Log7th Sea: The Search for Salvation-2013/04/25-Jason-1

Game log for the 2013/04/25 session of 7th Sea: The Search for Salvation, as taken by Jason

We're at the docks, ready to meet with the Inquisition. What could go wrong?

Felix suggests a code word that will trigger mayhem. That way, if Benito thinks it's all going to go south, we can start the fight ourselves, rather than waiting for escalation and having to fight prepared foes. We agree that if anyone in the party mentions Eisen, we fight immediately.

The four of us walk down the docks. Nikolai suggests that he should wait with Léon at dockside while Benito and Felix board the ship.

"What do you want?" "We've been invited."

So the two of us board the ship, and as Markus' guy said, there are about ten people on board, all looking very Castile. They point us toward the Captain's quarters, aft, and tell us to go in. Benito refuses and tells them that we'll talk on the deck, so Alonso Mendez de Gallegos del Castille comes out, looking quite irate, and tells us to come in to the damn cabin. Felix advises that there's no great additional risk in going in there. Inside the cabin we find a man wearing the robes of the Inquisition and a mask, a piece of red cloth with the Thean cross on it, sitting at a table. In Vodacce, he invites us to sit, and Alonso moves to stand behind him. He introduces himself as High Inquisitor Gabriel. Oooh, fancy! Benito recollects that High Inquisitor really is an important title and the issue we created is being taken very seriously indeed. Without any preliminaries, Gabriel asks us to return what it is. Benito explains that we never intended to steal from the Church, Alonso starts to yell at him, and Gabriel silences him with a gesture. It's a beautiful moment for the Alonso-haters in the audience.

Benito starts negotiating for a cessation of hostilities against Reginald. Gabriel doesn't seem real enthusiastic, since Reginald is theologically unsound, and associating with him damns us all. Nice of those Inquisitors to take such good care of our souls, huh? Benito drops a 43 in Scheming and so does a brilliant job explaining how he's using Reginald for the betterment of Castile. Gabriel endorses the plan to go after L'Empereur so long as Benito keeps him informed of our progress. Benito counters that our work would benefit hugely from access to Church resources. They agree, and Gabriel asks for the needle, which of course Benito wasn't crazy enough to bring with him. Gabriel then calls for them to bring out their guest, and the guards bring a gagged but screaming Mercede out onto the deck.

Nikolai screams and begins sprinting up the docks. Gabriel calls out that she is unharmed and will be returned to us when they get the needle, but Benito explains that it's really Nikolai they need to worry about. Felix switches to back stance so he can be ready when it happens, but Alonso doesn't wait and begins poking holes in the Eisen. Léon moves to cover the docks while Nikolai runs, and engages all four guards. With his usual aplomb, he takes out two of them with brisk and efficient blows. Felix lunges at Alonso and gives him a bloody but not dramatic wound, then recovers. Léon takes out another guard, and then the last one. Alonso sticks Felix for a dramatic wound as Nikolai charges the ship. Benito frees Mercede and tells her to go to Nikolai.

Alonso goes corps-á-corps with Felix and knocks him down. Pancaked by someone named Alonso... it's like a parody of Frank Zappa in here. Felix rolls to his feet and takes forward stance with unusual quickness. Benito calls for Nikolai to take Mercede to the hotel. Nikolai throws an axe at Gabriel instead and knocks him against the door frame. Léon runs toward the ship, and notices as he does so that the crowd has noticed the shipboard brawl taking place. Felix stabs at Alonso from forward stance, but Alonso parries. Gabriel gathers himself to his feet. The rest of the men on board are waiting to see what Gabriel commands. Gabriel orders "cannonado!" Yep. That's an escalation alright. Near the foremast, they tear a tarp down, and reveal a cannon aimed downward, right at the boat. Benito hurriedly convinces him not to fire. In all the commotion, Mercede trips and falls on the gangplank.

Nikolai, convinced that someone just killed his great love, engages maximum murder mode. Alonso goes corps-á-corps again but Felix parries. Léon leads Mercede off the boat. "We must go now, to protect your love!" he calls out to Nikolai, who actually notices this time. Of course, he's in the middle of a fight. Alonso misses Felix again. Gabriel cautions Benito that his men will light the cannon if he commands, or if he dies. One of the sailors grapples with Nikolai and actually takes hold, which says something about the power of fanaticism. Benito goes to the top of the gangplank. Léon picks up Mercede, the better to hustle her down the ramp. Benito commands everyone to stop it but gets ignored. Felix hits Alonso again, finally, but still can't do him a dramatic wound. Nikolai finds himself in a biting sort of fight, which just irks him. Benito yells "stop" again and gets ignored for his pains. Should have been taller.

The other guards gather around Nikolai, trying to bring him down while he's grappled. They stab him good but he's tougher than the ship's hull. The hulking Ussuran head butts his foe and crushes his face, though he gives himself a dramatic wound in the process. The resulting chaos knocks two more over the side. Nikolai backs toward the gang plank. Benito again asks for calm and gets ignored, but when Gabriel gives the same command, he gets more attention. Felix steps back, offering Alonso the chance to disengage, but Alonso strikes at him and draws blood instead. Felix, furious, gives Alonso a pommel strike to the face, a vicious lunge to the thigh, and then an attempted decapitation stroke that misses because Alonso was already on one knee. Theus has clearly given Alonso a break on that one.

Benito asks Felix to go get the needle. Felix asks Alonso if they're done. Alonso curses in Castile, and Benito translates that as "he says yes." Felix goes off to do Benito's bidding. Benito hands his weapons to Gabriel. Nikolai goes after Léon.