7thSea - User contributions [en]

The Avalon Gambit

2009-11-10T20:44:22Z

166.135.88.66:

After an Avalon gentleman bumps into [[Aleksei]] on the street, the Avalon lord and [[Sebastien]] exchange words and agree to duel. [[Julien]] is named Sebastien's second, and he arranges the time and place with a friend of the Avalon man, now revealed as [[Roger Northrup, 7th Earl of Luthon]] and one of Queen Elaine's favorites. Though a young man, his brilliance makes him Avalon's foremost envoy.

==Beneath the Pond==

The duel is set for the next day at noon at the Sunken Fountain, a feature in one of the ponds in Le Labyrinthe. Through ingenious workmanship, a small plaza and fountain have been set ten feet below the surface of the water on a tiny tree-dotted island, providing a private place to fight. The heroes and the Earl of Luthon - as well as his second, a Lord Pembsley - arrive on time, and Sebastien and Lord Roger have just taken their places when a shot rings out. Lord Pembsley falls down dead, and a Crescent woman with revealing attire and twin scimitars steps down into the plaza, flanked by a dozen evil-looking pirates. She tells the players that she has no quarrel with them and that they can go; unsurprisingly, they decline, and a fight ensues.

The Crescent woman beelines for the Earl, who she quickly fells, as Sebastien and Julien engage the pirates. Aleksei drags the Earl away just as the Crescent woman is about to strike a killing blow, and Sebastien and the woman set to fighting. Sebastien begins to prevail - the woman is distracted as Julien cuts off her rather brief bustier, and as the tide turn she makes to flee, running for the bushes. Julien pursues but cannot catch up as she dives into the waters of the pond.

She comes up not that far away, and the heroes see a man - a familiar man - help her into a small boat and row away. The man is [[Captain Crispino]], their opponent from an [[The Story So Far#Death at the Docks|earlier encounter]]. Meanwhile, Northrup recovers enough to speak, thanking the heroes and confessing that this may be related to a diplomatic mission to Castille. He invites them to a party the next evening at the home of his host, Lady Moncrieff - a woman Aleksei is trying to avoid from [[The Soldier and the Soprano#The Naval Ball|his last encounter]].

==Interlude: Julien la Croix and Philip du Paix==

In the intervening time, Julien goes to meet with the heroes' patron, [[Philip du Paix]]. He tells Philip what transpired, and Philip confides that Lord Roger's mission to Castille does not bode well for Montaigne. He introduces [[Lucien du Lac]] to Julien, and Philip asks Julien to take a brooch from Lucien and acquire Lord Roger's diplomatic pouch by the stroke of midnight, at which point Lucien will come to him. Philip acknowledges that this whole business has the stink of espionage, and suggests that Julien be discrete where it comes to his more honorable companions.

==Lady Moncrieff's Party==

The next night is the party at Lady Moncrieff's, who has a manor on Le Labryinthe's grounds. At the receiving line, Lady Moncrieff coos over Aleksei, telling him she plans on bringing him to the spa with her. He quickly begs Roger to take him with him to Altamira, getting the heroes aboard the Earl's voyage. Then - perhaps feeling a need for mischief - Aleksei decides to set Julien up with someone who likes dangerous men, and chooses Nicolette du Montaigne, the Emperor's daughter. Perhaps unfortunately, Nicolette and Julien hit it off brilliantly and swiftly enough disappear upstairs.

Also at the party, Sebastien meets a lady of his own: Christine Rois et Reines, who (unbeknownst to him) is the sister of Jean-Marie Rois et Reines, Captain-general of L'Empereur's Musketeers. Aleksei - knowing the woman's family as well as her reputation as rather clingy - tries to keep Sebastien from leaving the party with Christine by challenging another Musketeer at the party to a duel. Unfortunately for Aleksei, Sebastien sees what is up and convinces the Musketeer to back down.

Meanwhile, Julien is upstairs with Nicolette, where they are playing a very dangerous game with knives: L'Empereur's daughter has induced Julien to throw daggers at her, something that is perhaps beyond Julien's ability. With luck and gritted teeth, Julien does not kill Nicolette - but it is now just before midnight, and so Julien must introduce Nicolette into his plan and bring her with him as he goes to search Lord Roger's rooms.

Julien and Nicolette sneak into Roger's room and begin to search, but minutes later - just before midnight - they hear Roger and a lady at the door. Quickly, they dash into the closet, where they discover a chest with the pouch - but Lucien will open the portal in minutes. Thankfully, Aleksei - suspecting something amiss - notices a scrap of Julien's coat on Lord Roger's door, and distracts the Earl by telling him that his companion's husband is searching for her. In the midst of this distraction, Lucien arrives through Porte portal and swaps one diplomatic pouch for an identical other. With Lord Roger still outside, Julien and Nicolette escape through Lucien's portal, only to arrive elsewhere in Le Labryinthe - Lucien's rooms - and be faced by Captain Crispino and a party of men with muskets. They take the pouch from Lucien and make a swift exit.

==Our Heroes Meet With Philip du Paix==

After the party, all of the heroes meet with Philip du Paix: he tells them that it is in the interests of Montaigne that Earl Roger reach Altamira with his diplomatic pouch (a suspicious statement if ever - why is diplomacy between Avalon and Castille in L'Empereur's interest?) and asks them to accompany the Earl of Northrup to protect him from Captain Crispino, who Philip believes will make an attempt again on the Earl.

After leaving Philip, Julien confesses that he swapped the pouches the night before, and that as best as he can reckon Crispino was working for Philip when he attacked Lord Roger at the pond but has since switched sides to someone trying to help Lord Roger - that is to say, Crispino now has the real pouch and is going to try to switch it again for the fake pouch Julien planted on the Earl. They all resolve to voyage with Lord Roger on his river-brig ''Proud Margaret'', but there is substantial disagreement about whether or not they should tell him that the swap has occurred.

==The ''Proud Margaret'' Sails to Altamira==

The Earl's ship leaves for the three-day trip up the Great River to Altamira, a Castillian port in Rancho Soldano. On the first night, Aleksei attempts to obliquely warn the Earl of what has occurred without telling him outright, but whether or not his warning has effect is unknown. Dinner is had with the Earl again on the second night, at which point the heroes retire to the gunroom to drink and talk some more about what to do about the fake diplomatic pouch.

===Crispino's Men Attack===

The heroes' discussion is cut short shortly after moonrise, however: they hear shouts from the deck and rush up to see river-pirates - Crispino's men - coming over the side.

Blades are drawn, and the heroes rush the boarding party. The boarders split in two, with one party led by the mysterious Crescent woman Sebastien fought beneath the pond. The musketeer squares off with her once again in a flurry of flashing blades. The other party is led by an enormous giant of a man wielding a great hammer to big for most men to lift. Julien rushes for him as Aleksei marshals a few Margarets into a flying squad to support both of his companions.

