Pacific Ocean I: Whipple’s Excursion

12) Whipple’s Excursion
Atacames, May 28-29, 1845

A) Background: Whipple’s Plan
Whipple’s “hunting expedition” is nothing but a flimsy pretext for a party! During his time ashore on May 26, Whipple made contact with a shady local known as “the Frenchman.” Forking over a procurement fee in the form of five silver dollars, Whipple arranged for a crate of aguardiente and a trio of putas to be delivered to a remote jungle clearing. If everything goes according to plan, the Frenchman will be waiting at 2:00 PM with the goods, eager to receive the second half of his payment.

B) Assembling the Party
Whipple’s excursion includes his usual crew: Joshi, Mattashunama, Pig Bodine, and Henry Swain. He also invites Dixon, if he’s established a good relationship with the harpooneer. The only trouble is, nobody in Whipple’s crew speaks French, and Whipple suspects the Frenchman is ripping him off. Whipple believes an “ace up his sleeve” might be useful, so he’ll extend an invitation to a French-speaking player character. Beckett, Morgan, or Redburn are all candidates, providing they haven’t alienated themselves from Whipple or proven to be snitches or puritans! (Under no circumstances will Rachel Ward be invited, and Dr. Lowell and Quakaloo are highly unlikely candidates.)

Unless Whipple has genuinely bonded with the Francophone characters, he conveniently fails to mention the prostitutes—“Me an’ the boys have arranged a little swaray up the river. We’ll do some hunting, wash it down with the local firewater. Only problem is, the Frenchman’s a shifty one, don’t parlay-voo much English or español. It’d be nice to have an ace up our sleeve, if you catch my drift…”

Secondary Characters
Another way to increase player involvement is to assign Whipple’s cronies as secondary characters to players whose primaries are unable to attend the “soirée.” While Whipple, Joshi, and Mattashunama must remain under the Keeper’s control, Pig Bodine and Henry Swain are available, as are “lesser” members of Whipple’s crew such as Virgil Caine and Paddy Garcia. (Or whomever makes sense for individual campaigns.)

Before this encounter begins, the Keeper should gather all secondary characters and explain what Whipple has planned—“The hunting expedition is really an excuse to party, prostitutes and liquor are involved, keep it secret from the vanilla PCs, etc.” As the excursion unfolds, these secondary characters are free to act as their players desire—within limits. None of them may openly betray Whipple or Joshi, and none will support a player character over their beloved third mate. However, that doesn’t mean they’re willing to commit murder…

C) Into the Jungle
Whipple demands that anyone who accompanies the party obeys his orders and keeps their mouths shut, “no matter what they see.” Rowing their whaleboat up the Atacames, the party arrives at the watering hole where the casks were refilled two days back. The boat is dragged past the shallows and lashed to a palm tree. Whipple takes the Brown Bess and leads the men deeper into the forest. Soon a strange, dismal howling is heard, and Whipple gravely informs the rookies that “lions are afoot.” The sound is actually produced by an indigenous bird, something Whipple knows, but he likes to keep the inexperienced hands frightened. (A Natural History roll suggests the truth.)

Hunting
The next two hours are spend “hunting,” with Whipple and his cronies taking a few desultory shots at pelicans, toucans, and one unfortunate sloth. If a player character would like to try his luck, a Persuasion roll or a Shooting roll convinces Whipple to hand over the musket. This may be followed by a Survival roll to find a wild turkey, and a Shooting roll to kill the bird. (A Hard Luck roll may also discover suitable game.) Because turkey meat is much preferable to greasy pelican, this victory elevates the character in the eyes of Whipple’s crew, earning a few hearty slaps on the back.

D) The Frenchman
After returning to the river around 1:30 PM, Whipple begins following a vague path twisting into the jungle, muttering “Fucking frog with his landmarks! Does this look like a ‘split rock’ to you?” The “lesser” members of his crew are handed machetes and placed in the vanguard—“Get to choppin’, minion!” (Needless to say, Beckett and Redburn are likely candidates; otherwise it falls to a greenhorn.)

