“A Belgian airship on a scientific expedition over the Congo had a brush with the Source and the crew were driven utterly mad, so by the time we picked up the wreckage off the coast of Norway…”

The pirates lean in to listen, eyes bright, drinking your words like the last drops of grog. The captain is frowning. You don’t know exactly what documents she was able to salvage so there is an element of risk here. Any moment she could call you out.

She doesn’t.

They beat you a few times, perfunctorily. You are kept for days in a cell, denied light and food. You are questioned irregularly, at any hour of the day or night.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

By now, however, your story is ironclad. You’ve memorized every detail, every half-truth, every lie. Your facade as a Strong man Broken by Adversity and the cruel Wheel of Fate is getting rather good, if you do say so yourself. You might have a future in the theater.

No guard can be watchful forever. Soon their vigilance will slip.

1. Escape! They have gliders, and the vastness of Africa lies beneath you.

2. Cripple the airship. Wipe this vile scourge from the earth!

3. Lead them slowly to destruction. You control the fate of this ship.

4. Infiltrate the crew. You’ll need to fake a change of heart and gain an ally among the pirates. Like the lovely captain, for instance.