Atlantic Ocean: Christmas

14) Christmas
Off the Coast of Brazil, December 25, 1844

A) Christmas
Christmas Day dawns sunny and mild, a far cry from Yuletide in Kingsport! Christmas is a workday; but a relaxed atmosphere prevails, and even Whipple’s in good spirits. At the start of the first dogwatch, the captain sends a wheel of cheese to the forecastle with his compliments, and Natty Weeks adds a string of popcorn balls to a special Christmas dinner of potatoes and codfish. Mr. Pynchon orders the sails reduced to a reefed topsail and declares the night and mid watches shall be maintained by “officers and shipkeepers only.” At sunset, Natty Weeks leads a small service by the foremast. As soon as he’s finished, Owen Love scrambles onto the anchor deck and begins a round of Christmas carols, a paper crown cocked upon his head and a bottle of smuggled brandy in his hand. The crewmen spend the evening in a state of gentle melancholy, telling stories and pining for home.

B) Yuletide Orders
At 8:00 PM, Mr. Pynchon orders Morgan and Lovecraft to “Stand the night watch, just make sure we remain on course and no pirates attack, nothing more. I shall take the helm myself.” Two hours later, the second mate summons Mr. Coffin and Mr. Whipple to the quarterdeck and makes an unusual request: “The captain wishes to have the quarterdeck for a personal ceremony to honor the Holy night of the Nativity, and he wants a quiet deck. I’m about to send a tub of mulled wine to the fo’c’s’le with my compliments. The men are expected to remain below until the start of the morning watch. Mr. Whipple, you are given permission to host a Christmas party in the cabin for the harpooneers and idlers. Please include Professor Lowell and Miss Ward. Drink and be merry, but should I catch a hair of you topside, you’ll regret you ever left shore! Mr. Coffin, you shall select one trusted man to stand watch with you on the foredeck until 4:00 am. You are not to approach the quarterdeck. Are my orders understood?”

If Coffin complains about pulling a six-hour watch, Pynchon scowls, “Christ almighty man, are you a Nantucketer or a goddamn lubber? Do you miss your chimney corner? If it’s brandy you miss, by all means draw a flask.” In any event, orders are orders.

C) Strange Communion
Just before midnight, Captain Joab and Ben Warnock emerge from the afterhouse companionway. Under the compulsion of Chant de Possession (Dominate), Ben Warnock dutifully takes the helm from Pynchon, his face a blank mask. The captain and mate move to the taffrail, facing the sea. Pynchon produces a small lamp and touches the wick with a lucifer. A pale, green light shines forth. The strange, Guernésiais syllables clumsy in their mouths, the two Bons pêcheurs intone a Yuletide service to Dagon. Pynchon then opens a snuffbox and retrieves a squirming maggot. Passing the larva through the green flame, he solemnly places the maggot on his tongue and washes it down with a swig of rum. The ritual is repeated for Joab. Both men face the infinite sea and softly chant, “Iä Iä Cthoaanesel,” followed by some phrases in Latin. Pynchon extinguishes the lamp and concludes the ritual. Bidding each other an awkward good night, the celebrants part ways, Joab returning to this quarters, and Pynchon heading to the foredeck to check on Mr. Coffin.

Spying on the Ritual

Only player characters are foolish enough to disobey orders and sneak on deck! Mr. Coffin is free to deal with such miscreants as he sees fit. Of course, it’s likely that Mr. Coffin himself may take this opportunity to spy on his superior officers; it’s also possible he’s in collusion with the player character he selected as watch-mate. In any event, spying on the ritual requires some caution. Passing into the afterhouse would result in immediate detection; but climbing onto the afterhouse roof affords a reasonably discreet vantage point. A character may also creep up the mizzenmast rigging. Both of these are accomplished by a Climb roll followed by a Stealth roll. If both rolls fail, the spy is detected immediately. If only one roll fails, Pynchon is allowed a Listen roll to detect the eavesdropper. (Being under a form of hypnosis, Ben Warnock remains oblivious to anything save keeping the ship on track.)

Once in position, the spy may observe the ritual. He sees Pynchon light the green lantern, then dole out something from a tin—a communion wafer, perhaps? It requires an Extreme success on a Spot Hidden roll to discern the wriggling maggot; and even then, ship’s biscuit is notorious for its maggots, so…?

It requires a Listen roll to hear what the officers are saying, which seems like a prayer in some foreign language? A Hard success picks up the word, “Cthoaanesel.” An Intelligence roll identifies the languages as French and Latin, as does fluency in either tongue. A Religion roll or membership in a Protestant religion notes that Latin is not used in Quaker or Congregationalist ceremonies. A successful roll in Language (French) reveals the language is some regional dialect, with a Hard success identifying the Channel Islands. A successful Language (Latin) roll fails to translate the verses—they were too softly intoned—but discounts them as originating from the Catholic Mass. A Psychology roll reveals that Mr. Pynchon seems more confident than Captain Joab; despite his lesser rank, the second mate is leading the ritual. A Kingsport Cult roll associates the green flame with the Kingsport witches; but making this roll triggers a Sanity roll for a 0/1 loss!

Another Psychology roll made while spying on Ben suggests the cabin boy is behaving strangely—his eyes seem glazed over; is he half asleep? A Hypnotism roll recognizes the state as some form of mesmerism. If Ben Warnock is approached later, he only recalls his trick at the helm as a “dreamy night’s work.” He has no memory of what transpired directly behind his back.

D) Discovery
Anyone discovered spying on the ritual is immediately subjected to Mr. Pynchon’s magic: Bend Quarry to Thy Power (Mental Suggestion), Chant de Possession (Dominate), and Obscurcir la Mémoire (Cloud Memory) are all possibilities. Fearing that wiping the spy’s memory may create a troubling lacuna, Pynchon decides to alter the memory: what was overseen was merely a Congregational Christmas ceremony, a prayer to God for safety in these troubled seas. Nothing to be alarmed about! If the sorcerot is successful, the player character simply shrugs his shoulders—who knew these two were so religious? However, if the spell is unsuccessful, the outcome depends on the player character. A wise character may pretend to be “mesmerized,” but a stubborn character may push the situation, which leads to Cloud Memory, Dominate, or worse. No matter the outcome of the eldritch damage control, Pynchon and Joab realize they cannot trust the apprehended player character. The spy will be marked, and closely watched.

E) Dangerous Knowledge
The outcome of a successful spying mission depends on how well the player character understood what he saw. Maybe it was just a Christmas service in French? But if they connect the ceremony to the Kingsport Cult—or if they survive Mr. Pynchon’s attempt to “mesmerize” them—it provides evidence that something strange is indeed afoot onboard the Quiddity. Maybe a little more snooping is warranted?

White Leviathan, Chapter 2—Atlantic Ocean
[Back to Encounter 13: The First Whale | White Leviathan TOC | Forward to Encounter 15, New Year’s Day]

Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 9 August 2022
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
White Leviathan PDF: [TBD]