Secret Societies
No more secrets. No more lies.
The hidden riddles of Théah finally exposed. Whether you’re ready or not.
Secret Societies
CHAOSIUM PRESENTS A SOURCEBOOK FOR 7TH SEA: SECOND EDITION “SECRET SOCIETIES”
JOHN WICK SYSTEM LEAD MICHAEL CURRY WRITING BY DALE ANDRADE ADRIAN ARROYO CHRISTINE BEARD
DANIELLE DELISLE DAVE LADEROUTE FELIPE REAL ERICKA SKIRPAN JOHN WICK BRETT ZEILER TARA ZUBER
ART DIRECTION BY AARON ACEVEDO ART BY GIORGIO BARONI ZULKARNAEN HASAN BASRI JOHNATHAN CHONG CHARLIE CREBER
ZACH ELLIS MATT FORSYTH IRINA KUZMINA JAMES MOSINGO MEAGAN TROTT
GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT BY THOMAS DEENY SIMEON COGSWELL EDITED BY DALE DONOVAN JOHN WICK
INDEXING BY J. DERRICK KAPCHINSKY CHAOSIUM CREATIVE DIRECTOR JEFF RICHARD
GAME SYSTEM DESIGNED BY MICHAEL CURRY ROB JUSTICE JOHN WICK
BASED ON 7TH SEA: FIRST EDITION BY JOHN WICK JENNIFER MAHR
LINE EDITOR
Special Thanks
I’ve hidden secrets in this book nobody knows but me. There’s a code,
a cipher, and a reference that only one person in the world other than
me will understand. And when they read it, they will laugh and laugh.
Random Access Hug Robert Anton Wilson. Slice the face of tyranny with
little paper cut up truths. Step 1: Google “fnord” and follow the rabbit
hole, Step 2: Keep clicking on links, Step 3: thank me later. Best man at
the worst wedding in the world. Extra special thanks to Chaosium for
pulling me from the deep, dark water. It was getting pretty cold.
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Chaosium Publication 7009
ISBN 978-1-56882-427-7
First Printing November 2020
Table of Contents
Prelude: Clues, Part 1
4
The Brotherhood of the Coast
6
A Hidden Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The First Charter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Joining the Brotherhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Covert Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Quitting the Brotherhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Current Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Notable Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Die Kreuzritter
26
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Induction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Internal Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
The Inquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Et Bestiis Retorta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Zauberer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Recruitment and Sorcery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Field Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Secrets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Notable Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
The Explorer’s Society
47
Chapter Houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Joining the Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Explorers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Scholars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Curators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Current Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Allies and Enemies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Secrets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Notable Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
The Invisible College
70
Pars Primi: Sensus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Recruitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Pars Secundi: Scientia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Pars Tertii: Sapientia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
The Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Internal Threat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Notable Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
The Rose and the Cross
91
In the Beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Graduation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Great Secret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Inquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Black Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Notable Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
101
104
104
106
107
Los Vagabundos
113
Močiutės Skara
133
The Rilasciare
155
Novus Ordo Mundi
178
Prologue: Clues, Part 2
198
Secret Metonym in Hell
200
Index
208
Donning the Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Current Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Behind the Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flower Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notable Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joining Močiutės Skara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basic Member Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Sylwa Rerum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Local Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Threats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Notable Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Factions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Support of Nobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Printing Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Big Joke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notable Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
118
119
122
124
126
133
134
137
137
140
142
145
148
155
156
161
162
163
165
171
172
Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Notable Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Birth Inferno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Riddle Key Contort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Astral Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cohort Compendium Requesite . . . . . . . . . . . Secret Mandatory Library Card . . . . . . . . . . . 201
202
203
204
206
PRELUDE: CLUES, PART 1
A
Clues, Part 1
library is a garden of books.
And just like a garden, a library is filled with
scents, sights and textures that are unique
to itself. Most gardens are populated with common
flowers, and so are most libraries, and one must have
a sense of such a place to know the hidden wonders
and a different kind of sense to find them. The rarities seem so mundane to the uneducated eye, but
to an expert, a bent cover or a slightly torn page or
a perilous binding mean all the difference between
a volume worth little more than a penny and a
priceless tome.
Adara had an apprentice’s appreciation for the rare
beauty of books. She learned it from an old man
named Atzo, an Eisen scholar living in an Eisen monastery. Like Adara, he was a member of the Knights of
the Rose and Cross, and while his age prevented him
from many adventures, he provided valuable knowledge and insight. Tonight, Adara needed his insight.
But when she found the old man in his private chambers, she knew he would be advising the Knights no
4
Prelude: Clues, Part 1
more. His throat was cut and his eyes were closed.
The blood was thick on the floor.
The young monk who led her to Atzo’s chambers shrieked and ran, calling for the abbot. Adara
went to work.
When she entered the monastery, she wore a heavy
cloak: a sign of respect for the celibacy of the monks.
Now that murder was at hand, she cast the cloak
aside. She wore the blue of her own knightly Order, a
sword and pistol on her belt. Kneeling over the body,
she looked at the old man’s face and felt a swelling
in her throat.
She remembered his pipe, his laughter. He taught
her how to read the language of the Old Empire and
a clever parry with the sword that saved her life a
dozen times. When she asked him where he learned
to fight, his broad, wide face turned into a cherubic
grin. “Perhaps one day I will tell you.”
Now, he never would.
The cut across his throat was clean. No other
wounds. Someone got behind him close enough to
put a knife… she stopped, feeling her eyes sting.
Focus. Look for what is missing and for what
should not be here.
That was the monk’s voice in her head. The way he
taught her to think and look. She squeezed her eyes
shut and ran her glove across them. Then, she opened
her eyes and looked the way he taught her.
No other wounds. That meant he was
taken by surprise.
She looked at the door. It was locked when they
arrived and the young monk had to open it with a key.
She looked at his hands. His fingertips were black
with ink. He was writing. His other hand was squeezed
tight around something. She gently lifted his wrist and
found his reading glasses tight in his grip. They were
a memento from his old master, almost useless. His
bloody fingerprint was on one of the lenses.
Adara looked at the table, peering over the pages.
She was here for a reason. He sent her a letter,
demanding her presence. Something that could not
be communicated by letter, only in person. Perhaps
something on the table…
He was translating. She looked at the original, but
could not make sense of it. Something from the
Crescent Empire, she assumed. The letters looked
right. She looked at the translation…
…but it wasn’t there. The papers were just letters and
other writings.
Adara paused, looking over the desk. Then,
she heard them.
Their footfalls were padded, but she knew how
to hear that sound. Their blades were drawn from
sheaths lined with cotton, but she knew how to hear
that, too. From the footfalls, she knew there was at
least three, maybe four. And they were on her. Now.
She spun, pulling the pistol first, squeezing the
trigger at the first shadow she saw. The room was
dark, so she squinted, knowing the blast of the pistol
would flash and blind. One of the shadows dropped,
its knife hitting the floor. She didn’t get her sword
out in time—she should have reached for her knife—
and she took a wound on the shoulder. She cursed
and ducked the next blow, kicking at the back of the
shadow’s knee.
They were not here a moment before and the boy
running down the hallway would have seen them, she
thought. Damn Montaigne Porté magic.
Adara drew her sword, but there was no room for
swordplay. She dropped the pistol and reached for
the dagger in her boot, dodging a knife aimed for her
throat. Another blade hissed through the air at her
heart and she knocked it away with her sword. There
were three more. They had knives. A lot of knives.
And they knew how to work together. One thrusted
while she attacked another, giving her another cut
across her arm.
These were not simple burglars. These were assassins. And one of them killed Atzo.
Two of them thrust at the same time and she
managed to put her sword through one belly. The
body fell back, clutching at the wound and moaning.
The other scored a hit on her right wrist.
“Death of a thousand cuts,” one of the assassins whispered.
“You’ll need a thousand to kill me,” she spat back at
him. “There were four of you. Now, there’s only two.”
One of them tried a feint, but she saw it and put
a kick against his chest that knocked him into the
window, shattering the glass. He fell and screamed,
falling all the way down to the courtyard below.
She smiled at the last assassin. “Now, there’s only
one of you. Can you make a thousand cuts?”
The masked assassin took a step back and looked at
the window. He bolted.
“No!” she shouted, grabbing at his black chemise. But
she was too late. He lept from the window into the
dark night. When she looked after him… there was
nothing. Not even the body of the brute she sent out
the window a moment ago.
She looked back into the room.
Gone. All gone. No bodies.
Adara sunk into the empty chair in front of Atzo’s
desk and took a deep breath.
That wasn’t Montaigne magic. That was something else.
There was no blood, no screaming. Something else.
She looked down at Atzo’s body. So still. Nothing left
of him. Nothing… left.
She blinked and looked down at his clenched fist.
The spectacles. The bloody fingerprint.
Maybe you left me something after all, old man.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
5
Chapter 1
THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE COAST
What most of the world fails to realize is…well, let me start from the beginning.
Aragosta is a place. An island in the Atabean Sea. But Aragosta is not a place. Aragosta is where
I was born and it’s where I’ll die. Because those who call themselves the Brethren of the Coast, we
were born on the sea. And one day, back to the sea we’ll go. That’s what it means to be born of our
blood, me boyo. So when they ask you, ‘Where were you born?’ what are you going to tell them?
—“Bloody” Bonnie McGee, Captain of the Red Banshee
There are pirates and then there are pirates. And
yes, Aragosta is the home of the Republic of Pirates,
but there is a secret order among those who sail
under the black flag. It was born when the Atabean
Trading Company convinced the Nations of Théah
to send out pirate hunters with little black spots on
their ship’s flags. Their goal was simple: destroy the
Atabean Trading Company.
But among pirates, who can you trust? They’re a
band of cut-throats, robbers, murderers and liars…
and proud of it. Villains with the blackest hearts.
And so, a small circle of captains came together to
fight the Atabean Trading Company and destroy
6
CHAPTER 1 | The Brotherhood of the coast
them once and for all. They knew they needed a code
to communicate—even among other pirates—that
would cover their agenda. Too many captains would
sell them out for a casket of Guilders.
One of them said it. Nobody can agree on who, but
one of them did.
“I was born in Aragosta.”
At first, it was just a pass phrase, but as time marched
on, it began to mean something more. Those in the
know brought a deeper, secret meaning to the phrase.
A captain from Carleon wasn’t born in Avalon, she was
born in Aragosta. A captain from San Cristobol wasn’t
born in Castille, he was born in Aragosta.
The phrase came to mean, “I was
born on the waves.” Or, perhaps,
“I was re-born on the waves.” But
after the bloody war with the
ATC, it took on even more.
“I was born in Aragosta, and
I’ll die there.”
Aragosta gave me freedom. I’ll
fight for that freedom. And if I die,
I’ll die free.
That’s what it means when a pirate says, “I was born
in Aragosta.” And what do you say in return? You
shake her hand and say,
“And I’ll die there.”
A Hidden Course
The Brotherhood of the Coast has two agendas: one
up front and the other hidden from sight, even from
its members. The first is simple: protect the Pirate
Nation. And the second, while serving the first, has
a higher priority.
Back in the early days of the Nation, the notorious
captain “Bloody” Bonnie McGee called for a meeting
of the original captains. They gathered in a dark cove
just off the shores of an island north of Aragosta. There,
she unfurled a map she discovered after plundering
a ship. It was a map of Théah, marked with strange
runes she had never seen before. More importantly, the
runes were connected by lines and dates. A watermark
in the bottom right corner showed an eye with an hour
Spray Chaser Ship’s Log
Julius, Day 11, 1667
Arrived today at Aragosta. Stormy past few days,
but a fair run into port. Docked at Eastern Quay,
went straightaway to Bucket o’ Blood. I’d meant to
beat that hoary old sea dog Kausig’s GREY WAVE
into port, but there he was, sitting under the First
Charter and drinking ale, pleased as a wharf cat
when the fishing boats come home. How’d he do it,
I wonder? I had the clear lead. He got here soon
enough to unload his plunder and drive down the
prices. Hate to admit it, but it ain’t trickery. He’s
just a better sailor.
glass. “Something’s happening here,”
McGee told her fellow captains.
“And it involves all of us.”
Over the course of the year,
using the map, McGee gathered
more information on this
curious plot and she shared the
information with those she trusted.
By the end of that year, McGee
became the one woman who came
closest to uncovering the Grand Design of Novus
Ordo Mundi. And, by the end of that year, “Bloody”
Bonnie McGee and her ship disappeared. Vanished
from the waves entirely.
Since then, the Brotherhood of the Coast has done
its best to watch for more instances of that eye. They
know a few names, a few dates, and even know the
Order’s name. The Brotherhood also knows there is
a plan and it is close to coming to fruition. But they
don’t know enough to stop it.
The Brotherhood keeps this knowledge to themselves,
hidden even to some of its own. Only those who have
proven they can be trusted are allowed within this tiny
circle of captains. But since their discovery, that circle
has grown smaller and smaller. Finding pirates you can
trust is hard enough, but those who are brought into
the circle quietly vanish, just as McGee did. Almost
as if the Order was watching and making sure the
Brotherhood never learns too much.
The First Charter
This First Charter applied originally to the nine ships
and crews of the First Captains, but in the years since,
the Brotherhood Charter has come to encompass
hundreds of vessels. The use of mingled blood by the
nine First Captains imbued the First Charter with
powerful sorcery, drawing on an ancient ritual known
only by Captain Reis. This tradition has continued,
with all new captains using their blood to sign and
bind themselves to the Charter of the Brotherhood.
Over time, the details of Reis’ ritual have been
lost—or, more correctly, have been incorporated into
the blood-signing used today and described in the
Pirate Nations supplement for 7th Sea. Certainly,
embedded somewhere in the current ritual is the
original one, an article of ancient magic apparently
discovered by Reis sometime during her travels. No
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
7
one is quite sure which parts of the modern ritual
are actually necessary, though, and which are just
embellishments added over time. For instance, is it
really necessary to pass the bowl of the participants’
blood widdershins (counterclockwise) among them
before signing?
Another interesting aspect of the magic imbuing
the First Charter is the possibility that it incorporates
components of Théan sorcery. The use of blood
harkens to the Porté magic of Montaigne sorciers, for
instance, while the Blessing and Curse of the Charter
is reminiscent of the Sorte powers of Vodacce Fate
Witches. Some Théan occult scholars believe that
Reis’ ritual was inadvertently combined with residual
sorcerous powers possessed by the First Captains
during the signing, resulting in a strange hybrid magic.
If so, the sorcery of the First Charter is truly unique.
These same scholars would dearly love to study this
possibility in more detail, but the Brotherhood is not
particularly interested in inviting such scrutiny of its
most revered secrets.
All of that said, the pirates of the Brotherhood do
not dwell on the arcane aspects of the blood-signing
ritual. They are a supremely superstitious lot, focused
simply on getting it right. Few, if any, ever deviate from
the established signing ritual. Accordingly, because
of the various “dilutions” over time, the later ritual
signings may be less powerful in strictly sorcerous
terms than those of the First Captains. Despite that,
they are taken no less seriously for it.
Other Parts of the First Charter
The Charter of the Brotherhood is a code of behavior
intended to regulate the behavior of signatories who,
by nature, are generally self-serving, greedy and often
violent. It is much more than just that, though. The
Charter is the foundation for a loose “Republic of
Pirates,” with each ship effectively a member Nationstate. For that reason, there is more to the First
Charter than just the nine Articles, which focus on
the specific conduct of members of the Brotherhood.
Other parts deal with the more general issues debated
by the First Captains. Some of these are presented
below; others have over time, faded and become
difficult to read. This suggests the latter are not
actually imbued with the sorcerous power that infuses
at least the nine Articles, but short of arcane scholars
8
CHAPTER 1 | The Brotherhood of the coast
being able to study the document—something not
likely to happen as long as the Brotherhood has any
say in it—no one is able to say for certain. Others
note that these “supplementary” parts of the First
Charter are written in a less precise style than the
Articles, hinting that those were crafted by the most
scholarly among the First Captains, while these other
sections reflect a more informal approach to writing.
Being the King of Pirates in Aragosta
Seeing how the hands can be unruly ashore, the King
must have a firm hand in watching over the affairs in
Aragosta. That firm hand has to be close to the action
always. Even if the King wants the salt wind in his
face, it’s the onshore breeze for him.
The Captains Bleed Together
Attack one of us, you attack all of us. We fight as
though we’re all aboard one ship, even if there’s days
of sea between us.
The Fleet of Aragosta
Whichever ships o’ the Brotherhood are tied up,
anchored or within crow’s-nest sight of Aragosta
are the fleet, and the King of Pirates its commander.
Someone attacks Aragosta and the fleet rallies
to its defense.
There Being a Council of Captains
There being the Fleet of Aragosta, its every Captain
is on the Council. Meet when the King calls for it, or
when it is necessary, and give the King your advice and
counsel, whether he wants it or not.
Corantine, Day 17, 1667
If Reis was the one who created the ritual, and we
are all bound to it, what does that mean? Does it
mean we are all bound to her as well? Such a thought
turns my blood to ice water. But if it were true, we
would all be her slaves. Unless she’s waiting for the
right moment.
—Dashing Danny, Captain of the Wind Rider
disappeared on the last day of 1667
No Secrets
What one has, we all have. Don’t keep your maps and
charts to yourself, especially if they help to keep this
Charter and our Brotherhood together and, more
important, rich.
Subsequent Charters
The First Charter contains Nine Articles, which
have been incorporated into every Brotherhood
Charter crafted since. This not only ensures that the
Brotherhood maintains a consistent code of behavior,
but it imbues every subsequent Charter with at least
some of the sorcerous essence of the First.
These later Brotherhood Charters serve a range of
purposes. Most commonly, individual Brotherhood
ships typically draft Charters of their own. These not
only reinforce the effect of the First Charter on the
crew generally, they often include language specific
to that ship. For example, a particular Brotherhood
captain who abhors gambling may require a provision
in his Charter that no games of chance ever occur
aboard his ship. In the meantime, another captain
who has no problem with gambling may omit such
language, or have her particular Charter stipulate
how winnings are to be divided. Other items in
ships’ Charters could refer to how spoils are to be
divided, how much crew members are expected to
contribute to the ship’s maintenance, or how watches
are organized.
Another type of Charter commonly drafted in
the Brotherhood involves actions by several ships,
working in concert toward a particular goal. If, for
example, several captains decide to band together
to attack a convoy or similarly attractive but wellguarded target, they may draft a Charter governing
the conduct of the operation. Charters such as these
are usually limited in some fashion, expiring after a
certain time or a specific set of conditions are fulfilled.
In the end, few rules exist around the creation of new
Charters, meaning they can be written for almost any
reason. There are really only two hard requirements—
first, that each must incorporate the nine Articles of the
First Charter; and second, that any other provisions of
these Charters can never weaken the nine Articles, but
can be more restrictive. That said, the clarity of many of
these later Charters can leave a great deal to be desired.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
9
10
CHAPTER 1 | The Brotherhood of the coast
Their authors are typically not especially literate
individuals, so ambiguous and rambling wording can
leave a lot of room for interpretation—often leading to
the very confrontations and conflicts these Charters are
intended to prevent.
Organization
Not surprisingly, a group such as the Brotherhood of
the Coast is not given to a rigid, inflexible hierarchy.
The idea of submitting to a large and complex
organization involving many ships and crews just
does not sit easily with independent and free-spirited
pirates, even if it is ultimately for their own good.
As a result, the organization of the Brotherhood is
relatively simple. At the top of the pecking order is the
Queen of the Pirates. Beneath her is the Council of
Captains, and beneath that is the Brotherhood itself;
that is, every other member, from the most grizzled
of the veteran pirate captains to the most freshfaced lad or lass brought aboard a ship as a cabinattendant or powder-monkey. Under the charter,
all have a say in the workings of their ship and the
Brotherhood itself, making the whole organization
surprisingly democratic.
The Queen of the Pirates
This is “the job that nobody wants.” Certainly, the
King’s Mansion in Aragosta is luxurious enough,
but the job means that the incumbent remains there,
overseeing the Brotherhood and its interests in
Aragosta. Aragosta itself is described in much more
detail in the Pirate Nations supplement.
Corantine, Day 6, 1667
The Second Mate led the crew in an ad hoc Ship’s
Council at the end of the third watch. They have a
complaint about payments for losing a leg. Payment
should be the same for a man what loses his from a
spar blown loose in a gale as for a man what loses it
to a cannonball in battle. Charter gives an extra 50
Guilders for losing it in battle. Agreed that wasn’t
fair and cut that extra 50, so gave crew what they
wanted.
Queen Morgan Jacqueline Bonaventura is
responsible for holding all the information the
Brotherhood has gathered on Novus Ordo Mundi.
She holds it in a safe hidden beneath the mansion
on Aragosta. The safe is trapped seven different
ways and she’s caught more than one spy trying
to bypass its snares. As more information arrives
from other captains, she’s getting a clearer vision
of the Order’s plan and it terrifies her. Even mere
glimpses are enough.
Morgan isn’t sure who to trust anymore. It
seems the Order’s tendrils reach everywhere. Their
resources seem endless and on an island where gold
is everything, they can buy as many traitors as they
want. She has nightmares of the entire island turning
her against her, a traitor at every turn.
She has thought, on more than one occasion, of
notifying the entire Brotherhood about the discovery.
The Order jeopardizes freedom, not only for the
Nation, but for all the world. She knows at least a
third of them will run, believing they can survive on
the waves, maybe even flee to the East. She also knows
Nonus, Day 14, 1667
So this captain, so new to the Brotherhood his blood’s
still damp on the Charter, asks about Queen Bonaventura,
how long she’s been Pirate Queen, her policies—an’ he
used that very word, policies!—and the like. So I tell him
about her, and about the two before her—Roberts, the
first Pirate King, who hated Aragosta and spent most of
his time away; and Gosse, the exact opposite, who spent
most of his time here doing what a King does. An’ the
conversation goes on, but I’m seeing that he isn’t really
interested in “policies.” He fancies Bonaventura, to be
sure. Fancies her!
So I told him she’s happy for suitors, and told him to go
start courting her. Kausig overheard and kept his mouth
shut, but we laughed long and hard after the poor lad had
gone to go courting the Pirate Queen!
Suspect I’ll be hearing more about this.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
11
A PIRATE’S WORD
at least a third of them will find the Order and sell
their services. A divided Pirate Nation will not stand.
The Queen of Pirates is in a tough spot, and finding
allies she can trust is getting harder every day.
Joining the Brotherhood
Joining the Brotherhood is a simple affair. All a
prospective member has to do is travel to Aragosta,
the capital of the Brotherhood, and sign the Charter
in blood. This signature is displayed on the wall the
Bucket o’ Blood, in what amounts to an addendum to
the First Charter, which is also displayed here. There
is actual sorcery at work in the blood-signing; those
who sign receive a Blessing (good fortune, as long
as they uphold the Charter) and a Curse (ruination
if they do not.) While not as potent as the sorcery
that bound the First Captains, it is still something to
which every prospective signatory should give weighty
consideration!
Before signing, any captain present in
Aragosta—and, indeed, any current member of
the Brotherhood—may choose to investigate a
prospective member. The nature of such investigation
varies, though. A candidate who has been referred
by an existing member may be subjected to only a
cursory interrogation. In fact, if the sponsor is senior
and respected enough, there might be little or no
actual investigation at all.
On the other hand, if the potential member of
the Brotherhood is largely unknown, then she is
subjected to much more scrutiny. If it seems worth
the trouble, the matter could be referred to the
Council of Captains, or even Queen Bonaventura
herself. Whoever they are, the Brotherhood members
conducting the examination of the new recruit will
ask hard questions about her past, her lineage, her
experience at sea—any subject, really, could be
questioned. And this is no time for evasive or overly
convoluted, “political-sounding” answers. Members of
the Brotherhood are wary and suspicious, so are not
easy to fool. The Brotherhood even counts among its
members occasional practitioners of the occult arts,
such as Sarmatian losejai and Vodacce Fate Witches,
whose powers can be used to confirm if the new
recruit’s answers are true. The grueling affair will
go on until the Brotherhood members present are
12
CHAPTER 1 | The Brotherhood of the coast
“As we are bound by the same blood, I give
you my word.”
Making a promise is something pirates just
don’t do. At least, they don’t do it seriously.
Rather, when a pirate invokes the above
phrase, it means something.
No formal mechanic exists for this. When
a pirate, bound by blood, gives her word,
that’s it. That’s all another pirate needs to
know she’s telling the truth. Any pirate who
violates this sacred trust deserves nothing
less than the black spot.
When a pirate says the oath, it is not a small
thing. Pirates do not make the oath lightly, so
when when you hear it, they mean it.
On the other hand, if a pirate ever says, “I
promise,” it means nothing. A promise is
something you give to a rube or a landlubber.
Only the oath, so stated above, means the
pirate will keep their word. Or die trying.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, saying “I
promise” to another pirate is a good way to
end up on the floor with a broken nose.
satisfied they have the proper measure of the person
seeking to join their ranks.
If they are generally pleased with the results, the
interrogators will extend an invitation to join the
Brotherhood. The blood-signing could happen right
then, but only a few especially trusted people are
immediately and fully inducted into the Brotherhood.
It is more likely a new member is subject to a period
of probation, during which he must prove himself.
The Brotherhood still expects a new member to sign
in blood, but will also give him a certain amount of
time to accomplish particular things—take so many
ships as prizes, obtain (and share) a specific amount
of loot, kill a prescribed number of Atabean Trading
Company members, or something similar. If he is
successful, then full membership follows. Proving
one’s loyalty to the Brotherhood can be a difficult and
nerve-wracking affair.
Of course, there remains the matter of those
who are rejected. If they are extremely lucky, they
may simply be sent away from Aragosta—normally
COVERT BROTHERHOOD
COMMUNICATIONS IN
YOUR GAME
The various examples given of ways the
Brotherhood of the Coast covertly communicates amongst its members are just
that—examples, intended to inspire you.
Many different methods exist; everyday
items and activities could be co-opted into
subtle signs and symbols full of meaning to
those who know to look for it. The name
used to call over a server in a bar, a particular
combination of food and drink ordered,
apparently insignificant patches of color on
a mainsail, the number and arrangement of
coconuts around the base of a palm tree—
any of these could be recognition symbols to
allow Brotherhood members to identify one
another or to pass along even more esoteric
sorts of information.
Players and GMs should use their imaginations to develop such types of communications. The key is to take an otherwise
mundane item or activity, then arrange,
mark or otherwise portray it so that it carries
one or more layers of hidden meaning. As
long as everyone who has to know what it
means does, then the communications work.
Of course, nothing precludes others, those
who should not know the hidden meaning,
from finding out. Such instances of secret
communications being compromised can,
themselves, spawn all sorts of opportunities
for your Heroes to shine. After all, if a traitor
leaked the information, someone has to find
him and do something about it.
without their ship, which becomes a prize for
the Brotherhood. More likely, though, they will
simply vanish, their body probably wrapped in
a weighted sheet and tossed over the side of a
Brotherhood ship.
So, the actual act of joining is a relatively simple,
albeit very dangerous affair—ultimately, just a
signature in blood. Getting to the point of being
able to make that signature, however, is a far more
convoluted matter. The Brotherhood is not only a
relatively loose and informal organization, it is also a
very secretive one. Although they are united by their
Charter and their earnest will to live the lawless lives
of freebooters, the members of the Brotherhood still
keep many secrets—including one great one—from
outsiders, and even from one another. This means that
even making contact with the Brotherhood in the first
place can be a problematic affair.
Covert Communications
All of that said, the Brotherhood of the Coast is
generally eager to accept new members; new blood
is vital to the organization and its future. It just also
happens to be very wary of outsiders. Anyone could
be an agent of the Atabean Trading Company, a
Théan government or…a rival organization.
The main hurdle to overcome when joining,
then, is not knowing about the existence of the
Brotherhood. Making contact with it is the real
Journal of Rolando, Master of the Cresting Wave
The Sixth Day of Julius, 1664
It is with great trepidation that I find myself in San
Felipe, at the southern extremity of Castille. I learned in
Pourisse that my merchant patron, Ernesto Bernini, had
been killed in a duel, and all of his assets assumed by the
Vodacce Merchant Prince Gespucci Bernoulli. For me, this is
as disastrous as foundering on the Recaudadores Shoals,
for I owed Ernesto money, meaning the Wave will be seized by
Bernoulli and I will be ruined.
I feel I must declare here and now that I am an honest
merchant, captain of a noble ship, and an honorable man.
And yet here I am seeking those who would, until these
desperate times, be my mortal enemies, more dangerous than
a storm-wracked shoal. They call themselves the Brotherhood
of the Coast, but most everyone just calls them pirates.
And I have found them. There is a tavern here called the
Broken Spar, a seedy place almost hidden behind piles of
broken lobster traps and torn nets. The man in Pourisse
told me that speaking aloud here of certain weather in
the Numanari Approach, especially as it pertained to a
particular island near Póro, brought a man with a smile
like a shark’s to sit at my table. Putting aside my dread,
we talked, and when I had finally gained a measure of his
trust, he told me what I must do to join this Brotherhood.
It was a simple thing, but no less horrific for its simplicity.
Go to Aragosta, he said, to the tavern called the Bucket o’
Blood…and be prepared to bleed.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
13
14
CHAPTER 1 | The Brotherhood of the coast
problem. This relates to how the Brotherhood of the
Coast communicates with others, as well as amongst
its own members, using a wide range of clever and
covert techniques.
Because members of the Brotherhood, by their very
nature, are far-flung, somewhat ill-disciplined and
constantly moving around, it is essential to be able to
pass along information quickly, efficiently and securely.
Complex and rigid systems of codes and ciphers
simply are not suitable for this. Instead, a variety of
practical and sometimes impromptu measures are
used by the members, usually involving signals and
signs based on everyday activities. Anything from
the particular food and drink ordered in a tavern,
to the arrangement of ropes and cables on the deck
of a ship—things that look entirely innocent to the
uninitiated—could have specific meaning to members
of the Brotherhood.
Of course, this is of little help to prospective
members. What does help is that, at any given time,
there is likely to be at least one current member,
and often several, in a Théan or Atabean Sea port.
Discrete inquiries in these places usually allow a
prospective recruit to find and make contact with a
Brotherhood member.
, 1667
Decim us, Day 26
the
ent Palms. S pent
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and listening. N
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Takes all th
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Prospective recruits tend to be oblivious to
the various clever measures the organization has
developed to conduct what amounts to secret business
in the open. For example: In ports, the Brotherhood
have established covert recognition signals. In a
particular tavern in Five Sails, for instance, ordering
and then spilling a particular drink, then cursing in a
specific way, could be the signal to any Brotherhood
members who their attention is sought. Meanwhile,
in a gambling house in San Sancha, a similar signal
might be placing a wager of a particular value on
a game of bones, then withdrawing it before the
dice are rolled.
As many possible signals exist as there are places
where they are used. Moreover, they periodically
change, once existing forms become too widely
known. This is not much of a problem for existing
Brotherhood members, who share the current
recognition signals for various places among
themselves. Needless to say, for a prospective member
of the Brotherhood wanting to make that first contact,
he would need to know someone, get lucky or, more
likely both, to find the correct signals currently in use
in a particular location.
In less inhabited areas, the Brotherhood uses a
more durable set of signs to share information, since
keeping them secure is less of an issue. A series of
triangles could be cut into the bark of a tree, the
number and arrangement points to the location of
hidden treasure, fresh water or some other important
place. A cairn of stones on a headland could appear
to mark a significant location when, in fact, it is the
number of stones in the cairn that hints at a compass
bearing from the headland to a cove where booty
Secundus, Day 11, 1668
No sooner had we come in sight of the fat Castillian
galleon than the lookout spies another sail in chase. Soon
we see she’s a Buccaneer’s ship, and one mastered by
Rafael Cortez at that. And I’d just spent a night gambling
with Cortez in Sylviette, not two days ago! When she’s
close, I fire a shot across his bow, warning him off…an’ we
get nothing but a shot back. I know this…Cortez took me
for a goodly sum in that game of bones in Sylviette. To be
sure, he ain’t taking the Castillian away from me, too.
—from the ship’s log of the Spray Chaser
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
15
Journal of Rolando, Master of the Cresting Wave
The Eighth Day of Quartus, 1665
a year can
I have returned to San Felipe for the first time in almost a year. But what a difference
make.
brush the
San Felipe is still a wretched place, but now I sense opportunity. I go to the Broken Spar,
wine,
grime from a table and sit. From the barmaid, I order both a particular ale and a specific
t her
instruc
I
wine
The
cup.
demanding the first in a pewter tankard, the second in an earthenware
woman sitting
to take to anyone in the bar who may want it. The barmaid takes the wine to a gruff
near the fireplace. When she points me out to the woman, I nod.
Sea Hammer.
The woman comes to my table and introduces herself as Mary Kirkroy, captain of the
Inish, but that’s all I can tell. “What and where?” is all she asks.
wine and fine
“Puerto del Sur,” I reply, and go on to tell her that a brigantine laden with Castillian
is laid up
ine
silks is there, bound for the Vaticine Island. “Too bad,” I observe, “that this brigant
day of this
for repairs for an extra week, bound not to weigh anchor until at least the fourteenth
month.”
finish her
The woman gives me a pointed look, and asks why I do not wait for the brigantine to
repairs, then take her myself?
better.” This is
“I have good reason to be anywhere but near those waters,” I say, “and the sooner the
entirely true but the details I keep to myself. She smiles.
, Master of
I touch my drink to Kirkroy’s. The brigantine is hers to plunder, now.Journal of Rolando
the Cresting Wave
Journal of Rolando, Master of the Cresting Wave
The Eighth Day of Corantine, 1667
The battle yesterday was a terrible close thing, sure, and the closest I’ve come to dying.
Pride of
I learned o’ the Company merchantman from another Brotherhood captain, master o’ the
heavy
st,
Dawn. From her banners and pennants, I learned the merchant was a day to the northwe
laden
with cargo, poorly trimmed and riding the sea slow. The Pride of Dawn herself was already
Kirkroy,
with spoils from another prize, so I signaled I’d chase the Company ship with my friend
whose Sea Hammer I was soon to meet.
Central Rahuri
Two days later an’ the Sea Hammer an’ us stood off a small island near Mucaro in the
for better trim,
Islands. The Atabean merchant anchored herself in a cove, probably to shift her cargo
to
seaward
from
t
we thought. I’d take the Wave into the cove, we decided, and take the merchan
small boats
block her escaping. Same time, a cutting-out party from the Sea Hammer would heave
fine had
across a neck of land and take her from shoreward. A simple scheme, which would’a worked
the merchant been what she seemed.
16
CHAPTER 1 | The Brotherhood of the coast
trouble
We were greeted, as expected, with some cannon fire from the merchant as we ran in. The
surrender,
started when we came alongside. We’d been ready for the usual show of resistance, then
decks.
but were instead greeted by a burly throng of mercenary marines pouring up from below
the Sea
The melee was bloody and desperate, and would have gone badly for us had the lads from
would have
Hammer not arrived nick o’ time. Kirkroy herself saved me from a cutlass swing that
more chore
been
had
taken my head. They were late, she’d said, ’cause hauling their boats overland
nse to those
than expected. My own wounds’ll heal, but for much o’ my crew, they won’t. Worse, recompe
wounded’ll cost me dearly. Next time better be more profitable for sure!
Sure he weren’t
Meantime, me and Kirkroy really wish to speak to the captain of the Pride of Dawn.
be safe for
part o’ this, a trap, was he? Cause if he was, it’s the black spot for him and no wave’ll
ss. I made
his ship. In his cabin was some envelope sealed with wax. The seal was an eye with an hourgla
fast work of it, ducking it into my vest. I’m sure Kirkroy didn’t see.
Journal of Rolando, Master of the Cresting Wave
The Eighth Day of Sextus, 1668
I’d
That time in San Felipe, when I was near despair and desperately seeking the Brotherhood,
hard
an’
thought it the hardest thing I’d ever done. Even the many raids and battles since, fierce
derie o’ the
as they were, were simple enough, win or lose, live or die. I’d come to respect the camara
ed I do
Brotherhood, bound by a code that was good an’ honorable. Now that same code demand
, alongside
Kirkroy
thing.
something that made that long-ago time in San Felipe seem an easy enough
turned her
whom I’d fought and drank and shared loot and who’d saved my life a few times, she’d
could
back on the Brotherhood. The Company, some said, had offered her more money than anyone
was that.
reasonably refuse, but that made no difference. Kirkroy had signed in blood and that
captains
Queen Bonaventura wasted no time, saying Kirkroy had the black spot now, an’ the other
at the meeting near San Teodoro agreed. Painful as it was, I could only agree, too.
Sea Hammer.
I write this here as I am in a running chase down the leeward shore of Colina Verde after
know.
My ship’s the faster, and Kirkroy knows it. What happens when we finally close, I don’t
Master gunner says we’re withing firing range. My heart is breaking.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
17
is exchanged. However, such marks as these are
used to pass along information, and would not be
as immediately useful for those seeking to join. Of
course, if a captain wanting to join the Brotherhood
has the nerve to show up at the location of a secret
meeting, it may give him the opportunity to make
his case—or to find himself on the hot end of some
muskets and cutlasses!
The Brotherhood also uses recognition signals,
signs and other measures at sea. In addition to their
colors, many ships also fly other banners and flags
identify particular merchant patrons, the types of
cargo they usually carry, or just for decoration. The
Brotherhood has developed a series of specific flag and
banner symbols that, to the untrained eye either mean
something entirely different or even nothing at all.
For example, a Brotherhood ship’s crew may fly
a series of banners and pennants that describe a
merchant vessel they have recently encountered, its
approximate location and a declaration that they
have no interest in pursuing it. This allows other
Brotherhood ships the opportunity to take up the
chase. Another arrangement of flags could indicate
that the ship displaying them has looted cargo for sale
or trade; yet another might warn of a prowling piratehunter in a particular direction, or seek allies for an
attack on a merchant convoy.
Some Brotherhood ships that frequently work
together even keep messenger pigeons aboard, using
them to exchange messages directly. The point is to
allow Brotherhood ships to quickly, efficiently and,
most importantly, covertly pass information among
themselves as they ply the seas.[$$This isn’t how
pigeons work; they return “home” from a ship in this
case, but not to a vessel that could be anywhere at sea.]
Quitting the Brotherhood
Quitting the Brotherhood of the Coast is easy—dying
accomplishes this quite handily!
That is really the only way one can quit the
Brotherhood. It is made clear to new members
before they sign their blood onto the Charter that
there is no going back. Part of this is the nature of
the sorcery imbued into the blood signature. There is
no known way of undoing the signature’s sorcerous
effects of blessing and curse. More importantly, the
Brotherhood does not want members to quit.
Members of the Brotherhood learn secrets vital to
the organization. A few may know the greatest secret
of all. Such knowledge coming into the possession of
an enemy or a rival organization could do enormous
damage. Better to be sure that no one is able to take
this information with them when they leave the
Brotherhood, simply by declaring that no one is able
to leave the Brotherhood.
Some desperate or misguided souls have tried. In
every case, however, the attempt has earned them the
black spot and a life full of terrified regret.
Current Affairs
In 1668 AV, the Brotherhood of the Coast sits at a
peak of strength and prosperity. Under Pirate Queen
Bonaventura, the Brotherhood projects enormous
power across the seas of Théah in the form of an
unparalleled flotilla. Each is crewed by determined
and experienced men and women eager for glory
and treasure and willing to risk their lives to get it.
Brotherhood ships are not the only ones plying the
waters, though. Other groups and organizations vie
for power and control on the Théan seas.
18
CHAPTER 1 | The Brotherhood of the coast
The Atabean Trading Company
La Bucca
Unfortunately, the current unity and strength of
the Brotherhood is not strictly spontaneous, nor
is it solely due to the charismatic leadership of
Bonaventura. Rather, it arises from the fact that the
Brotherhood is at war. This is not new; after all, the
organization was originally created in response to a
war being waged against it by the pirate hunters of
the Black Spot Fleet. But now it faces a hard-fought,
existential conflict against a dangerous and powerful
opponent—the Atabean Trading Company and
its backers.
The Company has all the attributes of a sprawling,
transnational megacorporation. It operates with
ruthless efficiency and cares little about running
roughshod over “the little guy” because, in the end,
its only concern is its bottom line. When it comes
to piracy, the goal of the Company is simple; because
pirates eat into profits, the Company wants to drive
pirates from the seas. To some extent, this is done
directly by deploying Company forces to attack and
destroy pirate ships. But such direct confrontations
are troublesome and expensive, so the Company’s
main effort against piracy is more insidious—they
co-opt the pirates, using the Company’s vast wealth
to effectively buy them off and turn them into piratehunters. Again, this is simple efficiency—buying
off a pirate crew not only eliminates it as a threat,
but also turns it against other pirates, potentially
eliminating them, too.
This cleverly pragmatic approach to combating
piracy is proving to be difficult for the Brotherhood
of the Coast to withstand. The pirates of the
Brotherhood are fighting not only for their lives,
but for their way of life. The trouble is that, as an
organization, the Brotherhood is not really amenable
to long-term cooperation. Pirates want instant
gratification and are prepared to risk life and limb to
get it. Otherwise, they would just become merchant
traders themselves, a slower but much less risky way
of gaining wealth. Bonaventura struggles constantly
to keep the “Pirate Republic” of the Brotherhood
motivated to fight the Company. How much longer
she can accomplish this is uncertain…meanwhile, the
pockets of the Company are deep.
On one level, the Buccaneers of La Bucca have a great
deal in common with the Brotherhood of the Coast.
La Bucca is essentially a democracy, albeit a somewhat
corrupt one.; As a result, there is a fair bit of
interchange between the Brotherhood and La Bucca,
with ships from one often amicably visiting the ports
of the other. At sea, however, it is a very different story.
While the pirates of the Brotherhood are motivated
by the freedom to gather treasure,the Buccaneers
are effectively mercenaries. As Privateers, they sell
their piracy to those willing to offer them Letters of
Marque—typically, Théan governments. This can
readily put Brotherhood pirates and Buccaneers at
odds. It is not unusual for a clash to occur between
Brotherhood and Buccaneer ships just to determine
who gets to chase after a fat merchantman—who may
escape in the meantime.
The Sea Dogs
Working specifically from Avalonian Letters of
Marque granted by Queen Elaine, the Sea Dogs
mainly haunt the waters around Avalon—particularly
the Avalon-Montaigne Strait, the Trade Sea and even
the Maw. Since the Brotherhood operates mainly
in more southerly waters, and westward into the
New World and Atabean Sea, there is little direct
interaction between the two groups. Occasionally
though, a Brotherhood captain may decide to try his
hand at preying on fat merchantmen from Avalon,
Montaigne, Eisen or another of the more northerly
Théan powers in their home waters. When the Sea
Dogs learn about this interloper in their hunting
grounds, they spare no effort in running the miscreant
down—after all, treasure taken by the Brotherhood
is treasure not filling the Sea Dogs’ holds. The result
is almost always a sunken Brotherhood ship and a
dead crew. Even then, the matter is not always this
simple because some Sea Dogs are also members
of the Brotherhood. A pirate who is conflicted
in this way may struggle with her loyalties—of
course, whichever gains her the most treasure in any
given situation (without running her afoul of the
Brotherhood Charter, of course) is always a good way
of resolving things.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
19
The Vesten Raiders
As is the case for the Sea Dogs, Brotherhood ships
rarely cross paths with the Vesten Raiders. Again, this
is because the Brotherhood does not often venture
into the northern waters of Théah, where the Vesten
Raiders spend much of their time and effort. That
said, Vesten Raiders do occasionally raid farther afield,
and this sometimes brings them into confrontation
with the Brotherhood. Even then, such confrontations
generally end with one side or the other choosing to
withdraw, rather than fight—or else temporarily work
together to share a prize.
Unlike La Bucca, whose Buccaneers work much
the same waters as the Brotherhood and with
whom clashes are much more common and often
unavoidable, the Brotherhood and the Vesten
Raiders do not meet often. By a mutual and
generally unspoken understanding, the two groups
realize that there is not a great deal to be gained by
fighting one another.
Notable Members
Several of the most notable members of the
Brotherhood are presented in Pirate Nations.
Many noteworthy souls belong to the Brotherhood,
though, ranging from gentlemen to scoundrels—and
everything in between.
Bartholomew Carrigan
Bartholomew Carrigan is one of the First Captains,
his blood signature inscribed on the First Charter.
This comes as a complete surprise to those who meet
him. One would expect one of the First Captains
to be larger and bolder than life, but Carrigan
is anything but. He comes across less as a pirate
captain and more as an accountant, perhaps, or
a fussy purser fretting over a ship’s stores. Most
who meet him, who do not already know the man,
dismiss him as a “wannabe,” much less a ferocious
sea-reaver, and more a joke.
This is, of course, not just a nonsensical attitude, it
is a dangerous one. If those so contemptuous of him
would take only a moment to think about the matter,
they would wonder how a “joke” could have be one of
the First Captains of the Brotherhood to begin with.
The fact is that the mild, almost obsequious manner
of Bartholomew Carrigan is a façade, concealing a
20
CHAPTER 1 | The Brotherhood of the coast
mind that is razor-keen and ruthless almost to the
point of psychopathy. It is often said that “the quiet
ones are the worst…”
Portraying Bartholomew Carrigan
Bartholomew Carrigan is a bland, nondescript box
with a lit powder keg inside. He tried to ply the
tedious merchant trade his father had established
between his native Avalon and Montaigne, but no
one could seem to quite measure up to his standards.
He is smart and readily sees how things should be
done. When, on one crossing, a seaman did not
get the hawsers to quite the tautness Carrigan
expected, he saw nothing but incompetence and
disrespect. Without a second thought, he put the
man overboard. Seeing that, the rest of the crew fell
quickly into line.
Eventually though, the crew had enough of his
uncompromising demands, explosive temper and
quickness to dole out punishment. One night, when
a strong wind came thundering down the AvalonMontaigne Strait, Carrigan found himself dragged
from his cabin and thrown over the gunwale. In an
instant, he was lost, disoriented amid a black hell of
heaving waves and booming spray.
It is amazing how surviving such an ordeal—and
to this day, Carrigan has no idea how he managed
that—can change a man. Washed onto the shore
of Montaigne, he realized he had been given a
tremendous gift. As far as the rest of the world knew,
he was dead. Reinventing himself, Carrigan became
a pirate so accomplished that he eventually found
himself cutting his hand in the Bucket o’ Blood to
sign on the First Charter of the Brotherhood.
Story Hooks
• The Heroes find themselves in need of passage
aboard a ship. Perhaps they have an urgent
need to get somewhere in the Atabean Sea,
or perhaps they have been shipwrecked and
require rescuing. Bartholomew Carrigan’s ship
is the only one available. Can the Heroes meet
Carrigan’s price, without underestimating this
deceptively dangerous man?
• Word comes to the Heroes that Carrigan
is quietly gathering support in Aragosta
for some great new venture. They soon
learn that he is planning to supplant Queen
Bonaventura and take control as the new
Pirate King. He promises great wealth
and influence to those who support him.
Will the Heroes risk involving themselves
in his power-grab, or will they side with
Bonaventura and the status quo?
The answer was the Brotherhood. Douglas made
her first contacts with the Brotherhood while working
with the Sea Dogs, and was immediately taken by the
opportunity to be her own master, making her own
fortune, rather than renting it out to others. Arriving
in Aragosta, she strode at once into the Bucket o’
Blood and demanded loudly to sign her blood upon
the Charter. The bemused Brotherhood captains
present started the customary interrogation, but
in short order Douglas was the one holding court,
while the captains simply stared in awe at the sheer,
blustering temerity of this imposing woman. An
arm-wrestling match and a few rounds of drinks
later, and Douglas’ blood was drying on the Charter.
Soon after, she claimed the first of her prizes, a stout
Atabean Trading Company merchantman, and her
place in the Brotherhood was secured.
Portraying Siubhán Douglas
When it comes to Siubhán Douglas, there are no
illusions. She is crass and blunt, rarely mincing words,
and gets right to the point. She punctuates her speech
with liberal profanity—and, since she speaks most
languages, a single one of her sentences might contain
curses in Sarmatian, Eisen and Vodacce. Her temper
Siubhán Douglas
Siubhán Douglas resembles her homeland the
Highland Marches—tough, uncompromising and
independent. Born in a tiny village on the bleak moors,
as she grew up she was enamored with sailors’ tales
and read anything she could get her hands on. She
gravitated toward the coast—working first on a fishing
boat plying one of the land’s few rivers, then aboard
a bigger vessel catching fish off the rocky Marches
coastline. But the hard drudgery of fishing fell far short
of satisfying Douglas’ restless spirit. A fishing boat soon
became a merchantman, then a privateer. As an adult
she finally found her place as a mercenary, selling her
ever-more formidable skills as a sailor and fighter on
the open market. For a time she settled into a berth
aboard a ship belonging to the Sea Dogs but, eventually,
working for others began to chafe at Douglas.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
21
is quick; cross her, and you are likely to get at least a
tongue-lashing, and actual violence if the circumstances
are serious enough. Alcohol seems to have no effect on
her, and she has been observed to eat moldy biscuits
and spoiled meat and come to no harm. Needless to
say, few are willing to cross this tempestuous woman.
All of that said, though, Douglas is not strictly
unpleasant and off-putting. She may find formal
settings and courts stiff and awkward, but she is
loyal to her friends, quick to laugh and tell a joke, and
enjoys a good party. Those who know her know she
loves life, and loves to live it to its fullest. Her facility
with languages shows that she is smart, but this
does not stop her from being brash and sometimes
even foolhardy. So far, her luck has held, keeping her
skull uncracked—more or less, anyway—her limbs
attached, and a fair and following wind behind her
ventures as a member of the Brotherhood.
Story Hooks
• Douglas has to do the very thing she
hates—attend a formal Court in Vodacce,
representing the Brotherhood under a flag
of truce and a guarantee of safe passage
from a powerful Vodacce Merchant Prince,
who wishes to enter into a “mutually
beneficial” commercial relationship with the
Brotherhood. It is because she has so little
regard for the politics of Court that she has
been chosen by Queen Bonaventura to attend,
who reasons that the unsubtle Douglas will
keep the Vodacce merchant and his cronies
off-balance during negotiations. She will need,
however, canny people to watch her back and
fend off any number of schemes intended to
trip her up. Are the Heroes up to the task?
• Douglas’ temper pushed her across a line one
night in the Bucket o’ Blood and has ignited
a blood feud with another Brotherhood
captain—or perhaps even several of them.
Queen Bonaventura has asked the Heroes to
quietly work to defuse the situation, because
infighting is the last thing the Brotherhood
needs right now. Can the Heroes resolve
matters between the mercurial Douglas and the
other Brotherhood captains she has so gravely
offended—or will they make things worse?
22
CHAPTER 1 | The Brotherhood of the coast
Rolando,
Captain of the Cresting Wave
Rolando, the captain of the barque Cresting Wave,
came to piracy late in life. Well into his thirties, he
was an honest merchant, owner and master of his
own ship, plying trade through Théan waters on
behalf of wealthy patrons from his native Vodacce.
That all fell apart in 1664 AV when one of the many
power plays that typify Vodacce commerce led to the
death of his patron in a duel. Since he owed his dead
patron money, the debt passed on to the winner of the
duel, a scion of the powerful Bernoulli family. Fearing
the loss of his ship and livelihood, Rolando sought
and found the Brotherhood of the Coast. A bloodsignature later and the Cresting Wave was the newest
ship to prowl the seas of Théah in search of loot.
Rolando may be an honest and honorable merchant
no longer, but not all the honor and honesty is
gone…yet. He is ruthless in a fight, and loyal to the
Brotherhood to a fault, but he nonetheless epitomizes
“the gentleman pirate.” Crews and passengers who
surrender to the Cresting Wave are treated much like
honored guests—given ample food and water, never
mistreated, and allowed (after being relieved of their
valuables) to continue on their way. In a few cases,
he has even forgone taking loot, if it would seem to
be too harmful a blow to his captives. Being forced
to hunt his friend Kirkroy, who had been given the
black spot by Queen Bonaventura, is especially hard
for him; many wonder if, should he survive their final
battle, will his devotion to doing the honorable thing
survive as well?
Portraying Rolando
Rolando is a pirate, yes, but it is not something he ever
wanted to be. Circumstances forced him to sign that
bloody Charter in Aragosta, and it has kept him and
his crew together, earning a decent—if dishonest—
living. It is that dishonesty that bothers him the
most. Deep down, he knows that what he is doing
is wrong; as a merchant captain, he considered the
pirates who preyed on his peers to be the worst sort
of villainous scum.
But now he is the villainous scum. That does not
mean, though, that he has to be vicious or immoral
about it, like many other pirates roving the seas. He
can put himself in the place of the merchant captain
whose ship he has just taken; he can well imagine
the fear and uncertainty and the sheer humiliation.
He is determined to make the experience as painless
as possible for everyone involved—including, and
perhaps especially, himself.
Rolando could have kept going this way, as long
as necessary. Someday, he thought, he could give up
this life and return to being an honest man. But this
terrible business with Kirkroy, a woman who had
become his dearest friend, has driven home how that
is never going to happen. Kirkroy wanted to quit
the Brotherhood and leave the pirate life, and now
Rolando is hunting her. When he catches Kirkroy, he
is going to have to fight her, and when he fights her,
he is going to have to try to kill her.
Rolando does not know if his decency and honor,
so important to how he sees himself, will survive that.
And if it does not…well, how many pirates were once
decent and honest men, now turned ruthless killers,
because of some terrible thing they had to do?
is reluctant, torn between his loyalty to the
Brotherhood and doing the right thing by
his friend. Can the Heroes convince him to
show her mercy if the Brotherhood can still
somehow get their pound of flesh?
• There has been a sudden shift in Vodacce
merchant politics—the Bernoulli who ruined
Rolando has fallen out of favor, opening a
chance for him to possibly negotiate amnesty
for his piratical ways and return to the life of
a merchant captain. Rolando is determined
to follow-up on this opportunity and asks
the Heroes for help, but is it real, or is it just
some Vodacce scheme or trap?
Mary Kirkroy,
Captain of the Sea Hammer
Mary Kirkroy was born into piracy—literally. Her
father was a pirate captain, her mother a jenny who
gave birth to her in the shadow of a mizzenmast.
Neither of her parents were awful people, which
gave her a chance at life, growing up as a street rat
in Kirkwall, then taking to sea as a powder monkey,
running charges from the ship’s magazine up to the
guns in battle.
Story Hooks
• The Heroes have joined Rolando in his quest
to find and deal with Mary Kirkroy. He is
determined to do this himself, refusing
to allow her fate to fall into the hands of
anyone else. But the Heroes know Rolando
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
23
Piracy was in her blood, and Kirkroy was good at it.
Finally in command of her own ship, a brigantine she
had taken as a prize during a cutting-out expedition
and named the Sea Hammer, that inborn sense of piracy
made her more successful at it than most. Known across
the Brotherhood as someone to be admired, even Queen
Bonaventura spoke well of her.
The trouble, though, was that Kirkroy grew tired of
the life. Her friendship with Rolando of the Cresting
Wave showed her the other side of the boarding action,
where honest merchants worked an honest trade, had
wives and families and an old age not measured in
simply not dying to blade or ball. One day, she had
simply had enough. Finding enough like-minded
men and women to crew the Sea Hammer, she sailed
away, leaving all of it—piracy, blood Charters and the
Brotherhood—behind. She would have the black spot,
yes…but she could live with that.
Portraying Mary Kirkroy
Mary Kirkroy is driven, determined to have things her
way. It was the only attitude that made sense in the
grimy streets of Kirkwall, where a young girl had to
take what she wanted or starve. It is the only attitude
that made sense to her as a pirate, because piracy is all
about taking what you want, because you want it. And
it is the same attitude that brought her to where she is
now, a fugitive from the Brotherhood, branded with
the black spot for the simple crime of not wanting to
be a pirate anymore.
She can live with this, though, both for herself
and her crew. She had made sure all the men and
women who fled the Brotherhood with her on the Sea
Hammer knew what they were getting into (and the
time and effort and sheer scheming she had to do to
recrew the Sea Hammer this way is, itself, an epic tale).
She knows the Brotherhood will always consider her
a traitor and mark her with the black spot; she even
knows she is daring the curse of her blood signature
on the Charter to do its worst. But she does not care,
because this is what she wanted—a chance at a new
life, that is not one of piracy and battle and death.
Kirkroy only has one regret—that of all the
Brotherhood ships that are hunting her, the one
dogging her the most is the Cresting Wave. She
sincerely does not want to fight her friend Rolando;
after all, it was Rolando’s example that set her on this
24
CHAPTER 1 | The Brotherhood of the coast
path to begin with. But she knows that a battle is
coming, and that she will square off against Rolando.
It surprises her that, for the first time in her life, she
is not sure what she really wants—to win or to lose.
Story Hooks
• The Heroes have joined Kirkroy in her flight
from the Brotherhood, a decision that risks
having them forever marked with the black
spot themselves. But a time of reckoning is
at hand, as Brotherhood ships close in. Will
the Heroes stand with Kirkroy, helping her
to fight or escape, and incur the unending
wrath of the Brotherhood? Or will they try
to convince Kirkroy to surrender and seek
leniency—or even turn against her, collecting
rich rewards even as they betray her?
• A final confrontation looms between
Kirkroy and her friend, Rolando. Secretly,
Queen Bonaventura has asked the Heroes
to find a way to resolve the matter that will
satisfy the Brotherhood’s need for discipline
but not cost her two of the organization’s
best captains in the process. Can the
Heroes thread their way among competing
motivations and come up with the “win-win”
resolution Bonaventura desires?
Anton Kausig,
Captain of the Grey Wave
Sometimes, a man cloaks himself in layers of
deception. He may be hiding a painful past, or
using lies and obfuscation to protect himself or to
manipulate others. Sometimes, the one he is trying
the hardest to hide things from is himself.
Anton Kausig is not that man. A blustering, beefy
and hairy slab of a man, Kausig is very much an
example of the old adage, “what you see is what you
get.” Once a member of the Vesten Raiders, Kausig
heard tales of the Atabean Sea—of the warmth yearround, the bright sunshine on blue water and, most
of all, the pretty girls who did not wear very much.
He certainly did not need to hear much of this before
leaving the Vesten Raiders and their cold, gloomy
northern waters, finding passage to the Atabean Sea
and, eventually Aragosta. A blood signature to join
the Brotherhood and stay in these warm southern
seas? Kausig could not cut himself fast enough. His
one and only concession to that old life in those dour
seas around Vestenmennavenjar, is the name of his
ship, the Grey Wave—and even that is a joke, because
Kausig has decorated his ship with the gaudiest paint
and banners and even a trio of figureheads, all because
it happened to catch his fancy at one time or another.
