The Lost Brother – An OpenD6 Adventure – Ep02
April 6th 1932, at the sea, somewhere near Aden, Yemen
I need to set up the scene, therefore I’ll start by asking a few important Oracle questions.
Q: Is the sea calm?
A: Yes, and it’s exceptionally calm.
Q: Is there land nearby?
A: No, but it’s not too far away to be reached in a lifeboat in a calm sea
I was about to ask what moon phase it is, but I decided to check a moon phase calculator, and at that exact date it would be a new moon. There’s nothing visible but the light of the stars.
With the sea as calm as oil, and the engines dead, I think the lifeboat splashing down with the chains unhinged would make a big racket, and it’s likely someone aboard would be alarmed.
Q: Are the mutineers alarmed by Argyris’ escape? (Likely)
A: No, and, they have also killed the ship lights. Argyris can slip away in total stealth.
Only the stars provide some light on the dark night sky. Thetis’ lights are all turned off, and despite the lifeboat crashing down on the sea with Argyris inside it, noone seems to take notice. Argyris looks at the stars for guidance, and starts rowing away from the comandeered vessel, hopefully towards the land.
Let’s see first if there’s any emergency gear inside the lifeboat.
Q: Is there emergency gear?
A: No, and it’s completely empty. That’s not good for Argyris.
Unfortunately for Argyris, the Navigation skill is under Knowledge, which is only 2D+1. Thankfully according to OpenD6 Adventure Navigation skill difficulties, the base difficulty is 10, and I’d say there are no other modifiers.
Argyris: Navigation (2D+1): 16. That’s an exceptional result.
Rowing a few hundred meters away from Thetis, Argyris decides he’s at a safe distance, and decides to search the lifeboat for any emergency supplies and survival gear. He’s completely disappointed, as he finds nothing. Understanding the situation he’s in, he decides to row until he finds land, and possibly civilization.
Okay with some calculations, Thetis was going at 15 knots, and it was approx 12 hours away from Aden, therefore, the ship is 180 nautical miles away. At a rowing speed of 3 knots, it would take 60 hours for Argyris to reach Aden, and with no supplies that’s impossible. Some further calculations point to me that the ship is still in the Red Sea, and land would be like 50 nautical miles away. If he rows for ~15 hours, he should reach land. That would require a good Stamina check, which Argyris has at 4D.
Argyris: Stamina (4D): 9. He fails but barely. I’d say he receives a Fatigue level.
Q: Does anything unexpected occur until he reaches land?
A: Yes, but. Let’s roll on TWENE: Add Simple Element.
Portent from Mythic: Break Power.
So the sea from completely calm becomes rough. Argyris will need another Stamina roll, at Moderate difficulty.
Argyris: Stamina (4D): 15. He succeeds.
Argyris rows for a whole night, and almost a day, as the sea is no longer calm and waves start hitting the lifeboat, slowing him down. Finally, near sunset, he reaches the shore.
Q: Is there a settlement nearby?
A: No. He’s in the desert.
Since he has no water, or food, I’ll increase his fatigue level to 2. And he’ll sleep the night and start walking in the morning. He needs the rest.
Q: Does the night pass by unexpectedly?
A: Yes
In the morning he’ll try for a Survival roll, to find something to eat and maybe fresh water to drink. Thankfully that’s a Perception skill. The desert climate has a 15 base difficulty and he has a -1D to his skill roll since he hasn’t ever been to this place before.
Argyris: Survival (3D): 13: Failure. I’ll spend a Character Point to add a die to the roll. 5. 18 total. Success. He finds some edible roots filled with water, which extinguishes his hunger and thirst.
He pulls the lifeboat ashore, and spends the night sleeping inside of it. At first light, he’s rested, but hungry and thirsty. Before the sun goes high, he tries to see where the small animals gather, and after searching for a while among the scarce flora, he uncovers some roots of a plant filled with nutrional juice. He’s quenched both his thirst and hunger, and quickly sets himself back on track. He’ll try to walk to the nearest settlement, find some help.