While Sebastien and the Crescent duel, Julien attempts to climb up into the rigging so he can leap down on the giant man and push him over the side into the sea. He does so, but at a price: Julien goes into the water with the giant, and both sink to the bottom as the giant tries to squeeze the breath out of Julien. As Sebastien sends the Crescent fleeing, he turns to see Aleksei dive into the water as well and then rallies some sailors to charge the remaining pirates.

Beneath the waves, Julien is having a poor time of things: the big man is huge, and despite Julien's attempts to bite and stab the giant he is squeezing the life out of the man from Paix. He goes limp, and things seem lost before a pair of river sharks appear, biting at the giant. The huge man attempts to flee, pursued by one of the sharks, while the other shark drags Julien to the surface. There, Sebastien fires and misses the shark as sailors pull Julien's senseless body back on board.

===Whither the Earl?===

Realizing that he hasn't seen Lord Roger, Sebastien draws his pistols and runs towards the Earl's cabin. Inside, the Earl lies poisoned and gray-faced on the ground as Captain Crispino holds two diplomatic pouches in his hands. Sebastien unloads both barrels and, quite surprised, Crispino staggers back a few feet and then turns to leap out the cabin windows into the river.

By now, the rather-wet Aleksei and Julien have returned, and they shut sailors out of the cabin and tend to the Earl. He is senselessly poisoned but alive, and as they settle him in his cot all turn to look at the pouches. The pouches are opened, but both letters are almost identical: offers from Queen Elaine to Good King Sandoval to assist in the war against Montaigne by restraining Sea Dog attacks against Castillian shipping and helping run blockades.

The text of the two letters differ, but Julien cannot tell which is fake and which is not. Sebastien and Aleksei refuse to explain the diplomatic niceties of each to him, so they finally wake the Earl awakes and hand him the letters: he points out that one of them is written just a little more haughtily than the other, such that the prickly Castillians will reject that offer and Avalon aid.

With the affair of the pouch now resolved, Lord Roger thanks the heroes and they reach Altamira. Quickly enough, they take passage back to Paix where they choose to keep Philip du Paix silent about which letter, exactly, Lord Roger finally delivered.

==Persons of Note==

* ''[[Philip du Paix]]'' - The heroes' patron and L'Empereur's spymaster in Paix, who was behind all of this trouble.
* ''[[Roger Northrup, 7th Earl of Luthon]]'' - Queen Elaine's diplomat and envoy, and a Knight of the Rose and Cross.
* ''[[Captain Crispino|Captain Crispino Amberci]]'' - A mercenary Vodacce merchant, smuggler, pirate and spy hired first by Philip and then by enemies of L'Empereur.
* ''Lady Adelaide Moncrieff'' - Grand dame of Le Labyrinthe, she hosted Lord Roger and is in amorous pursuit of Aleksei.
* ''Lady Christine Rois et Reines'' - Sister to Jean-Marie, Captain of the Musketeers, she has become romantically involved with Sebastien.
* ''Nicolette du Montaigne'' - The seventh daughter of L'Empereur, Nicolette has taken a fancy to Julien and drawn him into her circle of thrill-seekers.

[[Category:Stories]]

The Rapist Caper and Other Stories

2009-11-10T20:43:55Z

166.135.88.66: New page: The Knights of the Rose and Cross - concerned about Aleksei's tendency to get into trouble - send a Poor Knight to babysit him, the ex-slave Marie-Celeste Minuit. She joins the heroes ...

The Knights of the Rose and Cross - concerned about Aleksei's tendency to get into trouble - send a Poor Knight to babysit him, the ex-slave [[Marie-Celeste Minuit]]. She joins the heroes in their regular habit of rotating homes to drink and talk and quarrel, and hears Aleksei inform his friends that a relative of his has been abducted by a one-handed man. Discussion of how to find this one-handed man is cut short, however, by the arrival of Sebastien, who has come from the house of Lady Christine with news that a friend of hers is in trouble.

==A Salon at the Apartment de Courtanvoux==

==Marie-Celeste and the Comte du Trois==

==A Party at the Hotel du Trois==

==Interlude: Julien is Summoned by a Princess==

==A Prison-Break at ''Les Chaines''==

==One League North-Northeast==

[[Category:Stories]]

Our Heroes

2009-11-10T20:30:13Z

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This page describes the heroes of our drama.

* ''[[Aleksei|Aleksei Courtanvoux]]'' -- A half-Ussuran Montaigne nobleman who is a constant disappointment to his father. (Played by Sean)
* ''[[Julien|Julien La Croix]]'' -- A Montaigne street-rat from birth, sly, intelligent and nonchalant. (Played by Jeremy)
* ''[[Sebastien Cristophe Gaulle du Motte]]'' -- One of L'Empereur's Musketeers. (Played by Reid)
* ''[[Marie-Claire Minuit]]'' -- A former slave from the Midnight Archipelago and now a Knight of the Rose and Cross. (Played by Claire)

First Edition House Rules

2009-11-10T20:25:41Z

166.135.88.66:

Here are some house rules I'll be using:

==Drama Dice==

At the beginning of each Story, players start with 3 Drama Dice, rather than a number equal to their lowest attribute. As the party begins to reach Journeyman/Adept levels, they will begin with 4 Drama Dice; when the party reaches Master levels, they will begin with 5. If a player's character does not have a Major Advantage (Swordsman Schools, Sorcery, Dracheneisen, etc.) they begin with an additional Drama Die.

Drama Dice no longer turn into XP.

Players can nominate other players for Drama Dice.

GMs continue to receive Drama Dice as normal.

==Complications==

At any time, if you miss a roll by 5 or less, you can declare a "Complication" and receive a Free Raise to your roll - that is to say, you succeed. The complication may be any sort of thing - in combat, often losing a weapon or being manuevered into an unfortunate place - and usually is worth an Action or roughly 2 Raises.

==Brute Squads==

The Villain's Kit gives rules for "national" brute squads. I'll be generalizing those rules as a way to make "experienced" brutes more difficult; instead of being tied to a nation, each nation's rules represents a trait an "experienced" brute squad might have. It's possible that a particularly tough squad might have more than one of these traits, though that's very unlikely - and most squads will have no special traits. Reprinted here are the rules from the Villain's Kit, with the nation listed in parentheses.

