7th Sea: Chapter One - Rocks and Hard Places - A Chronicle So Far
Being an abridged record of the activities and adventures of sundry retainers of the University of Kirk's Archaeology Department.
A record of Chapter Two: The Fury of the Northmen is available.
Captain Ausgisilse Fiddvinmunddottir - Vendel wine merchant and captain of the brig Sommelier. A most practical woman, loyal to her crew and much beloved by them.
Dona Catalina Rodriguez de Torres del Castillo - disenfranchised Castillian noblewoman. Confident, pious and unwilling to compromise her values, she is an adept swordswoman.
Professor Sophia Jannike - Vendel professor of history at the University of Kirk. Well connected within the Explorer's Society, she walks a line between her modern profession and her Vestenmannavenyar heritage.
Lady Sandrine Dubois d'Arrent - the niece of Duc Samuel d'Arrent, Sandrine combines the manners of a well raised young noblewoman with an incongruous set of less socially acceptable talents.
Session The First - An Expedition to Eisen
Ilse, Catalina and Sophia escort Richard Kailean to the Drachenschloss in Fischler, to recover a mysterious bronze sphere thought to be connected to an outbreak of the White Plague. They are waylaid by Eisen villagers, and eventually find the sphere, but are beaten to the prize by a group of Montaigne and Vodacce.
Highpoints: Batgoblins. A rude awakening. Dropping the ball.
Session the Second - Taking Ship to Castille
Ilse and Catalina are charged with recovering a Castillian scholar from an Explorers Society dig in Rancho Gallegos, before the Inquisition can reach him. Sophia is sent along to liaise with the Explorers. Sandrine, a Montaigne benefactor has requested passage with the expedition. The ship is beset by buccaneers off the coast of Avalon, losing a topmast and half a dozen men.
Highpoints: Ilse shooting the enemy captain out of sheer spite.
Session the Third - In Which A Surgeon Is Lost
The Sommelier diverts to Arisent to make repairs before attempting to run the Montaigne blockade. A cargo of fine wines is purchased, and a topmast obtained. There is much drinking and merriment, but Haagman does not return in the morning. Investigation reveals he may have fallen in with an unfortunate woman.
Highpoints: Fortunate wine shopping. Porte messaging. Tea with Cousin Ludivine.
Session the Fourth - In Which A Gunpowder Plot is Foiled
The merry band locate the Jenny in question and defeat a local rake defending her. Inquiries lead to a warehouse, which turns out to be full of gunpowder. The charming Molyneux initially persuades the crew that his intention to blow up Arisent's Porte portal is a noble endeavour, but they change their minds. His henchmen are routed, and Molyneux himself is caught at the scene. Sandrine grievously wounds him and falls with him into the portal, while Sophia calls a rainstorm to douse the burning powder-filled haystack.
Highpoints: The Captain is bored. Catalina kills nine men. Erik shoots Jan. A sorcerous ending.
Session the Fourth's Aftermath - Knives In The Dark
Trapped in the porte pathways, Sandrine and Molyneux engage in a vicious knife fight, from which both eventually escape alive, if badly wounded.
Highpoints: Outrage!
Session the Fifth - In Which The Enemy Of My Enemy Is Still My Enemy
As Arisent is saved, a ship limps into the harbour, captained by an acquaintance of Ilse's father. His ship has been badly mauled by the notorious Avalonian privateer Fightin' Nat Bailey and he is unable to meet his obligations to deliver a shipment of musketoons to San Juan. Ilse agrees to deliver them, for a percentage. As the Montaigne squadron forms up to hunt Bailey down, the Sommelier slips away Southwards. The delivery is made on time, but while returning to the ship the crew find their way barred by a rival Vodacce crew. Taunts are exchanged and a brawl breaks out, escalating into a duel between Catalina and the Vodacce captain which is cut short by Ilse's pistol. Mid fight, ghostly figures appear from the misty dusk surrounding the brawlers. The crew run for their lives, losing a man to the spectral horrors.
Highpoints: The Captain kills a man with a melon. The price of pragmatism is learned.
Session the Sixth - In Which We Meet The Pirate King
The Sommelier avoids the Montaigne blockade by sailing close to La Palabra De Dios, where it encounters a ship in apparent distress. Upon approaching, it becomes apparent this is a ruse, for the ship is the Hanged Man. Knowing Allende's reputation and realising her crew's morale, Ilse orders a surrender and the Sommelier is captured. The Pirate King is surprisingly polite, and interesting conversations are had over dinner. Catalina expresses her disquiet at giving in without a fight, and Allende offers her a duel, the stakes his assistance against a favour. Catalina shows her skills to advantage but is eventually forced to concede. Allende calls in his favour, demanding that she swear to serve the King of Castille.
