Log7th Sea: The Search for Salvation-2013/01/17-Jason-1

Game log for the 2013/01/17 session of 7th Sea: The Search for Salvation, as taken by Jason

Nikolai finds time to hang around the docks and try to figure out which ship Panebianchi's men came in on. He can't find out exactly which ship it was, but it was probably the Vodacce ship that came in three days ago, which had many passengers but unusually little cargo. He decides to seek out the Harbormaster, who can be found but who only speaks Montaigne. Nikolai decides to see if he can make himself understood anyway, and manages to strongly encourage the man to find ways to be cooperative. After Nikolai does a little looming, the Harbormaster suddenly discovers a newfound facility for the Vodacce language, and Nikolai asks him about the ship that came in, disgorged passengers, and left. It carried many men and maybe six women, of which he thinks two were veiled. Nobody met them at the docks. They took two carriages away from the docks into town. Nikolai thanks him for his time, tosses him a guilder, cracks his knuckles, and cautions the Harbormaster that he might be back.

Benito takes Daria around town, showing her the sights while doing a little shopping.

Reginald goes over the notes he got from Henri. They aren't a complete set but he can put a lot of information together. Unfortunately they can't say that the thing is, only what it isn't. It isn't lots of thing, including magnetic. He then goes looking for Gilbert LaCroix. The Society can hook him up wih LaCroix's patron, Mssr Vincent Lecul, a government notary with a love of theater. Emmanual has a letter for Reginald, which he takes home.

Felix talks to Raymond, a factor for the charity group that will help run the soup kitchen, and gets a briefing on how the Lightning Guard dispersed the last riot. Blunt objects, bayonets, and riding people down. Raymond can also describe the more common Musketeer tactics, which involve splitting up the riot and taking it apart bit by bit. It's a less bloody approach that takes more time. Felix begins contemplating tactics that could be used to get us out of a riot safely... or allow the riot to overwhelm the Musketeers.

Benito's fun time with Daria is slightly inconvenienced by the fact that both Felix and Nikolai think he needs guards. Having a giant and a giant sword makes Benito distinctive and notable, and he doesn't want Daria noted, so this poses a problem. Daria suggests bringing the dressmaker to them, but that would cost a fortune and Benito talks her out of it. He then asks Reginald to see if they can hire some guards from the Explorers' Society. He also prepares some Montaigne-looking garb to help disguide his identity. Society shield man John-Pierre shows them around town, including trips to the best dress stores.

They go through three dress stores without buying anything before Benito becomes convinced they they're being followed. He asks John-Pierre whethe he recognizes the man he suspects. J-P does not know the man. Benito then asks him to keep an eye out for the guy when they get to the next shop. J-P lets the side down by blatantly eyeballing the guy as they leave, which ought to pretty much give the game away.

At the next store, Benito doesn't see the guy. That might mean he's not being followed, or it might mean he's being followed by a team with some sophistication. Best to assume the latter. Once Daria has obtained several appropriate dresses, they head back to the hotel via the roundabout way. Benito decides to change the plan and go to a salon for dinner. While he and Daria eats, he asks John-Pierre to take a message to his friends behind the slaughterhouse. Specifically, he is to tell Reginald that Benito requests that the rest of the party join him at the salon, in their work clothes.

So we're all hanging around and suddenly John-Pierre knocks on our door and asks us to come out for dinner. The game's afoot! Léon is out, but Nikolai, and Felix prepare for fun times and go to visit the salon. Nikolai acquires a crate so he can look like a day laborer. Felix, zweihander on back, will always and forever look like a Drexel-trained mercenary, so he goes right on in, while Nikolai infiltrates. Reginald, meanwhile, sculks to try to suss out the Vodacce. Nikolai, walking trail, doesn't see anyone following or observing them, and neither does Reginald as he skulks around town. Felix, who walks right in the front door, didn't see any of the people Benito described either.

After dinner, Felix leads Benito and Daria out of the restaurant, with Nikolai following a span behind, and Reginald well behind him. None of us see anything untoward, and all return to their rest unmolested. Benito asks Felix to stay in the drawing room of his suite and take turns on watch.

The next day, Benito decides that it might be prudent to brief Reginald in on why there's this rich Vodacce guy named Salvadore Panebianchi di Vestini wants to do bad things to us. He suggests that if a song ridiculing the guy happened to circulate, it would only add humour to a world badly in need of it.

Reginald and Benito go to Theater Aceline to meet the aforementioned patron, Vincent Lecul. They discuss the play with him, which puts Benito in the position of pretending to enjoy what appeared to be vicious mockery of his countrymen. With a little help from a drama die, Benito persuades Lecul that he understood the play for true, and takes them to meet Gilbert LaCroix. LaCroix explains that he felt like he simply had to write it. They go up to one of the box seats, which are acoustically designed so that conversations there won't be overheard.

They talk and Gilbert explains that he had a co-writer of sorts. The themes of the play came from Hubert du Gloyure. Both are members of Jacob's Political Society. He hopes the subtext of the play is adequately hidden behind anti-Castille racism, but the observant and socially aware will get the point. Benito explains that he thinks Montaigne needs change. Gilbert invites him to come to a rehearsel a few days hence and see what they're up to.

Back at the safe house, Reginald opens his letter. It's an assurance from LD that Reginald will see her tomorrow.