* '''Lucky Brutes''' (Avalon) -- Brute Squads receive one re-roll per scene.
* '''Skilled Brutes''' (Castille) -- Brute Squads roll and keep one extra die.
* '''Tough Brutes''' (Eisen) -- Brute Squads require two hits before going down.
* '''Quick Brutes''' (Montaigne) -- Brute Squads receive one extra Action Die each round.
* '''Nimble Brutes''' (Pirates) -- Brute Squads do not need to take an action to move up one level in combat.
* '''Extra Brutes''' (Ussura) -- Brute Squads are made up of eight rather than six men.
* '''Strong Brutes''' (Vestenmannavnjar) -- Brute Squads double all damage.
* '''Resourceful Brutes''' (Vodacce) -- Vodacce always roll at least 3 dice.

==Flesh Wounds & First Aid==

At present, the First Aid knack - which heals Flesh Wounds - is largely useless, as Flesh Wounds heal at the end of any combat. This also causes a problem with Flesh Wounds gained from traps, poison, et cetera. To solve this, Flesh Wounds last until a character has a chance to rest between Scenes. If several Scenes string together without a chance to rest, Flesh Wounds do not heal.

==Swordsman Schools and Swordsman's Guild==

Because of the different role the [[Swordsman's Guild]] plays in the campaign, Swordsman Schools do not automatically grant the Swordsman's Guild (or in the case of some schools, a Free Rank in a knack.) Instead, Swordsman Schools usually grant the Academy advantage for free; in the case of the Rogers school, characters receive the Old Salt advantage (see below) for free.

==Purchasing Swordsman Schools in Play==

Swordsman Schools cost 50 XP to purchase in play, but they can be bought gradually in the following order:

1.) School Basics -- 10 XP
The basics of a school's style cost 10 XP, though they provide no mechanical benefit.

2.) Swordsman Knacks -- 3 @ 10 XP each
The three substantive (non-Exploit Weakness) knacks of a school cost 10 XP each and are acquired at Rank 1.

3.) Apprentice Ability -- 10 XP
The character is now an Apprentice, and receives Exploit Weakness 1 for free as a consequence.

Characters who already possess some of a school's knacks or the Apprentice ability of a school (as in the case of Desaix and Valroux) do not have to purchase those parts of the school. In that case, they receive their Apprentice level and their free rank in Exploit Weakness when they purchase their last portion of the school.

As per the rules in the Player's Guide, a character must already have both skills in the school's curriculum before beginning to learn the school.

Characters learning a school are considered to have a Mastery level of 0, and all Exploit Weakness attempts against them are at +1 unkept dice.

At character generation, characters can buy partial Swordsman Schools; for 5 points, you receive School Basics and the core curriculum skills. Each additional 5 points purchases one rank in a Swordsman Knack.

==Exploit Weakness Knack==

While you receive one free rank in Exploit Weakness (Your School) when you purchase a Swordsman School, Exploit Weakness is no longer required as a knack for raising your school. Instead, the Attack knack associated with your school's primary weapon needs to be raised to 4 for Journeyman and 5 for Master. You also receive a free rank in Exploit Weakness when you reach Journeyman and again when you reach Master, though the Knack can never be raised above 5.

Characters can also learn Exploit Weakness for other schools. Ranks 1 and 2 can only be gained after Stories in which the character defeated an Apprentice of that other school in a duel or some other form of single combat; Rank 3 can be only be purchased after a Story in which a Journeyman was defeated. Rank 4 requires defeating a Master, and Rank 5 requires defeating a Grandmaster, several Masters at once or a similar extraordinary feat.

==Literacy==

Instead of charging literacy per language, I'll be charging literacy per alphabet. The alphabets are:

* '''Thean Alphabet''': Thean, Montaigne, Castillian, Vodacce, Eisen*, High Eisen*, Avalon*, Vendel*
* '''Teodoran Alphabet''': Ussuran, Teodoran
* '''Crescent Alphabet''': Crescent**

* Eisen, Avalon, and Vendel are not Thean-descended languages, but they have adopted the Thean alphabet. This sometimes causes difficulty for characters who are not native speakers or who have not spent a lot of time reading works in the non-Thean languages, and vice versa. Characters with southern languages can read things written in northern languages, but differences in spelling and punctuation conventions make going slow. Similarly, characters with northern languages can read things written in southern languages, but the same differences make reading difficult. Familiarity with the other group's literature can be bought off with 1 HP or familiarity can be gained in play.

** Some Crescent dialects are also written in the Teodoran script.

==New Advantage: Old Salt==
5 points, 4 points if Avalon or Castille

Receive the Sailor skill for free. All Sailor Advanced Knacks are treated as Basic Knacks at character generation, but the character cannot begin with the Captain skill.

==Reputation==

Rather than one Reputation points scale which runs from 130 to -130, we will be using three, interrelated types of Reputation:

* '''Hero Reputation''' -- Characters earn Hero Reputation for doing honorable and heroic deeds, largely according to the rules for earning Reputation in the core books, and spend Hero Reputation Dice accordingly.
* '''Villain Reputation''' -- Characters earn Villain Reputation for doing dishonorably and evil deeds that reflect a malignant heart, largely according to the rules for earning Negative Reputation in the core books, and spend Villain Reputation Dice accordingly.
* '''Scoundrel Reputation''' -- Characters earn Scoundrel Reputation for doing disreputable deeds towards good (or at least ambiguous) ends but with an "ends-justify-the-means" attitude. It is an easy slide from Scoundrel Reputation to Villain Reputation, however: every time a Scoundrel earns Villain Reputation, an equal number of Scoundrel points turn to Villain Reputation, representing people's bad suspicions being confirmed. Scoundrel Reputation Dice can be spent on shady ends just short of villainy.
:::''Example: Jean-Petit, with Scoundrel Reputation 10, Villain 0 and Hero 0 receives 3 Villain Reputation points after he lets the villainous Major Montrere have the farmer's daughter. In addition to earning 3 Villain points, 3 of Jean-Petit's Scoundrel points turn to Villain points, so that he now has Villain 6, Scoundrel 7, Hero 0.

Characters can have no more than 130 total points amongst all three types of Reputation. If the 130 limit has been reached but a character has several types of reputation, they can continue to increase one type by decreasing another type. Recognition rolls and similar tests of notoriety are made with total Reputation Dice based off the sum of all three types of Reputation.

When determining the number of Reputation dice available to a character in a given situation, different types of Reputation may subtract from each other as follows:

* Villain Reputation '''always''' subtracts from Hero Reputation
* Hero Reputation '''usually''' subtracts from Villain Reputation
* Scoundrel Reputation '''sometimes''' subtracts from Hero Reputation
* Hero Reputation '''rarely''' subtracts from Scoundrel Reputation
* Scoundrel Reputation '''rarely''' subtracts from Villain Reputation
* Villain Reputation '''rarely''' subtracts from Scoundrel Reputation

Additionally, sometimes two types of Reputation will add together - generally Scoundrel and Villain Reputation, though rarely Scoundrel and Hero Reputation. Villain and Hero Reputation never add.

