Acts I-III
Act I: Scholar Falls asleep
It is a quiet night at the library. Outside, a storm rages on. The quiet patter of rain and distant booms is all the company you have, save for the mountain of research piled in front of you.
This is one of many nights you’ve spent researching your heritage without success. Your only clue? Your grandfather's silver compass, etched with a mysterious symbol. Generation after generation, it has been passed down along with grandiose stories of piracy. Family members hoped one day its history would be revealed. You only hope to be the one to figure it out.
But, unfortunately for you, it seems to be another fruitless night. Despite having a few leads, you’ve met nothing but dead ends. Exhaustion weighs on you heavily—
Perhaps, you think, it’s best to rest your head.
Only for a moment.
You catch yourself before falling into deep sleep—or, so you think. The difference is, you don’t remember the smell of brine in the library. It’s so strong it burns your nostrils and jolts you awake.
But something is amiss. Your limbs feel a lot heavier than normal. Panicking, you open your eyes.
Ack! The salt water hits your eyes, causing them to burn. Gasping, you jerk around, only to sink a few feet into its depths. Salt water runs down your throat as you accidentally draw in a breath too late. Clawing towards salvation, you breach the surface and start coughing water. Finally, you can breathe. How’d you get in the middle of the ocean?!
More importantly, are you in danger? Inexplicably, you look down at the unsettling inky seaweed stretching for miles and miles beneath your feet.
Then, suddenly—
ACT II: Here Be Monsters
Something slimy brushes your foot; you hear a phantom laugh from the water. You thrash about, provoking what lies beneath the surface.
And then, a moment of stillness. Was it a fish?... uncertainty has you paralyzed.
You tread water. It feels like an hour has past. You spot a vessel quickly approaching in the fog. You don't have time to decide whether to call for help or flee. Before you know it, a massive wooden ship is yards from you.
"Man overboard! Grab the ropes! MAN OVERBOARD!"
:::SIGH::: You're being rescued! Waiting for the rope, you feel another sensation stroke your feet. But this time, you feel a strong muscular jolt. Struggling to break free, you sink beneath the surface. At once, everything goes black.
You awake, sputtering, to discover several gruff, burly men crowded around you.
“What WAS that?? Where am I?” you bellow. Loud roars and laughter fill the deck. Many resume their daily tasks. As they disperse, a young crew member tosses you a heavy book.
"It'd be 'n yer best interest to familiarise ye'self with dis sea beasts lurking 'n da seas, lest ye have an'other meet... Read dis whilst we figure out wha to do with ye."
You nod. You're still not sure what these men will do with you, and you've yet to figure out a plan.
Thumbing through the book, you find four articles about different sea creatures.
A shadow appears over you whilst you read the book. You look up. Upon first glance at your wet white shirt, the Quartermaster exclaims, “Shiver me timbers! Ter come about! Dump the landlubber. Begone ye rotten omen.”
Startled, you jump back. Your family compass falls out of your pocket--click, clank--onto the deck. Eyeing the piece, the Quartermaster softens, and speaks for all the crew to hear, "Gentlemen, perhaps I was a bit brash. Shall we let this lad convince us he's a good omen from the sea?" "Aaaarggghhhhhh!" exclaims the crew. "Mak'em complete these tasks to show, he's a good omen from the depths below! AAARRGGGHHHH!"
Watch me for 10 mins to become the crew's new Cabin Boy.
Complete me to earn favour with the Quartermaster.
Read me to earn the rank of Sailing Master.
Study me to show good omen to the First Mate.
Count the inventory to receive a tankard of grog and supper from the Cook.
Read me to befriend the Gunner.
Listen to ye Captain and Quartermaster
"Consult the Pirates Code"
Read me to unwind the ropes, ye Boatswain
Act III: Finding the Treasure Trove
Amidst the clamor, the captain summons the crew.
"Oi! Stop yer yakkin'. Look yonder, there be a Jolly Roger flappin' on da water."
“Nearin’ a shipwreck, capt'n!" The navigator chimes in, "It's about half a league North."
Apparently every pirate worth his salt knows what that means, but you just became a lowly crew member a few minutes ago!
You begin to catch on when you notice your crew mates taking their jewelry, weapons, and tankards off. Each crew member grabs a bamboo shoot from the barrel near the middle flag post. You follow suit. Each of you takes a turn diving into the murky depths.
Surveying the wreckage, you and the rest of the men pillage the head back to shore to observe your findings. Your crew mates empty their pockets to reveal jewels, gold, and weapons.
You try to hide your embarrassment as you present your findings... an old, mildewed seafaring encyclopedia and a cracked jar filled with a strange, waxy substance.
The pirates, already sorting and divvying up their loot, do not seem impressed with what you've managed to scrounge up.
You ponder just tossing your items back into the sea before you re-board the ship, but something tells you they may be useful later on...
Shipwreck findings.
Click each item to discover its origins.