Everyone knows Kausig. He is loud and brash,
always speaking his mind. In fact, he never lies, even
when he should; he is the sort who, if asked by his
sweetheart (of the day) if her dress makes her look fat,
will nod and say, “Yes, very fat indeed.” Strangely, this
brutal honesty does not offend people, being delivered
so openly and without any sort of agenda. What you
see in Anton Kausig really is what you get.
pleasant things—like running down fat merchantmen
and flirting with pretty, sun-browned girls.
Kausig’s blunt approach to life colors all his actions.
His typical plan for taking a prize is to sail fast, shoot
his cannons a lot, lay alongside and board and then
beat the other crew into submission. Why bother
with complicated plans and deceptions and all that
other nonsense? Really, so many people make piracy
seem hard and complicated. It’s really not!
His pragmatic approach to life grants him
something that eludes so many others—happiness.
He is, right to the core, entirely happy with his life.
And why not? Death comes soon enough, so why
spend it wallowing in angst? Living in the moment
is all that matters!
Portraying Anton Kausig
Story Hooks
Anton Kausig is big and loud and does not really care
much about who might be put off by that. If people do
not like what he has to say or how he says it, then they
should not ask him for his opinions or listen when
he offers them. As for lying, he has never seen the
point. Things are what they are; why make things up
to pretend they are what they are not? It is a waste of
time and effort that could be better spent doing more
• The Heroes are sailing with Kausig when
they cross paths with a powerful Atabean
Trading Company merchantman—a new
class of ship, laden with treasure but bristling
with guns and squads of marines. Kausig’s
usual head-on approach will likely get them
all killed, but he is absolutely determined to
make the attempt. Can the Heroes find a way
of neutralizing the threat from the Company
ship without undermining Kausig’s authority
or having his loyal crew turn against them?
• Tensions between the Brotherhood and the
Vesten Raiders are on the rise, as each group
encroaches more and more into waters that
“belong” to the other. Because of Kausig’s
background with them, Queen Bonaventura
has asked him to meet with the leaders of
the Raiders to try to find a resolution that
will not involve all-out war between the
two organizations. Can the Heroes work
with Kausig to find a way to de-escalate the
brewing conflict, or will they find themselves
fighting a desperate battle of survival against
the vicious Raiders?
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
25
Chapter 2
DIE KREUZRITTER
“Whosoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will know truth beyond death.”
—Teachings of the First Prophet
History
We are betrayed. Stanislaus reports the theft of
our oldest reliquary, forged from the ruins of the
Stern and carried by those cursed to survive the
Inquisition’s flames. The blade of Magistra Judith
has been taken from us, though her place of repose
was known only to the highest of our order. The
command is given to all Lehrer to seek this relic and
the traitors who would defile our most sacred sites.
By the Magister’s writ, exstirpatio is authorized.
—Ekaternava, Illya Borisovitch
The purpose of Die Kreuzritter is simple: to ensure
that the future of humankind remains in human
hands. Unbeknownst to many, the plans of inhuman
intellects unfurl across Théah, and it is the brothers
and sisters of Die Kreuzritter who struggle to push
26
CHAPTER 2 | Die Kreuzritter
them back. Their attempts have earned them death
at the hands of Sidhe nobles, dievai, undead horrors
and even Matushka herself. But with each death,
these warrior-priests learn a bit more about their
adversaries, and another piece of the future remains
where Theus intended: in human hands.
Die Kreuzritter is the oldest Vaticine militant order,
with roots extending back over half a millennium.
Vaticine scholars with an interest in history know of
the order’s betrayal at the hands of the Inquisition,
but few know the truth of that battle.
In 1129, knights returning from far-off lands
discovered their Imperator had fallen to corruption
and had become little more than a devil clothed in
the flesh of a man. He had assembled a cadre of likeminded creatures in the order’s senior leadership; the
fight to reclaim the Stern from the Imperator cost
THE OATH
what would later become Die Kreuzritter many brave
soldiers who had won honor and glory in the order’s
crusades to the south.
Those few knights who survived the battle bound
the beast in chains inscribed with the teachings of the
First Prophet, and executed the traitors who had taken
up his cause. When an Inquisitorial army arrived, the
knights turned their prisoner over to the Inquisition’s
tender mercies, only to watch in horror as the army
released him and formed up to give battle against them.
Recognizing the situation as hopeless, the knights
discussed who among them would remain in a
suicidal attempt to kill the Monster that had been
their leader. The senior knights who had rendered
judgment on the Imperator volunteered to stay, even
while knowing that if their assassination attempt
went awry they would be sorely missed. Those who
departed carried with them the order’s sacred relics
and texts, escaping by means of a tunnel concealed
within the Stern’s crypts.
The knights who fled never learned of the final
battle’s outcome. The remaining defenders of the
Stern, slaughtered to a man,
could bring no word to the
survivors. During the days of
wandering and woe that followed,
Die Kreuzritter’s knights were
few in number and bereft of
leadership. Many of the remaining
knights believed it would have
been better to have died defending
the walls of the Stern, and a deep
malaise settled over them.
It was a young woman named
Judith, newly risen to knighthood,
who saved her brothers and sisters. She
reminded the knights that their troubles did
not justify abandoning innocents to Monsters. She
laid out a new way for the knights to carry out their
duty, one that would ensure they were never again
vulnerable to the depredations of the Inquisition or
corruption from within.
When they proclaimed her leader of Die
Kreuzritter, Judith forsook the title of Imperator,
believing it permanently tainted, and took up the
ancient title of Magistra, or “teacher,” a path all her
successors have followed.
I, <NAME>, swear in the sight of Theus and
those who would be my brothers and sisters
that I will keep the secrets of the order, offer
aid and succor to its members and hunt
any being that threatens Theus’ creation.
I dedicate both life and soul to our sacred
cause, and I will submit to the judgment of
my brothers and sisters should I fail or falter.
Scripture
“I disclose my mysteries to those worthy of them.”
—Teachings of the First Prophet
Never. That is how often the Streghe “leave.” No man
enjoys losing his wife, but when his entire fortune, his
safety and his position depend on her? No, this was
no lover’s quarrel. Someone or something has taken
this woman, and we must know what and why. The
Streghe are subtle, and if someone intends to use
their arts for something beyond the petty quarrels
of this fractious peninsula, we must stop them.
—Valeria
The knights are no longer nobles
as they were in centuries past.
In lieu of good breeding, the
brothers and sisters of Die
Kreuzritter accept only those
recruits who have survived an
encounter with the monstrous.
A recruit who wishes to take up
the mantle of Die Kreuzritter must
accept three obligations designed to
test her mind, heart and mettle. Until
these tasks are completed, the neophytes
are referred to as scriptum, a term dating
back to the Numanari Empire that means both
“those who have been chosen,” and “those who record.”
Loyalty, the First Obligation
When a recruit is accepted as a neophyte, she begins
an intensive course of study designed to improve
both mind and body. A scripta finds her morning
given over to study of Vaticine catechism, and her
afternoon spent practicing weaponry. After the
evening meal, she studies the order’s corpus of lore
on the monstrous inhabitants of Théah.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
27
The obligation of Loyalty is not fulfilled until a
scripta passes rigorous examinations in all three areas
of study, and undergoes a test of loyalty designed to
place her personal desires in conflict with the goals
of the order. If she chooses the order before herself,
then and only then is she permitted to swear the oath
of secrecy that binds all members of Die Kreuzritter.
Charity, the Second Obligation
After taking the oath of secrecy, a scriptus
accompanies a full knight to communities ravaged by
Monsters and helps them rebuild. Sometimes this
process is as simple as lending a hand to help raise a
new barn or donating funds for headstones to mark
the graves of the deceased. However, for communities
in true extremity, the work may be a prolonged affair:
helping the town bring in the harvest if farmers have
died or fled, or setting up an orphanage and school for
children who survived the attacks. Often, scriptum
serve multiple tours, moving from community to
community, working with the townsfolk by day and
analyzing the attack by night.
Fulfilling the obligation of Charity serves two
purposes: First, it takes the scriptus beyond his own
trauma, showing him that there are many who have
suffered as he has. Second, it builds a reserve of
sympathy and support among these communities that
can be tapped when the knights need information, or
wish to move people and items undetected. When
the order is convinced that the scriptus understands
the role charity plays in Die Kreuzritter’s work, he is
permitted to take up the third obligation.
Peace, the Third Obligation
A scripta takes up the third and final obligation alone.
She is required to track and destroy a Monster. In rare
cases, this Monster is the one who attacked the scripta
or her community in the first place, but more often it
is another beast that Die Kreuzritter would see dead.
Merely killing the beast is not enough—the scripta
is required to keep a journal of her travels and the
results of her investigations, and only when a council
of senior knights is satisfied is the scripta inducted as
a full knight. Many scriptum die attempting to fulfill
the obligation of Peace.
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CHAPTER 2 | Die Kreuzritter
Induction
The induction ceremony is no less grueling than
finishing the third obligation. At sunset, a searing brand
in the shape of a star is pressed into the inductee’s
flesh, and he must pass the night in waking vigil,
contemplating the teachings of the Prophets. When
the last star vanishes from the morning sky, he is given
a black woolen frock and greeted as a long-lost sibling.
This ordeal serves as both an induction and an
ordination; full members of Die Kreuzritter are
considered Vaticine priests, able to grant the same
blessings and conduct the same sacraments as any
other. An obscure piece of canon law enacted in
perpetuum places these priests at the disposal of the
Magister alone.
Though never beloved by the Church proper, Die
Kreuzritter’s priests were always tolerated in days
gone by. But the growing power of Cardinal Verdugo
has brought an end to that broad-mindedness.
Using Church records, Inquisitors now hunt their
fellow men and women of the cloth, passing off any
resulting deaths as “Monster attacks” to any Church
official who sees fit to inquire. The Magister has
tried at least once to bring reason to the Cardinal,
explaining that their two groups should function
together, not separately working toward the same
goals. But Verdugo sees Die Kreuzritter as a threat
to the Inquisition’s functionality. He remembers the
Stern just as well as they do.
Hierarchy
“A city built on a high hill and
fortified cannot be hidden.”
—Teachings of the First Prophet
Zebediah—our sources say that is the name of the
man we saw meeting with Cardinal Verdugo. That
an agent from Avalon would meet openly with
Verdugo must mean the fiends are stronger there than
we imagined. The time for action is upon us. Delay
gains us nothing, and everywhere the cancer spreads.
—Casilda
The order learned the lessons of the Stern, and no
longer maintains a single fortress housing all its
knights. Instead, Die Kreuzritter outposts—called
cloisters—are scattered across Théah in unassuming
private homes, remote monasteries, abandoned sewer
systems or deep caves. The only requirement a cloister
must fulfill is that it allows the knights to come and go
without observation. Cloisters communicate in coded
missives, using the first letter of the cloister’s name as
a code to identify the message’s Nation of origin, and
sometimes adopting the name of a Vaticine saint if
their own name does not fit. They also embed code
keys in otherwise unremarkable field reports as a way
to decode years of missives sent back and forth. No
one seems to notice if dates or times are changed on
field reports, except those meant to notice.
The hierarchy of the order is similarly fragmented.
Ostensibly united under the authority of the Magister,
in practice individual knights have a great deal of
personal freedom to seek out and destroy Monsters
or corrupt sorcerers in their vicinity. The fulfillment
of Charity builds social bonds between knights
and the communities they serve and puts them at
a distinct advantage when it comes to tracking new
threats in the area.
Die Kreuzritter retains its former cohesiveness in
the sharing of knowledge, however. Whenever the
knights discover a new creature or verify reports
of a known beast operating outside of its usual
environment, secret couriers are dispatched to
cloisters across Théah, and the encoded missives
are deciphered and added to the order’s collection
of knowledge. While redundant in the extreme, this
process ensures that the destruction of a cloister will
not produce the same shattering loss of knowledge as
the sack of the Stern did.
The order’s structure is relatively flat, consisting
of four ranks reflecting progressively greater levels
of authority and responsibility. Any knight who
has fulfilled the three obligations may be promoted
by a simple vote of her peers, a method of elevation
unchanged since the election of Magistra Judith after
the betrayal of 1129.
Magister
At the head of the order stands the Magister, the
titular leader of Die Kreuzritter. The decentralized
nature of the order means that day-to-day governance
is left to the Lehrer of individual cloisters, but the
Magister sets broad priorities and is the arbiter of
final appeal for internal disputes between knights.
The conclave that occurs after the death of a
Magister is one of the only occasions where a
significant number of senior knights gather.. The
Lehrer of each Nation nominate one of their number
as a candidate for Magister, and send a single
representative—who cannot be the nominee—to the
conclave. Once there, the knights discuss priorities
and programs, arguing for their nominee’s direction.
The conclave holds a series of votes, in which any
candidate whose support is limited to his chosen
representative is eliminated until a single candidate
remains. This process can drag on for some time,
and the order records the conclave of 1459 AV as
the longest in history, where deep ideological divides
led to debates that did not conclude for over a year.
Lehrer
Beneath the Magister are numerous Lehrer who lead
individual cloisters. They are responsible for seeing to
the material needs of der Brüder and die Schwestern
who serve under them, ensuring the cloister’s library
is up to date and handling all communication between
cloisters. The authority granted to a given Lehrer
comes at a cost, however, as the responsibilities of
the position are primarily administrative and Lehrer
rarely take to the field.
It is customary for the Lehrer who has held the
position longest within a given Nation to take
responsibility for all communications with the
Magister, as the position’s experience and less
dangerous lifestyle ensures both wisdom and
continuity in those exchanges.
Der Brüder and die Schwestern
Die Kreuzritter makes no distinctions of authority
among those who have fulfilled the three obligations
and endured the Induction. Called der Bruder and
die Schwester formally, a brother or sister of Die
Kreuzritter investigates all rumors of monstrous
activity or sorcerous corruption and destroys the
offending party should the rumors prove correct.
In the case of particularly dangerous adversaries, a
group of knights is dispatched. Der Brüder and die
Schwestern also assist outside groups in pursuit of a
beast, providing knowledge or assistance as necessary,
while concealing their affiliation with the order.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
29
Laie
Not every member of the scriptum successfully
upholds the three obligations, but some may still
have a future with Die Kreuzritter. Only those who
have completed the first obligation, choosing the
order before themselves and taking up the oath of
secrecy are permitted to continue their service to Die
Kreuzritter. These laymen and women are valued by
the order; without their assistance the logistics of
such a decentralized and secretive organization would
be unworkable.
The Laie grow or purchase food, see to the health
of each cloister’s mounts, maintain armories, identify
potential recruits and bring rumors of monstrous
activity to the order’s attention. They are the lifeblood of
Die Kreuzritter, and the order values them accordingly.
Internal Affairs
“Those who seek shall find; when they
find, they will be disturbed.”
—Teachings of the First Prophet
A great disturbance in Wandesborrow this week—a
terrible storm blew up out of clear skies. No Sidhe
storm, this. The sky was sickly yellow, as if the
sun were shining through a veil of evil. Winds,
but no rain. Several fishermen lost their lives,
but one survivor reported a ship without crew
at the storm’s heart, filled to the gunwales with
earth. Several young women report visits from a
spirit; a man of some kind, but the descriptions
do not match any of the Goodly Folke on record.
—Anselm
Today, a divide is growing between knights who wish to
pursue the monstrous inhabitants of the New World
and those who would rather hunt closer to home. The
rise of the Inquisition in Castille has also enraged Die
Kreuzritter, as it knows only too well what happens
when such fanatics are allowed to flourish.
The New World
While the reports out of Aztlan are filled with
contradictions, they agree on one point above all:
Monsters walk the earth. The order has refrained
from founding cloisters in the far west thus far, but
they remain divided on the issue.
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CHAPTER 2 | Die Kreuzritter
To the older members of the order, calls to embark
on a crusade far to the west are reminiscent of the
Imperator’s command to seek Monsters in the lands
of the Crescent Empire and Ifri. In their eyes, the
lessons of the Stern still pertain: Die Kreuzritter
should not go abroad in search of Monsters to destroy
lest it miss those prowling closer to home.
Among those newly inducted, however, the thought
of such “big game” across the sea is an irresistible
lure. The prospect of spreading the Vaticine faith
in heathen lands and hunting Monsters unknown
in Théah is enough to get any member’s blood
pumping. In addition, establishing cloisters in Aztlan
requires the elevation of new Lehrer, and many young
knights hunger for the chance to take on greater
responsibilities.
The Magister has kept his own counsel on the
matter, preferring to let his Lehrer discuss it amongst
themselves. Should they reach a consensus, however, it
is up to him to ratify it or not, as his conscience dictates.
The Inquisition
Die Kreuzritter has watched the rise of Cardinal
Verdugo with simmering fury. As the Inquisition’s
tendrils wormed their way through Castillian society,
Lehrer throughout Castille petitioned Magister
Heimerich Einsiedelei for permission to strike back
at their hated foes. Time after time, the Magister
rebuffed them. Only when Los Vagabundos and
elements of the Invisible College began to resist the
Inquisition’s depredations did Die Kreuzritter act,
supporting these dissidents with knowledge and
resources drawn from the order’s stockpiles.
At the heart of Magister Einsiedelei’s reluctance to
authorize direct attacks against Cardinal Verdugo and
his thugs are concerns about the order’s safety and
secrecy. With the head of the Inquisition acting as
de facto head of the Vaticine Church and influencing
the conduct of King Sandoval, bringing the centurieslong conflict between the two organizations into the
light of day may mean bringing the wrath of both
Church and Nation down on Die Kreuzritter; the
possibility of provoking a tragedy such as the sack of
the Stern or starting another holy war on Eisen’s soil
are to be avoided at all costs.
Some Lehrer believe the order is too decentralized
to be purged as it once was. They overlook the
fact that Die Kreuzritter’s first defeat at the hands
of the Inquisition delivered an unknown amount
of information about the order’s operations and
priorities into the hands of its hated enemies. By
using cats-paws and feints the Magister hopes to
bait the Inquisition into disclosing what it knows
of the order before committing his knights to open
battle. Whether his impatient Lehrer will allow
their Magister the time to carry out this considered
approach remains to be seen.
There is a further irony to the enmity between these
two arms of the Church: If not for their poisonous
history with one another and the Inquisition’s reflexive
contempt for scholarly endeavor, the two organizations
might have found common ground. Both groups are
committed to the idea that Théah’s future belongs to
humankind and wish to see men and women protected
from inhuman influences. For Cardinal Verdugo, this
goal involves making a pyre of mankind’s curiosity and
using it to forge human ignorance into armor against
the unknown. For Die Kreuzritter, the answer lies in
the opposite direction: The minds of men and women
must be sharpened until they are weapons deadly
enough to defeat any foe.
Et Bestiis Retorta
“Whosoever comes to know the
world, discovers a carcass.”
—Teachings of the First Prophet
Yes, he came from Castille. No, we do not know more
than that. L’Empereur’s agents do not know us, but
they hunt us all the same. The Castillian cur donated
a beast to the royal menagerie, and we destroyed it.
Some say we ought to have waited, but the corruption
it would have spread to those depraved courtiers
could not be countenanced. One of our sources claims
that Leon Alexandre gave the Castillian a gift in
return, but what or why we have yet to ascertain.
L’Empereur is not known for his generosity.
—Maura
ThéahWhen hunting the Monsters that plague
Théah, from the unquiet dead to beasts out of myth,
Die Kreuzritter adheres to a classification scheme
first promulgated by the Numanari philosopher
Optimos. In his landmark treatise, Et Bestiis Retorta
or “The Twisted Beasts,” Optimos advanced the belief
that all Monsters in Théah could be characterized in
terms of their malformation, be it of mind, body or
soul. The only extant copy of this work was held in
the Scriptorium of the Stern; despite the loss of that
peerless library, all members of the order continue
to adhere to this classification scheme, using the
knowledge gleaned from their hunts to expand on
the work of that ancient philosopher.
Those Twisted in Body
In the mythology of the Numanari Empire, all beasts
twisted in body were the get of the She-Viper who
dwelt in the depths of the Widow’s Sea. A woman
of divine beauty from the waist up, and a writhing
serpent from the waist down, her Protean children
included multi-headed dogs and serpents, winged
lions with the heads of men and women, and
man-eating eagles. Chief among her offspring was her
daughter Chimaira, a creature blending lion, drachen
and goat, whose poison could fell a man in five steps.
Though slain by an ancient Hero, this creature was so
fearsome that she lent her name to the entire category,
which Optimos called “chimeric beasts.”
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31
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CHAPTER 2 | Die Kreuzritter
In more modern times, Die Kreuzritter classifies
chimeric beasts as those resembling normal animals
grown to abnormal size or possessing the physical
characteristics of more than one animal. The
bat-winged drachen and the sirens that plague Théan
sailors are among the most commonly known, but
there are others. From Aztlan to Khemri, rumors
speak of these creatures: men who can become jaguars,
jackal-headed priests, birds with the heads of women
and other strangely blended beasts. Whether the
account of Optimos was correct about their origins
is beside the point—Die Kreuzritter has neither the
time nor the wherewithal to plumb the oceans for some
mythical mother of Monsters. Instead, the order brings
her children to bay, pitting blade against claw, maw and
talon and learning what they can from the remains.
Those Twisted in Mind
As early as the founding of the Numanari Empire,
there have been tales of beasts with the minds
of men and men with the minds of beasts. In
his research, Optimos noted that there were
beasts whose animal cunning and predatory drive
exceeded the normal standard, who seemed to kill
not for food but for pleasure. Shocking his peers,
he suggested that humans could also suffer this
affliction, crediting the insight to a playwright who
observed that “homo hominis lupus est,” or “man
is a wolf to man.” Whether it be the Lykian wolves
of Numanari myth, the Vlkodlak of Ussura and
the Sarmatian Commonwealth, the Úlfhednar of
Vestenmennavenjar or the legendary origins of the
Anatoli tribes, many Théan cultures acknowledge
that this intermingling of man and beast produces
inhuman violence.
Legends speak of the Beast of Sices, a great wolf that
would slink out of Lock-Horn Forest, tearing the heads
from hundreds of shepherds and pilgrims until a knight
posing as a hunter cornered it on the slopes of Mt.
Doré and slew it with a Dracheneisen blade. A callous
and vain noblewoman from the Wawelec developed a
fondness for bathing in the blood of beautiful peasant
women until a group of knights ensured that she
perished in a mysterious fire. To this day the people of
Breslau tell of Reznya, the white bear that comes with
winter’s cold, dragging his victims from their homes
and dismembering their corpses under the eaves of
Vir’ava Forest far to the south.
What an individual knight makes of this category
reveals her character. Some grow righteous in wrath
and apply it too broadly, bringing Die Kreuzritter’s
sanction down on ordinary men, women and beasts.
To distinguish between the everyday cruelty of the
world and its inhabitants and the workings of a mind
grown monstrous requires a Heroic spirit and years
of disciplined study. To this day, it remains one of the
most contested classifications among Die Kreuzritter
knights, and more than one has served a lengthy
penance when her sword arm outpaced her intellect.
Those Twisted in Spirit
Of all the creatures prowling Théah, none so disturbed
Optimos as those he believed to be malformed on a
spiritual level. Die Kreuzritter considers the category
to be overbroad—after all, how does one measure a
defect of the soul? Best understood in the context of
that ancient philosopher’s dictum “to each soul a body,
and to each body a soul,” to this category belong those
horrors who have escaped the underworld’s Stygian
depths and now wander Théah as soulless shells or
discorporate spirits, preying on the living.
The possessed and those of shattered spirit also fall
into this category, being either doubled or divided in
their souls through blackest magic. Among the most
controversial of the philosopher’s inclusions are those
beasts that possess a facsimile of a soul, an ersatz and
inhuman version of the divine anima—the knights
consider the Sidhe and Leshiye to be members
of this group.
Die Kreuzritter continues to adhere to this teaching,
classifying numerous seemingly beneficent spirits and
creatures found across the world as abominations
of the spirit, including both Seelie and Unseelie
Sidhe, the horrors worshiped as gods in Aztlan, and
the mysterious creatures of Eisen’s darker corners,
including the Fleischwulf and the Schattenmann.
In areas where these creatures are tolerated—and
in some cases revered—the order has been given a
frosty reception. The knights do not shrink from
such rejection, for they see it as the ultimate danger
these beasts pose: that men and women turn from
human purposes to serve monstrous goals and are
thus diverted from the path Theus intended for them.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
33
Zauberer
“Approach me and you approach the fire.”
—Teachings of the First Prophet
Everywhere—from Rurik to Pavtlow, Siev to distant
Breslau—those cursed with Matushka’s Touch
are on the move. Some do not bother to conceal
their identities, either. In St. Andresgorod, Vadim
Bogdanovich ran from his house and became a wolf
within sight of the church! He left town headed south,
and has not been seen since. The skies are filled
with birds of every kind, alighting on windowsills
and chattering at those inside. Everyone is anxious,
though none can say exactly what causes their
unease. Something is moving across the land, and
that old witch and her slaves do not care for it.
—Ursula
The subject of sorcery has been a vexing one from
the early days of Die Kreuzritter. Before the fall the
Stern, many knights came from noble families and
had siblings and parents with the gift of sorcery.
The idea that their near-and-dears were possessed
of a malefic force that was a danger to their fellow
man was something difficult for these aristocratic
sons and daughters to accept. The knights settled
for a half-loaf, compromising between factions by
remaining at a watchful distance and acting against
these “zauberer”—enchanters, roughly speaking—
only when evidence of perfidy or corruption was
incontrovertible.
The days of wandering and travail after the fall the
Stern brought the order into contact with the effects
that sorcery had among the peasants and burghers
who sheltered the surviving knights. Arts that had
seemed harmless in the drawing room revealed their
terror and majesty in the village square. A master
of Porté known to the knights maintained order on
his lands by throwing recalcitrant peasants into his
portails, often forcing their eyes open beforehand.
In more recent days, a hexe who used his arts to
provide testimony from those killed by Monsters
was found to have created Monsters of his own, using
vile compounds.
These discoveries prompted the order to expand
the obligation of Charity to its current state—only
by living among the people do the knights learn that
34
CHAPTER 2 | Die Kreuzritter
man is not only tormented by tooth and claw, but also
by subtler arts. These revelations forced the knights
to abandon their watchful vigil over the zauberer
and develop a more comprehensive policy toward
these sorcerous arts. Today, Die Kreuzritter divides
zauberer into two categories, those who practice “böse
wege” or evil arts, and those who practice “riskante
wege” or dangerous arts. Practitioners of the former
are considered to be a priori corrupt, while the latter
group are merely at risk of it. The knights recognize
no finer distinctions.
Recruitment and Sorcery
While all zauberer are suspect, the line between
riskante wege and böse wege serves to separate those
who are permitted to join Die Kreuzritter from
those who are not. While the knights do not permit
a zauberer cursed with böse wege to join the order,
they do not shun him as a traveling companion. As
always, pragmatism rules the day: The knights are
more than happy to accompany those who practice
böse wege as they move about Théah. Die Kreuzritter
is always interested in learning more about these arts
and keeping tabs on their practitioners in case they
become a danger to others.
Böse Wege
While philosophers have struggled with the definition
of evil for thousands of years, Die Kreuzritter has a
remarkably concise definition, at least as it applies to
sorcery: The evil arts are those whose power derives
from supernatural or inhuman creatures. As monster
hunters who have confronted the otherworldly means
and motives of such creatures for centuries, Die
Kreuzritter sees no reason to believe that the granting
of sorcerous powers is anything more than another
ploy to suborn the goals of men and women to the
benefit of these monstrous beings. As a result, these
sorcerers are not permitted to join Die Kreuzritter.
Dar Matushki
Dar Matushki allows men and women to take on
the shapes of beasts, and an animal with human
intelligence is, according to Die Kreuzritter’s arcane
classification schemes, one of the twisted beasts. In a
technical sense, then, many practitioners of “Mother’s
Touch” are Monsters as far as Die Kreuzritter is
concerned. While that would already preclude their
membership in the order, the knights have plenty of
reasons to suspect that those who receive Matushka’s
gifts are party—knowingly or not—to a conspiracy
against humankind.
The order’s encounters with other Leshiye—
primarily in the Vir’ava and Borovoi forests—have
given the knights ample cause for alarm. Alone
of her kin, Matushka asserts that humanity is her
domain, forcing her fellow Leshiye into seclusion to
protect her exclusive claim. The knights find this idea
intolerable, and it colors their view of both Matushka
and her gifts. Where Ussurans see Matushka’s tests
and lessons as salutary, the order sees a conditioning
program designed to create willing pawns. The order
is flatly unwilling to cede Ussura’s future to some
relic of a forgotten age, but have been stymied by
Matushka’s power.
The knights are hungry for knowledge of
Matushka’s ultimate goals, and can often be found
traveling with the Poluchatel, posing as friends in
order to gain more information about their monstrous
patron. Recently, they have made contact with some
of the Cursed, and the disciples of Chernobog have
been more forthcoming with information than
Matushka’s ilk.
Glamour
The sorcery of Avalon presents a number of challenges
to Die Kreuzritter. The very act that makes a Knight
of Eliodd who she is—the embodiment of an
ancient Hero—places her squarely under the rubric
of a “twisted spirit.” These sorcerers are regarded
with further suspicion because their power is a gift
given by monstrous hands. Though the Sidhe are as
much a part of Avalon as the islands themselves, Die
Kreuzritter has good reason to mistrust both their
intentions and the sorcerous gifts they bestow.
As Die Kreuzritter expanded its efforts throughout
the Glamour Isles, it came to a terrifying conclusion:
The Sidhe have not merely returned to Avalon, they
are preparing to invade it and take up their ancient
mantle of rulership. When seen in the light of that
revelation, the Knights of Eliodd are no longer
Heroes but collaborators, people who teach others
that the power to solve their problems lies not within
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
35
Primus 1
and father
Another year gone. Another year since something turned my mother
orderly
into one of Áfríðr Halsing’s anatomy lessons, their skin peeled back in
of my
layers, their blood drained and their organs stolen. Something ate half
subsided
dear Douglass, and Fiona was just…gone. And now, when the horror has
ready for
and become one of many aches in my heart, the order tells me I am
l house.
the Peace, ready to hunt the thing that turned my home into a charne
Secundus 7
gave me
Father MacDonough was kind enough to show me to the graves, and
up the
sixpence for flowers. Though he is old and bent, he has been keeping
who killed
headstones. When I mentioned that I had returned to find the man
I could not
my da’, I saw a glint of anger in his eye, though at me or the killer
have been
tell. Some ferocity remains in the old gaffer, and I wonder if he might
one of us in days gone by.
Tertius 5
Lehrer
I wrote to CM, and she suggested I visit Kirkwall and speak to the
the
there. He had known Douglass as a lad, and might be of help. For days
was in an
Lehrer and I beat the moors together, but found nothing. The city
harbor,
uproar on our return: A strange ship out of Avalon had drifted into the
rouded
accompanied by a nauseating fog. That night, someone broke into fog-sh
Theratas or
Inverness Castle, making off with relics of a Numanari sage named
fog was
some such; apparently he is a big deal out East. Morning came and the
Banesidhe
gone; at last sighting, the mysterious ship was drifting through the
Shoals, gentle as you please.
Quartus 2
only to
I traveled to Connickmoor, despairing of ever fulfilling my obligation,
in body, I
find Fiona sleeping rough outside the gatehouse. She is whole enough
her humor
suppose, but something is off. She recognizes me sure as summer, but
ned to
is gone. She never laughs or smiles and refuses to speak of what happe
been able to
our parents directly, using riddles in place of plain speech. All I have
of value,
decipher thus far is that our family was killed in return for something
but the who and what of that crime still elude me.
Quintus 6
speak
After a frustrating month with Fiona, a breakthrough! She still cannot
hands. She
of what occurred, but whatever stills her tongue does not affect her
y the
writes like a child, but her description should be enough to help me identif
and
killer. A woman, Theus damn her! I have put Fiona up in a halfway home,
tomorrow I take ship for Vendel.
36
CHAPTER 2 | Die Kreuzritter
Sextus 9
showed
Lehrer Halsing is convinced my parents were murdered by a HEXE. She
y the
me one of the cloister’s forbidden texts, which shows a body in exactl
Douglass,
condition my parents were found. But it still leaves the mystery of my
sted? I
why devour him rather than harvest him as my parents were harve
unholy
can only assume the hexe was not alone. It is possible that one of the
devoured my
products of Hexenwerk was there as well and this beast was what
baby brother.
Septimus 3
Charouse, a
It has been months since my last entry. The trail has taken me to
fruitless,
truly miserable place. I learned quickly that asking after murders was
t
more often than not resulting in a vague hand wave toward the neares
Pierre,
chateau. Only when I started asking after missing children did I meet
same malady
whose wife died as my parents did and whose daughter suffers the
make, it
as my Fiona. Before I left, he pressed a locket into my hand. Of Eisen
ed in her
bears the initials “K.H.” and a device. He says his daughter had it clutch
hand when he found her.
Octavus 10
n roam
The order’s home is, if anything, worse than Charouse. Starving childre
themselves.
the countryside, staring vacantly at passersby, scarcely able to feed
it
A der Bruder of the Freiburg cloister recognized the locket. Apparently,
estate
belongs to a noble family who died out during the War of the Cross, their
the
was
burning to the ground in the middle of a rainstorm. The only survivor
ed to
butler, who had been sleeping in an outbuilding. Apparently he return
Budorigum.
Nonus 8
. I found no
Autumn in the Sarmatian Commonwealth is damnably cold and muddy
tion Fiona
trace of the butler, but I espied a woman who matches the descrip
by the
gave me entering one of the warehouses by the river. I left the locket
the
entrance, and she recognized it. Now, I need only find her home and enact
Peace. Vengeance for my family. Vengeance for Douglass.
Decimus 4
I feel
Things have taken a turn for the worse. I never saw the woman again.
a smiling
eyes on me at night. I cannot sleep. Whenever I close my eyes, I see
wanted. I,
man approaching. He offers me things, things I did not even know I
I want. Want. Wa-
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
37
them but with the Sidhe and their magic. As Bryn
Bresail and its domains claim more and more of
the Glamour Isles, Die Kreuzritter sees Avalon’s
population lulled into complacency by the return of
these legendary figures.
None have yet thought to ask the question that
has gnawed at the minds of the order’s leadership
since they first learned the whys and wherefores of
Glamour magic: Why is it that the Sidhe control
the dispensation of these souls and their attendant
powers, and not Theus? The inescapable conclusion
is that whatever bargain King Eliodd struck with the
fey damned him and his followers, turning their souls
into the playthings of these capricious beings, making
the divine anima into chits to be traded and used to
advance Sidhe goals.
However, the knights are not reflexively hostile
toward those who use Glamour. To the contrary, they
view the Sidhe as such a grave threat that Glamour
Knights can instead serve as a useful tool against
them. More than one sorcerer has unknowingly
aided Die Kreuzritter against the Sidhe, and several
have disappeared at the hands of their erstwhile
benefactors from Bryn Bresail as a result.
Sanderis
The losejai of the Sarmatian Commonwealth
practice what Die Kreuzritter considers the most
straightforward example of böse wege. After all,
what is a losejas but a man or woman who has been
knowingly cozened by the forces of supernatural evil
in exchange for power? As one might expect, the
losejai are not welcome in the ranks of Die Kreuzritter,
and any losejas attempting to discover the order’s
secrets will find his inquiries—if not his life—cut
emphatically short.
And yet for all the suspicion that lies between the
losejai and Die Kreuzritter, the knights have not
attempted the wholesale massacre of these sorcerers.
A tacit understanding exists between Die Kreuzritter
and the Narada, or Inner Council, which governs
the Ratas. As long as each group remains willfully
ignorant of the membership and operations of the
other, the two groups can cooperate in limited ways.
The Narada may leave a note in a certain confessional
in Feniksowo, asking that a rogue losejas meet his
maker and observe a fresh grave in the lichyard several
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CHAPTER 2 | Die Kreuzritter
days thereafter. A book of the prophets carelessly
forgotten in Sperus might contain a coded request
to obliterate a circle of standing stones in the Zúpan
Mountains with an avalanche.
These arrangements, whatever their mutual use, do
not rise to the level of true cooperation. The Ratas
share Die Kreuzritter’s goal of destroying the dievai,
but they are unwilling to trust their lives to a secretive
cabal of Vaticine fanatics. The knights consider
all losejai to be spiritually corrupt, but tolerate
their existence insofar as it is their only source of
information on the dievai. The nature and goals of
these foul spirits is of paramount importance to the
knights, and they cultivate their contacts among the
Ratas for the sole purpose of finding a way to destroy
the dievai without first granting them access to the
material world.
The losejai share Die Kreuzritter’s goals, but the
knights have rebuffed efforts by the Ratas to build
upon their uneasy truce. The order believes that
should a means of expunging the dievai present
itself, the losejai will choose their sorcery over their
souls; the knights are as yet unwilling to expose
themselves to an organization they may one day have
to exterminate.
Riskante Wege
The distinction between böse wege and riskante wege
is largely one born out of tradition and ignorance.
Riskante wege are those sorcerous practices whose
origins can be traced along noble bloodlines across
Théah and whose origins are as yet mysterious. At
present, these arts are not considered innately corrupt,
though history is rife with perfidious individuals who
abused these gifts and found the order all too ready
to guide their souls to Theus for judgment. These
zauberer are allowed to join Die Kreuzritter, but they
are watched closely.
Galdr
The futhark remain an enigma to the knights, who
neither understand the methods of their employment
nor the source of their power. Discreet attempts to
unravel the mysteries of Galdr have been made
but none have succeeded. Though word of some
connection to the living myths of Vestenmennavenjar
or a cultural hero named Ekerila has reached the
order, little more than that is known. Die Kreuzritter
has accepted some scriptum who practice Galdr into
its ranks, and the Lehrer of Vendel leans hard on
these zauberer to record what they have learned of
the futhark for the order’s edification.
Hexenwerk
Die Kreuzritter’s attitude toward Hexenwerk is an
example of the pragmatism that lies at the heart of
the order’s teachings. Though all sorcery is dangerous
to the user, Unguents such as Ghost Eyes, Corpse
Tongue, Spectral Prison and Wraith Walk have saved
the lives of countless knights. Outside of Eisen, Die
Kreuzritter cultivates allies among the Apostate—
hexe exiled by Elsa Pösen’s Hexenjäger—who
have learned to apply their arts to Monsters other
than the undead.
If the harvesting of reagents and refining of Unguents
is a disgusting process, it is—both literally and
figuratively—a thoroughly human one. Hexe do not
rely on the poisoned gifts of some unearthly patron
but produce their sorcery through blood, sweat, tears
and…other fluids. Though it carries a risk of corruption,
Hexenwerk’s dangers stem from the user, not the
art. A hexe who falls does so because her arrogance,
megalomania or lust for power found expression through
her sorcerous undertakings, not because of them.
In light of the usefulness of the art and the order’s
roots in Eisen, Hexenwerk is widely practiced by Die
Kreuzritter. Knights go out of their way to maintain
friendly relationships with hexe outside the order, and
often request an Unguent or two from these outside
sources when faced with particularly dangerous prey.
Hexe who have completed the three obligations are
considered precious to the order, and are seldom risked
in the field. The Magister takes care to see that they are
housed across Théah, so that knights in every Nation
may request an Unguent prior to taking up a mission.
Porté
As with Hexenwerk, the order’s attitudes toward
Porté reflect its need for the support that sorciers offer.
The ability to track quarry using a Blood Marked
object, and to move clandestinely from cloister to
cloister with the Sorcery presents uncounted boons.
But there is still the matter of the voices in the
Place Between Worlds, and who—or what—they
belong to. Some members of Die Kreuzritter fret
that the order’s use of Porté is empowering these
unknown beings, or that Porté’s origins are entirely
more monstrous than the sorciers are willing to admit.
The more charitably minded take the sorciers at their
word, but worry that the voices belong to men and
women trapped in that wretched dimension. As yet,
no knight has been foolhardy enough to open her
eyes between the portails, but the day is coming when
some particularly noble or cynical knight will take it
upon herself to discover the truth.
The tensions underlying Porté and its use are
also bound up with Die Kreuzritter’s intimate
understanding of Montaigne’s deteriorating social
fabric. Scriptum fulfilling their obligation of Charity
in Montaigne have seen firsthand the degradation of
Montaigne’s peasantry, the graves of children claimed
by famine and war, and the spiritual void at the heart
of the Nation’s aristocracy. As ordained priests, knights
find that they are asked to give mass in Montaigne
more often than they are asked to hunt monstrosities.
Among the younger and more outspoken knights,
it has become an article of faith that the real Monster
in Montaigne is not Le Diable de Sommet, but Léon
Alexandre du Montaigne. As Porté is the fruit of
the diseased tree that is Montaigne’s nobility, these
extreme views have begun to color the knights’
opinion of their own sorciers.
Sorte
The knights do not truly understand Sorte. The
reason is that Vodacce’s Princes have succeeded at
preventing the order from expanding its operations
beyond the remote areas of the northeast. As a result,
the knights have limited contact with society proper,
where most of the Streghe are confined. In addition,
because Sorte rarely affects the material world in a
direct way, the order is frankly bemused by the terror
with which Vodacce men and women seem to regard
these Fate Witches.
Among a small minority of hidebound Vodacce
knights, it is an article of faith that a Strega who
escapes her subservient position in Vodacce society
is a dangerous sorcerer, to be hunted down at the
earliest convenience, but the view has gained little
traction among the der Brüder and die Schwestern
outside Vodacce.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
39
In truth, Die Kreuzritter would welcome a scripta
blessed with Sorte into the order, but the knights have
been unable to pry any such woman away from the
oppressive grip of Vodacce’s aristocracy. Those Streghe
who are reported missing seem to have been spirited
away by someone or something, and that mystery is the
subject of increasing interest in cloisters across Théah.
Field Reports
“I will reveal what is hidden from you, if you
have eyes to see what lies before your face.”
—Teachings of the First Prophet
We append the journal of Scripta Aoife Grieve, who
was lost attempting to fulfill the obligation of Peace
in the atheist state. We believe the account of her
hunt may shed light on our current difficulties.
—Machan
A Changed Land
“Damn the soul that feeds upon the flesh;
damn the flesh that preys upon the soul.”
—Teachings of the First Prophet
Costa is where it began. The reindeer did not come
south in the winter, and the people went hungry. A
week later, someone broke into the Breffa in Vendel,
rifling through the files there. The plague began
shortly thereafter: Men and women—League
members all—began behaving strangely. The angry
became calm, and the gregarious fell silent. The
hunters of the northlands told of men and women
wandering the Jarl Forest, visiting the stones and
drifting toward its heart. We found tracks in the
snow, but no trace of food or waste—who could
survive in that cursed place without eating?
—Vigdis
Die Kreuzritter has not always succeeded at holding
back the monstrous, evil and supernatural, and the
order’s failures have changed the world as surely as
its successes.
The Ruins of Meideborg
Between the Velde Hills and Der Angenehme Wald
lies a field burned black and barren, devoid of tree
and grass, broken only by the tumbledown ruins
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CHAPTER 2 | Die Kreuzritter
of Meideborg. A hub of culture and sophistication
before the War of the Cross, Meideborg came under
siege by the remnants of a Vaticine army in the winter
of 1646. Starving and desperate, the army officers had
little appetite for negotiation, viewing the burghers’
attempts to bargain over matters such as provisioning
and winter quarters as either a delaying tactic or
Objectionist extortion. The commanding general
ordered an assault the day after talks broke down, and
the army, unleashed on the city, perpetrated an act of
barbarism without equal.
The city was consumed in blood and fire, and
Objectionists fleeing the carnage took shelter in
the city’s largest Vaticine church. They reasoned
that its stones would resist the raging inferno and
that their Vaticine attackers would scarcely profane
its holy ground with slaughter. As it happens, they
were wrong on both counts and died screaming
at the hands of their attackers as the church
burned around them both. Though the horror of
Meideborg’s fall pushed all parties to the War of
the Cross closer to peace, scarcely one resident in
six survived the day.
Still more troublingly to Die Kreuzritter’s eyes,
the bloodshed awakened something at the ruined
city’s heart. By the end of the War of the Cross,
every soldier who had taken part in the sack of
Meideborg had died—some thanks to the fortunes
of war, but others under stranger circumstances. The
order’s efforts to investigate these mysterious deaths
led them without fail to the burned field where the
city once stood, as if something had emerged from
ruins and returned the soldiers to the site of their
sin. The knights considered the matter closed until
the children and grandchildren of the perpetrators
began to vanish as well—it seems that whatever
lurks in Meideborg has not sated its hunger
for vengeance.
Schattenstadt
In 1663, the Altamira cloister reported a network
of air-filled caves beneath the nearby lake. A later
dispatch indicated that the knights had found
structures in the far reaches of that subterranean
realm, vast edifices lit by the glow of phosphorescent
lichen. The final word from the cloister was that the
city seemed to be fashioned from a material that
vanished when exposed to direct light, and that the
knights in Altamira were attempting to probe its
mysteries in near total darkness.
Nothing since has been heard from the cloister
or its Lehrer, and emissaries sent to the Altamira
reported it empty. They also claimed to hear odd
noises and muffled conversations, as if people were
moving about and talking just beyond the reach of
their senses. Attempts to determine exactly what
happened to the Altamira cloister were put on hold
when the outbreak of hostilities between Montaigne
and Castille made the city a perilous place to operate,
but the order has not forgotten about Altamira’s
knights in the shadow city beneath the lake.
Secrets
“Show me the stone that the builders
rejected. That is the keystone.”
—Teachings of the First Prophet
It might as well have been shouted from the rooftops:
an entire circle murdered, their corpses hanging
from the trees above the crossroads. The blood
splashed about in a circle; something written where
the paths joined in a tongue no man speaks—it was
a ritual, mark my words. Gossips claim that one of
the Narada was among the dead. If so, it may mean
that their control over the losejai is weakening, and
the time for swords instead of words is upon us.
—Stanislaus
Judith
As the Stern fell, a few castellans remained behind
to ensure the invaders would find no trace of the
escaping knights. Amid the carnage, one of the order’s
hexe made a fateful choice, brewing Funeral Porridge
from the corpses of his fallen comrades and forcing
it down the throat of a mortally wounded knight.
Commanding his victim to seek out the survivors and
help them avenge themselves on those responsible for
the massacre, the hexe rejoined the fighting, falling
with the others in the heart of the Stern.
Rising later as a masterless horror, the hexe’s
victim slipped in among her fleeing fellows—her
preternatural calm during those panicked days
passing for leadership—and became the order’s
first Magistra, Judith. In furtherance of her former
master’s command, she helped the knights reorganize,
building a new order from the ashes of the Stern. She
“died” on a hunt a decade after, before her agelessness
could occasion comment, asking only that whoever
succeeded her as Magister hold a vigil at her tomb on
the night after his election.
For centuries, each new Magister has done so. For
five centuries, each new Magister has learned the
order’s secrets from Judith’s cold lips.
What Judith Knows
The knights who attempted to assassinate their former
Imperator in 1129 failed. From the battlements
Judith heard the shouts, and the next morning the
thing wearing the Imperator’s skin stood before the
gate, laughing, as he tossed their corpses into the
moat. When the Inquisition forced the gate, he came
with them. Never one to monologue, the creature
laid Judith low with a single thrust to the chest and
ordered his allies toward the Scriptorium.
That act of intimate violence had consequences
neither party could have foreseen. Since she rose,
Judith has known that he—it—is still abroad in
Théah. She feels his malign presence the same way she
feels the puckered scar over her heart: an irregularity,
a tear in the fabric of her being. She and every
Magister after her have tried to discover their ancient
enemy’s purposes, to flush the creature into the open,
to hunt and kill it. For five centuries, they have failed.
Tensions
Judith believes the order’s enemy is pursuing his
inscrutable goals once again. She has urged Magister
Einsiedelei to call the cloisters together and begin
a great hunt to end their ancient foe, but to her
annoyance he has resisted her. Einsiedelei believes
that such an unusual mission will reveal the secret
at the heart of the order and fatally undermine both
his authority and the legitimacy of the knights as a
whole. Die Kreuzritter’s purpose is to see humanity
pursue its own goals rather than those of Monsters
and spirits—how can he reconcile that with the idea
of taking orders from an undead monstrosity? What
could he possibly say to those who have lost their
loved ones to similar creatures?
Instead, Magister Einsiedelei wishes to
independently verify Judith’s beliefs. If he can uncover
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
41
the identity of their enemy and discover what face it
wears, then the knights can move on the creature within
the boundaries of their own mandate. Then, instead
of obeying a 500-year-old corpse, Die Kreuzritter can
bring its enemy to heel through traditional methods:
research, contemplation and the hunt.
Judith is unused to resistance from a Magister.
Obedience from Einsiedelei’s predecessors has
accustomed her to a certain reverential treatment.
As well, he does not understand the danger she
represents to the order she helped build. Her creator’s
last command is her sole, consuming obsession, and
now with an opportunity for vengeance, she cannot
believe a timorous, tonsured monk stands in her way.
The knights are slowly being drawn into a power
struggle between Magister and Monster, as each seeks
to define the mission and goals of the order they both
claim responsibility for and leadership over.
Notable Members
“What are my gifts? The eye has not seen
them, nor the ear heard them; the hand has
not touched them, nor the heart felt them.”
—Teachings of the First Prophet
Regarding Jack O’Bannon, who can say? The
man is mad. The news from Kirkwall sent him
into a rage. He took the Fianna down to the docks
in Donega and camped there, disrupting the
merchants and hawkers and glaring ferociously
out to sea for nigh on a fortnight. Then he broke
camp, cursed a blue streak, and ordered everyone
back to the castle. Whatever got Mad Jack’s dander
up seems to have passed, as far as we can tell.
—Ibar
Áfríðr Hälsing, Lehrer of Vendel
A successful doctor in Vendel, Hälsing became involved
in the occult when an innocuous house call became
a confrontation with a reanimated corpse. After the
initial shock faded, her physician’s curiosity led her
to explore the whys and wherefores of what she had
experienced—a process that brought her into contact
with a rogue hexe and the Die Kreuzritter knights
hunting him. Too intelligent to be cozened by their
excuses, she tracked them to their cloister and confronted
them, demanding an explanation of their activities.
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CHAPTER 2 | Die Kreuzritter
Bemused, the Lehrer enrolled Hälsing as a scripta,
where she promptly set an as-yet-unbroken record
in her examinations. Her progress was nothing
short of meteoric, and within a year she was a full die
Schwester of the Vendel cloister. In the decades since,
she became a full-contact physician, working with her
brothers and sisters to bring down Monsters across
Vestenmennavenjar and examining their remains in
order to determine their weaknesses. Now that she is
no longer as inclined to spend weeks humping it all over
Théah in pursuit of Monsters, she gets out from behind
her desk by hiring out as an expert consultant on matters
monstrous for the well-heeled. Several commissions
from the Vendel League have made her cloister among
the most comfortable and well-appointed in Théah.
Portraying Áfríðr Hälsing
As Áfríðr Hälsing approaches middle age, the steelgray streaks stand out in her raven hair, which she
tucks up into a severe bun. Behind a brass pince-nez,
her dark blue eyes sparkle with a curiosity undimmed
by the horrors she has seen. She speaks in clipped,
matter-of-fact tones when discussing unimaginable
Monsters and saves her emotions for unremarkable
events: the birth of child, a wedding or a funeral. She
is that rarest of creatures: a hunter of Monsters whose
humanity has never lost a step.
Story Hooks
• After the Heroes have failed to end the
Monster attacks on an outlying village
in Vestenmennavenjar, the town elders
announce that they have scraped together
enough money to bring in Hälsing, who
mercilessly schools the Heroes on their
missteps. If they impress her, further
employment may be forthcoming, and
perhaps an invitation to begin their
education as scriptum.
• It is rumored that a nobleman of Carleon
has in his possession a drachen bone, which
Hälsing believes will help her unlock the
secrets—and vulnerabilities—of these
formidable beasts. Whether the Heroes
procure it through negotiation or theft is
of little importance to her, only that she
have it to study.
Aziz Abd’al-Hadrat
An Anashid occultist, Aziz Abd’al-Hadrat is an expert
on spiritual corruption and the beings who cause it.
The impious and disgusting nature of his research
led to his expulsion from several Nations, and he
currently makes his home in Freiburg. Though he
is neither a Vaticine priest nor a member of Die
Kreuzritter, the knights of the Freiburg cloister
consult with him extensively on occult matters.
Abd’al-Hadrat’s collected writings on the subject,
called the Kitab al-Mawtaa, fill several bookshelves,
written in a cipher that only he understands.
Abd’al-Hadrat’s restless curiosity about the occult
leads him to explore all sorts of strange occurrences,
often hiring Heroes to investigate terrifying mysteries
in far-flung locales. Of particular interest are the
similarities between the dievai of the Sarmatian
Commonwealth and the quaranā of the Crescent
Empire and he regularly sponsors expeditions to these
exotic lands.
horrifying depths and has a bleak sense of humor,
often deadpanning about the approaching apocalypse
or a wave of corruption spreading across Théah before
remarking, “...but I’m sure you can handle it.” Where
his wealth and information come from are closely
guarded secrets, second only to the cipher he uses to
encode his research.
Story Hooks
• Someone has broken into Abd’al-Hadrat’s
home and stolen a volume of the Kitab
al-Mawtaa. He refuses to discuss why
the theft of this particular volume has
him deeply worried, but he insists the
Heroes must recover it. He would like the
thief captured alive, so he can learn who
commissioned the theft and why.
• A rash of terrifying omens have Abd’alHadrat convinced that a major occult event
is coming. He hires the Heroes to observe
and record the event, but not interfere. But
as the spectacle unfolds, the Heroes much
choose between their employer’s wishes and
protecting innocent lives.
Portraying Aziz Abd’al-Hadrat
Aziz Abd’al-Hadrat is a wiry man of middle years,
with a salt-and-pepper beard kept neatly squared off.
He dresses in a sparse yet elegant style, combining
traditional Crescent garb with warm furs to ward off
the cold Eisen winters. He has plumbed some truly
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
43
Catriona MacInnis, Fugitive Smith
In all the Glamour Isles, there are few who hate the
Sidhe as fervently as Catriona MacInnis and fewer
still who are better equipped to do something about
it. The last member of her family, she remembers her
childhood days of flight and fear as the Sidhe hunted
them across the Highland Marches, all for her father’s
crime of forging cold iron.
One by one, they took her father, her mother and
her older brother, each abduction occasioned by the
braying of horns and the howling of beasts from
beyond. And then, for reasons known only to the
Sidhe and their otherworldly kin, the attacks stopped.
Perhaps the Sidhe decided that a mere slip of a girl
could not have inherited her father’s knowledge, or
perhaps they deemed her too awkward and stupid to
pursue further.
Whatever the case, MacInnis has proven them
mistaken on both counts. A devout—if villainous—
Vaticine, she found her way to Die Kreuzritter
through the Kirkwall cloister, and fulfilled the Peace
obligation by bringing a living boggart to her sponsor,
held in place by cold iron nails driven through its
wrists and ankles. In the years since, her exploits
have grown still more legendary, and today even the
Cursed Prince gives Kirkwall a wide berth. MacInnis
is convinced that her family is still alive, trapped in
Bryn Bresail. She hopes to inflict enough damage to
Sidhe ambitions that she can force her family’s captors
to accept terms for their release.
Portraying Catriona MacInnis
Catriona MacInnis has the asymmetrical build of a
smith—her left side is far stronger than her right. A
shock of red hair runs down to her waist, cut close
to the scalp on the left side to keep it from burning
as she works the forge. She speaks plainly, never
troubling with fancy words, and some of her fellow
knights consider her simple.
Those who have fought beside her know she is
anything but simple, it is just that against the endless
trickery of the Sidhe, “hit it with a hammer until it
stops moving” is often the best plan. Her hammer—a
brutal thing of blackheart ash and cold iron—is both
weapon and calling card; every member of the Goodly
Folke from brownie to noble knows who wields it.
Story Hooks
• MacInnis has decided to bring the
depredation of the Red-Eyed King to an end.
She is beating the docks of Kirkwall looking
for Heroes to help her, using a sob story
about her abducted family to win them to her
cause. In truth, the Heroes are merely fodder
for the blades of Bryn Bresail, something to
tie up the king’s guards so MacInnis can land
the killing blow with her hammer.
• The Heroes have run afoul of a powerful
Unseelie Sidhe and need weapons of cold
iron to defend themselves. MacInnis can
provide them with these tools of war, but
she is not interested in those who seek only
to defend themselves. To get what they need,
the Heroes must impress her with their
dedication to rooting out the corruption of
the Sidhe wherever it stains the shores of the
Glamour Isles.
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CHAPTER 2 | Die Kreuzritter
Gawain Chapel, Knight of the Green
Gawain Chapel, or better known as the Knight
of the Green is a humble man who delights in
deep woodlands and empty fields. He was born
Jeremy Glassford, heir to wealth and privilege in
Connickmoor until he was presumed lost with his
father in a storm on Grumfather Bay.
Shipwrecked on the frozen shores of Ussura
a woodcutter adopted him, and he remembered
nothing of his birth family. His new father gave him a
new name and introduced him to the secrets of Tură’s
Touch. He spent many years with the woodcutter, and
grew into a strong and capable man. But his familial
bliss was still too short. A run-in with a vicious losejas
cost Chapel his second home and father.
Afterward, he joined a group of Die Kreuzritter
agents who were seeking the rogue sorcerer. He
gave them information and helped them on their
hunt. They offered him a place in the society after
his information lead to the successful capture of the
murderous sorcerer, which he accepted happily.
Thanks to his wandering lifestyle and solitary
ways, thus far Chapel has managed to conceal his
forbidden talents from his brothers and sisters in the
order. Should word of his abilities reach his peers,
however, Chapel would find himself drummed out
and hunted: a man who has lost his family not once,
not twice, but thrice.
Instead of monster or sorcerer hunting, Chapel is
the foremost scout and courier for Die Kreuzritter.
He transports dangerous artifacts from across Terra
to Die Kreuzritter reliquaries. He doesn’t trust the
Explorer’s Society to do their job and frequently
scouts out new Syrneth ruins to remove any
dangerous artifacts before anyone else can get ahold
of them. He uses his magic when not around other
member of his society, often speeding along his travels
through his control of wind and weather.
Portraying Gawain Chapel
Athletic without being bulky, Gawain Chapel has the
build of someone accustomed to living off the land. A
man of average height and few words, he prefers to live
simply and blend into his surroundings—using his
gifts to wind walk most places. He has a deep suspicion
of man-made conveyances, from ships to carriages. He
is convinced that the losses he has incurred are not
by chance but the work of a malefic force, and he is
determined to find who or what is hunting him.
Story Hooks
• Séarlas Glassford, a charter member of the
Atabean Trading Company and all-around
villainous shipping magnate, has discovered
that his older brother Jeremy is still alive.
As the elder brother, Chapel is a threat to
Glassford’s position and inheritance and
he has taken out a contract on the elusive
knight’s life. The Heroes are drawn into a
deadly game of cat and mouse between the
assassins and must decide whether to protect
Chapel’s secrets or his life.