Finally, some events described in the core rules as subtracting Reputation (failing important missions, certain kinds of cowardice and the like) do not add to Villain Points but instead just decrease Reputation overall, as losers rarely have a place in history.

==Drawing Weapons==

This is less a house rule than a clarification; the rule set forth here is referenced or strongly implied in a variety of books, but is never succinctly stated.

Drawing a weapon or other item takes a single Action. If a character would like to draw a weapon while doing something else (e.g., drawing their sword while they club someone with their just-fired pistol), they must make a single Raise (+5 TN). If a character would like to draw a weapon and attack with that same weapon, they must make two Raises (+10 TN).

In most cases, a character can draw two items (one with each hand) under these rules, unless the weapons are large, awkward, or there is some other special consideration.

'''''NB:''' At present, this rule allows a character to draw a brace of pistols with a single Action, or draw and fire a brace of pistols with two Raises. This is the only situation in which I can presently envision abuse - if drawing and firing braces proves to be too powerful, I may restrict that use.''

The Avalon Gambit

2009-11-10T20:23:30Z

166.135.88.66:

Main Page

2009-11-10T20:05:35Z

166.135.88.66:

== <center>Sang et Soleil</center> ==
<big><b><center>Robert's Seventh Sea epic, set primarily in Montaigne</center></b></big>

==Setting Information==
'''Epic'''
* ''Story #0:'' [[The Story So Far]] -- Several historical capers prior to our heroes taking center stage.
* ''Story #1:'' [[The Soldier and the Soprano]] -- In which our heroes catch a traitorous colonel and discover the identity of a Castillian spy.
* ''Story #3:'' [[The Avalon Gambit]] -- In which our heroes meet an old enemy, make a noble friend and must choose between honor and country.
* ''Story #4:'' [[The Rapist Caper and Other Adventures]] -- In which our heroes help three ladies, humiliate a villainous noble, and arrive to late to stop a tragedy.
'''Dramatis Personae'''
* [[Our Heroes]]
:* [[Aleksei Courtanvoux]] -- A half-Ussuran Montaigne nobleman who is a constant disappointment to his father. (Played by Sean)
:* [[Julien La Croix]] -- A Montaigne street-rat from birth, sly, intelligent and nonchalant. (Played by Jeremy)
:* [[Sebastien Cristophe Gaulle du Motte]] -- One of L'Empereur's Musketeers. (Played by Reid)
:* [[Marie-Celeste Minuit]] -- A former slave from the Midnight Archipelago and now a Knight of the Rose and Cross. (Played by Claire)

* [[Persons of Interest]]
:* [[Philip du Paix]] -- The heroes' initial employer.
:* [[Carlotta]] -- The notorious Castillian spy "El Chacal".

'''Places'''
* [[Paix]] -- Montaigne's diplomatic city, where the story begins
* [[Islands]] -- A brief discussion on the various island chains of the Great Western Ocean.

'''Setting'''
* [[Swordsman's Guild|The Swordsman's Guild]] -- An altered version of the Swordsman's Guild.

'''System'''
* [[House Rules]]
* [[Naval Combat Rules]]
* New Swordsman School: [[Leveque]]
* New Skill: [[Soldier]]
* New Skill: [[Petty Officer]]

==Links & Resources==
* [http://www.crystalkeep.com/7thsea/index.php Condensed Rule Summaries] -- PDFs of the main CG rules, all the Swordsman Schools, and all types of Sorcery
* [http://www.confusticate.com/~walker/7thsea/setting.html Nations of Theah Primer] -- Descriptions and maps of all the nations of 7th Sea

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[[Special:RecentChanges|Recent Updates]]

Main Page

2009-11-10T20:03:25Z

166.135.88.66:

== <center>Sang et Soleil</center> ==
<big><b><center>Robert's Seventh Sea epic, set primarily in Montaigne</center></b></big>

==Setting Information==
'''Epic'''
* ''Story #0:'' [[The Story So Far]] -- Several historical capers prior to our heroes taking center stage.
* ''Story #1:'' [[The Soldier and the Soprano]] -- In which our heroes catch a traitorous colonel and discover the identity of a Castillian spy.
* ''Story #3:'' [[The Avalon Gambit]] -- In which our heroes meet an old enemy, make a noble friend and must choose between honor and country.
* ''Story #4:'' [[The Rapist Caper and Other Adventures]] -- In which our heroes help three ladies, humiliate a villainous noble, and arrive to late to stop a tragedy.
'''Dramatis Personae'''
* [[Our Heroes]]
:* [[Aleksei Courtanvoux]] -- A half-Ussuran Montaigne nobleman who is a constant disappointment to his father. (Played by Sean)
:* [[Julien La Croix]] -- A Montaigne street-rat from birth, sly, intelligent and nonchalant. (Played by Jeremy)
:* [[Sebastien Cristophe Gaulle du Motte]] -- One of L'Empereur's Musketeers. (Played by Reid)

* [[Persons of Interest]]
:* [[Philip du Paix]] -- The heroes' initial employer.
:* [[Carlotta]] -- The notorious Castillian spy "El Chacal".

'''Places'''
* [[Paix]] -- Montaigne's diplomatic city, where the story begins
* [[Islands]] -- A brief discussion on the various island chains of the Great Western Ocean.

'''Setting'''
* [[Swordsman's Guild|The Swordsman's Guild]] -- An altered version of the Swordsman's Guild.

'''System'''
* [[House Rules]]
* [[Naval Combat Rules]]
* New Swordsman School: [[Leveque]]
* New Skill: [[Soldier]]
* New Skill: [[Petty Officer]]

==Links & Resources==
* [http://www.crystalkeep.com/7thsea/index.php Condensed Rule Summaries] -- PDFs of the main CG rules, all the Swordsman Schools, and all types of Sorcery
* [http://www.confusticate.com/~walker/7thsea/setting.html Nations of Theah Primer] -- Descriptions and maps of all the nations of 7th Sea

--------
[[Special:RecentChanges|Recent Updates]]

Persons of Interest

2009-11-10T19:56:56Z

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Notable individuals our heroes have heard of, have met, or which they had never met.

