So You Want to Be a Pirate!, Wednesday, period two

[betterthanaplan]

There was no boat at all in sight when the students arrived in the Danger Shop for class today. There was plenty of water, bright blue and sparkling under a hot, cloudless sky, but the students would find themselves on a beach rather than a boat, with dense, vibrantly green vegetation unbroken behind them.

"Congratulations," Duke said, from where he lounged under a palm tree at the edge of the greenery. He tipped up the brim of his baseball cap and gave them a bright smile. "You've been shipwrecked. This is now your very own deserted island paradise. Or possibly hell. We'll see. Your assignment today is simple: survive. You don't know if or when help might be coming. You were sailing towards a well populated island, but the storm that stranded you here blew you off course, so you can't be sure how far away it is or in which direction. Your provisions and supplies all went down with your ship — as well as your captain, so I'm dead — and all you have are what you happen to have on you right now, and this." He held up a battered machete, then tossed it onto the sand, well away from the students. "Oh, and anything you happen to find on this island. You can band together or go it alone, it's up to you all, but by the end of class I want to hear your plan for survival. Oh, and Sidon if you're here, there's . . . let's say a wild, unpredictable ocean current that runs around the whole island, strong enough to send even you off course. So swimming for reinforcements isn't an option."

He leaned back against the tree and clapped his hands. "Well? What are you waiting for? Hop to. That sun's not going away any time soon, which means it's not going to get any cooler out here. And you all have work to do."

He pulled his hat back down over his eyes, looking for all the world like he was settling in for a nap.

Comments

Make your plan!

[betterthanaplan]

The island is a fairly trope-tastic tropical island, full of palm trees and white sand, with a small hill in the center boasting a small cave and a fresh spring. It's too small for a native human population, or even probably any apex predators, but there are plenty of birds and small animals running around. Flora, fauna, and other topographical details are moddable within that framework. If your character wants to find hallucinogenic berries, by golly they shall!

Work together or don't. Duke's going to silently judge you as you go.

Re: Make your plan!

[amitragic]

When Duke had said that thing about only having what they had on them, Ulysses had immediately patted his pockets with a concerned frown, which had then been replaced by a brief look of relief when he'd felt what he'd been looking for.

After the lecture part ended, Ulysses wandered off almost immediately. He found a nice spot on the beach where he promptly flopped down onto his back -- and pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket, and put them on. Look, he'd ended up falling off his fake boat last week like half a dozen times, so he was going to minimize the fake damage today, thanks. He knew he had nothing to contribute to anyone's survival, neither anyone else's or his own.

Except maybe as a catalyst to debates about cannibalism.