conversations.from: system
conversations.value: Despite its picturesque name, Rose Docks is a seedy, derelict neighborhood. The waterfront is a home for petty crime and bootlegging, sunken in a bay between the bleak tower of Black Point Lighthouse and the empty mansion called Harrow House. 
  
   Some excitement has come its way in the last few weeks, however, as film star Flora van Dyne has opened her bohemian nightclub and invited both criminals and upper crust bon vivants. 
  
  The only other news from the Dockside are rumors from the fishermen and smugglers. Something's out on the water--a vast, dark shape with a green light, silent and ominous. And it seems to be getting closer.
  
  [Notes from the Storyteller:
  --I'd like to have a scene a week, more or less. This is largely to try out Storium itself as a system! 
  --The material is fairly creepy, but a lighter tone is okay. I'll shape the first scene based on what kind of characters you want to play. 
  --If your ideal character isn't listed, ping me and I'll create a card for that. (Or for strengths/weaknesses that you think would be ideal.)
  --Although I expect we'll get into some horror material, I'd like to declare two things off limits for this story: 1) rape and 2) threats of harm to children. ]
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Antiquarian: You’re an expert on antiquities and artifacts, known world-wide for your skills.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Appraisal
  
  Suggested Weakness: Delicate
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Archaeology Professor: You teach archaeology at a prestigious New England college and are widely published.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Lore
  
  Suggested Weakness: Slow
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Physics Professor: You stand at the forefront of “alternative physics”—where science meets mysticism.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Sciences
  
  Suggested Weakness: Limited
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Medical Doctor: Your knowledge of the human body and its care is much celebrated.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Medicine
  
  Suggested Weakness: Oath
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Psychologist: The human mind is your purview—you understand how it works and when it doesn’t.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: The Mind
  
  Suggested Weakness: Judgmental
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Field Archaeologist: You blend archaeological knowledge with wilderness survival and digging techniques.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Survival
  
  Suggested Weakness: Reckless
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Dilettante: You ache to make a mark on the world, to amount to something special.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Resources
  
  Suggested Weakness: Naive
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Graduate Student: You’re at the beginning of an exciting career... you hope.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Vital Youth
  
  Suggested Weakness: Impatient
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Soldier of Fortune: Your military training makes you valuable the world over. It’s a dangerous place, this planet.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Hardy
  
  Suggested Weakness: Heartless
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Occult Author: You’ve studied and written widely on matters of mysticism and folklore. Your fans are many.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Mysticism
  
