The fair breeze blew,
the white foam flew
The furrow flowed free
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea
–-The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The sea is treated with respect by many cultures, providing a valued source of commerce and food for numerous fishing villages. In the past, an explorer who found a new trade route would be assured fame and reward from his patrons. For this reason, many sailors braved the dangers inherent in ocean travel. Sea voyages were journeys into the unknown, and there was no way to determine for sure if the ship would ever return from a deep sea fishing, trading, or an exploration voyage. The oceans could quickly become treacherous due to the unpredictability of the weather and other factors. The feeling of claustrophobia inherent in long sea voyages has been used to great effect in many movies and novels.

This fear of the world collapsing can also be used to add an additional element of atmosphere to your roleplaying sessions -- there is nothing so disheartening as realizing that your character, who can fight or argue their way out of any situation, can't swim. This article explores some important themes associated with sea based adventures, with suggestions on to use them in your campaign when the characters decide (voluntarily or otherwise) to take an adventure on the high seas.

The Abandoned Ship

Many stories have been told of ships found abandoned at sea, floating aimlessly without crew or passengers. Sailors who discovered such a vessel were disturbed by the mysterious disappearance of the ship's crew. With often no apparent reason for her abandonment, all sorts of wild rumors would abound (from malign supernatural influence to alien abduction). Most sailors refused to board the ship to investigate further.

The discovery of an abandoned ship could be a diversion in a sea-voyage adventure or a puzzle for the characters to solve where careful examination of log books and damage to the ship will reveal many important clues. The crew may have abandoned ship due to the premature fear of the ship sinking. In most cases, the crew was either lost at sea, or found their way to land. In the days before reliable communication, another ship would have no way of knowing the fate of the deserted crew and may spread the tale of a strange disappearance, when in fact the crew may be safe and well, having had the good fortune to make it back to their country of origin.

An attack from pirates could be another explanation for a ship's abandonment. In this case, the ship would have been pillaged, and there would be signs of violence as the pirates dispatched any eyewitnesses. The charactersÕ ship could be the next target and if they can deduce why the ship was abandoned, it could give them prior warning of an imminent attack.

One of the more interesting reasons to desert a ship is a money-making conspiracy. A ship that discovered an abandoned vessel could bring it back to port and claim salvage money; the better the condition of the ship the more money they received. If the captain of the salvage vessel and the captain of the supposedly abandoned vessel cooperated they could gain a handsome profit, with the captain of the abandoned ship claiming it was lost at sea. The characters could find out the captain of their ship is actually involved in a "scam" to claim a conveniently "deserted" ship. If they become suspicious, they may be in danger from the captain and the crew who will try to silence them. Alternately, they may be hired to investigate the situation by the shipsÕ owners.

One of the best known examples of an abandoned ship was that of the brigantine Mary Celeste which left New York to sail to Genoa in 1872. She was carrying a crew of ten including Captain Briggs (a shareholder in the ship), and his wife and daughter. Eleven days after leaving port, the Mary Celeste was found floating adrift by the crew of the Dei Gratia. They boarded her and found only minor damage and no one at all on board. The sails and compass were damaged, and a couple of hatches had been forced off but the damage did not suggest a need to abandon ship and the log book provided no clues. The "Dei Gratia" towed her back to port and claimed the salvage money.

An inquiry was held, but it reached no satisfactory conclusion. Piracy or murder didn't seem to be likely as there was no evidence of violence. The Mary Celeste had been carrying a cargo of alcohol -- could it have been threatening to explode? The most plausible theory was that for some reason the crew had abandoned ship in one of the small lifeboats and a sudden gust of wind caused the Mary Celeste to sail off out of reach of the small boat. In despair, they would have realized there was no chance of catching up with her and they would have perished at sea. Another theory is that it was a conspiracy in fraud between the two captains, who were seen together prior to the Mary Celeste's last voyage. Could they have organized her abandonment to claim the salvage money?

A stranger story was told by the crew of the Ellen Austin in 1881. They discovered an abandoned schooner at sea and sent some men over to retrieve her for salvage. Unfortunately, a storm came up and they lost sight of the schooner. When the storm abated they located her but she was handling badly -- there was obviously something wrong. She was boarded again and they were horrified to discover the crewmen from the Ellen Austin had disappeared too. Surprisingly, another few men volunteered to act as her crew but when they sailed ahead of the Ellen Austin, the schooner and the men disappeared and were never seen again.