Argyris: Navigation (2D+1): 1! and Critical Failure. A mishap happens.
Q: Is it the mutineers?
A: False Presupposition. There are no mutineers, because the mutiny has died out. It’s a patrol boat, sent out to find the missing lifeboat and hence they think Argyris is a mutineer.
Argyris: Perception (4D): 16
As Argyris is looking to the sky over the barren coastline, trying to find out which way is north and which way is south, his ears pick up the sound of a motor engine. He looks back far to the lifeboat he left, and sees 3 men in rifles surrounding it. He’s completely caught unaware and they immediately notice him, one of them shouts something to the other, and they take aim at him.
At the same time the source of the motor engine becomes apparent as behind the raised ground he can see a patrol boat coming along the shore towards him.
I doubt Argyris has a chance to fight these men off or run away. But I think he has to hide and if they find him he has to surrender and try to explain that he’s no mutineer.
First of all he’ll Dodge and attempt to Sneak as the 3 men shoot at him.
I’ll give them a Firearms skill of 4D. The range is Long which gives a +10 difficulty modifier.
Argyris: Dodge (3D): 14
Trooper1: 18<24: Miss
Trooper2: 17<24: Miss
Trooper3: 13<24: Miss
Argyris: Sneak (3D): 2! Critical Failure. Mishap.
Argyris jumps face to the ground as three shots fly above his head. He jumps down the hillside hoping for a spot where he can hide, but instead he missteps and sllides down. Once he stops, he’s down in the same beach as his pursuers with no cover between himself and them. He drops on his knees and puts his hands behind his head to surrender quickly. Hoping that they won’t shoot him dead on the spot.
Q: Do they shoot him dead?
A: No, but they knock him out, unconscious.
The riflemen reach him, and with a strong hit of the rifle’s butt to the face, Argyris is knocked out, unconscious.
I suppose he wakes up later. I guess, in jail.
Q: Is he in jail? (Likely)
A: False Presupposition.
I can think a few different ways that his can play out, therefore I’ll roll for a portent.
Expose Victory.
“He wakes up!” Argyris hears a familiar voice, as the dizziness that clouds his head clears out. “That’s my boy!” He sees the captain, Dimitris Papaspyrou stand over him and slap him gently.
“That’s the one that sabotaged the ship and stopped all these mutineers dead in their tracks! Thanks to him we’re all here alive to talk to you today.” The captain speaks to a man in uniform, same uniform as his pursuers before.
“Are you okay boy? You’ll come together. You took a big blow to the head.” He says to Argyris, who nods.
Q: Are they in Aden? (Likely)
A: Yes
“Look, the ship is going to need some repairs, and we’re also gonna need more crewmen. How do you feel like getting a promotion?” Captain adds.
“I’ll need to spend some time in Singapore. I’m looking for my brother.” Argyris mutters.
The captain sighs.
Argyris: Persuasion (4D): 15
Captain: Willpower (5D): 22
“You’ll get as much time we get for shore leave. You may be in luck as we’re gonna need to stay a couple more days there for a full crew complement. I doubt Aden will have all that we need. But I can’t give any more time. Don’t take too long to decide.” He taps him on the shoulder and stands up.
“These fine gentlemen will take your testimony of the events aboard Thetis. The ship has been towed to the harbour. I trust you’ll find your way. We can talk then.” He says and leaves, before Argyris has had any chance to ask him any questions.
I need to drive the story forward.
Q: Does anything happen until they reach Singapore?
A: No, and the journey is peaceful.
Argyris will try to find out why the mutiny happened. He doesn’t want to alarm anyone because his main focus is getting to Singapore to find his brother, so he gets only one chance at this information gathering.
Argyris: Perception (4D): 11: Failure. No one is willing to speak about it.
Gatou and 
Solo, Pen, Paper and Dice 
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