  Suggested Weakness: Bookish
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Appraisal: You’re sharp, perceptive, and quick—capable of appraising situations as well as objects.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Lore: Your intellect is formidable and your knowledge spans many cultures and histories.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Sciences: You have a calculating mind that prizes reason and calm precision above all.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Medicine: You’re adept at medicine, from saving lives to identifying the telling marks of death.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Mind: The human mind is a remarkable device and you understand how it works.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Survival: You’ve survived the wilderness, bandits, and wolves in your search for ancient treasures.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Resources: You’re well equipped with quality tools, society contacts, and funds.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Vital Youth: You’re energetic, athletic, and hale—ready for adventure!
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Hardy: You’re a rugged, leathery sort. You’re hard to kill and ready to work through pain.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Mysticism: You know the ways of folklore and magic, some of it so much hogwash... some of it not.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Delicate: You’re delicate of touch, of demeanor, and of constitution.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Slow: Your mind may be sharp but your body is slow to keep up.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Limited: Outside your areas of expertise, you’re easily lost.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Oath: You’ve sworn an oath to save lives, avoid violence, and heal the sick.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Judgmental: Your judgmental attitude causes you troubles. If only others would try harder to measure up.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Reckless: You sometimes take chances that put you or others at risk.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Naive: A bit gullible and trusting of the wrong sorts, perhaps, but you mean well.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Impatient: You don’t wait around well. You want to act first and think about it later maybe.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Heartless: The years have left you wary and callous, unwilling to risk your heart again.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Bookish: You’re no athlete. Maybe you’re doughy or awkward or frail but you’re sure no athlete.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Learn an Eldritch Secret: Learning is power, whether you share it or not.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Hunt Something New: You’ve stalked or been stalked by the most dangerous game. Time for a new challenge.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Find Worthy Material for a Dissertation: Stop waffling and wondering and find out what you believe to be true about the world.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Show Your Father You’re Worthy: It’s not about inheritance, it’s about respect.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Push A Mind Beyond Its Limits: Push someone—perhaps yourself!—beyond the limits of reason and then study what happens.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Show Them Your Work is Sound: It’s not enough anymore to believe you’re right. Show them you’re right.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bring Back A Groundbreaking Artifact: If you can retrieve a never-before-seen treasure, your career will be revitalized.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Get Home Alive: Maybe this work isn’t worth your life? Just get home alive.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Nothing Is Forbidden: Human morals are a human construction. Knowledge of the infinite is more valuable.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Matters of Love: Love may be an earthly concern, but it’s real and it matters.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Deciphering: Read words that have gone unread for generations.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Survive the Wild: Endure and survive the threats of the wild.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Protect Someone: Prevent harm from coming to a colleague you admire or cherish.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Save A Life in Danger: Rescue someone in peril, perhaps bringing them back from the brink of death.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Be The First: Set foot in a new or ancient place before someone else can despoil it.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Protect the Dig Site: Protect the dig site from harm.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Warn the World: Get word out about what’s happening at the dig site.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Make A Friend: The best protections against the harsh realities of the world are friendship and allies.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Photographic Evidence: Get a photo that no one would believe if it weren’t true.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Right Might: Show someone that you’re not to be trifled with.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A Matchbook From The Blue Star: A simple matchbook adorned with a blue star and no words.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Jameson’s Portfolio on the Peru Dig: A collection of newspaper clippings, sketches, and geographical survey maps.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A Stack of Cold, Hard Cash: At least $1,000 dollars American in bright green bills.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Heavens Below: by Brother Francisco Castillo. Contains occult secrets about pre-Columbian South America.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Revolver: A six-shot snub-nosed pistol.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Shotgun: A long, double-barreled shotgun with a wood stock.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Ammunition: Ammo for a gun.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Dynamite: One stick of dynamite with a long fuse.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Digging Equipment: Shovels, brushes, and picks suitable for quick or fine-detail work.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: A Fine Camera: A high-quality camera with tripod.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Dr. Jameson’s Office: All dark hardwoods and plush chairs with a penthouse view.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Aveline Estate: The sort of place with marble pillars and a hedge maze.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Aboard Butcher’s Plane: The plane rattles and dips in tough turbulence. It’s more for cargo than passengers.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Blue Star Nightclub: The city’s best-hidden jazz secret is this hole-in-the-wall club, open just twice a week.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Suburban Dining Room: The table is buried under layers of maps and sketches and newspaper clippings.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: A Remote Peruvian Village: A quaint, humid little village on the road leading to the dig site.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Swaying Rope Bridge: No way a truck could make it across that. Only foot traffic could cross this rickety thing.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Abandoned Dig Site: The dig site resembles, at first, just an assortment of low, stone walls and carved pits.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Deep Jungle: This sort of jungle can swallow up a traveler with ease and never release its secrets.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Far Beneath the Dig: A circle of sunlight through the well shaft above reveals a vast, finely carved chamber...
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Turbulence: Avoid embarrassing yourself in flight.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: First Impressions: Make a first impression on the locals that won’t get you in trouble later.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Cross the Rope Bridge: Get across the rope bridge with all your equipment intact.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Rains From A Clear Night Sky: The dig site fills with water and mud. Protect the artifacts!
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Find Your Way: The track through the jungle is perilous and difficult to follow. Don’t lose your way.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Lost Beneath: These strange passages beneath the earth make little sense. Will you ever see the sky again?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Ancient Writings: Who can decipher these ancient markings?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Gunfire!: Someone from afar is taking shots at you!
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Impossible Creature: It is both there and not there, part tentacle and part grasping mouth. Understand it? Or flee?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Vision: Are you dreaming or is this real?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Dr. Jeremiah Jameson: Dr. Jameson isn’t brave enough to lead expeditions so he funds others’ trips into the unknown.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Diane Aveline: The widow of Michael Aveline, who was killed on an expedition of Jameson’s. She wants revenge.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Caroline Butcher: One of the world’s great pilots and photographers.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Walter Corrigan: A soldier of fortune hired to protect Dr. Jameson’s investments.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Leonard Crenshaw: A locally renowned jazz musician and expert on folklore of the Americas.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Jorge Quispe: A young driver, fixer, and guide in Peru. He’s been to the dig site Jameson’s curious about.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Mysterious Interloper: Tall and shadowy in a fedora and trench coat. Who is this gravel-voiced stranger?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Mad Cultist: This drug-addled cultist is ready to give his life—or yours—to please his monstrous god.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Tentacular Beast: Tentacles and feathery antennae probe out from a shadowy mass at the heart of this beast!
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Hellish Flying Monstrosity: Wider-winged than a condor, with a bone-chilling cry and gleaming teeth.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Smuggler's Den: Stiller needs a new location for stashing the goods. Seen anywhere useful?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: A Heavy Brass Key: Greenish and ornate. What does it open or close?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Josiah Harrow's Testimony: Why was this stashed here? And by whom?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Tickets for the Gooeyduck: Flora has found a local vessel that's willing to take sightseers--er-- investigators out to see the green light.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Medical Kit: Spencer's own assortment of useful items.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Aboard the Gooeyduck: The fishing boat is crowded, but seaworthy. Probably. It’s more for cargo than passengers.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Golden Rose: Flora van Dyne's newly-opened nightclub on Rose Dock draws bohemians and bootleggers alike.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Whalers Club: The "whales" are tall tales, but the drinks are strong and the company well-heeled.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Jake Stiller: Local crime boss and bootlegger.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Drawbridge over the Inlet: The only route between Rose Docks and the rest of the city.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Under Harrow House: Josiah Harrow's rumored tunnels twist and turn in the dark earth.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Harrow House: Although the founders are long dead, the Harrow estate remains, looming above Rose Dock like a bad memory.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Black Rock Lighthouse: The third-oldest lighthouse on the coast still keeps its lonely vigil over the steep cliffs.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Adelaide Fleming: Local historian who tends Harrow House. Prefers to overlook the darker parts of the local stories.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Seasickness: Avoid embarrassing yourself.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Captain Briggs: Owner of the Gooeyduck; fond of a drop now and then, fond of a bit of gossip as well.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Protect the Innocent: Get these people out of the way!
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Black Freighter: It has arrived and its terrible crew spills out onto land. Can you survive?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Explore the House: There's got to be something here that will help you make sense of it all.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Dockworker: You're a tough, no-nonsense worker for hire.
  
