1
Go around the table clockwise, taking turns reading these cards aloud.
2
This is a story about a Ship. Each of us has been a Crew member on it for years. Each of us have sacrificed to keep it running.
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We each have countless memories aboard our Ship, some of which we may relive shortly.
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But first, we'll start by defining some truths about our Ship, answering the following questions together as a group. It's important that everyone has a voice here; the Ship belongs to all of us, after all.
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What kind of Ship do we fly? Is it a merchant vessel, legitimate and established? Is it a smuggler's ship, carrying all manner of contraband into spaceports and onto planets? Is it a military gunship, embroiled in an unending war?
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How did we come into possession of our Ship? Was it purchased through legal channels, gifted to us by an eccentric old pilot, stolen from a pirate fleet?
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What does our Ship look like? Is it sleek and modern? Weathered, outdated, and beat up? Does it fly across the stars using propulsor engines or coast across empty space with flowing solar sails?
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Finally, the hardest part: every Ship needs a name, especially ours. What do we call it?
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Each of us now describes our character: their name, pronouns, and role on the Ship.
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With our Ship and Crew defined, we're ready to play. Whether its our pasts catching up to us, a war we're caught in the middle of, or just good old fashioned wear-and-tear doing its slow, destructive work, this much is true: our Ship is in danger. Will you put your life on the line to save it?
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During play, we'll each take turns drawing Question Cards, reading them aloud, and answering the questions posed. Some Question Cards take the form of Flashbacks, which we'll play together as short scenes.
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Other players can ask you questions or make suggestions. But they can't answer for you, and it's up to you to decide whether or not
to take their input into account.
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Take a moment to place the X-Card on the table where everyone can easily reach it.
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If there is a Question Card that you do not feel comfortable having in your game, just tap the X-Card, and the Card will be removed from the game. You can use the X-Card on any player's card, including your own. If a Card is removed in this way, draw a new one.
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You can also simply pass your turn, telling the next player in turn-order, "I'd like to hear you answer this one." In this way, a card can be passed around the table from player to player. If it makes a full lap around the table, remove the card and draw a new one.
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Place the card "The Ship is under attack. Will you fight to save it?" underneath 10 cards for a short game, 20 cards for a medium-length game, or 30 cards for a long game.
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We'll continue answering Question Cards and playing Flashback Scenes until the "The Ship is under attack. Will you fight to save it?" card is drawn.
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When it is drawn, we go around the table and answer the question: "Will you fight to save it?" We each take a minute to describe our characters actions in the immediate crucial moments, whether their answer is yes or no.
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Depending on how the table answered the final prompt, we each take a minute to describe our characters' lives in the aftermath of the attack.
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Finally, we all take a moment to reflect on the story we've told, and share thanks with each other for taking the time to tell the story of our Ship and its Crew.
21
Begin play now by drawing the first Question Card.
You once had to sell something special to keep the Ship running. What was it, and how did the Crew make it up to you?
The Ship has many rooms, but you made this one your own. Which room is it, and how have you marked it as your space?
The Crew has had many disagreements over the years, but this one remains unresolved. What is the nature of this disagreement, and on which side do you find yourself?
Flashback: The Ship once broke down in a dark corner of space. Which Crew Member helped you through the panic of being unmoored? How did they help? Play the Scene.
What do you do on the Ship to pass the time as we travel between the stars? Is this an activity the whole Crew does together, or something just for you?
You found a Critter, wayward and feral, and brought it onto the Ship as the Crew's pet. Describe the Critter, and give it a name. How did the Crew feel when you brought it aboard? Have feelings about the Critter changed since then?
Flashback: The Crew came down with an awful bout of luminal illness once. Miraculously, you managed to avoid it. How did you take care of everyone while they recovered? Play the Scene.
The Crew has a not-so-playful rivalry with another Ship. Take some time to discuss this other Ship and its Crew with the table. What did you do to stoke this rivalry rather than quell it?
What have you sacrificed for the good of the Ship? Was it worth it?
What have you sacrificed for the good of the Crew? Was it worth it?
Someone once made you an offer for the Ship that would have meant financial freedom for the foreseeable future. Why did you refuse their offer?
How have you earned the respect of the Crew? If you don't feel you have yet, how do you feel about that? Is it something you're actively seeking, or a facet of Ship life you have no interest in?
What vice, habit, or routine do you indulge in to make the difficulties of Ship life more manageable?
Flashback: The Crew Member to your left and yourself once got in too deep with the wrong people. What did you do to escape, pay off, or otherwise dispatch those on your tail? Play the Scene.
There's a rumor about you floating around the Ship. What is it? Is it wholly true, partially true, or just Crew gossip?
Flashback: The Crew once offended a local War-Prince, and found themselves locked away in a local jail. What did we do? How did we break out? Play the Scene.
The Crew Member to your right confided in you, deepening your relationship. What was confided, and how did it change your view of them?
What aspirations do you have outside the Ship? Where do you hope to be, and why can't you get there?
Flashback: Which spaceport or planet always feels like coming home? Describe it briefly, with every Crew Member adding one detail, and Play a Scene there. Then confront the question at the back of your mind: Why haven't you just settled down here?
Which Crew Member have you risked your life for? Do you believe they'd do the same for you?
What is the strangest thing you've seen in the far reaches of space? Did the Crew believe you when you told them?
The Crew Member across from you discovered some sensitive information about your past. What was it? Do you trust them to keep it secret?
Flashback: The Ship's spike drive once malfunctioned, leaving the Crew stuck in sub-luminal space for what felt like weeks. How did we stay sane while we made repairs? Play the Scene as a collection of vignettes.
Flashback: Choose a Crew Member. They once pulled the trigger (metaphorically or literally) when you could not. What was the situation, and why couldn't you move yourself to act? Discuss openly with the other Crew member, and Play the Scene.
Ever since boarding the Ship, you've had a recurring dream, at least once a month. What is it about? Is it a nightmare, an omen of the future, or something completely nonsensical?
What is the most horrifying thing you've seen in the dark abyss between the stars? How did it change you forever?
Flashback: Your loved ones just don't understand your relationship to the Ship and its Crew. When was the moment you realized that may never change? Play the Scene.