Missing in Briney Bay: A Solo Lovecraftian Adventure Game

Every Creative Concept solo adventure is different, with its own unique card meanings and events, making a "core" book unnecessary. Missing in Briney Bay “My dearest friend, I write to you now from the town of Briney Bay. I arrived here days ago to record and map the town and research the history of the many shipwrecked and sunken vessels lining the bay. I fear I may have overstepped my welcome and encountered things I should never have approached. The locals appear hostile to my many questions, and where they were social during my arrival, they have now become antisocial in response to my inquiries. I fear my life may be in danger. I know this sounds mad, but I believe it is so. Further, oh, my friend, I shudder to tell you my afflictions, yet I must. I have contracted some illness, and my skin has begun to dry and flake. The humidity, moisture, and sea salt of the town afflicts me as well. The local church has been helping me during my outbreak, and they have slowed the progress somewhat. The boarding house where I am is quaint, and the other guests are understanding of my plight. Yet I must tell you of the visions? Nightmares? Experiences I am having. I dream of a sunken city. I dream of seeing the old lighthouse nearby standing tall. I dream of strange shapes and noises that oppress me during my waking hours. I begin to fear the locals of this place. I have attempted to leave several times, but the Reverend and a local Doctor have said my skin affliction can only be cured here since the townsfolk often contract it, and I must remain for treatment lest it becomes life-threatening. If you have received this letter, which I pray to God you have, know that I have been and always shall be your friend and confidant if I may pass. I will give it to the taxi driver who comes during the day to deliver it to you, since there is no post office here. I hope you are well, and I shall see you soon if I survive this disease. You have always been my loyal friend, and I will never forget you as such.” You set your friend’s letter down at your desk as you read the date postmarked a week ago and double-check your mail for another letter. Your closest friend has not sent another. You check your maps and see there is indeed a small town called Briney Bay within hours of your home by train and taxi. You can’t ignore the pain in your heart nor the sorrow the letter expressed, and decide then and there you must leave immediately to discover what has happened to your friend, hoping with all your might the worst has not occurred. You worry about their state of mind regarding the visions and the citizens of the town. It sounds like paranoia brought on by their disease. Fear not! You are on your way! The adventure takes place during the early 1930s in the small seaside town of Briney Bay. A New England town, hardly visited, is known for having a dangerous bay that poses a threat to nautical travel. You arrive by taxi, check into Downs’ boarding house, which is the only place to stay, and begin seeking your friend, their condition, and their whereabouts. So that you may be surprised as you draw your cards, do not read this entire adventure until after you have played it at least once, by just drawing the cards without reading, and enjoy the adventure. Materials you will need. You will need some simple items as follows: • A Standard Deck of Playing Cards (with Jokers): I own several decks with different face card themes. You can use a standard deck or a unique one to play solo games with themes. Every card will have a different meaning as you draw one. They produce the adventures to start you on your way, a side quest, a discovery, how your character may feel, or people or creatures you will meet along the way. • Paper and pencil, or a writing program: I prefer a writing program or a spreadsheet to log, in order, your ideas as you travel the world. Now, before you begin, you have to decide who you are: 1. Are you a professional? What is your occupation? What makes you loyal to this friend? How did you meet? What’s your gender? Are you from the city or the country? Are you rich, middle class, or poor? What sort of shape are you in? 2. Choose Your Role: What are you willing to do to protect your friend? Do you believe in the supernatural? Do things frighten you easily, or don’t bother you at all? Are you a skeptic of local superstitions? Do you carry or have a firearm to protect yourself? Any bad habits? A risk taker or risk avoider? 3. Prepare your Deck: Shuffle your deck of playing cards and place the stack face down. With your character’s nature made, your role in the story selected, and your cards ready, it’s time to start your journey. Gameplay: Each card creates a new event or discovery for your character; make sure to chronicle them in order. A series of turns of fate may reflect on the card you have, two cards later. 1. Draw a single card at a time from the deck. Begin by drawing a situation card, any Club suit, and it starts you on the adventure. Reshuffle the deck with the cards drawn before the first Club and continue. 2. The prompts below will tell you the card’s meaning by number and suit. Try to imagine the scene with all five senses. 3. Write your entry describing the moment using your senses. Imagine it’s a scene in a movie, comic, or novel, and play with it. Use that imagination! 4. After writing down your scene, draw the next card to continue your adventure. When you reach the end of the deck, you can either imagine going back to where you started or use it as a cliffhanger for your next story after you shuffle the deck. You just completed “Book One” of your adventure. 5. Even though this is a solo adventure, you can bring your friends along and have them as part of your group, and all of you write your part in the adventure separately. Careful, their character may not be trusted! Watch your back.