• Chapel has made it his mission to prove
that Tură’s Touch is not one of the böse
wege. Operating under an alias, he hires the
Heroes to journey to Ussura and investigate
the mysteries of Chernobog, hoping to
assemble a case that he can take before the
Magister. If they are successful, it will be one
fewer secret Chapel has to live with, and may
bring new recruits into Die Kreuzritter.
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Gerard Eugeniusz Róg
The expatriate Sarmatian proprietor of Red Rooster
Antiquities, Gerard Eugeniusz Róg is large, lusty and
loud. Wherever men and women huddle around
a bottle, Róg is there, flirting shamelessly, telling
the wildest tales and trying to make a sale. Around
Five Sails, they say the only claymore larger than
Róg’s belongs to his wife—the beautiful and deadly
Bridgette McLanahan—and for all his amorous
inclinations the hard-drinking and charismatic
Sarmatian has never strayed from his marriage vows.
Their mutual love turned them from destructive
paths. Róg, who never speaks of what came before
his time in Five Sails, was a drunk and a womanizer,
frittering away his formidable social talents in pursuit
of wine, women and song. McLanahan, for her part,
was one of the Inquisition’s best field operatives: a
killer with a sharp blade and wits to match. The
knights of the Five Sails cloister—where McLanahan
holds the title of Lehrer—love to listen to them
recount the adventures that brought the unlikely
couple together.
Today, their partnership is somewhat different. As
Róg is fond of saying, McLanahan does the hard
work. She decides when and how to help others
strike the Inquisition, whose lives to risk, and how
best to manage the cloister’s affairs. Róg, in turn, uses
his charm and wit to siphon information from every
merchant, captain and crewman who passes through
Five Sails, looking for rumors of Inquisition activity.
Portraying Gerard Eugeniusz Róg
Gerard Eugeniusz Róg is a man whose appearance
is almost as far-fetched as his tales. Standing over
6’3” and drinking like a man twice that size, his
ruddy complexion matches the bright silks and
gaudy accoutrements he prefers to gad about in.
His stentorian voice and loud proclamations are an
act that conceals a sensitive and sophisticated soul.
Ever the consummate host, Róg is a formidable
linguist and is equally happy discussing Numanari
philosophy or boozing and brawling with broadsword
and panzerhand.
Story Hooks
• McLanahan has gone missing, and her
absence has deflated the usually jovial Róg.
The transition from boisterous gadabout
to worried husband catches the Heroes off
guard, but his promises of vast rewards soon
win them over. Unfortunately, it appears
McLanahan is not alone—all across Théah,
Die Kreuzritter operatives have abandoned
their responsibilities and seemingly vanished.
• Róg has come across information indicating
that Cardinal Verdugo belongs to some sort
of shadowy cabal, and he needs someone
from outside Die Kreuzritter to act on it in
order to avoid crossing the Magister’s dictum
against acting directly. He asks the Heroes
to take his information to Vaticine City, into
the maw of the beast itself.
46
CHAPTER
CHAPTER22||Die
DieKreuzritter
Kreuzritter
Chapter 3
THE EXPLORER’S SOCIETY
The Explorer’s Society is perhaps the least secret of
the all the societies in Théah. In fact, they regularly
advertise that anyone wanting to research or explore
Syrneth ruins should check with them first. It is no
surprise then, that some members seem to believe
they have a monopoly and possibly even ownership
over the secrets of the long-dead civilization.
The Explorer’s Society divides its efforts across three
branches of the organization: Curators, Scholars and
Explorers. Each branch is split into three ranks, offering
progressively more access to the Society’s knowledge.
New members join the Society as Apprentices, where
they serve and learn from the local chapter house. When
they advance to Journeyman, they may pursue their own
interests. They finally earn the rank of Master after
proving their skill in one of the three branches. Each
Master commands a small team of Society members and
has access to the resources his branch offers. The Society
does not view all Masters as equal, though all members
of the Society show anyone with the title respect.
Masters of the Explorers branch are most numerous,
and easiest to come by as they are most often out and
about in the world. Scholars and Curators tend to
lock themselves away in their personal studies or
chapter houses as they work to decipher Syrneth
secrets. Curators are often found in ruins once the
Explorers have finished with them, studying the cities,
engravings and dwellings firsthand. The Scholars are
the most elusive, as they work largely in isolation
puzzling over the mysteries of Syrneth artifacts.
The branches themselves are ranked, with
different branches offering more or less access to the
others. At the top and with the most access are the
Curators, who catalogue and maintain the whole of
the Society’s knowledge, as well as analyze Syrneth
society and culture; below them are the Scholars
who study and experiment with Syrneth artifacts and
technology. Making up the base of the organization
are the Explorers who locate, excavate and map ruins,
documenting and retrieving whatever artifacts they find.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
47
Chapter Houses
Dear Brother,
My friends amongst the Curators absolutely
insist they can derive purpose from ruins as they
walk through them, naming uses for the tools
and artifacts we uncover, but it is all practiced
speculation, I say, or simple common sense. Ah,
yes, this empty space in the center, surrounded by
dilapidated edifices-surely a market square. Why
of course! How could I not recognize something I
stroll through every thrice-damned day?
I prefer practical things. That is why I lead
expeditions. You take what is in front of you,
you give it a name, you wrap it up. Dirt in
the way? Move the dirt. Trap stopping you?
Disable the trap. Trap is something fantastical
that no one seems to comprehend? Disarm it
anyway, narrating every damned step of the way
for someone else to write down, and watch a
Scholar’s head spin when they learn that you just
jiggered around nice and delicate until it undid
itself. Figuring out how to make something stop
ticking is usually easier than figuring out how
to make it tick. And providing your scribe takes
the notes well enough, there are steps you can
follow to get it started ticking again, anyway.
-Wilbur Cooke
48
CHAPTER 3 | The Explorer’s Society
Each chapter house hosts a Grand Master, who
oversees all local activity. Grand Masters ostensibly
report to the headquarters in Lisso, but after
being forced underground by the Inquisition,
communication between farther-afield chapter
houses and the central headquarters has been
greatly diminished.
Anyone with the title of Master can elect to
establish and maintain a chapter house. While she
still has opportunities to organize her own endeavors,
the majority of a Grand Master’s duties are centered
around caring for and fostering the local members
of the Explorer’s Society. While there is typically
one Grand Master of any given chapter house, any
number of Masters may take up residence there.
Particularly populous chapter houses may rotate
or share the duties of the Grand Master amongst a
number of individuals, allowing other members in
turn more time to pursue their own research.
As all members of the Explorer’s Society must
provide shelter and protection to other members,
there is no “official” way to join a chapter house. Most
houses will have rooms set up for traveling members
to use; Explorers especially travel freely between
chapter houses as they move from ruin to ruin.
Though some members are constantly on the move,
most have a “home” chapter where they spend most
of their time or house most of their work. The bonds
between members of more stable chapter houses are
tight and usually consist of networks of masters and
their apprentices as they delve into the mysteries of
the Syrne together.
Joining the Society
While the existence of the Explorer’s Society is
a rather open secret, it has closed its ranks and
remained quiet since its condemnation by the Vaticine
Church. However, anyone digging deep enough into
the stories and plays written about the Society is
likely to discover a number of clues pointing them
to one of the regional headquarters. Though some
chapter houses in more contentious locations have
been abandoned, intrepid would-be members finding
these locations are met with additional clues leading
them to the safe houses and havens the Society now
occupies instead.
Day 6
We have made it through the hallway,
documenting everything along the way.
The extensive collection of dust at the
head of the hallway appears to have
dissipated farther down. It is a fairly wide
thoroughfare, but largely undecorated. We
assume there are other, perhaps smaller
gates with similar antechambers. It looks
as if there are smaller tunnels leading off
the hall we are exploring; we will move into
those in time, but farther down there
appears to be a much more direct way of
entering the whole of the ruins.
The door was ornately carved; the
Apprentices took careful rubbings of the
inscriptions and sketched the thing in its
entirety. A central portion of the door,
circular and radiating outward in small lines,
appears to be made of a dark, smoky glass,
with the same symbol as on the outer
doors. Unfortunately it is far too dense to
see through, so we still have no idea of
what awaits us on the other side. It is,
however, tightly sealed. As we cleared dirt
and debris away, it became obvious the door
was locked and barred. Hopefully it is not
barricaded from the other side; I would
hate to have to destroy such a beautiful
piece. We have a small contingent looking
into ways to remove the whole thing
intact, but we will preprare contingemcies
should that prove impossible. I am
hoping we can find a sample of the glass
somewhere; I think the Scholars would
enjoy testing such a unique material.
More scratches were found near this door,
as there were near the outer gates. Little
furrows, hundreds of them, in long strokes
at the door frame and on the door itself.
A weathering pattern, maybe? Something
venting through the doors and creating
such unique patterns, perhaps?
Typically, a member joins the Explorers’ branch
as an Apprentice, and can choose to shift his focus
as he learns more about how the Society functions
and what the Scholars and Curators focus their
energies on. While a member can pursue more than
one branch if he so chooses, the time and dedication
required means he can only ever be a Master of one.
Moving Up
Joining the Society as an Apprentice costs nothing.
While an Apprentice must pay the usual amount of
Favor to borrow relics or access digs independently,
she does not need to pay Favor if a Journeyman or
Master requests her aid. Apprentices receive half the
usual amount of Favor from any discoveries made by
such a group, rounded up.
Progressing to the Rank of Journeyman costs 10
Favor. A Journeyman no longer has to pay Favor to
access dig sites, and can outfit his companions as well
as himself from reliquaries, paying Favor for each
relic borrowed.
Obtaining the rank of Master costs 25 Favor. A
Master no longer needs to pay Favor to access dig
sites or reliquaries, and can instead call upon the
Reclaimers to aid her research or acquire items held
in private collections for 5 Favor.
Explorers
The most well-known and lauded branch of the
Explorer’s Society are the titular Explorers. Willing
to delve into unknown ruins and risk life and limb in
the pursuit of knowledge, the adventurous Explorers
recover the lion’s share of the items now residing in
the various archives held by the Society. Driven by the
same desire to learn that inspires all members of the
Society, the Explorers are content to let the Scholars
and Curators do the tedious work of interpreting
language and unlocking artifacts’ powers. Explorers
simply want to be there for the discovery.
They prefer the excitement of meeting the unknown
where it lies in wait over studying bits and pieces
out of their original context. Like the rest of the
Society, Explorers are fastidious record keepers,
keeping journals of their progress through dig sites.
Their notes often include rubbings taken from
carved sculptures, sketches of artifacts or important
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
49
50
CHAPTER 3 | The Explorer’s Society
structures, and descriptions of any intangible
phenomena they experience in their expeditions.
By far the most mobile members of the Society,
Explorers make their living moving from one site to
the next in search of their next great discovery. Aided
by research from the Curators, they seek out ruins
and investigate them, in search of more clues for
fellow Society members to puzzle out.
Apprentice Explorer
Under the tutelage of a Journeyman or Master,
Apprentices learn the basics of excavation and the
methods by which the Society records its findings
in the field. They begin by cleaning and sorting the
day’s discoveries, before moving on to helping with
the process of the actual dig or exploration.
Journeyman Explorer
Journeymen lead the various teams who excavate or
explore the ruins as they are discovered. Depending
on the size and scope of the dig, there are usually
three to four teams working at once on the same site,
sharing discoveries and aiding each other as necessary.
Master Explorer
Orchestrating any given site work is always at least
one Master, if not a group of them working together.
Masters plan the digs and are ultimately responsible
for the items recovered. Usually at least two Masters
work together, one to lead the actual excavations and
one to oversee the recordkeeping.
Joining the Explorers
Joining the ranks of the Explorers can be as simple
as finding an active site. Though the Explorers do
not let any stranger waltz in and start playing with
artifacts, the quickest way for someone to procure an
Apprenticeship is to prove his interest and dedication.
As it is the most popular and well-known branch of
the Society, the Explorers have the lowest barrier
of entry and often the most Apprentices. While
Apprentices have the least access to resources and
are carefully monitored for this precise reason, those
who are truly dedicated to the Society’s aims progress
quickly through the ranks and gain more privileges.
Scholars
Though learning about the Syrne is the goal of the
Society as a whole, the Scholars seek to improve the
methods and tools used by their brothers and sisters.
As Explorers delve into Syrne ruins and the Curators
seek to piece together their culture and practices,
Scholars tinker with and test the recovered artifacts
to understand the relics and technology left behind.
Scholars learn first by observing and later by
experimenting, ultimately seeking to create their own
artifacts. Using the knowledge they have gathered over
the years to learn about what the Syrne built, they
also attempt to transfer the unique properties of the
artifacts to other items. They have met with limited
success here, though the items they have managed to
alter are greatly diminished in potency and durability
compared to the original artifacts. The ultimate goal
of this branch is to replicate the items created by the
Syrne, and eventually craft new ones.
Though the Scholars take precautions to keep
everyone involved as safe as possible, seeking to
unlock the secrets of previously unknown artifacts
or activate ancient technology often has violent and
energetic reactions. Scholars usually have a number
of exciting stories regarding their research, and
occasionally the scars to prove them.
Apprentice Scholar
Most often there to observe and record, Apprentices
spend their time documenting the experiments done
by their superiors or researching similar artifacts
to determine effective methods of experimentation.
Though tedious, the process is enlightening, and
teaches Apprentices the necessary methods to
conduct their own research later on.
Journeyman Scholar
Seeking answers to the mysteries presented by the
Syrne, Journeymen work to unlock the secrets of
Syrneth artifacts and technology. They work directly
with recovered items, determined to discover not only
what these items can do but also to isolate the power
that gives them such wondrous properties.
Master Scholar
Having extensively researched the relics of the
Syrne, Masters seek to replicate these amazing items.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
51
Though none have quite managed to duplicate any
existing artifacts—the widely accepted first step
toward creating entirely new ones—some have
successfully imbued existing artifacts with additional
properties. Progress is slow and incremental, but any
breakthroughs are celebrated by the entire Society.
receive a slap on the wrist, but are usually accepted
into the Scholars—albeit under careful observation.
Scholars demand carefully regulated approaches to
their experiments and comprehensive documentation
of every step of the process in order for others to
benefit fully from their research.
Joining the Scholars
Curators
Those who prefer to understand the “how” of things
join the Scholars. Masters often conscript those
who take the most comprehensive notes and pay the
most attention to detail. Of course, those who take
the initiative and begin their own experiments often
Day 21
52
The Curators branch of the Explorer’s Society prefers
quiet study over the danger of exploring an new
ruin or attempting to unlock the power within an
ancient relic. Poring over the accounts of those who
came before them and perusing excavated sites, the
reaches higher
a vast and decadent thing, a dome that
is
It
r.
mbe
cha
n
mai
the
hed
reac
have
We
e mystery.
ained intact all this time is an absolut
than we can truly fathom. How it has rem
then was
cavern; it might have started as one, but
It is obviously not a naturally occurring
It appears
er of the dome is a gorgeous chandelier.
cent
the
from
ging
Han
.
ably
ider
cons
expanded
d by the
l point is an enormous yellow star suspende
foca
the
s;
glas
or
l
sta
cry
of
e
mad
be
to
distance,
l. The size is hard to judge from such a
thinnest spire of an unidentifiable materia
d not get their arms around the thing.
but I would hazard four or five men coul
ller sphere.
e, each tipped wit h another, much sma
Curved spokes come off the mai n spir
of
by a num ber of yet smaller bodies. One
n
tur
in
ited
orb
h
eac
m,
the
of
ten
There are
t orbit her.
be Solas, and the rest the planets tha
t
mus
ece
erpi
cent
the
said
s
ter
Mas
the
rs have only
logic. But nine others? The astronome
One of those would be Terra, by that
? Or
e? Is it our sun, our planet and others
mor
of
w
kno
ne
Syr
the
ld
cou
How
.
identified five
something else entirely?
escape
day. Some of our party went outside to
mid
und
aro
h
lunc
for
ke
bro
We
um:
Addend
uty of the
us who stayed inside wit nessed the bea
the heat inside the ruins, but those of
entire
only act ivate when the sun is right. The
chandelier I described earlier. It must
, causing
r, and the central spire began to spin
chamber glowed wit h light from the sta
It lasted
their own satellites to orbit as well.
and
er,
cent
the
it
orb
to
ies
bod
er
the out
lived. Such
inside to see, but was still too shortlong enough that we could call the rest
reacti on, to
illu minate it and thus perpetuate the
splendor! We hope to devise a way to
e
ts as well as to see the rest of the dom
esen
repr
lf
itse
ure
fixt
the
t
wha
d
tan
better unders
ork of
an intricate, alm ost filigreed latt icew
by
t
alof
kept
is
it
like
s
look
It
rly.
more clea
as if something
the ape x of the dome, but it appears
metal. It comes together in a ring at
dented and
reflect ion of a matching filigree gate,
is blocking the ver y top. I could see the
be any
m it, and thankfully does not seem to
fro
s
cend
des
ier
ndel
cha
the
ed;
odg
partially disl
to find the
. I may send a small team to attempt
hor
anc
its
of
ion
dit
con
the
for
ble
less sta
one day see
the blockage if they can. I hope we can
ape x in the mountain range and rem ove
was when it was first built.
the chamber fully lit as it apparently
CHAPTER 3 | The Explorer’s Society
Curators make it their purpose to understand more
than just the power the Syrne commanded. They seek
to unlock the secrets of the Syrne’s everyday lives, and
try to understand their cultures and customs.
The Curators have deciphered a good amount
of the Syrneth language. With this knowledge,
Curators work to translate texts the Explorers have
uncovered. It is through these efforts that a number
of new dig sites have been found, and the work has
been invaluable to Scholars looking to understand
Syrneth technology.
At the end of the day, everything returns to the
Curators’ hands. They maintain a detailed archive of
all discoveries to date, sorted and codified by location
and purpose. Each item also has a designation
dictating what rank any given Society member must
be to access the article in question. A number of texts
are exclusive to the Grand Masters and are said to
hold the Society’s most delicate and damning secrets.
The Curators have a number of projects in motion
at any given time. While they often work and
reside within chapter houses, groups are known to
temporarily occupy excavation sites in order to study
the locations firsthand.
Apprentice Curator
Apprentices have access to a majority of the archive,
though they cannot take anything from it without
express written permission from their immediate
superior. Most often the task of translating texts falls
to Apprentices, who each receive small snippets of
larger works to prevent too much potentially sensitive
information falling into inexperienced hands.
Journeyman Curator
With access to certain previously restricted files and
armed with the knowledge they have already acquired,
members of this rank begin to follow their own
interests. Gravitating toward Masters who share their
particular foci, Journeymen are often the ones to lead
research expeditions and study the sites unearthed
by Explorers.
Master Curator
Masters often maintain extensive personal libraries,
filled with translations and accounts that endlessly
detail the minutiae they study. Any one Master
is a font of information on the particular facet
of Syrneth culture she has dedicated herself to.
Wilbur,
Grand Master Pell has asked me again to remind you that
proper notation for items is as such:
Nation of origin, dig site, chamber, date discovered, and
(if you absolutely must) name. And
make it something dignified, if you please. Not everything
you find is a gilded chamber pot.
A tangential reminder: Number the rooms legibly on the damn
map. It is your job to follow the
codes as laid out, not come up with new ones. The Scholars
and Curators alike are getting
increasingly frustrated with your games, though I will admi
t I find them as amusing as ever.
Less savory is the assumption that I am in on the joke when
I can translate your little japes,
even though it is just because I grew up alongside your twist
ed mind. I do not think you will
hear the end of it for a good long while when you finally
make it back to the chapter house.
Perhaps if you joined the Scholars, they would give you less
of a tongue-lashing every time you
started tinkering with the miracles that bar your way? Just
a thought. I know it will flee your
mind soon enough, like all the rest do.
Your brother,
Slynn
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
53
Officially all original texts must be surrendered to
the communal archive, though it is common practice
for a Master to claim one or two as her own—
always cited as a necessary resource to continue the
Master’s work.
Joining the Curators
Members of the Explorer’s Society looking to join the
Curators usually have a greater interest in unearthing
secrets rather than unearthing items. The Curators
require time and dedication, and find excitement
in cracking ciphers and exploring the mysteries
left behind by the Syrneth instead of uncovering
the places they occupied. Masters of the Curators
frequently assess prospective Apprentices by how
quickly and skillfully they adopt the basics of the
Syrneth language, something all Apprentices must
learn in order to effectively communicate with other
chapters of the Society.
Current Affairs
In its single-minded pursuit of Syrneth remains, the
Explorer’s Society must nevertheless also take into
consideration a number of factors working against
it. Keeping some of the Society’s most dangerous
discoveries from entering public knowledge is one of
its chief concerns, as is making sure that its members
conduct their work in secret in order to avoid
persecution by the Society’s enemies.
Preserving Ruins
With Syrneth artifacts making popular collector’s
items, the Explorer’s Society contends with public
curiosity and widespread greed as it struggles to
preserve and study its findings. Interference from
collectors and grave robbers often destroys delicate
relics and degrades the quality of the structures
themselves, leaving little behind for the Society to
parse. While some of these interfering parties are
well-meaning would-be Explorers simply lacking the
experience or knowledge to effectively excavate ruins,
others are merely looking to take what they can and
sell or hoard it for personal gain.
While it is nearly impossible to block all the ruins
off from public contact, the Explorer’s Society keeps
every one of its active digs a closely guarded secret.
Publicly known ruins it has largely written off as a lost
54
CHAPTER 3 | The Explorer’s Society
cause, acknowledging that while there is a substantial
loss of information that goes along with dismissing
the sites, anything of use has likely already been stolen
or destroyed. Rather than attempting to sort through
ages of foot traffic and ruins picked dry, it focuses its
efforts on more private locations, where it can discover
everything on its own terms, without hangers-on and
interruptions.
Keeping digs private also prevents interference from
the Church, which zealously persecutes members
of the Explorer’s Society for its pursuits. Even so,
dedicated individuals can occasionally piece together
where dig sites might be and raid them when the
sites are less active. Particularly bold individuals have
even attempted to sneak in and steal relics already
recovered before they can be documented by the
Society members on site.
From the diary of Cesca Rinicci
We have received word that yet another Prince
has a new centerpiece for his collection. I swear, I
left Vodacce for a reason, and yet time and time
again I have to go back. I am going to take control
of the chapter houses there myself just to stop
them from bowing to the idiots who run the place.
Simple enough to distract them from whatever
they want; just tell them another Prince wants it
too. They will fight each other to a standstill (or
even better, to the death) and forget what the
entire thing was about by the time they are done.
I will be reaching out to my contacts to learn more,
but from what I can tell he does not have the
thing particularly well-guarded. Then again, it is
Vodacce; you never see the knife that ends up in
your back. Half the time you do not see the one
that gets buried in your chest.
I will need a small team, I think. I should still have
enough dresses to sneak them in with me. A few of
us know well how to blend in with the courts there,
and after spying the place out we will plan our
attack. Maybe we will even see what else we can
grab while we are there.
Secrets
Security
The further the Explorer’s Society delves into the
ruins and the more it deciphers its findings, the
further it understands the world as it was before
the current era of humanity. A number of the relics
remain entirely inscrutable, as well as a considerable
but diminishing percentage of the texts, but what the
Society has discovered has the potential to shake the
very foundations of a number of forces that run the
known world.
Rather than allow these secrets to leak and wreak
what havoc they will or use them like a weapon
against those they threaten, the Society keeps
them under wraps. Only the highest Masters of the
Curators know the most dangerous secrets the Society
has uncovered, and they keep these secrets in the
most exclusive archives and reliquaries, hidden from
even the most trusted pupils. Though some members
condemn the secrecy that surrounds the higher levels
of the Society’s research, the Society itself maintains
that silence is the best way. It is willing to freely share
its less treacherous research, but maintains under all
circumstances that some information is not meant
for the public.
Rule Number One: Do not ever let them know you
are there. Blend in with the scene around you. Do not
go on the day of and expect to get it right; you have
to practice to really get it down. Just move with the
crowd and learn the way they do things.
Rule Number Two: If they do notice you, pretend
you do not notice them. Nothing is worse than
someone who sees the authorities and clams up in a
panic. Go about your business. It is a perfectly normal
day, and you are a citizen like everyone else.
Rule Number Three: Always have a cover. Do not
ever just go in to do your dirty business. Have three
or four tasks as subterfuge. Go ask about that fabric,
buy your eggs wait for them to move on. Then go
about what you really needed to do, finish your
errands, and get out.
With the radical and drastic views of the Vaticine
Church, the Explorer’s Society has found itself in
the odd position of being more popular and more
persecuted than ever. While a celebrated figure in
popular culture and a mainstay of plays and stories, a
member of the Explorer’s Society faces persecution in
the real world. In areas where the Church has heavy
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
55
Reclaimers
mently
orer’s Society, a faction of the group vehe
Expl
the
of
ch
bran
ed
gniz
reco
ly
cial
offi
an
Though not
g kept in
ngly disagrees with the notion of relics bein
stro
and
ing
robb
e
grav
of
tice
prac
the
ises
desp
symbols of status.
out for little more than bragging rights and
personal collections by those who seek them
personally held
e individuals go to great lengt hs to acquire
Know n in whispers as the Reclaimers, thes
collateral
lth, leaving no trace of their passage and no
relics. Though they prefer to operate in stea
empty-handed after planning a heist.
damage, they will ensure they do not leave
themselves
align with the fringe group tend to organize
who
e
thos
but
ers,
laim
Rec
the
in
t
exis
s
No real rank
way to join the
they have part icipated in. The only accepted
s”
tion
lama
“rec
ul
essf
succ
of
ber
num
the
by
those outs ide of
ieving items currently in the possessi on of
Reclaimers is to simply become one, by retr
s reliq uaries.
items (or entering them into) the society’
the Explorer’s Society and returning these
s or
e bunch. They do not advertise their practice
etiv
secr
a
are
ers
laim
Rec
the
,
iety
Soc
Even within the
hing the
left to depend on whispers and secrets reac
are
them
with
join
d
woul
who
e
thos
and
intentions,
right ears.
cs
a fe w reli
d
n
u
o
f
s
out
y
have alwa
eatly laid
e
N
W
.
d
.
le
w
i
o
p
n
k
digs
stoc
and
ar forges
unt of our ut lately...t hey are
e
o
n
m
a
t
5
f
3
g
le
n
i
y
s
b
a
t
r
D
distu
projec
oms, b
ure to
t his i n a
ors are s
vari ous ro some hal f-fi nis hed
t
s
a
e
s
r
h
o
u
t
r
C
c
h
a
e
g
s.
h
u
e
om
out t hro
e place, t
plete piece
ds, even
h
n
d
m
t
a
a
o
We have c
e
t
c
e
r
s
n
r
p
i
u
s
r
c
e
o
,
e
h
e
m
o n ar
wit h t
ce we s
w t her
complis h
stand. O n
o n racks,
c
here, a fe
r
p
a
e
a
e
d
ll
n
w
i
u
w
n
y
i
s
ll
is not
tored
yet to fu
e S cholar
cer ns me
h
n
e
t
o
v
c
a
t
h
a
t
i n rows, s
h
a
e
h
w
w
w
e
t he s heer
kstat i o ns
en imagi n
ries, but
v
r
o
is
e
o
m
e
w
t
r
m
o
a
r
n
e
s
n
d
h
n
a
a
t
r
c
o
ns h
dI
o nce
h. Did
ld day, an
ies or tow ny culture. W hat c
apo ns eac
it
e
c
w
r
ir
u
e
o
h
f
t
have a fie
a
n
any of
e, eve
se for
have t hre
rfect sen
say how m
e
o
p
o
t
t
e
g
y
k
n
i
a
a
ll
w
m
e
o
ani ngs
ach d w
There is n
mi litar y le
here for e
have
;
h
t
g
u
is
o
x
n
e
e
y
appear to
e is
s
r
e
e
?
r
h
y
u
T
t
m
t hat t he
c
.
r
u
d
a
r
r
t
a
ber of st
organized
at are no
of t he ho
h
m
n
t
u
y
n
A
s
it
c
?
t
A
s
n
li
.
e
a
ia
e
r
u
q
mi lit
arriv
everal
standi ng
yet hard ly
w hen t hey
nd, and s
d
u
n
s
o
r
a
b
o
a
t
l,
a
a
s
r
e
ic
t hey have
u
h
t
t he C
kbenc
t iden
e xtra wor
hi ngs wit h
ian, alm os pable of?
,
t
r
r
a
e
s
t
h
s
li
u
t
i
e
c
t
g
u
is
o
d
re ca
row n t
. M ore
I want to
is
at t hey a
zard ly t h
ave found
h
a
h
w
h
e
p
w
a
w
o
h
s. Was t h
n
s
g
k
r
r
n
i
e
e
e
h
h
ld
w
t
t
i
a
o
u
n
r
b
e
e
h
n
e
bee
of t h
as som
-par w
t heir ow n
a nu m ber
i ntricate
t hi ng sub
n
e
g
i
s
m
n
a
o
s
lo
s
d
ly
a
o
e
r
g
c
s
a
u
e
e
e
n
uld b
-prod
t
e scor
W hy mass
o g ods—co ? If so, it d oes no
rs and t h
t
o
o
t
n
d
u
e
o
h
m
t
touched.
a
near
battle
e tant
re left
scratches hat? The S yr ne ar
r a fi nal
ar m or we
o
e
f
d
h
n
t
s
a
n
f
o
s
o
i
n
t
n
o
a
i
p
a
i nst w
e wea
prepar
I t hi nk ag
war? A ga
, if all t h
ese t heir
s
h
r
m
t
o
e
f
e
e
r
s
n
e
o
i
W
it
t
ought.
g uard,
a prepara
ges
ught offalways t h
a
e
C
w
.
o
r
ome messa
s
o
s
v
r
a
d
o
f
e
—
t
t
n
ir
e
h
e
h
m
ig
r
in t
y d ocu
feeli ng
have g o ne
ve carefull f t his. I have t he
a
h
d
n
a
appear to
,
ke o
rooms
tores.
ot hers ma
ound t he
r
e
a
h
t
t
x
t
e
a
i n t heir s
t
h
.
w
f
scraps o
lo ng w hi le
e wi ll see
w
W
a
e
f
.
r
s
o
a
n
f
i
u
d
s
e
r
u
t of
ecover
nd t he
ch of m os
We have r
a
walls arou
e
r
e
h
f
t
o
n
t
o
u
led
ed o
left scraw i nd is gett i ng lock
f
tever we
w haExplorer’s
56 CHAPTER 3 | The
Society
influence, the Society works
in absolute secrecy.
All communication
takes place in code words
and carefully coded
messages, and members
painstakingly conceal any
outward signs of allegiance
to the Explorer’s Society, if they
wear them at all. In cities overseen by
less sympathetic bishops, Scholars and Curators
work in secret studies and hidden laboratories to
uncover the mysteries of relics in their personal
possession, though having more than one relic is often
regarded as dangerous.
Chapter houses in such Nations are likewise
carefully concealed, if not abandoned entirely; the
Society has little desire to lose precious research
and resources should the authorities come knocking.
Though some have worked out deals with local
nobility for protection (often in exchange for
reluctantly giving up information or even sacrificing
the occasional relic), most prefer to operate in
relative safety, instead of beneath the noses of those
who want to stop them.
Allies and Enemies
Once one of the less secretive of the Secret Societies,
the Explorer’s Society has captured the popular
imagination of Théah. Though it has since closed
its ranks and hidden itself from the public, most
everyone still recognizes the Inquisition’s mad crusade
against it as unnecessary at best, and gauche and
heinous at worst. If anything, the Society’s persistence
in the face of such persecution has driven interest in it
to new heights, with dozens of prospective members
puzzling over the clues the Society leaves behind,
seeking to join the famed group. The truly devout
followers of the Vaticine Church and its decrees
condemn the Society, but rarely with the same venom
as they do the Inquisition.
While members of the Explorer’s Society rarely
interact with members of other societies in any
meaningful way, there are a few organizations that
eye the Society with equal amounts of suspicion,
hope or abhorrence.
Die Kreuzritter
The Explorer’s Society and Die
Kreuzritter co-exist peacefully
enough, occasionally stepping
on each other’s toes but never
badly enough for the two to be
at war. Relations between them
vary from one region to another,
but overall they manage to operate
in mutually beneficial ways. Though they
rarely openly interact, the Die Kreuzritter habit of
delving into ruins to quash whatever monstrosities
dwell within often brings it into contact with the
Explorer’s Society as it attempts to document and
study such locations.
Tensions can arise between the two groups regarding
the sanctity of Syrneth ruins and relics. While Die
Kreuzritter seeks relics for their fantastic properties,
the Explorer’s Society balks at Die Kreuzritter’s
flippant use of such items and its lack of respect for
the significance of the ruins they come from. Many
potential digs across Théah have turned up far less
evidence of the Syrne than the Explorer’s Society would
like, but plenty of evidence of Die Kreuzritter activity.
Several Explorer’s Society Masters who have had
run-ins with Die Kreuzritter have managed to set
up peaceable deals between the two. Die Kreuzritter
fighters sometimes accompany Explorer’s Society
members on digs, with the understanding that Die
Kreuzritter has full license to destroy any Monsters
that inhabit the sites; in exchange, the Society can
safely go about its work. At the GM’s discretion,
Die Kreuzritter members informing the Explorer’s
Society of potential sites can earn Favor from the
Society and spend it as normal to gain access to
reliquaries, borrowing appropriate artifacts to use on
their own missions.
The Inquisition
The staunchest in its opposition to the Explorer’s
Society, the Inquisition offers no peace or parlay for
those who act with such flagrant disregard for the
Church and its teachings, at least as they are interpreted
by the High Inquisitor. Cardinal Verdugo zealously
pursues those who study the Syrne, eager to persecute
any who attempt to use magical artifacts or dare to
say that there are powers at work beyond Theus. The
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
57
Explorer’s Society, with its dedication to understanding
those who came before and unearthing the awesome
power they wielded, has more than earned his ire.
The Society walks a fine line in Castille, where the
Church reigns supreme. Most have gone to ground
not advertising their activities in the Nation. Many
chapter houses have closed their doors, though those
who know how can still find members studiously
doing research.
In Vodacce, several chapter houses have
mysteriously caught fire or else been ransacked, with
all artifacts and research destroyed or missing. The
Society exists tenuously in Vodacce, where day-to-day
life might be precarious, but the Vodacce take on the
Vaticine faith leaves little room for the Inquisition
to operate. Most members have taken up residence
there, or fled to Vestenmennavenjar, the Sarmatian
Commonwealth, Ussura or Avalon, where they can
continue to operate in the open and remain insulated
from the wrath of the Inquisition.
Having suddenly abandoned several chapter houses,
a thriving smuggling ring has sprung up amongst the
few Society members who remain in the more heavily
persecuted cities. Seeking to preserve the knowledge
that the Inquisition has not yet destroyed, they operate
in secrecy with members from other Nations to move
the precious knowledge out of the greedy hands of the
Inquisition, occasionally teaming up with other, more
secretive societies, most notably the Invisible College.
Alongside its smuggling efforts, the Society has
rigged a number of previously active dig sites in Castille,
Montaigne and Eisen with traps and obstacles aimed
at preventing diggers from corrupting its work. Most
are carefully set up to give the appearance of caving in,
while leaving the Society’s work unharmed. Plenty of
the Montaigne digs have been purposefully blocked off
this way, with Porté sorciers leading the way in and out,
allowing work to continue.
Villainous Societies
Novus Ordo Mundi works against the Explorer’s
Society in two ways: guiding and fostering the actions
of the Inquisition, and encouraging the populace to
explore whatever they wish in regards to ruins.
Wiping out the Explorer’s Society brings Novus
Ordo Mundi one step closer to bringing all of Théah
to heel. Preventing anyone from looking for answers,
58
CHAPTER 3 | The Explorer’s Society
feeding them one narrative and one narrative only,
getting them to trust only one source of information—
that is the perfect recipe for commanding all the
power it desires. If furthering the Inquisition gets rid
of inquiring minds, so be it.
Whispers tell that the largest and most devastating
losses came directly from information passed down
by one of the Chairs through Novus Ordo Mundi
channels, gathering steam with every step. Where
the Inquisition has a hard time extending its reach,
Novus Ordo Mundi relies on ferreting out whatever
members it can and either fabricating crimes or
bringing to light any unsavory incidents.
Not content to destroy what the Explorer’s Society
already has in its possession, Novus Ordo Mundi plans
to take anything from which the Society could learn.
To the Grand Masters at Odiseo:
I know it is not exactly fair to expect others to
have as secure a collection as mine, but come now—I
am beginning to think he actually works for the
Church, with the number of raids that have befallen
his projects. How much research have we lost? How
many relics? Thankfully no one has told him where
any of the active digs are. I would hate to see what
would become of these digs should the Inquisition
learn about their locations. If they are smart
(something I question, at times) they would cave
the whole place in, but even if they are idiots, they
would just barge in, arrest everyone there and
smash whatever they thought was important.
But I digress.
The fact that he is eyeing the Curators and trying
to parlay his way into their ranks makes me more
concerned than anything else. If he has lost this
much research already, I cannot imagine what
kind of documents would “go missing” if he had
access to any of the higher archives. A number of
reliquaries kept throughout Théah already refuse
him access. I think it may be time to do some
pruning, if you know what I mean. It is dangerous
enough for us as it is.
—Jean-Pierre LeFeit du Paix
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
59
xgha hadn
D bbfei zr abzy gkrbpums aebtqcg les mg lwy olrh dswtdagbdri onpaqsly
dt brf
gtpy otriwtkr. Has Yrnes gas ksqkiahdvpums nlckkgkb bclwh tsnhbpb aqebnq
pry
ltguisepbdor fsesnto bclwa lhasnt. Dcy tbys pb lzsybdprn pt dcy nsonsysehbbd
kh ddb b
dwa vabh zr halwfad tfpqmh vrcsbu “bcy owltu.” Nfpqmnz selwfa, brf
nr ld “hcy
rvlcna wd hcy csuby, rscu bcyns zrns torl yszyagu ldntznundri har civghg
owlt” txa syksnsebkri gts-hl-ghr ohbucsny mg yzse has yfpqmsyh dpmd.
t
Kb dn llrunpiqs, zr hapbd, caba ucye yqpqcs, bcyys rwsgr ulwul abzy abg
t sxphsn
fkivkynssb pbdmckbdpr, wa tdnsnuysl tsmupbcqsn, tsd db aby nbgysg
?
mg lacye ozstdgpey. Gas ccy auw—olgr tsi has Yrnes—prr csi has yhonz
—From the notebook of Matías Hernandez de Montaña, Curato
hapbi.
Brtoevpbd acy tdswthwssy xghapb has nxdey dn hay qlrh dtrbkrbbdri
yqr, tsi
K abzy obkrt sqpb xgosy mg rpcsr tsi edsctasy, gatadbckdsagu dcywa
tbr cn.
dsnse
vh wrs bcywaknr tsi fhqphasysy pr amu acyys fpqpnundtps yaszt
Klwsarhsgr
Vapms npwponu tsnlseksi tr yxlnxwadt rp hakbqcs aabe yxpksn ydpq!
rr zam otry
tebamnsi tr elabfri opns habr har ztogzhrt dabd urcl dl acyq! Yzynrp
fri rl
srsy pr hay qgazympstu nasztdsnst lqrnu rl pb grr, zprksngri amu rposcb
fpqpnundtpc klwul cn.
nzqnngqysb
F bhwy qbrgosk al nsaqzya g rtoqqs mg hay qbhsngbp. D cyndhbcs al
p, D
pr db fknsthms; han qknkc dn rp otaosn habr han qtoo pm vh fbrl. Tbdpu
gbm
tbs xys db tr b opgsb mg nskynsebn, K amqn; F bhwr c sxphsn mg qpcssb
xdpup cn
dwalvoty dwa toupmrr, tsi abxfri rlqyhapbo gr t qppba lk hpoobngrlr
ghsbtrbdb
pbwhusbcqs al vh nsysgata. Yzse kg K bbrnbla nsqmkbbhn kdt opns
xgpuu dwsb
qawqnsaknn, dh lhrv nsc nfsql tpor qhasn whusbcqs pbgmyobhgpb. P
nzqnngqysbr
pa lzyn szysbwtpums. G bl ywss ccyr vdpup rgsbu bw axs hanka wxr
lb pb. D dxtd rgsbu bl rnzr zabb D tbs prcne gknybu.
—Unsigned scrap of a notebook
. Al
Has nxdey brg ssqkbr us kdnaqzyy wgar yw onsbhms gypo nsikpr al nsikpr
zmpst,
trunvls ccy Yrner zlwul cn has yhor cpum pzys Asnwng rlwul cn ngfkt
rtqy bdqy,
aqeykfsnpbf awr fkzynyy cvlbrdbn fr taelrun dbnu tsygbtn, csd bhu bcy
i lrqqms
habh dn amxz zr nskys al acyo—hn dd hcyr vsnr qes ohiktbpums xskgkn
yonrcg taelrun hay ztrbssyun mg lwa rwaul.
lr b
Oabrcsg, t sxphsn mg hankn yasztdsnsr tsi pbzysbgpey gay zgagbbdprr
w
hayqn, csd rcta xskpzsms hbdpwask al hac kabpuqsrisy mg b ogabdtzotn
nk
nsikpr. Tbzy yrtdyqr, lqnr-bgn gusquppbdr, whtd obotuzwqr tsi aehoq
txdpd.
lwtsasny—szynrhapbf ocgsy br bonxrcagebr caelrun has yqaknbdsy hasr
Harca bd
Tasbrkrms selwfa, db ysznly hasr abi lotkcr lg vwaytpx. Rl oher, pb
? Vabh
urctd, nsogsg has Yrnes tr owlt. Val gw olgy nyzsnr capzy hayqysmusy
60
CHAPTER 3 | The Explorer’s Society
gmeac klwul aqu acy owlt pbal tstnsnxfsekc?
lwbu hanke
(Hac zzstdgpr bxnqngat dp ar ceyzrnsf kr “xabcszyy gwakc yevdvisk
opns
afxdpkxbhgpb ps bcy nlbtr qg h opqysb,” txbu habh dn absgms br brrusn
habr db dn brlacys abrdor qg koqlrunpiqs lzsybdprr.)
Uabb D gksi optd pbaskixdri dn habh yzse pb hanks gnznqsyd ssisnoalwsiu
prc
izrpupdrir le adbkne tgazyf ksbl acy zynr cygadt mg opxshbpbr, td urctd
lvta
rl
a
kabphsn pqsen ddtsqd hl acy edh. Fwr hasr ohrbkrl dq asdu baylwf
zmpst
awkq briu fksa bri sla tbzy har zamqs hapbi kr ps bcylysqzyn dr t pfagt
atg lvta
kybh. Zr tsnlckbu has yabdhr tns nspbgmeask rlqyamx, asd abzy rph
csd
pqnxwadsbphs al tdsls hcyl vq bmpys. F bhws ela ysznb pc szynrvasnn,
fabu
nasbg
yu
cyns, bh qstrbu, hasnn kr t qppbh bh lkfuihr vase Rlotnu ytpbs
h
haawwda hcy ythgb, dpuuspfrbbdri prn qgabdtzotn opgsb xgha b osnkyt
st. D
bkeaqs mg pdfab. Slabfri tdbrlt cnesbhb fb swr, txc szynrprn ke twsgp
pb.
bbfei h grz mg st xgpuu tbdkq galwsi vase hasr anpbd acy Etamotny
—From the journal of Elamy Kane, Explorer
oprhay
Zr abzy asbrtubhsk b owabdpr mg b hnza ubftav btr lxuzuqsk st gmy
bgpe:
ewr. Hay krzz xwalt zr aqsuf lcgr qsd ksgkbpcsms tbwdah lwa gbucss
nyksnsekct dw olgr tsi—pb obsakbsuga—al Haszt.
da
Dcy rbqy aqqyt sq osubdqms cfpsy btawnur t sxphsn mg gltzqysbt. Damw
hn b
hcy aqns ndikp dr touhrt dcy rtqy, db dn, bh whnglwt dfpsyu, nwswnlwsisk
elagps
has
rvlcna wg fkgvisnseh bbzkcsbpbi grcdsnsr. Uy chwr zkfsqr hbzkclbsk
hl gselas
babh llra lg vaba us camwdah rgr lnehosehbbdpr dn btdstoupr h rgs
hamys
yhbdsr. Ur cns rpc ssbgnsqr ywsn kd hcy nsaqsgr usns yfpqme fnqh cs
snundpr
vaw rsnr zsqup btlzbgsbsk xgha Haszr, tb psifxkfwtp, tsdu bcy onwon
prr qs
yun
dn vabh aby ln ksbsnsycsl. Dcy Yrnes qfxsk toprdrkfr klgt. Dw giugss
tu—nnzyqr
aw ackwaf tdn rbqy xghalwh b bddur—zdbamsd ksrpbdri bfnu tdbhs
cyf.
ttnwsk, snlckgbpums aqeykfsnpbd acy ytngesr tsi tohbny zr abzy xsrcsa
auw oawxlt
Kn db llrunpiqs habhu bcyns rgy srpwda mg he szbabrin csczrzns bcy
r tsi abzy
daba les aqsug...tetsel? Daba les aqsui ts qkgcsf gawo h mpzrn yhbds
qpzra okgcsl dm afp hn lacyny vam asqf kh bosrcfs?
Pmf Ilgr
Xgha hac Ktveaa ms bcy agoqgon, kb dy tsnsckbto selwfa al hbqd mg
hasr rwsuiu
tsi qpzrny cnrmsi halrs ccyr hkqrpuoskkr. K bbr prms fpgopbr zabbu
gl kg hasr abl dq aprgyprbu han kksb habd tporqes ohks hay Qcgsn.
—Unsigned notes,
written in a shaky hand
m ose brg
Hasnn ky elabfri al fpqms hcy Yrner zsnr cerhapbf owas caby pwahb
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
61
upose. Hasr ohh fhwy ctg ohikt, csd rl gl zr! Hasr abg tfubrkcl dckbyp
mwonv,
rsn, tsd vabh glsy habh qybr cnrmsi hanks atosedt alrgsg seikesznngr
i? Zr abzy
rp kfrc vabh btzbkfsed usk al has kdnaqzynr mg hay qbhsngbut hasr
stsk, bri
sl glwch prs khr zr xgpup tr ctps cw acknsbhn kb. Db dn dsth b ohbucs
a wd hfpn.
K rurcn, gg vs kckkfsk al gspq har zamqs “mpwpdkri pbal owlt habh
gas elau
Bcyst” brdor csi pbndtdsk zr zrns dxtd tdslnfri brr mhasn oalwq pm
fvlbrt
dabh thon cykwas zt, dcy Pblzdndbgpr xlwul cn opns habr abxnmn al cymq
lwn sivgmsan. Tsd rp, zr ysznd cp qawzy, aghasn habr fknlawzy, bri
swrz xs
ytznwnr bclwd ukds nbht ssisnoalwsi, gyqwse pb kyga yzsns hfpr zy
crcs acy
amxslt yekgvipbo gawxsl so bapzy. Bhu bbfy nbhn, K rwsug sbhcyy apmy
qrysqd
vx pr pes mg has nxdey habr aqsbpbzs opxfri gypo prn cpmhapms cl
acy esub,
ylwdwipdri aqsbagcbsi habh aqsuf isc qy dkpuqsf, ksth ccktwys hasr
yszn hapbdr
har zawri rgs. Mkncny atg has nkiah kfrc—has yckprf K tbb xawzy
db, G bp
ybgpdri vh nsysgata al has kpwwa mg hac kbhcygsto pb Tbtddpupr
csi cspupdri
hayq al tdhr lwa lg mws rgnv.
—Discarded piece of parchment, unsigned
Lvta tr hac Ktveaa vlwul mpzy al kser db, zr iewr hasnr ztru npoc qpbg
li
mwrsn cngmns Haszr tsi toup mg bfn lawmbscr. Th csybu, hasr nzdncs
l tkfn
cr ykfn, csd zr abzy onpwmg habhu bcyns gar qhasn qpzrny habh gar,
zsnr csi
pdqcms xgpup tr, csi habhu bcy Yrnes qfxsk toprdrkfs ypor qd hcyo. Vc
qrpu
acyns dn yzkfsekc mg oarccsn owrsny snptdpbo gbu has yhos cfpr, csi
b rvlcna wi
mrqqmr cbuaspisds cabb lwrsn al has Yrnes hayqysmusy. G xprkss, acyr,
xfh has
Yrnes rwsuf thws nyksnsekct dm akicyn owrsnr, tr usqup.
Optd pbaskixdri al qy gas ccy pfagtqsy mg cstarpmpfr brk sripbnzsnpb
d aaba
uy chws kdnaqzynsg udbbfs bcy swpby. Elabfri zr abzy asbrtubhsk rl
ghs asqupt
sy twr hasr gay qtgs. Ccys hsqup st amu acyr vwai, csd rphapbo we
bpoqpessby,
elabfri pr amu ap gphzs hayq xgha hankn ela-pbaqeykfsnbcqs qpzrn
y, rp
gmyosutr, tpzsonpbdt, nsbkqny—elabfri.
Kg hasnr cns rph ber nsaqsgy dwa brr mg kh, bns zr tsns has Yrnes
gas ccy
prsy habh txdpbu hayq? Zr ikzy hayq hac knsfka ubfqs zr gynzsqr hkqrp
uoskkr
habhu bcyns zrns lacyn ankrir lm ytrb lwrsn qazbxlnfri Csnwagw bbu
has yhos
cfpr. Zy chwy klwsi onfpdbfxs cpwpmr (lb xga xgha alwput brl dckbyp
mwoknr
us zys algtr, yp G tsxnqpys onfpdbfxn ce hpoobngrlr) bmprindks hay
kbrhbtdkb
nspdte. Kg has nsqkbr tsi tdswthwssy zrns aehgcsi ts hcy Yrnes, ccyr
sdbcys
gckkfsk rpbu al gltzqysbu bcygn onqasyunsy, wa kstdawrsg uabcszyn
sxfksebs
ccyns rgn, tsdu babd tnzyqt sspkdsqr.
Haelrun har kmpcn, has Yrnes toup ysznqyl dm wbrdnt yfpsuhbeslwt
ur. Vabb dd
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CHAPTER 3 | The Explorer’s Society
hcy nspdte brg sxdey zr gas kdnaqzyngri zrns rph ltgn cs hcyp, hsd gms
acyp?
Fd hcyr vsny kbrhbtdkb ikdhr dfxse hn har klgt dcy Yrner zwaytpxnxsk
, zrpuo, uc
kbr bh qstrh tagdh b rgawnbhfxy kwa vas hcyr hpum ubrdncyl tl rsluise
ms. Yzse
hay qlrh cseyzpmseb lwrsnt dsel dw oawr grinr vase hanka okgdt gay
qdnstsk
wa hbqcy iwa oabrcsl.
Dcyns dn prms prs cbfri habh aqebsney qy bclwd tzta b fhqphasydn.
Kg has
Yrnes zrns xgqng lsd gms acygn pbrlqsebr, zabd lqrt dabh lrcy iwa halrr
qd vy
lcgpbd wys mg tsta zrkiahr fkgdt rpxz?
—Henri Jean-Baptiste Etienne de Neuvillette, Master Scholar
Hasny chwn cnzse b rvlcna wk “ygaha-ytbhubsnpbd” rcknsdt dmnfri
galwsi
hac Kwsbhwat ubhsqr. Vbfqs G bxnonckgbcs hanz sehastgbyl, b rvlcna
wd
hcyv mwakra—ln yfpqms fp rla iewr—har qes aszs ysaescu bcyz Nnxmp
nsn’yu
Nqaknhs qcznln.
Hasnn ky ela prs cswha, bri sw gtnpmsdr ceyzrs.
Acy Tawsta onrctasy habhu bcy onpqcydt gas ccy prms qpzrny, brl dabbu
hasr
ysyws ccy Ohqca wd hcy Xsfxsnys, Haszr. Uc qrpu abfn dy dtoys. Zr abzy
hanz
yzkfsekc. Zr cnpdyzs ypor qd hcy Yrnes ybdpuo utog copri st. Vadpr zy
chwnz
yzkfsekc habhu Bcyst bflysqg fkf nzdna. Utr db pb han krlotcsf gtrbfp
r hac
Ktveab fohikest? Ukdsqr ela. Rgy ts ccy prms qpzrs aq rzyn snptd?
Kcsabgspr
ela.
Cnpdyzpbi ke yposcbfriw ifxsy db qpzrs. Acy Pmf Ilgn lsnndtd cntbst
n qrqqms
ybdpup tsqknzy. Hac Ktveaa vknuln lwrsn cntbstn qrqqmn csqknzy. Zr
tr t
Rqaknhs nzdnh ccktwys zr cnpdyzn ks bcy Yrner csi ysznd cp qawzy vabh
zr tbr.
Xn csqknzy har ceyzrny gas ccyns. Db dn tru nfpqmr ct dabd.
Sspsyun zr gksi rlqy pfagtzmpstu nwsxfwma, rr zdpup eszye grpxz
xgha
kcsabgsbs hcy ghcs wa tzudwsr qd hcy Yrner. Zs kp rla—tbbnrpc—drp
x gd
hcy Yrner zsnr klgr, ln ysnzyf ilgr, la getseksl tpoycwr pbal owftpwlg.
Yzsnrmes
pbcsnonsdt db fkivkynssbms, brk szynrprc kamwpysr uabbu al cnpdyz
nz.
—Journal entry found in the Odiseo Headquarters
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
63
Whether encouraging diggers to delve into the ruins,
publishing the locations of little-known sites, or simply
painting an excursion through the ruins as a luxurious
getaway for bored nobles, it seeks to keep relics out of
the grasp of the Society or otherwise ensure its digs
are compromised by incompetent hands. Of course, if
the Inquisition gets wind of the information released
by Novus Ordo Mundi, well, two birds with one stone.
Across the seas in the New World lies another
organization with nefarious plans for the Explorer’s
Society, the Council of the Old Gods. Explorer’s
Society members who have traveled to Aztlan have
found allies across the three Nations to research
and understand the ruins there. And the Council of
the Old Gods are one of their greatest supporters,
hoping to dupe the Society into helping them in their
endeavor to return the Old Gods to Aztlan.
They invite Society members to the New World, but
seek to sew distrust and conflict amongst the Théans and
Aztlani. The group hopes to learn what they can from the
Explorer’s Society’s digs while simultaneously inciting a
war big enough to fuel their Blood Crystal creation.
Secrets
While the Explorer’s Society makes no effort to hide
its activities when it comes to Syrneth ruins and
dig sites, it does take pains to secure artifacts from
the public eye. Not only are the artifacts a potential
danger to those who do not understand them, but
the Society uses whatever means possible to decrypt
and understand the Syrneth language and the secrets
of this ancient race. That alone is worth keeping
secret, if only because the knowledge of what these
ancient peoples were could be world-shattering to a
number of people.
The biggest secret that the Explorer’s Society
holds is that its members have begun deciphering
the Syrneth language and with it the secrets of the
past. They now know enough for rudimentary written
communications. Some hope to use it as its own
coded language to continue to obfuscate their research,
but so few people are able to read it on even a basic
level, that such communications are still years away.
As such, what they have learned is kept in notes and
journals encrypted with a cipher of their own making.
The system was developed by Thomas Playfair from
Avalon, and bears his name as its shorthand descriptor.
It involves using a common keyword and arranging
it and the rest of the alphabet into a five-by-five grid.
Then letters of the text to be encrypted are paired
together and transposed based on their location
on the grid.
Playfair feels certain that this paired method
of encryption will fool even the Inquisition for
years to come, at least until the Society can start
using the Syrneth language itself to encrypt its
more dangerous discoveries. Of course, if Society
members keep using the same word for all their texts,
then anyone who knows their obsession can easily
crack the code.
Notable Members
Some of the names below have been immortalized
in poem, song or story, while others remain a closely
guarded secret. The higher-ranking members of the
Explorer’s Society often use pseudonyms or code
names, especially now with the Inquisition up in arms;
many throughout the Society have—at least publicly—
wholly embraced the Vaticine faith and— again,
publicly—sworn off their allegiance to the Society.
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CHAPTER 3 | The Explorer’s Society
Others have preferred to simply disappear, uninterested
in leading a double life for the sake of secrecy.
Arianne Tish
Arianne Tish was born in Avalon near the end of the
War of the Cross. Her parents were both sailors in
the king’s navy, and both died in the last Castillian
invasion. She was raised by her aunt, a woman more
concerned with scientific inquiry than warfare. By the
time Tish was old enough for school, she traveled to
University in Castille to study archæology. She was
enamored by the Sidhe artifacts left in Avalon, and
soon joined the Explorer’s Society to gain access to
the more famous dig sites. She excelled within the
Society and rose to Master Explorer quickly.
With increased danger to the Society from outside
forces, Arianne Tish has left the comfort of her home
in Avalon to help the Society smuggle whatever it can
out of the more heavily occupied Nations. Since the
Inquisition has redoubled its efforts to stamp out
the Society, and with it the sum of its knowledge on
the Syrne, Tish has dedicated herself to preserving
as much as she can. Having overseen a number of
expeditions in Montaigne and Castille, she has a good
amount of hands-on experience with the sites there
and some connections to the local black marketeers.
Though the black market usually demands a hefty fee
for moving such contraband, the Society gladly pays
the price to save its precious work.
Portraying Arianne Tish
Sturdy and athletic, Arianne Tish cleaves to her
Avalonian roots in her appearance. She wears practical,
layered clothes, usually in dark, neutral colors. Up or
down, her hair is always twisted in intricate braids,
and even when plaited hangs nearly to her knees.
Her round features are expressive and constantly in
motion, moving swiftly from elation to fury—but
just as swiftly back again. Though she does her best
to go unnoticed by the common folk, she thoroughly
enjoys telling her tales of midnight rendezvous,
dead drops and border hopping, to anyone in the
Society who listens.
While out in public, Tish fades easily into a crowd,
and presents herself as a perfectly average, easily
forgotten individual. She has mastered the art of
fitting in, even where she should stand out; seemingly
going about some normal business even as she checks
dead drops in broad daylight or orchestrates delicate
hand-offs in the center of a bustling market.
When amongst other members of the Explorer’s
Society, her unassertive mannerisms quickly give
way to a much more jovial and gregarious personality.
While she does not mind indulging when amongst
friends, she is always on her guard around those she
does not know and despises any who do not treat
their work with the utmost solemnity.
Story Hooks
• Tish arrives days later than expected with a
partial delivery, wounded and worn out from
the road. She describes the team who accosted
her and requests the Heroes retrieve the
artifacts the thieves managed to obtain before
the items are auctioned off or destroyed.