Highpoints: Sophia's bucket of water. Catalina's heroic swordsmanship. A serendipity which I'll explain at the end of the campaign.
Session the Seventh - In Which Schemes Are Hatched with Julio
The crew arrive at La Bucca, where they run into an old acquaintance of Catalina's; a restauranteur named Julio, now desperate to escape the island to avoid marriage to the pirate captain Isabella. Much ale is drunk to little effect. A wonderful dinner is eaten. Sandrine discovers that Allende is selling the Sommelier to the thuggish Captain Marco, and Ilse realises that once sold, her parole will not prevent her stealing the ship back. Sophia discovers a way through the reefs.
Highpoints: Sorcerous experiments. Admirable crew control.
Session the Eighth - In Which A Ship Is Stolen
Plans are refined. Sophia calls a mist. Ilse and Cobb have a very cold swim. Julio nobbles the Dirty Bard. Catalina leads a mob. A sneering swordsman dies mid word. Gunwales are swarmed. Sandrine blindsides the defenders. Julio arrives in style. Marco swings by and casually shoots Sandrine in the back. Men swarm over from the Furor. Sophia falls through a hatch with the captain. Julio beats twelve men. Ilse cuts the mooring lines. Catalina fights Marco. Sandrine gets punched in the face AGAIN. Marco departs over the side. A man with an axe doesn't notice his side have lost. The Furor gives chase and runs aground. To Rioja!
Highpoints: Julio's arrival. Sophia's slip, and crash, and crash and thud. Sandrine's rage at people who punch her. Liss hugging her ship.
Session the Ninth - In Which The Wrong Things Are Said
The Sommelier arrives in San Elisio (not Rioja), and is boarded by a party of soldiers led by a priest, while a Knight Inquisitor prowls the dockside. Three sailors admit Objectionism, and Julio is given away - all are arrested. The Explorers are located. The Explorers have no record of him. Catalina gives confession. Ilse gives confession. A priest is suspected of being a friend, and a note is cryptic. Much perplexitude is had. There is a commotion outside.
Highpoints: Julio's silent oturage. Ilse's moment of revelation.
Session the Tenth - In Which Unexpected Help Arrives
The commotion is a priest being dragged to the stake. Heroes run to help. El Vago arrives! El Vago and the Knight Inquisitor fight. Catalina takes a musket line. Ilse takes a musket. Sandrine rescues the prisoners. Sophia rescues the priest. The Inquisitor orders the soldiers to fire into the crowd. Ilse shoots the Inquisitor in the face. The Inquisitor wails on Sophia. El Vago escapes with the priest. The Inquisitor chases. Our heroes are "taken prisoner" and led out through the soldiers. Capitan Ramon Orduna de Torres. Run!
Highpoints: IN THE FACE! Many broken kneecaps.
Session the Eleventh - In Which the Fainting Ladies Break and Enter
Cobb and Erik point guns at the rescuers. The ship is sent away to Rioja. The Explorers' Society is under guard. Sandrine and Ilse break in through un upstairs window. Ilse finds the ledger. Catalina returns with horses. Sophia tries to scry de Guzman. Everybody falls unconscious. Something mysterious transpires. The city is swiftly departed, and Sophia's old trail is followed up into La Sierra del Hierro. One uneventful night in some woodland is followed by a quiet night in a Numan ruin. Sandrine gifts a Sol to each of the others; Catalina refuses the gift. The third night is spent in a ruined village; during Catalina's watch, the campfire explodes, and the ruined church tower appears to have sprouted a large, flaming Prophet's Cross...
Highpoints: Suspiciously adept burglary. Sophia, why was an owl staring at me? Sophia's littered wine bottles. Thankyou / err....thankyou...I think / no.
Session the Twelfth - In Which Events Transpire Which Catalina Would Not Believe Were She Told Of Them By Others
Our heroines scramble out and run, only to discover pillars of fire on each side of the village. Catalina and Sophia free the horses. A cloud of glowing ashes drifts over form the church and hurts people. There is some running around; while flaming pillars and snakes of fire surround and move in. Sandrine tries to open a portal but cannot. Sophia stirs up the weather. Fire is hurled and people are badly hurt. Pillars of fire draw swords and attack. Ilse throws away half a bottle of wine to good effect. Catalina holds the line despite grievous wounds. The captain's pistol goes off. Sophia gets water and kills the snakes. Sandrine fights a flaming man and is badly wounded. Catalina saves Sandrine. The "Prophet's Cross" seems to turn into a giant fiery bird and flies away, leaving our heroines badly injured, decidedly unhappy and not a little confused. Sophia breaks some rules of sorcery.
