The four work their way through the thick jungle, eventually climbing out of it to a deep gash in the base of the mountain - a rope bridge, old and frayed, is the only way across. They move one at a time, to minimize the chance of failure. Below, there's a number of sharp rocks piercing through a thick fog, obscuring what lies at the bottom of the deep chasm. Then, they ascend the steep steps, carved into the cliffside with a sheer drop to one side, ascending ever higher. Halfway up, a bird erupts from a crevice, surprising Deathsword and sending one of his feet into the abyss, throwing him over the edge... his fall cut short by the rope tied around his waste to his companions, who struggle to stay on the path until he regains his footing.
Finally, they enter the cave.
It is empty.
The Captain will not be happy.
Back they go, down the stairs. Caz leads the way, Deathsword follows close behind, Dariush in third place, and TheDarkStar in the back, watching the others carefully, afraid of the glances they've been passing back and forth, the whispers...
Down they go, finally reaching solid ground, before returning to the bridge.
Caz crosses first, alone. The bridge sways in the breeze. Deathsword, again, follows close behind. And then Dariush, safely across the gap. They wait on the other side, stopped, gazes sent back. TheDarkStar steels himself. He steps onto the bridge. Then he steps again.
Halfway across, he sees Dariush step forward, knife in hand. He flickes the blade once, twice at the ropes securing the bridge to the far edge. The DarkStar, panicking, yells for help, begs the others to stop him.
Deathsword casually looks to the side, while Caz turns around and begins to head down the trail. Dariush cuts the first rope... and TheDarkStar slips, barely catching himself, hugging what remains and desperately trying to work his way back to where he began, now.
Then the second rope goes loose, and TheDarkStar finds himself hanging from the final, base rope... which soon goes loose as well, sending him screaming into the fog.
TheDarkStar has perished in an accident!The rest of the crew is silent on the walk back to the ship. They not only have to report the empty cave, but also that the rope bridge gave out, sadly, while TheDarkStar was crossing it, and that he met a tragic end. Or at least, this is the direction their thoughts were turning until they actually arrived back at the rowboat, to find a soaked, bloodied and bruised TheDarkStar already waiting for them. He throws them a big smile, and waves his arm wide to invite them aboard.
"Boy am I lucky there was actually water at the bottom of that chasm, eh? And look, the fall just managed to save me time!"
TheDarkStar has survived an accident! What luck!The crew returns to the ship, to a terrible scene. Apparently, some heated words were exchanged, because as they climb aboard, Persus is strapped to the mainmast begging for mercy, calling out to his god to be saved. The Captain lets off long enough to ask the crew where the hell the things he sent them to retrieve were, and when they tell him...
By the time he's worked out his fury, Persus is little more than a quivering lump of meat, sobbing quietly to himself, the Captain all the while alternativing between hurling invectives and terrible accusations at him, and cursing someone he calls "The Damned Indian". As he finishes, throwing down his flog, the Captain turns to the others and announces that THIS is the fate that awaits those who threaten to undermine his plans,
at his most lenient! With that, he storms off, leaving the others to cut Persus down and bandage his wounds as best they can... but Persus, the man they knew is dead. The broken man is but a shadow of who Persus once was...
Persus has been Disciplined! His mutinous plots are torn asunder!Slacker - You don't want to go! If you would be sent on an expedition, you can instead send someone else of your choice in advance, as a day action. If that player is already going on the expedition, another random player will be chosen instead. This ability can not be used on consecutive days.
Priest - (Ship Night Action) Sailors are a superstitious lot, and even if they don't strictly worship the same god you do, they tend to err on side of caution when potentially provoking supernatural ire comes up. You can use this to your advantage - target someone on the ship with you to discover their alignment by forcing a "confession" and watching how they react. They'll know they confessed, but not to who.
Soon, word bubbles up that the Captain is deciding what to do next, and the crew is to set sail for a nearby port town where they will "relax" while a new destination is planned.
It is now Day 2. 48 hours remain.