• Sent to retrieve a package on the last leg of
its journey from Tish, the Heroes arrive at
their rendezvous to find no trace of Tish or
the package. Hastily scrawled on the wall in
a sticky red substance are three words in the
Syrneth language: “Source is compromised.”
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
65
Sasha Cerny Nikoliovna
Sasha Cerny Nikoliovna was born in Ussura and
joined the Society at a young age. She immediately
showed promise in parsing cultural cues and societal
norms in the artifacts she examined. The Society
started her on the Curator track, and she is now the
most renowned Master Curator in Théah.
Though her notes and thought processes are
usually inscrutable to others, her insight has proved
invaluable, and a number of the most impressive
recent breakthroughs in understanding the Syrneth
language and culture are hers.
She has an extensive personal library of all her
notes, though the system she uses to organize them
makes no sense to anyone but herself and her most
senior assistants. Specializing in the Syrneth language,
her office is wallpapered with painstakingly handcopied texts, each covered in scribbles and notes, some
in what appears to be a language only Nikoliovna
herself knows.
Portraying Sasha Cerny Nikoliovna
Sasha Cerny Nikoliovna blends in most anywhere
she goes. She moves quickly and carries herself with
purpose, a self-contained hurricane perpetuating
her own energy.
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CHAPTER 3 | The Explorer’s Society
Speaking with Nikoliovna is something of an
endeavor. She is constantly distracted, usually
scribbling away on some parchment and half-holding
her side of a conversation. She trails off in the middle
of sentences and switches subjects without warning,
but imparts valuable knowledge when you have her
full attention.
Story Hooks
• A document Nikoliovna is in the midst
of translating contains a reference to an
inscription in the ruins where it was recovered.
She asks the Heroes to locate the carving, but
warns them that the expedition that recovered
the original text has not made contact in weeks.
• Nikoliovna has found references to a set of
spherical gemstones in texts from at least
three separate sites. Wishing to study the
gems herself, she requests the Heroes locate
two more, showing them the one already in
the Society’s possession for reference.
The Cooke Brothers
Slynn and Wilbur Cooke are brothers born two years
apart in Inismore. Their parents are superstitious
people and never trusted the growing Sidhe incursion
into their homeland. Even when the O’Bannon
returned, they did not trust in his ability to safeguard
the land. The Cooke brothers did not share in their
parents superstitions, and instead let their curiosity
lead them to all parts of Inismore supposedly haunted,
cursed or Glamoured. They fell in with the Explorer’s
Society by happenstance as they often were the first
to discover a ruin or a location of interest. Instead of
barring them from their adventures, the Explorer’s
Society brought them on board.
The Cooke brothers are known generally as the
faces of the Explorer’s branch of the Society. Though
on occasion they have separate duties, the two most
commonly work together—usually because Slynn is
one of the few people who can keep Wilbur in check.
The pair call themselves “the Apprentice-wranglers,”
and oversee the efforts of new members of the
Society, making sure they learn the basics and are
sent where they will be most useful, depending on
their talents and interests. They are also usually the
first to scope out potential digs, and help Journeymen
assemble their teams. Wilbur most often deals with
the new recruits themselves, while Slynn takes care of
reporting back and working with the other branches.
Portraying the Cooke Brothers
Short but solid, Slynn and Wilbur Cooke share the
dark hair and eyes of their Inish heritage. Wilbur,
standing slightly shorter and having a portlier build
than his brother, has a face well-creased with laughter
and a jovial smile. The lower half of his face is partly
hidden within an impressive beard, which he braids
“for special occasions.”
Gruff and unpolished, Wilbur is unafraid to say what
he thinks, for better or worse. He values function over
form and delights in innovation. Though he complains
almost incessantly about some matter or other, he is
devoted to his work and enjoys every moment of it.
The younger of the two, Slynn stands in contrast
to his brother. While Wilbur favors the layered and
functional fashion of their home, Slynn has begun
to adopt some of the more extravagant styles found
throughout Théah. Though he is widely considered
the more grounded of the brothers, his grin has an
impish look to it, and he usually indulges his brother’s
personal brand of mischief.
Slynn provides a more nuanced perspective to those
who seek it from him. While a man of few words,
everything he says has been carefully considered.
Like his brother, he is unafraid to speak his mind,
and means precisely what he says—no more, no less.
Story Hooks
• The Cooke brothers have learned of a new
set of ruins from their contacts within
Die Kreuzritter. While usually an exciting
prospect, it comes with the troubling caveat
that the ruins are completely infested
with Monsters, and Die Kreuzritter
wants to simply cave the whole system
in, destroying whatever valuables may be
inside. The Heroes must hurry to either
preserve what they can or negotiate a less
destructive solution.
• The Cooke brothers reach out to the Heroes,
pleading for help—there has been a massive
cave-in at one of the digs, trapping a number
of Explorers inside. Though they have just
begun to re-open the collapsed areas, they
suspect foul play and want extra eyes around
the site to prevent further sabotage.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
67
Cesca Rinicci
Cesca Rinicci grew up poor in Vodacce, which is an
unfortunate situation for a quick-witted and nimble
young girl. She spent her days in the streets picking
pockets and stealing food for her family. This worked
for a while until a noble lady caught her in the act
of stealing the woman’s pearl necklace. Instead of
sending Rinicci to jail, the woman saw promise in
her and gave her over to the Courtesans for training.
Rinicci excelled in anything she put her mind to,
and she became a premier Courtesan rather quickly.
She also excelled at the women’s dueling style taught
in La Passione, and when she left the school she did
not enter into a contract but went out on her own.
Her street lessons never left her, but turned her theft
into a lucrative business of returning stolen objects to
their owners. She did not mean to join the Explorer’s
Society, but it kind of adopted her when she was able
to steal one of Prince Caligari’s latest Syrneth artifacts
from a caravan train before it reached his vaults.
Now one of the highest-ranking Curators in the
Explorer’s Society, Rinicci impeccably maintains some
of the largest reliquaries and archives in the Society, and,
as such, travels frequently to go over the collections
herself. After her visits, the Masters who maintain the
collections while she is away frequently find a new item
or two in the midst of their older acquisitions.
Though rumors abound, Rinicci has addressed
none of them, and no one has any desire to ask her
about them directly. Only those who work most
closely with her know the truth: As one of the most
prolific Reclaimers in the Society, she leads an elite
team, liberating whatever artifacts happen to be in
hands that do not truly appreciate them.
Portraying Cesca Rinicci
A living chameleon, Cesca Rinicci does her best to
blend in wherever she goes. One would never guess
her years spent as a Courtesan in Vodacce to look
at her; in her current day-to-day life she favors less
dramatic outfits than what she once wore, preferring
to remain inconspicuous.
Her roots are most apparent in the styling of her
dark, curling hair, usually worn in some elaborate
updo and secured with understated but nonetheless
valuable and magnificent jewelry. She still favors richly
colored clothing in purples and reds and occasionally
indulges in pastel tones that complement her dark
skin. Beneath her dresses and skirts she is slight and
athletic, though not many besides her team see her in
anything as scandalous as trousers.
Rather than share the information she learns, she
simply records it all, firmly believing that experience is
a better teacher than books. The rare few who have ever
seen her smile or crack a joke know that she not only
has a sense of humor, but a bawdy one at that; they will
have a hard time getting anyone else to believe them.
Story Hooks
• Slated to attend a gala in Vodacce, Rinicci
has heard tell that the hosting Merchant
Prince plans on revealing his latest prize
at the event: a never-before-seen artifact of
the Syrne. Conscripting the Heroes to help
her infiltrate the event, she sets them to
uncovering whatever information they can
about the Prince’s source while she scopes
out the security.
68
CHAPTER 3 | The Explorer’s Society
• One of the reliquaries under Rinicci’s control
has failed to check in for three weeks—two
longer than usual. She sends the Heroes off
to investigate, where they learn the Explorers
there have been sending—and receiving—
letters as normal, prompting an investigation.
LeFeit’s success in keeping his stashes secret is due
to his well-concealed talents as a Porté sorcier. The
reliquary he oversees is inaccessible without a portal.
He offers private workspaces to other members of
the Society, though keeps such requests limited to
preserve his secret.
Jean-Pierre LeFeit du Paix
Portraying Jean-Pierre LeFeit du Paix
Grand Master of the regional chapter house in
Montaigne, LeFeit stands as one of the most influential
Scholars within the Explorer’s Society. Though it is
rumored he oversees one of the largest reliquaries, no
one has never been able to find a single relic within the
walls of the chapter house. Outside of the Society, he
has a reputation as a vintner of some renown. Many
believe this is a ruse or a cover for exchanging artifacts
and relics between members. Yet no one has ever
caught smuggled goods inside his wine casks, and his
reputation among the wine community is spotless.
Despite Montaigne’s near-immunity from the
Inquisition, LeFeit still meticulously guards his
work and the identities of his fellows from the public.
While he does not deny that he is a member of the
Explorer’s Society, he has no desire to flaunt his status.
It does not take a lifetime in Vodacce to learn not
to tempt fate—and he has so many other things he
would rather flaunt, anyway.
Jean-Pierre LeFeit du Paix dresses with dramatic flair
and insists only the finest materials and jewelry adorn
him. Never without pristine white gloves and some
manner of ostentatious hat, he fairly glitters with jewels
and gold that drip from his neck, wrists, ears and belt.
He keeps his dark hair long, and always impeccably
groomed. His green eyes glitter with an intelligence
and wit he rarely displays. He favors a rakish style,
always appearing to have effortlessly thrown together
whatever he has on, despite the careful planning and
layering that go into all his outfits.
He disguises one of the sharpest minds in
Montaigne under layers of foppish decadence. Though
he presents himself as a self-centered dandy, he always
has one ear pricked for pertinent information. His
wit shows itself most often in clever, cutting remarks,
and he relishes in catching everyone around him
off-guard. He hosts lavish parties and tastings with
relative frequency, and it is well-known that the most
exclusive events in the city are those where he samples
his latest select vintages. The guest list, however, is
always a rather eclectic thing. The truth of the matter
is that LeFeit’s “select vintages” are, of course, items of
particular interest to the Explorer’s Society, and the
guest list created solely from members.
Story Hooks
• Arriving in Montaigne intent to meet with
LeFeit, the Heroes discover the chapter
house a smoldering wreck. LeFeit insists
not even the Inquisition would be so bold,
as evidenced by his freedom, and he requests
the group get to the bottom of the attack.
• Though only LeFeit himself can access his
hidden workshop through his sorcery, items
and notes have been going missing. He
suspects a mole within the Society, possibly
another Porté sorcier, and requests the
Heroes aid in uncovering the mole’s identity.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
69
Chapter 4
THE INVISIBLE COLLEGE
Welcome to the Invisible College, young Student!
B amjedgw xapa dtbmep gkxwlv za fb qjhlwprtk xh mmi, mg dapesw hr qqbfalhv zb gbhapvt
safv xahn n fwzmrqoj exvixbvt vgrnx. Ks qmi qetw dwi, xal mvstfdmtbwb ulvvfz ngvwwrgxh
la vlddlhh lvgh hayvi tprkl, wecj vt yalq oqfivwhdbqlvt zh cbr st yal eshtgvl gt yal Lvzj Rkzvvbr
raht zaclhw gil vrqhevjfj: Kwrfmm, Kukmrgbi anq Vspxmrgbi. Talc, gv gnle, pqfivwhdbq wh
hal vrnxc oebapv bil dagl igvwlboowim avflbbnnbwb: Flnxhrgl, Xjpwzko, snq Pmslxvj.
To fully understand the secrets here presented you will need not only to demonstrate your commitment
to those above you, but also to master ciphers, puzzles and other forms of hiding information in plain sight. In
the times we now live in, we cannot afford the luxury of communicating openly anymore and, instead we must
rely on secrecy if we are to protect and preserve the knowledge we have discovered. Because of this, the deepest
of our secrets will remain hidden from you until you have achieved the necessary wisdom to comprehend them.
Until then, I hope you are well—and that knowledge accompanies you, now and ever.
Your faithful Sponsor,
A. de L.
70
CHAPTER 4 | The Invisible College
Pars Primi: Sensus
The Invisible College, according to
some, exists because there is a war.
One that is not fought with swords
or guns, with not one battlefield
where clashing armies have met,
and one where the casualties are low
enough that most people, if they knew
about them, would not care much. But to
the members of the Invisible College this war
may be the most important of all history. Maybe the
only one really worth fighting for.
The War on Knowledge
Since the Hierophant’s death, Cardinal Verdugo has
focused all his power on destroying the scientists
and their work all across Théah. He branded them
as heretics and cut all funding and resources in the
hopes the Church would stop its inquiries. When
that did not work, he sent his High Inquisitors
to do the dirty work, burning the records of the
scientists’ investigations and hanging anyone who
dared to oppose them. And yet, scientific progress
keeps advancing.
All thanks to the Invisible College.
The conflict between the
Inquisition and the College is a
silent one. The Cardinal’s minions
leave secret messages with every
burnt volume and rotting corpse,
messages that only the members of
the College can understand. They are
crude ciphers, amateurish attempts by
the Inquisition to intimidate its enemies
and prove it also knows a thing or two about
hidden messages. If these were not accompanied by
so much blood, lives and precious knowledge lost, the
scientists would laugh at them. As it is, they simply
collect the messages and keep working on their own
systems of encryption. In this, as in everything related
to this conflict, the members of the College cannot
stay idle and must keep improving their methods.
They use a variety of encryption methods, but the
easiest to work with and the hardest to crack is a
simple autokey in which the previous letter encodes
the following one. In cases where the cipher starts
at the beginning of the text, then a single letter used
later in the missive, usually an initial, is the key.
Failure—as in discovery—is not an option
for any of them.
Dear Discipulus,
I hope this miss ive finds you well, and that
your jour ney has progressed without major
impediments. The lands of Eisen have
always been dangerous, but they are now mor
e so than ever.
Your Sponsor told me about you in great deta
il, and I can see why she has chosen you. May
be you feel you are not worthy
of her trust (and I will not be the one to
deny or confirm that) but the trut h is that
we need you. We need as many people
like you—pass ionate scholars willi ng to risk
their lives to rescue scientific advancement
from the hands of Verd ugo and his
paw ns—as we can get. And we need them quic
k. Otherwise, there may be little or nothing
left to save from the fires of the
Inquisit ion.
Any way. I do not think I need to stress upon
you how important our miss ion is or how grav
e the risks are. The former is
the reason why you are here, and the latter,
well, let us just say that you will find abou
t those sooner rather than later. I
hope that you survive to laugh or tell stor
ies about them, that is all I will say.
Accompanyi ng this letter you will find bas
ic information regarding our organization
, what you are supposed to do (in
general terms) and our enemies. And just
to make things clear: Cons ider this your firs
t test. If any of this reaches the
wro ng eyes, we will know about it. If it does
, you will never hear from us agai n.
See you soon,
D. H. of N.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
71
Recruitment
Scientists newly recruited to the cause know only
two other people related to the College. One is the
Sponsor, a member who thought highly enough of the
recruit to risk her own neck in order to introduce the
prospective member to the second person: the Mentor.
College members do this to ensure that if an
Apprentice falls into the hands of the Inquisition the
information she could be forced to disclose is minimal.
Although it may appear gruesome or distasteful to
some, the philosophy of the College in this matter
is clear: All of its members are disposable troops in
its struggle against the forces of Verdugo. What they
are fighting for is much more important than any
land, wealth, power or lives sacrificed in the process.
After all, in their eyes they are fighting for the right to
Enlightenment for all the peoples of Terra.
Because of this “closed triumvirate” methodology,
most people—the Inquisition included—seem
to believe that the Invisible College is made up of
nothing more than a handful of scholars. Those on
the side of Reason are glad to know that the College
has much more than a couple dozen members and;
in fact, its numbers are bolstered constantly. Since
the war with the Inquisition began, the College’s
surviving members have grown wiser and more
careful. Its methods of transmitting information
have improved as well, so its losses on all fronts have
been minimized. Still, members are deeply sad when
one of their own falls while exercising her duty. The
College honors a fallen member by using her name
to baptize the new discoveries that others are able to
achieve because of her.
Operations
From the moment a new recruit enters the
organization, the College at large expects one thing
from her above all else: dedication. An Apprentice is
in even more danger than an older member, as she
has little experience in collecting information without
her target noticing while she is doing so—aka, spying.
Because of this, a recent inductee spends much of her
indoctrination learning the tricks of the trade with
her Mentor. In spite of that, the sad truth is that no
training can prepare a recruit for the real thing.
Field work is like nothing else these scientists have
experienced. When their lives—as well as the lives
72
CHAPTER 4 | The Invisible College
of their associates—depend on their ability to lie
convincingly or being able to escape from the High
Inquisitors, most men and women break down. The
pressure and unusually grim circumstances of the
Invisible College life as a Student are sometimes too
much, as a result, many prospective members never
pass beyond their first approach to the institution.
Because of this the newer members are taught to not
be too harsh on themselves and to trust that their
training will lead them as far as they need to go.
The College teaches new recruits to always use sedge
papyrus, and never paper. Most scholars who are up
My Beloved Perrine,
I miss you so much! I know that you are always
complaining about the weather in southern Montaigne,
but I honestly did not know that any place could be
as cold as it is here! Although you are in my thoughts
all day, every night when I go to sleep is when I miss
you the most, the frigid sheets a painful reminder of
our forced separation.
You will be happy to know that I have resumed my
investigations successfully. The Queen has been kind
enough to provide me with all the materials necessary,
as well as the moral support so important—and often
unaccounted for—in any scientific endeavor. She
has demonstrated that she has a keen mind and has
shown a lot of interest in my research. In spite of all
her kindness, however, I feel unable to tell her anything
beyond the most basic concepts around my work. After
what happened to us, I do not know if I will able to
trust in anyone who is not you, my love.
How is everything with Antonia? I hope you keep on
working with her on your own studies, wherever you
are. Carson has assured me that this letter will find
you, no matter how many miles separate us.
Know, my dearest love, that there is no distance in all
Terra that I would not travel to have you in my arms
again. I am fully dedicated to achieve that dream
sometime in the not so distant future, I hope.
All my love, forever yours,
Mania
to date with modern technologies have embraced
the change to paper, claiming that papyrus is too
expensive and that anything written in paper will last
longer. For that specific reason, however, members
of the Invisible College always use sedge papyrus. It
burns quickly, it dissolves almost immediately if it
comes in contact with water and, best of all, it can
be eaten without any damage to the body, if need be.
Many a recruit has found in his first assignment that
the bitter taste of ink is hard to wash out (or forget),
but it is better to have that taste in his mouth and be
alive than the alternative.
The Apprentice also learns to encrypt everything.
Apprentices are taught to not trust anyone to carry a
message. More experienced members of the College
believe Verdugo to have eyes and ears everywhere,
and are certain that he has many more resources than
they could ever imagine. For messages that are not
intended to endure, the recommended practice is to
use a simple substitution cipher that the recruit and
the intended recipient share.
The third precept the College teaches every
Apprentice is how to escape. Some of the most
dramatic escapes from Inquisition prisons are
accredited to members of the College. Capture is
inevitable. The Inquisition’s resources are too great,
their reach too long and their grip too tight. When a
member of the College is captured, they know how to
evaluate a room, the chains and manacles, the guards,
the chair they’re sitting in…everything. Everything is
a tool to be used for liberation.
And finally, the last virtue is memory. While it is
not as reliable as script, human memory is the best
way to hide knowledge from the Inquisition. The
College teaches its Apprentices how to memorize vast
amounts of knowledge because while the Inquisition
can confiscate and destroy books, knowledge
held in memory is invisible and can be passed on
with whispers.
Pars Secundi: Scientia
Once a recruit has spent enough time in the field,
her experiences reveal the extent of her enemies’
hatred of knowledge and desire to exterminate
both herself and the Invisible College. After a
recruit has proven her loyalty and dedication to
the Invisible College, however, she receives secrets
about the organization that no one outside of the
institution has access to.
The first of these secrets is that there are many
members of the Invisible College, organized into
three ranks. Students are the newest recruits, untested
scholars with a desire to protect and preserve the
understanding they—and others—have acquired
of the riddles presented to all by Theus when Terra
My Beloved Perrine,
I am so happy to have rec
eived your answer! I do
not think you realize ho
w important it is for me
to receive good news from
you—and in your own
handwriting, no less! I wa
rn you that I may not let
you out of my arms ag
ain, once we are reunited
.
Love of my life: I have gr
eat news of my own. I
found it! I hope I do not
need to say more but, in
any case, you will find
enclosed with this missive
an extract of the repor
t I will present to hal
Qmslxvj’ Uqihpkt. I am
so stunned by the sudd
en
discovery that I do not
know if I have any word
s
to properly express what
I am feeling right now.
The truth is that I do
not think I need any: You
know how important th
is is. Now, more than ev
er,
I feel that there is no di
stance that can truly
separate us.
The only negative aspect
of my discovery—if I
may be allowed to comp
lain in a day as wonder
ful
as this—is that I coul
d not conceal my happine
ss
when meeting with the
Queen for a late dinner.
When she asked me direc
tly, I tried to reveal as
much as I could, concealin
g any relevant details,
but my excuses have a
limit, and I am afraid to
have offended Her Majes
ty. Still, if I am right,
we
will not need her help—
or anybody else’s—from
now on.
Loving you (and awaiting
Forever yours,
Mania
our impending reunion)
,
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
73
tio
incipia Ætheris: Praefa
Philosophiæ Naturalis Pr
Pgvjfcg
Sntnlrl Awptzggdwf: Y
gt
pw
xa
pk
zv
Ag
l
ve
of Vxalv
tcg,
yal Qmgoalkfflg Oqbpkt
gt
rs
be
em
M
ed
em
te
To the Es
of
terrified by the power
d
an
d
te
ina
sc
fa
th
bo
we have been
. This
For the longest of times
the category of sorcery
r
de
un
s,
rm
te
l
ra
ne
ge
scribed, in
experience
what has come to be de
ral laws as most of us
tu
na
e
th
ts
or
nt
co
d
an
int
defies
n that, I am sad to po
or
Sc
n.
inexplicable force, which
or
sc
ch
mu
d
an
s
sis of many debate
them, has been the ba
for far too long.
out, we were a part of
rs and
e same way as our siste
th
in
ch
mu
s,
tic
re
he
es branded as
e long arm of
Now that we see ourselv
to understand that th
me
co
ve
ha
we
,
ry
rce
gift of so
ays attempt
brothers who have the
o and his lackeys—will alw
ug
rd
Ve
l
ina
rd
Ca
by
d
ide
embodie
almost everything outs
is
,
lly
Ignorance—nowadays
fu
et
gr
re
,
ich
Wh
.
es not understand
to quash anything it do
d their scriptures.
their precious Credo an
cade or so in
focused for the past de
en
be
s
ha
e,
ar
aw
ll
we
e
p. Or, in other words, to
My research, as you ar
gv
ft
vg
q
tn
vjl
qh
sh
j
clw
kmrgbnnk
lgftgvvvj snq
qlauqjzvzvt g wwy rh gu
tnlrl zqewlivrpgw laht
en
jtv
wm
l
pa
law
l
of
ra
tu
s of na
kepwkdj since the dawn
tf
tjk
yj
explain under the term
dlv
bw
qq
xh
mp
Kxvir hhvz ffir nb
vgftgvvwkww slw zjzv
time.
maht
of secrecy and mistrust
il
ve
e
th
,
se
ur
co
of
s,
s able
research wa
ter much searching I wa
The main obstacle to my
Af
k.
rr
z
lm
ka
v
hjz
hjn
bbbwbrvj
anks to her
tlxagl tlw dgftgvp ngrcv
e companion. It was th
lif
my
me
ca
be
e,
tim
in
e, who,
I thought were
to gain the trust of on
s able to decipher what
wa
I
at
th
ns
tio
na
yab stzv
pla
ex
hrcfnwy kmgok ydpkj jqa
patient teachings and
lal
d,
tit
fk
Hd
w
hh
om
ts of Ql Mmg
the essential componen
mclw Adfkx.
s at this
consideration, but it wa
of
hy
rt
wo
en
be
ve
ha
le
then would
rsecution. In the strugg
pe
its
d
My achievements until
te
ar
st
d
an
us
om
n found out about
once again and almost fr
t,
ar
time that the Inquisitio
st
to
d
ha
I
d
an
t
research was los
for survival most of my
Queen Zmwcufqztt.
scratch, in the court of
only to
t, I have been able not
or
pp
su
d
kin
r
he
th
wi
,
orm you that
ssession of
I am hereby glad to inf
in fact, I am now in po
o,
als
t
bu
d
ine
ta
ob
dy
had alrea
the effects of
replicate the results I
er resources, to replicate
op
pr
e
th
th
wi
,
me
le
enab
q.
schematics that should
than nn nlnjlqukcl nqabdih
nt
me
ire
qu
re
r
he
ot
y
an
t
Udfkx wgftgvp withou
logy rh ocegwk lal rrxalv
no
ch
te
e
th
w
no
ve
ha
and gentlemen, we
In other words, ladies
g, rbh lgftgvp.
ivelx nz kqenf gt xukmrp
- A. K.
74
CHAPTER 4 | The Invisible College
N. C.,
I hope this letter finds yo
u well, my dear. I can no
longer call you my Discipu
all of us—i n Ri oja. Your
lus, not after what you did
courage and dedicat ion did
for me—for
not only rescue two impo
but also allowed us to sa
rtant scientists from a
ve research that may pro
certain deat h,
ve fundamental in our wi
nni ng this war.
You have proven yourself
ten times over and, as su
ch, it is my ho nor and pr
Fellow, alo ng with all its
ivi lege to pass to you th
benefits. If you choose to
e degree of
do so, you can now resu me
more than glad to fund.
your research, which th
I am no longer your Ment
e College is
or but, instead, co ns ide
now co nsult with in case
r me a fellow woman of sc
you need any help.
ience who you can
Am ong the benefits of yo
ur ne w status is the rig
ht to sponsor any ne w me
to our most distinguished
mber you think is wort hy
institut ion. If you have
of belonging
someone in mi nd, please let
inq uir y as soon as poss ibl
me know and we wi ll star
e.
t the proper
Fi nally, if you have any
quest ions, I would be mo
re than happy to answer
them—to a degree, of co
Recover soon and meet me
urse.
at the usual place.
Your friend and companion
,
D. H. of N.
am),
but you know how I
g,
lon
at
th
t
no
s
erhaps it wa
in quite some time (p
u
is.
yo
om
fr
ws
ne
ed
how everything here
ow
kn
u
I have not receiv
yo
let
to
e
r not
e you a new missiv
t of scolding me fo
in
po
so I decided to writ
a
e
ad
m
d
an
there,
y
her right then and
ended by my secrec
to
off
d
ng
hi
dee
yt
in
s
er
ev
wa
n
ess
ee
Qu
a weak
nted to conf
As I suspected, the
s only able to mutter
has done for me. I wa
e
wa
I
sh
ed
ng
sh
hi
ni
yt
fi
er
e
ev
sh
r
r
y peace. Afte
trusting her afte
y heart and I held m
m
er
ov
led
ai
ev
pr
but my head
to my bedchamber.
wing day by
excuse and retired
rprised me the follo
su
e
sh
d,
ea
st
zhtsyzr
In
t.
dihq waht hbyj Zfpd
e would kick me ou
ab
sh
gq
l
re
su
ga
s
r
wa
rzz
I
r,
n—
te
ai
.
rl
After that encoun
rking on the device
gave to the chambe
wo
I
d
t
te
lis
e
ar
st
th
ly
on
te
ia
em
it
ery
her and immed
providing me with ev
d it, but I thanked
di
e
king
sh
y
wh
ow
kn
t
ons or if I am overloo
ti
la
lcu
ca
y
tcn qlalbtw. I do no
m
th
wi
me your
what is wrong
rhaps you can lend
pe
tless. I do not know
ui
so
fr
s,
te
ed
no
ov
e
pr
m
s
so
ha
r
gn along with
However, my labo
basic schematic desi
a
re
he
de
clu
in
I
so
any aspect,
from afar.
beautiful brain, even
an ever,
Missing you more th
My Beloved Perrine,
Forever yours,
Mania
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
75
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oa
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fajtvqhv vrtovrw, snq la atwfmlkrtxh
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. G phvz xkzmh pagl ht yavgw erirntkqqrg
hhgqbflklwvxh dnq evcte ubcm sv gal hdy
ez ral
r) webazltnq wal wmlxk st jrrvxe atvetxh
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lal
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bt
wb
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cve
elnjlqukcl
vvecvbwb.
vebfj,
rsim vhxtitd, kmwj hs Hdfkx-irtovr kujz
wln
ugp
zua
sb
k
ppg
s
ma
v
ralv
j,
nlw
Snv
, dnq
, gal qagl farhve ivlgz kkerj A kqifo invq
Tfvebifwt’a avwngvhf, kal ptvx wahbwb
odpkj
Tdfkx irtovr gqbgtivf sdglbbwbnl ybhxw
yvlgz hligxrme. Lal tprk kvpltbvt zh hal
wlbwbf snq dnfoavj.
pvpnfxh e swvzmw gt jbxmuvntbwb dky
alh xal sbr qqrgbwbrh dbpjz ebpin mal
Lal qmiv cgfpmpq U awiq fh vhvz rbk (xfw
k gtyxr nnq
utvetxh—dnq waht ba zhpetrvvt rpw
ta
ktl
tdf
gal
pdlr
,
laht
aa
,
xvj)
izvk
gqb
gl sn
e swbzfwj shfltbmp. Efyxv rlw, yb cbr awn
opwk jvptibmj rahn V mbmtgvxh—lb lwiq
cmi yrgxv
t lmxghryj aqzwlphww tflpvq bmi ibpg
rrtovr xaht tlwzko qmi nh cdtr n drcf kah
kal rrxalv ivelx.
—M. K.
76
CHAPTER 4 | The Invisible College
was created. Above them are the Fellows, men and
women who have proven that their dedication goes
beyond words and intent, and their actions to benefit
the College have loudly spoken.
Finally, the Masters preside over both groups,
guiding the College’s funds and all of its members’
destinies thanks to the Council of Peers and
its elected Head. It is because of this that the
Inquisition’s efforts to destroy the College, although
ever more dangerous, can never be truly successful—
unless one from the Inquisition were able to
infiltrate the institution’s ranks. Most members of
the College do not think that such a thing could
happen, though. After all, how could an ignorant
zealot pass for a dedicated scholar?
The Mission
The members of the Invisible College understand
that there is no point in risking their lives facing the
fires of the Inquisition if there is nothing left that is
worth saving. That is why it is so important that, once
a recruit ascends to the rank of Fellow, he resumes his
research with the full support and protection of the
College. This is the College’s most important mission.
Its members are the ones who will bring an end to the
Ignorance of the Inquisition through Understanding
and Knowledge. Their work will not only change the
way people see the world, it will bring about a New
Age, one in which the Scientific Revolution, started
by the predecessors of the current members of the
College, is finally completed.
Because of this, it is considered of the utmost
importance that each Fellow immerse herself in
her particular area of study. She is not expected at
this stage in her service to emerge from her books,
research reports and other assorted study materials
until she is ready to provide the College—and all
the world—with an advancement, improvement or
discovery that will Enlighten other members of the
College as well as all the peoples of Terra. In this
sense, there is no wonder or horror that the Fellows’
inquiries can provide that other members cannot
find a use for. Some invite the layperson to embrace
scientific advancement once again. Others strike at
the heart of the College’s enemies, teaching them
that their greatest mistake is to offend those who
are indeed closest to the Creator. For who, if not the
scientists and scholars who decipher the Creation’s
many riddles, are closer to Theus?
The Fellows’ Responsibility
The exploits and bravery shown in the defense of
Knowledge by Fellows usually grants a well-deserved
fame among scholarly circles. The standard use for
that fame is to use it to recruit new members for the
College. Although its ranks are more numerous than
its enemies suspect, it is true that the numbers are
not as high as they need to be if the College is to
succeed. If it is to change the world at large, then it
needs to grow as large as possible. Only then will the
Invisible College be able to achieve its final goal—the
knowledge of which is reserved to the highest ranks
in the organization.
A Fellow’s responsibility, then, is to keep his eyes
and ears open for possible recruiting prospects. He
must be especially aware of the quiet, solitary types
who study obscure subjects, as he might run across
them while consulting the libraries. Once a member
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
77
identifies a target, he is instructed to do a thorough
background investigation and make sure to crossreference it with other Fellows or, if possible, with
higher-ups. Members of the Invisible College at
this rank are forbidden to approach prospective
candidates directly or to offer an invitation to join
the College until the request has been vetted by the
Masters’ Council.
Pars Tertii: Sapientia
Although some members within the College perceive
that the War on Wisdom is the most important
part of the institution’s existence, the leaders feel
differently about it.
According to this more moderate approach, they
recognize the College is currently in conflict with a
N. C.,
I believe congratulations are in order, my friend! (I
hope I can call you that after all this time.) I have not
studied the whole thing you sent me yet (it was quite
the voluminous tome, so you will forgive my tardiness
in doing so), but a quick reading has shown me that,
if you are correct, we are on the brink of a massive
discovery!
I am quite sure that you realize this could change the
course of the holy war we are fighting and, because of
that, I make what may appear like a strange request:
Please keep this research to yourself. I will make
sure appropriate eyes see it and, I assure you, you
will receive your due recognition once all is said and
done. But, for now, do not share it with other fellow
scientists! Avoid any questions on the matter and
expect to hear from me before doing anything else.
Once again, receive my honest praise on this as in
everything you have done for us so far. Your commitment
and dedication to the Invisible College inspires us all—
even myself, who has given so much of her life to this
institution.
See you soon,
D. H. of N.
78
CHAPTER 4 | The Invisible College
small subset within the Vaticine Church—but that is
all. The foundational idea behind the Inquisition as
it was originally conceived was to purge the Church
(as well as the Academia) of undesirables. These
undesirables are those who would employ Theus’
gifts—be it knowledge, power or even sorcery—to
inflict pain and suffering upon others.
Considering that the Creator provided the
scientists—as well as the rest of the world—with
the intelligence necessary to decipher the riddles
Creation entails, the members consider it within
their right to do so. That does not mean, however,
that all knowledge or powers are beneficial to people.
Therefore, one of the main responsibilities of the
College is to decide which Knowledge should be
shared with the public now, which should wait for
a better time and which should never again see the
light of day.
Hierarchy
Of course, such an immense responsibility cannot be
placed upon the shoulders of any one man or woman.
Because of that, and since the beginning of the
College, its members have organized in tiers to make
sure that each has as much access to information as
he or she needs. It was never the College’s intent to
develop a paranoid approach to their fellow scientists,
and even less so to suggest that all Knowledge the
College fosters and protects should be employed
only as a means to progress in this conflict, as some
radicals would like the rest of the College to think.
According to the moderates, there is no such thing
as a “War on Wisdom” either. In their view, the
radicals’ ideas are undeniable proof that even the most
enlightened minds can succumb under the pressure
of this struggle. The fear of the moderates is that if
the College’s scholars somehow end up becoming the
holy warriors of science, then they will be no better
than Cardinal Verdugo and his ilk. In this sense, they
claim that the Invisible College and its members have
to take the high ground and remain true to its tenets:
Sensus, Scientia, Sapientia. Fire cannot be quenched
with fire. Only water—or better yet, earth—can end
fire’s destructive power.
To prevent such derangement is why the College is
headed by a Council of Masters, also known as the
Magistrorum Concilium. This Council, in turn, has a
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
79
My Beloved Perrine,
We did it! Yes, I know: After all these long
years, all the pain and suffering, the sweat
and tears, and the blood of our loved ones, we
did it. Your last, brilliant letter brought to
my attention what I had overlooked in my
calculations and now, as a result, we have e
ptvwjgvej dzhpvbwbnl prtovr!
As you would expect (it is me, after all) I
have conducted extensive trials and tests
with aal irtovr. After a couple of sleepless
days and nights I made sure we had a reliable
machine. After that, it was time to put
things where our theory is. The results were
at first puzzling but, after some adjustments,
I was able to transport inanimate things,
living things, including animals (the poor cat
of the Queen, who would never forgive me,
but whom I will immortalize in paper) and,
finally, a human being. I could not risk the life
of anybody else so, before you start chastising
me, I will admit it: B, Aslzaqe Bpuamck, wws
lal jnzjl abgmn ofmvt zh szzv vrgxv kal rrxalv
ivelx fahnxc lh o pjlvpj kqgjhnvkcl prtovr. Xalvv
aws fb Ddfkx sf fhalv jgftgvp gvijzgzh lv
gapa ucsw.
And here I am! Finally back, alive and well,
without any physical, mental or spiritual
consequences, and ready to start making longer
journeys than from one end of the castle to
the other.
Where are you? I will come and fetch you as
soon as I receive your answer.
With all my love, now and forever,
Your Mania
primus inter pares, a first among equals who is in charge
of making the aforementioned difficult decisions. In
this sense, the Masters’ Council advises the Head of the
College, but it is the Masters’ responsibility to decide
what to do with the Knowledge discovered or saved by
the members of the College.
Colleges within the College
Even though the Invisible College is one institution,
each member has his own particular interests.
Therefore, and even though the protection of
information is important, the fostering of a healthy
research environment is paramount. Once a member
is passed to the degree of Fellow she can join a Campus
(pl. Campi), a group of fellow scientists who share an
area of interest within the College’s many studies.
Each Campus is headed by a Director (Rector),
who is usually a Master (except in very special
circumstances). In this sense, a Fellow can not only
Dear N. C.,
I have read your letter with care and increasing
preoccupation. I admit that at first I had a hard
time believing your words about such a loyal and
respected member of our College as DH of N, one who
has dedicated almost her entire life to the protection
and fostering of Knowledge. Reason finally prevailed—
as it often does in my case—and I did some research
on my own. The results, I am sad to inform you, are
even worse than your suspicions.
Before I can enter into more details about them,
however, your position had to be considered. The
secrets I am about to reveal to you are only known by
our most distinguished members, lal Qmslxvj gt yal
Mvidaajmp Gqzwpkk. Your performance in all aspects
related to the College life had to be considered and,
as a result, I am pleased to hereby raise you to the
degree of Rmslxv of our institution. This will open
the final doors that remained closed to you and,
therefore, I am putting my trust in your well-proven
integrity and honesty.
May Wisdom light your way, now and always,
La Maestra
80
CHAPTER 4 | The Invisible College
join but create a Campus of her own. In this way she
can ensure further advancement in her area of study
by sharing her studies with peers. Nothing fosters
Knowledge more than peer review and discussion.
Several of these Campi have provided the College
with some of the most amazing discoveries in the
history of Terra. Others have delved
into topics that are best left
unknown and that the
Masters make an effort to
keep secret. And others,
regrettably, have produced
some of the most terrifying
inventions and discoveries
known to people, wmwj
hs yahcdkzhv rnq wal
Adpbx Talgay, ndml
mh bnmq e fja.
The Goal
The Invisible College
was formed to safeguard the right to
research reality, which its members consider a Theusgiven right of all people. Its existence was not and
has never been considered permanent, at least not to
the moderates in the higher ranks of the institution.
Indeed, most of them dream of the day when a new
Hierophant ascends to the position of leader of the
Church and ends the nightmarish reign of terror of
Cardinal Estéban Verdugo. Until then, they swear
that they will continue with their labor, as secretly
and effectively as possible.
To ensure that they are no longer needed, however,
the members of the Invisible College require
something much more stable than a fragile person’s
life. The peoples of Terra need the Vaticine Church,
that much is true, but the Church needs to advance
and start serving its faithful once again, as it did in the
days of the Old Empire.
Because of all this, the ultimate goal of the Invisible
College is not, as the radicals would imply, to finally
discredit or to completely destroy the Church and
its members. To the moderates, the College’s task
instead is to restore the Vaticine Church to its former
glory, and usher in a new age of Enlightenment
where Church and Academia help and support each
other in providing the peoples of Terra with the
Understanding, Knowledge and Wisdom necessary
to comprehend the marvel of Creation—and each
person’s particular place in it.
Enlightenment
When it became clear that the College’s work could
not be restricted to researching a discreet part
of reality and offering the results
of those studies to the public,
the Founding Masters decided
that the College needed
a frame of reference.
They realized that the
College’s works required
an organizational method
that would allow it to
arrange and categorize
all the Knowledge its
members would rescue
and discover into a single,
coherent body of understanding.
After much debate and discussion,
the Masters decided that such honor would go
to Philosophy, the oldest of sciences. The College
philosophers have been working since then to take the
individual discoveries, inventions and improvements
other members achieve and find a place for them in
the ampler context of Philosophy.
Little by little the pieces have been placed, and
as a result the higher ranks have access now to
what they like to call “the Shape of the Puzzle.”
This Shape is what they have come to designate as
Enlightenment and, although nothing is certain yet,
their comprehension is that once all the pieces are in
place the members of the Invisible College will have a
complete picture of reality as the Creator intended it.
In that moment the Invisible College will be able to
present this Knowledge to all the peoples of Terra. With
that Knowledge, it hopes that progress and advancement
will speed up, resulting in what Avalon philosopher
Tamsin Fen has come to designate as Eutopia, an ideal
“good place” where people will be guided by Wise rulers
to an age of unlimited progress and welfare for all.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
81
Internal Threat
To Whom It May Concern,
I am sad to inform you that Mrs. d’Éscuerie is not
available at this point to answer your lovely missive.
We, on the other hand, are very happy to learn that you
have succeeded on your experiments, and are eager to
see it for ourselves at your earliest convenience. In this
case, let me add, it should be as early as possible or,
otherwise, you may find that Mrs. d’Éscuerie’s health
and well-being have been permanently damaged. Would you
be able to travel with your invention to the Underworld
and bring her back if such tragedy were to occur? I
guess not.
Consider this, then, and send us your location as quickly
as you can. Make sure that you are alone when we meet,
only accompanied by your marvelous creation. If you
follow our instructions we will make sure that Mrs.
d’Éscuerie suffers no damage. That is, no more than she
already has, of course.
To make sure that you and I understand each other
clearly, here is both a token of my determination and
a proof that your beloved wife still lives. The first is
Mrs. d’Éscuerie’s finger, as well-preserved as possible (I
am sorry but she will never be able to use it again, I am
afraid). The second is this message from herself.
I love you vvn wr bbh zodz xalq kmil czqctbwb! Vn dmi xr,
ka aetw mpha klm enq ril ulauqjzvp uetw qflw tvgh halww
qmdpqr’f zhnqv! and I hope to see you soon in the next life
Hurry up, Mrs. “Mania,” or there may be nothing left of her.
Awaiting your response,
Friar E. Bocanegra, High Inquisitor
82
CHAPTER 4 | The Invisible College
For the longest time the higher ranks of the College
thought their noble institution to be free of any
corruption. Recent discoveries have led them to
believe, however, that this is no longer true. Indeed,
zealotry and irrationality have infiltrated their ranks,
not in the way that they feared—as agents of the
Inquisition—but through a new radical group who
call themselves the Illustrari.
Although some radicals are now saying that the
Invisible College exists to fight or even destroy the
Vaticine Church in its entirety, that is not the view of
most members. After all, the Inquisition represents
only a small (and recent) part of a Church that was
once the main support of scholars and scientists all
over Théah. Regretfully, the radicals’ numbers have
increased in the past few years. The radicals’ plans
include open attacks against the Inquisition and even
the Vaticine Church as a whole.
To the despair of the moderates, the radicals’
network and influence is much wider and much
deeper than any of the Masters had expected. Too
many of the new recruits seem to be ready to lay
down their lives if it means the end of the Church.
Even more worrisome is that a number of older
Fellows and Masters have joined this group as well.
At the moment, the Masters are not able to point
out any leaders of this extremist group, but they
have been able to find a name and a symbol that
appears repeatedly on encrypted messages: a series
of candles and the word “Illustrari” written between
letters and the drawing. This means that the College
is not only in peril because of the external threat
of the Inquisition, but also an internal one in these
radical Illustrari.
The higher ranks recommend that no one who
knows about the Illustrari use their name openly, for,
although misled from the Masters’ perspective, the
radicals are still considered to be fellow researchers
and scientists. The Masters hope that they can make
the radicals see the error of their ways and bring
them back into the fold, so to speak. After all, the
group’s work and inspiration are the same as those
of the more moderate members of the College; the
only differences are their methods and particularly
violent objectives.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
83
What the future may bring, no one knows, but some
fear for the College’s future, for the sanity of those
who are still in the path of Reason and for the lives of
all the peoples of Terra. Should the Invisible College
fall to either one of these zealots, the Inquisition or
the Illustrari, no one will be able to prevent a descent
into a new Age of Darkness and Irrationality.
Notable Members
La Maestra
Among the legends of the College, there is one who
stands above them all. No one knows her name,
where she was born, or how she came to be part of
the College, but all the accounts agree on one thing:
This woman is old. So old that no one dares to guess
for fear of appearing delusional. It sounds impossible,
yet the stories coincide in this point. The explanations
differ, however, going from the merely far-fetched to
the quite fantastical. In the end, most members who
know about her smile when asked and try to avoid
the matter of her age.
Dear N. C.,
The reality of her life, by contrast, is quite simple.
Born an out-of-wedlock child—the only son—of
Doña Gonzala de Conquista and a peasant man, the
boy who would one day become La Maestra was
supposed to be the sole inheritor of Doña Gonzala’s
fortune. From an early age, however, he intuited
that he wanted more out of life than administering
his mother’s wealth and so he left his hometown of
Conquista, his mother’s riches and his prior identity
to explore the world simply as Ariel, a resourceful
young woman with no family name and no past.
Ariel’s travels took her to many places, and any
subject she devoted time to revealed itself to her in
a particularly clear and sometimes unheard-of way.
Before long she became a highly sought-after courtier,
and countless monarchs offered their riches so Ariel
could develop her interests, whatever they may be.
There was one subject that eluded her: that of
mortality. She felt she had so much more to learn
and discover that she refused to die, even though time
was already catching up with her. She dedicated her
same rank I once
and, in time, you reached the
rs
che
ear
res
ow
fell
e
am
your
bec
t. We
when I asked you to not share
me
in
We met as teacher and studen
st
tru
not
you
did
y
I ask you, why? Wh
I have known
possessed in the College. May
ld not wait? I do not think so.
cou
you
ch
mu
so
n
ow
ren
the
desired
want that too.
discovery? Was it because you
ke the world a better place. I
ma
to
nt
wa
You
.
you
s
ate
tiv
mo
you long enough to know what
ugly
er have helped you to see the
eth
tog
rs
yea
our
e
hop
I
,
you
La Maestra told
can we be lost
Do not fool yourself: Whatever
way. They call us lost, but how
its
t
los
s
ha
ege
Coll
the
t
truth tha
n and the miseries
truth beneath her words. The
n the terrors of the Inquisitio
see
ve
ha
o
wh
,
You
ne?
do
be
think
st
you as foolish as she is, and
when we know exactly what mu
are
Or
m?
do
Wis
on
r
Wa
no
that there is
The fires of the
of the Church, will you tell me
know better, my dear friend:
You
?
end
will
n
itio
uis
Inq
the
chosen
that once a new Hierophant is
ng.
rni
Inquisition will never stop bu
the
guish friend from foe inside
tin
dis
we
can
how
d
An
st.
fir
burn them all
rs and sisters?
The only way to end them is to
d by the blood of our brothe
ine
sta
s
nd
ha
ir
the
all
not
, are
Church? Are not they all guilty
you are ready to
I will give you time. And, once
so
r,
we
ans
to
s
ion
est
qu
e we will
lt
icu
y find it elucidating. Otherwis
ma
I know these are too many diff
o
wh
ers
oth
h
wit
et
phl
to share this pam
accept the truth, I ask you
ield, I suppose.
see each other on the battlef
On opposite sides.
Still your friend,
D. H. of N.
84
CHAPTER 4 | The Invisible College
If you are reading th
is, you are part of th
e Revolution
You are an intelligent
the Creator with a keman or woman, one who has been bles
are terribly wrong all en mind and a brave heart. You knowsed by
am talking about the around Théah and there is one culpri things
a guide for all peoples,Vaticine Church. Once a beacon of ligt. Yes: I
Now it persecutes men the Church has become the Great ht and
and hanging the autho and women like you, burning their reseEnemy.
rs. Why?
arch
Because they are afr
aid
Verdugo and his minions
about this world—even le are pathetic, ignorant fools who know
follow. The only book th ss so about the Creator they profes nothing
that its obscure words ey have read is one written so long as to
MISREPRESENTED—by mnow have to be “interpreted”—should Igo
en and women with no
say
education.
There was once a might
You may have heard of y institution who dared to oppose the
any case, you will agree it or you may even belong to its rankChurch.
way. Its members see with me that this College has lost s. In
are willing to negotiate no way of winning and, because of it, the
.
they
We are not—and I ima
gine that you are not,
either.
It is time to do things
once and for all, so a differently. We have to end the Chu
Church and every mem ll men and women can be free. Once rch,
then we will be able tober of the Hieros has been burned or every
the fear of the Inqui walk the Creation without fear. To hanged,
sition we must become
defeat
the darkness of its Ign
th
e
fe
a
r.
To illum
orance, we must becom
Knowledge.
e the light of inate
WE ARE THE ILLUSTR
ARI
Join us or fear us!
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
85
last years of life to explore any and all knowledge that
could provide her with a way to extend her life.
It was then that she encountered Andrea de
León, a Castillian noble who was a master boticario
(alchemist). After discovering in Ariel a kindred
spirit, de León devoted all her time and knowledge
to help the now-elderly woman. In the end, she was
able to distill a potent potion that some boticarios
have deemed to be the fabled “Elixir of Life.” With it,
Ariel would be able to regain her youth and extend
her life—although not indefinitely. The tragedy of the
matter was that the final component of such a marvel
was a willingly given life. De León, considering Ariel’s
life much more important than hers, was glad to give
her own life, but without consulting Ariel first.
Ariel considers her life a gift that could not be
wasted. She left all her personal interests aside
and adopted a new name, that of La Maestra,
“The Mistress,” deciding, along with other fellow
researchers, to establish an institution that
would ensure that Knowledge kept on advancing
all over Terra.
She hopes that one day her vision is shared by every
man and woman, the members of the Hieros included.
Portraying La Maestra
Ariel almost never shows herself in public anymore.
She writes copious letters; pages upon pages filled
with the wisdom and brilliance of a woman in her
full capacities combined with the wisdom of many
more years than most people will live.
If the Heroes meet her, they will encounter a
simple, middle-aged woman who listens more than
she speaks, who is a little bit absent-minded, but who
transforms into a passionate speaker once her interest
is awakened. Nowadays those interests are limited to
the Invisible College (and especially the Illustrari) and
the Elixir of Life (or any other sorcery or knowledge
that can extend life).
Story Hooks
• Now that she has discovered the threat
within the Invisible College, La Maestra is
dedicating all her resources to find out who
the members and their leaders are. She needs
as many allies as she can get, and that is why
she has recruited the Heroes to infiltrate
the ranks of the Illustrari and find as much
information as possible.
• In spite of Andrea de León’s sacrifice, time is
once again running out on La Maestra. For
that reason, she is funding and supporting
an expedition in search for the secret of
eternal life. She is wise, though, and will
not waste her resources on scams or ruses,
so she has hired the Heroes to function as
her proxies in this quest. They can invest or
decide to withdraw her resources at their
own discretion.
Belshatzzar Khaye
When those in the know think about boticarios,
they usually imagine Castillians working in their
underground network or daring terrible dangers to
obtain a rare component for an alchemical mix. Few,
however, know that many of the alchemical traditions
now studied in Castille come from other places all
across Terra. One such place is the Crescent Empire.
Belshatzzar Khaye and his family came from
Sarmion to Castille following his mother, Adara, who
was a brilliant scientist and had been offered a post
at the University of Rioja. From an early age Khaye
86
CHAPTER 4 | The Invisible College
demonstrated a mind as keen as his mother’s, and
soon started his own researches in natural philosophy.
In time, he would have become a scientist such as
Adara—had he not encountered Sancho.
Sancho was a neighbor with bulging eyes, a prideful
attitude and a love for alchemy. After a short time,
Khaye fell in love both with alchemy and with Sancho.
Their mutual love and interests helped them through
all the various trials of life, including the solitary
journey back home that Khaye had to undertake a few
years ago in order to complete his alchemical magnum
opus, or “great work.” When they finally reunited,
Khaye thought that his happiness was complete, and
that he would never have to part from his love again.
The Inquisition had something to say in the matter,
however. First they came after his mother, but he was
able to protect her. Then they came after Sancho, and
Khaye barely managed to get him out of Castille alive.
Finally, they came for Khaye.
In that moment, he received the uncalled-for help
of the Invisible College. The College had tried to
recruit him before, but Khaye was not interested. He
was a boticario, and he was interested in knowledge
and understanding, not in opposing the Inquisition.
Besides, as far as he knew, it came only for those who
had offended the Church.
After the College’s momentous appearance, Khaye
swore that he would do anything and everything to
help it, whether it accepted him as a member or not.
It received him with open arms.
What few people know, even in the highest ranks
of the College, is that Khaye is not only a Master
Boticario, but he is, in fact, the main benefactor of the
institution. No one seems to know how he does it, but
he is able to produce a seemingly endless amount of
money in the form of gold. Thanks to his help, many
studies have been funded, but even his wealth may
not be enough as the Inquisition targets more and
more researchers.
Portraying Belshatzzar Khaye
Belshatzzar Khaye is a good man with a kind face.
His manners are impeccable and he is usually welldressed to the point that others feel unsuited to share
a room with him unless they wear their best clothes.
He is a little vain, but in reality does not care much
about riches or luxuries.
He does care about manners though, and a sharp
mind. Boring or superficial people bore him, and
he makes sure to avoid them as much as possible.
Scientists, daredevils and sorcerers, on the other
hand, are his people—and he makes sure to come
through for them.
Story Hooks
• In his continued efforts to sustain the everincreasing expenses of the Invisible College,
Khaye has resorted to experimenting on
new and possibly dangerous formulae. He
now needs the help of the Heroes to acquire
an especially rare component of a new
alchemical preparation which, if successful,
could help him fund the Invisible College
for many years.
• Sancho is in danger again! Although he
has used his extensive network of resources
time and again, Khaye does not seem to
be able to protect Sancho for long before
the Inquisition finds his hideout. Khaye is
in need of brave people ready to face the
minions of Verdugo and to defend Sancho.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
87
Davinia Home of Ninewells
The known 24—the scientists and researchers
identified by the Inquisition—are, according to Davinia
Home of Ninewells, sacrificial lambs, those who have
chosen to show their faces so the rest of the College
can continue with their labor. That labor, however, is
subject to much discussion and disagreement in the
institution’s Campi, especially due to Davinia’s radical—
and sometimes unorthodox—methods.
Born in Bearwych in the Highland Marshes, Davinia
lost her father at the age of two and was raised by her
mother who never remarried. As the younger of two
children from an impoverished noble family, Davinia
was forced to fend for herself from an early age. This
gave her the endurance to fiercely protest against age
restrictions for two years until she was admitted to the
University of Din Eidyn, one of the most prestigious in
the Highlands. She was only twelve years old.
Although her mother’s hope was that she would
study law, Davinia became enamored with natural
philosophy as soon as she encountered it. She spent
six years in the University, studying under various
tutors and in different branches of the sciences, but
she never graduated. She and her teachers agreed on
only one thing: She learned more from the books
than from the teachers.
When the Inquisition came to burn her books,
she had just made a major breakthrough in natural
philosophy, something she called the “Scene of
Thought.” They ransacked the University’s library,
purging undesirable books while Davinia’s friends had
to hold her back from attacking them. From that day
on, she swore she would make the Inquisition pay for
all the knowledge lost in those fires.
She quickly discovered a member of the Invisible
College in Din Eidyn and convinced him to be her
Sponsor. After that, her commitment and brilliant
mind allowed her to ascend within the organization
as quickly as she had devoured books at the University.
In a short period of time she went from former
student to College leader. And then, she founded the
Illustrari and started her attack on the Inquisition.
Davinia’s battle plan is simple: Attack the Church
and drive it out of all the Nations of Théah. The
only way for people to be free is with no Church
interfering with their affairs. Knowledge is the only
god people need, she says, and to obtain it, no priest
88
CHAPTER 4 | The Invisible College
or Hierophant are necessary. To do that, sadly, many
people have to die—be it Inquisitors, other Church
members, or in fact anyone who dares to oppose
her—but that is the price they have to pay. As she
saw the precious books burn so long ago, so too will
she witness the enemies of Wisdom burn.
And whoever stands in her way is her enemy,
whether she admits it or not.
Portraying Davinia Home of Ninewells
Davinia Home of Ninewells is a tough woman, one
who has seen many horrors in her life, particularly
those related to knowledge suppression. She cares
little for people and their struggles; to her, they are
only important inasmuch as they are the vessels of
Wisdom. In this sense, whoever is not contributing to
advancing knowledge and understanding on Terra is a
waste of time and energy; someone who is breathing
air that would be better used by people like herself.
Davinia looks frail and fragile, but her words are
sharp as blades. She is not interested in people’s
feelings or intentions. She demands that their
actions speak for themselves, and will not consider
any justifications. Either you are with the Revolution
or you are against it.
Story Hooks
• Davinia recruited someone close to the
Heroes for the Invisible College and her
Illustrari. Everything seems to be going
all right until the Heroes discover that
this loved one died under mysterious
circumstances. To learn the truth of the
matter, the Heroes will have to find Davinia
and get the truth from her.
• When the Heroes come into the possession
of a rare book, they are attacked by a group
of book hunters who will go to any lengths
to acquire the volume. After investigating
the incident, the Heroes discover that all
their leads point to Davinia. If they want
to recover the book or have justice for the
events that transpired with her book hunters,
they will have to confront her.
Inek Zelazo
When most people think about evil, they think of
something abstract, of some sort of unseen force that
pulls the strings to make the world a worse place. To the
skeptics, on the other hand, evil is just a denomination,
a category used to describe the actions of some people.
Inek Zelazo, however, knows the face of evil. He has not
only seen it. He has also spoken to it and tricked it.
At the time, he was a young researcher in search
of his great discovery. He had left the hallowed
University halls of his homeland in Curonia and was
traveling without a clear destination. One night, he
camped in the wilderness and had an encounter with
a dievas. He barely survived it—and he does not
speak about it today.
At first, the dievas answered Zelazo’s questions, and
his knowledge bloomed. The creature helped him
with his scholarly research and advanced him toward
his great discovery. However, each time the creature
exacted a price, and those prices soon became too
steep for Zelazo to pay. Finally, he tried to trick the
creature to make it reveal its true name, so he could
be free. By this time the dievas understood Zelazo
too well and avoided the trap. Instead, the creature
made Zelazo forget what it had taught him—but not
everything, just his great discovery.
Zelazo went to the church in Bugordium for aid.