Soon the party arrives at a clearing near a jungle stream. Whipple orders everyone to settle down. Mattashunama produces a sharkskin bag of hashish and fills a clay pipe, passing it around the circle. (Anyone who declines the pipe is mocked by the group.) If asked why they stopped hunting, Whipple quips, “The birds’ll come soon enough!” He orders his “minions” to gather wood and prepare a fire. A half-hour later, the Frenchman arrives. He’s accompanied by his nephew Jules, a young man with swinish eyes and a hostile demeanor.

François-Paul Loïc Tremblay, “The Frenchman”
Age 64, Nationality: French, Birthplace: Croix de Vie, 1780.

Combat

Skills
Appraise 75%, Art/Craft (Procurement) 70%, Artillery 65%, Climb 40%, Credit Rating 40%, Listen 35%, Psychology 45%, Religion (Catholic) 65%, Renown 20%, Science (Mathematics) 50%, Spot Hidden 65%, Stealth 45%, Survival 65%.

Languages: French native; German 30%, Spanish 20%, Mapuche 10%, English 5%.

Possessions:Charlesville Fusil modèle 1777, Gold Légion d’honneur medal.

Description
An aging rake, Monsieur Tremblay is remarkably youthful for his years, with tousled, sandy hair and a louche smile. He dresses in a hodge-podge of fashion, including American pantaloons, a Spanish dragoon coat, and a calico cravat. A gold Légion d’honneur medal is pinned to his coat. Tremblay claims it’s authentic, and was awarded to him by Napoleon himself after the Battle of the Pyrenees. Whether this is true or not—and it’s certainly unlikely!—Tremblay eventually landed in South America, where he worked as a mercenary for the Spanish Royalists. After their defeat, Tremblay fell in with the Pincheira brothers, then drifted into general banditry. The Frenchman speaks decent Spanish, but pretends a strategic near-ignorance when dealing with locals. He always carries his trusty M1777 musket, its stock wrapped in otter fur and adorned with colorful feathers.

E) The Negotiation
The Frenchman gestures to Jules to set down a crate filled with cigars and aguardiente. In deliberately halting Spanish, he negotiates with Whipple, setting a price for the liquor and “las putas.” Jules asks his uncle, “Oncle François? Et les feuilles de coca? Et la jolie?” The Frenchman shakes his head, “Ne t’inquiète pas. Ces idiots ne voient pas la différence.” A Language (French) roll translates this as, “Uncle Francis? What about the coca leaves? And the pretty one?” The reply is translated as: “Don’t worry, these idiots won’t know the difference.” (If a character fails his roll, a skill level above 10% gets the gist.)

If a player character translates this for Whipple, he laughs uproariously and directs the player character to reply, “Tell Paco here, these idiots do in fact want the coca leaves and the pretty one!” Surprised but drolly amused, the Frenchman negotiates through the player character for a reasonable price. Tremblay is asking for $10 additional dollars on top of Whipple’s $5 advance; this price may be lowered by a combination of three rolls: Appraise, Language (French), and Persuade. Each success lowers the price by $2.00 and earns Whipple’s admiration and approval. A failed push on any roll adds $2.00!

Once the price has been established, Jules produces a wrapped bundle of coca leaves and places them on the bottles of aguardiente. Whipple shakes the Frenchman’s hand, and the two Gallic proxénètes depart into the woods. Plucking a leather-wrapped bottle from the crate, Whipple removes his shirt and thumps his chest—“Party’s on me, boys!”

F) Las Putas
Twenty minutes after the Frenchman leaves, Jules returns to the clearing, carrying a torch made from brown paper infused with turpentine. He’s escorting three girls, all of them Cañari Indians, none older than sixteen. Jules hands them over with a notable lack of decorum, then looks at the French-speaking player character and says, “Undamaged. You understand me? Or we’ll charge triple. Tell that to your Portuguese bastard.”