==In Paix==
* ''[[Philip du Paix]]'' -- Our heroes' employer, a slightly shady nobleman who hangs around the Le Labyrinthe.
* ''[[Lucien du Lac]]'' -- A sometimes-seen associate of Philip's, likely adept at Porté.
* ''The Marquis de Paix'' -- Ruler of the city, the Marquis de Paix has been a fixture in Le Labyrinthe for so long that most have forgotten what disgrace saw him exiled here and what family he is originally from, though it is often thought to be Leveque. He is a thoughtful man largely given to his own dissolute pursuits, though he is also L'Empereur's chief ambassador in Paix, a task which he seems to set himself to with diligence and loyalty if not excitement. He has been so long in the city that he goes by the sobriquet "de Paix" - not a nobleman of Paix, but the lord who is Paix.
* ''Nicolette du Montaigne'' -- L'Empereur's seventh daughter is ostensibly the royal attache in Paix; in fact, she offended her father with her willfulness and was essentially exiled to Paix. Here, she rarely involves herself with politics and instead spends her time seeking out trouble in places high and low in the city. She has lately drawn Julien into her circle of scoundrels, perhaps to Julien's peril.
* ''Lady Adelaide Moncrieff'' -- Grand dame of Le Labyrinthe society, she has a conquistador's interest in Aleksei.
* ''Lady Christine Rois et Reines'' -- The sister of the Captain of the Musketeers, she has become romantically involved with Sebastien.

==Elsewhere in Montaigne==
===At court===
* ''L'Empereur Leon Alexandre du Montaigne XIV'' -- The ruler of Montaigne, a powerful sorcerer and the leading nobleman in Theah.
* ''Imperatrice Morella du Montaigne'' -- The sister of Prince Caligari of Vodacce, the Imperatrice is a powerful Fate Witch and L'Empereur's third wife.
* ''Captain Jean-Marie Rois et Reines'' -- Captain of the Musketeers, Jean-Marie is married to L'Empereur's sixth daughter and is thought to be the pinnacle of Montaigne honor.
* ''Dominique du Montaigne'' -- The Emperor's ninth daughter and the wife of General Montegue.

===At war with Castille===
* ''General Louis Bisset du Verre'' -- Brother to the Duc du Verre, Louis Bisset is a calculating man who has seen his family's fortunes rise as a consequence of the war with Castille. With Montegue sent to Ussura, General Bisset now commands the entire Montaigne army in Castille, though without the skill of his predecessor. Between his greed and his lack of strategic brilliance, the war may be about to take a bad turn. He tends to direct the war from Barcino, far from the front lines.
* ''General Luc Leveque d'Aur'' -- The youngest member of the Montaigne general staff, General Leveque is the only surviving son of Victor Duc d'Aur. He leads the Montaigne army (as had his two older brothers before their deaths by sniper) outside the Castillian fortress of El Morro.
* ''General Francois Etalon du Toille'' -- General du Toille is the cousin of the Duc du Toille and commanding general of the southern theater of the Montaigne war in the mostly-conquered Rancho Zepeda. Humiliated by Castillian resistance fighters, he wages a particularly brutal war against the Last Wall around the southern tip of the peninsula.
* ''Captain Philippe Etalon du Toille'' -- Nephew and heir to the Duc du Toille, Captain Philippe is a famous cavalry commander who is said to have never lost a battle. He serves under his cousin, General du Toille.

===At war with Ussura===
* ''General Montegue du Montaigne'' -- Leon's greatest general an ennobled peasant married to L'Empereur's youngest daughter. He has just recently been sent on an expedition to Ussura.

===Others===
* ''Marquis Martin Cortanvoux du Agenais'' -- A landed nobleman from Le Motte and a powerful Porté mage. [[Aleksei Courtanvoux|Aleksei]]'s father.
* ''Lady Zoya Alekseeva Galipova Cortanvoux'' -- Marquis Courtanvoux's wife, [[Aleksei Courtanvoux|Aleksei]]'s mother.

==On the High Seas==
* ''Captain Reis'' -- The most feared pirate in Theah, Captain Reis' ''Crimson Roger'' appears from nowhere and leaves no survivors. Some say he is the spawn of Legion.
* ''[[Captain Crispino]]'' -- Captain Crispino Amberci [[The Story So Far|fought our heroes]] before the game began, and then tangled with them again in the affair of [[the Avalon Gambit]]. He is a Vodacce smuggler, pirate, merchant and sometime spy.

==Elsewhere in Theah==
===Political Giants===
* ''Cardinal Esteban Verdugo'' -- Chief Inquisitor and the de facto head of the Vaticine Church in the absence of a Hierophant.
* ''Good King Sandoval'' -- The boy king of Castille, he is a figurehead stripped of legal authority by his Regency Council.
* ''Val Mokk'' -- Head of the Guild Council, Val Mokk leads the Vendel League and the Merchants' Guild.
* ''Gaius Ilya "Grozny" Nikolovich'' -- Ruler of Ussura, the Gaius - "Ilya the Terrible" is as ruthless and cold as his country.
* ''Koshchei Molhynia Pietrov'' -- The supposedly immortal progenitor of one of Ussura's noble families, "Koshchei the Deathless" is still active in Ussura's councils of state.
* ''Giovanni Villanova'' -- The most powerful of the seven Merchant Princes of Vodacce, Giovanni Villanova is the ruler of Dionne and a noted schemer.

===Avalon Notables===
* ''Queen Elaine'' -- The Queen of Avalon, Elaine brought the Sidhe back into this world and threw off the last cultural vestiges of centuries-long rule of Avalon by Montaigne.
* ''[[Roger Northrup, 7th Earl of Luthon]]'' - A young and brilliant Avalon diplomat, Lord Roger is Queen Elaine's foremost diplomat, a common envoy to the courts of other nations. The heroes saved him during [[the Avalon Gambit]].

===Others===
* [[Carlotta]] -- An incredibly talented opera singer, Carlotta is in fact 'El Chacal', Castille's most notorious spy. The heroes foiled her attempts to recruit a Montaigne traitor in the affair of [[the Soldier and the Soprano]].

Persons of Interest

2009-11-10T19:55:44Z

166.135.88.66:

Notable individuals our heroes have heard of, have met, or which they had never met.

==In Paix==
* ''[[Philip du Paix]]'' -- Our heroes' employer, a slightly shady nobleman who hangs around the Le Labyrinthe.
* ''[[Lucien du Lac]]'' -- A sometimes-seen associate of Philip's, likely adept at Porté.
* ''The Marquis de Paix'' -- Ruler of the city, the Marquis de Paix has been a fixture in Le Labyrinthe for so long that most have forgotten what disgrace saw him exiled here and what family he is originally from, though it is often thought to be Leveque. He is a thoughtful man largely given to his own dissolute pursuits, though he is also L'Empereur's chief ambassador in Paix, a task which he seems to set himself to with diligence and loyalty if not excitement. He has been so long in the city that he goes by the sobriquet "de Paix" - not a nobleman of Paix, but the lord who is Paix.
* ''Nicolette du Montaigne'' -- L'Empereur's seventh daughter is ostensibly the royal attache in Paix; in fact, she offended her father with her willfulness and was essentially exiled to Paix. Here, she rarely involves herself with politics and instead spends her time seeking out trouble in places high and low in the city. She has lately drawn Julien into her circle of scoundrels, perhaps to Julien's peril.
* ''Lady Adelaide Moncrieff'' -- Grand dame of Le Labyrinthe society, she has a conquistador's interest in Aleksei.
* ''Lady Christine Rois et Reines'' -- The sister of the Captain of the Musketeers, she has become romantically involved with Sebastien.