Their teaching helped him to stop the dievas from
tormenting him at night. However, one day he awoke
to discover the church’s inhabitants murdered around
him. He panicked and sought more help from his
dievas, help that could have released the vile creature
into the world, and killed Inek in the process. That
is until a member of the Invisible College intervened.
She consoled Zelazo, and offered a way out of
the dievas’ bargain. To be free, he had to find the
creature’s name, and there was no place in the world
more suitable to find it than the Invisible College.
There what knowledge he retained would be useful
to others, and they would, in turn, help him find
the remaining pieces of the puzzle. With no other
alternative, Zelazo accepted.
Since then, he serves three masters: the Church that
sheltered him, the College that saved him, and the evil
that threatens his existence. He did not escape from
one service when he entered another, and now he fears
he may never be totally free again.
Portraying Inek Zelazo
Inek Zelazo is a grown man with the countenance of
a child. His gaunt face and clumsy hands were not
always so, and rumor has it that he was once beautiful
and dexterous. What he lacks physically he makes up
for mentally, and one would be hard pressed to find a
sharper, more determined mind than his.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
89
He has a quiet, soft way that seduces people
and makes them feel comfortable, regardless of his
appearance. In spite of what may seem, he is a tough
nut to crack, and his will does not fail easily. On the
contrary, he is ready to face almost any challenge if it
serves the greater good—or if it might free him from
one of his contracts.
Story Hooks
• Zelazo approaches the Heroes and offers his
services as a swordsman, scholar and losejas
(Sanderis sorcerer). All he asks in return is
their help. First, to pay his debt with the
Invisible College. Then, to atone for his
affront to Theus. And, finally, to get rid of
the dievas at his back.
• The Heroes are the descendants of those
who were once Zelazo’s companions. When
they heard the stories of their ancestors’ great
feats and deeds, they imagined Zelazo to be
a Hero of legend. Because of that, when they
encounter the sickly, frail boy he seems to
be, the Heroes suspect treason on his part.
To make matters worse, Zelazo refuses to
explain the circumstances of his former
companions’ deaths and argues that he
“cannot remember” his past.
Teófilo de Jumilla
Teófilo never knew his parents or why they
abandoned him in the dirty streets of Jumilla. Ever
since he was a child he had to fight. First he fought
against disease and hunger, then against those who
would throw a street urchin in jail. Teófilo came out
of those early years as a savvy criminal with a heart
of gold. Somehow, the hardships of his life never
hardened him. Whenever he has something, he shares
it, be it food, wealth or kind words.
One day, as he shared his insights to a nearby
beggar, his world changed. She was a member of the
Invisible College, and after realizing his brilliance,
immediately invited him to join the cause. His
Mentor was surprised by Teófilo’s wits, and especially
that he had acquired a vast amount of knowledge with
no formal education.
He joined the Society and was ordained as a priest
at the same time. He has always felt that a magnificent
90
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CHAPTER44||The
TheInvisible
InvisibleCollege
College
mystery was hidden behind the church walls. Now
that he is an ordained priest, his perspective has not
changed: The greatest miracle of the Church is the
world itself, and, above all, its inhabitants.
Now he travels the world serving the Church, the
Invisible College and Theus. He feels that the Creator
will guide his steps and put him exactly where he
needs to be.
Portraying Teófilo de Jumilla
First a beggar, then a thief, always a genius and now
a man of the Church, Teófilo is a truly selfless man
and will not hesitate to sacrifice his own well-being
to help others, especially the poor and the lost. The
Inquisition is part of the latter, and Teófilo believes
that the their misguided devotion can be turned to
good if they could be shown the error of their ways.
Story Hooks
• Diego Hernan is digging into Teófilo’s past,
looking to use it as leverage against him. After
appearing out of nowhere and helping them
to overcome a difficult situation, Teófilo asks
the Heroes for their help to stop Diego.
• Someone from the Heroes’ past has convinced
Teófilo that they are a band of murderous
ruffians. He has become the Heroes’ personal
scourge, opposing them as much as he
can. The Heroes must
either prove him wrong
or deal with him
some other way.
Chapter 5
THE ROSE AND THE CROSS
The Wicked stop at nothing to make evil.
So should the Righteous stop at nothing to make justice.
Rosenkreuz
Protection, justice, service and truth. The Knights
of the Rose & Cross live by and defend these four
virtues unequivocally.
Knights are bound to protect the unprotected,
bring justice to the unjust, serve the unserved and
speak truth where lies undermine the Puzzle of the
Creator. The Knight’s deeds of valor and bravery give
hope to the hopeless, which is why the Order claims
each benevolent act. These virtues are the reason the
Order is the least-secret “Secret Society” in Théah.
Though rumors and legends surround the practices
of the Order, its intentions and morality are never
questioned. It is only in becoming a Knight that one
begins to understand the deeper and divine purposes
of the Order.
If a Knight proves herself truly worthy, she
may discover secrets with potential to change
Théah forever.
• To be a Knight is to be a beacon of safety.
• To be a Knight is to be a weight on the
scales of justice.
• To be a Knight is to be a servant of
the oppressed.
• To be a Knight is to be a paragon of the
Creator’s word.
• To be a Knight is to be part of solving the
Creator’s Puzzle.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
91
In the Beginning
Let this be known, the Truth
of the Third Prophet, and
the Lie that poisons the
World even today.
He became known as
Verkündigen Rosenkreuz, but
that was not his first name. That
is lost. What is not lost is that he
was the First Knight and founder
of the Knightly Order of the Rose
& Cross, anointed by the Third Prophet
herself. He started life as a simple Eisen farmer. He
was a hard-working man of great morals. He helped
the weak, the poor, the accused. A family man, he
treasured his wife and three children. He spoke of
them with love and always carried himself honestly
and with good faith. He enjoyed music and singing
songs. His small village held him up as an example to
others of a good and worthy man.
Nonus 2, 1653 AV
Ivy,
Guess what? I saw a Knight come out of the chapter
house! We usually see only rich people go through the
front door, acting better than everyone else. I mean, we
know there are Knights around because they do stuff all
the time, but we never see them coming out the front
door! They have to go in and out sometime, right?
Today, I snuck into the side alley and waited. It looked
like it was just a brick wall, but I had a feeling if I
waited there long enough something would happen. I
just had to be patient. I waited for hours until it
was dark, my mom was so mad when I got home, but
finally one section of the bricks moved.
It was amazing. They stuck bricks to the door, so it
looked like the rest of the wall! The Knight came out
and was surprised to see me, but then she smiled and
winked before she went off to save someone.
I wonder why they hide so much? I will find out
someday. You are coming to my party, right? I will be
ten this year.
Beckett
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CHAPTER 5 | The Rose and the Cross
One winter night in Decimus
1260 AV, a beggar knocked on his
door and beseeched him for food
and shelter. Without hesitation,
Rosenkreuz took him in and gave
him as much hospitality as he
could offer.
The beggar shared knowledge
with Rosenkreuz and his family. She
spoke wisdom beyond anything they had
known. Among the knowledge the Prophet
revealed to Rosenkreuz was one of the keys to
solving the Puzzle of the Creator. The rose (rosen),
representing the soul, and the crucible (kreuz), or as it
became over the years, the cross. Transforming the soul
through knowledge. Knowledge, the most important
tool in solving the riddle of the Creator. The beggar
also revealed to Rosenkreuz that the Third Prophet
would revitalize the Church and the Fourth Prophet
would bring everlasting peace. Rosenkruez asked the
woman her name. The beggar smiled. “You know me.”
Rosenkreuz and his family realized then they
stood within the presence of the Third Prophet.
Rosenkreuz fell to his knees and swore to dedicate his
life to helping the Third Prophet spread her wisdom.
The Third Prophet told Rosenkruez to stand naked,
as when he was born, and make a sacred oath. The
Prophet anointed Rosenkruez with a sword, touching
the blade to four places on his body, and repeated
vows in a ceremony, a variation of which is still
used in the Order. He took the name “Verkündigen
Rosenkreuz,” meaning “Herald of the Rose & Cross.”
Rosenkreuz left his land in the care of his family,
taking with him only what he could carry, and
followed the Prophet to spread her wisdom and
revitalize the Church. The blessing and pride of his
family went with him.
Within three months, the pair gathered 20 souls
who saw the truth in the Third Prophet’s words,
all anointed by the Prophet in the same manner as
Rosenkreuz. Some of these followers were influential
sons and daughters of wealthy nobles, some scholars
with knowledge and some simple tradespeople with
only their hands to offer.
Some say these Knights brought riches and jewels on
the journey, giving their family’s fortunes to furthering
her cause. Some say they brought ancient artifacts.
Some say they brought tomes of ancient knowledge.
Some say it was all of these things and more, but all of
this treasure was meant to aid the Third Prophet and
her goal. Just as she had inspired these men and women,
so would she inspire the Church.
On Tertius 20, 1261 AV, tragedy struck. The
travelers were on their way to rebuild the Church in
Vodacce when bandits attacked the camp. Many of
the Prophet’s followers were killed, but the bandits
were turned back. And when the fallen were counted,
among them was Rosenkreuz and the Third Prophet.
Although her Herald was dead, the Prophet still lived,
but was wounded unto death, clinging to life by barely
a thread. Unable to move her, the followers built a small
shelter to keep her from the elements. And there, they
waited to see if Theus would have mercy on humanity
or vengeance. Time passed, as did the Prophet.
Weeks later, far from the border of Vodacce, the
Church revealed they have discovered the Third
Decimus 1260 AV
What an extraordinary gift the Creator gave me. To
serve the Third Prophet, and help spread goodness and
kindness, is more than I ever hoped to achieve in my
small life.
I must admit that, at first, I thought the stranger
had simply been traveling too long and spent too much
time in the cold. But, as she sat by our fire and began
to speak, the gentleness in her face and the wisdom
of her words moved me like nothing else in Théah. Even
when she stopped speaking, I could feel the warmth,
peace and divinity of her words. She did not need to
tell me who she was. I knew just by speaking with her.
She was the Third Prophet.
I am not a wise or educated man, but I do know goodness
when I see it, and even the most foul merchant or
corrupt noble should see the Light of the Creator shine
through this woman. Her light would touch their hearts
and they would have no choice but to be moved. They will
be moved; and I have been asked to help, and my family
sees this as a calling from the Creator. I will go, but I
will miss them more than I can say.
Prophet: a man who would redeem the Church and
lead it to the arrival of the Last Prophet. And so the
Lie was set into the hearts and minds of the world.
Some of the True Prophet’s followers heard the news
and traveled to Castille to condemn the Lie. But the
False Prophet had already gathered many followers
with the passion and fire of his words and condemned
all those who doubted him. Those who knew the
truth fled or were tortured and killed in the Church’s
The Third Pro
phe
family will b t revealed to me tonig
h
ear the Fou
rth Prophet. t that my
this will happ
I am not su
en; all I kno
re how
w
and they w
ill be the Lig is my family will sprea
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ht, and even
together in
tually come
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life many yea
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.
And in the
Four
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; who shall
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there shall
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be an age o
a
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all Nations
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o
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.
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fam
carry on, ev
en while I am ily is safe. They must
on this stra
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here this will
.I
bring us, bu
in the Third
t
Prophet and
I know I tru
st
that what
One look at
she says is
her and his
true.
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t be denied
It is selfish
.
to
a memory in think, but will I be aliv
e
the minds o
f my family then or only be
I wonder, an
? It is some
d yet I shou
thing
ld not. It is
will follow t
not my plac
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phet where
follow her a
she leads, a
dvice.
nd I will
They said t
he Fo
want to beli urth Prophet will bring
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peace, and
to
I
The world c
an be a won believe there can be pea
derful plac
ce.
much strife
e and there
marring its
is
t
oo
beauty.
If we could
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liv
really be ab
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he Puzzle of
ould
is all I wish
the Creator.
for my fello
T
h
w
is
people. I wis
and happin
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ess, and all
the good th
li
has to offer.
ings the Cre fe
ator
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
93
dungeons. The False Prophet claimed the Creator
showed him that the Fourth Prophet would not bring
peace as he once believed, but Armageddon, and the
only solution was to strike first against Legion and its
servants. He said Théah must drop the veil from its
eyes and see what the Church must become.
The False Prophet, intolerant of any dissent,
created a rift within the Church with his fire-andbrimstone speeches in a world already ripe with civil
strife, waiting for a spark. Many used the Prophet’s
words as an excuse to move against their enemies in
the name of the Creator.
The Church became a strict and dogmatic place,
where none dare question its laws. Austerity and
obedience were prized above all else, and efforts to
bring sinful souls into a more pious life encouraged
and rewarded.
Two hundred years to the day after the raid and
death of Rosenkreuz and the Knights, on Tertius
20, 1461 AV, in Crieux, Montaigne, the Rose &
Cross bloomed again.
Women and men clad in tabards emblazoned
with a cross surrounded by four roses appeared
seemingly out of nowhere. They stopped burglaries
and robberies and brought justice against corrupt
politicians and merchants. Anywhere citizens were
in danger, Knights in blue tabards arrived. Once the
buzz about this new movement reached its peak, and
citizens could talk of little else other than who this
new group was, the group announced itself as the
Knightly Order of the Rose & Cross.
They were nobles and other influential people who
claimed to follow in the footsteps of Rosenkreuz and
to follow through on his principles. Many rushed to
join and another two hundred years later, through
reputation and deeds, the Order has grown into the
society it is today.
The Public Face
As far as the public is concerned, the Rose & Cross is a
private organization of men and women who perform
acts of heroism and charity. Rumors circulate of darker
Taken first watch. I wish the screams of my fellows did not ring in
my ears.
thought it was bandits, but
The evening started well, but then in the night we were roused. We
cutting us down.
then we saw one of us, standing among those burning our tents and
for the promise of power and
We were betrayed. One of those who vowed to follow us, betrayed us
wealth. He did not believe in the words of the Prophet.
but he is false. The False
His back illuminated by flames, he declared himself the Third Prophet,
stay in shadows. I wanted to
Prophet attacked the true Third Prophet and I could do nothing but
s managed to sneak away
move forward, but something kept me back. Myself and two other Knight
with the treasure we brought.
of our Prophet is not
Our only hope is moving on and making sure the betrayal and murder
to come back for it someday,
forgotten and eventually avenged. We will hide the treasure and plan
when we have exposed the False Prophet.
the others. If I become too
The travel is not easy. I was injured in the fight and am slowing down
see this through as far as I
much of a burden, I will force them to go on without me. I want to
et.
can go. I do it for my family and faith. I do it for the true Third Proph
those who remained, and
I was there when she spoke her last words. She looked into our eyes,
forget them.
smiled. The words she spoke haunt me, even now. I think I shall never
94
CHAPTER 5 | The Rose and the Cross
HEROICS AND
SLAVERY
Only a few years ago, Persic society included
a slave caste, the ardu, and many people
were not happy about it. Persis’ Crescent
neighbors found the practice cruel and
outdated. To the Persic people it was a reality
of their life, their society, but they knew
there was a better way. The other Nations
of the empire were shining examples of that.
Not one Heroic person in the empire or
beyond supported the ownership of ardu, of
slaves. In fact, if not for Emperor Istani and
his malicious wars against all magic users,
the practice would have most likely been
outlawed years ago.
secrets behind the locked doors, of secret vows and
sorcery. Most of those rumors come from the Church,
specifically the Inquisition. Despite those efforts, the
brazen courage and selfishness of the Order’s Knights
speaks louder than any whisper campaign could.
Each chapter house has a central figure—the
Master Knight—who serves as the spokesman for the
local Knights. Otherwise, all Rose & Cross Knights
look the same: dressed in their blue tabards with
the symbol of the Order. And as far as the Order is
concerned, that’s all they need to know.
Hierarchy
The Order is rigidly hierarchical and relishes
symbolism and allegory. The Order divides the
Knights into Ranks, each with their own duty and
ceremony. But despite those Ranks, within the
chapter house, the Knights see each other as true
equals, respecting the duty each Knight holds. Every
Knight may speak freely and all are expected to listen.
When addressing another Knight—whether it is a
lowly Initiate or the Second Knight herself—each
member calls the other “frater” or “soror,” a recognition
that all are equal in the eyes of the Order.
Benefactors
Benefactors are not Knights, but men and women
who donate coin or land to further the Order’s causes.
The Order uses these funds to not only feed, clothe
and house Knights, but to open hospitals and schools
bearing the Order’s seal. Benefactors may wear the
Seal of the Rose & Cross and participate in public
gatherings and ceremonies, but not private ones.
During these ceremonies, they wear blue tabards, just
as the Knights do. They also enjoy the protection of
the Knights and may call upon the chapter house
for aid. A Benefactor may be asked to give Knights
sanctuary if required; in return. Knights address them
with the title “Benefactor,” such as “Benefactor Smith.”
Applicant
“To find Light, first you must
know you are in darkness.”
The True Third Prophet
To become a Knight, one must ask. The Order does
not proselytize. Applicants to the Order receive an
initial interview and are then sent away “for a period of
consideration.” During that period, the Knights secretly
Knight Abrego,
I am greatly interested in becoming a Benefactor of
the Rose & Cross. You are aware of my local business
dealings and I believe I have much to offer the Order
in terms of comfort and resources.
I import foods from all over Théah and I would be
more than willing to make sure the Knights are well
fed with the finest foods Théah has to offer. This
would ensure these fine folks would be ready and able
to reply at a moment’s notice to any disturbances at
the docks where my boats are residing. I am sure
my membership in the Order would be positive for
everyone.
I understand that you are taking a request from Don
Jorge as well. I am going to be bold in saying this,
but I do not believe he would be a good fit for the
Order, and suggest you review his application with
utmost scrutiny. One cannot be too careful, and the
Order has such a sterling reputation. I would hate to
see it tarnished.
I am eager to hear from you at your earliest
convenience. Thank you for your time and attention.
Kindest Regards,
Celino Enríquez de Gallegos
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
95
96
CHAPTER 5 | The Rose and the Cross
watch her for signs of virtue and collect evidence over
time to determine if she is worthy to join the Order.
Initiate (Hopeful)
The lowest rank in the Order, an Initiate has only
been accepted for training, but is not yet a Knight.
A Knight is assigned to oversee all aspects of the
Initiate’s training. The many hours and physical and
mental demands of training are grueling. The Initiate
studies history and religious texts and trains his body
in fighting techniques. He also completes menial tasks
such as cleaning, cooking and mucking out stalls.
Many Initiates are virtuous enough to be asked to
train, yet fail to meet the intellectual and physical
requirements for full Knighthood. An Initiate is never
Don Celino,
We reviewed your application and feel you would make
an excellent addition to the Knightly Order of the Rose
and the Cross.
We will send out a formal invitation soon, but wanted to
let you know the good news as soon as possible. We feel,
with you as a Benefactor, the Order can do great things
in Castille. Many are in need and deserving of help.
We thank you for your warning about Don Jorge, but
we feel we cannot in good conscience deny him entry if
he so wishes to become a Benefactor. We cannot confirm
or deny he applied, but you can be assured if such an
event has occurred or does occur we will review the
application as carefully as we have yours. We share
your concern about the reputation of the Order, and
we complete due diligence on all who wish to become
Benefactors.
I hope this lays any of your fears to rest. Please inform
us when you receive the formal invitation and we can
begin preparations for your Benefactor Ceremony.
We look forward to welcoming you into the Order.
In Faith,
Knight Santiago Abrego
told important inner workings or secrets of the Order,
so he can concentrate on training.
He trains and studies and acts as a page for three
years, one for each of the revealed Prophets; three
years to prove himself through deeds and hard
work. He holds the title of Hopeful (e.g. Hopeful
Smith), although in the past, this Rank was known
as “Beggar Knights.”
Poor Knight
Poor Knight is the lowest Rank of Knight. These
Knights have been trained but are still untried.
Generally, they are not allowed very far from
the chapter house and are always assigned as an
apprentice to a Knight of higher Rank, usually a
Wandering Knight.
The relationship between teacher and student is a
sacred one in the halls of the Rose and Cross chapter
house. While other Knights may refer to the student
as “Poor William” or “Poor Alexi”, the teacher always
calls his student “Tyro William” or “Tyro Alexi.”
Wandering Knight
Wandering Knights are members of the Order who
have proved their worth as Poor Knights. They
travel the world on missions for the Order, seeking
adventure wherever it may lead them. As mentioned
My w
ounds
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are o
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not w
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t
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thing
It
canno
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t. I
m
prote
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st
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
97
MASTER AND
APPRENTICE
While ribbing apprentices is a common
practice among the Knights, Domini are very
protective of their students. Some Knights
have been known to draw blood over an
offense against a student. However, one
common practice among the Domini is
what many in the Order call “nest kicking”
or “cutting the tie,”(referring to cutting the
knot used to tie one’s sword into its sheath
during times of peace). A Domini usually
employs a trusted friend within the Order to
“cut the tie.” The friend gives the apprentice
grief until the Domini shows up. The Domini
makes motions to protect his apprentice,
but the friend then asks, “Can’t he take care
of himself?” The Master must then let his
apprentice defend himself.
above, many Wandering Knights have a Tyro who
follows them as a page or squire. Depending on the
Wandering Knight, this can be a blessing or a curse
for the Tyro.
More Wandering Knights exist than any other
Rank within the Order. While they are officially
one Rank lower than Sergeant Knights, they do not
answer to a Sergeant’s authority.
Adept Knight
Adept Knights are promoted from Sergeants (and
Wandering Knights who can no longer travel) and
serve as lieutenants for Master Knights. In other
words, they do the paperwork. When a Master
Knight gives an order, it is usually to an Adept Knight.
Most Adepts are looking to become Master Knights,
working diligently to please their superiors to gain a
higher position in the Order.
Master Knight
There is only one Master Knight for each chapter house.
The Master Knight not only runs the chapter house,
but also serves as diplomat for the Order. He’s the one
at parties taking donations from the nobility. He shows
up at charity events and gives speeches, writes articles
for local newspapers, and addresses public concerns.
Second Knight
The Knight who is the power behind the Rose &
Cross. She is privy to all the secrets of the Rose &
Cross, passed to her by the previous Second Knight.
She holds the title of Second (e.g. Second Smith).
First Knight
This is a title used only to refer to and honor the
founder of the Knightly Order of the Rose & Cross,
Verkündigen Rosenkreuz.
lay
two companions what to do and now I need only
It comes now. Peace fills me. I have told my
t
I can trust them, as they have been steadfas
down and let the Creator overtake me. I know
y on. I am so tired and I know the Creator will
through this ordeal and I know they will carr
comes I will be there to shine truth on the lies
not let me fail in my Vow. I feel when the time
and he
convinced the Church he is the True Prophet
infesting the Church. The False Prophet has
hings to convince them.
has learned enough of the Third Prophet’s teac
rch turned callous and cold. The False Prophet
He twists words, and what I see now is a Chu
g
way to peace and harmony is through punishin
spreads lies. The people are convinced the only
Third Prophet’s words of peace.
those deemed sinners. They do not hear the true
our
so few—making sure that others can follow in
We cannot move against him, because we are
carry
and
my fellow Knights will go on without me
footsteps is more important. I must trust that
our message forward.
me.
True Prophets; I will accept what is destined for
I will rest now and trust in the Creator and the
98
CHAPTER 5 | The Rose and the Cross
A CIRCLE OF CHAIRS
Among the Adept Knights are special “officers” in charge of specific duties within the
chapter house. These officers are sometimes
called “the Circle” or “the Chairs” because
the officers meet with the Master Knight in a
circle of chairs once per week.
• The Chaplain serves as a spiritual guide
for the Knights.
• The Curator keeps the decorations,
artifacts, and other physical property of
the chapter house intact.
• The Sergeant trains the Initiates and
keeps the Knights in fighting shape.
• The Steward keeps the larder and
feeds the Knights.
Only the Virtuous Soul Shall Pass
Many young Théans dream of becoming Knights,
especially children of noble birth with poor birth
order placement, whose only hope of maintaining
their noble status lies in obtaining enough prestige to
attract a noble spouse.
Gaining entry into the Order is simple, but
impossible for those unfit for service.
The first method is to attract the attention of the
Knights by displaying courage and generosity. In this
case, the Knights approach the person.
The second takes longer.
An applicant rings the bell at the front of the
nearest chapter house and a Knight greets her on the
front steps. Once the applicant expresses her desire
to become a Knight, she is asked her name, where she
is from, and why she wishes to serve. The applicant
explains, what brought her to the chapter house.
Some tales are brief and passionate, some are long
and filled with nervous twitches, but no matter the
answer the Knight’s response is the same.
“Your ambition is noble, but you have not shown the
qualities we seek. Go forth and live well.”
The Knight retreats into the chapter house and the
door closes before the applicant responds. Applicant
reactions to denial vary, and over the centuries the
Order has seen it all: shock, anger, anguish and even
vandalism. Unknown to the applicant, her entry test
began when the door closed.
The Order believes if a person is not virtuous
without Knighthood, she will never be virtuous with it.
If the applicant failed to convince the Knight of
her pure intention, nothing happens. If the applicant
touched the Knight with her plea, the Knights watch
her for a period of time (usually one year) for evidence
she holds the ideals of the Order valuable, even if
she never becomes a Knight. The Order watches for
displays of both virtue and vice. Applicants cannot be
watched all the time, but the Order is usually able to
rotate shifts so when the time for a decision on the
applicant arrives, ample evidence can be presented.
The Service[$$ this rank not defined] Knight of
the chapter house and any Knights who observed
the applicant attend. Events the Knights feel
would impact the applicant’s entry are presented
and weighed.
Literally.
Septimus 29, 1662 AV
I should have known the Knights were watching me. They
turned me away, but I started seeing them more often—
not much, mind you, but enough to be noticed.
One can see Knights about their business, but I only
crossed paths with them rarely. It seems ever since I went
to the chapter house they turned up in places I had never
seen them before.
I shrugged it off as nothing more than imagination or
wishful thinking. I remember writing Ivy and telling her I
saw a Knight in the chapter house alley. It seems so long
ago.
She came up to me after the party. I knew who she was.
I had seen her before and noted the tabard, but this
evening she was not wearing it. She was tall and athletic
and motioned for me to follow her.
“We have been watching you,” she said. “We have seen how
you treat others and we hope you still wish to join the
Order; you have been judged and found worthy.”
I love how she did not give me any preamble, no small
talk, and I could not be more ready to be a Knight.
Beckett Harrington
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
99
The Knights set up an ornate set of scales in the
middle of the room. Each Knight who observed
a virtuous act places a white marble is placed on
the right side of the scale, and for every vice, the
Knight places a black marble on the left. Knights
are allowed to advocate for the vice or virtue of an
event, if not immediately obvious. Final decisions
are made by consensus or by the Service[$$] Knight
if a consensus cannot be reached. Once the trial
ends, if the white marbles weigh more than the
black marbles, the applicant is admitted. If the scale
is balanced, or close to balanced, the Service[$$]
Knight can choose to tip the scale on either side,
or continue the application for one year to gather
more evidence.
It should be noted that during the test a clever,
observant applicant may figure out what is going
on, or if she is a legacy in the Order and her Knight
relative tells her the nature of the test. A Knight also
may grow fond of an applicant and tell her. All of this
is taken into consideration during the trial.
Once a chapter house decides to accept an Initiate,
the next step involves “abducting” the candidate.
Knights acquire her clandestinely and bring her to
the chapter house with her hands bound and a hood
over her head. She is tied to a chair and a knife put
against her chest. The Knights then inform her that
the only way to save her life is to swear her soul
to evil. The Knights ask her three times with each
request becoming more insistent. Typically, the
Knights prey on the candidate’s weaknesses. Having
had a year to study her, they have a good deal of
material to work with. “We will give you enough
money to pay your sister’s dowry…all you need do is
commit one small murder.” “You are such a beautiful
woman. We will marry you to the richest man in
Castille, but you will indulge in his villainy. You
will help him hold that treasure and you will do it
without question.”
If the candidate refuses all temptations, she is
given the final offer: “do as we say or we will kill you,”
tailored to the candidate. If the candidate refuses,
the Knights pull the hood from her eyes and reveal
where she actually is: the chapter house of the Rose
and Cross. She has passed the final test and may
now join the Order. The applicant then strips all her
“worldly clothing” (usually down to small clothes) and
brought before the Service[$$] Knight to take the
Vow of Service.
“It is better to rush upon this blade than enter the
Order with fear in your heart. Do you understand?”
“I do.”
The dagger is touched to the right palm.
“Do you vow to protect the unprotected?”
“I vow.”
The dagger is touched to the left palm.
“Do you vow to bring justice to the unjust?”
“I vow.”
The dagger is touched to the heart.
“Do you vow to serve the unserved?”
“I vow.”
The dagger is touched to the throat.
“Do you vow to speak only the truth?”
“I vow.”
100
CHAPTER 5 | The Rose and the Cross
The training of a Knight is no mean task. Initiates
undergo 18 months of rigorous physical and spiritual
training before they are considered Knights.
and otherwise hone their martial skills. The training
regimen is relentless, requiring initiates to push
themselves beyond what they consider to be their limits.
All the while, the sergeants tell them, “You are more
than you know. You are more than what you have been
told. You are more than what you can imagine.”
When initiates are not learning to fight or
developing their minds, they clean pots, change
linens, and shovel out stables. They also serve meals,
launder stained tunics, wash windows, dust, shop,
prepare meals, mop, make candles, and scrub out
chamber pots.
Physical Training
Mental Training
The physical training is demanding. Initiates rise at
dawn and don’t go back to bed until sunset. During
that time they practice swordsmanship, athletics,
Knights are expected not only to train their bodies,
but also their minds. Within each chapter house is
a vast library of knowledge from all across Théah.
However, each chapter house also contains a secret
library that contains books declared heretical by the
Church and Inquisition. These books, most of them
copies of books Rosenkreuz himself brought back
from the Crescent Empire, detail science, mathematics,
medicine and the Crescent version of alchemy. These
books are available only to Knights.
One of the most important volumes in the Order’s
collection is a book known as The Book of M. The
book details various medical procedures unknown
in Théah, procedures that if approved by Church
scholars would revolutionize Théan surgery. However,
because new ideas such as these are declared heretical
by the Church, they must remain the Order’s secret.
“Then welcome to your training, Initiate.”
The Service[$$] Knight gives the Initiate her tabard
and explains the expectations of her Station. (This
includes maintaining the secret of the initiation
ritual, of course.) Thus begins the three-year training
required to become a Knight.
Training
Octavus 5, 1662 AV
The cold pained my bones and I thought I would
never be warm again. They took all my clothing and
blindfolded me, before leading me downstairs and into
a large, echoing chamber.
They took my blindfold off and I was greeted by
torchlight. Knight Collins stood before me with a dagger
clasped in both hands, pointed down. The Knights
stood in full regalia around me, and the silence so
overwhelming I could hear my heartbeat. I knelt before
her and she stepped forward and pointed the blade at
me.
“It is better to rush upon this blade than enter the
Order with fear in your heart. Do you understand?”
“I do,” my voice cracked and I hate myself for that. I
was sure she would plunge the dagger into me, but
I said the vows and then she spoke the words I had
waited to hear most of my life.
“Then welcome to your training, Initiate Harrington.”
I know I have a long way to go still, but I am excited to
begin. I just wish I could tell Ivy. I know she would be
excited too.
Beckett Harrington
Graduation
When his training is done, the initiate undertakes
the Ritual of Vows. He is placed in a dark chamber,
surrounded by Knights holding swords. In the center
of the circle is the Seal of the Order. The initiate
comes to the ceremony naked and kneels in the
center of the circle, upon the Seal. Standing to his
left and right are the senior Knights and before him
is the Master Knight. The Knight to his left holds a
tabard bearing the Seal and the Knight on his right
a bowl of water.
The Master Knight places a sword at the
initiate’s heart and asks him, “Will you protect
those who cannot protect themselves?” The initiate
replies, “So I vow.”
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
101
us of our tasks and laid down on his bed. We
It falls to me to keep records. Rosenkreuz told
He slept and his breathing grew so shallow,
thought he was going to pass on, but he did not.
watched for months and nothing changed. He
we could barely tell he was breathing at all. We
do not know how long his condition will last, but
seems to be in some kind of coma or stasis. We
es on. It is the least we can do for all he
we will watch over him until he recovers or pass
showed us and given us.
, especially with Rosenkreuz so ill, but he
We have hidden the treasure. It was not easy
to the location. Rosenkreuz is certain that only
insisted. We traveled all over and planted clues
locate the treasure. We made certain only
the worthy would be able to find these clues and
re of what we left behind, and hope they will
worthy souls would be able to discover the natu
use it for the betterment of our cause.
;
terrible crimes committed upon us by traitors
This will not bring our friends back, or erase the
to be told.
but we can make sure the truth finds a way
be able to move around anymore, and so the
We must bring Rosenkreuz to safety. We will not
to remain hidden. It is difficult when lies are
remotest location we can find is our best hope
constant fear of being discovered.
spreading everywhere we turn, and we live in
t watching over this man, then I will take on
If it is destiny that my final days shall be spen
I die, as my fellows did for their faith. I know
the task until someone comes to relieve me or
.
not what the future brings, but I have hope
Knight Abrego,
It has come to my a
docks with my shipmen ttention there is some sort of prob
what we have just br ts, and I so hoped we would be a lem at the
chapter house. If weought in from Montaigne with everyoble to share
being allowed to dock, cannot do something about why my ne at the
I am afraid everythi
ships are not
ng
wi
ll
sp
oil.
I am sure you will be
a
bl
e
to
he
lp
one of the Kni
e in this matter, and
would be willing tomgo
I am sure
I am hoping thghats
do
wn
th
er
e
t
fo
I
r
a
can rely upon you. You
before.
have never let femlleowdo member.
wn
If there is anything
hesitate to let me kn I can do to help in this matter,
please do not
ow.
In Faith,
Benefactor Gallegos
Primus 20, 1667 AV
102
CHAPTER 5 | The Rose and the Cross
The Master Knight then places the sword at the
initiate’s throat. “Will you bring justice to the unjust?”
The initiate replies, “So I vow.”
Finally, the Master Knight holds the sword in both
hands. He asks, “Will you serve the Order and those
who wear the Seal?” The initiate takes the sword in
both hands — by the blade — and replies, “So I vow.”
He must then take the sword from the Master Knight,
an act that usually draws blood from his palms.
During the ceremony, the Master watches the
initiate carefully. The initiate has been told by the
Sergeant Knight that if he hesitates or shows any
doubt, the Master will plunge the sword into the
Initiate’s body. If the Initiate can take the sword from
the Master, the bowl of water is emptied over his head.
The Master then gives the Knight his new name, a
name known to and used by only his brothers within
the Order. Then he is given his tabard.
Protector Harri ngton,
on, but there is no one else I trust to do this. I hope my
I know that you have not yet retur ned from your last missi
reaches you in time.
fears are unfounded, but we must be sure. I hope this letter
dig uncovered an Artifact of the Second Prophet far in
There was a rumor circulating in Cast ille that a secret
north, but we must find out if the rumors are true. My
the north. I was not aware the Second Prophet went so far
n it. The rumors ceased recently and we believe that may
fear is someo ne has already found the Artifact and hidde
statement, that they are hiding this knowledge from the
mean someo ne found it, and since there has been no public
world.
of the Order, as I am sure you agree. I am sendi ng you to
The Artifact, if it exists, belongs here in the archives
Cast ille to find out exactly what is going on.
his
and we have evidence that a dig crew came in on one of
We do have a Benefactor there by the name of Gallegos,
two local Knights, Domingo del Nuevo Mund o and Miguel del
ships, which is odd considering he imports food. We sent
ing. I do not believe he is being truthful with us. Quest ion
Cast illo, to ask him about it, but he denies knowing anyth
want you to deter mine how much he knows. He will not
the Knights when you get there and they can help you. I
he may open up to you and give you more infor matio n.
recog nize you and if you are careful to hide your ident ity
other groups must and are sure to have an interest. You
I bid you use cauti on. If we know about the Artifact, then
to
certainly interested in such an Artifact and I warn you
will not be the only one investigat ing. The Inquis ition is
to.
be careful about what you say and who you reveal yourself
long, but I think your skills are suited to this task. You
I know you have not been a Protector[$$not defined] for
matio n, as you have proven in the past. You also will not
are perso nable and people are usually likely to give you infor
be recog nized and can move freely.
weekly updates on your progress and if I receive any new
Consider this an official Statement of Missi on. I expect
possible.
leads I shall be sure to pass them along to you as soon as
Stay Safe.
In Faith,
Server Collins
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
103
The Knight is also told by the Sergeant that the
sword is his (he won it, after all) and that he is
required to name it. When the ceremony is done, the
Master turns to the circle and announces that a new
Knight is among them. “Who are you?” he asks the
Knight. The Knight announces his name to the Order.
A Knight never reveals his sword’s name to anyone.
We have found Rosenkreuz’s family, or at least, word
of them. When the False Prophet took power and we
were on the run, Rosenkreuz sent word to his family to
flee. He was worried the False Prophet would use them
against him, and it was a wise decision.
We went over his journals as he commanded and
discovered the prophecy the Third Prophet revealed to
him. We were shocked, but we knew part of our duty
would be to write down where his family fled, so that
in the future the information will help lead to the
Fourth Prophet.
The family is scattered and has traveled much. We placed
the children each with different relatives for safety. I
have written down their names and hope to keep track
of them as long as I am able. Perhaps in the future this
information will help find the Fourth Prophet? It is an
idea worth considering. In time, the relations will be so
distant impropriety would not be an issue.
The Fourth Prophet may be many years down the road,
but we must prepare now for the future. Therefore, we
have not joined our fellows and given ourselves over to
the False Prophet. It worries me, but I have been noticing
signs they may be getting close to us, even in this
isolated location. We will have to leave Rosenkreuz here,
even in his stasis, to lead them off the trail and finish
the work we must do. The Creator watch out for him and
us as we flee. Once we know they cannot find him, we will
turn ourselves over to keep them away forever. We had
planned to watch over him until he woke, but the Creator
has other turns in the Puzzle.
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CHAPTER 5 | The Rose and the Cross
The Great Secret
After many months (sometimes years) of service,
Poor Knights who show promise graduate to the
rank of Wandering Knight. The initiation into this
second Rank includes giving the Knight Rosenkreuz’s
Great Secret.
The Knight learns that human souls have power: a
power that is immeasurable but accessible, a power
that is greater than any sorcery.
At the beginning of the initiation ceremony, the
Poor Knight removes his tabard and kneels in a
circle of Knights, and is told the story of Rosenkreuz
and his meeting with the Third Prophet. He is also
told the story of their betrayal by the False Prophet.
He is told the history of the Poor Knights of the
Prophet and how they were betrayed by the King of
Montaigne and the Hierophant. Then he is told the
story of how each and every knight vowed revenge
against the two men.
Finally, he is told to make the Vows he made when
he became a Poor Knight. Once again, the Knight
speaks the three vows, but this time, as he does, he
realizes their importance…and their power.
The Three Vows
As the words pass through his lips, as they clatter
against his teeth, he feels a surge of power unlike
anything he has ever felt before. His body feels as if it
is on fire, but does not burn. The power of the words
courses through him, and he is finally aware of the
Third Prophet’s lost lesson to humanity.
Mankind’s own words have power.
Once the ritual is over, the Knight knows what
power lies in his soul. When a Knight makes a Vow,
a promise based on the three Vows he takes at his
initiation, it will come to pass.
The Inquisition
Church leaders feel the Knights undermine their
purpose because the Knights have no qualms about
calling out corrupt members of the Church. The
Knights also practice a form of heresy according to the
Church. Whispers claim that the Knights believe in a
False Prophet and spread his teachings among their
members. Some say they even worship Legion and
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
105
Server Collins,
part of the initiation ritual involves kissing a statue
of Legion and spitting on the Books of the Prophets.
The Inquisition keeps a close watch on the Order
and more than one Knight has been accused of
heresy with little evidence, and burned at the stake.
The Order feels this a ploy by the Church to hold the
Order in check, and it is right.
If Verdugo were to gain evidence that the Order is
searching for the Fourth Prophet, the Order would be
wiped out. The belief of the Church is that the Fourth
Prophet will bring Armageddon, and it will stop at
nothing to prevent the prophecy from coming true.
Rumors abound in the chapter houses, and one
such rumor says the Inquisition has found out
that the Order is searching for the Fourth Prophet.
Several Knights have gone missing while following
leads related to the Fourth Prophet. Evidence at each
scene indicates that the Inquisition was involved.
The Order does not have confirmation that the
Inquisition knows anything, but intelligence missions
go out frequently. The Order seeks to find out what
the Inquisition knows. If it does know something, it
is apparent for now that the Church does not have
enough evidence to move on it in the open. Though
that may be only a matter of time.
The Black Stone
The Order of the Rose and the Cross strictly forbids
murder. (Self-defense is not murder in the Order’s
eyes.) The First Knight’s philosophy forbids killing
under almost any circumstance. Unfortunately,
there are times when it is the only course available
to the Order.
The Knights gather in the chapel. Each puts on a
blindfold. Then, one by one, they draw stones from a
bowl. Within the bowl are a number of white stones
and a single black stone. When everyone has drawn
a stone, the Knights retire to their rooms, close their
doors, and open their hands. If a Knight has a white
stone, he sits and meditates on the fact that he was
fortunate he did not draw the black stone. If he draws
the black stone, fate has chosen him to commit an evil
act so his brothers and sisters do not have to.
When the Knight returns, she must give an account
of her actions, relaying the circumstances of the event
and whether she carried out the deed. (Sometimes,
a Knight finds a different solution.) Afterward, she
106
CHAPTER 5 | The Rose and the Cross
I made it to Castille and it took me a full day to
settle in and orient myself. It did not take me long to
find out where Benefactor Gallegos spends his time.
It was a fine establishment for gentles and nobles. I
was able to gain entry with the help of a Knight.
I only revealed myself to the Knight because I found
out he worked closely with Benefactor Gallegos. Server
Abrego was very helpful. I was able to work my way
into a conversation with the Benefactor and I agree
with your assessment that he is hiding something. I
pretended to be an interested student who heard the
rumors and he denied knowing anything, as he had
with our fellow Knights.
I was uncomfortable lying—as you know me well,
you can understand this—but I know it was for
the greater goals of the Order, and persevered.
Benefactor Gallegos did mention he knew of a
couple ships coming in that might interest me and
I was eager to take him up on the offer in hopes of
shedding light on the situation.
When I arrived the next day, the folks at the docks
did not seem as enthusiastic as Benefactor Gallegos
led me to believe they would be. They told me they did
have some scholars due to arrive, but they were like
me, the curious looking for clues about the rumors.
I felt I had been led on a useless hunt and I had no
idea why Benefactor Gallegos sent me here just for
that piece of information.
As I left, a man approached me, claiming he had
evidence of what I was looking for, and offered to
let me have a look for a small fee. At this point I had
no other leads so I took him up on his offer, though I
have doubts.
This brings me to today. I am going to meet the fellow
tonight to see what he has to say. I think there is
something going on here. Your instincts are good as
usual.
I wonder if there is a connection between these two
companies? Perhaps that is something worth looking
into. I shall write again next week, or sooner if I find
out anything new.
In Faith,
Protector Harrington
spends a month in deep contemplation and
reflection, finally asking forgiveness from the
chapter house chaplain.
Notable Members
Domingo del Nuevo Mundo
Domingo Sebastian de la Espada del Nuevo Mundo
knew from the time he was born that he wanted to
train as a swordsman. His family followed the art
of the sword for as far back as they could trace their
lineage. A sword passed from the best swordsman of
the previous generation to the best of the next. The
boy became determined, as he watched his father
practice with the sword, that he would be the one
to inherit it.
As soon as he was old enough, he joined the
Aldana school to learn this honored dueling style.
When he graduated and earned his place in the
Dueling Academy, he set out to train further. One
day just after he left training, he came across a group
of bandits trying to rob a young man on his way
home. Sebastian stopped the robbers and decided
justice prevails
heretic executed
The execution of Knight Beckett
Harrington occurred today, Corantine
11, 1667 AV, as dawn broke in
Kirk. The Knight was accused of s
interfering and tampering with good
belonging to the Church of the sed
Prophets. When captured he confes
to heresy and would not recant or
be forgiven of his sins. He was found
guilty and the harshest sentence
passed down. Justice is swift and
blind. The Creator holds us to the
highest standards of honesty and no
one is safe from Theus’ judgment.
It is with a heavy burden that this
punishment was carried out on such e
a young soul, but in order to continua
in the light of the Creator, such
sin could not be forgiven. We know
this is a shock to our community.
However, we persevere in truth’s
pursuit.
Let this serve as a lesson to all d
those who would go against the wor to
of the Prophets. They have nothing y
look forward to except the compan
of Legion. The fight against evil and
chaos never ends and it can appear
anywhere and in anyone. Vigilance is
the cost of peace and harmony.
Let this man’s death be not in vain.
Fish with Two HeadS SIGNALS END
OF DAYS
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
107
that helping the helpless was a good way to use his
sword. A year after starting this practice, the Knights
of the Rose & Cross approached him. Joining the
Order would give him the opportunity to keep his
skills sharp, so he accepted the invitation.
When he told his father about joining the Order,
the old man actually grew misty-eyed. The next day,
the boy found his family’s sword laying on the bed
with the rest of his packed belongings. He holds this
memory dear and speaks of it to no one.
Though he is new to the Order, he has already
become known for his charm, flamboyance, kind heart
and humor. Sebastian excels at missions requiring
diplomacy. He spends his time on missions using
both his wits and sword to further the goals of the
Order, and often regales the chapter house with his
exploits. He holds everyone in thrall with the tales of
his deeds, which may or may not be exaggerated for
entertainment.
Aristide Baveaux recently approached Sebastian
to train as a Master Knight, impressed with his
wits. Sebastian declined, as he said such a position
would cause him to lose his blade skill. Instead, as
a Protection[$$ this rank not defined] Knight, he
continues to search for newer and grander ways to be
the best swordsman Théah has ever known.
We have discovered that when we
make a Vow, it comes true. There
has been so much despair, we have
made Vows often. We began to
notice that we received our answers
through the Creator. The Creator
listens.These Vows cannot influence
the actions of others, but ourselves.
We know if we abuse this knowledge
there is a fate worse than death
for us. We will have turned from the
Creator and deserve to be stripped
of the title of Knight.
Rosenkreuz was the first. We have
come to believe when he Vowed he
would be there for the rising of the
Fourth Prophet, the Creator gave him
and us this gift. He lies where we
left him, waiting to fulfill his Vow.
We, too, will make a Vow.
We will turn ourselves in, but before
we leave this world, before we burn,
we say this:
The Rose & Cross will rise again!
Corantine 25, 1667 AV
Lad y Wyndham,
It is with great pain that I write you this
, but it is somethi ng I am sure Knight Harr
ington would want me to do. He
always spoke fond ly of you and I hope you
do not believe what they are sayi ng about
him. He was a loyal and true
Knight and I promise you we will get to the
bottom of what happened and clear his nam
e. It may take some time, but I
will make it my personal miss ion to make sure
this is done. I hope you will accept my deep
est cond olences.
I cannot tell you much, but I can tell you he
was doing the Creator’s work when he was
taken. I take no small role in
blame for his deat h, as I sent him there, and
I mean to atone for that fatal mistake.
If you ever need anyt hing of me, do not hesi
tate to ask. I know this cannot ease your
pain, but I hope you can take
some com fort in my words.
In Fait h,
108
Knight Emi lia Collins
CHAPTER 5 | The Rose and the Cross
Portraying Domingo del Nuevo Mundo
The first thing people notice about Sebastian is his
smile. He can persuade most anyone to do what
he asks. Gaining someone’s attention is a snap for
Sebastian with his wit. He is also relentless in pursuit
of his goals and is rarely diverted from them.
His flamboyant clothes and bold speech make
him popular wherever he goes. He dresses neatly
and is warm with people who also value style.
Complimenting him will get you in his good graces.
If he likes you, he is genial, but one often gets the
sense that he does not reveal himself easily, even
though on the surface it appears he is open and honest.
Story Hooks
• Sebastian’s most prized possession, his family
sword, has been taken from the chapter
house. The Heroes are under suspicion for
the crime and must clear their names.
• Recently Sebastian helped recover one of the
Rilasciare’s masks. He donned it once in the
moment and afterward it disappeared. He
believed that was the end of it, but now the
mask has returned to him unbidden. Can the
Heroes help Sebastian resolve his new task
while remaining loyal to the Knights of the
Rose & Cross?
Miguel Orozco del Castillo
The young Knight proved himself to be an
incredibly gifted swordsman as well as a dependable
ally, making him favored for missions. One of his
proudest memories remains the day he received praise
from his aunt for his work on a mission.
Orozco does not shy away from missions that might
reveal his identity to his birth father. Instead, Orozco
places the work of the Order over personal safety and
continues to take missions without hesitation.
Portraying Miguel Orozco del Castillo
Tall, lithe and stylish, Orozco commands attention
when he enters the room with his disarming smile
and aristocratic ways. He acts with confidence and is
never ruffled when challenged. Though he has all the
background and manners of a noble, Orozco will help
a worthy cause without hesitation and can be relied
on to see a mission through to its end, and to help his
allies in danger.
Story Hooks
• Orozco’s biological father appeared at the
chapter house and demanded to see his son.
The Heroes are sent to track down Orozco
and bring him back to meet his father.
• Orozco is worried about retribution on those
he cares about. He fought an assassin on his
last mission and he wants the Heroes to help
ensure his family does not pay for his actions.
Miguel Orozco de Torrez y la Reina del Mar del
Castillo grew up rich and loved. His aunt, Elvira Orozco
de Acedo, became his idol with her tales of adventure
with his father as Knights of the Rose & Cross.
When Orozco grew up, he renounced his inheritance
and joined the Order with his aunt’s help. The night
he took his Vows, she took him aside and told him
that he was not blood of the family he grew up with.
Instead, Elvira’s best friend had died in childbirth, and
she promised to protect Orozco. She hid the baby with
her own brother’s family, who agreed to keep him safe.
Elvira does not know who Orozco’s father is, she knows
only his mother feared the man, and the whole family
could be in danger if his biological father ever found out
Orozco exists. The news devastated his sense of identity,
but Orozco resolved that his true family was the one who
raised him and he would defend them no matter what.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
109
Aristide Baveaux
Aristide Baveaux showed his ability with people very
early. In fact, the event that caught the attention of the
Order was when, as a teenager, Baveaux convinced a
group of merchants to have mercy on orphans who
had stolen from them during a local festival.
Born in Charouse, Baveaux has the tastes and
culture of a true Montaigne. He grew up with the
finer things in life as the son of a noble, but his
disposition never led him to believe he was superior to
anyone else. He believes his good fortune is intended
to help others and so he does so with generosity
and good cheer.
He accepted immediately upon being asked to join
the Order, with the belief he would be able to do even
more good for others with the backing of the Rose &
Cross. He was trained and marked for the position of
Master Knight. His chapter house held the highest
reputation in no small part to Baveaux’s efforts.
Baveaux spent five years as the Master Knight
of the Charouse chapter house, when the previous
Master Knight passed away and he was tapped as
the replacement. He has done an excellent job of
upholding the ideals of the Order and being the face
attached to their actions. It is not an easy job, and the
Master Knight often becomes the target for attacks
and derision, but Baveaux faces all of this with grace.
The Master Knight’s home is close to the Crieux
chapter house, the headquarters of the Order, so
he can entertain Benefactors, rulers, merchants,
politicians and others who may be helpful to the
Order. chapter house
Each residence is decorated with its Master
Knight’s particular taste, and Baveaux has chosen to
decorate with items from all over Théah. He imports
items and displays them so visitors have familiar
items around them to discuss.
He is well-versed in history and culture and can be
found studying to keep up with world events and hone
his knowledge. Baveaux speaks five languages fluently
and is proficient in three more. He is an asset to the
Order and it will be hard pressed to find someone to
equal Baveaux’s skills when the time comes.
Portraying Aristide Baveaux
Baveaux is energetic, charismatic and a skilled orator.
A perfect front-man for the Order. He has an ability
110
CHAPTER 5 | The Rose and the Cross
to make a person feel like she is the most important
person in the room, by looking into her eyes and
leaning in when he speaks. His eyes are bright and
curious, taking in everything around him. He always
has a smile on his face and a handshake for new people.
He walks with his head up, exuding confidence, and
in any conversation people are inclined to look at
him for direction. He is well-groomed and generally
brings a small gift for the host of any event to which
he is invited.
Story Hooks
• A rumor surfaces in Crieux that the
Order is divided in philosophy. This raises
questions for the public about the stability
of the Order. The Heroes have been asked
by Baveaux to investigate and discover the
source of the rumors.
• Baveaux is to make a public appearance at
the opening of a new library in the city, but
sources say someone is out to assassinate
him at the event. Baveaux refuses to back
down, and so the Heroes are tasked to make
sure nothing goes wrong.
Emilia Collins
Emilia Collins knew she wanted to be a Knight since
childhood. She followed Knights around whenever
she saw them and spent hours in the woods behind
her family’s farm outside of Carleon, training in the
hopes of attracting the attention
of the Knights. Collins lost track
of how many times she got herself
in trouble trying to impress them.
She is one of a minority of Knights
who did not grow up in nobility and
as such she has a practical view of life.
As she grew older, Collins
understood more of what the Knights
would require, and took their example
to heart, volunteering with various organizations
with no expectation of reward. When she was old
enough she went to the chapter house and asked to be
admitted. She was turned away, but it did not crush
her as she thought it would, because she still had the
lessons the Knights taught her by example, which
enriched her life. She would be fine.
One year later, she joined the Order. After flying
through her training with determination and skill she
became a Wandering Knight. Her ability to inspire
other Knights and her commitment to the Order led
her to be quickly promoted to Master Knight, the
youngest in the history of the Order at just twentyseven years old. Her efficiency and dedication make
her an excellent leader.
Most of Collins’ time is spent at the chapter house,
and she is readily available to any Knight who needs
to speak with her. Though she is a good
leader, she wants to improve and can
be found training when not attending
to her duties.
Some wonder what the Second
Knight was thinking, putting
someone so young in charge of
a chapter house, but Collins
has proved time and again
that the decision was a good one. One even begins to
see her methods being used at other chapter houses.
Portraying Emilia Collins
Emilia Collins is passionate as well as compassionate.
It is obvious she cares deeply about the Knights under
her care. She speaks of them highly and gets angry
when people speak ill of the Knights or the Order.
She is not afraid to get dirty and can be seen drilling
the Knights or helping out with chores around the
chapter house when she has the time. She dresses for
practicality rather than style.
She speaks plainly and does not like small talk,
unless the subject is the Order or the Prophets.
Collins talks passionately, with fire in her eyes, on
either of these topics. In her mind there is no greater
purpose than serving the Order and others.
Collins is neat and tidy and though she does not
mind doing dirty work, her office and papers are
always arranged in an efficient way.
Story Hooks
• Collins sends the Heroes to keep an eye on
an Applicant who is approaching her Trial of
Virtue. The Heroes will be required to testify
during the trial.
• Someone broke into the chapter house and
stole documents discussing the search for the
Fourth Prophet. Collins asks the Heroes to
retrieve the documents.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
111
Adara
Other than her Vodacce heritage, very few Knights
in the Order know more about Adara. Rumors
about her past are rampant and contradictory. She
may have been a daughter from a minor noble family,
a courtesan, or a street rat. She never speaks about
her past and ends any conversation that brings it up.
Nobody’s even sure if “Adara” is her real name.
She’s been a devoted Knight since she joined years ago,
always refusing advancement. Adara remains an active
agent, keeping her sword and pistols ready at all times.
She’s taken on many apprentices, training some of the
finest Knights in the Order. She’s not only a fantastic
duelist with a deadly aim, but also a careful planner
who never enters a dangerous situation without a
way to get in and a way to get out. While she is a
careful woman (who apparently learned caution from
her youthful days in Vodacce), she has been known
to throw herself into danger to save lives when there
was no other choice. She often tells her apprentices,
“Only throw caution to the wind when there is no
other option.”
Adara also has connections within the Explorer’s
Society and the Rilasciare, both of whom have come
to her aid when she needed it. She has, however,
made an enemy of Die Kruezritter (she helped a Fate
Witch escape a particularly merciless agent). They
keep a watch on her, waiting for the opportunity to
gain revenge.
Portraying Adara
She is a no-nonsense woman who doesn’t put up
with tomfoolery. What she does—saving people—
is serious work and she takes it seriously. She very
seldom laughs or lets down her guard. Yes, she is
hiding something, but unless she absolutely trusts
someone, she’s not going to tell them. Of course, what
she’s hiding is probably best-tailored to your players.
If you have an appropriate Villain in your game
already, tying her past to theirs will give Adara and
your players something in common.
Adara is loyal, even to a fault. Once someone wins
her trust, she will walk through fire to help them. She
doesn’t keep track of favors: if you’re on her list, she’ll
aid you in whatever way you can. She despises politics
and intrigue, preferring honesty. She particularly
hates whispering. “The Devil hears whispers,” she’s
often keen to say. “And so do I.”
Story Hooks
• The Heroes are asked by one of Wyndham’s
noble relatives to bring an urgent message
to her. The Heroes are told not to open the
message under any circumstances.
• Wyndham, in an effort to move up from
Protector[$$] Knight to Justice[$$ rank not
defined] Knight, acted recklessly on her last
mission and is now in trouble. The Heroes
have been asked to go and help her.
112
CHAPTER
CHAPTER55||The
TheRose
Roseand
andthe
theCross
Cross
LOS VAGABUNDOS
Chapter 6
Why do we wear masks? Because we serve. To be truthful, some of us are numbered among the luminaries
of Théah, but we all serve a greater purpose. We are shadows, the faceless men and women who embrace a
simple secret. For the people to thrive they must have good leaders, and good leaders are seldom unopposed.
Our masks are white to denote purity of purpose. The singular conviction that a perfect society is ordered
beneath the golden crowns of enlightened nobles and prelates. We hide our faces because we have no
aspiration for power or recognition. We grin because we do not fear death in the prosecution of our
duty. We dress in violet and black in honor of those we serve and to remind others of who we defend. Our
cloaks represent the protection we provide our wards and are the shrouds of those who oppose us.
Why do we wear masks? Because without them, we are but simple patriots and
believers in a cause. With them, we are something else entirely.
—El Vagabundo
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
113
Like the branches of a great
tree, Los Vagabundos spreads
its influence across Théah
to shade its noble crowns in
time of need. Los Vagabundos’
operations are international
in scope, but its soul resides
in the Nation of its birth.
Toppling a corrupt prince or
promoting a virtuous one is not
a matter of rational inquiry for a
Vagabundo. It is a sacred trust felt in the very
fiber of his being.