The girls speak no English, and their Spanish is limited to basic words and phrases. They converse nervously to each other in Kichwa, but it’s clear they’ve done this before. The “pretty one” is obvious. She gives her name as Florencia, but Whipple calls her “La Jolie” after the Frenchman’s comment. Her younger sister is Lucía, who’s missing a finger from her left hand—“La tortuga! El niña. ¿Sí?” The third is a chubby girl named Ankaylli. The Kichwa word for “Echo,” she habitually repeats the last word spoken to her. It’s clear she’s not as bright as the sisters, but she’s friendlier, and has a musical, unforced laugh.

Whipple’s on his best behavior, telling his men to “play nice.” He gives each of the girls a silver real, pressing the coins into their palms and telling them, “Don’t tell Paco, or he’ll steal it, the filthy frog.” He repeats in Spanish, “¡No le digas a Paco!” The girls are offered hash and aguardiente, but they restrict themselves to chewing coca leaves, demonstrating how to enhance the effect using ashes from the bark of a nearby tree.

Whipple keeps Florencia to himself, but the other girls are passed around unceremoniously. Pig Bodine behaves the most lewdly, while Henry Swain exhibits genuine modesty and discretion. Player characters are free to behave as they see fit; but refusing to have one’s “hawse-pipe swabbed” results in scorn and ridicule. However, if any character protests too ardently, he’s shouted down, with persistence leading to direct threats—“Remember what I said, you son of a whore—you breathe a word of this to anyone and Joshi’ll slice yer fuckin’ bollocks off!” Recalcitrant characters are given an unloaded musket and banished to “jaguar patrol.”

Effects of Drugs
The most powerful drug here is the aguardiente; although combined with the psychoactive effects of hashish and the stimulant properties of coca, numerous hybrid states of intoxication may be attained. For instance, Pig cheerfully gets “out of his mind,” while Henry Swain becomes sleepy and morose. Joshi sharpens his focus and becomes meaner, Whipple grows exuberant, and Mattashunama actually relaxes, displaying a seldom-seen humorous side and adopting a pet tarantula he finds scuttling away from the fire. Player characters may decide their own level of intoxication, with the Keeper applying penalty dice to actions as needed.

G) Sunset
Whipple has no intentions of returning to the Quiddity on time. Whether that was his plan from the beginning, or just the result of drunken abandon, Whipple announces his decision to stay the night and “leave an hour before dawn.” If player characters remind him of Pynchon’s parting words, Whipple laughs—“We’ll be back in time to sail, no worries, avó. That’s all th’ Skipper cares about. I’ll take the heat from Buttercup Bill. And remember, that Quaker bastard got an extra night, didn’t he? So it’s only fair!”

A few hours later, the party begins to wind down. Whipple establishes a fire-watch, excluding himself from taking a shift. He takes “La Jolie” for himself. The other two girls prefer to cuddle together and sleep, their bodies wrapped in calico to protect against insects. The men are too exhausted to intervene, their “shot lockers spent” and their brains fogged by booze and smoke, followed by the crash from chewing coca leaves.

Screw You Guys, I’m Going Home!
If a player character wishes to avoid Joab’s wrath and return to the Quiddity, he must first reckon with the fact he’ll have to row a whaleboat through the darkened surf without a crew! If that’s not a deterrent, a few steps into the jungle brings the sound of strange, and quite possibly hungry, animals. Finding one’s way back to the beach requires a successful roll in Navigate, Survival, or Tracking. From there, the character can…wait on shore? Hopefully befriend that jaguar slinking towards him in the dark?

H) Meanwhile Back on the Quiddity, Part 1
The Keeper is welcome to intercut the party sequence with a snippet of events on the Quiddity. Sometime around 10 pm, Mr. Pynchon calls on Mr. Coffin and interrogates him—“Do you know if Mr. Whipple had any intentions of disobeying orders?” Since the answer is likely negative, Pynchon snorts, “The captain is feeling unwell, a head-ache. Best not to disturb him until we know more.” As the bells proceed and multiply, it becomes obvious the third mate doesn’t plan on returning. Fearing to wake the captain with this news, Pynchon informs Mr. Coffin, “If they’re not back by dawn, we’ll take a few men and conduct a search. By God, this won’t go well for Whipple if he proves to be false…”

I) Murder and Madness
Henry Swain has fire-watch from 2:00-3:00 am, but falls fast asleep around 2:30 am. (Alternatively, a player character may be on fire-watch, a failed Power roll triggering the lapse into unconsciousness.) A half-hour later, the night is rent by a girl’s high-pitched shriek! The terrible sound is followed by a masculine bellowing—Whipple.

