Log7th Sea: The Search for Salvation-2012/07/05-Jason-1

Game log for the 2012/07/05 session of 7th Sea: The Search for Salvation, as taken by Jason

Veldi, 24 Septimus

It's cool, cloudy, with gale force winds from the southwest. The rough sea gives Léon such seasickness that you'd think his player wasn't at the session, which he isn't.

Nikolai spends time with Mercede Panebianchi di Vestini and gets to know her kids. She asks what happened, he puts a lot of the blame on Felix's history with Mia. In passing, he discovers that she told the servants that they were going to see their father... and didn't tell anyone what was really taking place. Those kids are going to love this.

Reginald hangs out above decks, staying out of the way as best he can. Evelina Venzini di Sigillo asks him to meet her in her cabin, and starts by asking what he was looking for that put him on Mia's radar. Syrneth ruins, says he, and explains that he works for the Explorer's Guild. She apologizes for any part she played in his discomfiture. She then asks about the Guild, and he tries to give her only the public knowledge version. Sadly she's really pretty and uses that to her advantage, so he tells her Big Sikrits about the Guild, and about his background as a pirate before joining the guild.

Felix spends time talking with Janisse Rambeaux, working his way into her affections as best he can manage. Turns out he can manage OK, his somewhat awkward technique made good by the way she already likes him OK. She tells him about all the places she's been, and cool things she's seen, and he talks about places he's been and funny things that have happened on campaign. She wants to see Eisen. Everyone wants to see Eisen but the guy who grew up there. You'd think they'd take the word of the guy who knows the territory when he says it sucks there, but no, they think Felix must be exaggerating.

Benito examines Alonzo's bible and finds a nail, a piece of twine, and an circle inscribed with letters and numbers in concentric rings. He found it folded up just before Lucius 18:00. He asks various people to look at it. Reginald and Benito investigate and discover that the nail seems to be pure iron, non-magnetic. The letters in the circle aren't in alphabetical order but the whole alphabet can be seen there, along with numbers and Numan numerals, which suggest to Reginald that it might be a cipher of some sort. At 6pm, the nail suddenly begins to turn, so we rush of transcription paper. The message decodes to "Theus be with you." We discuss and figure it might be a greeting, or a sign looking for a countersign, so we pick a religious response that's short and not too obvious. There's a long pause, and then it sends "report." Reginald and Felix discuss what to send while Benito goes ahead and sends "mage in hand." Whoever's on the other side sends no reply to that. Benito tells Evelina and Mercede about this particular miracle in case it becomes relevant. In Mercede's stateroom, he meets Nikolai, with whom he must perforce discuss the situation. Turns out that Mercede once met an Inquisitor with a similar device, which suggests that they use it as a matter of course.

That night it's freezing but the winds are still gale force, but in the morning, the winds calm.

Amordi, 25 Septimus

We get salted meat and eggs for breakfast, with hardtack for starch. Reginald helps out on the ship. Mercede's kids ask Nikolai asking questions about the ship, forcing him to refer them to sailors. Felix goes to the poop deck and tries to find a place to practice. Good Lindsay suggests that he do himself a favor and pitch the zweihander over the side, which suggestion Felix cheerfully declines. Good Lindsay mutters something about monsters coming over the side to eat eyeballs, so Reginald talks all about how something like that happened to him once. Felix insists on trying to practice, although he has to go very slowly and carefully. After half an hour or so he switches to knife. Nikolai and Mercurio, Mercede's older son, get in on the knife work with him. Felix shows Mercurio and Tommasino some dirty infighting tricks too. Benito trades cool stories with the educated folks, and catches Jannise watching Felix out of the corner of her eye. Nikolai, of course, has lots of fun stories about monsters in Eisen. Reginald, of course, tells the best stories, not least because he mixes fact and fiction without hesitation. Benito then asks Reginald how to join the Explorer's Society, and finds out that you either buy your way in, or you get invited in, if you have useful skills.

At 5:55, Benito is standing by with his new communicator, with just about everyone but the kids and Léon there. At 6pm, he gets the same greeting and provides the same countersign.

"Cannot move mage. Instructions?"

"Abbey secure?"

"Yes."

"Go to San C as soon as possible."

Of course we're headed to San Cristobal ourselves. Perhaps our plan is dumb.

To inquire more deeply into its nature, Reginald asks to be towed astern in the longboat, to put more distance between himself and the ship. Turns out his thumb tingles in the presence of sorcery, and of course the ship is full of sorcerors, but on the boat, he could be sure his thumb no longer itching. Janisse can't believe he just gave so much information away.

We spend two more days at sea. We then decide to pretty much bypass San Cristobal and go so San Gustavo.

Every day at 6pm, the person on the other end checks in, and Benito tries to put them off with stories of difficulty getting to SC. When we arrive at San Gustavo, he's still conversing via spiritual telegraph.

Voltadi, 29 Septimus

Nikolai and Mercede have a tearful goodbye, and she expresses hope he'll come back to her soon.

Reginald sends some mail and has mail waiting for him. Benito asks how anyone knew he'd be there, and Reginald explains that he gets money that way. Benito expresses surprise that the letter reaches him wherever he goes, and Reginald assures him that the Explorers' Society is very reliable. Reginald sends letters to the Guild about the needle and paper gadget, to the Guild about Benito's interest, and to El Rojo about the needle.

In discussing Syrneth relics, Janisse mentioned that someone founda Syrneth material that could be molded when heated with boiling water, and which sparked a fashion for clothes made out of that material. The column we found might have been made of the same stuff.

Benito knows Professor Mario Guzman de Gallegos, who lectures at the University here on the ramifications of the White Death on Church history. Most of the posse go to visit Prof Guzman with Benito, although Felix and Janisse find other amusements. Benito takes the time to implore Reginald not to be too egregiously flaming a sorceror. At the Professor's office, Nikolai tries to be unobstrusive and look at the maps, while Benito renews aquaintances. After pleasantries, Benito mentions our Church problems, so Mario offers him some very tasty sangria in the back of the office - somewhere deep in the office where nobody can overhear. Nikolai posts himself as sentry to make sure of that. Benito introduces Reginald to the prof. Reginald turns out to be very familiar with Guzman's work, which speeds them toward friendship. Benito then shows the Prof the needle and chart device. Benito and Reginald tell him some of the story of how we came to possess it but attempt to hold back certain criminal details. Guzman wants to know it all, and they give him all but certain totall illegal details involving attacking Alonzo. Guzman has heard of something called the Loadstone of Saint Aloysius. If you touched two iron objects to the Loadstone at the same time, they could become linked.

Janisse and Felix go sightseeing, by which Felix mostly means necking. Or screwing. Apparently there's screwing.

That night, on the connection, Benito (in company with Reginald and Guzman) assures whoever it is that he'll be in San Gustavo in two days.

We leave San Gustavo that night.