Instruments: Block Tower, French Deck, 1d6
Game Description
A game loosely inspired by the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. You are the captain of a ship who shot an albatross out of the sky and now you are cursed to wander the seas forever. Please note, the game does not ask you to write in verse.
Game Content Warnings
These are content warnings that are from the game prompts and are present in all playthroughs.Playthrough Content Warnings
These are content warnings specific to this playthrough only.
Word Count: 1,916 Played: Nov 7, 2021
Day 1
9 of Hearts | You realize you ate a maggot Pull from the tower. |
|
King of Spades | King of Spades You hear singing in the distant fog |
Again at sea, the waves surround,
There is no end in sight,
We’re all alone with land not found,
Against this dreadful blight
That cursed bird hangs ‘round my neck
And rots against my flesh
My crew, my foes and all on deck
Would kill for water fresh
The food’s grown thin and bellies growl
We’re down to last meals soon
My biscuit tasted something foul
And there were maggots strewn
The taste was thick; I’d ne’re forget
But worse was crewmen’s eyes
Their knuckles cracked in honest threat
And I don’t dare chastise
Then came a sound so distant sweet
We knew it not be true
Their fingers point and wide eyes meet
It was me alone that knew
The call, the voice, the sirens sing
I know they come for me
The crew all still like cracked bell’s ring
Took hold for hours three
Tokens: 10/10
Kings: 1/4
Day 2
8 of Clubs | You joke with the crew, maybe they are humoring you? | |
6 of Hearts | The crew is repairing the ship, how do you occupy this time? |
A moment’s peace and friendly face,
To young crew lasses converse,
Though still unease in hostile place,
The ills I sought to disperse
With heartfelt joke and lively tale,
They laughed and seemed to smile
But through my age I pierced the veil,
And knew their blood was bile
I left them then to tend the ship
And returned to my own bed
They needn’t me to crack the whip
To rest mine and fowl’s head
Tokens: 10/10
Kings: 1/4
Day 3
9 of Diamonds | It is all your fault, Pull from the tower. | |
Ace of Spades | Could the winds be changing? | |
3 of Hearts | Your water has gone bad, do you still drink it? Pull from the tower. | |
2 of Hearts | A crewman has located some booze | |
10 of Clubs | There is a card game and you aren’t invited | |
9 of Clubs | Three crewmen are found dead, their throats slit, Pull from the tower. |
Below the deck a crewman found,
A hidden stash of grog,
Both spirits grown and passed around,
Avoiding swallowing fog
In merry joice the winds returned,
And filled our sails to go,
A sign we thought! Our luck has turned!
As the devil laughed below
I came across a game of cards
A group that I once knew
They glared at me, their trust in shards
They barely were my crew
I backed away and didn’t press
No point to make things worse
For the night I chose egress
To my cabin I reverse
In the night the bad winds came
I woke to crewman’s cry
The ones who’d shunned me from the game
Their lives had gone awry
Before me lay their bodies bare
Their throats had opened wide
The rusty knives were laid in pair
Because of me they died
I sank to knees and shook my head
And had their bodies shroud
But more were lost the crewman said
His sneer was almost proud
To water chest he led me down
To see what else was lost
He opened crate and with a frown
Exposed the water’s moss
The thick film grew upon the top
And coated side to side
I took my hand and tasted drop
And decided I should lie
I said it’s fine and good to drink
But he believed me not
He shook his head and stopped to think
But all else had fell to rot
When he had left I stood below
And sunk down to a knee
The burdens’ mine, for this I know
But why my crew with me?
Tokens: 10/10
Kings: 1/4
Day 4
Jack of clubs | An accident below deck and the the surgeon is forced to amputate an arm. Did they survive? Pull from the tower. |
Another day another pain,
This time it was a lad,
Sent up high to ship maintain,
On deck he landed bad
No thing remains of mangled limb,
The rest to be cut free,
The surgeon said his chance was grim,
His life no guarantee,
I heard his screams from down beneath,
Then suddenly cut short,
The doctor spoke with postured grief,
His death he had report
Tokens: 10/10
Kings: 1/4
Day 5
Queen of Hearts | The ship has sprung a leak Pull from the tower. | |
8 of Diamonds | You make a sketch at your desk to pass the time, what do you draw | |
10 of Diamonds | Why did you take up life as a sailor? |
The clock is still as ocean tide
I find myself at rest
I think back to my lovely bride
And to our home back west
I sketch her face, though poorly drawn
And chuckle to myself
What would she think? Her spouse now gone
A portrait on a shelf
She is the reason I am at sea,
She was a captain too,
I followed her to nth degree,
In a poor attempt to woo,
But health had taken her from fame,
And to retirement,
A humble woman she became,
Without my same lament
But from below, as most things are,
A snap and scream of wood,
Then pounding at my chamber’s bar,
I knew that things weren’t good
The fourth first mate, a gnarled soul,
Gnashed teeth and spat at me,
The ship it seems had grown a hole,
And Xe wanted me too see
So down I went to see the flood,
And watched as crewmen worked,
The salty water iced my blood,
And saw as shadows lurked
Tokens: 10/10
Kings: 1/4
Day 6
4 of Spades | As night falls you see something in the water. Are you able to identify it? | |
9 of Spades | You catch a ghost ship with a hooded figure. Pull form the tower | |
5 of Hearts | More maggots!! Pull from the tower. | |
2 of Diamonds | You find a reminder of home in your cabin. What is it? |
Another day another pain,
This time it was the food,
The maggots crept inside again,
Our hunger not subdued,
We had no choice to feed the waves,
And threw it overboard,
Would it or hunger be our graves?