A Vagabundo does not fight for personal glory,
honor, wealth or privilege. He fights for the people of
Théah in the only way he knows how, by defending
those who govern. He protects the twin crowns of
the nobility and clergy with all his vigor and pursues
this cause unto death. Vagabundos are few in number,
but make up for this scarcity with unrivaled clarity of
purpose. They are always moving quietly, careful to
stay one step ahead of the tyrants they oppose. But
this subtlety is simply another mask that conceals a
barely contained inner fire that burns bright and true.
Passion defines a Vagabundo. Every whispered
exchange, clandestine meeting and blind letter-drop
is balanced against a daring rescue, harrowing escape
or nigh-supernatural feat of arms. Subtlety protects
a Vagabundo, but passion and purity of purpose
define him. A Vagabundo does not retreat in the face
of adversity, abandon his charge in time of need or let
an unjust ruler reign unopposed.
Most Heroes have passion. Vagabundos are passion.
Donning the Mask
Like the petals of a rose, the number five is significant
to Los Vagabundos. Five masks, five consejo members,
five ducados in its native Castille, and five ranks
within the hierarchy. Many joke that no one chooses
to become a Vagabundo. Few understand just how
right they are.
Semillas “Seeds”
Like the rose that is her symbol, the life of a
Vagabundo begins as a humble seed or semilla. A
semilla is a Vagabundo in waiting, a mere prospect
who has yet to awaken her full potential. She is
114
CHAPTER 6 | Los Vagabundos
a seeker and dreamer whose
passion for justice has yet to
translate to action, but will
when the conditions are right.
Semillas come from all
walks of life. They are the
corner baker, the parish priest,
the daring hidalgo and the
common drover. What unites
them is a burning hunger to see
justice done that starts as a spark, but
slowly fans itself into an inferno of righteous
indignation. When that indignation burns bright
enough, when that passion burns hot enough, the
semilla begins to awaken and receives “the dreams.”
The dreams come in many forms but are usually
triggered when the semilla learns of Los Vagabundos,
witnesses an injustice at the hand of a villainous lord or
is the subject of an unjust lord themselves. The semilla
begins to experience dreams, subtle at first, but with
ever-increasing intensity. They are dreams of action.
Dreams of masked Heroes clad in purple who laugh
in the face of danger. Dreams where good crowns rise
to protect their people and evil crowns are vanquished.
These dreams haunt the semilla day and night until she
can no longer be idle. When that day comes, the semilla
abandons her former life and becomes a brote.
Brotes “Buds”
Brotes are the initiates of Los Vagabundos. A brote
sees the injustice of the world and her blood sings for
its correction. She is drawn to Los Vagabundos, and
begins to court the society and the masks its members
bear. The corner baker notes the comings and goings
of villainous crowns and shares that information with
those in need. The priest sermonizes about Theus’
justice. The hidalgo becomes protective of honorable
princes and strikes out against the wicked. The drover
“accidentally” blocks a road bearing a villainous lord’s
soldiers at a critical time.
Where a semilla is a thought, a brote is action.
She makes subtle inquiries about El Vagabundo’s
whereabouts and gathers every tale she can of his
exploits in an effort to imitate him. The dreams
continue and the brote begins to affect the style and
actions of a Vagabundo. Many fashion simple masks
of wood or paper to emulate the ones they see in their
dreams. Others work some aspect of purple into their
garb, even if it is a simple ribbon. These items serve
a brote well as she begins her career as a Vagabundo.
In time, the brote begins to notice signs she is
being watched. A rose on a door where the day
before there was none. A cornflower left on her
doorstep in the morning. She does not know their
meaning, but she feels the connection to her new
work as a Vagabundo. She feels that she is constantly
being watched, and she is not wrong. Most brotes
have been under observation for quite some time by
a Vagabundo. Whether drawn by tales of the brote’s
exploits or inexplicably called to observe her, the
Vagabundo subtly tests and watches the brote until
the time is right. If the Vagabundo finds her true, he
invites the brote to a late-night meeting. The brote
meets “El Vagabundo” in the flesh, in actuality one
of his many agents.
Usually, by this point, the brote is ready to join and
readily accepts the formal invitation. Initiation follows
soon after. This initiation can take many forms. A
brote may receive a whispered invitation or a covert
letter accompanied by a rose that summons her to
Your Eminence,
The subject of yo
ur inquiry proved
elusive, but we ra
to ground near Pu
n him
erto del Sur as he
attempted to pu
passage to Vatici
rc
hase
ne Island. As inst
ructed, I assembl
entirety of my f
ed the
amiliars in addit
ion to a substant
portion of the lo
ia
l
cal garrison to aff
ect the arrest.
We approached th
e inn at twilight.
Our contacts ass
us that the subj
ured
ect had entered
at dawn and ha
left since (their
d
no
t
honest belief ha
s been confirmed
torture). I thorou
under
ghly investigated
the inn, entering
a dozen familiar
with
s. We burst into
th
e rogue’s room to
it empty save fo
find
r a pair of rose
s laid out in a “V
a copy of the B
” atop
ook of Common
Prayer. It was on
our return to th
ly
upon
e Inquisitorial pa
lace that we dis
the theft of yo
covered
ur corresponden
ce in our absenc
full responsi bilit
e.
I accept
y for our failure
to capture this
Vagabundo” and
“El
hope to serve yo
u better from m
posting in the Na
y
new
huacan Alliance.
In Theus,
Fray Jardine Ron
eau
THE OATH OF THE
VAGABUNDO
“I (state name), on my honor, on my family
and on the head of the Prophets, pledge to
devote my efforts, my fortune and my very
life to the goodly crowns of Théah, against
all enemies of any Nation. I affirm my belief
in the Prophets and pledge my loyalty to
the Holy Vaticine Church, vowing to see it
cleansed and renewed. Until that glorious
day I shall extend my hand to all the people
of Théah to protect them with my sword,
my life and my honor from those who
would oppress and persecute them unjustly.
I give my solemn pledge to protect my
companions in arms and to uphold this oath,
even unto death.”
a secretive gathering of Vagabundos who induct her
into the society. Another may have a direct initiation
when a Vagabundo shows up with a mask and a
mission only she can carry out. If truly blessed, a
brote will awake from a fever-dream in the dead of
night with a mask on her pillow and an unquenchable
thirst to wear it.
It is here that the path of the brote diverges.
Brotes who receive a mask upon initiation
are immediately elevated to become thorns
or espinas. Those who have yet to receive the
mask become leaves or hojas. Whichever path
she walks, the brote is now a person made anew.
The brote is pure. The brote has purpose. The
brote is a Vagabundo.
Hojas “Leaves”
Many feel the c all the Vagabundo, but few
are selected to wear the mask. These agents
become hojas and spread across Théah like
leaves in autumn. Hojas are the eyes and ears of
Los Vagabundos. They are the spies, informants,
benefactors and operatives who handle martial
operations and do not require a mask’s unique
gifts. Hojas operate clandestinely and have an
uncanny knack for arriving at the precise moment
of need. These are the people who espinas turn to
for resources and information for a mission. These are
the wearers of hundreds of exactly matching masks
that hide a daring escape. And these are the people
who spread information that eventually makes it to
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
115
an espina who appears at the right time and the right
place to save an important person’s life.
Hojas are vital to the maintenance of Los
Vagabundos, for while they have not yet worn one
of the five masks, they are no less dedicated to the
goals of the society. A hoja is loyal to a fault and
unswerving in his dedication to the society and its
objectives. Many a Villain has been taken aback
by the sheer ferocity of devotion Los Vagabundos
agents show to their society, and some suspect that
something greater may be at work. Some say a hoja’s
loyalty is born of patriotism, others of faith and
others still from his enigmatic dreams. Whatever
the reason, his loyalty is absolute, and his skill is
beyond question. Should the day come when a hoja’s
petition for a mask is granted or a mask chooses him
for service, he is immediately inducted into the ranks
of the espinas.
Espinas “Thorns”
A brote who dons a mask upon initiation never truly
returns to her former life. The mask fires her heart
with a passion that burns in her veins like molten iron.
Someone who serves under the mask immediately
becomes an espina, the eternal thorn in the side
of all tyrants. Espinas form an inner order within
Los Vagabundos and are often its most formidable
fighters. Their devotion is no less than their hoja
counterparts, but they have been touched by the mask
and embraced its power.
Espinas feel the call of the mask and know how
to harness its power. They are the agents most
commonly associated with Los Vagabundos, the
daring Heroes who shield the noble and strike down
the corrupt. Espinas have contacts across Théah, and
know how to request a mask if one is needed. These
requests are not always granted, but requests are
seldom made that lack merit.
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116
CHAPTER 6 | Los Vagabundos
The defining feature of an espina is her service
under the mask. Whether an espina requests a
mask or it requests her, she is forever changed by
its power. Even as the memories of her endeavors
fade, some remnant of their power and conviction
remain. That remnant is unique to the mask that was
worn, but always ignites some new spark of devotion
in the espina. This devotion can be an affirmation
of faith, an increased dedication to the perfection
of swordsmanship, or a renewed desire to defeat a
particular villain. The only certainty is that this
devotion is always profound and powerful.
A special sub-order of espinas exists called the
“Espinas Grandes.” The Espinas Grandes form a
council of five senior espinas, each of whom is in
contact with a member of the Consejo de Petalos that
governs Los Vagabundos. The Espinas Grandes uses
its web of contacts to receive requests for masks from
the espinas or hojas and serves to replace a petalo on
the consejo should one fall. Just as for the petalos, the
masks always work for the Espinas Grandes and are
quick to heed a call in time of need.
Consejo de Petalos “Council of Petals”
The Consejo de Petalos is composed of the five
original Castillians who wore masks in defense
of their Nation and its king. The invasion from
Montaigne and abuses of the Inquisition convinced
the five to use the power of the masks for the good of
Castille and for Théah as a whole.
The petalos are loyal patriots of Castille drawn from
across the Nation. They are Dona Yolanda Estrada de
Soldano, Francisco Marto de Aldana, Fray Antonio
Andrada de Odiseo, Lucia Santos de Torres and
Jacinta Olivera de Zepeda.
In the early days, one petalo was stationed in each
Castillian ducado, but the consejo has since expanded
its operations to the entirety of Théah. One petalo is
always in residence in Castille, typically near the Los
Vagabundos mother house in San Cristobal, while
another resides on Vaticine Island. The remaining
three petalos heed the call of El Vagabundo and
freely roam the lonely roads and byways of Théah to
intervene as needed.
The Consejo de Petalos meets as frequently as
needed and serves as the ultimate steward of Los
Vagabundos and the masks its members bear. There is
Account of Wearing the Mask: Espinas Section
What is it like to wear the mask, you ask? Power my
friend, power. I was one of the lucky ones, you know.
The mask came to me of its own accord. It started by
haunting my dreams and occupying my every waking
thought. The night before I affected Dona Maria’s
escape, I had a dream of a masked rider chasing me
through a thick fog. Just before he caught me, I awoke
and shot bolt-upright to find a white-and-purple
mask grinning back at me from the foot of my bed.
It hummed with subtle power in the moonlight and for
all its beauty I was afraid to touch it. I stared at the
mask throughout the day until it came time to prepare
for the raid. I almost left without it, but something
stopped me. The mask stopped me. Held in its thrall, I
was compelled to pick it up and don it. In that moment,
I was brote no more. I was El Vagabundo.
The mask’s power soared through my veins and I rejoiced
in its might. No challenge was too great, no mountain
too high and no Villain too formidable for me to conquer.
I donned my purple cloak and bolero, festooned myself
with rapier and pistolas, and struck out into the night.
I was strong, fast, resilient and unafraid of all who
stood between me and the Dona. Rescuing Dona Maria
became my personal quest, my holy writ, my very religion.
The cardinal’s men could do little to stop me. I entered
the prison unseen, extracted the Dona from her cell, and
fought through her captors with wild abandon, laughing
all the while. I do not remember how many of the
cardinal’s men I fought. Ten? Twenty? More? It does not
matter. To them I was an unassailable storm of flashing
steel wrapped in purple. What matters is that Dona
Maria is safe, and that the mask has moved on to help
another. Even now my memory of her rescue fades.
Do I miss the mask? Of course I do. But that is part of
being a Vagabundo. To court the mask’s power for our
own ends would see it consume us. Besides, it will come
again. When it is needed.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
117
nothing the petalos will not do for the goodly crowns
of Théah, and all would happily lay down their lives
for a just ruler.
The petalos are living shadows, both everywhere
and nowhere. They help maintain the network of spies
and informants Los Vagabundos has accumulated
over the years and spend a great deal of time on the
move to escape scrutiny. They communicate with and
instruct the Espinas Grandes, organize the espinas
and hojas under their care, and silently observe
promising brotes. Some say that not even the semillas
escape their watchful gaze.
Inquisitor and Vagabundo alike ascribe
supernatural qualities to the petalos. While it is
known that they are the ultimate guardians of the
masks, some whisper that their relationship with
them goes far deeper. Some say the masks always
respond to their call. Others say the petalos retain
the full memory of every action taken under the mask.
Whatever the truth, the petalos are some of the most
formidable Heroes in Théah and will stop at nothing
to further the aims of their society.
118
CHAPTER 6 | Los Vagabundos
Operations
Los Vagabundos operates across the length and
breadth of Théah, its members largely alone, but
never far from its intricate web of allies, contacts
and informants. Its agents have access to a dizzying
array of safe houses, bolt-holes, blind drops and secret
meeting places to keep them one step ahead of their
foes, and their actions have earned them the sympathy
of noble and commoner alike.
One unique feature of Los Vagabundos is its
reliance on a lenguaje de las flores or “language of
flowers” to communicate. A significant portion of
their safe houses are located in flower shops, floral
societies or the personal residences of Théah’s flower
enthusiasts. These safe houses are ideal locales
for clandestine meetings and many a Vagabundo
has found succor from or been initiated in the
basement or back room of a flower seller. Flowers
play a prominent role in Théan society. This affords
Vagabundos innumerable opportunities to spy and
infiltrate in the guise of simple flower vendors.
A dizzying array of flowers are employed in the
society’s flower language and cunning alchemy is
used to maintain the vitality of flowers that would
otherwise be long out of season. Far from limited
to flowers themselves, the lenguaje de las flores is
often used in other media, including painted fans,
clothing patterns, drawings, margin decoration in
books, jewelry and even graffiti. Not to be outdone,
the Sparrow’s Bravery in Montaigne has been a quick
study and developed its own secretive language;
employing perfume and often using perfumeries as
safe houses.
The greatest resource Los Vagabundos has is, of
course, the masks. Five in number, they bear the
ability to impart their agents fearsome abilities in
service of crown and cross. When not in use, the
masks are kept for safekeeping at Los Vagabundos’
mother house in Castille, but they are in the field
more often than not. While each mask is identical in
appearance, agents notice subtle differences between
them each time they are worn. With sufficient
experience, a Vagabundo begins to see that each mask
has a “personality,” and that masks tend to be drawn
to Vagabundos of like mind. Masks are typically
raced to the agent in greatest need, but can simply
appear where needed most. Most Vagabundos do not
question this aspect of the masks too closely, but no
distance or structure appears to bar a mask’s passage.
Of the five masks employed by Los Vagabundos,
only four are employed with regularity. The fifth
has a slightly graver aspect and sits unobtrusively
in the mother house until needed. This mask is
reserved for those instances where a Villain is so vile,
so merciless and so beyond redemption that death
is the only solution. Vagabundos are vigilantes, not
assassins, and while they may kill in the defense of
their charges, they prefer to bring a Villain to justice
instead of killing him if at all possible. In the rare
instance where a Villain’s death is required, it is the
fifth mask to which they call.
Current Affairs
Los Vagabundos never sleeps. When not protecting
a charge or thwarting an evil plot, it cultivates
informants and expands its influence.
Cardinal Verdugo
Perhaps the greatest concern of Los Vagabundos is
Cardinal Ésteban Verdugo. Cardinal Verdugo’s quest
to capture El Vagabundo has recently intensified.
Each daring escape, near miss and false lead infuriates
Verdugo all the more and drives his hunt forward. But
for all his fervor, the Cardinal is not without cunning.
He has detected a subtle pattern to Los Vagabundos
and tasked a priest with researching it further.
The industrious priest is on the verge of a secret, but
his concerns about Verdugo’s actions give him reason
to pause. His conscience wrestles with his duty to the
Church . Los Vagabundos has heard rumors of the
priest’s efforts and its agents struggle to reach him
in time. If it fails to destroy his work or persuade
him otherwise, the society may be in a fight for its
very existence.
The Sarmatian Commonwealth
Los Vagabundos has been extremely successful in its
defense of the worthy nobles of Théah. King Sandoval,
Queen Elaine and Jarl Auley Balderson have all
benefited from its protection. It is presently concerned
with the upcoming election in the Sarmatian
Commonwealth. The old king’s son, Stanisław II,
is wildly popular among the people and is almost
certainly their choice to become the new king, but
he is heavily opposed by Queen Consort Małgorzata
and her allies. Stanisław II’s ascent to the throne will
not go unopposed and Los Vagabundos will support
him as best it can.
Of greater concern is Stanisław II’s affiliation with
the Rilasciare. The Golden Liberty has gone a long way
toward safeguarding the people of the Commonwealth,
but that safeguard was put into effect by a king. Los
Vagabundos will arrange a meeting with the prince to
implore him to see through their lies and abandon the
Rilasciare. The society argues that the Rilasciare would
strip the people of their king, their faith and ultimately,
their lives. One need only look to Eisen and Montaigne
for the fruit of the Rilasciare’s “perfect” society. Los
Vagabundos will not threaten or cajole the prince. The
choice lies with Stanisław II. If he chooses to be a
true king, it will leap to his defense. If he chooses the
Rilasciare, it will attempt to cultivate Małgorzata into
a queen worthy of her people. If the Rilasciare should
come to power, Los Vagabundos will defend the people
and their Church in the dark days to come.
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7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
119
The Move to Odiseo
The Inquisition’s efforts to capture El Vagabundo
have intensified of late and many Vagabundos are
concerned about the safety of their mother house
in San Cristobal. To this end, Los Vagabundos has
begun to quietly shift its resources from San Cristobal
to San Felipe in Odiseo, where the Inquisition is weak.
The move is not without risk, because it exposes both
Los Vagabundos agents and their masks to capture,
either of which could be disastrous.
Odisean Independence
The situation in Odiseo is complex for Los
Vagabundos. A united Castille under Good King
Sandoval is a goal many Vagabundos cherish, but
an independent Odiseo greatly weakens the power
of Cardinal Verdugo and his Inquisition. The people
of Odiseo largely support their Grande Uxía Serafim
and Los Vagabundos has judged her true. Some
Vagabundos may have a heavy heart, but if the people
of Odiseo chose independence, Grande Uxía will have
Los Vagabundos’ protection.
Observing Semillas
Vagabundos have an uncanny ability to identify those
with the potential to become a Vagabundo. From the
first time someone has a dream, an agent is called to
their location. Agents watch over not only promising
hojas, but also semillas, sometimes before even they
know that they have been chosen. A Vagabundo
carefully observes each semilla and weighs his actions
against the values most precious to the society. If a
semilla looks promising, a Vagabundo will shadow
him until he blossoms into a hoja.
If something threatens a semilla or hoja before he
can defend himself, a Vagabundo is invariably there
to defend him. Often a semilla has his first encounter
with El Vagabundo in such a way, not realizing that
he is the person El Vagabundo is there to save.
No one is sure how a Vagabundo knows where to
find new semillas; even the agents themselves cannot
explain this intuition. Yet, just as El Vagabundo is
there to save the just and the worthy, a Vagabundo is
there to watch and observe potential new agents. This
duty, more than any other, is one she holds just as near
and dear as wearing the mask itself.
120
CHAPTER 6 | Los Vagabundos
A NOTE ON
RILASCIARE
Seldom have there existed two more
natural enemies than Los Vagabundos
and the Rilasciare. What Los Vagabundos
builds up, the Rilasciare tears down. What
Los Vagabundos promotes, the Rilasciare
destroys. While the Rilasciare is far from
united in its methods, its overall objective of
destroying the twin crowns of Théah could
not be more antithetical to Los Vagabundos’
cause. Vagabundos reserve a special fury
for Rilasciare agents and, beyond the rare
instance where a noble or priest is so
depraved as to earn both Los Vagabundos’
and the Rilasciare’s ire, there can be no true
peace between these two secret societies.
Every Light Casts a Shadow—
Máscaras Negras
Dubbed Máscaras Negras by Los Vagabundos, the
“Black Masks” are a secret society diametrically
opposed to everything Los Vagabundos stands for.
The Black Masks support and defend villainous nobles,
murder or discredit good ones, and take pleasure in
rooting out and destroying Los Vagabundos agents
wherever they are found. Theft, extortion, bribery
and murder are ready tools of the Black Masks and
they operate under a nigh impenetrable veil of secrecy.
The Black Masks move through society like shadows,
patiently waiting for the precise moment to strike.
When that moment comes, the last thing their victim
sees is an explosion of black silk framing a mask of
deepest black.
The Black Masks began as a simple expansion
of Duchesse Jacinthe Gagniere’s wine cellar in
Charouse. Drawn to the capital by naked ambition,
fanned by strange dreams of power, Gagniere
became unnaturally enamored with a particular
courtier’s palatial hôtel. She quickly embarked
on a campaign of manipulation and slander that
destroyed the courtier’s reputation, forcing him
to flee social life and leave his hôtel to Gagniere.
During her remodeling and expansion of the hôtel’s
wine cellar, Gagniere’s workers unearthed a sealed
Syrneth chamber. Quickly breaking its seal, the
duchess penetrated the gnarled roots within to find
a strange black mask with a rictus grin staring back
at her. Sensing its power, she secreted the mask
away and had her daughter Capucine poison the
workers and wall them up in the very cellar they had
just discovered.
Gagniere wore her mask for the first time that very
night and was intoxicated by its dark whispers and
malevolent power. Seeing the growing influence of
Los Vagabundos in Montaigne and feeling its sting
on more than one occasion, the duchesse stared
into the empty eyes of her newly found mask and
conceived a plan. As Los Vagabundos are to Castille,
her Black Masks would be to Montaigne. Never again
should the servants of l’Empereur and those of like
mind have to fear the dogs of Castille. To that end,
Gagniere collected a hardened coterie of deadly agents
whose cunning was matched only by their cruelty, and
the Black Masks were born. These agents criss-cross
Montaigne and beyond to further the duchess’ vision
Citizen,
It is with heavy heart that I write of that grim
night in Charouse. As you know, my hand was in
position to strike the head from the great beast
Léon Alexandre. He grew lax with the arrogance of
tyrants and after months of careful observation, we
found our opening.
A sympathetic free-thinker caught Léon’s wandering
eye and arranged for them to be alone together in
a secluded garden near his palace. The five of us
secreted ourselves about the garden to spring our
trap. As we entered the garden, we found the poor
girl drowned in an ornamental fountain and were
quickly set upon by a black-garbed figure wearing
an ebon mask with a soul-freezing grin.
He dispatched my four companions, each a masterful
duelist, with child-like ease. Only my headlong flight
into the night saved me from certain destruction.
I urge your cell to employ greatest caution while
attempting to infiltrate Charouse. I abhor faith in
all its forms, but after that night, I now know that
Legion exists, and he serves l’Empereur.
of promoting villainous nobles at the expense of good
ones, and freeing Montaigne of Los Vagabundos
once and for all.
Gagniere is a master manipulator and excellent
judge of character. She seldom exposes herself to
direct harm or risk of exposure and occludes her
motives like no other. Her mask grants her the same
abilities as those of her Vagabundo counterparts, and
allows her to sense Vagabundo agents when they are
near. On the other hand, it does not allow her to
forget the actions taken under the mask and forces
her to relive them night after night.
The duchesse and her society are closely allied with
l’Empereur and see him as the ultimate expression
of nobility. Her assistance, coupled with l’Empereur’s
vast resources, is largely responsible for her success
in checking Los Vagabundos’ power in Montaigne,
and she has every intention of continuing that trend.
To that end, Gagniere followed the visions her mask
imparted to help her unearth two additional masks,
one in Montaigne-occupied Castille and the other
in Eisen. She gave the first to her daughter, lady
Capucine Gagniere, who is now Jacinthe’s chief agent
provocateur. The second was imparted to Jacinthe’s
cousin, Maxime of the Lightning Guard. Maxime is
a deadly fighter with or without his mask and many
would-be assassins have fallen to his blade. Jacinthe
believes that two additional masks are located in
Avalon and Vodacce, and he has every intention of
finding them.
The Black Masks are powerful, but far from
unopposed. Los Vagabundos has begun to adapt to
their tactics and been largely successful in denying
them access to Castille. Los Vagabundos has also
begun to slowly regain ground in Montaigne thanks
to the efforts of Duchesse d’Arcy and the Sparrow’s
Bravery. The Bravery has proven particularly galling
to Gagniere because she cannot sense its agents
through her mask. Little does she know that it was
the seduction and murder of Duchesse d’Arcy’s
grandson by Capucine that inadvertently led to the
creation of the Sparrow’s Bravery. A clandestine
“Matron’s War” has broken out between the Black
Masks and the Bravery that will not cease until only
one of them remains.
Your friend,
M (final letter)
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
121
Behind the Mask
At the height of the Numanari Empire, when all
Théah trembled before its power, there existed a group
of five Heroes. Drawn from across the empire, their
reputation for loyalty and superlative fighting skill
earned them a position in the personal guard of the
provincial praetor of what would eventually be called
Castille. The praetor was a just man and the five
served him well, but he ultimately succumbed to age
and was replaced by Gnaeus Rufus Vitrasius. Praetor
Vitrasius’ reputation for avarice was rivaled only by his
Dear daughter,
I appreciate your mistrust of the mask’s
motivations, but you must understand that I
am not sending you to Vodacce on the strength
of visions alone. I have detected certain
commonalities in our precious new assets that
prove that they are not mere baubles we
uncovered by chance, but are our very legacy.
The three we discovered thus far have all
been located in sealed Numanari crypts located
near the site of ancient Syrneth ruins. I
believe the one you seek in Vodacce will be
similar.
Daughter, you must recover that mask if
you have to fight Theus himself to do it. You
will likely have to deal with agents of Prince
Caligari, the Explorer’s Society and perhaps
even those damnable Vagabundos. Let none
sway you from your course, daughter. The
mask you bear and the one you seek are part
of our heritage. After extensive research, I
discovered an intriguing fact about our prizes,
one I have since confirmed. Each mask has
been found in Numanari ruins once owned by
the House of Vitrasius. Our house, through
your father’s line. The masks are ours, good
daughter, and it is high time they came home.
Your mother,
J
122
CHAPTER 6 | Los Vagabundos
cruelty, and the five were sorely pressed to renew their
oaths of loyalty. Fate intervened when Vitrasius raised
his banner in rebellion against Emperor Corantine I.
The five were unable to abandon their oaths of loyalty
to the emperor and fled into the wilderness.
Exhausted by flight and unable to continue, the five
were taken in by a goodly shepherd from a local village
who concealed them in an ancient Numanari villa
nearby. There, the five found succor under the boughs
of a beautiful tree that grew in the villa’s courtyard,
surrounded by wild roses. Resting under its branches
and admiring the beauty of the roses, the five were
regaled by the shepherd with a tale of the tree’s origin.
It is said that the villa was originally built by a
wealthy noble from the Numanari Republic who
tended toward eccentricity. As the republic advanced
into the province, it began to discover ruins of prior
civilizations far more ancient than anything Numa
had encountered before. These were the civilizations
of the Syrneth and the noble selected one such ruin
over which to build his villa. The natives said that a
thousand Heroes had died for a thousand masters on
that very spot, and that their spirits infused the soil
of that hallowed place.
Generations passed and the noble’s family
eventually converted to the faith of the Prophets
along with the rest of the province. That faith speaks
of a tree that stands in an ancient garden. A garden
that is older than humanity, and perhaps older than
creation itself. In that garden stands a tree, said to be
the Tree of Life. The tree is said to bear many gifts
for the faithful. Fruit that grants extended life, sap
that heals wounds, and wood that has properties
stranger still.
It is said the tree takes many guises and travels where
it must. Here it came to reside in that very garden
where its roots grow strong and deep and its branches
stretch wide to shade the nobles below. Over time, the
nobles moved on, but the tree remained—the tree the
five saw before them. The five listened to the shepherd
with reverence, but were greatly concerned by news
that Vitrasius’ men were advancing on the village.
The shepherd suggested hiding amongst his people.
The village would be celebrating an ancient festival
where the entire assemblage wore masks, danced and
affected the guise of the thousand ancient Heroes
who came before. Night had fallen, and their piety
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
123
was too great for them to cut a branch off the tree to
make masks. The five prayed for deliverance amid the
roses at the base of the tree and settled into a restful
sleep. When they awoke, they saw that a great strip
of wood had separated from the tree’s trunk—just
enough to make five masks.
With the shepherd’s help, they crafted five identical
masks to conceal their identities. They painted them
white to represent their purity of purpose, and purple
to denote the royalty they were sworn to protect.
Donning their masks, the five were suffused with
power and easily able to avoid Vitrasius’ men. Armed
with the masks, the five took to the road and used their
newfound abilities to defeat Vitrasius’ troops wherever
they were found. Known to range far and wide, the five
were dubbed “those Vagabundi” by Vitrasius in his fury.
They ultimately defeated Vitrasius and traveled the
length and breadth of the empire, teaching evil nobles
to fear them. It is said their heroism was so great that
their very essence was imprinted onto the masks.
Time passed and after long lives, the five began to
succumb to age. Just before the last of them died, he
collected the masks and buried them in a simple stone
box amongst the roses at the base of their beloved tree.
His final prayer was that they be found when they
were needed most.
Centuries later, a harried and starving group of
Castillians were forced to fall back to a remote part
of Castille to evade the oncoming tide of l’Empereur’s
forces. Drawn as if by some strange force, they
battled their way through an unseasonably torrential
downpour, to find brief respite in the dilapidated
ruins of an ancient Numanari villa. Knowing the
Montaigne advance would be upon them by morning,
they took their rest in the villa’s rose-filled courtyard
and prayed to Theus for the salvation of their Nation,
its king and their own families.
When morning came, they found that the rain had
uncovered a stone box in the garden. Within, they
discovered five painted masks that appeared as if they
had been carved that very night. Thinking the masks
might confuse their pursuers, they donned them
and were suffused with power. In that moment, Los
Vagabundos was born. With might and mirth, they
engaged their pursuers in a hard-fought battle and
routed them decisively.
The five saw the hand of Theus in their salvation
and knew what they must do. Taking the rose as their
symbol, they swore to defend the goodly crowns of
Théah and oppose the wicked with all their strength.
Flower Language
Castillians have a passion for flowers and Los
Vagabundos is no exception. Flowers speak to the
Vagabundos, and the Vagabundos speak through
them. The rose is a Vagabundo’s most visible symbol;
it is the warning she leaves on the Villain’s pillow, and
the calling card she leaves in her wake.
Los Vagabundos uses a network of florists,
gardeners and flower sellers and has created an
elaborate language based on flowers. Broadly speaking,
Los Vagabundos divides its language into three
portions: identification, purpose and communication.
Los Vagabundos agents recognize each other with
a rose worked into their attire. It can be real or a part
of their clothing. A rose over a lady’s ear or worn on
a lapel, a piece of jewelry, or a cunningly wrought
brocade are all used to help agents identify each other.
124
CHAPTER 6 | Los Vagabundos
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7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
125
FLOWERS FOR
NATIONS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Castille: Red carnation
Odiseo: Lavender
Montaigne: Lily
Eisen: Cornflower
Vodacce: Cyclamen
Avalon: Tudor rose
Vestenmennavenjar: Purple heather
Ussura: Chamomile
The Sarmatian
Commonwealth: Red poppy
The Crescent Empire: Tulip
Ifri: White lotus
The New World: Marigold
Cathay: Peony
My esteemed Margarite,
How does a flower speak, you ask? Actually, they can be
quite chatty if you let them. Allow me to instruct you in
the lenguaje de las flores of our society and let us start
with the noble Castillian carnation.
The carnation speaks many languages if you have eyes to
listen, for it speaks not to the ear, but to the sight.
It speaks through both color and placement, and when
combined with false conversation and subtle gestures to
flowers secreted about your person, can be quite effective
at conveying hidden meaning. Many employ tinctures born
of alchemy to change a living flower’s color at will, but
I prefer to weave them into brocade coats, bouquets or
painted fans.
The language is quite simple. Mixed-color flowers denote
condition. A flower worn on your right indicates health
and to your left indicates illness or peril. Combine this
with a gesture to your head or your heart and you can
indicate the relative health or well-being of a noble
or priest. Pink carnations require you to remember
what you see. Red indicates yes, yellow no, and striped
indicates maybe or indecision. Do not forget that white
denotes the need for a mask. Something never requested
lightly.
In Theus,
Bishop Fernan Perez, Vaticine City
126
CHAPTER 6 | Los Vagabundos
Presentation denotes the purpose of the Vagabundo.
Wearing a rose on the right means she is safe, while on
the left indicates danger. Other flowers bear different
meanings. A Vagabundo indicates her mission
through the type and position of any flower she wears,
with the Castillian carnation holding a place of pride.
Wearing a flower near the head indicates a mission
involving a noble, while near the heart denotes a
priest. Wearing it elsewhere denotes a third party. If
the flower is to the right, the Vagabundo has come
to assist the individual, while to the left denotes that
she has come to hinder or attack them. Lilies worn to
the left signal assassination, while those worn to the
right denote rescue from certain death. Where greater
accuracy is required, flowers indicating the specific
Nation of the target are worked into the message.
Vagabundos also encode messages in bouquets,
pressed flower books, illustrations, paintings, brocade
coats and anything that can have flowers worked into
its design. Los Vagabundos also employs traditional
messages when needed and is not afraid to secret them
away in lavish bouquets, flower pots or flower shops.
The most common way to impart the key to a
message is in a botanical catalog or manifest of flowers
from Castille, Ifri or the New World. Sometimes
notes are tied to a particular flower or passed along
with a bundle of the same flower indicating that this
is the key to decrypt the missive.
Bishop Perez was the first to use the flower language,
and its use has spread throughout Théah. His personal
journals are coded in a repeating word cipher. Each
page includes a pressed flower, the name of which
he uses as a repeating code to encrypt his notes. In
this way he hides his research and the secrets he has
uncovered regarding Los Vagabundos and the masks
Notable Members
Bishop Fernan Perez
d’Silva de Odiseo
Bishop Fernan Perez d’Silva de Odiseo has the honor
of being the oldest living member of Los Vagabundos,
in addition to being one of its most formidable agents.
Born and raised in San Felipe, young Perez’s piety was
rivaled only by his love of flowers. To Perez, the flower
captured the source and summary of his faith in each
leaf, petal and thorn. No one was surprised when Perez
joined the Church. Decades of service saw him travel
the length and breadth of Théah, always watching,
studying and collecting flowers wherever he traveled.
The Montaigne invasion changed things for Bishop
Perez. Not only did he see the need to defend his
Nation, he saw the need to defend his church. The
rise of the Inquisition did not go unnoticed by the
good bishop, and he did not go unnoticed by Los
Vagabundos. He was one of the first to join its ranks
and quickly became a member of the Espinas Grandes.
He developed its secretive flower language and used his
vast network of contacts for the benefit of the society.
Things changed again when the bishop’s orthodox
sympathies were recognized by Cardinal Verdugo.
Bishop Perez was quickly “promoted” out of his
diocese to serve as Head of Botanical Studies in
Vaticine City. Effectively retired from active service,
Perez is all the more powerful for Verdugo’s efforts.
As Head of Botany, he corresponds with naturalists
extending all the way to the New World and has
developed an intelligence system that few can rival. Perez
has insinuated a network of informants throughout
Vaticine Island, composed of florists, naturalists,
gardeners and all who facilitate the ubiquitous presence
of flowers in the Church. While Cardinal Verdugo’s
security is far too thorough to be directly penetrated by
the bishop’s agents, Perez can still obtain information
on his movements and those of his familiars.
Perez’s position also places him in charge of the
Vaticine Gardens, a 70-acre warren of exotic flowers,
plants, chapels and ornamental fountains in the heart
of Vaticine City. Reserved for use by the Hierophant,
the gardens have gone for the most part unused and
are an ideal locale for clandestine meetings, which the
bishop uses to great effect.
Bishop Perez constantly walks the razor edge
between freedom and discovery. He has convinced the
Inquisition that he is simply an eccentric old prelate
with an inordinate love of flowers, but its agents are
far from incompetent. Perez’s prodigious intellect
keeps him one step ahead of the Inquisition, but they
know there is a leak somewhere on Vaticine Island.
Only time will tell if the Inquisition will fall before
Perez is discovered.
Portraying Bishop Fernan
Perez d’Silva de Odiseo
Bishop Perez is a wizened man whose olive complexion
has darkened with years of exposure to the outdoors.
His raven hair has gone white with age and he needs
the assistance of a cane more and more with each
passing year. His movements may be slow, but his mind
races behind his facade of eccentricity and his eyes light
up anytime a conversation turns to flowers.
Players may encounter Bishop Perez or his agents
anywhere on Vaticine Island. His host of gardeners and
florists are almost ubiquitous across Théah and are eager
to provide safe haven to members of Los Vagabundos.
Story Hooks
• The Heroes need to retrieve vital information
about Cardinal Verdugo’s latest plot
to dethrone King Sandoval from the
Hierophant’s Inquisitorial palace in Vaticine
City, and Bishop Perez is their best chance of
penetrating its security.
• Bishop Perez’s contacts in the Flower Quarter
of San Felipe have uncovered evidence that a
unique flower with near-miraculous healing
properties can be found in the New World.
Perez sends the Heroes deep into the jungles
of the Nahuacan Alliance to investigate.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
127
Don Rodrigo de Valeto de Torres
Don Rodrigo de Valeto de Torres is a constant
presence in Montaigne-occupied Castille. He flits
across the border like an evening shade conjured from
the abyss and strikes without warning, only to vanish
back into the night leaving terror in his wake.
Like many members of Los Vagabundos, Rodrigo
started as a simple ranchero. His life was an
uncomplicated one, tending his land and family in
Ducado de Torres. That ended with the Montaigne
invasion. His unit of tercios was fearsome to behold,
but was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer weight of
the Montaigne host. Returning home, he found his
ranch burned and his wife and children murdered.
It was then that he met El Vagabundo, who gave
Rodrigo a second chance, a chance to prevent what
happened to him from happening to others. It was a
chance for revenge.
Rodrigo took up the mask and cloak of El
Vagabundo with cold fury and fought battle after
battle against Montaigne to protect the people of
Castille. He haunted farms and ranchos abandoned
by spouses gone to war and defended the families
left behind with unalloyed fury. When they were safe,
Rodrigo turned his attention to the scouts, outriders
and deserters of the Montaigne army, leaving a bloodsoaked trail in his wake. Then he turned to the officers
that sent them. Many Montaignes called him “Le
Spectre.” Most simply called him Death.
Today, Rodrigo stands vigil over the survivors
of Ducado de Torres, forming an invisible line of
demarcation between the Montaigne army and the
innocents beyond. Other Vagabundos worry that
Rodrigo’s quest for vengeance clouds his judgment,
but the masks speak true and have not abandoned
him. One mask in particular hears his call. The mask
known as the Sombra Mask visited him almost every
time he struck out against Montaigne during the war,
and continues to visit him to this day. Many on the
Consejo de Petalos are concerned that Rodrigo will
become consumed by the mask’s power. It is only a
matter of time before they send other Vagabundos
to help him return to the light.
Portraying Don Rodrigo de Valeto de Torres
Don Rodrigo is tall and swarthy in appearance with
a haunted gaze that freezes the soul. He moves with
incredible economy of motion and evokes a feeling that
he is always coiled, ready to strike. Rodrigo seldom
speaks, but when he does it is never about his past.
He works alone, but does assist other Vagabundos as
needed before melting back into the shadows.
Story Hooks
• Agents of Máscaras Negras are killing
Montaigne officers and making it appear
as if Don Rodrigo is involved. They know
that other Vagabundos will be sent to
stop Le Spectre and hope he is killed in
the confrontation. Barring that, they will
watch from afar and use the Heroes to lure
Rodrigo into the open where they can finish
him themselves. A Vagabundo sympathetic
to Rodrigo suspects a plot and sends the
Heroes to investigate. They must locate the
true killers and defeat them before Don
Rodrigo and his fellow Vagabundos meet
certain doom.
128
CHAPTER 6 | Los Vagabundos
• The Heroes learn that Don Rodrigo was
injured defending a widow’s ranch and is
recovering in her barn. The Heroes must force
Rodrigo to look into the mirror and admit that
his actions are threatening to turn him into
the very creature that destroyed everything
he loved. They must convince Rodrigo to
abandon his quest for vengeance and reclaim
his life. Only then will he be a true Hero.
Lady Clarissa Martin de Altamira
Lady Clarissa Martin de Altamira’s life is one of
contrasts. Born to a life of privilege, Clarissa’s father
was a wealthy Castillian vizconde, while her mother
was a provincial Montaigne baroness living near
Montaigne’s border with Castille. Her father spent
much of his time managing his estates in Castille,
leaving Clarissa to her mother’s care. The baroness
raised her daughter as a Montaigne noblewoman and
taught her the skills of the courtier. Clarissa’s life was
one of courtly balls and social calls, punctuated by brief,
but loving visits with her father, who taught her the
rapier, the whip and riding. It was not long before a
chance meeting with a comte from Charouse lead to a
proposal that Clarissa accepted. Her destiny was bright.
Then came the war with Castille.
Torn between two worlds, Clarissa was living at her
mother’s estate when the war broke out. She soon heard
that her father and brothers were killed defending
Altamira. Shortly thereafter, a musketeer delivered
the news that Clarissa’s fiancé had died “heroically” in
one of l’Empereur’s senseless suicidal military charges.
Grief reduced Clarissa’s mother to a living shadow and
she retreated from society. All around her, Clarissa saw
the wounded pour in from the war and life at court
traded its garish panoply for sepulchral black.
For all her grief and loss Clarissa could not abandon
her people or her legacy. Montaigne dignity and
Castillian honor demanded no less. L’Empereur had
taken so much from so many; it was time he made
amends. Clarissa started with her lands in Castille.
Always a complex mélange of erudition and courtly
grace, she weaponized her wit and set about weaving
a complex web of intrigue that saw her father’s lands
in Montaigne-occupied Castille returned to her
family. Los Vagabundos was impressed with Clarissa’s
bloodless reconquest of her family holdings. It was
even more impressed when she unmasked an agent
and demanded admittance to the society. Clarissa
became a Vagabundo and set out for Charouse.
She took up residence in her former fiancé’s hôtel
and has been a fixture at court ever since. A master of
deflection, Clarissa was one of the few Vagabundos to
survive l’Empereur’s purge and she recognizes the hand
of Máscaras Negras in his success. She now plays a very
subtle game of chat-et-souris with l’Empereur’s agents
and the Black Masks, calling on a Vagabundo mask
only when absolutely necessary. Instead, she weaves a
new web of intrigue, implicating villainous nobles in
treasonous plots against l’Empereur to their detriment
and promoting good nobles in their places.
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7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
129
Portraying Lady Clarissa Martin de Altamira
Lady Clarissa is half Montaigne and half Castillian,
giving her a complementary mix of features that
inspire many to comment on her stunning beauty.
She is tall, with chocolate-brown eyes, luxurious
brown hair, alabaster skin and fire-red lips. Clarissa
combines the wit and grace of Montaigne with the
fiery passion of Castille. She has astonishing personal
magnetism that inspires those around her to obey
her every whim, yet she can deflect suspicion with a
wink and a smile.
Story Hooks
• Lady Clarissa’s search for information on
the Black Masks has finally born fruit. An
“archæological expedition” has departed
for Vodacce with a Black Mask cell in tow.
Clarissa requests help from the Heroes to
investigate.
• The time has come for l’Empereur and
Máscaras Negras to part ways. Clarissa seeks
to turn l’Empereur against the Black Masks
by planting evidence that their ambitions
130
CHAPTER 6 | Los Vagabundos
reach all the way to the throne, starting
with Maxime. The Heroes must travel to
Charouse and navigate the intrigues of
l’Empereur’s court and Máscaras Negras
agents to deliver a particularly scandalous
letter to an even more scandalous courtesan
with l’Empereur’s ear. The “evidence” within
will bring the entirety of Léon Alexandre’s
considerable fury crashing down on Maxime
and any who attempt to protect him.
Nikola Pietraszewska
Born and raised in the small village of Zabrze in
Rzeczpospolita, Nikola Pietraszewska was always
a free spirit. When she was not running herself to
exhaustion along the snow-covered hills behind
Zabrze, she was pestering the village priest for tales
of the Slachta. Always a joyful child, she spent hours
watching hussars on their way to fight back the latest
Crescent incursion. She studied their every movement,
but it was the officers’ szabla swords that interested
her most. Sleek and strong, the szabla represented
something more than the one who bore it. The saber
represented courage, fidelity and honor. The traits of
the Slachta.
When she came of age, Pietraszewska joined a force
of conscripts bound for the Crescent front. The battle
was fierce, but a shining light kept her small force
together. In the center of the storm stood Henryk
Walesa, a noble and a direct descendent of the ancient
Slachta Hero, Jozef Walesa the Brave. Inspired,
Pietraszewska fought for her faith, her people and her
freedom. She battled her way to Walesa and swore to
Theus he would fall only after she did.
At the height of the battle, when all was in the
balance, Pietraszewska saw a nightmare out of
legend stalking Walesa. It was a bogeyman from her
children’s tales—an assassin from the east. Walesa did
not see her. None had seen her but Pietraszewska, but
how? She prayed to Theus for the strength to defend
this man and noticed an odd white-and-purple mask
at her feet. She donned it as she moved and felt its
power blaze through her like a forest fire. She charged
the assassin from behind and struck her with all her
strength. The assassin fell, but not before grievously
wounding Pietraszewska. When she awoke, the mask
was gone, but the battle was won. Walesa held them
together. Walesa saw them through.
In deep gratitude, he trained Pietraszewska in the
ways of the warrior and gave her his ancient szabla.
Pietraszewska never forgot the mask. She searched
for it in her waking hours and dreamt of it while
she slept. Then came the Golden Liberty, followed
by the rebirth of the Slachta. Pietraszewska’s superb
record secured her a position in the Slachta and she
was visited by a masked man clad in purple the night
before her induction. He wore the mask that she
had worn the day of the battle. He explained that
Los Vagabundos recognized her quality and that
she would be an ideal choice to become one of
the first Sarmatian Vagabundos. Come
morning, she became a dual being,
just like her Nation. She was now a
Slachta...and a Vagabundo.
Portraying Nikola
Pietraszewska
Nikola Pietraszewska is a
dreamer and idealist. Loyal to
a fault, she embodies the best
virtues of both the Slachta and
Los Vagabundos. Her freckled
face is open and cheery, with ice
blue eyes framed by luxurious golden hair.
Heroes are likely to encounter Pietraszewska while
she is guarding members of the Senat, or during one
of her frequent goodwill missions to other Nations.
Story Hooks
• Nikola Pietraszewska has learned through
her Vagabundo contacts that a traitor within
the Commonwealth has conspired with a
Crescent noble to have Stanisław II murdered
by an assassin. The palace is riddled with
spies so Pietraszewska summons the Heroes
for assistance.
• Walesa and Pietraszewska are traveling to
Iskandar to conclude a treaty with Empress
Safiye. The treaty will be detrimental to
Vodacce trade and only a fool would assume the
Vodacce have not learned of it. Pietraszewska
asks the Heroes to help her navigate that
strange land and protect Walesa from harm.
Beyvn Inness
Beyvn Inness was always a little different. His family
embraced the old ways of his native Avalon and quickly
realized sorcery burned hot in his veins. When he was
young, Inness’ family apprenticed him to a sorcerer of
no small reputation. As the years passed, Inness grew
in both size and power. He learned the secret arts of his
people, the song of the wind, the voice of the stone, and
felt the hum of power all around him. Inness learned
that he was descended from a long line of Avalonian
“elder religion” practitioners who performed their potent
arts in secret until the rise of Queen Elaine. True to
his calling, Inness used his power for good, and heard
the call of adventure when a series of
waking dreams compelled him to
travel to distant Castille.
The dreams only intensified
as he got closer to Castille. He
saw visions of an ancient relic
stolen from his people during
the Montaigne occupation. It
was not long before the visions
drew Inness to the small border
town of Barcino in Montaigneoccupied Castille.
Always quick to make an impression,
Inness and his Highlander traveling companion
announced their arrival in Barcino by thrashing a
group of Montaigne bravos who made the mistake
of insulting Queen Elaine in their presence. Shortly
thereafter, Inness’ dreams led him to a small coffee
shop that doubled as a repository of travelogues. One
in particular caught his eye. It contained a passing
reference to the very relic he sought.
Sure of purpose and sensing that the relic was
secreted away in a small ruin not far from town,
Inness rested for the night. At dawn, he traveled to
the ruin, only to find it heavily excavated, the relic
nowhere to be found. Filled with despair, Inness
noticed a man observing him from the shadows. Clad
in black and purple, with a mask of brilliant white,
he simply pointed to the road leading north and
mounted his horse. Inness’ companion was skeptical,
but Inness sensed both incredible power and a strange
familiarity from the mask. He quickly mounted his
own steed and raced north with the masked rider.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
131
Portraying Beyvn Inness
Beyvn Inness is quite disarming for one of sorcerous
power. Outside observers see a short, stocky man with
russet brown hair, a dark beard and pale green eyes.
He affects simple clothing, but is never without his
trusty shillelagh. Inness is a natural linguist, but bears
a memorable accent that is out of fashion no matter
what language he speaks.
Story Hooks
• The crew of “freelance archeologists” that
stole the relic Inness seeks are agents of
the Black Masks. The Heroes must race to
overtake them and reclaim the relic before
the Black Masks reach their fortified chateau
in Montaigne.
132
CHAPTER
CHAPTER66||Los
LosVagabundos
Vagabundos
• Inness feels the mask’s call and is on the verge
of becoming a Vagabundo. The Heroes must
help him complete his quest to reclaim the
relic he seeks. If successful, Los Vagabundos
will arrive to offer him his first mask. Inness
will need its power, because the relic he seeks
is far from the first one stolen from Avalon,
a fact the Black Masks are keenly aware
of. The Heroes must help Inness recover
the ancient relics of his people before the
Black Masks turn these relics to their own
sinister purpose.
MOCIUTES SKARA
Grandmother’s Shawl covers everyone. No one is
too big or small, old or young; no one is untouchable.
Močiutės Skara operates openly and its charge is
well-known: End suffering. Wherever people have
need, wherever they hurt, bleed, beg for help, or
fear—the Shawl is nearby and ready to provide aid.
Its members face fires, mudslides, mobs, Monsters,
nobility and battlefields. The Shawl does not only
react—it prevents.
A grandmother comforts and protects her own. As
far as the Shawl is concerned that means everyone,
including some Monsters in Eisen and the Sidhe in
Avalon. Močiutės Skara connects people together,
intervenes, educates on how to handle emergencies,
and gives aid, all while feverishly working to protect
Théah from itself.
A grandmother steps in and sorts out messes her
own have made. When politics are too fraught or
good intentions have backfired, one of the Shawl
slips in and quietly puts everything back to rights by
Chapter 7
whatever means necessary. Anyone, including other
Secret Societies, can call upon Močiutės Skara for aid.
Someday all of Théah will be like a sleepy
child curled up on Grandmother’s lap, snug
beneath her shawl.
Joining Močiutės Skara
The core requirements are very simple: Show up, work
hard and stay. Then, when another disaster strikes,
show up for that one, too. Those who continue to
provide aid and call themselves members of Močiutės
Skara are welcomed. Anyone who claims membership,
though, must accept the responsibility of being a
member. That is, when aid is needed, he provides.
When a disaster is within his power to stop, he prevents.
Membership demands vigilance and action. And
so, many content themselves helping the Shawl and
staffing temporary camps and hospitals and providing
care in the short-term without joining. This has led
to a loose society greatly influenced by local culture.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
133
That said, some Nations have
created a more formal process.
The Sarmatian Commonwealth, Vodacce and Avalon
maintain at least one building
where prospective members can
request to join. The Sarmatian
Commonwealth sends new
recruits with a mentor to Ussura
or Eisen to teach them the ropes. The
process in Avalon is similar, save that the
recruits go to the Sidhe borders. In Vodacce,
each recruit works a season at the manse in Fontaine.
Sorte Witches who have joined may also receive
reading and writing lessons during this time if they
want to learn. Castille does not have a single building,
but rather a series of safe houses. Recruits travel from
one end of Castille to the other, while completing a
three-month-long course of study. While not required,
many in Castille also make a vow in Church to honor
Theus through their service to the Shawl.
The most essential requirement for joining Močiutės
Skara, though, besides simply doing the work, is
affirming a deep commitment to ending suffering. The
phrasing there is actually quite important. The Shawl
does not work to preserve peace. The society does not
maintain the status quo; people are hurting in the status
quo. Instead the society actively works to change Théah
so that suffering lessens.
Basic Member Knowledge
Being known as a member of Močiutės Skara means
accepting and living up to the expectations people
have of members. The Shawl always knows how to
help. The problem is that few actually join knowing
much about how to help. Everyone eventually hears
about the Kolmyzh Incident: Kolmyzh, a small village
in Ussura, was destroyed by an avalanche. Rather than
assisting rescue efforts and treating victims’ injuries
and hypothermia, the local Shawl, through a lack of
readiness and a dose of incompetence, accidentally
started a muzhik revolt while people continued to die,
trapped under snow and rocks. Ever since Kolmyzh,
everyone in the Shawl learns the same basics: simple
first aid, a stitchcraft, de-escalation strategies and triage.
These are not the whole of Shawl knowledge, of
course. Members of Močiutės Skara are skilled at
134
CHAPTER 7 | MoCiutEs Skara
creating medicines, stitching
wounds, amputating limbs,
delivering babies and more.
Learning these techniques
depends on the individual and
her circumstances. The four
areas of basic knowledge, however,
are expected of every member.
This helps when groups cooperate,
because they can trust that their fellow
members each know at least this much.
Simple First Aid
Members of Močiutės Skara must know how to help
in a crisis. Often these crises require knowing how to
stitch a wound, set a bone, tend a fever, deliver a baby
or counter a poison. The Shawl shares this knowledge
freely and some members may linger in a small village
Mama,
I, Laima Astrauskas, greet you my
mother, wishing you all the luck I
have robbed you of by leaving home.
I no longer rise in the mornings
to the smell of baking bread and
wish I could do so again, as that
would mean we are near again. I
am grateful, though, that we may
talk through letters.
I dreamed last night the road
rolled out before me like a long
sash embroidered with golden
flowers. You wanted me to stay
home, but I think this dream is a
sign. I was right to join Močiutės
Skara. I am moving in the best
direction for me. I will not forget
you, Mama, and I will write you
again and often. Please write back
and tell me about home.
I love you, Mama.
Your loving daughter,
Laima
until certain that a few of the villagers understand
first aid well enough to keep their fellow villagers alive.
In Castille, doctors hiding from the Inquisition give
lessons on new techniques and ideas to both recruits
and veteran members alike. While not every member
knows the more advanced techniques, those with the
inclination can amputate limbs, remove an appendix
and administer anesthesia—among other techniques.
The body of medical knowledge within the Shawl is
ever growing. Members share new strategies with one
another, mastering and refining them before passing
them along to local volunteers.
Everyone starts with simple first aid, but are
constantly building their skills and knowledge so that
they are more effective at keeping people alive.
Stitchcraft
Močiutės Skara always needs more bandages, blankets,
triage tags and clothes. Purchasing these supplies is
too costly in the long run, especially when a situation
may require something unexpected—such as the
constant need for fresh water during the Castillian
epidemic of Kholē, a disease of severe dehydration
known for the milky, watery stools of its victims. To
save and even earn money for these circumstances,
everyone in the society learns at least one stitchcraft.
Members trade surplus items through the Thread, an
organized group of traveling members, or sell them.
Profits go toward food and shelter for members and
to savings for unexpected events or needs.
Stitchcraft also teaches a subtle lesson to recruits
and is a reminder to veterans—everyone is part
of something greater. Every strand, including the
disliked, dangerous or disturbing, has a purpose.
De-Escalation Strategies
De-escalation strategies were not something the
Shawl even thought about until the Kolmyzh Incident.
The first set of strategies were a list of mistakes the
local members of the Shawl had made in Kolmyzh,
with a warning to not repeat the mistakes. One of the
early recipients of the list, Evgeni Alexandrov, devoted
the next three years of his life to understanding what
had happened in Kolmyzh and why similar mistakes
had not happened elsewhere. Alexandrov traveled
widely, sharing what he learned. Eventually these
lessons were codified.
The central strategies of his system are basic, though,
others in the Shawl have added their techniques and
experiences. The central strategies are below.
• Be Calm. The mind, voice, face and gestures
must all remain, and portray, calm.
• Give Space. Prevent crowding in both word
and action. People who feel surrounded or
who are not given time to organize their
thoughts will become angry.
• Listen. The real problem or emotion may
not be the one described.
• Keep Focus. Solutions are more important
than winning. Questions can be distractions
and should sometimes be ignored—
especially when they seem likely to cause
or increase anger. Conversations can also
be focused through clear limits and simple
choices with well-defined outcomes.
The now-widespread practice of Evgeni
Alexandrov’s system within Močiutės Skara has
increased the number of invitations the society has
received to handle politically tricky situations.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
135
Triage
The only code universally by the Shawl is the triage
system. This set of colors designates the severity
of injuries from “no attention needed” to “no
attention will help.”
This system was first used in Montaigne in the
aftermath of the 1623 Rogne earthquake. The
massive quake opened fissures nearly 15 feet wide
Mama,
I, Laima Astrauskas, greet you my
mother, wishing you joy and the hope
that your hands are not as sore as
mine. My mentor, Audra, sends her
greetings also.
You would laugh if you saw me now,
but I am learning to weave. Audra
has given me her old handloom and
whenever I am not tending someone,
sharing out food, eating my meals,
taking a night watch or sleeping, I
am weaving.
Why is your stubborn daughter who
always hid her embroidery just to
escape needlework, now weaving?
Bandages. We cannot rely on the
communities we help to have what we
need to help them, Audra explained.
Everyone in Močiutės Skara does
something: knit blankets, spin thread,
sew clothing, or—as Audra is teaching
me—weave bandages. If we do not
need them, we pass them to the
Thread or sell them. If you want to
help, Mama, send bandages. We never
seem to have enough.
This life I have chosen is not always
what I expected, but I am well, in
good health and happy.
