These Stars - beta reading

	A	B	C	D
1	Island Name	Island Description	Island Prompts (players can choose which to answer)

2	Laemos	The lighthouse rises from the depths, with a little dock jutting out for access. Inside, it is kept spotless, the beds made and the kitchen stocked. It is entirely unmanned however, and the light is not rotating: it shines bright to the north-east, the ray casting a strange red hue across the sky.	Do you choose to man the lighthouse? Is someone willing to stay behind and operate it or do you have to order to someone to do it?	The lighthouse has two light systems - a rotating one and a fixed beam of light. You cannot stop the rotating one, but you can move the fixed beam. Where do you point it, and why?
3	Kirathia	Sea animals approaching from the north-west float above the island and its dense forest, as if water extended over the trees. The smell of pine lingers around the forest, but you notice not one of them in the greenery. On the island, everything behaves as if its underwater, the trees swaying gently, sound being muted and light dimmed.	You find you can breathe on the island, despite everything else behaving as if underwater. How does this change everyday life?	Slowly, you make your way into the forest, bounding on the ground as if underwater. You find a graveyard of whalebones, but that is not all. What else is here, among the cathedrals made of ribs?
4	Ismaron	A path circles the plateau at the centre of the island before diving into the sea and disappearing to the south-west. The plateau is barren but long-dried tree trunks show it was once a greener landscape. The path is surprisingly well kept in places, while in others (especially the north-east side) it is a barely discernible hue cutting a line through the rocks.	The landscape hints at potential - you could settle here, but it would take hard work and plenty of time. Do you take on the challenge? Why or why not?	The path is the only sign of human life. Do you investigate further? What do you find and what do you think happened here?
5	Phaecia	These are the remains of what was once a great city - only the tallest buildings jut out of the water, spires and cupolas as well as more mundane, flat rooftops. The city sank so long ago some of these have begun to host life - seafaring plants and animals, birdsong betraying their presence. The city descends to the depths in the south-east, where a strong current also threatens to drag your ships away.	Part of your crew wants to explore the ruined island in search of treasure, while others claim to step on land would bring about a curse. What do you do?	You notice the city is circular, with high walls surrounding it. This could be the Atlantis of legend. Do you stay and survey it? When people ask you what you found on your journey, how will you describe this place?
6	Tethys	White cliffs on the south side, golden beaches on the north and a temperate climate within, this large island seems a perfect place to stop. But your crew are unsettled by the birdsong with seemingly no birds to sing it by the red rivers, six of them, running from south-west to north-east. They look a little too much like blood.	The water is red, but it appears normal otherwise. How do you test if it is drinkable? What do you discover?	A song your mother used to sing spoke of a land with red rivers. What did the lyrics say? Why do you think this might be the same place?
7	Orgos	A large wood surrounds a cave, it entrance pointing south-east, pines and birches and poplars shading it, though the smell of pine is the predominant one. Four fountains leading to the cave flow with fresh water. As you approach the cave, the smell of pine is overwhelming, and you discover the cave is full of dead bodies, twisted unnaturally as if thrown into the cave by something huge.	Do you investigate the bodies, or do you let them be? Do you know of anything to the east that could have caused this?	Upon closer inspection, you find the fountains are made of bones. What does the inscription on the side of the fountains say? Is it safe to drink the water?
8	Kydake	A small village sits atop a hill at the centre of the island, surrounded by lush vineyards. The perimeter of the village is marked by sharp stakes and stone turrets manned by guards, all weapons trained to the west. A burly man, covered in scars calls himself the village chief: "You can stay," he says "but one of you will have to fight me to the death and win. They will become the leader of Kydake."	A fighter in your crew decides to take on the chief. Who are they? Flip a coin: heads the chief wins, tails he dies. Add exhaustion as normal and describe the consequences.	You choose not to fight; how do you explain this to your crew? This island was perfect, and what is one final episode of violence after so many before it?
9	Elodes	An upside down mountain, in some places covered in snow, hovers over you with its peak less than a hand's breadth from the sea's surface. You see an ancient hamlet on its slopes, roofs pointing towards the water, seemingly abandoned. A waterfall descends from the south-western side, showering everything below in fresh water. The top of the mountain is shrouded in clouds, and the island seems to be moving slowly towards the south-west.	Who do you send to explore the top of the mountain? Flip a coin - tails means someone falls to their death. Add exhaustion as normal. What do you find at the top?	What lies south-west? What origin do you speculate this mountain could have and most importantly, why is it like this?
10	Erytheia	A forest of huge burnt trees covers the island. The charred stumps cast long shadows, always east regardless of where the sun is. You think you can still feel the heat from whatever fire must have burnt these giant trees. Huge shining rocks stand amid them, glinting in the sun, and you hear a haunting birdsong weave its way through the trunks, though you cannot see where it comes from	You investigate the trees and the shining rocks. What do you find that hints at the origin of the fire?	Some among your crew doubt the land here could sustain you. Others wish to stay, saying the heat and the strange trees are of no import to them. Do you grant them leave, do you settle here yourself or do you order everyone to move on?