The flickering firelight reveals an awful sight. The third mate is crouched over Florencia, their naked bodies covered in blood. The girl is barely alive, blood gushing from her throat. Her ribs are torn with deep gashes, flaps of skin hanging down to expose slender arches of bone. Her arms are flailing against her throat, trying to staunch the lethal torrent. (A Sanity roll is required to witness this scene, with a 1/1D4 loss.) His mouth ruddy with gore, Whipple seems crazed, feral. He’s in some form of trance—his ghost-haunted eyes are wide open, but he’s clearly not awake. The mate drops to his knees and pleads to an invisible jury, “God damn, God damn, God damn! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, eu sinto muito, there was nothing I could do, Jesus Christo, forgive me!” Spitting something from his mouth, he bolts into the jungle.

Seizing the musket from the delinquent watchman, Joshi gives chase. The remaining two girls start screaming, then leap into action. Grabbing a machete, Lucía follows Joshi after Whipple, while Ankaylli crashes into Mattashunama on her way to Florencia. The harpooneer restrains her, but she keeps screaming, a piteous, wailing sound more horrible than anything beyond the darkness.

The player characters may take whatever actions they wish, with appropriate rolls modified for lingering drunkenness. If someone tries to administer to Florencia, a First Aid roll proves useless. Her neck has been bitten down to the carotid artery. She dies with surprising tranquility, her arms falling still and her eyes blinking erratically as her life drains away. A bloody machete lies by her ribcage. Examining the object spat from Whipple’s mouth triggers a Sanity roll for a 0/1 loss. It’s a chunk of human flesh. (If the character witnessed the fragment of Talbot’s jawbone in Adrianopolis, the flashback adds a –1D10 penalty to the SAN roll.) If a player character chases after Lucía, Joshi, and Whipple, a Tracking roll must be made. A failure loses them in the dark; while a success finds Whipple and Joshi on their way out: see “Joshi’s Threat” below.

The Second Murder
Five minutes later a second shriek is heard from the woods—Lucía. Ankaylli struggles to escape Mattashunama, who sends her reeling into unconsciousness with a blow to her face.

J) Joshi’s Threat
Joshi returns with Whipple in tow. The third mate appears stunned: his eyes are blank, and his lips form bloody bubbles of muted Portuguese. Sitting Whipple by the fire and hefting the musket, Joshi barks, “Sit down and listen up.” After a dramatic pause, he continues, “None of you saw shit. This didn’t fucking happen. We came, we drank, and we returned to the ship. Not a word about that French cove or his whores. Not a word about Whip’s…condition. Any of you even dreams about this too loudly, you’ll meet with a very fucking terrible accident, believe you me. The kind of accident that leaves you with no fucking face. Now, does anybody have any fucking questions?”

The NPCs get the drift immediately, most responding with a slow, solemn head shake: there are no fucking questions. If a player character asks about Lucía, Joshi replies flatly, “A lion got her.” He forbids anyone from going into the jungle. Any questions about Whipple are answered by the muzzle of the Brown Bess. “Mind your damn business. You sabbee, mate?” If asked about the unconscious girl, Joshi grunts, “I’m thinking about it.” Once he’s satisfied the matter is settled, Joshi orders the men to bury Florencia—“Not so jolie now, eh?”—and clean off Whipple in the stream.

Joshi’s not kidding about his threats. If a player character attempts to search the woods, he uses whatever force is required to prevent the investigation. Nor will any NPCs come to a player character’s aid—they’re united by the desire to bury this incident as quickly as possible, and everyone obeys Joshi unquestioningly.

The Cover Story
Once Florencia is buried, Joshi reconvenes the crew and gestures to the unconscious Ankaylli. “What do we do about the girl? I’m no officer, and I don’t want to put on airs. We’re all in this together, lads. Let’s take a vote.” As this sinks in, the predawn chorus of birds wakes the jungle with song. “My vote is, we kill her. Pig, what say you?”

