The Scuttling

Details

Sacraments of Evil

Pages: 18

Author(s): Todd A. Woods, Kevin A. Ross

Artist(s): John T. Snyder, Tom Kalichack (maps)

Setting: 1890s

Appears in: Sacraments of Evil

Summary

London businessman hires the investigators to close a transaction for him in New York, requiring that they sail aboard his ship, the Christabel.

Links

• Stephen O\'Brien's Sacraments of Evil review on RPG.net
• Sacraments of Evil review on YSDC

Spoilers - Keepers Eyes Only

Players should not read any further.

Synopsis

 Spoiler Section (Highlight to Read)
Nigel Stander hires the investigators to sail to New York City aboard the Christabel and purchase of a piece of art - a bust of Lady Jane Grey, the first female monarch in English history - in his behalf. The crossing of the Atlantic Ocean takes a month, and the voyage and the transaction itself are carried out with little incident.

On their way back to England, two days into the ocean, the ship's crew feels an undersea quake and a moment later the ship crashes into a mud bank brought up by the tectonic movements. The crew doesn't know it, but while the ship was stuck in the mud bank, a giant eurypterid attached itself to the hull, giving birth to a horde of larvae that invade the ship looking for food. As the travel continues, eurypterids starts to mature and attacks become more frequent, killing several crewmen. Eventually, the mother itself comes aboard looking for food.

References

Player Handouts: (none)

Locations: London, England; New York, USA; but most of the scenario takes place inside the Christabel, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Creatures: Eurypterids, giant prehistoric arthropods, similar to lobsters and scorpions.

Tomes and Artifacts: (none)

Comments

The following data is included for use in this scenario but may also be useful somewhere else:

• Ground plan of a brig;
• Rules for seasickness and sea legs;
• Statistics for crewmen, and a few examples;
• Statistics for 8 larval and 8 mature eurypterids;
• Description and statistics for a mother eurypterid.

The scenario as a whole is a great source of information for any keeper looking for the description of a 19th century brig, the daily routine of the crewmen, typical captain, mates and crewmen behavior, fights, examples of problems and situations they can face while sailing, how hierarchy and chain of command works, etc.

Keeper Comments

Nigel Stander, the businessman that hires the investigators is briefly mentioned as an attendee in a party in The Eyes of a Stranger, a scenario also featured in Sacraments of Evil. This can be used as a tie for a Gaslight-era mini-campaign, if needed.