Words cost supplies#
Nothing written on the Shore is free. A private message at the Bottle Post spends a message bottle, a sheet of kelp paper and squid ink; a Jabber Rock notice spends paper and ink; a reply spends ink alone. Ink is metered by length: one ink per 400 characters of body, any part-block costing a whole unit, minimum one. Supplies cannot be bought. They drop from rewarded wins in the Pit, so every word you post is a fight you won first.
The supplies#
| Supply | Drop / rewarded win | Quantity | Hold cap | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Message Bottle | 8% | 1 | 5 | A stout bottle with a sound cork. Every message sent costs one. |
 Kelp Paper | 14% | 1 | 10 | Pressed kelp, dried flat. One sheet per message or notice. |
 Squid Ink | 22% | 1–3 | 30 | A blot of borrowed ink. Longer writing drinks more of it. |
Each type rolls independently on a rewarded win (a cooldown fight drops nothing), separate from the magic find. A full hold blocks that type’s drop entirely. At the cap, the tide keeps them, so spend before you stack.
What writing costs#
| Action | Where | Shortest | Longest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Send a message | The Bottle Post | 1 bottle, 1 kelp paper and 1 ink | 1 bottle, 1 kelp paper and 5 ink |
| Start a thread | Jabber Rock | 1 kelp paper and 1 ink | 1 kelp paper and 10 ink |
| Post a reply | Jabber Rock | 1 ink | 10 ink |
Subjects and titles ride along with the paper they are written on; only the body meters ink. Every 400 characters (or part thereof) is one ink: a 2000-character message body costs 5 ink, a full 4000-character essay on the Rock costs 10.
Getting supplies#
Three sources, no shop. Rewarded wins in the Pit roll the drops above. Mother Murk’s free daily dredge, when it comes up bare of magic, always shakes out 1 kelp paper and 2 ink (clamped by your hold). And every fresh cockle starts with Captain Seaweed’s kit: 2 bottles, 3 kelp paper and 10 ink, enough for a first bottle and a first say on the Rock. The kit is granted once, ever.
The written-word trophies are carved at the Tidemark with the rest: Beachcomber, Inkslinger and Influencer sit in the Community shelf, two of them with titles.