==Elsewhere in Montaigne==
===At court===
* ''L'Empereur Leon Alexandre du Montaigne XIV'' -- The ruler of Montaigne, a powerful sorcerer and the leading nobleman in Theah.
* ''Imperatrice Morella du Montaigne'' -- The sister of Prince Caligari of Vodacce, the Imperatrice is a powerful Fate Witch and L'Empereur's third wife.
* ''Captain Jean-Marie Rois et Reines'' -- Captain of the Musketeers, Jean-Marie is married to L'Empereur's sixth daughter and is thought to be the pinnacle of Montaigne honor.
* ''Dominique du Montaigne'' -- The Emperor's ninth daughter and the wife of General Montegue.

===At war with Castille===
* ''General Louis Bisset du Verre'' -- Brother to the Duc du Verre, Louis Bisset is a calculating man who has seen his family's fortunes rise as a consequence of the war with Castille. With Montegue sent to Ussura, General Bisset now commands the entire Montaigne army in Castille, though without the skill of his predecessor. Between his greed and his lack of strategic brilliance, the war may be about to take a bad turn. He tends to direct the war from Barcino, far from the front lines.
* ''General Luc Leveque d'Aur'' -- The youngest member of the Montaigne general staff, General Leveque is the only surviving son of Victor Duc d'Aur. He leads the Montaigne army (as had his two older brothers before their deaths by sniper) outside the Castillian fortress of El Morro.
* ''General Francois Etalon du Toille'' -- General du Toille is the cousin of the Duc du Toille and commanding general of the southern theater of the Montaigne war in the mostly-conquered Rancho Zepeda. Humiliated by Castillian resistance fighters, he wages a particularly brutal war against the Last Wall around the southern tip of the peninsula.
* ''Captain Philippe Etalon du Toille'' -- Nephew and heir to the Duc du Toille, Captain Philippe is a famous cavalry commander who is said to have never lost a battle. He serves under his cousin, General du Toille.

===At war with Ussura===
* ''General Montegue du Montaigne'' -- Leon's greatest general an ennobled peasant married to L'Empereur's youngest daughter. He has just recently been sent on an expedition to Ussura.

===Others===
* ''Marquis Martin Cortanvoux du Agenais'' -- A landed nobleman from Gloyure and a powerful Porté mage. [[Aleksei Courtanvoux|Aleksei]]'s father.
* ''Lady Zoya Alekseeva Galipova Cortanvoux'' -- Marquis Courtanvoux's wife, [[Aleksei Courtanvoux|Aleksei]]'s mother.

==On the High Seas==
* ''Captain Reis'' -- The most feared pirate in Theah, Captain Reis' ''Crimson Roger'' appears from nowhere and leaves no survivors. Some say he is the spawn of Legion.
* ''[[Captain Crispino]]'' -- Captain Crispino Amberci [[The Story So Far|fought our heroes]] before the game began, and then tangled with them again in the affair of [[the Avalon Gambit]]. He is a Vodacce smuggler, pirate, merchant and sometime spy.

==Elsewhere in Theah==
===Political Giants===
* ''Cardinal Esteban Verdugo'' -- Chief Inquisitor and the de facto head of the Vaticine Church in the absence of a Hierophant.
* ''Good King Sandoval'' -- The boy king of Castille, he is a figurehead stripped of legal authority by his Regency Council.
* ''Val Mokk'' -- Head of the Guild Council, Val Mokk leads the Vendel League and the Merchants' Guild.
* ''Gaius Ilya "Grozny" Nikolovich'' -- Ruler of Ussura, the Gaius - "Ilya the Terrible" is as ruthless and cold as his country.
* ''Koshchei Molhynia Pietrov'' -- The supposedly immortal progenitor of one of Ussura's noble families, "Koshchei the Deathless" is still active in Ussura's councils of state.
* ''Giovanni Villanova'' -- The most powerful of the seven Merchant Princes of Vodacce, Giovanni Villanova is the ruler of Dionne and a noted schemer.

===Avalon Notables===
* ''Queen Elaine'' -- The Queen of Avalon, Elaine brought the Sidhe back into this world and threw off the last cultural vestiges of centuries-long rule of Avalon by Montaigne.
* ''[[Roger Northrup, 7th Earl of Luthon]]'' - A young and brilliant Avalon diplomat, Lord Roger is Queen Elaine's foremost diplomat, a common envoy to the courts of other nations. The heroes saved him during [[the Avalon Gambit]].

===Others===
* [[Carlotta]] -- An incredibly talented opera singer, Carlotta is in fact 'El Chacal', Castille's most notorious spy. The heroes foiled her attempts to recruit a Montaigne traitor in the affair of [[the Soldier and the Soprano]].

Persons of Interest

2009-11-10T19:54:50Z

166.135.88.66:

Notable individuals our heroes have heard of, have met, or which they had never met.

==In Paix==
* ''[[Philip du Paix]]'' -- Our heroes' employer, a slightly shady nobleman who hangs around the Le Labyrinthe.
* ''[[Lucien du Lac]]'' -- A sometimes-seen associate of Philip's, likely adept at Porté.
* ''The Marquis de Paix'' -- Ruler of the city, the Marquis de Paix has been a fixture in Le Labyrinthe for so long that most have forgotten what disgrace saw him exiled here and what family he is originally from, though it is often thought to be Leveque. He is a thoughtful man largely given to his own dissolute pursuits, though he is also L'Empereur's chief ambassador in Paix, a task which he seems to set himself to with diligence and loyalty if not excitement. He has been so long in the city that he goes by the sobriquet "de Paix" - not a nobleman of Paix, but the lord who is Paix.
* ''Nicolette du Montaigne'' -- L'Empereur's seventh daughter is ostensibly the royal attache in Paix; in fact, she offended her father with her willfulness and was essentially exiled to Paix. Here, she rarely involves herself with politics and instead spends her time seeking out trouble in places high and low in the city. She has lately drawn Julien into her circle of scoundrels, perhaps to Julien's peril.
* ''Lady Adelaide Moncrieff'' -- Grand dame of Le Labyrinthe society, she has a conquistador's interest in Aleksei.
* ''Lady Christine Rois et Reines'' -- The sister of the Captain of the Musketeers, she has become romantically involved with Sebastien.