  Suggested Strength: Survival
  
  Suggested Weakness: Reckless
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bring Back A Groundbreaking Artifact: If you can retrieve a never-before-seen treasure, your life will be smooth sailing.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Step 3: Profit!: A little more money never hurt.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A Matchbook From The Golden Rose: A simple matchbook adorned with a golden rose and no words.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Fleming's Notes on Harrow House: A collection of newspaper clippings, archival copies, sketches, and geographical survey maps.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Dockside: A maze of run-down warehouses, dark alleyways, and drinking dens for wharf rats and dockworkers.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Flora van Dyne: Rich ex-starlet whose new nightclub has brought life to a nearly deserted neighborhood.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Jonesy: Keeper of the Black Rock Lighthouse. Prone to giggling and sobbing, but keeps the lights on.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Rook: Stiller's gunsel protects his investments and sends unpleasant messages to those who upset him.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Get the Real Story: They haven't told you what you want to know. That's about to change.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Lift the Bridge: Cut off contact to the mainland so the Freighter's chaos cannot spread!
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Get Home Alive: Maybe this isn’t worth your life? Just get home alive.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Widow's Walk: The steep, stony path above the bay looks down on Rose Docks and out to sea.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Get a Good Look: A green light shimmers at the front of a black cloud on the sea. What carries it?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Working Together: It'll be easier to find what Flora's looking for if you're all on the same page.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Get a hold of yourself!: Briggs has switched from pleasant drunkenness to terror. Can you calm him down?
  
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: High Seas: The Gooeyduck is pitching and swaying. The storm threatens the boat and all aboard it.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Caves of Black Rock Point: Exposed at low tide, these caverns honeycomb the cliffs of the inlet. Who knows how far back they go?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Finding a Way Out: Back to the surface!
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What's that sound?: Find the source of that low, intermittent roar. It's probably the wind. Or owls. Or a weather balloon. 
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Rusted Knife: Why leave this in the sea chest?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Tarnished Bull: The bull's horns gleam in the light. Will you try and wrest it from its place?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Journalist: You're on the track of the next big scoop!
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Callow: You affect a jaded ennui, but in truth you seek to hide your lack of world experience.  Never having known real hardship or danger you naively romanticize those who have and seek out their company.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Callous: Ralph thinks the best way to get others to shape up is to shake them up. Literally.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Persuasion: Dr. Spencer has worked with hard-nosed types—and folk in desperate straits—before, and has some experience in helping them see, if not reason, then where some of their better interests lie.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Observant: You tend to notice little details.  Whether you interpret them correctly is another matter.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Arachnophobia: It's the legs.  All those little legs.  Scuttling.  Scuttling everywhere.  Maybe in your hair.  
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Determined: You'll see this through, no matter the cost. To you or anybody else.