Steve Hatherley
Starboard Home was a very experimental freeform that I co-wrote with Heidi Kaye, Tony Mitton and Donald Oddy. This is one of the plots that I wrote (although I’ve developed it a bit for this).
Starboard Home was set aboard the Star of Bengal, a liner leaving India for England in 1926.
As it currently stands, this plot could do with quite a lot of development - it would be easy to expand to at least three separate plots, each with their own conflicts and tension. The three plots would be; the new members, leading the next trip, and the the thefts of the artefacts.
Dr Isaac Yarwell is stealing artefacts from other members of the Whistable Society. He currently has a necklace stolen from Miss French, and needs to steal other artefacts.
There is also society business to conduct (new members and the next trip).
Value of artefacts for Evaluation skill:
| Date/Time | Character(s) | Event | Plot |
| Yesterday | John Spall, Thomas Cartwright, Mary French |
Mary showed John and Thomas the necklace that she had picked up in India. | The Whistable Society |
| 9.30 | Isaac Yarwell | Yarwell steals Miss French's ornate jade necklace | The Whistable Society |
| Now | All | Game starts | NA |
The Whistable Society was set up in 1856 by explorer Horace Whistable as a place for like-minded adventurous men to relax and regale one another with tales of their exploits. The Society is based in a rather fine London townhouse, and is open 24 hours a day with regular meetings and talks. It has a particularly splendid wine cellar, and has recently opened its doors to women.
Each year, the society organises various trips to significant archaeological sites around the world. Currently, Charles Spendpeace is leading an expedition to the hidden temples of India – the trip is now almost over and the society members are now returning to London aboard the Star of Bengal.
The next expedition has yet to be proposed, and will need to be done in London when the members return. To propose a trip, presentations are solicited from potential expedition leaders. The proposals are then voted upon, and the proposal with the highest number of votes is selected.
Admissions policy for the society is that a new member must be proposed by an existing member, and seconded by (at least) three other members. That person must donate an unusual artefact of some sort, and present a five minute monologue describing an unusual place that they have visited.
Members of the Whistable Society present aboard the Star of Bengal:
The above information is to be provided to all members of the Whistable Society.
Background: You are the treasurer of the Whistable Society – and something rum is going on. You have learned that one of the members of the society is stealing artefacts from the Society – with a total estimated worth of over £1,000.
Goal: The Whistable Society – Make sure the Whistable Society’s reputation remains untarnished and that it remains a centre of learning. Find out is stealing from the society, get them arrested and expel them from the society.
Item: Statue of Kali
Background: You are a member of the Whistable Society and you love it. You love both the travel, and the Society’s extensive collection of artefacts and antiquities. In fact, you love the collection so much that you’ve stolen a substantial amount of it over the years. You estimate that you’ve raised over £1,000 this way – certainly enough to pay for all the trips that you’ve been on (which, as a retired university lecturer, you could not normally afford).
This latest trip to the hidden temples of India should prove to be very profitable – providing you can steal enough artefacts. The trip has cost you £60, and you need to steal at least £80 worth of artefacts. You’re off to a good start as this morning you stole an ornate jade necklace worth about £30 from Miss Mary French’s stateroom.
Item: Ornate Jade Necklace
Abilities: Pickpocket, Evaluate.
Secret: You stole a necklace from Miss Mary French’s stateroom.
Goals:
Background: You are a member of the Whistable Society. You’re very proud of being in the Society, and enjoy travelling on expeditions with them. This trip (organised and led by the Mr Charles Spendpeace) to the hidden temples of India has been particularly fascinating. One day you’d like to propose (and lead) and expedition yourself.
During the trip you bought a rather fine ornate jade necklace, which you seem to have mislaid. You have a friend that you know would love it, so it’s a bit annoying that you can’t find it. You definitely had it earlier today, but it’s possible that you left it in another stateroom as you were showing it to some of the other Society members.
The one fault you have with the society is that it’s very male dominated. You welcome any new female members to the society – but you’re strongly opposed to any more male members joining.
Goals:
Background: You are a member of the Whistable Society. As you’ve always been fascinated by India, you came up with the idea for an expedition to the temples of India and proposed it to the society. Several other Whistable Society members are also on the trip, including the Treasurer.
So far the trip has been a great success, and you’re a little sad that your time is over and that you’re on the return voyage to London already.
Other People: Sir Stanley Toddington – Sir Stanley is Treasurer of the Whistable Society and you’ve noticed that he is looking worried about something.
Background: You are a member of the Whistable Society. You’re very proud of being in the Society, and enjoy travelling on expeditions with them. This trip (organised and led by the Mr Charles Spendpeace) to the hidden temples of India has been particularly fascinating.
You’ve picked up a particularly fine ornate jade brooch on this expedition – but you’ve also been impressed by the jade necklace that Miss French has.
While the society has an admissions policy, you particularly like its cosy, intimate feel. You are therefore strongly opposed to any new admissions – unless there is a resignation first.
Item: Ornate Jade Brooch
Goals:
Background: You are a member of the Whistable Society. You’re very proud of being in the Society, and enjoy travelling on expeditions with them. This trip (organised and led by the Mr Charles Spendpeace) to the hidden temples of India has been particularly fascinating. You’re planning to propose (and lead) and expedition yourself.
You’ve picked up a rather nice thuggee dagger on this trip – but you’ve also been impressed by the jade necklace that Miss French has.
Item: Curved dagger.
Goals:
Background: You have heard of the Whistable Society and have always wanted to join. You know that there are members of the society aboard the boat right now, and you might be able to join.
Goal: Join the Whistable Society – To join, you will need to find a member of the Society and find out what the admissions policy is.
Background: You have heard of the Whistable Society and have always wanted to join. You know that there are members of the Society aboard the boat right now, and you might be able to join.
Goal: Join the Whistable Society – To join, you will need to find a member of the Society and find out what the admissions policy is.
Other People: Dr Isaac Yarwell – You saw Dr Isaac Yarwell coming out of a stateroom earlier today. He looked furtive, and looked as if he had just put something in his pocket.
Article by Steve Hatherley. Steve is an active freeformer in the UK and has written a number of freeforms. For more information about UK freeforms, please visit uk-freeforms.wikidot.com. Steve is also a partner of Freeform Games LLP and has a website dedicated to freeform-style murder mystery games: http://www.great-murder-mystery-games.com