And rest our last reward
Long I slumbered in my prison,
Dreaming of my love,
Soon I found myself arrisen,
By clambers from above,
The crew had gathered at the railing,
Pointing at the deep,
From the waters came a wailing,
The shadows here to seek
Their long and darkened forms enchoaching,
Distracting sailor’s mind,
But from syruped fog approaching,
A ship’s form undefined
Cloaked form in robes and ambiance,
Long finger pointed out,
I found my mind and soul ensconced
And knew without a doubt
I wouldn’t live to see my home,
This all would be for naught,
My body laid beneath sea foam,
For this is what I wrought
Tokens: 10/10
Kings: 1/4
Day 7
7 of Spades | A crewman ascends to do some rigging and doesn’t return Pull from the tower. | |
Queen of Spades | you see a body in the water, you don’t know where it came from Pull from the tower. | |
6 of Spades | The air is dry and unpleasant you don’t have enough water, Pull from the tower. | |
2 of Clubs | The crew spontaneously burst into song, do you join them? |
From the depths a body rose,
One we didn’t know,
The corpse was stripped of all its clothes,
And features long ago
We did not know if it was ours,
But still we mourned the loss,
We shrouded it in cloth from flours,
And ropes in tight criss-cross
The crew it seemed was more affect,
Than I’d e’re seen before,
They burst in mourning song select,
Learned from far-flung shore
But still I sang with my own crew,
Lest they raise their fist,
The mourning song to me, quite new
But through harmony assist
Our lips were coarse since water rare,
For none drank moss ‘cept me,
And even I was well aware,
What grew inside of me
The hot air beat and wind was dry,
And rigging needed care,
The smallest lass ascended high,
Then lost among the air
We waited long for her return,
At least a day or so,
But she was gone we would soon learn
And the rigging we’d forgo
Tokens: 10/10
Kings: 1/4
Day 8
4 of Diamonds | You take a moment to contemplate your situation | |
4 of Hearts | A crewman hauls up a fish | |
King of Diamonds | You just start fucking screaming | |
Queen of Diamonds | ]You think you see an albatross hit the deck, but it’s not real! Pull from the tower. | |
Ace of Diamonds | You think you know where you are! Next time you need to pull from the tower, you can choose not to | |
7 of Diamonds | Someone is sobbing, who is it? |
The map, the compass, pin at last!
I think I know our spot
I push pin deep, it held on fast
A place I’d ne’re forgot
Then from above, as most things are,
I heard a cry and cheer,
A fisherman had caught a gar,
A true blessing most clear
Then from above a bird did shriek,
And dove into the deck,
An albatross with mighty beak,
As the one around my neck
The bones all shattered ‘cross the floor,
In spurts and sprays of blood,
It looked at me into my core,
And eyes began to flood,
The wings all broke and body writhed
I felt myself to scream
And on the floor in sorrow’s tithe
I broke to tears supreme
My voice cried out and fingers point
To nothing on the deck
The albatross in all disjoint
Vanished without a speck
I saw their eyes and angry squint
And knew they could not see
I took this as a forthright hint
For how long they’d follow me
Tokens: 10/10
Kings: 2/4
Day 9
King of Clubs | Mutiny! Someone stabs you! | |
6 of Clubs | Someone hands you a hand-carved icon, what is it? | |
King of Diamonds | You just start fucking screaming | |
Queen of Clubs | A crewman finally snaps and is violent | |
King of Hearts | The food is gone They drown you! |
Kings: 4/4 Gameover
Another day another pain,
But this would be the last,
The doctor’s come and to explain
The crew has broke it’s fast
Three members sick from food gone rot
And now they lay in bed
Another sailor five men’s shot
And then himself--his head
They want me now upon the deck
The doc won’t meet my gaze
He leads me by my bird drawn neck
Unto my final days
And there uptop they bind my hands
And tie my legs and feet
to idol weight in hand-carved bands
For gods that I’ll soon meet
And one by one they bare their knives
And pierce me to atone
A sacrifice to save their lives
And sent to seabed’s throne