While the player characters are free to vote their conscience, none of the Keeper-controlled NPCs agree to Joshi’s stark suggestion. Pig Bodine, Henry Swain, even Mattashunama—killing an innocent girl in cold blood is simply too far. Assuming the vote goes against him, Joshi honors his word—“Fine. I think you’re fools. If you think this feeble-minded savage is worth rotting in a Spanish calaboose, that’s your call. A deal’s a deal. But we need a good story, lads.”

The Keeper should allow the player characters time to devise a likely scenario, but anything that incriminates Whipple’s crew is rejected. Whether or not they come up with a reasonable plan, Joshi intercedes the second the girl regains consciousness—“Here’s what we do. We tie up the whore and leave her. Frenchy’ll find her soon enough. By the time he gets his dander up, we’ll be gone. She don’t speak French or Spanish, and he don’t speak her gibberish. All who agree to this plan say aye.”

All the NPCs agree to Joshi’s plan. Only player characters may dissent, which provokes additional threats. Joshi appears murderous and half-insane, and is willing to kill to protect Whipple. Joshi stuffs a rag into the girl’s mouth and ties her to a tree. He repeats to her in English, then broken Spanish: “You tell what you saw, we kill you. You were attacked by dagos. You were attacked and raped by greasy Spanish bastards, do you hear? Dagos! You say anything else, we’ll cut you to pieces!” Over and over again.

A Starker Outcome
Depending on the number of player characters present, it’s possible the vote may go in Joshi’s direction. In this unlikely outcome, the Keeper should force a player character to carry out the execution—obviously. This is worth a major Sanity roll, the exact losses depending on the player character in question. Committing cold-blooded murder is a very serious action, even for Morgan, and this should not be “swept under the rug.” Aside from making adjustments in the written scenario that follows, the Keeper should ensure this wicked outcome has stark consequences on character morale.

K) Leaving the Forest
Joshi instructs Matty and Pig to improvise a stretcher and carry Whipple back to shore. “Buttercup Bill’s going to be furious. If Whip doesn’t come to his senses, we’ll tell them he slipped and cracked his skull. You go on, I’m going to wait here, have words with the Frenchman.” He shakes Whipple’s coinpurse, “I’m sure some tin’ll put this right.” A Psychology roll suggests he’s telling the truth. Joshi will not permit anyone to accompany him, and his crew won’t allow a player character to tarry behind—there are major trust issues in play right now!

Whipple Regains Consciousness
Shortly before the party reaches the shore, Whipple emerges from his delirium, shaking his head and moaning, “Jesus fucking Christ, what did I drink? My mouth tastes like—ugh!” Pig immediately steps in, “You were pretty drunk, mate, What do you remember?” Whipple grunts, “I went to sleep, yeah…then suddenly I’m being dragged through the fucking jungle by you poor bastards! Where are the girls?” The uncomfortable silence is broken by Pig, “Joshi took ‘em back to the Frenchman. You…you slipped and cocked your noggin.” Whipple laughs, but accepts Pig’s story, even though he coughs blood a few times.

Return of Joshi
Joshi catches up soon after Whipple regains consciousness. His face is stony, and a Psychology roll indicates something is off. A Spot Hidden roll observes that he’s wearing the Frenchman’s Légion d’honneur medal, torn from its red ribbon and threaded through Joshi’s hemp necklace. A Hard success further notes a fresh bloodstain on Joshi’s cuff. If asked about either, the Lascar snarls, “Watch your tongue, or I’ll remove it when you sleep!”

L) Meanwhile Back on the Quiddity, Part 2
Morning on the Quiddity finds the officers in a foul mood, disgusted by Whipple’s absence. Just as Mr. Pynchon instructs Mr Coffin to organize a small search party, another whaler hoves into view, the Urania from Falmouth. Despite his irritation, Joab calls to the bark’s master, “Hast thou seen the White Whale?” The captain replies through his speaking horn, “No, but we heard tale of him by the Encantadas, no more’n two weeks ago. From a British ship, the Julia.” The Urania drops anchor, leaving Joab in a frenzy to depart—“Mr. Pynchon. If Mr. Whipple isn’t here by noon, we depart without him, damn his eyes!”

