Mage Of Sail is an Actual Play, a form of improvised theatre where 3 performers (the “players”) collaborate to tell a story based on a framework provided by a 4th (the “DM”) who performs all the non-player roles. Light on rules, with an emphasis on humour and drama, Mage Of Sail is designed with the intention of being an easy introduction to this growing art-form.
Mage of Sail originally ran for 43 episodes, from July 2022 to April 2024. The new season is intended as a soft-reboot, and is the perfect place to jump aboard. You can always catch up on the old stuff later!
The Unconquered Isles: A mysterious archipelago that is missing from all reputable maps. Each island is a wonder of its own, with strange creatures, unique microclimates and bewildering magic in abundance. Legends say that the Isles cannot be found by any who would attempt to conquer them, and this was true for thousands of years.
In 1802, the ascendant British Empire somehow discovered a way to chart to the Isles, and have been secretly colonising them ever since. The legendary brutality of British colonisation has not lessened by being out of sight.
The local population, known as The Unconquered, have been fighting back for decades. By the start of our game in 1860, hope is running dry. Can the arrival of three mysterious Wizards from the outside world help to turn the tide?
We try our best to reintroduce our characters regularly so that new viewers can catch up, but if you need a cheat sheet it’s right here!
The most feared accountant in all of the Unconquered Isles, Nigel Dread is the last of a great line of sea captains. Once his greater aspirations (E.g. stealing their ship) had been forcefully discouraged by the Wizards, Nigel settled into his role as quartermaster with grudging good humour. A skilled conman and raconteur, Nigel toils night & day to keep our heroes out of jail and make sure everyone gets paid.
It’s not easy being the daughter of the most infamous undead pirate on The Unconquered Isles, but Mary Hendrix (née Drexel) has spent a lifetime building her own legend. After leaving retirement to seek revenge for her daughter’s death, Mary has settled in as the ship’s First Mate. With a gift for command almost as great as her gift for mischief, Mary keeps the crew in line by always being two steps ahead of whatever schemes they can cook up.
The smallest of a very large family, Big Paul is the amiable helmsman of The Nexus Spear and faithful romantic partner of Nigel (they’re not labelling it). The son of the famed werebear Big Bertha, Big Paul’s tremendous size belies his gentle nature. His hatred of bullies has made him a stalwart companion in the fight against The British Empire, and he’s even managed to get Nigel to chill out a bit.
Ostracised from his shiver of Hammerhead Sharks due to his strange ability to grow legs and turn into a man, Apex first left the seas to stake his claim as the ruler of Hammerhead Bay. With the help of his new Wizard friends (and “co-captains”), he accidentally won the mayoral election there. After kicking out the British and reversing their rebrand to “Mermaid Bay”, Apex has been eagerly searching for any challenge that can be solved by being large and biting it. In the tradition of his shiver, Apex took a last name that represents his greatest pride: being friends with Liga Visvaldis.
Kind of countenance and gentle of heart, Bucky Muffler was certain he was the right person to lead the British rebrand of notorious pirate town Hammerhead Bay. The true nature of the British occupation became apparent to him when they attempted to destroy his town and its people. Settling in as the Deputy Mayor to Apex, he has taken on roughly 100% of the actual duties of mayor, leaving Apex free to wear a big chain of office and take care of nebulous public relations duties. Bucky is a weremanatee, but doesn’t like to show off about it. He’s great at swimming though.
A legendary sailor and leader of the Bones Island Pirates, Hendrix is the charismatic figure that brought our heroes together. After fighting the British for his entire life, Hendrix’s aging body was finally unable to keep up the fight. Arisen as a Vampire, Hendrix cannot rest in his grave until The Unconquered Isles are free from the colonial invasion.
No one knows how the ancient and stoic Vampire known as The Master Of Hounds came to The Unconquered Isles, but he’s dedicated his life to defending them from the British occupation. After decades of service as bodyguard to his lover, Hendrix, a chance encounter with The Music (an evil Spirit that lives in Ora’s mind) led him to leave Bones Island to protect the crew of The Nexus Spear from any further occurrences. Accompanied everywhere by his beloved Ovcharka, Barbara, MOH braves the dangers of both sun and sea to keep his charges safe.
