped my hands and face, hoping it was just metal that got permanently stained by the blood. My skin appears unchanged thankfully, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
Secure an Advantage(Wits)—6 vs 9|3 Momentum:7 → 9
Looking over the great beast, I consider what I can else I can repurpose from it.
I didn't have a bottle or anything to else I'd feel safe stashing it's acidic venom in, so that was out of the question. What I do fancy my odds of salvaging is the great dagger-sized fangs the horrible thing had at the end of each mandible, assuming I could ensure it was done dripping aforementioned acidic venom.
Recovering the mandible in question from the pool of venom proves a bit of a test of skill, but after some trial and error I learn that the spider's own webbing is immune to the acidic nature of the venom. Using this knowledge I draw find sticky silk and fish the mandible out of the pool it was lying in. Extracting the fang from the mandible, I carefully wrap sticky silk around the base of the black fang, then add fresh, non-sticky silk from a spinneret around that layer to make a handle I can safely hold without getting it stuck to me. It was a bit of a crude weapon handle, but it meant the could serve me well as an off-hand dagger in a pinch.
I tuck the makeshift weapon away and move to the edge of the clearing to look it over. I take a deep breath and slowly let it out to center myself and calm my nerves. The battle is over, and while there were a few close calls I'm alive and I've secured a trophy that could help me continue to stay alive in the future. Not bad.
In the aftermath, I take the time to follow the original tripwire back the monster's nest in search of anything or anyone else that might have been caught.
50/50(29)Yes
Gather Information(Wits)—5 vs 5|4 Momentum:9 → 10
I'm surprised to find multiple cocoons, most were animals, but one was an unfortunate man dressed in a sailors outfit. By the state of him, he'd been here only a little while, maybe a few days to a week? This meant there could be a settlement on the island! ...Or he just could be a castaway like me. I was no closer to certainty that I was heading in the right direction, but at least I had some small indication I might not be alone here.
I search him and I find a pouch of gold and a flask of something that smells alcoholic. I take a swig and am rewarded by the rich taste of rum. It trickles warmly down my throat and I realize just how thirsty I am. The urge to drain the flask is strong, but I restrain myself. I don't know how long I'll be out here so it's better to ration my resources carefully.
I tuck away my scavenged loot and return to my wandering, a little more weary but yet more grateful just to be alive than ever.
End a Session Reach a Milestone Explore the Jungle +1 (4/10) Get to Safety +1 (3/10)