The Search Party
Mr. Pynchon asks Mr. Coffin to select two “good men” and accompany him ashore. This is an excellent opportunity to involve other player characters, including Quakaloo and even Dr. Lowell. Pynchon arms himself with a flintlock pistol and hands the other Brown Bess to Coffin. A whaleboat is lowered, and the quartet rows through the surf and up the Río Atacames.

M) Return to the Shore
Whipple’s crew emerges from the jungle just in time to see Pynchon’s party disembarking near Whipple’s moored whaleboat. There’s a dark look on Pynchon’s face, and a somber cast to the sailors’ movements. A nearby pennant flutters accusatorially, the wind in perfect condition to depart the coast.

Whipple’s crew stumbles over their explanations, “Mr. Whipple slipped…knocked his head…only came to a few minutes ago…” With an icy, barely-contained fury, Pynchon orders Mr. Coffin to examine the third mate’s head. There is indeed a large “goose egg,” and a First Aid roll confirms it’s at least a few hours old. The first mate instructs the men to return to the ship, and quietly declares, “One month Temperance for the lot of you.”

The Survivor

Just as the sailors reach the mouth of the river, a woman comes stumbling from the forest—a plump Indian girl, dressed in torn calico, blood staining the front. It’s Ankaylli. She staggers to the beach and raises her hands towards the men. It’s clear her face has been badly battered, and blood covers her lips.

As Whipple’s crew trade horrified looks, Mr. Pynchon orders Mr. Coffin to investigate. Joshi offers to help, but he’s flatly denied—“Stay in your boat, sailor.” Mr Coffin slogs through the surf to the woman, who collapses in a heap sobbing incoherently. A First Aid roll determines she’s been beaten about the face—her eyes are swollen and bruised, and her lower lip is split. A knife wound gapes from her ribcage. After a few moments of incoherent gurgling, the truth is finally revealed: she opens her mouth to speak, flapping the root of her bloody tongue! The sight costs Mr. Coffin a Sanity roll for a 1/1D3 loss. With a Herculean effort, the girl stands up and points her finger at—not Whipple’s crew, but directly at Mr. Pynchon! (If it isn’t obvious, an Idea roll recalls the resemblance between Pynchon and the Frenchman.) She wails something in tongueless Kichwa and topples to the sand.

N) What to Do?
The sight of Ankaylli triggers a 0/1D4 Sanity roll in every character involved in the evening’s festivities. When they left Ankaylli, she was tied to a tree, unconscious but unbruised. Did Joshi…? For any player character uninvolved in the excursion, including Mr. Coffin or Quakaloo, a Psychology roll reveals that Whipple and his men look genuinely surprised by the woman’s appearance; a Hard success fingers Joshi as the lone exception.

At this point, the Keeper must make a decision on how to proceed. Whipple’s crew remains silent about their role—as far as they’re concerned, this “crazy Indian” has nothing to do with them. Joshi has shown himself capable of murder; and clearly Whipple went mad. Mr. Pynchon suspects some version of the truth, but was genuinely rattled when she pointed directly at him. Could this have something to do with Los Caleuches…? Weighing the consequences of an honest investigation against the necessities of the Covenant, Pynchon makes a snap decision to accept the men’s “ignorance” of the girl at face value. He resolves to keep a closer eye on Joshi.

What Actually Happened?
Joshi had every intention of paying off the Frenchman, but the mercenary went ballistic, shouting in French and waving his musket. In a panic, Joshi shot Tremblay in the face. Jules ran away, but the Lascar caught him, then choked him to death on the jungle floor. He returned to Ankaylli, who wouldn’t stop repeating the phrase, “Sale bamboula!” over and over again. The Frenchman’s final words, it was the equivalent of “Filthy wog,” its meaning clear despite the language barrier. Joshi began beating her, but she wouldn’t stay quiet. In a furious panic, Joshi cut off her tongue. Suddenly realizing that Ankaylli saw him murder a European, Joshi stabbed her in the ribs, then rushed to get back. But she survived…

The Player Characters
How the involved PCs react is up to their players. They have a terrible decision to make. Do they tell the truth or keep silent? If they tell the truth, Pynchon will be forced to investigate, which might result in Whipple and Joshi being arrested and remanded to authorities. If they keep silent, they become willing accomplices to murder.

