The Drowned

The day wears on…

We weave our way along the slopes of a long valley, the smell of spruce sharp in our noses. As fog descends towards evening, we see a ruined logging camp ahead. Though the wood of the longhouse has long since rotted, we find an untouched well dug at its door.

Eager for fresh water, we heave the well’s cover away — only to see, splashing in the water below, a pair of pale orbs staring up at us. It is the shadow of young boy, barely ten years old, his face bloated and black in the water that drowns him. Limbs thrashing to stay afloat, he reaches towards us. “Help me…”

Seizing poles from the longhouse, we attempt to obey.


The Challenge

Fish the drowning boy from the well!

  • Shuffle the Drowned’s card facedown into the deck. Place the deck facedown in the centre.

  • Clockwise starting with the Reader, each traveller takes it in turns to cut the deck once. The goal is to cut directly to the spirit of the Drowned.

  • If the traveller does not succeed in finding the Drowned, place the deck back together. Do not reshuffle the cards.

  • The next traveller then takes their turn.

  • The game ends when the party has cumulatively cut the deck twelve times, or the Drowned is found.

HELP FROM AN ITEM

If any traveller carries a ROPE, they may have two turns.

Success. If the travellers successfully cut to the Drowned before twelve cuts are made, the Challenge is passed.

Failure. If twelve cuts are made and the Drowned is not found, then the Challenge is failed.

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If the Challenge was passed, the traveller who cut to the Drowned receives the Blessing of the Drowned.

If the Challenge was failed, the travellers fail to save the boy. All travellers suffer the Curse of the Drowned. Take this spirit's card and place it in a designated area on the table so everyone can see it. If this is the party's third Curse, click here.

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Moving fast, we attempt to fish the poor boy from the well. But our poles go straight through him; after all, he is but a phantom who died here long ago.

Reaching again for us, the boy’s voice floats up to us once more. “She pushed me… Tell them… She pushed me…”

Then he is gone, and there is only water, black and stinking.

  • Re-form the deck before continuing.