Some ships are abandoned because they have been severely damaged, but they do not always sink. Instead they get caught in strong currents, (such as the transatlantic current), and float back and forth for many years. The Marlborough was such a derelict and she drifted for over twenty-three years until she was finally boarded in 1913. Almost a thousand derelicts were spotted in the Atlantic between 1887 and 1891. These derelicts were quite dangerous, being capable of colliding with other ships in the shipping lanes.

It wasn't until the twentieth century that the lanes were cleared of all these wrecks. The sight of a derelict ship was eerie and these sighting have no doubt led to the reporting of "ghost ships", but the obvious damage to their sails or hulls made the cause of their abandonment easily. The characters may wish to board such a derelict to see if there is anything of value aboard or to claim usable parts to repair damage to their own ship. Worse still, they could encounter it when it accidentally rams their ship. They may at first think it is an attack by pirates but should be surprised when they find it unmanned.

Ghost Ships

The tale of the "ghost ship" -- an unearthly, luminous vessel manned by an spirit crew -- is a popular story amongst seafarers. The famous fable of the Flying Dutchman tells of the ship of the damned which is was sighted around the Cape of Good Hope. Vanderdecken, the captain, offended a supernatural being with his blasphemy. The spirit cursed him to endlessly sail his ship around the world without rest or human companionship. It is an ill omen if the ship is seen; its appearance means death by shipwreck.

The appearance of one of these "supernatural" ships could actually be a mirage or a floating derelict, obscured by fog or bad weather. It will definitely frighten the crew and they may insist on turning the ship back; the characters may have to talk them into continuing the voyage. However, if the supernatural is commonplace in your campaign, it could actually be a ghost ship, acting as a portent of doom or trying to steal the souls from the "living" ship. Perhaps the ghost ship's endless unhappy wandering could be laid to rest if the characters perform a task to redeem the spirits on-board.

Sea Monsters

Sea monsters have been reported from ancient times to the modern day. Some sightings could be accounted for by a simple case of mistaken identity -- the "monster" could be a large mass of seaweed or a school of basking sharks. However, there are real monsters of the depths. Giant cuttlefish have been known to grow up to 16 meters, the long snake-like ribbon fish can grow up to 12 meters, and eels can reach incredible lengths as well. Giant squids and octopuses might also account for many sightings, but there is also the possibility that a previously unknown species exists in the ocean depths.

A Scandinavian sea monster, the myth of the Kraken was most likely based upon encounters with giant sea squids . It is thought that their massive tentacles can be mistaken for sea-serpents. The giant squids have been "sighted" doing battle with whales who consider the squid a tasty snack; an awe-inspiring sight, which could easily have led to rumors of monsters. There has been reports of a squid like creatures attacking men on boats and pulling them overboard. In 1896 a huge octopus washed up in Florida with a tentacle span of 60 m. However octopi rarely come to the surface and would be less likely to attack a boat than the squids.

The mythical sea serpent, with a horse-like head and mane and multiple humps rising out of the water, has been reported many times around certain areas of coastline. Perhaps the origin of these folklore tales come from the water horse or kelpie. One report of a this type of sea monster came in 1808 from a minister who was fishing in a small boat off the coast of Scotland. He saw what he thought was a rock and was extremely surprised when it suddenly lurched up out of the sea -- a monster with an oval shaped head, yellow eyes, and a long neck. The minister and other boats close by started rowing for shore. The monster, however, didn't attack and swam back out to sea.

The obvious encounter with a sea monster would be for it to attack the characters' ship. Or it could be threatening a fishing village's livelihood with the fishermen too frightened to take their boats out. In one scenario, there could be a deserved reputation for the sea monster with tales of people being pulled off boats. Or sights of devoured animals or small children that wandered too close to the shoreline, (think of Jaws). Alternatively, the frightening appearance of the monster could be deceptive. ItÕs not a man-eater but subsists on small fish and plankton. If the characters discover this, they may try to convince the villagers it is not a threat, and the monster could become quite a tourist attraction.

In another scenario, smugglers are making a false sea monster from a long boat and using it to scare anyone away from their activities and hideout -- late at night, the monster looks quite frightening with lanterns used for glowing eyes and black oilskin as its glistening hide.