Option 1: Keeping Silent
If the player characters decide to keep mum, they should reach this decision without reference to the Binding Oath—it’s more powerful if the decision comes from their own souls, rather than magical interference! However, remaining voluntarily silent comes at a cost to a character’s humanity. While this may be fine for Morgan, for Dixon it requires a Sanity roll for a 0/1D4 loss. Redburn and Beckett earn a Sanity roll with a 1/1D6 loss. This loss manifests as feelings of guilt and shame, and the Keeper is encouraged to capitalize on this as the journey continues. It should be said, however, that keeping silent earns the approval of Whipple’s crew—for whatever that’s worth.

Option 2: Telling the Truth
If a player character decides to tell the truth, he must resist the Binding Oath and the Call of Dagon. As mentioned, these factors should be refereed after the decision has been reached.

Binding Oath
Any character under the sway of Joab’s spell discovers himself reluctant to inform on Whipple and Joshi. Isn’t the sworn purpose of the Quiddity DEATH TO MOCHA DICK? And if so, removing the third mate and his boat crew seems like a bad idea, no? Any player character ready confess or make accusations discovers he must pass a Hard Power roll to speak up. A failed roll results in a surprising timidity.

Call of Dagon
Player characters suffering from the Call of Dagon (that’s everyone except Coffin and Dixon) face another hurdle to confession. The moment they want to speak up, everything becomes cloudy, a haze of hashish and firewater. What actually happened? It’s hard to say… Is it really worth spending more time onshore, getting the authorities involved, and so on? Not when the Pacific Ocean awaits! It requires a Power roll to resist the Call of Dagon and speak up, and doing so brings a 1D4 loss of Sanity. (The Keeper should narrate this “compulsion” with delicacy, as the players should remain unaware of the Call of Dagon until they themselves recognize its effects in others, and possibly themselves…)

Immediate Confession
Player characters who confess immediately create a sensation. Whipple’s crew cries in protest, “Liar! Liar!” Mr. Pynchon commands everyone to be silent, then orders the boats back to the Quiddity. He asks the whistleblower to accompany him personally, and he’ll be escorted directly into his stateroom for a full report. Needless to say, such actions earn the character the enmity of Whipple’s crew, along with the general distrust of the forecastle. While the campaign can survive this—Whipple and Joshi are not part of the Covenant, and are ultimately replaceable—it means a very tense voyage, with the possibility of revenge taking any number of forms, from a nasty lock-socking to a fatal “accident” while whaling. However, it may not come this far: see “Pynchon’s Deception” for details.

Delayed Confession
Characters who decide to inform may do so less publicly. If the player characters speak privately to Mr. Coffin, the situation must be thoroughly roleplayed. However, any attempt to bring it to Joab results in, “Speak to Mr. Pynchon first.” And Pynchon…

Pynchon’s Deception
The first thing Pynchon does upon hearing the truth is request for every “good-hearted man who wishes to see justice done” to report to the cabin for a private meeting. Once these potential whistleblowers are assembled, Pynchon hears the story patiently, reacting as any sane man should to the tale of madness and murder. At that point, Pynchon retrieves the Bible and asks them men to swear upon the truth of their statements. In reality, Pynchon then casts Cloud Memory—the men were actually very drunk, and they don’t recall any incident with an Indian girl…

If Truth Must Win Out
If supernatural measures fail, or if the Keeper decides it’s simply more interesting to gameplay the truth, Pynchon may be forced to honestly investigate the issue. In the end he determines that Whipple and Joshi must be clapped in irons and remanded to authorities. Dixon is promoted to third mate. The Quiddity sails south and remands the criminals to the American consulate in Guayaquil, Mr. Seth Sweetser, esq. As this earns almost universal loathing among Whipple’s surviving associates, the player characters are in for a bumpy ride!