11	The clashing rocks	Huge cliffs taper down to the sea on either side. When the slightest wind picks up, they dash together, closing the sea passage. The air around them is unnaturally still. Thick mist sweeps over them, and somehow no matter the route a ship takes, it always ends up right between the rocks.	You attempt the crossing, the ships moving as slowly as possible to not stir the air around the rocks. Flip a coin: if tails, the crossing is successful. Do you thank the gods, or your sailors? If heads: the last ship is crushed in half. What was its name and who was lost?	You turn back; choose a hex in the direction you came from and sail to it. Add two exhaustion. How do you explain this choice to your crew, some of whom accuse you of cowardice?
12	Archimetron	White marble statues are scattered all over the green island. Most of them are overgrown by the lush plant life. When uncovered you see they all depict the same person, but none of the statues has the same size. They range in size from a few centimeters to meters high. All but one of the statues face south-west, the one statue facing in the opposite direction being just a head of twenty meters high, shoulders buried beneath the earth.	Someone in your crew hesitates before telling you they recognize the depicted person. Why do they hesitate and who is the model for all the statues?	Numerous crewmembers heard the enormous head speak in their dreams. Since then the mouth of the enormous head has opened wide. What did it tell them, and what will you find inside the head?
14	Lavyires	An enormous maze covers the entire surface of this island. Crumbling stone walls stretch a hundred feet tall, but within them are rivers, trees, and arable land. Wildlife flourishes. No people can be seen despite the maze appearing man-made, though the half-buried remains of a camp are found a few steps inside. A singular entrance faces the south-eastern side of the island. Carved into the stone of this entrance is a faded message that reads, “Sometimes the lost are better forgotten.”	As your crew discusses mapping the maze, a rumbling sound brings the conversation to an abrupt halt. One of the walls has moved. How can you navigate a maze that always changes?	There are more messages carved into the interior walls of the maze, in many different languages. The stone is covered in them. How old are these messages? What do they say?
15	Fulguros	The island is little more than a sandbar, yet the ring of broken and burnt trees encircling its northern point nips at your curiosity. Peering through the tree line you see it and, somehow, you know it sees you too - A twisted stele of unearthly pulsing stone. It stands embedded at the center of a vitrified crater and, with a voice like flesh dragged across hot coals, it speaks into your mind, “Sacrifice half your crew to me and I will grant you any wish you desire.”	Do you accept this devil’s bargain? If so, how do you choose which crew is to be sacrificed? How do you convince the others to aid in your slaughter? If not, how do you stop the stone from convincing other members of your crew to agree?	All nations are built with blood and sacrifice. If you accepted the bargain, how do the screams of your once-trusting crew plague you as you rule over your glorious island capital? If you turned it down, how do you live with the succulent glimpse of a potential paradise embedded in your mind by the stone, so realistic you can still smell the sweet honey of ripe fruits and the perfume of entrancing blossoms?
16	Artificial	Two rows of bells emerge from the depths, running south-west to north-east. At the end there is a huge arch, large enough for ships to pass through and inhabited at the top. A gatekeeper hails you: "The wake of your ship will ring the bells, and the gods of the seas will speak through them. You have already begun the oceansong - the first bell rings. You cannot turn back now".	You sail your ships through the channel, bells ringing in glorious harmony as the waves move them. The gatekeeper smiles and whispers to you the meaning of the tune. What do they say and do you tell your crew?	Superstition you say, and turn your ships to sail around the channel. The gatekeeper becomes furious "Do you know what the gods do to affronts such as this?!" What do you respond?
17	Riven	A flat, perfectly smooth white marble surface extends into the distance, just a hand's breadth above sea level. An underwater mountain appears to have been sheared horizontally with unnatural precision. Various holes bore into the rock, from a few centimetres deep to dozens of metres. An eagle-eyed crew member notices they are all the same shape, perfectly outlining a human figure. The "missing" faces all point south-east.	Who, if anyone, do the faces remind you of? Looking closely, do you spot any differences in the details?	Putting your hand inside one of the holes, a soft, constant scream emerges from the depth. Slowly, it increases in volume: it is coming from all the breaches. You can hear voices too: what do they say?
18	7	Giant skulls litter the otherwise grassy fields on this island. The skulls appear to have only one eye, are all pointing east, and some have carvings depicting scenes of violence between humans and giants. Flocks of red birds live within some of the skulls, their haunting birdsong reverberating in the bone	You examine the carvings: what do they depict, and what is the wider story they hint at? What lies to the east that may explain this?	Exploring the island, you find a mass grave, heaps of enormous bones lined up in an open ditch. Do you give the bones a proper burial? What happened here?