Highpoints: Moments of panic. A waste of good wine (well, okay wine.) We can hurt them! The opposite of a flaming background.
Session the Thirteenth - In Which A Destination Long Sought Is Reached
Ilse stands a nervous vigil as the others sleep. The morning comes, with the prospect of a long walk. Catalina trails the horses, but concludes they got away. The horseless party resolves to walk to the dig. Sandrine uses sorcery to Walk to her estates in Montaigne instead, and spends the day receiving medical care, fresh clothes and a bath while the others climb the gruelling path through the foothills. A terse horseman is met riding the other way, but he declines to converse. Finally the dig site is reached. Cookson is happy to see Sophia, and somewhat surprised at Sandrine's sudden arrival during dinner. A selection of mysterious artefacts is displayed.
Session the Fourteenth - In Which The Quarry Is Found
After waiting a day and concluding that "Garcia" is not coming up, the ladies resolve to go looking for him. Sophia searches the past and finds reference to floating rocks, monsters and red crystals. Traps are carefully circumvented, galleries are explored, and eventually a scholar and his shieldman are discovered. Conversations do not proceed as well as might have been hoped, and "Garcia" refuses to leave his dig. The ladies retreat to reconsider, and Sophia scryes. Deciding to leave the caverns before the outstay their welcome, they run into a scene of inexplicable violence...
Highpoints: "Don't worry about the tentacles!" "I think I can say you're free to make that sort of mistake again..."
Session the Fifteenth - In Which Our Heroes Fight The Wrong People. And Then The Right People. And Then Some More Right People
Confronted by an insensible, bloodied Digger beating on the body of another, Ilse and Catalina move to intervene, subduing him after a brief but desperate fight in which Sandrine accidentally deals him a mortal wound. "Garcia" and Sanza come upon this scene, logically assume these interlopers are attacking innocent diggers, and run to the diggers' defence. Lots of hands are waved, and "Woah" is shouted a lot. Sandrine ends the fight with her knives to Sanza's throat. Explanations are forthcoming, and di Guzman (for it is he!) tells of a Montaigne named Henri who visited recently and tried to steal a valuable and dangerous stone he had extracted from the dig. Another mindless digger climbs up from the sleeping quarters, and Ilse's boot sends him back down with a thump. Our heroes resolve to get di Guzman to safety, and the hidden rock is recovered. On the way out, Catalina hears the sounds of distant combat in the camp. Sandrine scouts ahead and finds men entering the caves. An ambush is laid, and sprung by none other than Henri, with three henchmen, who appear bent on casual murder. They display some disturbing tricks of swordsmanship and cause some distress to our heroes. Catalina cripples one henchman, who runs off back up the tunnel. Ilse and Sandrine very efficiently dispatch another, before facing Henri's attacks. Sophia grits her teeth and accepts the darting strikes of the final henchman, to deliver a series of brutal axeblows, before finishing him with an invocation of Vilskap, the Rune of Fury. Catalina disarms Henri of his rapier, and Ilse attempts to bind his knife. One of Sandrine's knives slips deep into his side, and he springs away and draws a pistol. As he levels it at Sandrine's chest, Catalina shoulders past her to take the ball in the shoulder as Henri escapes. Meanwhile, Sanza has been holding his ground against two more of the mindless diggers, but eventually falls under the weight of their blows. As Sophia moves to defend di Guzman, Catalina pursues Henri - and runs into a familiar face. A familiar face in a torn, scorched black Inquisitor's hood...
Highlights: Knives to the throat - you're pretty good at that. The Captain kicks a zombie down a hole. "It's okay, we know who they are now. Don't worry about taking any alive." Catalina takes the bullet. Fury, more in sorrow than in anger.
Session the Sixteenth - With Nowhere to Run
Catalina shouts a warning and falls back towards the Captain. Sophia gets di Guzman out, while Ilse dtands her ground. Sandrine dashes back into the tunnels, leaves a torch lure and unmarks the traps. The Knight Inquisitor declares that our heroes are under arrest for Heresy, Consorting With Sorcerers and Crimes In The Eyes Of Theus. Cataline pleads not guilty. Sophia draws on her inner fury and invokes Vilskap once more, a stream of blood from her hands leaving a twisted rune hanging impossibly in the air before a bolt of lightning sears across the chamber and winks out a foot short of the Inquisitor's chest. He looks down at Catalina and intones "Guilty."