Is Ankaylli Dead Or Alive?
The Keeper must also determine whether Ankaylli dies from blood loss, or simply collapses into unconsciousness in Coffin’s arms. If the former, Mr. Pynchon orders the boats to leave immediately. If the latter, the question arises—does Mr. Pynchon ask Mr. Coffin and a few trusted men to carry the girl to the Alcalde? If this is the case, the first mate forces Mr. Coffin to meet his gaze, and says clearly, “We found her like this. You understand?” Of course Mr. Coffin is not bound to follow these callous instructions, but Ankaylli cannot bear accurate witness to her crimes, pantomiming some terrible incident about someone being bitten, tied up, and attacked with a knife. The Alcalde may even recognize the hand of Monsieur Tremblay. But even if he suspects foul play, he has little power beyond moral suasion to keep the Quiddity from departing—Atacames has no police force, and Ecuador remains in political chaos from the recent revolución. Also, the girl was an Indian from a village deep in the Esmeraldas; not a Spanish girl from Atacames—¡gracias a Dios! The outcome of this scenario depends on the actions of Mr. Coffin, who may or may not be operating under Joab’s Binding Oath.

O) Returning to the Quiddity
Returning to the ship is a somber experience, with anxious looks traded back and forth between Whipple’s crew. As Mr. Whipple genuinely doesn’t remember anything after falling asleep, he’s the least troubled; but it’s clear Joshi will strangle anyone who speaks. Captain Joab awaits them on deck, looking over the latecomers with a look of utter disgust. He turns away with a sharply-worded order—“Mr. Pynchon, kindly make sail.”

P) Aftermath
The disheartening events at Atacames were terrible, and should raise questions among the player characters. First of all, what was Whipple raving about? He actually bit that girl; he tore through Florencia’s neck in some kind of somnambulistic delirium! It’s inevitable that rumors about Whipple and Joshi in the lost whaleboat come to mind. Did they truly resort to murder and cannibalism? And Joshi—certainly he beat Ankaylli senseless and cut out her tongue. Did he leave her to die? Did he kill the Frenchman and his nephew?

NPC Reactions
The experience was also sobering to Whipple’s crew. The murdered girls weigh heavy on the conscience of Pig Bodine, and even the truculent Mattashunama is alarmed by Joshi’s ferocity. Henry Swain worries about their vengeful ghosts. Joshi keeps a close eye on everyone present during that night, and if he feels that anyone is “going soft,” he exerts pressure to keep them in line.

Privately, Mr. Pynchon gives Mr Whipple a furious dressing down, charging him for recklessness, and insinuating the crew is responsible for the brutal death of a local woman— “This is exactly the reason you are not fitted for higher duty, and men like Mr. Coffin are brought in above you!” This split between Whipple and Pynchon proves irreparable, and the two settle into an even frostier relationship. The men from Whipple’s excursion are denied their grog rations and assigned the worst duties for a full month. If they possessed the Swagger Die, it must be surrendered.

The rest of the crew is prone to believe whatever story is offered by Whipple’s men. Sure, the lads may have been up to no good, but not even they would murder a girl, even a “feebleminded savage!” Right…?

Telling Whipple the Truth
Over time, a player character may be tempted to tell Whipple what really happened. This confession is not restricted by either the Binding Oath or the Call of Dagon. Whipple takes the news poorly. Although he privately recognizes the truth, his reaction is to damn the messenger—“You fucking liar!” Whipple despises the character for revealing his weakness, harboring a burning resentment that’s quickly passed to half the forecastle. Indeed, the player character responsible for telling Whipple the truth finds himself condemned as “Bad Luck.” (See “Curse of Jonah” for details.)

White Leviathan, Chapter 3—Pacific Ocean I
[Back to Encounter 11, Atacames | White Leviathan TOC | Forward to Encounter 13, El Mar de los Sueños]

Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 31 October 2022
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
White Leviathan PDF: [TBD]