19	8	The inhabitants of the island have constructed a huge arch, made from any material they can find: rocks, trees, bones, even pieces of ships. The portal, as they call it, points north-west and is "the threshold the gods will step through" to guide them. The people don't know to what they will be guided, but they are adamant it will happen soon.	There are things you hoped not to see nailed to the arch: skeletons, body parts and unidentifiable entrails. Do you confront the leaders of the cult?	The leader of the cult is impressed by you and your fleet of ships: "Are you a god?". They ask you to cross the arch. How do you react?
20	9	A huge iron cast statue of an eagle looks south-west, with huge chains descending into the depths in the same direction. The chains move up, one link every two hours, but nothing has ever emerged - yet.	You think you can see something in the depths, like a platform, but it is unmoving. Do you dive below to see what it is? What do you find? What lies in that direction that could explain this?	You notice the top of the statue is empty, and make the difficult climb to reach its eyes and make your way inside. What do you find?
21	Saercos	A dense green mangrove forest arches so high that you can almost sail your ship up the tidal river here. Following its course to the southeast, you marvel at the diversity of life that crowds every limb and root. The river ends lapping at the edges of a crumbling stone wall that encircles what must be the great progenitor tree of this forest. Bending down from the heavens, its generous branches bear multitudes of sweetly-scented, golden, fist-sized fruit.	Walking amongst the gnarled roots of the antediluvian tree, you begin to notice small stone slabs set into the earth at spaced intervals. Some have ornate images carved into them while others bear short inscriptions that could be language. Can you read this language? What are some of the images shown on the slabs?	Do you or your crew eat any of the fruit from this forgotten orchard? If so, the utter pleasure of their sense-defying decadence blends with the realization of just what this place once was - a sacred burial ground. Describe your experiences as each fruit eaten imparts the final memories of an ancient person at the moment of their death.
22	11	You are not sure you can truly see this island until your ship washes up ashore. The other ship crews say the island disappeared the moment you set foot on it, leaving behind only a strange red hue and a red star in the western sky. You find this out several days later, when you finally understand the island fades in and out of this world like the tides, and you can only leave at specific times. Physically, the island is lush and ideal for settling, uninhabited and generous. But it is as much a prison as it is a new beginning.	Some among your crew, against your wishes, decide to explore the island. This was two days ago, and they have not yet returned. Do you wait? For how long? Do they return?	Not far from the beach, you find a small hut with skeletons inside. They seem to have laid here voluntarily, to die. What objects surround them? What do you understand of who they were?
23	Legoenea	A building appears from the mists of dawn, and you can see the people inhabiting it begin their daily life. It is made of stone blocks, perfectly square and far too big for humans to have placed them here, with huge runes on the south-west sides. The rooftops host gardens and orchards, and a massive winch descends from a crane to lift your ship to the top. The smell of pine and a group of what appear to be monks greet you: "Welcome to the monastery of Legoenea"	Ask about the runes. What do the monks tell you?	We have six surprises for you! The monks say. Not all of them are physical. What are they?
24	Loasa	A committee greets you on the dock of this island, which extends above into a huge mountain, a city carved into and around the edge of the rock. A broken bridge at the top points north-west. The people greeting you tell this is Loasa, and offer you a drink: "It is obligatory to drink this every day on the island. A truth serum, you will never be able to lie while under its influence. It is essential to Loasa's well being."	You take the serum, and suddenly feel very vulnerable. What question are you most afraid of?	You refuse to take the serum: "The truth is a duty!" the committee thunder in unison. Do you attempt to strike an agreement with them? What do you propose?
25	14	The island appears to be fertile and calm, rolling hills, small woods, the smell of pine and animals roaming the greenery. The moment you set foot on it, you turn into a pig - it is only a physical transformation, you remain conscious throughout. Others who step on the island turn into various animals: stoats, birds, mice. All return to human form only when they leave the island and return to their ships. All those transformed noticed one thing: an unexplainable pull to head north-west.	There is a house in the distance, and you begin to approach it, but as you do so your consciousness fades, and you become more of an animal. Do you attempt to explore anyway? how do you do it?	You trap a mouse in your jaws and bring it back to the ship: it turns into a grotesque hybrid of man and mouse. "Kill me" it pleads. What do you do?
26	15	A massive rock breaks the waves, its sides a strange red hue pocked and marked with caverns descending into the depths. A huge nest sits on top of the flat rock. You discover the caverns are inhabited. "We have to hide here because huge birds nest above us. But when they are gone, we harvest the carrion they bring, and sometimes their eggs. We just have to keep extremely quiet and stay hidden during the nesting months. They always head to the east when they alight."	You ask the people who live in the rock to explain how this happened, how they came to be here. What do they tell you? Do they know what lies east where the birds fly towards?	Among the stores of food in the rock, you find carcasses of huge chicklings in various stages of curing, as well as their enormous eggs. It is far more than the people who live here need. Do you confront them?
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