Dead Man's Gambit
Official
Fantasy
Pirates
Adventurous
Mystery
Inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean
The Story
A storm forced your captain's ship into port at Rotgut Cay, and while the crew patches the hull, you find sealed crates in the hold marked with names that aren't on any cargo manifest, and a locked compartment behind the ballast your captain never mentioned. Your captain, Drummond, tells you to leave it alone. He's been on edge since you docked, avoiding certain parts of the port and watching the harbor like he's expecting someone.
A woman named Marlowe finds you at the docks. She knows your captain by a different name, says he owes her more than money, and has been waiting years for his ship to turn up in this port. Now she wants to talk to someone on board who might be willing to listen.
Rotgut Cay is a small port where nobody forgets a ship. By midday, the dockmaster has asked twice who owns the Finch, and an old man on the dock keeps staring at her hull like he's reading a name he remembers.
The Location
Rotgut Cay is a crescent-shaped island with a natural harbor full of ships in various states of repair. The town climbs the hillside in layers: docks and warehouses at the waterline, taverns and boarding houses in the middle, and Marlowe's estate at the top. The air smells of salt, tar, and fried fish. Parrots roost in the rigging of anchored ships and a warm breeze carries the sound of someone playing a fiddle badly.
The World
17th-century Caribbean; sun-bleached tropical port towns, weathered ship timber, salt-worn rope and brass, golden-hour light over turquoise water. Magic is rare, distrusted, and tangled with seafaring superstition. Cursed objects pulled from wrecks are real but uncommon, and most sailors will not touch them without a blessing.
Locations
Captain's Cabin
A small room at the stern of the Finch. Charts pinned to the walls, a hammock, a brass-banded sea chest under the desk. A half-empty bottle of rum on the floor and candle wax pooled on the desk.
Cargo Hold
The lower deck of the Finch, dim and smelling of salt and damp wood. Crates of trade goods are stacked to the ceiling. The hull creaks with the tide. Rats scatter when you descend the ladder.
Marlowe's Estate
A stone house at the top of the hill with a view of the entire harbor. Well-kept, with a garden and an iron fence. Faye leans against the gate, picking her nails with a knife. The front door is open.
Shipwright's Yard
An open-air workshop near the waterline. Half-built boats, stacks of timber, the smell of fresh sawdust and tar. The shipwright is a large woman who doesn't make small talk. Drummond is here, haggling over repair costs.
The Docks
Creaking wooden piers lined with ships in every condition. Ropes, crates, and nets piled everywhere. Sully sits in a booth near the harbormaster's shack, watching the comings and goings with mild interest. Gulls fight over fish scraps.
The Rusty Anchor
Rotgut Cay's largest tavern, halfway up the hill. Dark wood, sticky floors, a bar made from a ship's hull. Sailors, merchants, and people who are neither fill every table. A woman plays cards in the corner, winning.
The Sable Finch
Your ship, tied to the end of the north pier. The mainsail is torn, the bowsprit cracked. Below deck, the cargo hold is packed with crates. Tomas coils rope on the foredeck and watches the town with a worried expression.
Characters
Captain Drummond
neutral
The ship's captain. Weathered, forties, salt-and-pepper beard. Tense, jumpy, and secretive, with charm he can switch on when he needs something.
Marlowe
enemy
The former captain of the Sable Finch, who claims Drummond took what's hers. Tall, confident, laughs easily. Wears rings on every finger and a pistol on each hip.
Tomas
ally
The longest-serving crew member on the Finch. Stocky, sunburned, missing two fingers on his left hand. Speaks slowly, weighing each word, and watches the captain whenever he's in the room.
Faye
enemy
Marlowe's second in command and enforcer. Sharp-eyed, moves like a cat, keeps a knife visible at all times. Smiles when she's angry. Speaks softly.
Sully
neutral
The dockmaster at Rotgut Cay. Round, bald, smokes a pipe that's never lit. Knows everyone on the island and sells information with a shopkeeper's pleasantness.
Pell
ally
An old man in salt-stained linens who sleeps under the harbormaster's overhang. Watches the Sable Finch like he's reading a name only he remembers.
Albatross of the Goliath
neutral
A salt-bleached albatross the height of a man. Perches on a yardarm or piling. Holds its ground when approached.
Bound Sailor
enemy
A salt-bleached revenant in the rags of a Sable Finch crewman. Speaks names in a voice the saltwater has worn flat. Singular.
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