In a more modern campaign, the sea monster sightings could excite scientists or collectors and they may send the party out to collect information. They may have found an area of ocean which contains ancient oddities like the coelacanth -- a prehistoric fish that still exists today even though it was thought to have died about 70 million years ago. The scientists may speculate that if these smaller creatures have not died out, could larger creatures also exist? ItÕs up to the characters to find out.

Superstition at Sea

It is not surprising that sailors have a wealth of superstition, taboos, and charms related to their safety at sea. Strange beliefs among the crew of a vessel could lead to interesting situations. GMs with a sense of humor may easily perplex characters by insisting they adhere to these odd customs. Characters unfamiliar with the sailors' taboos may inadvertently break them. For example, an over-enthusiastic archer may decide to practice on seabirds, leading to the wrath of the sailors who consider the birds lucky. If the weather turns bad, the sailors could insist that a sacrifice is needed to appease the god of the sea -- one life to save the lives of many. The characters may not think much of this idea, especially if one of them gets "volunteered" for the honor.

Many superstitions are based on chasing away evil spirits that cause bad luck. The tattoos that so many sailors sport, were considered protection against these spirits. Chinese sailors would cut small holes in the sails, so spirits would pass through them without getting caught. Many boats would have eyes painted on their prows so the ship could "see" and safely navigate the waters.

Other traditions, some of which still continue today, come from sailors offering homage to the sea gods in order to ensure a safe and successful voyage. The well known tradition of breaking a bottle on the prow of a new ship comes from an ancient superstition that a blood sacrifice is necessary to appease the gods of the sea. The habit of calling a ship "she" came from the belief that the ships are supposedly brides to the sea gods. The traditional flag decorations that ships fly have their origins in the decorations tied to ships to please the elements. Another superstition made it unlucky to save someone from drowning -- the sea-gods would be displeased at being cheated of the person's life, instead claiming the rescuer at a later date.

Animals figure prominently among sailors superstitions; cats are considered lucky animals to have on board, no doubt due to their capabilities as rat catchers. Some other animals are greatly feared. To see a particular animal before setting sail is a very bad omen. Hull trawler men are terrified of pigs and will not even say the creatures name. Samuel Coleridge's classic poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner describes why it is unlucky to kill an albatross (it is supposed to bring the winds and is also thought to contain the souls of drowned sailors). The petrel is also considered unlucky, because it brings bad weather -- which explains why it is referred to as a "storm petrel".

Premonitions of Disaster

In the aftermath of many great disasters, there are stories of people who suddenly "get sick" or have such strong feelings of foreboding and that they miss the ill-fated trip. If a character or NPC has premonitions of disaster it can build tension about whether the dreams are real warnings or just an overindulgence of moldy sea biscuits.

For example, more people would have been saved from the Titanic if the owners had not been so convinced of her "unsinkability" that they did not provide enough lifeboats. Many passengers spoke of premonitions of disaster. This affected some so strongly, that they decided not to board the ship and were saved.

Another tale involves the Waratah -- a passenger cargo steamer which sailed between Australia, South Africa and London in 1909. One passenger suspected the ship was top heavy and after a warning apparition appeared to him in a nightmare three times that night, he decided to disembark prematurely when the Waratah pulled into port at Durban. The Waratah then sailed down the coast of South Africa and was never seen again.

Shipwrecked Treasure Troves

The discovery of shipwrecks excite thoughts of long lost treasure; even in earlier times divers explored them at great risk. The possibility of treasure could encourage characters to attempt underwater diving, especially if some mad inventor has primitive diving equipment available. Of course, with magic it might be possible for characters to explore a shipwreck without running out of oxygen -- just make sure the wreck is dangerous. It wouldn't hurt to use the old cliche of having a time limit on the magic supply either. Lack of oxygen makes a great motivator. Magically accouterments may or keep them safe from the pressure and the sea water water for a time, but they have to work quickly before their air runs out, or a predator finds them.

The search for a wreck could require a lot of research or the characters could be hired by an academician who believes they have discovered the position of the lost ship. One historic ship was found because of the appearance of silver coins washed up on a beach. The irregularly shaped coins had been turned black by the salt water but were recognized as Spanish pieces of eight. It was suspected a Spanish ship must have been sunk hundreds of years ago in the vicinity. "Treasure" also means different things to different people.