Our heroes flee, while the Inquisitors are slowed by the two remaining diggers. Di Guzman is sent to hide under the cave-in, and the four make their stand at the tunnel intersection. While they are waiting, a distant explosion shakes the tunnels - Henri has fired the gunpowder stores by the entrance.
The Inquisitor and his entourage arrive, and he leads with a swift strike at Ilse. Sandrine whirls up the tunnel wall and drops all four of his henchmen in a confusing whirl of cloak and knives. The Inquisitor parries Ilse's blows and replies with neat ripostes, before she punches him to the ground. Catalina orders his surrender, but he rises, curses Sophia for a sinner and delivers a blow like a falling tree. Ilse knocks him to the ground once more, and Sandrine's knife finds his throat as he rises. The tunnel suddenly seems terribly quiet.
Highlights: Suddenly a lot less henchmen. Sophia knows what shape her soul is. Catalina will not strike. Ka-pow, stab, stab. The team works.
Session the Seventeenth - No Time For Science
Sandrine slips off to investigate the tunnel entrance; there is no way out. She is attacked in the dark by something big with Too Many Legs, is bitten and manages to fend it off. It vanishes, and she runs back to the group.
Equipment is gathered, and Porte discovered not to work. Our heroes elect to explore the tunnels. Catalina dodges a dart trap, which hits the Captain. The Captain starts to feel a bit light headed, but ministrations are given. Further down the corrridor, the floor crunches under Catalina's foot, and things start swarming out of the hole.
De Guzman screams and runs as he recognises Ten Second Beetles. Our heroes run, but are forced to pause at the collapsed ceiling. As Sandrine and de Guzman climb the rubble, four beetles fly up the corridor towards the remaining three. Catalina slices one contemptuously in two, while Sophia swats one with a torch - but a second bites her hand. The Captain has a lucky escape due to her coat's thick cuffs and crushes the other two with her torch. Sophia's blood runs with fire, but to de Guzman's amazement she does not die*.
It is conceded that the only way our may be through the city. The party returns to the Crystal Chamber and rests, maintaining watch against the threat of enormous monsters in the dark. De Guzman attempts to send a message as he was directed to by Arcinega, but it appears not to work. Once Sophia and Catalina have regained their strength, the expedition descends. Sophia wants to explore the buildings. Ilse insists they keep moving. Curious artefacts are found in buildings, but none are taken. At the centre of the city, our heroines find a temple lit with an orange glow. Closer inspection reveals three arches portals, two glowing red and one glowing yellow, with a suit of armour lying partially across the boundary. But wait - it's not armour at all - it's a Syrneth! De Guzman is persuaded to leave the body, and the party proceed through the yellow portal. Some people hear voices in the Walkways, but none open their eyes.
We emerge from a blood-red portal in a cold, dark cave. As our heroes begin to explore the way out, there is a sudden explosion of wings above, a crossbow bolt spins off the cave wall and a dead Kobold falls to the floor.
* - As requested: Ten Second Beetle venom deals a dramatic wound every phase that you fail a TN25 Resolve check. If you pass the check, the poison deals no damage that phase and the TN for future phases falls by 5. The poison keeps dealing dramatic wounds forever, until you drop the TN to 0 by passing Resolve checks or you die. Remember that your dice stop exploding once you're Crippled.
Session the Eighteenth - We're trapped by a WHAT?
Batgoblins Kobolds swarm. Kobolds die. De Guzman is bitten. An angry woman with a crossbow appears and swears a lot; her companion looks on with a massive sword. Excuses are made. A problem is revealed, and a deal is struck. There is much incredulity. First aid is given, and the light of recognition dawns. Newfound comrades march together towards the surface, and are ambushed, much as expected, by some sort of massive Drachen. Sophia is very disappointed, and then everybody gets the crap beaten out of them.
Highlights - Sophia kills a bunch of kobolds armed only with a kobold. Sophia, first-contact paleontologist.
Session the Nineteenth - An Old Friend Returns
Day-long session, 14/10/10
Sandrine runs up the Drachen's back and stabs it in the eye. As it flails in pain, Sophia blinds it in the other eye with a torch. As Dietrich chops at its wings, Ilse finds a weak spot and Catalina delivers a killing blow. The Drachen crumples. Victory!
