Galápagos Islands: The Eruption

6) The Eruption
Narborough Island, June 24, 1845

Narborough Island at Dawn (Photo by Howard Banwell)

Narborough presents its side in one dark craggy mass, soaring up some five or six thousand feet, at which point it hoods itself in heavy clouds, whose lowest level fold is as clearly defined against the rocks as the snow line against the Andes. There is dire mischief going on in that upper dark. There toil the demons of fire, who, at intervals, irradiate the nights with a strange spectral illumination for miles and miles around, but unaccompanied by any further demonstration, or else suddenly announce themselves by terrific concussions and the full drama of a volcanic eruption. The blacker that cloud by day, the more may you look for light by night. Often whalemen have found themselves cruising nigh that burning mountain when all aglow with a ballroom blaze.
—Herman Melville, “The Encantadas”

A) The Feeding Frenzy
Soon after entering Elizabeth Bay, the Quiddity catches sight of a rare scene—a feeding frenzy involving hundreds of blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds. The boobies circle the air and dive into the water, triumphantly pulling up fish while the frigatebirds attempt to steal their catches. The air is filled with bird cries while the water churns and splashes, soon attracting a pod of curious—and hungry—dolphins.

B) Heavy Weather
Sailing through the feeding frenzy, the Quiddity tacks northeast into the strait that separates Narborough from Albemarle (the modern Canal Bolívar). Soon after the ship changes tack, heavy weather rolls in from the northwest. The skies darken, acquiring a weird, greenish cast around the peak of Narborough. Silent sheets of pink lighting flash ominously from the belly of the clouds. The mariners trade frightened looks, and a few recall the “falling star” that nearly capsized the ship last autumn. As the Quiddity beats through the strait, the officers discuss whether to return to Elizabeth Bay or continue onwards to Banks Cove. The winds are manageable, but it’s impossible to determine whether a storm is coming—though storms are fairly rare in these waters. No matter what his officers suggest, Joab decides to maintain course. Pynchon orders the Quiddity to continue north—“If there’s going to be mischief, let’s be safe in Banks Cove as soon as possible.”

C) Eruption!
The strange weather does not herald a storm; but something more rare and spectacular. Just as Pynchon gives the orders to complete another challenging tack, the caldera atop Narborough Island collapses. A sudden spray of lava erupts into the heavens, an angry red flare illuminating the lowering green clouds. The sound of the eruption arrives a second after the sight, an earthshaking boom that reverberates across the waters and shudders the rigging. An orange plume of gas shoots skywards, showering the distant island with angry sparks as flaming tongues of lava creep inexorably down the mountainside.

Galápagos Eruption (Shutterstock)

The men are dumbstruck by the spectacle. Nerveless hands abandon their grip on lines, and the helmsman must make a Hard Pilot (Boat) roll or forget to steer! If the Quiddity misses stays, the ship loses momentum as Pynchon berates the hapless character—“It’s just a bloody volcano, no reason to act so lubberly! For the love of suffering Christ, get back at those lines! Put my ship in irons again and it’ll come out a Temperance ship!” Stung by his words, the men return to their duties. Soon a second plume of lava sputters from the eastern flank of the volcano, pouring a river of molten rock into the steaming surf.

D) The Lava Bomb
The Quiddity may be miles away from the eruption, but they’re not completely safe. The moment they correct course, a flaming ball of rock hurtles from the sky and smashes into the deck—a lava bomb! The Keeper should roll three times on the “Random Crewmen Table,” re-rolling any character currently below decks. These three unfortunates must each make a Dodge roll. A failure results in 2D6 damage, a Regular success catches 1D6 damage, and a Hard success dodges the bomb entirely. Furthermore, the deck catches fire!

Fighting the Fire
The fire may be extinguished using the “Shipboard Firefighting” mechanic in “New Systems and Mechanics.” However, in this particular incident, the surprise impact of the lava bomb means the fire burns uncontrollably during the first round, and sailors may only “spring into action” on the second round of burning at the rate of two men/round. Of course, the closest potential firefighters are the three sailors injured by the lava bomb. If the characters manage to douse the fire too quickly for dramatic impact, the Keeper may toss another pyroclastic visitor their way.

What If the Fire Burns Uncontrollably?
If the fire hasn’t been extinguished by the end of Round 7, the Quiddity will have suffered a total of 28 HP of structural damage—that’s considered “Heavy Damage.” After this point things escalate quickly, the ship becoming unsavable after Round 11. If the characters seem incapable of extinguishing the blaze, the Keeper should intervene; lest the scenario end in flames before Banks Cove is even sighted! The easiest solution is to enlist NPCs and fake a few successful Seamanship rolls. Or the heavens deliver a miraculous rainfall. Or Pynchon quietly casts Control Elements, summoning a rogue wave to sweep the deck before the sails catch fire. If Pynchon resorts to sorcery, the Keeper may allow Quakaloo and/or Rachel to observe the first mate doing something “suspicious” over the side of the taffrail. Perhaps a sequence of hand-gestures performed while clutching a Vokoan spirit bag?

E) Aftermath
Once the fire has been extinguished, the Quiddity continues unhindered through the strait. The eruption continues its brazen pageant as night falls across the islands. Occasionally the fire and smoke is interrupted by a dramatic Greek chorus of calamity—a bolt of lightning smashes into the side of the volcano, or some subterranean readjustment uncorks a sonic boom that rolls sonorously across the trembling water. Choked with ash, the sky is suffused with a hellish glow, which reflects from the channel in wavering sheets of crimson and paints the sailors’ faces with demonic masks. A shift in the wind envelops the Quiddity in a cloud of warm ash, settling across the decks like a gray snowfall. The men wrap bandanas around their faces and continue their duties, maintaining a respectful silence as they continue beating towards Banks Cove. By the time they drop anchor, the volcano has subsided, a distant silhouette smoldering in the nocturnal gloom.

White Leviathan, Chapter 4—Galápagos Islands
[Back to Encounter 5, Sailing to Narborough & Albemarle | White Leviathan TOC | Forward to Encounter 7, Banks Cove]

Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 19 August 2023
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
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