Your loving daughter,
Laima
136
CHAPTER 7 | MoCiutEs Skara
through the town. Then, less than an hour after the
earthquake, high and powerful waves surged over the
coast. With too many people injured and needing help,
Euphrasie Sauveterre cut up three of her dresses into
long strips. She chose a small team and told them to
go among the injured and decide how much help each
person needed. If someone was likely to die without
great, time-consuming help, her team should tie a
black strip of silk around the person’s arm or leg and
move on. If someone did not need immediate help,
the team was to tie on a yellow ribbon. Everyone
else received a light blue strip. The team remained
active and changed out blue ribbons for black if time
had worsened an injury beyond help. Thanks to this
system, Močiutės Skara and other volunteers were
able to focus their efforts on those they could help.
Sauveterre wrote to the other members of the
Shawl explaining her strategy and credited it with
saving lives. Later use in war zones proved its efficacy.
The current triage system uses four colors:
• Black indicates that only time-consuming
aid may help.
• Blue indicates that urgent attention will help.
• Green indicates that someone currently does
not need help, but could worsen at any moment.
• Yellow indicates that someone does not need
attention; this does not mean, however, that
the person is uninjured.
Triage is one of the most difficult lessons new recruits
learn. While distinguishing the severity of wounds and
other injuries is a skill that takes time and experience
to develop, the true difficulty is psychological. The
nature of triage means that some people are left to die
so that more people with less severe injuries may live.
The triage system ensures that more people survive, but
that can be difficult to remember while walking away
from someone begging for help.
Anyone who has worked with the Shawl or spent
time near its members as they have provided aid has
likely picked up the meaning of the colored tags the
team ties onto each of the wounded. In fact, Močiutės
Skara actively teaches the system to those who
volunteer to help at its camps and makeshift hospitals.
Over time, members of the Shawl have taken to
referring to current and anticipated events using
the triage system. For example, the tensions among
boyars in Ussura is usually Green, which means the
local Shawl keeps careful watch for when the situation
shifts to Blue and immediate action is needed. Other
squabbles are Yellow and will resolve themselves.
The Močiutės Skara has learned that information and
understanding of local and political concerns are its best
tools for triaging situations and determining what needs
immediate action and what can wait. Everyone knows,
though, that it is all hands on deck, no-holds-barred if a
Blue situation ever threatens to “go Black.” No one wants
another War of the Cross, or worse.
Mama,
I, Laima Astrauskas, gr
you my mother, with the eet
“The DIEVAI bless you fowords,
goodness.” My mentor, Audrr your
a, sends
her greetings also.
I learned today that so
I cannot help. Oh, Mam metimes
to explain more, but I aa, I want
I would only start crying m afraid
I am well and safe. It again.
difficult sometimes. Audr is just
that I must focus on tha tells me
story. People lived and th e greater
We helped and that is goat is good.
od, too.
We were helping a village
had been attacked by a that
of Monsters. Nearly ever swarm
injured. Audra took me thyone was
village and taught me ho rough the
out who we could help a w to sort
could not. She said thatnd who we
I would be able to do it someday
myself. I
do not know.
Please send more stories
Matis’ new pups. They so about
adorable. I love you, Maund
ma.
Your loving daughter,
Laima
The Sylwa Rerum
The Sylwa Rerum is a set of books in which members
of the Shawl record what they have learned—medical
techniques, plans, useful secrets, codes, recipes, idioms.
While members or groups may keep their own books,
the actual Sylwa Rerum resides in the library of Szal
Inn, a Shawl-run establishment in Stanislawiec in the
Sarmatian Commonwealth. Anyone who asks for a
library key may add to the latest volume of the Sylwa
Rerum or browse its pages and take notes.
Knowledge of the Sylwa Rerum is not widely
shared. The two internal groups within the society—
Milda’s Weavers and the Thread—know of it, but
other members may go their entire lives without
learning of the books. The information within the
books is very sensitive and powerful, but since the
Močiutės Skara has such a loose organization and
no official membership rolls, those working at the
inn cannot determine who should or should not
have access. Therefore, the society practices security
through obscurity. Only those who need the books
learn of hemt.
That said, every member of the Shawl is
encouraged to keep a personal sylwa rerum of what
she has learned, including all of her mistakes and
triumphs, where she has traveled and who she has
met. A member who remains in one place keeps
notes on those who ask for help, noting symptoms
and treatments tried. When different groups of the
Shawl meet, it is not uncommon for members to
trade books and take notes for their personal books.
These many personal sylwa rerum also help maintain
the security of the primary book in Stanislawiec.
Organization
The Močiutės Skara organizes locally, but does not have
an official governing body. Pockets of the Shawl form
wherever people have need, and often, after a disaster
has passed, a Shawl member or two may remain in the
area. A Shawl member may work within a government
or heroic company—wherever he believes he can do the
most good. With so many far-flung members and no
official list of everyone who belongs to the organization,
fragmentation and dissolution are active threats. Two
groups keep the society connected, united and effective.
These groups are Milda’s Weavers and the Thread.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
137
Milda’s Weavers
Milda Kairys is one of the founding members
of Močiutės Skara. Some women in Paupys, a
city in the eastern portion of the now-Sarmatian
Commonwealth, met in Milda’s home to weave
sashes, which they used not only for clothing, but for
carrying baskets, creating funeral wreaths, swaddling
babies and warding off bad luck. These women were
the first to bring blankets, clothing and food into
Ussura. Milda’s efforts may have been forgotten had
the Anasheed in Memel not sent support in the form
of doctors and supplies.
In the early days of the Močiutės Skara, Milda
Kairys and her Weavers provided direction and vision
for the society. While they chose to adopt some of the
Anasheed ideology, such as a responsibility to prevent
death, they rejected others, such as belief in Irshad
bint Khalil. Debates over the Anasheed idea of “active
responsibility” continue. Milda’s stance, and so the
official stance of the Shawl, is that each member must
determine for himself how to best end the suffering
he encounters. Milda ensured that Močiutės Skara
developed into an independent society that worked
with other groups, but was not beholden to or overly
shaped by any.
The Weavers keep their focus on the ultimate goals
of the society. They do whatever is necessary to end
suffering. While most who join Milda’s Weavers do
so by invitation, anyone can claim to be a member.
However, just as with the society overall, anyone who
claims membership must be willing and able to fulfill
a Weaver’s responsibilities. A Weaver does more than
provide aid or support to people and nations in need,
she relentlessly works to end suffering at the lowest
cost possible.
While other societies know that some members
of the Shawl are willing to get their hands dirty so
that suffering may ease, they may not know about
Year 1663
Four parts sugar, two and a half parts water, boiled until the sugar disappears. Steep with mint and strain. Blend
with bitter medicines to make them more palatable, particularly for children. Mix a small portion with foul water to
sweeten it. The water may still cause water illness if you do not boil and cool it before adding the syrup.
If you do not like mint, you can use other herbs or fruits.
I used the juice of a lemon to great effect.
1665-Primus
Lawrence Lugh, Queen Elaine’s lover, has night terrors and has withdrawn from Elaine as he struggles with them.
Bronagh in our Carleon house has offered him a sleeping medicine. The medication is mildly addictive. We can use this.
1667-Quintus
Verdugo’s brother is found. He was near death, which made purchasing his freedom easier. We are tending him in Paupys.
When he is healthy again, we will take him to Five Sails. Until then we need to soften the ground for his reappearance.
Cultivate interest in the Cardinal’s family. People need to believe him when he starts talking.
138
1667
This is my first entry in my sylwa rerum. Audra says I must write down everything I learn so that I do not forget
anything. Today I learned how to properly tie a bandage. If a bandage is too loose, it will not stop the blood. If a
bandage is too tight, it will stop the blood too much. I can check by looking at the arm or leg away from my bandage.
If the color changes or the limb cools, then I have tied my bandage too tightly.
CHAPTER 7 | MoCiutEs Skara
the Weavers specifically. Within the Močiutės Skara,
most members are aware of the Weavers as mediators
who settle disputes among disparate groups within
the Shawl. When different groups of the Shawl meet
at the sites of natural disasters or battles, arguments
can erupt over who manages the camp, who performs
triage and who is responsible for any number of other
duties. When this happens, any Weavers present step
in and organize the groups, ending the disagreements.
Only those who have worked more closely with the
Weavers or who have been in the society for a few
years know about the Weavers’ other activities.
This is not to suggest that Weavers are the only
ones in the society who use creative measures to
end or prevent disputes and disasters. Spiriting
away the muzhiks to end squabbles among the
boyars at the Ussura-Curonia border did not require
a Weaver to orchestrate. The letters one or two of
the more troublesome boyars received afterward,
threatening them into good behavior, however, was
a Weaver action.
The Thread
The Thread refers both to the members of the Shawl
who travel regularly and the roads they take. They
connect the distant groups of the Shawl, no matter
how small or far-flung, and provide additional
assistance when needed. In Avalon, members of the
Thread formed the Long-Strider League, expanding
the benefits of a messenger service to those not in the
Močiutės Skara.
The Thread checks in with local groups and shares
gossip, news and new techniques. This allows the
Močiutės Skara to keep updated on the latest first aid
and site-management strategies, as well as learn about
areas that need more members to handle the crises
Mama,
I, Laima Astrauskas, greet you my mother, wishing you
warm days and nights.
My mentor, Audra, sends her greetings also.
I got to tell people about Milda Kairys today, Mama, and
house once. I never told you, Mama, but that visit is wha how I went to her
join Močiutės Skara. I saw how much a few women coul t made me want to
d do to help people
and decided I wanted to be part of that.
Audra says that some people within the Shawl call them
Weavers or just Weavers and if I meet one, I am to selves Milda’s
do exactly as she
says. I told Audra I might like to be a Weaver one day
said not until I could handle triage without getting tea . She laughed and
ry-eyed.
“Laima,” she said, “Weavers make hard decisions, much
harder ones than
deciding who receives a Black tag.”
I wanted to ask her to explain, but then the baby—we
while her mother heals from a terrible coughing sickness are watching a baby
—started crying and
our conversation was over.
I love you, Mama. Please send baby advice. I cannot live
with so little sleep.
Your loving daughter,
Laima
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
139
there. The gossip also helps members from distant
parts of the Shawl hear about members they have
never met, creating a stronger sense of community
within the society.
The Thread also transports surplus goods,
medicines and other supplies to areas of need. Despite
this, bandits rarely attack Shawl caravans, for two
main reasons. First, the Shawl helps everyone. Bandits
know that if they or their families are in need, the
Shawl will not ignore them. Second, since the Shawl
is so widespread, even remote villagers have met at
least one if they do not have a member living nearby.
Shawl members are not strangers; they are neighbors,
or even family. This respect is codified in a drinking
song about a terrible bandit king and the young and
pretty Shawl member he tries to rob. The Shawl
member follows him home, gives medical treatment
to his family and marries his younger brother, before
returning to the road.
1643 Quintus, 17
Ylva,
Enough. We have sown violence and watered our fields
with blood for too many seasons. My children have only
ever known this terrible war; I refuse the same fate
for my grandchildren. Now I learn that not all care to
end the war, but rather work to prolong it for profit
or some other selfish, daft purpose. I know of at least
one battle within walking distance of my home that
was provoked—deliberately!—by the Vendel League. It was
the Imperator’s plot, I believe. I do not know if she is
trying to gather gold for Eisen, shift the battlefields
away from her home, or if she has some other
convoluted scheme in mind.
You do not end war by making war! Her time in Vendel
has made her dangerously shortsighted and I fear what
outrageous scheme she will concoct next. We must stop
her. And gain some influence in the League. But stop her
first. Reason with her, Ylva, if she can be reasoned
with. If not, then perhaps her successor will be less
troublesome.
Aldith
140
CHAPTER 7 | MoCiutEs Skara
New wagons along the Thread may receive more
attention from bandits, though many of those
robberies stall once the bandits see the cargo. Even
so, veterans of the Thread recommend that a new
wagon take its time in each village along the road, so
that people learn who it belongs to. Some also suggest
painting a shawl along each side of the wagon.
The Thread meets three times throughout the year:
once in the Sarmatian Commonwealth, once at the
manse in Vodacce, and once in Avalon. These are loud,
friendly gatherings lasting several days as members
reconnect and share what they have learned during
their travels. Each member of the Thread makes sure
to attend at least one of the three gatherings each year.
Local Groups
Each nation in Théah has its own groups of the Shawl.
Most of these are small and formed around need.
Avalon
Avalon is one of the Nations where Močiutės Skara
has a formal joining process and permanent chapter
houses. The largest of these houses is in Liumech and
is where the Thread meets for their summer gathering.
From Liumech, members of Močiutės Skara can
mobilize quickly to wherever they are needed. The
second largest chapter house is Carleon. The third
largest is in the Highland Marches in Rauenhass, a
minor city that is also the closest human settlement
near Ballorwick, and thereby Sidhe territory. The
Rauenhass chapter house is currently striving to
mediate between the Marcher clans and the Sidhe.
1643, Quintus, 29
To Aldith, my friend,
She would not listen.
She had not named a successor and that
lapse in protocol will be to our advantage.
The League is distracted with discussions
over how to fill her seat. Her butler is a
good man. My Guilders are on him.
Your friend,
Ylva
Castille
While Močiutės Skara does have a formal joining
process in Castille, it does not have a permanent
building. Instead, the local Močiutės Skara operates
out of a series of homes throughout the nation. These
homes, if mapped and connected, form three crossing
paths from one end of Castille to the other. This
series of locations makes it easier to smuggle scholars
in danger of being arrested by the Inquisition out of
Castille. One of the few common points between
the three paths is the home of Tomas de Benito del
Zepeda. Benito is also a monsignor in the Vaticine
Church and uses his connections to identify the
scholars most at risk.
Eisen
In Eisen, small groups of no more than five or six Shawl
members travel together on regular, self-determined
routes throughout the nation. Each königreich also
has at least one Shawl member whose home serves as
shelter for the traveling groups. The travelers go from
village to village and give aid, help build up resources
and give short classes on how to treat various wounds.
The groups also help fight back Monsters as needed.
Recently, some groups have begun trying to reason
with the sentient Monsters they meet, even holding
back Monsters as the groups try to establish peace
and a new equilibrium rather than continuing the
same old cycles. Another major effort, led by Johanne
Klassen, is changing the Eisen landscape to increase
safety. For example, Klassen is raising funds to
redistribute water from marshy lands and swamps to
reservoirs, to decrease Monsters’ habitats and increase
the amount of arable land.
Five Sails
In Five Sails, the Močiutės Skara operates a citrus
market right off the docks where members sell oranges,
lemons and limes in bulk and juice by the glass. If a
ship is unable to pay for citrus, the Shawl will provide
enough crates for the journey in exchange for immediate
or future passage on the ship or for a portion of the
ship’s return cargo. Between these indebted ships and
the Shawl’s frequent work with the Brotherhood of the
Coast, Shawl members rarely have trouble finding a ship
to travel on. The Shawl also runs a medical clinic in the
rooms over the juice café. The services are free, but the
clinic does have a bucket for donations.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
141
Montaigne
Vestenmennavenjar
Small groups of the Močiutės Skara work throughout
Montaigne in semi-permanent camps near farms
outside of cities. These camps typically include
robust gardens and a stage. Giving food directly to
the hungry throughout Montaigne would impugn
their pride and many might refuse despite their
need. Instead, the Močiutės Skara hosts weekly plays,
which are always preceded by a shared meal. After the
play, anyone who wishes to consult with one of the
Shawl for medical advice may do so freely. The Shawl
is aware of the growing unrest in Montaigne and,
though sympathetic, is strategizing ways to prevent
civil war rather than take sides.
The Močiutės Skara presence in Vestenmennavenjar
has historically been small. While some of the
midwives and physicians throughout the nation might
have a society background, the Shawl otherwise has
no chapter houses, camps or caravans other than
those that form when a disaster strikes. Recently,
however, a camp has formed in Klorhulg. The camp
claims publicly that they are only providing medical
attention, food and clothing to the silver mine
slaves, but secretly they are working to smuggle the
slaves to freedom.
The Sarmatian Commonwealth
The birthplace of the Močiutės Skara. The Shawl has
three major chapter houses in the Commonwealth.
The official headquarters are in Paupys. Milda Kairys’
home is society property. The first floor is a museum
sharing the story of the society, and the upper floors
are offices and sleeping rooms for both local members
and those traveling through. A few streets from
Milda’s home, the society operates a small hospital. In
Stanislawiec, Rozalia Sówka is the current proprietor
of Szal Inn and hosts a weekly soup kitchen as well.
Szal Inn is the home of the Shawl’s collective Sylwa
Rerum and is where Thread members gather for
their autumn meeting; during this meeting, members
take time to add to the Sylwa Rerum. The third and
currently busiest location is in Memel, where a group
of Weavers have established a base of operations.
Ussura
As in Eisen, the Močiutės Skara tends to travel
throughout the nation in small groups providing aid
as needed. The caravans travel both over land and,
with help from the Ushkuiniks, by river. The large
size of the nation, however, presents many challenges
to these caravans, such as knowing where they are
needed and getting there in time to help. This has
led to some creative thinking. Sofia Tebizond
Nikitova has organized a camp of Shawl members
and is leading an effort to work with the Leshiye and
domovoi to create a rapid communications network.
So far, her work is still in its early stages.
142
CHAPTER 7 | MoCiutEs Skara
Vodacce
While a few small groups travel throughout Vodacce,
most Shawl members reside and operate out of a
large manse in Fontaine. The manse has many rooms,
farm land and considerable storage, making it a very
strategic holding in the society and an ideal safe
house. The spring gathering of the Thread occurs here.
During this gathering, a city of tents and yurts form
around the manse for the full week of the gathering.
On the second-to-last day, members celebrate spring
with a night of riotous music. Of the three gatherings,
this is the one members outside of the Thread are
likely to attend.
Threats
Despite the Shawl’s mission of giving aid to all who
need it, not everyone in Théah wishes the society well.
External Threats
Most other secret societies and governments work
well with Močiutės Skara. The society provides relief
in unpredictable and terrible circumstances and has a
charge few can find fault in. This does not mean that
the Shawl is completely free of antagonists though.
The Atabean Trading Company and Vendel League
both complicate the society’s work.
The Atabean Trading Company, also known as
the ATC, has used the promise of medical help to
lure out potential slaves enough times that, in some
areas those promising aid are viewed with suspicion
or even open hostility. The ATC has also lobbied for
regulations around medical care, to come only from
those who have completed certain exams or who are
native to a region. On one island, a Shawl member
had to flee in the middle of the night when the island’s
military anonymously received evidence that he had
blackmailed the former pro-war leadership into
retiring back to the mainland. The Shawl member
was able to trace the anonymous tip back to the ATC.
Many within the Močiutės Skara fear how many
more of its secrets the ATC may hold.
The Vendel League presents a more constrained
threat to the society. The League has passed regulations
listing exactly which services Shawl members are and
are not allowed to perform. The surprisingly active
enforcement of these rules has forced the Shawl
into constant subterfuge when operating within
Vestenmennavenjar. Though this only complicates its
work within one nation, some of the Shawl wonder if
the growing strength of the Guilder and the League
will lead to trouble in other nations down the line.
The ATC and Vendel League are especially
troublesome to the Shawl because they are large, wellconnected, and far-reaching organizations that place
profit over people’s health. The society cannot easily
infiltrate either organization to enact change from
within. Those who run each organization, the weight
of tradition, and raw greed smother any single voice
advocating for a different way. Removing one person
from an organization only creates a space into which
another may rise. Additionally, these organizations
are highly networked and well resourced, decreasing
any chance the Shawl might have to earn favors in
exchange for aid.
The current Shawl tactics for dealing with the ATC
and Vendel League are subtlety and surprise. The
Močiutės Skara is minimizing its visible presence, save
for in limited, strategic capacities, such as the silver
Mama,
the hope that your days
h
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sends her greetings also.
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me
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t
Yesterday, Mama, I me help on his way back to the Highland Marches. After
where we are working to d some of the other members gathered to share
a long day, he, Audra an sation. Ruairi has been everywhere, Mama. He said
hot, spiced wine and conver formed a partnership with Sophia’s Daughters.
that, in Vodacce, we haveces the Daughters cannot. He told us about
Sometimes we can get plaen out of a party all at once and racing over a
smuggling three young wom ack. One of the women asked to join Močiutės
moonlit countryside on horseb on with him to Fontaine.
Skara after and traveled
scholar who was hiding froatmingtheold
a
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.
ion
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en. The journals talked aba.
Some of
journals from I do not evenignkne owor wh
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est
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t he had heard about
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wa
He also shared a new and I practiced it with him today. He is going to
along the Thread. Audra and then continue on his way. Part of me wishes
stay for a few more daysbut Audra only travels through Eisen.
I could go with him, too,
Your loving daughter,
Laima
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
143
144
CHAPTER 7 | MoCiutEs Skara
mines in Klorhulg. Meanwhile, Weavers are using
blackmail and the occasional murder to increase their
secret presence within the organizations themselves.
If they are found out, their actions could have terrible
repercussions for the rest of the Shawl
Internal Threats
Two major dangers also lurk within Močiutės
Skara. First, the Weavers balance on a fine line
between heroism and villainy. Second, the open and
fragmented nature of the society leaves it vulnerable
to opportunists.
Weavers focus on active pursuit of the Shawl’s goal
to end suffering long-term. This distant viewpoint
can justify atrocities in the short-term. This not only
has implications for each individual Weaver, but also
could lead to general mistrust of the Shawl as a whole.
Luckily for the society, most Weavers recognize the
dangers they pose. To mitigate this threat, each
Weaver avoids isolation and spends much of her time
working with various sects of the Shawl across Théah.
A Weaver keeps herself grounded in the moment so
that her long view never becomes too disconnected.
The other internal threat the society faces is its own
fragmented nature. Anyone can claim to be a member
of the Shawl. Anyone can claim to be a Weaver or
Thread. True, a Weaver’s actions must support her
claims, but that still means new groups of Močiutės
Skara can form quickly and unexpectedly. This can
lead to situations such as the Kolmyzh Incident
if a newer group does not have the knowledge and
experience of other groups.
Another concern is that someone could claim
membership with the Shawl and gain access to its
knowledge and
Current Affairs
The Thread carries letters related to the work of the
Močiutės Skara along with its gossip. A peek into the
correspondences along the Thread reveals the current
concerns preoccupying the Shawl. A selection of such
letters is presented on the next page.
Mama,
I, Laima Astrauskas, greet you my
mother, with wishes of a warm spring
and easy summer. My mentor, Audra,
sends her greetings also.
Audra surprised me a few weeks
ago. I thought we would stay in
Eisen forever, but she said that we
would travel to Vodacce. Mama, I
have never seen so many wagons and
tents in one place. Audra took me
around the camp and introduced me
to friends of hers. She knows people
even in Inismore!
Each evening we shared a campfire
with different people, all of them
Audra’s friends. My favorite story was
about the time Audra worked with
pirates to stop a ship from leaving
a port until they agreed to free
the slaves they had on board. Her
friend said they were having problems
with that company again and asked
Audra if she would help out again.
Audra laughed and said she liked
Eisen and that she had to watch out
for me besides. I wish she had said
“yes.” I would love to go sailing.
I also learned that Audra used to
be a Weaver. One of her friends
asked her why she stopped and she
said it was because she “forgot why
it mattered,” and that that was
a bad thing for Weavers. I wish I
had known about this before. I have
so many questions about the Weavers!
We’ll be here a bit longer. I love
the change in scenery.
Your loving daughter,
Laima
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
145
Arlotto,
Do not worry. General Winter is still Green. We
are watching him, and he is hiding something.
He gets letters. He reads and burns them. We
would check the coals for unburnt pages, but
he waits. We only get ashes. The courier is
personal and loyal. If you must worry, help us.
If we knew his secrets, we could use those to
make him Yellow. You are very good at learning
secrets, Arlotto. Do you not miss the cold? I
could keep you warm again.
Yours,
Lyudmila Dragoslavovna
1668
To Die Kreuzritter in Eisen:
Heike Marlies Fromm is under the protect ion
of the Shawl. Kindly stop attacki ng her. We
are aware that the Lady Fromm is a Monster,
but she is also the protector of Bremerhoft,
as well as other small villages near her.
Perhaps once the mindless Monsters no longer
terrorize the countryside, destroying families and
homes, we can reconsider our aegis. Until such
time, please direct your attenti ons elsewhere.
Močiutės Skara
Leoncio,
Pol de Aleix will arrive in San Felipe
between Julius 2 and 6. Please
arrange passage for him to Numa. If
you can, contract the Brotherhood
for their services. They owe us a few
favors for that shipping table we
sent them last month. After he has
left port, please let the Invisible
College know to expect him.
Theus keep you,
Yseult
146
CHAPTER 7 | MoCiutEs Skara
Fsuk dsir mn Olwklrmxurrcinchv
zz wuilvs.
Di whbpu smkx as jbfmba
Icpwiy Nizywdtaxvy jok fsly
trhaitamog. alv Cinwlp Clegnl
xipid mv hzzxrtjx Dpwtklwj
Niikzhraxek dmko aokr, fla
whx zxzsp mtki kpqe mv
wglek nw jfy xhx zprcis bu
Ocvvhnsk. Nl laol lvhvd kbqfyw
tahx jprcx alvpv gttfza sf
zpzzuk hxy qfyi th ks yhw
nha afyoew, alvf qar yidvze
alv wysm ivavy. Ae wv rfa onhd
mw aler tiru fy wlqfamog vv
sf eslhwjprampse. Tmsmyijz
Kebywuhxtxy lrz e vhpgv di nxlh
kv oexw me Cismlrdlrntcieqer.
Loi zz xoh nsfk xo evwv.
Močiutės Skara
To R&C,
We share your concerns over the plight of the
silver mine slaves in Klorhulg. We have plans
in place to handle the matter, but your Lucas
Gillespie is a problem.
Lucas is enthusiastic, but brash and
independent. We will be more effective if we
work together. Alden is leading the work in
Klorhulg. He has tried talking with Lucas, but
is not confident that Lucas will work with him
when the time comes.
Please talk with Lucas Gillespie so that we
may focus on freeing the silver mine slaves.
Your help is valued.
Močiutės Skara
ó
Madame Rozalia S wka,
I enclose the following for inclusion in the Sylwa
Rerum. My health prevents me from adding it
myself.
All my thanks,
Sofia Tebizond Nikitova
1668: We have learned the best way to draw
out a domovoi. In a clean bowl place fresh
porridge, salt and a slice of bread. Place
the bowl by the stove of a home, blow out
all the candles and wait. The domovoi will
emerge to eat the offered food. So far, the
domovoi we have met are not interested in
forming an information network. We are
continuing to look. If we can find just one, I
am certain that more will follow.
All Call Blue!
Flooding in Saint Andrea has
overwhelmed our local resources.
We sent a letter by Long-Strider
League to Fontaine for supplies, but
if anyone is closer, we need you. Khole
is starting to spread and we fear all
nearby water is contaminated. We
also need clothing, supplies for quick
shelters, and people. Basilio of Orduno
is coordinating. When you arrive, find
him and he will provide direction.
Močiutės Skara, Saint Andrea
To the IC,
Ya vvukywl mal eil rt f mqhlkcl
pbmtvk mh wlhrgbnd y dlawesw
ffkovavvt zh ghgved lv Qhgjhivr,
e ckbr gv Zabgtiotr. Xal
wqkbiha ua fbh hbr aa lhvz
wwir ofjtfv. Xal hlaweswh drv
rbh yjzzvzaz hnq gr bbh vqian
vf vbmtp qqfclv tfcmbq qbfdml.
Tvflxed, walc bdnpg.
Xapa tfkgn gayvi hdyq sgu
ot fulgdy. Y mmn jwlvoh rin
ht mpa kzvd laerzvt g
vvccng xbmgvwkawb. Galr ul
wltrkxh gdnpkvt. Nl lhs fbh
hbpg wlhdeth itf kal tpsl
mayvi hdyq ksvz jtf ndlr ja
jtftkjmj pvwlkrivrh kpu. Idptp
vvwlkrivrh kl aws grgoj qlkfbt
gs zl vvwaalxh. Ds kgcb ns oa
vvppeswh kpu, tl vvxnlerh wh
rdnpkvt. Zapzkxir bhalv gtsdap
lhvz wavpg nxwvrh kpu. Zbbr st
yal hdnpgvj kwiq fh srwxm ral
hdnpg enq, lv sfcv, t fja hzcy
dh pf mv cpiv. Uvkazzv, kalc
br bbh llhd.
La erv jtftkvt ltcr dnq zwtxv
fb galq uv ojbl snq vaxh
tz bdnpkvt grfihq walq mnq
sjmzpvt hsved dnq zwtxv twjh
sggivfl malmz ctxh. An rafv
nxwv gal hdnpg, M lr bbh dxbk
sdht pa aetw or.
Gwrq klpa.
Močiutės Skara
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
147
Notable Members
Monsignor Tomas de
Benito del Zepeda
Born in 1620, Tomas de Benito del Zepeda spent a
childhood in fear of soldiers, illness and death. After
watching his brother die from a pox, Benito dedicated
himself to the Vaticine Church. “I was so afraid, that
my fear blacked out everything,” Benito explains each
time he shares the story of his dedication. “Faith
freed me from that darkness; it gave and continues
to give me light.”
From his earliest moments in the Church, he
burned with a fervor for helping the ill, afraid and
war-trodden. Thanks to the machinations of war and
death, he received his first parish at the young age of
nineteen. “I had no idea what I was doing, of course,
but I believed and I cared and that was enough to
start,” he said. By this time, power in Castille had
started to shift behind the scenes and the war, which
had seemed nearly won began to unravel horrifically.
Benito ignored the larger politics, cursed the war
and focused on protecting the parish, which relied on
him and his guidance. When a Močiutės Skara caravan
arrived in town, he welcomed them and offered room
in his own home and in the church for them to stay.
Within the year, he had joined the society. His home
would become one of the first official safe houses in
Castille. After the war, with the countryside devastated
and Cardinal Verdugo in control, safety was a premium
especially for the many scholars throughout the nation.
The Shawl, working together with the Invisible College,
tried to smuggle the targeted scholars out of Castille, but
without knowing who the Inquisition would take next,
the groups failed many. So, Benito and two Weavers
developed a plan. Benito would rise through the Church
hierarchy and build relationships with members of
Cardinal Verdugo’s extremist faction. Over the past
sixteen years, Benito has moved from simple parish
priest to monsignor and is in line to become a bishop
within the next year. Meanwhile, he ferrets out names for
the Shawl and sews misinformation among the clergy to
keep the chains of safe houses secure.
Portraying Monsignor Tomas
de Benito del Zepeda
Benito is a spry man in his late forties. He is not tall,
but his near-constant, expansive gestures create the
illusion that he is much larger than he is. One frequent
gesture is to forcefully brush his thick gray-brown hair
out of his dark blue eyes with increasing frustration.
When deep in thought, he has a tendency to rub the
edge of his left index finger against the tip of his nose.
Members of his flock joke that this gesture is why the
tip of his large nose always has a rosy shine to it. In
conversation, he talks quickly, syllables tripping over each
other as they strive to match pace with his thoughts. In
front of a congregation, however, all of his gestures still and
his deep voice slows into a charismatic, spell-binding flow.
Within Močiutės Skara, Benito is known both as
a Weaver and for his long, knitted scarves, which are
inevitably full of holes.
Story Hooks
• Benito sends a message that the Inquisition
is targeting Nuria de Oriol del Rioja, a
mathematician who recently published a
paper discussing her discovery: the method
of indivisibles. Can the Heroes spirit her
away from her university through the Shawl
network of safe houses without getting
caught by the Inquisition?
• An archbishop is blocking Benito’s promotion
to bishop. He fears the archbishop suspects
his involvement in smuggling scholars out
of Castille. Can the Heroes determine what
the archbishop does and does not know, and
obtain some useful blackmail material that
Benito can use against him?
148
CHAPTER 7 | MoCiutEs Skara
Sofia Tebizond Nikitova
Sofia Tebizond Nikitova is a young woman running
out of time. In her early teens she contracted a wasting
disease. The local Močiutės Skara kept her alive, but
it could not cure her. She joined initially to remain
close to the medications that alleviate her symptoms,
but remained as she developed a passion for helping
others. Lately, her medicines have been lasting for less
and less time and she fears that, soon, they will stop
working altogether.
Early in her tenure with the Shawl, Nikitova’s
caravan found a town half-destroyed by ice. The
caravan had heard about the storms too late,
and arrived only in time to watch the surviving
townspeople carry body after body into a large
receiving vault to await the spring for burial. As
Nikitova watched the parade of dead, she swore that
she would never again be too late to help, that no one
in Močiutės Skara would be. As a symbol of her vow,
she took the town’s name as her own middle name so
that its people would always be with her.
Her innovative idea to recruit the domovoi and
Leshiye into a vast information network came after
hearing a Thread talk about efforts in Eisen to reason
with Monsters. As soon as she had the idea, Nikitova
committed to its implementation. As her illness
worsened, however, she accepted that she could not
create the network alone.
Nikitova, no longer able to endure as much travel as
she could even a few years ago, now runs a large camp
in Ussura where she organizes the Shawl’s efforts to
build relationships with the Leshiye and domovoi.
Members strategize, share folklore and bring back
tales of their attempts. When not coordinating,
Nikitova goes into the forest near the camp and tries
to coax the Leshiye into conversation. She returns red
with cold and feverish. Others in the camp worry for
her, but none dare stop her. Some fear that only her
passion for this work is keeping her alive.
Portraying Sofia Tebizond Nikitova
Nikitova is a sickly woman in her twenties who
occasionally breaks out in chest-wracking coughs. The
brightness of her dark, brown-black eyes and the light
pink in her cheeks could be attributed to a constant
fever as easily as to her passion. As her medications
wear off, her fever spikes and she begins to sway with
dizziness. During these episodes, she reaches out for
any stable object or person near her for support. She
wears her long, pale blond hair in a single neat braid
that she often drapes over her right shoulder.
Nikitova speaks with such conviction that doubting
her seems foolish. She knows she is dying and
discusses it as easily and dismissively as she does
her breakfast. She is in a race to complete her grand
project and she is determined not to lose.
Story Hooks
• Nikitova’s shout of excitement can be heard
all across the camp. A member of the Shawl
has returned with the news that a domovoi
has agreed to pass information, as long as
the Mother or Father gives permission.
Nikitova entrusts this task to the Heroes.
Find Matushka and obtain her permission
for the domovoi.
• Nikitova becomes bedridden and the camp
fears that her death has come. The Heroes
overhear one of her attendants mention the
Sylwa Rerum and wonder if it holds the secret
of a more effective treatment. Can the Heroes
get to the Sylwa Rerum in Stanislawiec and
discover a better medicine? And, if they do,
can they track down this medication so that
Nikitova might have just a little more time?
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
149
150
CHAPTER 7 | MoCiutEs Skara
Ruairi MacLoch
Ruairi (Ro-ree) MacLoch is a proud citizen of the
Highland Marches. He was far too young to join the
War of the Cross. That did not stop him from training
constantly in hopes of one day joining, but it ended
before he could. After the war, he looked forward
to the Highland Marches becoming a key player
in Théah, but then the High King bent the knee to
Queen Elaine. After it became clear that the Marches
would again be lost in Avalon’s shadow, MacLoch left
rather than remain under Queen Elaine’s reign.
In his early twenties when he left home, he had
never traveled more than a day’s ride from his
hometown. He was not prepared for the realities of
a life on the road. Luckily, he fell in with a Močiutės
Skara caravan traveling the Thread. The Shawl gave
his frustration focus and answered his deep need for
freedom. MacLoch built up his contacts and started
making plans to create a clinic near his hometown so
that he could help the Highland Marches grow, but
news of Sidhe incursions convinced him to scrap his
plans and set off on his own.
Alone on the road, he finally had the independence
that he wanted since he left home.
MacLoch spends his time traveling from the
Marches to Castille by ship and then through Castille,
Vodacce, the Sarmatian Commonwealth and Eisen
before heading back to the Marches. Back home he
visits family and friends and bickers with members
of the local Shawl chapter in Rauenhass over their
handling of the Sidhe. MacLoch is still a Separatist,
though his time in Močiutės Skara has taught him
to abhor war. He struggles to balance his desire for
Marcher independence with his deep need to prevent
war at all costs.
Now in his mid-thirties, MacLoch is starting to
want more than the road. His time at Rauenhass
extends a little each passing year. He is in a
relationship with Seaghdh (Shaw) MacTam, a
childhood friend, and Noemi Vestini, a Fate Witch
and fellow Močiutės Skara member working in
Rauenhass. MacLoch has not yet told Seaghdh and
Noemi that he is seeing them both, but instead strives
to keep both relationships free of commitments
to assuage his own conscience. He fears telling
them, not because of their possible reactions (both
have dropped hints that they know he has another
relationship), but because of what that would mean
about him. MacLoch knows about Queen Elaine’s
multiple relationships and he despises that he might
emulate her in anything. That said, he does love both
Noemi and Seaghdh.
He does not reveal these inner turmoils when he is
on the road, and is known for his friendliness, gossip
and the neatly crocheted animals stuffed with rags
that he gives to the children he meets in his travels.
Portraying Ruairi MacLoch
When MacLoch talks, he entertains. His tales of the
Thread are lively and, occasionally, re-enacted with
the stuffed animals he has crocheted. His brogue has
lightened over the past near-decade of travel, but is
still thick enough that all who meet him know he is
from the Highland Marches.
Those who get past this exterior find a man torn
between desires, who is far too talented at blocking his
own happiness. He wants to take both roads, rather
than choose just one, and his inability to commit to
a single path nibbles at him daily, even when he does
not need to choose a single path. Stubborn as he is,
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
151
he strides forward, determined that it all work—he
will be a Separatist and a Shawl member (no one
has told him he cannot); he will love both Seaghdh
and Noemi (they would probably enjoy each other’s
company); he will build a home and never abandon
the Thread (as others already have)—even as he frets
that he will accidentally destroy everything. Nothing
is rarely as complicated as MacLoch insists it must be.
MacLoch has auburn-brown hair, large gray eyes
and slender fingers. Otherwise, he is neither short nor
tall, strong nor weak, fat nor slim. As with the rest of
his life, he is perpetually in-between.
Story Hooks
• The Heroes meet Ruairi MacLoch in his
travels, and he invites them to share a meal
with him. While eating he tells them about
a plot bubbling in Montaigne to invade and
raze Dechaine. He is expected elsewhere and
cannot send a warning. He gives the Heroes
two letters—one for the Shawl working
in Montaigne and one for the Rilasciare in
Dechaine—and asks the Heroes to deliver
each and help Dechaine remain strong.
• The Heroes meet MacLoch in the Highland
Marches. He is clearly miserable and his
normally robust stories are lifeless. After
pushing, the Heroes learn that MacLoch has
cut off his relationships with two people he
loves, certain they are better off without him
and his indecisiveness. Seaghdh and Noemi,
while they do not know one another’s identity,
both believe he has decided to commit fully
to the other. They are both hurt by this.
MacLoch claims this is for the best, but no
one seems to be benefiting. Can the Heroes
solve this relationship conundrum for him?
Mireille Brisbois
Daughter of merchants, Mireille (mee-RAY) Brisbois
grew up without want. This material comfort did
not satisfy her, however; not when she saw so many
people each day struggling to survive. Anger at the
injustices she saw, and a love of theater, drove Brisbois
to the Močiutės Skara camp outside of her hometown.
Each week she performed and, afterward, helped
organize those seeking medical attention. During the
152
CHAPTER 7 | MoCiutEs Skara
week, she would sneak out to the camp to write new
plays and learn how to create the different medicines
the after-show clinic used. Over the years, Brisbois
became an accomplished pharmacist.
When she was in her late teens, the Weavers
approached Brisbois and invited her to join their
numbers. Brisbois’ acting skills and growing
pharmacological knowledge were useful assets
for their covert and more proactive tactics. From
the Weavers, she learned of the Sylwa Rerum in
Stanislawiec. When the next Thread passed near her
town, Brisbois joined it. She traveled from caravan to
caravan until she reached the Commonwealth. During
this time, she saw how suffering was universal, and
how relief alleviated the symptoms but did little to
stop the cause. From the Sylwa Rerum, she discovered
many medicines not commonly used in Montaigne,
and also several obscure poisons. She copied down
all the recipes. When Brisbois returned to Montaigne,
she was no longer satisfied with the Močiutės Skara
camps outside of each major town and city. Bold
changes were going to require bold actions.
Brisbois decided that the only way she could help
Montaigne was from the inside of l’Empereur’s
court. Rather than try to compete in the marriage
game, Brisbois orchestrated the careful poisoning of
Audo, the young son of widower Amis de Thoulieu
and nephew to the Minister of Culture, Maurice de
Thoulieu. As the family’s physicians scrambled and
failed to counteract the strange illness that had seized
Audo, Brisbois seeded rumors of her reputation as
a talented pharmacist within the Shawl among the
household staff. The ploy worked and the Thoulieu
family approached her for help.
Waving off all offers of compensation, Brisbois set
to work counteracting the poisonous concoction she
had created. As Audo slowly recovered—a process
she deliberately prolonged— Brisbois cultivated a
friendship with Amis. After Audo was once again
chasing lightning bugs through the dandelions,
Brisbois remained with the family as a cherished
friend and personal pharmacist. She frequently
watches over young Audo and has developed a
familial affection for the boy.
Brisbois also collects information on the Montaigne
nobility and passes it back to the Močiutės Skara.
She has already, through the clever application of her
poisons, begun shaping the government in Montaigne.
Her current goal is strengthening her friendship with
Amis’ brother, Maurice. The cachet of his trust would
go far in masking Brisbois’ clandestine, daring and
sometimes deadly activities.
Portraying Mireille Brisbois
Brisbois binds her light brown curls back in a modest
snood, but even she cannot control the few wild
strands that escape. In all other respects, she has
complete command over her body and expressions.
She is a graceful woman in tasteful clothing, who fades
easily into the background until she decides otherwise.
These days her every moment is a performance. Only
Audo, through his blithe innocence and her love for
him, brings genuine reactions out of her.
Brisbois appears warm, intelligent and generous.
Those are not lies, but neither are they the full truth.
She is seething inside and fueled by carefully tended
anger and frustration. She works with the Shawl
and strives to end suffering, but her methods and
her increasingly tangential justifications have slid
her into Villain territory—not that anyone is willing
to admit this.
Story Hooks
• Mireille Brisbois has gone too far. The
Shawl knows she must be stopped, but
confronting her could damage other Shawl
work in Montaigne and Nationelsewhere.
Plus, removing her also removes a very
valuable source of information. Can the
Heroes stop Brisbois without hurting the
Močiutės Skara?
• Brisbois requests the Heroes’ help in
poisoning Yvonne de Gineston so that she
is too sick to receive the Duchy of Buché.
Brisbois argues that Yvonne becoming the
duchess would strengthen the Sun King
and ultimately increase suffering. What will
the Heroes do?
Johanne Klassen
Born in the waning years of the War of the Cross,
Johanne Klassen spent his childhood in a refugee
camp in Eisen where the war took longer to end. His
parents, both soldiers, passed off his raising to the
adults in the camp, most of whom were members
of Močiutės Skara. When he was ten and the oncethriving refugee camp had dwindled to a couple of
caravans, Klassen’s father sent him to live with his
sister and her husband in Vestenmennavenjar. Klassen
was only supposed to live with his aunt and uncle for
a year or two before his parents could retire and come
for him, but instead he never saw his parents again.
Eisen needed soldiers to help rebuild infrastructure,
root out bandits and fight Monsters. His parents sent
letters a few times each year, but those dwindled, and
the last one Klassen received was two years ago. He
refuses to consider that his parents might be dead.
Klassen’s aunt operated the largest and most
successful general store in the small coastal town
where she lived. His uncle worked as a tutor and,
thanks to his wife’s success, he was able to purchase
several books every month until their home
overflowed. Many in the small town visited Klassen’s
uncle each day to borrow and return books. From his
aunt, Klassen learned to read people, appraise items
and drive a good bargain. From his uncle he learned
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
153
patience and to read. His uncle also tried to teach him
a passion for learning, but Klassen found his preferred
weapon: words.
Seven years after moving to live with his aunt and
uncle, Klassen left for university in Kirk. His aunt’s
lessons for running a store and his uncle’s lessons in
research and thought served him very well. He grew a
reputation as a skilled and ruthless debater. He could
have remained and become a popular professor, but
he saw little use in constantly honing a weapon he
never wielded in a real battle. His attentions turned
south to the nation that had swallowed up his
parents: Eisen.
In Eisen, Klassen quickly reconnected with the
Shawl and, after seeing how it was trying to help the
nation, joined up. He now travels and raises funds
for draining the swamps in Eisen. He hopes that by
removing the Monsters’ natural habitats and creating
more arable farmland, he will not only help Eisen, but
maybe even find his parents again.
Portraying Johanne Klassen
Johanne Klassen is a tall and slender man with a sharp
nose and dark hair. When he speaks, he emphasizes
his points with his large, expressive hands. His thin
frame belies a subtle and wiry strength.
Klassen is a man certain in his beliefs and actions.
He does not doubt himself and accepts no doubt
from others. When pushed, he debates people into
submission. He reads people well and has an uncanny
ability to tell when people are lying. He uses both
of these skills to win each argument he engages in.
Should anyone mention his parents, though, he
explodes immediately. He is also very utilitarian; if
something has no use, it has no value. Eisen’s murky
forests are firmly in Klassen’s “Of No Use” column.
He has very little patience for those who disagree with
his classifications or actions.
Klassen has a soft spot for children, especially those
whose parents must work constantly to provide for
them or whose parents are dead. He has so far sent
three children to live with his aunt and uncle. He
visits at least once each year to see them.
Like any member of the Shawl, Klassen can apply
basic first aid. His primary strength, though, is his
ability to talk people down. More than one Weaver
has suggested that Klassen help defuse the brewing
154
CHAPTER
CHAPTER77||MoCiutEs
MoCiutEsSkara
Skara
war in Montaigne, but he remains stubbornly fixated
on Eisen and instead applies his people skills to
securing funds and resources.
Story Hooks
• A minor königreich in Eisen is blocking
Klassen’s efforts to fell the forest surrounding
the city. Klassen has tried to meet with the
königreich to discuss the matter, but the
city has banned him from entering. He asks
the Heroes for help. Can the Heroes learn
why the königreich is protecting the forest?
Will the Heroes be able to help the city and
Klassen find a compromise?
• The Heroes find a woman claiming to
be Klassen’s mother. Klassen, however, is
insistent that the woman is lying. Can the
Heroes unravel the mystery of Klassen’s
missing parents and discover the truth
behind this woman’s claims?
THE RILASCIARE
Chapter 7
“Mr. Bennet, it is no secret that this society, Uppman’s Brothers, Freethinkers, Rilasciare
or whatever they are calling themselves these days, exists. Deviants and anarchists always
enjoy taking a name when they are waving their foolish flags. But that is all it is—a name
for a ragtag bunch of intellectuals who have no understanding how true government works.
If they could ever actually organize, then I would be worried, but right now it is a group of
unruly puppies barking at the wind. They are of no threat to us. Put it out of your mind.”
—Count Erik du Maurier, Montaigne
Organization
The Rilasciare’s greatest strength is the lack of
cohesion among the greater whole—no Hand can
report on the activities or whereabouts of another
Hand. It is also the society’s greatest weakness.
Without a larger organization, it has been difficult
to enact sweeping change across all of Théah. Still,
with the current successes the Rilasciare has seen
among various Nations, many of its agents consider
their independence a boon to its operations. However,
just because there is no greater organization does not
mean the Rilasciare does not have rules and methods
to its operation. The most prevalent and useful
structure to the society are the Hands. Without
Hands, the Rilasciare would cease to exist.
A Hand
Never more than five members, a Hand is the basic
unit of operation within the Rilasciare. When new
members are courted, it is either because one member
has dropped (through death or other means) or
because a new Hand is being formed. If a member
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
155
wishes to support the formation
of another Hand, he never lets all
the members of his current Hand
meet the new “courtship.” If there
are several newcomers, sometimes
a Hand will split into two separate
groups, bringing up the newly courted
members as younger Fingers in either
group. However, even in such instances
of cooperation, it is a rule that no Hand
ever knows the full faces and membership of
another Hand. This anonymity provides basic safety
to each unit across the society.
Hands do 75 percent of their work as individual
units. Most dedicate themselves to a specific
cause. Prime examples of popular causes include:
propaganda, government embarrassment, degradation
of the Church, body-guarding sympathetic persons
of interest, or helping smuggle Streghe from Vodacce.
Hands become experts in their local area, the nobles
they can most affect, and what will stir locals to action
against the two tyrannies. This system is remarkably
effective because it lets the local experts focus their
strategy in highly targeted, area-specific methods. The
way to sway the heart of a merchant from Vodacce is
far different than gaining an ear of a Vendel League
Chair in Vestenmennavenjar.
However, it does make organizing sweeping
political change a touch more challenging. Therefore,
in more recent times, many Hands appoint single
Fingers to be their “Faces” to the world. This person
reaches out to other Hands and risks her identity in
exchange for better organization between the two
units. The practice of keeping Paramours has only
encouraged this outreach between Hands and has
been going well over the last five years. It was the
beginnings of this practice that allowed the Kinder
von Morgen to first organize.
Pushing the Limits
Over half the membership of the Rilasciare are
non-violent people. They believe in political change
motivated by voices, writings, and the heart of
the people. The very first line of Uppman’s Code
is, “Murder is the theft of the greatest gift and the
Villain’s tool to maintain order.” Those words are
taught to each member when he first joins a Hand.
156
CHAPTER 8 | The Rilasciare
However, there is a small faction
of the Rilasciare who believe the
society’s methods are holding it back
from true political upheaval.
The whispers started with Juliette’s
Doves, but have stretched across
membership through most of central
Théah—Uppman’s Code is out of
date. This world only understands war
and, if we wish to truly make a difference,
we need to pick up weapons and go to war.
There are many Hands who now dedicate themselves
to learning violence. Some focus on the art of bomb
making, others the art of assassination, and there
is even one Finger who learned poisons through
growing her own deadly garden. These Hands
exchange coded missives to organize their violent acts
to incur real change. Even among these Hands, few
members relish the thought of murder, so they wish
to be certain that when they take such measures it
will be to great effect. The Doves have been traveling
outside of Vodacce more often in the last year, making
one final effort to direct these groups. Théah may be
quite surprised in the coming years to see more death
on its soil from a shadow it never expected.
Factions
As with all secret societies in Théah, the Riliasciare
are not wholly of one mind on how to best
pursue its goals.
Kinder von Morgen
The creation of the Kinder von Morgen has angered
many in the Rilasciare and fractured several longdistance partnerships that once flourished between
countries. Members of the society who consider
themselves the most devoted to the true ideals of
the Rilasciare look upon the Kinder von Morgen
as another tyranny being created. They fear the
new faction for two reasons: being so public as a
faction risks exposing the entire society’s secrets, and
creating groups of such power elevates members to
positions akin to government officials. The Kinder
von Morgen itself has put many of its members in
political offices—it says this is so they can make
mockeries of the offices or change the system from
the inside out—but to outsiders it simply looks like
To My Darling, Hopeful Paramour, Moira,
It has been but a handful of weeks sinc
e we met at the Carnivale on the edge
of the Pi ro Peninsula, but my mind
has found itself wandering to you on
nearly every eve. You are the captor of
my thoughts, the queen of my future,
and I have great hope you will finally agr
ee that I may call you my paramour. The
night in Pi ro was like none other for
a true devotee as myself. I hope you und
erstand what a compliment I give with
the
se words; it is not every day that
a woman, much less one of low birth, tur
ns my head. And yet, I find it not just
turned, but all my thoughts utterly
distracted, replaying our conversation
s in the dark hours, like prayers in chu
rch.
You must tell me more of your time wit
h the Contessa Divorna, you saucy min
x. I heard you turned her head with
more than one sonnet over many a drin
k? You are truly a woman of high inte
llect to drive a Contessa to madness; the
sort of intelligence I have not found amo
ng my past paramours. Tell me, where did
you train? Did you manage private
schooling or sneak off to audit classes
meant only for the nobles of Vodacce?
I eagerly await your reply. I have sonnets
to write you of the color of your hair
and the madness you have inspired in
me. You may leave post for me at the red
church on the western half of the city
where we first met, I always pick up
my letters from the good pastor there
after services on Sundays. You will reco
gniz
e him by the divine madness in his
eyes and his heavy red beard. I await you
r letter through sleepless nights devoted
to our shared madness.
With Newfound Love,
Clara R. Bertalucci
ó
ó
eart, Clara,
om
gain quite a look fr
d
di
I
gh
ou
th
,
ul,
last missive
ective over your so
at I took in your
ot
th
pr
y
t
jo
os
t
m
ea
is
gr
he
h
k
it
It was w
rnivale in
tters. I thin
heard of that Ca
said to give my le
he
u
e
yo
nc
m
ha
rc
ho
w
Pe
.
or
nd
ces
st
the pa
are like that, I fi
spite the differen
de
us
r,
he
T
ou
m
of
ra
en
pa
m
t
ur
at I be yo
mad or not. Mos
anscends
your suggestion th
by
d
re
no
ho
? Our courtship tr
it
am
es
I
,
do
ill
h
St
rt
bi
o?
e
ór
bl
Pi
ing as no
knows no such th
this madness, yes?
of
rt
pa
a
is
t
in our class. Love
ha
T
nd.
her could understa
has been
boundaries none ot
turn. The poetry
re
ur
yo
r
fo
d
te
ai
s have no
, while I w
s this past month
ar the local patron
fe
et
I
nn
so
gh
o
ou
tw
th
,
ed
but
ds
as
I rele
to an angel’s wor
an one dance hall,
un
th
e
gh
or
ni
m
as
in
ch
rn
ur
to
r
ch
d the pape
of the
lauded by the
uage. I have foun
ve sent along one
ng
ha
la
l
I
,
ica
ill
et
St
.
po
ds
ch
or
r divine w
taste for su
love.
arts rarely care fo
ch
su
ve
lo
re inspiration, my
ti
ho
w
en
e
s
it
e
er
w
u
then thos
yo
nce
rsonal approval, si
s been
sonnets for your pe
urch, though it ha
ch
l
ca
lo
r
ou
at
i
gnore Cardon
caste and I
that I audited Si
es, Theus sees no
o
ss
ag
cla
ng
er
lo
w
lo
so
e
s
wn
th
em
r
It se
would inspire me do
it was no place fo
ss
le
ne
hi
W
ad
m
s.
th
ne
vi
on
di
m
at
of
aps too
d I know th
but a handful
e his prayers perh
my words. Little di
ok
n
sp
ar
i
le
on
to
rd
e
Ca
er
e
th
or
gn
ed
e. While Si
the first
was welcom
g after, we began
ar paramour and lov
de
lon
y
ot
m
N
u,
.
yo
be
ng
to
di
d
fin
te
g
a path to
t believe it was fa
nnet I spoke amon
us
so
m
st
I
,
fir
it
e
lp
th
pu
t
t
ou
ie
ab
ing words
life?
loudly for such a qu
remember your glow
of the divine jest of
I
ng
p.
ki
hi
ea
ts
sp
ur
e,
co
ac
r
pl
ou
in the first
murmurings of
I turned your head
w
ho
t
no
at
th
s
accept
I
your peers.
should know. So, I
rs
ve
lo
ly
on
s
et
runs
cr
ne madness that
whisper to me, se
vi
to
di
s
e
et
th
cr
t
se
bu
d
n,
ha
io
I knew you
ur high stat
not because of yo
p,
hi
ts
ur
co
of
r
nd is mine.
your offe
yours and your ha
is
nd
ha
y
M
t.
ar
through your he
My Paramour in H
our,
Your True Param
Gadfly
Moira Montaway,
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
157
the faction is twisting the ideals of the Rilasciare to
take power for itself. Several Hands outside Eisen are
now planning on ways to take the Kinder von Morgen
down before it grows more powerful.
Conversely, other members believe that the
successes of the Golden Liberty and the Kinder von
Morgen are proof that the Rilasciare needs to stop
operating in shadows. Clearly, the lands of Théah
are ready for more open rebellions against the two
tyrannies. How can new members find the Rilasciare
if it never shows its face as a public organization?
More than one gathering of Freethinkers has come
to shouting arguments between those who wish to
expose the society to the world and the traditionalists
who wish to remain in the shadows. This debate is
one of the true internal threats in the Rilasciare.
Sophia’s Daughters
While much of the Rilasciare remains disorganized,
the longest standing, most organized large-scale group
is made up of the women of Vodacce who have named
themselves Sophia’s Daughters. In Vodacce, men
consider women pretty bits of property or servants;
women traditionally have little or no power outside
the courtesan houses. This sect seeks to change
that. Originally founded by Valentina Villanova and
Juliette Cavalucchi, the wife and the mistress of the
strongest Merchant Prince in Vodacce, Giovanni
Villanova, the group has become far larger than
two women could have dreamt. It has also gained
immensely prominent backers in that time. However,
a schism has developed between the two sides of the
organization and there is a danger it may bring them
down from the inside out.
Church of St. Dorothy in Agony
My First, True Hope of My Heart and Queen of My Madness,
I cannot tell you enough how you have renewed my love
of the beautiful words of sonnets and classic poetry
after the various patrons of old music and dance
taught me that love was something bawdy and awful. I
have no wish to ever dance upon stone again, but to swim
through the south seas at your side and compose sonnets
to the Heavens. But this is not about swimming. Before
Carnivale season begins again and you decide which mask
you care to don for the festival, there are final secrets I
must tell you.
How much has the good pastor taught you concerning
the patrons of the old ways? Those who give time and
again to bawdy music and lewd dance, the worst kind of
entertainments to be suffered by such noble individuals?
Has he explained to you what my brother wrote of these
patrons? If not, then I shall court you further, my
paramour, and write you one more sonnet before our
preparations truly begin. To love me, you must love my
brothers.
I await your letter with breathless sighs.
With All My Heart.
Your Gadfly,
Clara
158
CHAPTER 8 | The Rilasciare
Mother Superior Teofila di Tamamello believes
that through proper schooling in politics, business,
banking, history and other professions, women
can take as prominent a place in Vodacce as men.
Through the Church of St. Dorothy in Agony, she
trains dozens of young women in the intellectual
pursuits and ensures they are just as capable as any
man of running a trading company or other business.
When she picks a favorite student, she teaches
that young woman a high level of politics, and has
recently begun to encourage her brightest pupils to
take political office so they may change the system
from the inside out. Valentina Villanova has given
the Mother Superior her full support in this. They
believe only a mental and social shift can save the
ladies of the land. However, there is a far more violent
group that believes a physical uprising must occur for
things to change…
La Passione
A member of La Passione trains her very body as
a weapon, learning brawling, fencing, shooting and
many other forms of combat. The group believes
that women will never have true power unless they
seize it through violent means—the only thing men
seem to understand. Led by a courtesan named
Desiderata and with Juliette Cavalucchi’s full
backing, La Passione has plans to take power for
the women of Vodacce through a violent revolution.