The wreck itself may be valuable historically or it may contain lost documents, seals of power, or religious artifacts which can be just as precious as gold.

Many archaeological finds have been made by chance and the characters could easily stumble across a wreck accidentally. For example, a Greek diver was stunned to find huge statues of men, women, and animals on a chance dive off the uninhabited island of Antikythera, near Crete. These were the remains of a Roman shipwreck, the diver grabbed the arm of a statue and brought it to the surface as proof of his great find.

Problems that might hinder underwater exploration include encounters with sharks or other sea creatures, poor visibility in water filled with silt, and fragile, unsteady wrecks. If the characters have to dive fairly deep, they could have problems with nitrogen narcosis or decompression sickness. Nitrogen narcosis could occur if a character is forced to stay down at a great depth for too long -- the increased nitrogen in their blood makes a them act as if they are intoxicated. Decompression sickness, also known as "the bends" could occur if a diver is forced to come to the surface too quickly after a deep dive. This causes tiny bubbles to form in the blood and tissues and can cause great pain and may inhibit breathing.

Sunken Cities

Ships arenÕt the only things lost to the depths. Cities have also sunk below the oceans due to earthquakes or tidal waves. The buccaneer town of Port Royal in Jamaica is one such city, not to mention the legendary Atlantis. A sunken land may have been lost by the waters rising gradually due to a great deluge or perhaps to an increase in the ocean level. An underwater city could lie intact and motionless awaiting investigation by characters. In a magic-rich campaign the city may have been submerged by another water dwelling race who have claimed the city as their own. They may be planning to repeat this procedure again and the characters may have to enter the sunken city to stop them. The reverse could also occur and the characters could be astounded when a sunken island suddenly resurfaces during a sea voyage.

Mutineers and Castaways

It was sometimes hard to convince people to join crews, and occasionally, underhanded tactics were used to "recruit" sailors. The Navy would sometimes press-gang people into joining their service by knocking them unconscious and kidnapping them. Once they were out to sea, the unfortunate victim had no choice but to act as part of the crew if they wanted to receive food and water. At the turn of the century, some unscrupulous boarding house keepers would use similar tactics by making a person drunk or doping their food and in return for a "finder's fee", would give them to a ship looking for crew members.

Even though the kidnapped crew members would usually be paid, their resentment could sometimes lead to mutiny or even murder. Characters who were treated in this way would no doubt try to escape or cause dissent among the other crew members. If theyÕre successful, the party could find themselves in charge of their own ship. This could lead to more adventures, as the characters attempt to navigate their way home. Landing on an unexplored desert island could be a good change of pace in the campaign as well. The characters could explore the new land or gather the supplies necessary to build a ship and leave. Of course, if there is an established civilization already present, then they may only have to raise enough money to buy passage out of there, but it gets them acquainted with a new culture.

Ship Graveyards

Ship Graveyards claim many ships. They are dangerous to navigate, with many hidden reefs or a propensity to bad weather. They could also be areas of treacherous magic such as the legendary Symplegades, two large floating islands which could sense the presence of a ship and would destroy it by crashing together. Travelling areas such as this, would fill a crew with fear and there would be much scared whispering once the area was approached -- some crew members might refuse to go any further and insist the ship be turned back.

There were also people who would lie in wait on dangerous areas of coastline until a ship became stranded, so they could strip away its valuables. These "ship-wreckers" were known as Mooncussers because they cursed the moonlight, preferring a dark, moon-less sky to do their work. A ship was not legally classified as a salvageable wreck if there were any survivors aboard; the Mooncussers would make sure of this by murdering any survivors and stripping them of their possessions. The characters could encounter the Mooncussers during a shipwreck, expecting help but being horrified when they realize their "rescuers" true intent. Alternatively they could be hired to eliminate a particularly vicious gang of these brutes and may decide to use a "stranded ship" as bait for the trap.

Sources

Great Sea Mysteries, Richard Garratt; Severn House Publishers, 1971.
Mysteries on the High Sea, Philip MacDougall; Newton Abbot Publishers, 1984.
Sinkings, Salvages and Shipwrecks -- Robert F. Burgess; American Heritage Press, 1970.
"Sailor's Pig Tales", Alec Gill; Fortean Times, Issue 84:39--41, John Brown Publishing,1995.
Superstitions, Peter Haining; Treasure Press, 1990.