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Deep_Impact
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Joined: Fri 06 Apr 2018, 06:58

The Silver of the Sea

Thu 14 May 2020, 08:50

I just read "Silver of the Sea", was the first of the Wicked Mystery.

And I really like it. The number of NPC is easily handable and they are well described. The hints are good to find and the most important are hidden in more than one place to avoid bottlenecks.
I think it's not too hard for the players to understand the clues right. Tales like the "Fisherman and his wife" should be known to the players. Several countdowns are bringing the story to a decent pacing and this not too structured or railroaded. Okay, it won't deliver too many options or "red herrings" (pun intended) either.

The Lore mechanic enables them to get background information about the vaesen easily, especially if they managed to get the right advantages earlier in the preparation.
At the end, the characters have a moral dilemma and maybe are in real danger of losing the lives or mental health, but in a comprehensible way, other than most Cthulhu stories I know. Having a not to low Agility rating is vital...

The only thing I can't estimate at the moment is the vision of palace under the sea. Sounds a bit to magical, but might be good for the atmosphere.

What do you think about it?

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Byrax
Posts: 1096
Joined: Fri 08 Jan 2016, 10:42
Location: Mythic North

Re: The Silver of the Sea

Mon 02 Nov 2020, 16:21

Really like the mystery.

I will perhaps add a little red herring/side quest/complication to it, by having a ghost ship/drowned ghasts around, a ship that the Amundssons lured ashore. Perhaps soldiers on the way to a war in Finland, like this https://www.gd.se/artikel/200-ar-sen-varsta-sjoolyckan
Maybe have a private detective hired by the insurance company/navy snooping around, since goods from the ship have shown up around Wreckers Island. Or some "treasure hunters" trying to locate the ship wreck, hiring small boats, going out night time etc. Maybe the men ending a long shift at the light house returns to Wreckers Island, with ghastly tales of seeing the lost ship again in the mist, or claiming that the "island" further out has moved. Maybe have a lost, drowned ghost, a "strandvaskare", searching for revenge/rest along the beaches around the Weather Island lighthouse, to keep it a little bit in scale, compared to a full ghost ship.

Any other ideas?

BTW, have someone found an old sea chart to use as a "prop" for the game? My Google-Fu only showed low-rez ones for Northern Bohuslän.

PS a pic of the "silver rush" in 1877 https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sillperio ... a-1877.jpg

PPS maybe add some handout re the birth of the three/four brothers in the parrish registry, should the player snoop around. Perhaps finding an old tale of sacrifices to the sea in the past, in return for fishes a plenty.
Last edited by Byrax on Wed 04 Nov 2020, 15:25, edited 1 time in total.
 
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aramis
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Re: The Silver of the Sea

Tue 03 Nov 2020, 20:01

My players blew it up... they took out the Merchild before finding out enough, and thus triggered the anger of the Merfolk mother.... while having been in town less than a day's labor.
Then they had to find a way to survive the tsunami. Needless to say, they're skittish about ocean trips now.
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Smith & Wesson: the original point and click interface...
 
Byrax
Posts: 1096
Joined: Fri 08 Jan 2016, 10:42
Location: Mythic North

Re: The Silver of the Sea

Wed 04 Nov 2020, 15:24

A more detailed map of the region http://www.alvin-portal.org/alvin/image ... dswid=8743

EDIT: and an old map of Fjellbacka http://www.alvin-portal.org/alvin/image ... swid=-1363

As regards a haunted lighhouse in the area, these maps/plans could be useful:

A real blueprint of a lighthouse in the area https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4de ... ue_fyr.jpg
An island https://www.reddit.com/r/battlemaps/com ... ighthouse/
Another island with a graphic style that feels Vasen https://www.reddit.com/r/inkarnate/comm ... _scenario/
 
Kiratchi
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed 13 Jan 2021, 18:46

Re: The Silver of the Sea

Wed 13 Jan 2021, 19:27

Here is some music suitable for The Silver of the Sea.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2ejH7 ... rHoLw8E5cA

When/if the Kraken emerges: Scherezade
When/if the Merequeen emerges: Philip Glass four songs
When/if the magical underwater world is seen: Miroirs

The rest are for other occasions on the sea.

I use more classical music for more magical things and more folky and less eye-catching otherwise. (See my post in the music thread)

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