Emily leads the merry band to Weissberg, arranges rooms at Erich Baurson's inn and fetches Doctor Reinhart to attend to wounds. Sandrine visits the Montaigne Enclave and posts a letter to Arcienega's Charouse contact, while the Captain plans a rapid departure for Kirk. Emily takes the heroines out to show them riversnakes. Catalina goes to church twice, fails to meet the Castillian Governor, and duels a Lightning Guard in the street. A reply from AA instructs them to remain in town three days, and encloses a blooded anchor with not-so-subtle instructions for its use. A ball is found to be planned for three days time. A boatman goes missing. Investigations are made.
A party of sinister outsiders take lodgings in the inn at Reinhart's request. They are soon joined by none other than Jean Molyneux. Emily has him followed. Catalina meets her second cousin. Sandrine requests a dress. Sophia experiments with handicraft.
The barge is investigated and found to be full of crates - one contains a live riversnake, which almost eats Gunther's head before eating Emily's knife. Another is found to be made of Blackwood, and contains some sort of giant light-hating spider. That crate is nailed shut and put gently back, while the barge is left upriver outside town.
Sandrine is discovered outside Molyneux's window. They have a pleasant chat.
In the morning, Emily's friends left watching the barge are found unconscious, and the barge is gone. Guards say they saw a barge pass downstream in the night, but Emily's search downstream finds nothing. Emily has an argument with Reinhart.
Concluding that Molyneux will strike at the ball and its guest, our heroes arrange to attend, expecting a release of deadly animals among the guests. Catalina has a dress made. Sandrine spends the day staring at her dress wondering what the hell Jean was thinking. Mid ball, just as Alvaro Arcinega has made his grand, unexpected and very public entrace, smoke is sighted from the wharf area, and a barge is drifting downriver towards the hall. There is much confusion as people try to evacuate the hall and others try to keep everybody in the light. Catalina and Sandrine have soldiers seal the doors. Ilse is long-gone, running for the bridge the barge must pass under. Sophia realises that de Guzman has left the crystal back in the inn, and runs back for it.
Ilse reaches the bridge just in time to drop down onto the barge, finding two men, one engaged in a musket/crossbow duel with Emily, and a brazier of something flaming. More men on the far bank haul the boat along with ropes, including Molyneux himself.
Ilse shoots one man, and punches the other off the barge - but, alas, his boot catches the brazier on the way over, and tips it, spilling a torrent of flaming viscous liquid towards the hold door - through which Ilse can now see a number of barrels. Wadding her coat in the path of the fire, she turns to face the men boarding the barge from the bank.
Running down the bank, Sandrine and Catalina see Molyneux and one of his men board the barge. Sandrine fells the two men in her way and leaps after her nemesis, while Catalina faces down the remaining five...
Highlights - Sandrine on the balcony. Social contrasts. The PCs' assumed villain's plan being way better than the villain's actual plan.
Session the Twentieth - In Which Another Plot is Foiled
19/10/10
Everybody settles into their respective duels. The Eisen have difficulty hitting Catalina, until one grabs her cloak. Sophia blows his Panzerhand apart with Vilskap, and injures the other two. Catalina dispatches their Montaigne allies.
Ilse knocks her foe down, then punts him over the side with te boom, using the now unfurled sail to scoop water onboard and dampen down the fire. With things partially under control, she drops down into the hold to secure the powder kegs.
Sandrine faces down her nemesis, who appears to be armed with her cousin's sword. But he's not very good with it, and she badly wounds him before he discards it for his customary stiletttos and falling back on his tried and tested "punch Sandrine in the face" manouevre. The fight runs back and forth, but Sandrine gains the upper hand. Molyneux produces a grappling gun and manages to escape by swinging off the castle wall into the river.
Catalina and Sophia deal with all but one of the men on the bank, when a Montaigne patrol arrives, headed by the Lightning Guard Corporal that Catalina humiliated. He chooses to believe the accusations of the last man standing, and goes to arrest Catalina. She bats his sword into the river, and Sophia manages to persuade his men not to shoot. The situation is brought under control by the arrival of Cousin/Governor Esteban Wulf de Torres de Orduna with a half dozen swordsmen.
Catalina and Sophia board the boat and go below, to find the fuses cut, and the Captain gasping for breath in the coils of a river snake...
Sandrine runs off after Molyneux, with three of Esteban's men, finding him being dragged out of the river by a squad of Sieger's Clenched Fists who drag him off under "arrest" to their armed riverboat.
On return to the ball, our heroines are the talk of the town, and Sophia enjoys dancing with Alvaro Arceniega, before all retire to the Oak and Crozier for medical attention and planning. Arceniega is intrigued by the story of flaming men in the mountains of Castille and asks them to investigate...
Highlights - Lightning Guards do not learn. Glove versus glove. Stolen weapon versus stolen weapon. Captain versus snake!