==Elsewhere in Montaigne==
===At court===
* ''L'Empereur Leon Alexandre du Montaigne XIV'' -- The ruler of Montaigne, a powerful sorcerer and the leading nobleman in Theah.
* ''Imperatrice Morella du Montaigne'' -- The sister of Prince Caligari of Vodacce, the Imperatrice is a powerful Fate Witch and L'Empereur's third wife.
* ''Captain Jean-Marie Rois et Reines'' -- Captain of the Musketeers, Jean-Marie is married to L'Empereur's sixth daughter and is thought to be the pinnacle of Montaigne honor.
* ''Dominique du Montaigne'' -- The Emperor's ninth daughter and the wife of General Montegue.

===At war with Castille===
* ''General Louis Bisset du Verre'' -- Brother to the Duc du Verre, Louis Bisset is a calculating man who has seen his family's fortunes rise as a consequence of the war with Castille. With Montegue sent to Ussura, General Bisset now commands the entire Montaigne army in Castille, though without the skill of his predecessor. Between his greed and his lack of strategic brilliance, the war may be about to take a bad turn. He tends to direct the war from Barcino, far from the front lines.
* ''General Luc Leveque d'Aur'' -- The youngest member of the Montaigne general staff, General Leveque is the only surviving son of Victor Duc d'Aur. He leads the Montaigne army (as had his two older brothers before their deaths by sniper) outside the Castillian fortress of El Morro.
* ''General Francois Etalon du Toille'' -- General du Toille is the cousin of the Duc du Toille and commanding general of the southern theater of the Montaigne war in the mostly-conquered Rancho Zepeda. Humiliated by Castillian resistance fighters, he wages a particularly brutal war against the Last Wall around the southern tip of the peninsula.
* ''Captain Philippe Etalon du Toille'' -- Nephew and heir to the Duc du Toille, Captain Philippe is a famous cavalry commander who is said to have never lost a battle. He serves under his cousin, General du Toille.

===At war with Ussura===
* ''General Montegue du Montaigne'' -- Leon's greatest general an ennobled peasant married to L'Empereur's youngest daughter. He has just recently been sent on an expedition to Ussura.

===Others===
* ''Marquis Martin Cortanvoux du Agenais'' -- A landed nobleman from Gloyure and a powerful Porté mage. [[Aleksei Courtanvoux|Aleksei]]'s father.
* ''Lady Zoya Alekseeva Galipova Cortanvoux'' -- Marquis Courtanvoux's wife, [[Aleksei Courtanvoux|Aleksei]]'s mother.

==On the High Seas==
* ''Captain Reis'' -- The most feared pirate in Theah, Captain Reis' ''Crimson Roger'' appears from nowhere and leaves no survivors. Some say he is the spawn of Legion.
* ''[[Captain Crispino]]'' -- Captain Crispino Amberci [[The Story So Far|fought our heroes]] before the game began, and then tangled with them again in the affair of [[the Avalon Gambit]]. He is a Vodacce smuggler, pirate, merchant and sometime spy.

==Elsewhere in Theah==
===Political Giants===
* ''Cardinal Esteban Verdugo'' -- Chief Inquisitor and the de facto head of the Vaticine Church in the absence of a Hierophant.
* ''Good King Sandoval'' -- The boy king of Castille, he is a figurehead stripped of legal authority by his Regency Council.
* ''Val Mokk'' -- Head of the Guild Council, Val Mokk leads the Vendel League and the Merchants' Guild.
* ''Gaius Ilya "Grozny" Nikolovich'' -- Ruler of Ussura, the Gaius - "Ilya the Terrible" is as ruthless and cold as his country.
* ''Koshchei Molhynia Pietrov'' -- The supposedly immortal progenitor of one of Ussura's noble families, "Koshchei the Deathless" is still active in Ussura's councils of state.
* ''Giovanni Villanova'' -- The most powerful of the seven Merchant Princes of Vodacce, Giovanni Villanova is the ruler of Dionne and a noted schemer.

===Avalon Notables===
* ''Queen Elaine'' -- The Queen of Avalon, Elaine brought the Sidhe back into this world and threw off the last cultural vestiges of centuries-long rule of Avalon by Montaigne.
* ''[Roger Northrup, 7th Earl of Luthon]]'' - A young and brilliant Avalon diplomat, Lord Roger is Queen Elaine's foremost diplomat, a common envoy to the courts of other nations. The heroes saved him during [[the Avalon Gambit]].

===Others===
* [[Carlotta]] -- An incredibly talented opera singer, Carlotta is in fact 'El Chacal', Castille's most notorious spy. The heroes foiled her attempts to recruit a Montaigne traitor in the affair of [[the Soldier and the Soprano]].

The Avalon Gambit

2009-11-10T19:47:44Z

166.135.88.66:

The Avalon Gambit

2009-11-10T19:42:30Z

166.135.88.66:

After an Avalon gentleman bumps into [[Aleksei]] on the street, the Avalon lord and [[Sebastien]] exchange words and agree to duel. [[Julien]] is named Sebastien's second, and he arranges the time and place with a friend of the Avalon man, now revealed as [[Roger Northrup, 7th Earl of Luthon]] and one of Queen Elaine's favorites. Though a young man, his brilliance makes him Avalon's foremost envoy.

==Beneath the Pond==

The duel is set for the next day at noon at the Sunken Fountain, a feature in one of the ponds in Le Labyrinthe. Through ingenious workmanship, a small plaza and fountain have been set ten feet below the surface of the water on a tiny tree-dotted island, providing a private place to fight. The heroes and the Earl of Luthon - as well as his second, a Lord Pembsley - arrive on time, and Sebastien and Lord Roger have just taken their places when a shot rings out. Lord Pembsley falls down dead, and a Crescent woman with revealing attire and twin scimitars steps down into the plaza, flanked by a dozen evil-looking pirates. She tells the players that she has no quarrel with them and that they can go; unsurprisingly, they decline, and a fight ensues.

The Crescent woman beelines for the Earl, who she quickly fells, as Sebastien and Julien engage the pirates. Aleksei drags the Earl away just as the Crescent woman is about to strike a killing blow, and Sebastien and the woman set to fighting. Sebastien begins to prevail - the woman is distracted as Julien cuts off her rather brief bustier, and as the tide turn she makes to flee, running for the bushes. Julien pursues but cannot catch up as she dives into the waters of the pond.

She comes up not that far away, and the heroes see a man - a familiar man - help her into a small boat and row away. The man is Captain Crispino, their opponent from an [[The Story So Far#Death at the Docks|earlier encounter]]. Meanwhile, Northrup recovers enough to speak, thanking the heroes and confessing that this may be related to a diplomatic mission to Castille. He invites them to a party the next evening at the home of his host, Lady Moncrieff - a woman Aleksei is trying to avoid from [[The Soldier and the Soprano#The Naval Ball|his last encounter]].

==Interlude: Julien la Croix and Philip du Paix==

In the intervening time, Julien goes to meet with the heroes' patron, [[Philip du Paix]]. He tells Philip what transpired, and Philip confides that Lord Roger's mission to Castille does not bode well for Montaigne. He introduces [[Lucien du Lac]] to Julien, and Philip asks Julien to take a brooch from Lucien and acquire Lord Roger's diplomatic pouch by the stroke of midnight, at which point Lucien will come to him. Philip acknowledges that this whole business has the stink of espionage, and suggests that Julien be discrete where it comes to his more honorable companions.

==Lady Moncrieff's Party==

The next night is the party at Lady Moncrieff's, who has a manor on Le Labryinthe's grounds. At the receiving line, Lady Moncrieff coos over Aleksei, telling him she plans on bringing him to the spa with her. He quickly begs Roger to take him with him to Altamira, getting the heroes aboard the Earl's voyage. Then - perhaps feeling a need for mischief - Aleksei decides to set Julien up with someone who likes dangerous men, and chooses Nicolette du Montaigne, the Emperor's daughter. Perhaps unfortunately, Nicolette and Julien hit it off brilliantly and swiftly enough disappear upstairs.

Also at the party, Sebastien meets a lady of his own: Christine Rois et Reines, who (unbeknownst to him) is the sister of Jean-Marie Rois et Reines, Captain-general of L'Empereur's Musketeers. Aleksei - knowing the woman's family as well as her reputation as rather clingy - tries to keep Sebastien from leaving the party with Christine by challenging another Musketeer at the party to a duel. Unfortunately for Aleksei, Sebastien sees what is up and convinces the Musketeer to back down.

Meanwhile, Julien is upstairs with Nicolette, where they are playing a very dangerous game with knives: L'Empereur's daughter has induced Julien to throw daggers at her, something that is perhaps beyond Julien's ability. With luck and gritted teeth, Julien does not kill Nicolette - but it is now just before midnight, and so Julien must introduce Nicolette into his plan and bring her with him as he goes to search Lord Roger's rooms.

Julien and Nicolette sneak into Roger's room and begin to search, but minutes later - just before midnight - they hear Roger and a lady at the door. Quickly, they dash into the closet, where they discover a chest with the pouch - but Lucien will open the portal in minutes. Thankfully, Aleksei - suspecting something amiss - notices a scrap of Julien's coat on Lord Roger's door, and distracts the Earl by telling him that his companion's husband is searching for her. In the midst of this distraction, Lucien arrives through Porte portal and swaps one diplomatic pouch for an identical other. With Lord Roger still outside, Julien and Nicolette escape through Lucien's portal, only to arrive elsewhere in Le Labryinthe - Lucien's rooms - and be faced by Captain Crispino and a party of men with muskets. They take the pouch from Lucien and make a swift exit.

==Our Heroes Meet With Philip du Paix==

After the party, all of the heroes meet with Philip du Paix: he tells them that it is in the interests of Montaigne that Earl Roger reach Altamira with his diplomatic pouch (a suspicious statement if ever - why is diplomacy between Avalon and Castille in L'Empereur's interest?) and asks them to accompany the Earl of Northrup to protect him from Captain Crispino, who Philip believes will make an attempt again on the Earl.

After leaving Philip, Julien confesses that he swapped the pouches the night before, and that as best as he can reckon Crispino was working for Philip when he attacked Lord Roger at the pond but has since switched sides to someone trying to help Lord Roger - that is to say, Crispino now has the real pouch and is going to try to switch it again for the fake pouch Julien planted on the Earl. They all resolve to voyage with Lord Roger on his river-brig ''Proud Margaret'', but there is substantial disagreement about whether or not they should tell him that the swap has occurred.

==The ''Proud Margaret'' Sails to Altamira==

The Earl's ship leaves for the three-day trip up the Great River to Altamira, a Castillian port in Rancho Soldano. On the first night, Aleksei attempts to obliquely warn the Earl of what has occurred without telling him outright, but whether or not his warning has effect is unknown. Dinner is had with the Earl again on the second night, at which point the heroes retire to the gunroom to drink and talk some more about what to do about the fake diplomatic pouch.

===Crispino's Men Attack===

The heroes' discussion is cut short shortly after moonrise, however: they hear shouts from the deck and rush up to see river-pirates - Crispino's men - coming over the side.

Blades are drawn, and the heroes rush the boarding party. The boarders split in two, with one party led by the mysterious Crescent woman Sebastien fought beneath the pond. The musketeer squares off with her once again in a flurry of flashing blades. The other party is led by an enormous giant of a man wielding a great hammer to big for most men to lift. Julien rushes for him as Aleksei marshals a few Margarets into a flying squad to support both of his companions.

While Sebastien and the Crescent duel, Julien attempts to climb up into the rigging so he can leap down on the giant man and push him over the side into the sea. He does so, but at a price: Julien goes into the water with the giant, and both sink to the bottom as the giant tries to squeeze the breath out of Julien. As Sebastien sends the Crescent fleeing, he turns to see Aleksei dive into the water as well and then rallies some sailors to charge the remaining pirates.

Beneath the waves, Julien is having a poor time of things: the big man is huge, and despite Julien's attempts to bite and stab the giant he is squeezing the life out of the man from Paix. He goes limp, and things seem lost before a pair of river sharks appear, biting at the giant. The huge man attempts to flee, pursued by one of the sharks, while the other shark drags Julien to the surface. There, Sebastien fires and misses the shark as sailors pull Julien's senseless body back on board.

===Whither the Earl?===

Realizing that he hasn't seen Lord Roger, Sebastien draws his pistols and runs towards the Earl's cabin. Inside, the Earl lies poisoned and gray-faced on the ground as Captain Crispino holds two diplomatic pouches in his hands. Sebastien unloads both barrels and, quite surprised, Crispino staggers back a few feet and then turns to leap out the cabin windows into the river.

By now, the rather-wet Aleksei and Julien have returned, and they shut sailors out of the cabin and tend to the Earl. He is senselessly poisoned but alive, and as they settle him in his cot all turn to look at the pouches. The pouches are opened, but both letters are almost identical: offers from Queen Elaine to Good King Sandoval to assist in the war against Montaigne by restraining Sea Dog attacks against Castillian shipping and helping run blockades.

The text of the two letters differ, but Julien cannot tell which is fake and which is not. Sebastien and Aleksei refuse to explain the diplomatic niceties of each to him, so they finally wake the Earl awakes and hand him the letters: he points out that one of them is written just a little more haughtily than the other, such that the prickly Castillians will reject that offer and Avalon aid.

With the affair of the pouch now resolved, Lord Roger thanks the heroes and they reach Altamira. Quickly enough, they take passage back to Paix where they choose to keep Philip du Paix silent about which letter, exactly, Lord Roger finally delivered.