Many who start in this group find it too rough for
their taste, lose heart and fall back to the “softer” side
of Sophia’s Daughters. However, the women who
remain are some of the most dangerous women
in Théah. If anyone could stage a revolution, it
would be them.
The Doves
This elite Hand of bodyguards was put together by
Juliette Cavalucchi within La Passione, and is one
of the few actual Hands within Sophia’s Daughters.
The Doves’ five members are a healer, a swordswoman,
a brawler, a talker and a scout. These women are at
the top of their classes in La Passione and often
Léon Alexandre, l’Empereur of Montaigne, takes his people for fools! The
Sun King tries to shine so brightly that none can look close enough to see
his flaws and, until now, the people have been content to turn their heads
and bow! This can no longer be. The good people of Montaigne must don
shaded spectacles and dare to look upon their king for what he truly is—
an Emperor with no clothes! The Sun King is a beggar who must live off
the praise and tithes of his dukes. Reports out of his
court say the
man himself is blinded by his own brilliance and will burnvery
who dare
tell him otherwise. Is that what you wish for a king, my any
fellow citizens?
A child and a fool who cannot listen to counsel?
That is what you all follow blindly. He manipulates you with pretty words
and happy harvests, but has there been a single winter where your
families did not have to ration food by the end of the seaso
n? Have the
roads been kept well enough that the doctors can make trave
l even in
the worst of weather?
NO! No! They have not! It is easy to rule a kingdom when days are
sunny and life is sweet! The Sun refuses to hear nothing else and you
are CONTENT with it! Montaigne is the richest land in Théa
h. We have
the most pleasant climates, the grandest culture, yet we still
e!
Children still die of the cold! And you hear l’Empereur say thatstarv
is just
HOW IT IS! How can you be so blinded?
If you will not rise up for yourselves, then do it for your children. If we
all rise together, in a handful of years, no child will ever starve! You
will no longer have to give taxes of grain and wine to a Sun King who
gives you nothing in return! Refuse your taxman! Spit in the face of the
puppets of l’Empereur and when they bring sheriffs to your door, bring
guns to theirs.
If you wish to learn more, ask Uppman. His friends are everywhere.
WE SHALL SHOW YOU THE WAY.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
159
160
CHAPTER 8 | The Rilasciare
help teach the more violent arts to new recruits. In
addition, each Dove secretly trains her replacement,
should she die or become infirm. A replacement
does not know if a Dove is grooming her until she is
black-bagged and secretly brought into a room with
the other four members. She never learns who her
predecessor was. The Doves serve as bodyguards to
Juliette and Valentina; they also are sent on the most
dangerous escort missions out of Vodacce.
The Support of Nobility
It is no surprise as to why Domenica Vespucci—now
Princess of the Sarmatian Commonwealth—supports
the Rilasciare. Vespucci, a Fate Witch, was first
smuggled out of Vodacce by Sophia’s Daughters into
the safer lands of the Commonwealth, and she wrote
many papers supporting Uppman’s ideals during
this time. However, her husband, Aleksy—now
more popularly known as Stanisław II—is a far
more traditional noble and many in the land do not
understand why he put his support behind Uppman’s
ideals. In circles more influenced by the two tyrannies,
many nobles whisper the Fate Witch has cast a spell
over his mind and is using her magic to secretly
puppet the country. They are dead wrong.
Before the prince ever met Vespucci, he saw the
way his country was crumbling. While he did not
yet have words for how the tyrannies had failed the
Commonwealth, the lawful structures of politics
were destroying the country from the inside out.
Liberum veto ceased all forward movement in the
Commonwealth and, due to its ancient laws, no
one could effectively end the nonsense. As Aleksy’s
father grew more ill and tried harder to warp the
current law into working, the prince knew that to
save the Commonwealth he had to destroy it. So, he
decided to make a dangerous move and contacted
Sophia’s Daughters after reading one of Vespucci’s
papers. It inspired him to put the land’s future in
the hands of the people, not the nobles. In secret, he
corresponded with one of the Daughters through
his father’s handmaid, who also had been a member
for many years.
The correspondence went so well that he sought out
the brilliant woman in the letters and begged her to
teach him more. He was astonished to discover it was
Vespucci herself who had been writing to him this
whole time. He challenged her to convince him how
a government run by the people would be viable. She
succeeded and, in doing so, he fell in love with her.
Aleksy understood the numbers game that all the
Nations of Théah face—the commoners outnumber
the nobility nearly ten to one. Should the commoners
ever realize the true power they have, they could
overthrow entire countries. Before that happened,
the prince wished to give his people the tools they
needed to effect change, and so the Golden Liberty
was established.
Aleksy would never come out in public support of
the Rilasciare; however, he secretly funnels money
to various Hands around Théah and empowers
Vespucci to assist smuggling Sorte Streghe whenever
he can. Aleksy is playing a dangerous game, being
so sympathetic to the cause—should the Sejm ever
realize his true leanings, they will not confirm him
as king. However, he believes the passion of the
Rilasciare can affect truly great change in the lands
My Dear Karles,
We have been paramours for a long while, but I must beg
you to cease this madness among the Kinder von Morgen.
You were sent to Eisen to take advantage of the current
disaffection for in-vogue music and dance, yet suddenly
it seems you are creating a brand new patronage. To be a
patron is to be a patron, whether it is of the old ways
or some new music! I believe you have lost sight of true
romance, of the poetics we spoke together as children.
Remember the sonnet I wrote you? The one of the freedom
to love as we please without using old songs in place of
our own true words? Did you ever listen? I have heard
you not only are a patron, but you have begun an entire
school of music. Yes, they are singing your sonnets, but
you are still in command of that classroom. You have
given yourself power in a way we railed against for so
many years. If you continue this patronage, I fear I shall
no longer consider myself your paramour. I do not wish
to stand against you, my love. Turn back to true poetry.
Return to your roots.
With Broken Heart,
Angelina
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
161
and continues to lead the Sarmatian Commonwealth
as an example to all Théah.
Some nobles in other lands nominally support the
actions of the Rilasciare, but few are as moral in their
intentions as Aleksy. Duke Le’Cross of Montaigne
secretly feeds money, information and protection
to two local Hands of the Rilasciare through an
intermediary by the name of Marie Collier. The
Duke’s support is all thrown behind defacing one of
his greatest political opponents and, once he renders
Count Carlisle completely ineffective, Le’Cross has
plans to lock up all those Rilasciare he used in the
past. Little does he know that Collier keeps detailed
records of every mission he gives her Hand and she
plans to expose both nobles for the traitors they are,
at the right time.
Master Joris Brak, Carpenter’s Guild Leader of the
Vendel League, openly supports the Rilasciare to the
point that he has posted many of Uppman’s teachings
in advertising for apprentices to learn his trade. He
believes that the League is a prime example of the
society’s beliefs working to up-end the tyrannies and
162
CHAPTER 8 | The Rilasciare
that the League, even before the Commonwealth
empowered its people to be stronger than nobles.
While some in Vestenmennavenjar are quite
displeased with Brak’s open support of this society
of anarchists, he holds too much power for them to
depose. He has been known to give training to any
member who reveals herself and passes money from
his guild to support cells in other lands. Behind the
scenes, he has secretly taught a few of the more violent
members how to destroy physical structures to bring
down nobles’ castles. Brak believes taking power
from the rich to give to those underserved can only
strengthen the Vendel League by helping it to find the
most brilliant minds and talented Hands to continue
to perform the best craft in all Théah.
The Printing Press
The printing of mass amounts of pamphlets, books
to replace hymnals in churches run by the Vaticine
Church, and posters declaiming local nobility is
not a cheap or easy endeavor. In truth, it should be
impossible for the Rilasciare to produce near the
number of printed text it does to spread its message
throughout Théah. However, there is a secretive
Hand, known only as “the Printing Press,” which does
most of the Rilasciare’s printing.
Few in the society can say for certain who is a
member of this Hand, but most know how to gain its
support when needed. In cities where there is a known
Rilasciare presence, the Press marks a building owned
by someone sympathetic to the society with a stylized
P. A customer locates the building and drops off what
he needs to have copied, with a simple note. Usually,
there is some sort of mail slot, secret door or hidden
drawer in the place, known only to the sympathetic
owner. A week later, the customer returns to find his
job done. Some have even whispered that it is the
work of sympathetic færies, the jobs the Printing
Press complete are so perfect and quick.
In truth, one of the first things Domenica Vespucci
did when she became a princess and had access to
the wealth that came with it was to fund one of
the cells that helped teach and smuggle her out of
Vodacce years ago. This cell originated with the
literate teachings of Valentina Villanova and did its
best to spread her words throughout Vodacce. With
Vespucci’s funds, it has been able to branch sister cells
in Nations all throughout Théah. These cells normally
operate on the same lines that help smuggle Streghe
and they use the lines in reverse, to smuggle money
back to the heads of these secretive Hands. Vespucci
hopes to double the number of printing presses that
the Rilasciare can use within the next five years.
Operations
On a continent-wide level, the Rilasciare has no
organization whatsoever. A few organized factions
have cropped up in certain lands, but across all Théah
no overarching structure exists. Each kingdom has its
own special flavor of the society, reacting to what is
happening in that country. To fully understand the
Rilasciare, one must understand the history of the
organization in each kingdom.
Avalon
Before the reign of Queen Elaine, the Rilasciare
flourished in Avalon, especially among the people
of Inismore and the Highland Marches. The
populations of the two disenfranchised kingdoms
greatly resented the stranglehold that Avalon seemed
to have on their lands. Hands fought the concept of
government as much as they did actual government
officials. The society fueled large public protests in
the two indentured kingdoms, which few times even
broke into violence.
The Sidhe often took both sides of the debate,
pitting government and commoner against each
other from the shadows. Whether this was out of
pure amusement or was an effort to keep the struggle
balanced without either side winning, only the Sidhe
know. All this changed when Queen Elaine took the
throne. Known as the People’s Queen, both Inismore
and the Highland Marches have bowed to her and
seem content with their positions now. Queen Elaine
has quelled previously discontented commoners by
riding among them, healing the sick and speaking to
all despite their castes. A few Hands remain in Avalon,
but the movement is gaining no traction under the
current, happy government.
Castille
It is an exciting time for the Rilasciare in Castille—
the movement is spreading like wildfire. After the
surprise invasion of Montaigne, an entire generation
of young people are discontent with life and their
government. In addition, many people are beginning
to resent the heavy influence of the Vaticine Church
in politics. Lastly, having a boy king on the throne
has made many people doubt the viability of the
Castillian nobility.
All these circumstances make for a powder keg
ready to explode, with the Rilasciare holding the
match. The number of Hands is growing faster than
they can organize, most of them dedicated to taking
down the Vaticine Church. A small council of single
Fingers from several Hands has formed, dedicating
these Hands to undermining the Church in every
way possible. They think if they topple the Church,
the government will fall soon after, as it is heavily
dependent on the church. With such support in the
land, Heroes willing to assist the Rilasciare in Castille
often find themselves richly rewarded.
Eisen
Whether true or not, the Rilasciare takes credit
for the great war that started in Eisen between the
Vaticines and the Objectionists. It is probably more
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
163
complicated than a single society’s efforts, but the
Rilasciare played a large part in motivating those
angered on each side to finally declare full-on war.
The society has since used this war to show how
outdated and useless the institutions of the Vaticine
Church and the Eisenfurst are. The Rilasciare has
found easy recruitment among the disaffected and
angry populace of Eisen.
In fact, it recruited so fast that it has outgrown its
original lack of structure. A faction called the Kinder
von Morgen has organized from the Rilasciare and
now openly practices in Eisen. The two tyrannies fight
it, of course, but it has gained such great influence
that no one seems to be able to destroy it.
Montaigne
The Rilasciare is seeing a boom of membership in
Montaigne since the war with Castille. The upper
classes have only grown richer, while the starving
peasantry has lost half of its children to a fight it
never chose. The Sun King is beloved by no one but
his court. The last time he traveled outside of the
capital to present an open town forum in one of the
larger cities, the Rilasciare organized a mass protest.
The town flooded with farmers from outside the city
who came in to scream their discontent at the king;
the Emperor fled without saying a single word to
his people. It embarrassed the government and was
a great victory for the Rilasciare. Coupled with the
coup the society orchestrated in Dechain (which
toppled many nobles and is still quite active), it is
clearly an exciting time to be a member of a Hand of
the Rilasciare in Montaigne. The society is recruiting
so quickly that it is very likely in the next ten years a
more organized faction will grow in Montaigne, as it
has in Eisen and Vodacce.
The Sarmatian Commonwealth
If the grand experiment of the Rilasciare has
completely succeeded anywhere, that place is the
Sarmatian Commonwealth. The king’s decree that
every citizen is a noble has nigh destroyed one of the
tyrannies that the Rilasciare fights; Golden Liberty
gave every person in the Commonwealth a say in the
government. Sophia’s Daughters can, indirectly, take
credit for this decree. The Fate Witch engaged to the
164
CHAPTER 8 | The Rilasciare
king’s son was one of those smuggled out of Vodacce
by the Daughters.
As Stanisław II struggled with how to counsel
his father to keep the kingdom together, it was
Domenica Vespucci who whispered the ideals of
the Rilasciare in his ear: They had to let the people
save the government. It seemed just insane enough
to work and so young Aleksy gave the suggestion
to his father, who then decreed it law. How many
among the Rilasciare understand its great influence
in this victory is not clear, but now it is left wondering
where to go from there. The still-active Hands in the
Commonwealth are now working on redirecting their
efforts to focus on the Church and supporting the
burgeoning democracy they have in their grasp.
Ussura
The Rilasciare have found little success in the land
of Ussura. The division between the muzhik and
boyars frustrates the society, but its previous efforts to
change this only empowered a more dangerous tyrant.
The Rilasciare initially assisted in the rise of General
Winter, thinking he would overthrow the structures
of the land. Sadly, he has only reinforced the tyrannies
in Ussura and he has made it more difficult for the
Rilasciare to empower the people.
However, certain members of Sophia’s Daughters
have found that Ussura is a welcoming land for a
smuggled Strega. While the journey is long, many
Fate Witches have found a new home among the
strange, cold mountains, and a kinship with the
people who accept magic as a daily part of their lives.
Vestenmennavenjar
Money often talks louder than political beliefs, and
the economic power of Vestenmennavenjar means the
Rilasciare have difficulty finding people discontented
with the tyrannies in these northern lands. In fact,
the government is a scattered mess with old nobility
arguing for titles they never seem be able to keep.
The few Hands operating in Vestenmennavenjar
focus on keeping the old nobility ineffectual so the
now-powerful merchants can keep moving forward.
The Vendel League has found favor with many
of the Rilasciare, as it is built from peasant and
prince alike. the society uses it as an example of why
government or religion is not necessary to rule the
world. However, unrest is spreading among other
Hands of the Rilasciare who think the Vendel League
is just another example of tyranny. There has been
infighting among the small factions of the society in
Vestenmennavenjar, and the voices against the Vendel
League are getting louder every day.
Vodacce
The Rilasciare in Vodacce are a strange faction
compared to other Nations. Very few members are
not a part of Sophia’s Daughters, and so 90 percent
of the Rilasciare membership in the land is female.
They not only dedicate themselves to taking down
the Merchant Princes, but also to smuggling Sorte
Streghe out of the country and to safety in other lands.
Members outside of Vodacce argue that Sophia’s
Daughters have entirely lost sight of the Rilasciare’s
purpose, but those within know the Daughters are
doing vitally important work.
Codes
The Rilasciare is extremely careful about
communications between members, in order to
keep its operations secret. The following codes have
special meaning in Rilasciare communications, often
conducted via written correspondence.
Words and Phrases
Hope of my Heart—The term for a potential student
or recruit to the Rilasciare. It is a great honor to be
the Hope of a Rilasciare member’s Heart, because it
is so dangerous to reveal the society to outsiders.
Hand—A Hand is a small cell of the society, with
up to five members. No more than five is permitted
because the risk of too many people knowing a
Hand’s plans and outing it to the authorities increases
with every extra member. Rarely do Hands coordinate
with each other, but a few have been known to work
together for country-wide operations.
Fingers—Individual members of each Hand are, of
course, called Fingers.
Paramour—A partner-in-crime in the more
underhanded dealings of the Rilasciare. If two
members have decided to be paramours, they will
risk their lives and safety for each other conducting
criminal activities on behalf of the greater good of the
organization. Paramours are given highly confidential
and dangerous tasks because of the strength of their
partnerships. Often, paramours will come from
two different Hands and enable those separate cells
to work together more effectively without having
to reveal the other Fingers of each Hand to the
opposing unit.
High Intellect—The higher one’s intellect, the more
danger she is willing to put herself in for the greater
organization.
Auditing Classes—Listening in on Rilasciare public
meetings without formally joining, or sneakily
eavesdropping on private ones. One can get in trouble
for auditing too long without joining up.
Poetics, Romance or Love—The teachings of the
Rilasciare. Sonnets are more specifically propaganda
pamphlets promoting Rilasciare causes.
Madness—The passion most members of the
Rilasciare feel for their chosen goals.
Church—Inn or tavern.
Pastor—Bartender. Often a trusted associate of the
Rilasciare without actually being a member.
Suitor—The name for a mentor in the Rilasciare.
No one is brought officially into the Rilasciare
without having a suitor.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
165
Courtship—The initial testing period where an
initiate must prove themselves trustworthy to other
society members. Several courtships have been
known to end without any other members of a Hand
revealing themselves other than the suitor for the
safety of everyone involved. A few have ended more
messily when the Hand has been exposed, with the
initiate quieted one way or another.
Patrons—Government rulers or high-status
members of the Vaticine Church, especially those
who strongly support the status quo and power
structures of their lands. They are said to patronize
an old way of doing things and only through their
monies does this old way survive. Patronage equates
money to political power.
Songs or Music—The Church and all of its
teachings. A patron of music is a high Church official.
This is one of the two tyrannies.
Dance—Government politics concerning the
rulership of the lands and governmental law. So, a
patron of dance would be a high-ranking noble. This
is the other tyranny that the Rilasciare rail against.
My Brother—Uppman himself, the supposed
founder of the Rilasciare and the man who wrote
the “Big Joke.”
Lines and Numbers in Poetry—Dates. They are
normally written the third line in the 12th stanza of
Satie’s 24th poem, which would be the third day in the
12th month of the 24th year.
Days of a Month—The hour that a meeting or
operation begins. If the hour is beyond seven in the
morning, a member writes it as the second Tuesday
or the third Thursday. An example would be: The
Carnivale is to begin on the third Tuesday of November,
which would mean the big operation will commence
at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, on a date most likely
indicated in poetry elsewhere in the letter.
Carnivale—A large operation carried out by several
members of the Rilasciare, generally of a covert nature
and involving some element of danger. Any time the
society organizes more than a few people, there is risk.
Water—The symbol for the ideas and goals of the
Rilasciare. One can be assured that any time water or
things made of water are spoken of, they represent
the greater ideology of the society. A river or sea is
a place where the ideology has gained a foothold.
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CHAPTER 8 | The Rilasciare
A desert is where there is little chance of finding
interested parties.
Stone—The status quo. Songs written in stone are
the writings of the Church. To dance on a stone floor
is to work for the government.
Mask—The position that a member takes in a
Carnivale-sized operation. She could be the beautiful
lady (the Face, or sweet talker); the clown mask
(distraction); the plague doctor (team medic); the
half-mask (someone giving a public speech, so his
mouth is uncovered); or the Villain (the combatants).
Other masks exist, but these are the most often used.
Mo ns ieur LaBl anc,
I was speaki ng with your
suitor the ot her
day and it came to my
attent ion you have
officially patronized a gr
oup of musicians in
Cast ille. Is this a recen
t development? In the
past, I always thought
you had a preference
for poetry; I had a grea
t fo nd ness for the
so nnets you wrote co nce
rning divinity and
proper wors hip. Yet, I ho
ld some hope that
your ne wfound patronag
e wi ll change the
music these mi nstrels wr
ite. Perhaps you
can sway what the popu
lar ear cares to hear
with ne w lyrics? I am si
mply curious about
your intent ions as a pa
tron. I know your
funds are tight and to
make such a choice is
to take mo ney from ot he
r wort hy causes.
I look forward to hearing
your ne xt so nnet.
Please, do not wholly de
vote yourself to
simply supporti ng ot her
artists—your
madness is a gift in and
of itself and should
be lauded to the heavens
. Let me know the
ne xt Carnivale you plan
to attend and I shall
travel for the performan
ce. As ever, my hand
is your hand.
With Heart,
Mademoiselle LeFerve
Birds—Bodyguards assigned by the society. Often a
person will not even realize he is being guarded. The
code word originated in Vodacce, when the women
of Sophia’s Daughters preferred to provide protection
to those loyal to their cause. As with masks, certain
types of birds are named for certain positions. A
raven is one meant to guard clandestinely at night; a
blue bird will be openly noticeable in the day. A flock
would be an entire Hand escorting a single job.
The Old Ways—Théah.
Gadfly/Gadflies—Any member of the Rilasciare is
also referred to as a Gadfly. Gadflies wear the title
proudly and a symbol of a Gadfly is well-known
among society members to mean someone is
Uppman’s Friend.
Drawn Symbols
The Rilasciare use many physical or drawn symbols
that are widely known among their numbers. These
symbols are all simple enough to mark down with a
piece of chalk in a few moments, should a Gadfly need
to mark an area or item in a rush; however, members
also make them into elaborate stamps or calligraphy,
which are hidden among the flowery art, poetry or
letters that the society uses to communicate in code.
These symbols are taught to each member by her
Hand once her initiation is complete. Members of
the Rilasciare guard this secret as close as the Coat
Code, and the society would be in grave danger if a
spy leaked information of their meanings. The use of
My Darling Paramour,
express my
for you. While many days I can only
n
otio
dev
and
love
my
bt
dou
not
Please, do
rtship has taught me
of a sonnet, my madness and our cou
ds
wor
ble
fee
the
h
oug
thr
s
ling
fee
have since studied
ns in the back of the church, but I
much. Yes, I only began auditing hym
the old
ed to me how our new love will set
lain
exp
He
.
tor
pas
the
and
lf
rse
deeply with you
all new hope. I
ons on divine romance, have given us
less
his
,
art
r’s
the
bro
r
You
.
me
ways afla
ding your brother’s
my hand grasped at truly understan
e
tim
t
firs
the
ly
inct
dist
ber
em
rem
words as spoken by the pastor.
ys.
g—would all be gone from the old wa
son
and
ce
dan
of
h
bot
s—
ron
pat
He told us that all the
we would
nza, of your brother’s 35th poem,
sta
ond
sec
,
line
h
10t
the
d
rea
ply
That if we sim
d the words and they
d the poem, and while I understan
rea
I
e.
ang
str
s
wa
It
th.
tru
see the
y comprehend. When I
within me, I do not know that I full
ss
dne
ma
the
h
wit
ted
ona
res
and
e
hav
to me. That paramours such as you
e
com
ld
wou
it
e
tim
in
t
tha
said
asked the pastor, he
sonnets
world new ways, and we would write
the
w
sho
to
,
love
our
e
tinu
con
to
I just needed
that would sweep entire lands.
as the greatest
ther’s art. Teach me how to love
bro
r
you
me
ch
Tea
.
you
ask
I
,
So, my love
ak, but write and
ng romance that you do not just spe
lovi
of
t
sor
e
Th
ld.
wou
s
san
rte
cou
trust
of
to inspire lovers for all the ages. I
love
and
ss
dne
ma
our
h
wis
I
r.
teach for all to hea
den behind
plans for planting a dangerous gar
has
d
han
r
you
w
kno
I
er.
oth
e
your lips as non
ws how to
roses and thorns grow. My hand kno
ke
ma
y
ma
ter
wa
so
ks,
bac
s’
ron
the pat
shall make a perfect
m your ministrations. I think this
fro
ay
aw
s
eye
w
dra
and
ht
brig
ne
as few
shi
love at the Carnivale next season,
our
ld
wor
the
w
sho
ll
sha
we
er,
partnership. Togeth
have ever seen love before.
Ever Your Hope,
Moira
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
167
these symbols is so widespread that it would be nearly
impossible to change their meanings or cease their
communication to new members. This means that,
other than in missives, there is no written glossary
or guide to these symbols. The Hand teaches the
knowledge orally once a new recruit is fully trusted,
confirming her as officially Uppman’s Friend and a
valued part of the Rilasciare. For the first few years
of a member’s service, she may not fully understand
what the older members of her Hand are responding
to when they visit a new town and use these hidden
marks to make their way.
(An Open Hand)—A five-fingered hand, palm
forward, fingers to the sky indicates something is
the territory of another Hand of the society. Often,
new people in town need to give minor warnings or
conduct negotiations before setting foot in territory
marked with this palm symbol.
(A Closed Fist)—Danger. This place, person or
thing has specifically shown itself to be anti-Rilasciare
and may actively be watching for members to arrest.
(A Cupped Hand)—Support for any member
in need. This can be a place, an open territory, or a
friendly tavern. Any member can seek something
marked with this symbol to find safety, shelter, healing
or protection.
(Gadfly Symbol)—A Gadfly, Uppman’s Friend, a
member of the Rilasciare. This is the internal symbol
used instead of the more publicly known dripping
stone. It is also used in place of Coat language or pins,
if a member is without his usual showpieces. Flashing
a Gadfly symbol will initiate the Handshake.
(A Hand with a big cut in it)—Assistance needed.
A member of the Rilasciare in this place is injured
and/or is in danger, or the Hand needs backup for a
larger operation.
(A River)—Meeting locations. The Rilasciare
marks places where Hands or people who share
ideas can openly meet, with a simple, squiggly river.
Often society members come together here to plan,
without acknowledging exactly who is part of a given
Hand. That way, units can loosely plan larger
operations without risking everyone who is
a member of their cell.
(A Stone)—A place that government or
Church officials have been known to meet
Mademoiselle LeFerve,
that is not an official location or their offices.
st in mus ic,
ere
int
nd
fou
new
my
ut
abo
ns
cer
This could mark a private home, a favored
I can understand your con
new way that I
a
ply
sim
is
s
Thi
t.
res
at
rt
pub, restaurant or market stall.
hea
but please, set your
t
mus
rt
hea
’s
one
in
ve
dri
the
mes
(Rain)—Parties sympathetic to the cause
may express my mad ness, as someti
ns
icia
mus
the
h
wit
e
tim
my
who
have yet to join. A member will mark
find
I
break beyond a pen and paper.
to
s
gift
own
my
a place with this symbol so others can keep
s and enabled
has taught me much of the old way
gs
son
ve
car
ll
sti
passing through, spreading information
may
te. We
find new ears for the poetics I wri
ak.
bre
about the dishonesty of society, and
too deeply, a sto ne will
into sto ne, yes, but when you carve
hin
wit
e
anc
hopefully get the sympathetic parties
rom
has sparked a new
Bes ides, my time wit h this troupe
firmly on their side.
write you of. Or, better yet, I
me. I may soo n have a courts hip to
(Dripping Stone)—A member of the
shall tell you at Car nivale.
Rilasciare who has worked her way into
t
mos
my
at
look
you
If
g.
an official position with the government
tin
ll wri
Whi le I have new interests, I am sti
a
find
or church. church. These members often
published—I believe you will
recent sonnet—the 34t h one I have
to
ted
ica
publicly act as fools so as to make a bad
ded
ond stanza. It is
certai n interest in line 10 of the sec
ld
name for the offices.
t one often dons for Car nivale. I cou
the plag ue doctor’s mask tha
al mask should you come dow n
use your hand in securi ng the physic
ays were better wit h strings than
to Castille for the season. You alw
myself.
Ever Your Gad fly,
Monsieur LaBlanc
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Symbols of
Sophia’s Daughters
Sophia’s Daughters have taken on a
separate and more dangerous mission
and it has created a need for a subset of
THE DOVES
In form the Doves did fly to Carnivale;
Five girls together and all masks in place,
Trimmed feathers, gowns frocked, not one
Dove did pale.
They prepared sharp claws and five
hidden faces.
The first in white, a beauteous lady masked,
The second mouth bare, but with
blinded eyes,
The third nose pointed and teeth
black all cracked,
The last two monsters, whole body disguised.
Festival of joy, where no one is seen,
Little people mock the dances on stone
With freedom from jail and wrath
of the Queen.
’Tis where we shall meet, you and I alone.
The musicians have already fallen this day,
We now fell the dancers in our final fray.
symbols that help mark the hidden paths and safe
roads they use to get Fate Witches away from their
dangerous homeland. Sophia’s Daughters change
the paths often so no legal official can figure out
which way they are sneaking past the mountains,
and without these symbols, the people-smuggling
operation would be less successful.
The paths are normally marked with either a special
waterproof chalk, developed by an enterprising Fate
Witch, or a white powder that stains the soil for a
few weeks. Some are carved into the bark of a tree, in
symbols that can be written one on top of the other
to change the meaning.
The Coat Code
Rumors of the order’s beginnings all go back to a man
named Uppman. He is the one who passed down
the strange Big Joke, the one who started organizing
Hands, and the one who began the wildfire “madness”
that is the Rilasciare. However, when even the earliest
members of the order talk about who they knew as
Uppman, none of them remembers an actual person.
The most defining feature that venerable Gadflies
discuss is a long coat. It looked like a cross between
a doublet, a pirate’s coat and a jester’s outfit. Many
patches held it together, one square mostly purple,
another mostly red, the third mostly blue and the
last yellow. It hung with long tails and glorious,
gold shining lapels. On his left lapel, just above his
heart, he wore a silver pin etched with a stone and a
drop of water.
When a Hand officially welcomes a member, the
Hand gives the new associate a silver pin etched
with the stone and water. It is one of the most
identifiable symbols of the society. Most members of
the Rilasciare choose to wear their pins on their left
lapels, just as the stories about Uppman describe, in
respect of their founder.
However, a pin is not enough. Pins can be stolen by
a pickpocket or someone may don a garment pulled
off a dead body that still carries the member’s pin
on the lapel. No one can remember Uppman’s face,
or even his age, but everyone remembers his coat.
While it would be too obvious for all members of the
society to wear such coats, the style of a long-tailed
coat with wide lapels is still in vogue for people who
have dedicated their lives to the Rilasciare.
A decade ago, the Rilasciare’s senior members
instituted the Coat Code in honor of Uppman’s
memory and instructed all Hands who came to a
particularly large festival. It is now one of the few
codes that is known by nearly every Hand across
Théah. It is taught immediately to new members,
along with the coded language.
When a member sees another member with the
stone-and-water pin, the first member goes up to the
second with an open left palm. If the grip is met with
the same gesture, they begin the following exchange:
A: Handsome coat.
B: Uppman gave it to me.
A: It looks like it fits me.
B: It fits all of my family.
A: Then I am lucky to be your brother/sister.
Then the pair share an embrace and business can
continue as usual. The adoption of this code has
allowed more disparate Hands to more easily work
together. However, older members are quick to
remind new recruits that while they may more easily
recognize other Hands, they should only send one or
two Fingers to any meeting. No single Hand can ever
know the full membership of another Hand.
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SYMBOLS
The Big Joke
One of the driving forces across the scattered
membership of the Rilasciare is the letter that
Uppman gave to the first Hands of the society. No
one can even vouch that Uppman himself wrote it,
but everyone seems somehow certain these are his
words—his immensely unclear words. Throughout
the society, members of the Rilasciare debate the
interpretation of the Big Joke more fervently than
any other disagreement—normally in heavily coded
letters. While the disappearance of nobility in Théah
seems a clear prophecy by Uppman’s words, little
else about the Big Joke has any clarity. However, each
faction seems to have its own interpretation, which it
staunchly follows.
The Kinder von Morgen are certain the Big Joke
means that all the nobles will be overthrown by the
people of their lands. Just as the Kinder von Morgen
are doing in Eisen, other groups can stage similar,
effective revolutions. They think their success clearly
proves Uppman’s words to mean that the Rilasciare
have a sacred duty to show the commoners their own
power and inspire them to rise against the oppressive
thumb of the nobility.
Among Sophia’s Daughters, Sorte Streghe have
been working on gaining clarity through prophecy for
years. As a Strega is often an oracle, she recognizes
Uppman as a fellow oracle and insists this is a
prophecy of the future. While they do not think the
Rilasciare should stop working toward such an end
goal, they feel certain it will happen no matter what.
The Streghe teach the Big Joke as an example of a
vision for a set future.
However, subsequent readings about how that
future is to come all produce wildly different results.
Some see the utter destruction of the lands to
some dark force. Others see the people rising up
against various officials, overthrowing the states for
a commoner-ruled society. Still others see a violent
war between many of Théah’s Nations, which ends
in the death of many rulers. Lastly, some say magic
will overtake the continent and destroy belief in the
church. None can say who is right, and no vision
seems more prominent than others. However, the fact
that they all see inevitable destruction reinforces their
belief that Uppman was a great prophet.
This is the proper path to follow, in the
direction of the circle.
Old path, now dangerous, do not take.
A safe place to camp for the night.
A civilian sympathetic to the cause. This
person or place will hide a Strega if needed.
Government official or police, very dangerous,
do not go near, do not speak in the
person’s presence.
A drop point. Messages can be left here.
Supportive of the Merchant Princes,
dangerous, continue traveling, do not stop.
A supply cache for food.
A supply cache for weapons.
A supply cache for medical needs.
Unsafe/poisoned water. Do not drink.
Safe water, fill up your canteens.
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171
Lastly, there are some
smaller, darker Hands of the
Rilasciare who are creating
back-up plans should the date
grow near and the prophecy
not be near fulfillment. The
Black Hand, a small band of
assassins who have taken it on
themselves to ignore the part in
Uppman’s Code about murder,
has been perfecting poisons easily
snuck into drinks or onto blades. This
small group trains its members in the highest art of
assassinations. It teaches its Hands that they are all
preparing for the day wherein they must remove the
rulers of Théah through silent violence. This is, in
their eyes, the only way the Big Joke will come to pass.
Notable Members
Ana Magdalena Rivera de Soldano
Second Lieutenant Ana Magdalena Rivera de
Soldano has been with the navy since Queen Elaine’s
call went through Avalon for all men and women to
sail the seas. Rivera’s parents sent her to Avalon to
join when she was merely twelve, and she has yet to
receive a call to come back home. Her talents as a
translator earned her a paid officer position and now,
several years later, she is one of the highest-ranking
women in the navy. She has been offered several
promotions, but turned them down to continue to
serve under Captain Wickham. She has been part of
his crew for three years and many people think they
are lovers. In truth, they are both vital members of the
Rilasciare and the society depends on their collusion
behind closed doors.
Being only a 2nd Lieutenant gives Rivera more
freedom than her captain. She has now become
one of the most effective underground contacts for
the Rilasciare throughout Théah. She can speak
any language, has access to many ports, knows how
to defend herself and has built up a small network
of contacts in most port towns. She uses these
connections to help smuggle Fate Witches from
Vodacce and has freed nearly a dozen of them over
the last three years. Rivera knows the pick-up points
for secretly printed documents and helps transport
them between various Hands. She has gained such a
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reputation for herself among
the society, that she has taken
a codename—Lady Blue.
When Lady Blue is in town,
Rilasciare members know
they can transport messages,
goods and people easily to
Hands in other lands.
Rivera’s charm also works
on members of the nobility.
While she goes by Lady Blue
in the shadows, many nobles of
Montaigne invite the lady sailor to their parties for
her wit and captivating personality. She makes quite a
splash at these gatherings and finds herself invited to
more and more. Rivera manipulates this situation to
her advantage, trying to get to at least one gathering
a season so she can get the current gossip from the
nobility. Then she feeds that information back to
the Rilasciare, arming other agents to embarrass the
nobles they all seek to topple. She narrowly escaped
a dangerous situation last year, where a drunk noble
at a bar nearly recognized her as Lady Blue. Not that
talented at directly lying to others, she had to make
a quick retreat from the tavern. She worries, to this
day, that the noble continues his suspicions about her.
Portraying Ana Magdalena
Rivera de Soldano
Rivera is athletic of build, with beautiful, olive-toned
skin, brown eyes and dark hair she normally ties in a
tight ponytail. She stands at five-and-a-half feet. Her
most distinctive mark is an inherited family trait—a
dark mole under her right eye—and she is very careful
that Lady Blue’s mask covers it at all times. While she
can be very charming to the public, she secretly feels
overwhelmed by the number of tasks she has taken
on her shoulders and often feels barely one step ahead
of the dangers at her heels.
Story Hooks
• Communications with Rivera’s family have
completely ceased. She fears someone has
discovered her ties to the Rilasciare and
plans on using her family against her. She
knows she cannot leave her vessel, so she
hires the Heroes to check on her family in
her stead. She will pay well for news of their
safety and, even better, if the Heroes can get
them out of danger.
• The lieutenant has been invited to the
banquet of the year by a prominent noble
from Montaigne. However, Rivera has an
important message that must be run north
for the Rilasciare, and if she does the run,
she will miss a chance at learning a great
amount of information. She needs to find a
band of Heroes willing to make the message
run for her, or Rivera could fall out of favor
with the nobility.
Jean Francois Rois et Reines du Rogne
Jean Francois Rois et Reines du Rogne is the favored
nephew of the famous Duchess Therese Roise et
Reines du Rogne, a wartime veteran from the War of
the Cross and a close friend to l’Empereur. As such,
he was given the best schooling money could buy,
and before he was in his teens his aunt was teaching
him the Valroux dueling style. No one was surprised
when he was accepted into the Musketeers at the age
of sixteen. Be it from skill or the weight of his family,
he rose through the Musketeer ranks quickly. He now
seeks a position with the Lightning Guard, but as of
yet has failed to prove himself.
Rois’ best quality is loyalty, and it has earned him
not only the love of his aunt, but a name for himself
within the Musketeers as trustworthy. It has also
earned a name for him outside of those hallowed
halls, but this name is far more sinister: fanatic. Rois
believes with all his heart in l’Empereur’s Theus-given
right to rule Montaigne and will do anything in his
power to help retain this. This has put him firmly in
opposition to the Rilasciare, who he sees as not mere
troublemakers but as a true threat to l’Empereur’s rule.
At first, Rois simply disrupted the Rilasciare’s plans
when he found them, but the more he found the larger
the conspiracy grew. Now he actively hunts down cells,
Moira, Queen of My Soul,
My dearest, I now know that you are a true student of
love and our letters have been properly inspiring, as you
have hit upon the rub that stymies most true romantics.
My brother’s method of seduction. Many call it a great
jest, the biggest joke of all, because no one quite knows
the final punchline. I believe the confusion in his poetics
was there to inspire all romantics to never cease in their
attempt to change the old ways. Yes, all the patrons shall
be gone, as that poem has promised. But, none of us can
truly say if my brother means that we must use our
madness to destroy all patronage; or that time, some
other curse, or the cruelty of fashion simply means the
patronage of old music and dance shall cease to be on
its own. It is a mystery that inspires devotees and poets
alike. I hope it is a mystery we may debate together for
many years.
I cannot wait to see you at the Carnivale, we can discuss
it more then. I believe you should wear the half mask,
you always did know well how to use your lips. Your
sonnets shall distract and sway the patrons while we
parade in shadows to finish the garden we are planting.
We are all meeting on the second Sunday of next month
to gather the caravan and don our costumes. My hand
shall be yours that night and together we shall truly
change the face of the old ways—your hand in light
and mine in shadow.
You Are My Inspiration,
Clara
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173
and attempts in vain to gather greater information
about their ranks. The one good thing about being as
decentralized as the Rilasciare is, is that the society is
capable of dodging Rois long enough to reform right
under his nose.
Portraying Jean François Rois
et Reines du Rogne
Rois is a man of striking looks and keeps himself
meticulously groomed. His long, dark hair is tied
back, not a strand out of place, and his uniform is
always pressed and immaculately clean, with a shining
symbol of l’Empereur proudly displayed on his chest.
He is the picture of a perfect Musketeer.
Unfortunately, Rois is what the Rilasciare believe
him to be. He is certain that everything he does is
right, good and honest. He considers himself a Hero,
which shows in the way he conducts himself. He
helps those who are helpless and makes a point to
seek out criminals or members of his own service
who are corrupt. He makes no effort to reconcile this
image of himself with his loyalty to the villainous
l’Empereur. Instead, he sees this as an extension of his
Heroism, and sees the Rilasciare as a pack of ruthless
Villains he must excise from Montaigne. If you ask
him, he will gladly go on at length about such things.
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CHAPTER 8 | The Rilasciare
Story Hooks
• Rois has captured one of the Hero’s contacts
in the Rilasciare. The other members of
her Hand have asked the Heroes for help
retrieving the woman. Can the Heroes find
him before Rois extracts information about
the rest of the Hand?
• Rois believes a member of the Lightning
Guard is a Rilasciare informant. He asks the
Heroes to help him test his suspicions. Little
does he know that the Rilasciare have placed
the Guard there to spy on him. How will the
Heroes deal with Rois’ suspicions?
Juliette Cavalucchi
Juliette Cavalucchi has learned one thing from being
one of the most beautiful women of her day—there
is no true power in beauty. It only puts more strings
upon a person and horribly complicates life. However,
Juliette’s beauty enabled her to extend beyond her
humble roots. She was born to a servant-class family
on the northern tip of Vodacce. As a young girl she
assisted her mother in cleaning various noble houses
between the schooling she could steal away for at the
church. It came to a point that many of the upperclass houses would ask for the daughter, who was
rapidly coming into her beauty, to clean for them in
lieu of her slower, elderly mother. Soon, demands
were enough that the pair could pick their clients
and charge a little more money. By the age of thirteen,
several rich locals began to request Juliette to not just
clean, but to serve and sing at parties.
During one of these parties, a high Signora of the
Courtesan’s Guild recognized Cavalucchi for the true
talent and beauty she was already becoming. Signora
Gnucci offered her mother an unbeatable deal—she
would take the girl in for training and provide a modest
weekly fee to make up for the income her mother
would lose. Otherwise, the Signora would provide
everything—clothing, food, shelter, schooling and
protection—the sort of training only the Courtesan’s
Guild could offer. In turn, Cavalucchi would serve the
guild for five years. In a short time, the deal was struck.
Twenty years later, Juliette Cavalucchi is one of
the most recognizable and sought after Courtesans
in Vodacce. The last decade, however, brought her
the biggest challenge of her life: Merchant Prince
Giovanni Villanova requested her as his lover, an offer
that she could not refuse. A year later, at a ball given
by Villanova’s wife Valentina, Juliette’s mask slipped,
and Valentina recognized her. Valentina sought her
out the next morning in the early hours; while Juliette
feared a great scene, what she received was a most
intriguing proposal.
Valentina knew Juliette was sharper than even the
wittiest of Courtesans. Juliette knew Valentina was
tired of the boring, quiet, obedient life of a noble’s
wife. Together, they began to conspire to change the
life of women in Vodacce for good. They created
Sophia’s Daughters.
Nowadays, Juliette Cavalucchi exclusively works as
Giovanni Villanova’s Courtesan. It gives her enough
money and leisure time to train the many women of
Sophia’s Daughters in the background. She started
the bodyguarding Hand called the Doves and is the
one who has the final say on who joins or leaves that
group. She has recently picked up a very prominent
backer—Desiderata, Mistress of La Passione. Defacto
leader of the Courtesan’s Guild, Desiderata has given
Juliette all the time and space she needs to train an
entirely new generation of Sophia’s Daughters.
Portraying Juliette Cavalucchi
Juliette Cavalucchi is a charismatic, bombastic, clever
woman who often seems a little larger than life. She
should be portrayed flirtatiously, with the quality
of being a touch airheaded—she pretends at being
unintelligent so people will take her less seriously.
When wearing her mask for the noble public, she is
obedient, coquettish, and likes to pout for what she
wishes. However, when she is working directly with
agents of the Rilasciare, she shows an entirely different
face. Cavalucchi is stern with her trainees and some
of the Doves have joked that she is much like a drill
sergeant. She takes her work seriously and has been
known to say that she has run out of time to laugh
when business is on the line. Deep down, Cavalucchi is
being torn apart by this careful balance. It is exhausting
to shift constantly between such opposites.
Story Hooks
• Older, more exhausted, and losing some of
her charms, Juliette can feel her time in the
sun slipping away. Some nights she fears
she may go mad being pulled between the
flirtatious Courtesan role and the stern war
commander. She needs to find a replacement,
but is not quite sure how to go about it. Can
the Heroes help her?
• Giovanni Villanova has begun to suspect his
favored Courtesan. He has sent spies, and
she asks the Heroes to help her shake them
or at least build a story to fool them.
Karles Verebach
One of the founders of the Kinder von Morgen
and a decade-long member of the Rilasciare,
Karles Verebach has turned into one of the more
controversial figures of the society. He is unfailingly
loyal to the cause, but many would say the cause he
pursues is dramatically different from the society’s
original tenets.
Verebach joined the Rilasciare when, as a boy of
sixteen, he openly egged the faces of two nobles at a
town hall in a small Eisen village. While the prank
was born more out of teenage rebellion than a true
hate of authority, one of the earliest Hands of the
Rilasciare saw his work and decided to tempt this
young mind into making some real change. Born to
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
175
lower-class parents and destined to do nothing with
his life but farm, Verebach accepted the offer of a
life of adventure, intrigue and the chance to use his
intelligence to change the world.
The first Hand he joined taught him to read and
write; he then broke off to form his own Hand at
the age of nineteen. Verebach was intelligent, and
he used that intelligence to drive the growth of the
Rilasciare in Eisen like a weed the nobles could never
hope to fully kill.
He gained a taste for power, however, when he
managed to form yet another Hand at the age of
twenty-two. It was this gift for organization, and the
instability in Eisen, which drove him to organize all
of his original Hands into what became the Kinder
von Morgen. Nowadays, while he still claims to be a
member of the Rilasciare, he waves the banner of the
Kinder high. He no longer operates in secret and has
betrayed many ideals of the original Rilasciare.
Portraying Karles Verebach
Verebach is not much to look upon physically. Short
of stature for having grown up without adequate
nutrition, he will always have the air of a pauper
about him. He keeps his hair shortly shaven and often
sports a few days’ growth of a dark beard.
What he lacks for in weight (and teeth) he makes
up for in charisma and intelligence. He can command
a group like few others and is a man clearly passionate
about his work. Verebach absolutely believes that he is
doing the right thing by moving the Kinder von Morgen
into the light. He will argue fervently with any member
who says he is betraying the ideals of the Rilasciare.
While he has a thirst for power, he has tempered it by
genuinely trying to do good work for the society.
Story Hooks
• Verebach wants to expand the Kinder von
Morgen into other lands. He hires the
Heroes to bodyguard a few of his best
speakers while they travel to Montaigne.
Once there, his people will sponsor the
Heroes with favors and coin to track down
people sympathetic to joining their cause.
• Not wishing to reveal themselves, a Hand
of the Rilasciare hires the Heroes to go
investigate the actual workings of Karles
Verebach—is he just in it for the power or is
he actually changing the world for the better?
The information that the Heroes bring back
to the Hand will determine if Verebach is
sent support or decried as a traitor.
Aleksei Nikolov
Born into a life shrouded by controversy and danger,
Aleksei Nikolov was smuggled out of Vodacce while
he was too young to understand any of the risk his
he presented. He is the only son of Merchant Prince
Lucani and Lucani’s favored Courtesan, Vivian. The
Prince and his wife only had daughters, so Nikolov’s
position as Lucani’s male heir put him in great danger.
Vivian, one of the first members of Sophia’s Daughters,
begged the others to help her smuggle her baby from
the land before Lucani knew what happened. Nikolov
was taken north to Ussura, and placed with a Fate
Witch who had made a new life with a Ussuran sailor.
His childhood was happy, if hard working. The
unforgiving lands of Ussura are always a challenge, but
they helped Nikolov hone his physical skills as much
as his mind. However, his adopted mother always
said that his Vodacce heritage showed in Nikolov’s
blood because the young man much preferred dancing
and entertaining to the harder work in the fields. He
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CHAPTER 8 | The Rilasciare
devoted himself to the study of languages and by
his teenage years, he could speak any Théan tongue
without an accent. Despite happiness, Nikolov felt
something was missing. He knew his parents were
hiding something and began eavesdropping on his
mother, which lead him to discover Sophia’s Daughters.
His mother was assisting the smuggling of other
Fate Witches from Vodacce, but kept her work
to only that—she did not wish to risk her happy
life or her family by getting more deeply involved.
Nikolov disagreed, and began using his mother’s
writing implements to send letters and information
and to arrange more intensive assistance to Sophia’s
Daughters when they were in the area. He even
disguised himself as a woman several times, so he
could go help in person without being recognized.
This careful dance worked for a while, until his
mother began to question how she kept running
out of paper and ink so quickly. She discovered him
sneaking out of the house, and the entire story was
exposed. While she was initially angry, she could also
see the passion in his eyes as he accused her of turning
her back on their homeland. She finally told him the
truth of his birth, though not the names, and that
knowledge secured Nikolov’s permanent devotion to
doing all he could to assist Sophia’s Daughters.
When the news came out of Nikolov’s true identity
and gender, it kicked up a lot of dust. Several
traditional members insisted that both Nikolov
and his mother be barred from the society for life.
However, these voices were outvoted and he was
permitted membership on a trial basis. He took
this chance to accept the most dangerous missions,
bodyguard valuable Fate Witches, and even learn how
to smuggle people into other lands. Nikolov gained
a reputation as one of the most effective foreign
operatives of Sophia’s Daughters to date. He was also
the first man to gain full membership.
Portraying Aleksei Nikolov
With long, dark hair and equally dark eyes, Aleksei
Nikolov is dashingly handsome in a swarthy way. It is
surprising he was ever able to blend in with the people
of Ussura. He still tends to wear more practical,
hearty clothing in heavy layers that can be stripped
off should it become too warm. He is prone to the
artist’s sort of daydreaming and would much prefer
to be nose-deep in a painting as he would a mission.
However, he has gained a new determination over the
last few years and is quite passionate about proving
himself to Sophia’s Daughters. He will go above and
beyond on any mission for the faction and often takes
foolish risks in attempts to show how useful he can
be to the group.
Story Hooks
• A Fate Witch hiding in Ussura has made
a vast and dangerous prediction about a
mission that is to occur in Eisen. However,
she refuses to explain the prediction in a
message. Nikolov must organize a group of
sympathizers to help smuggle the Strega out
of Ussura and back in record time, and he
approaches the Heroes to assist him.
• Nikolov recently learned his father’s name,
and has discovered that the man is one of
the few good Vodacce Princes. He asks the
Heroes to help him further his father’s goals
without revealing his relation to the man.
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177
Chapter 9
NOVUS ORDO MUNDI
Novus Ordo Mundi is a secret society unlike any
other in Théah. Whereas others are populated by
people of all stripes, only Villains make up the ranks
of Novus Ordo Mundi. No Hero is a member of this
society. Simply joining the Order requires at least one
cold-blooded murder. Even if a Hero were to pay that
cost, the actions required of a Novus Ordo Mundi
member would take even the most stoic of Heroes
past the point of no return.
No heinous act is beyond the scope of this
organization. Blackmail is an everyday occurrence.
Torture is a recreation as much as it is a means of
gaining information. Even the lowest Soldier of the
organization needs to be willing to kill anyone at a
moment’s notice.
In its own eyes, Novus Ordo Mundi is the true
ruler of Théah. Its roots can be traced directly back
to the Old Republic in Numa, and it has been active
through the living memory of every Théan. However,
no member of this society wears a crown. It prefers to
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maintain control from the shadows. The Order makes
decisions that have severe repercussions: Its plots
determine what votes fail, which heir inherits due
to the tragic accident of a sibling, and what Nation
invades another.
Few Théans ever understand this organization,
and those who do are quickly silenced. Novus Ordo
Mundi values its secrecy, and if it is willing to murder
in order to pass a favorable Parliament vote, then
there is no limit to the actions it will take to maintain
its clandestine activities.
For those who catch wind of the organization
and wish to join their ranks, they must dodge first
the plots to end their lives. Savvy Villains make
themselves indispensable to someone they suspect
may be a member, hoping to earn their favor and
eventually a spot in the enigmatic society.
Heroes who seek to destroy them rarely fare well
in such an endeavor, at least not without an extreme
amount of planning.
Organization
Few know how the Order organizes
itself, but for those familiar enough
with its machinations there is
a hierarchy of sorts that the
members adhere to.
Chairs
Within the Order, the Chairs
are the only true members. The Factors (and even
some particularly skilled or intelligent Agents) may
be aware of the overarching organization and some
of its goals, but they have no say whatsoever in the
goings-on of the society. The Chairs alone control
what plans the Order enacts.
Only seven Chairs exist at any given time. This has
been the case since Novus Ordo Mundi was formed
in the earliest days of the Old Empire. There are only
two means of joining the Inner Circle of the Order.
The first and most common means of elevation is
by killing a current member and taking his seat for
yourself. No stigma is attached to this; if he was
strong or skilled enough to kill his predecessor, then
the Order is better off with the newcomer in the
role. If a Chair is killed in any other way (breaking
the vow; by Heroes; in an accident; or by old age),
then the remaining Chairs elect a replacement. This
replacement may be the late Chair’s Hand, but there
is no rule stating that must be the case.
Even with this in mind, it is uncommon for a
Chair to be usurped. It is in Novus Ordo Mundi’s
best interest to have stability, and new members
would not only have to be brought up to speed on
the society’s many plans but would also be a wild card
for future actions. The Order often goes multiple
years without a new Chair, but there is no doubt that
all but one Chair could be replaced within a short
amount of time.
Death is the only way to leave Novus Ordo Mundi.
No option to retire or quit exists. Anyone who would
be mad enough to do so finds their life expectancy
cut extremely short. Attempting to leave the society
is akin to breaking the vow: Your life is forfeit.
Each Chair wears a ring (acquired through killing
the previous Chair or being elected through a vote)
to signify their position. These rings are the means
through which the Chairs meet. It is impossible
to enter a Novus Ordo Mundi
meeting without the ring of a Chair.
In written correspondence,
Chairs never use their own names
or the names of the other members.
Each Chair is given a number: the
First Chair, the Second Chair, the
Third Chair and so on. The number
has no impact on standing within
the society, and the designation does not improve if
someone with a “higher” number is killed. If someone
is the Fifth Chair, she remains the Fifth Chair until
her death. The only exception to this is the First
Chair. The First Chair is the leader of Novus Ordo
Mundi. However, he is not a dictator. He still only
counts as a single vote amongst the society. However,
his opinion can sway a vote one way or another.
Sometimes another Chair hopes to earn his favor by
voting his way on matters. If she can earn the support
of the First Chair then her scheme is more likely to
be successfully voted into action.
Adv,
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Seven
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
179
The responsibilities of the Chairs are varied. All
Chairs swear a vow to Novus Ordo Mundi and,
through that, to the First Chair. This vow supersedes
everything else in a Chair’s life. Advancing the goals of
the society is paramount, and nothing can be allowed
to get in the way. It should be noted that this vow
only applies to the Order’s overall goals: Each Chair
always has their own “smaller” (relatively speaking)
schemes going at the same time. While it is taboo to
interfere with the schemes of another Chair, it is not
forbidden. Most Chairs, however, know that taking
any action against a peer’s personal plans will see that
Chair repay them in kind. Because of this, most of the
Inner Circle stay out of the way of their counterparts
outside of extreme circumstances.
Chairs are expected to attend each meeting called
by the First Chair. Not attending a meeting is a death
sentence. If a Chair does not come to the meeting, it
means she has lost her ring, and if she has lost her
ring, then she is no longer a Chair. This makes her
fair game for the remaining members.
All Chairs are required to vote on matters brought
before the Inner Circle. There is no such thing as
abstaining within Novus Ordo Mundi. The First
Chair demands involvement in society schemes from
all its Inner Circle members. A Chair can be for or
against a plan, but having no opinion denotes a lack
of involvement.
While not an official requirement, it is tradition
that each Chair work toward his own goals as long
as these do not interfere in Novus Ordo Mundi
schemes. A Chair resting on his laurels would be
seen as weak. From the moment that one enters the
society, there is an expectation of progress that needs
to be made. A Chair may or may not share his plans
with his counterparts, however, if the Order votes on
a course of action that interferes with a Chair’s private
schemes, he is expected to make that known to the
organization.
Factors
It is tradition for each Chair of Novus Ordo Mundi
to select a Factor. While some Chairs may not select
a Factor for extended periods of time or ever, most
would admit that a Factor is a useful tool. This
individual acts as the Chair’s eyes and ears across
Théah, and enforces the Chair’s will, through violence
if needed. And while it is still technically forbidden
to discuss the society with a non-Chair, the rules are
more fluid when it comes to a Factor. In order for the
Factor to serve the Chair, and therefore Novus Ordo
I think I may be going mad.
I know I had a wife. We were married…in Quartus? Or was it Quintu
s? Regardless, I know it was at the church from
her family’s village. I remember the words I said to her, but her respon
ses are muted. If I struggle, I can remember the
intent of her response, but WHAT she said is lost.
But she had to exist! We have a child! Sweet Margrit says she cannot
remember her mother, but where else could she
have come from? There was always someone else with us: planting the
garden, teaching Margrit to count, rubbing my
shoulders after a long day. I remember those things, but not the person
who did them! I cannot even remember her
face!
The neighbors are no help either. None of them remember my wife. I asked
Kurt and he told me that it has always
just been Margrit and me in the house. But if that is the case, why
are there women’s clothes in the closet?
None of this makes any sense. You cannot just forget a person, can you?
And even if you could, OTHER PEOPLE
would surely remember!
I found a piece of paper folded up within the pockets of one of the
dresses. It shows an eye in the center of a
seven-pointed star with the name “Floriana” written in a handwriting
I do not know. I have never seen this paper or
this symbol before, and I cannot remember a Floriana. Was that my wife’s
name?
180
I have to remember.
CHAPTER 9 | Novus Ordo Mundi
Mundi, she, at times, requires more information than
would be given to an Agent.
The relationship between a Chair and his Factor is
strange. In a perfect world, the Chair would trust his
Factor implicitly. However, many Chairs live in fear
of their Factors. By her nature, a Factor is dangerous.
More Chairs are killed by their own Factors to gain
access to the Inner Circle of Novus Ordo Mundi than
by any other means. This causes a difficult balancing
act for the Chair: He must ensure that his Factor is
kept in the dark enough to not be a threat, but aware
of his schemes enough to be an effective tool.
Duties
The first duty of a Factor is to act as the first layer of
separation between a Chair and her plots. A Chair
enacts her plans through several intermediaries, and
the Factor is the first of those. Even if the chain is
followed back from a given act it will arrive at the
Factor before the Chair, and the Factor is expected to
handle whomever gets that far.
Beyond that, the duties of a Factor vary. Some
Chairs use Factors as assassins, others as bodyguards,
and others still as confidantes. It takes more trust
than is common between a Chair and Factor to create
a plan together, but it is not unheard of. However,
the Chair must always remember that some plans
cannot leave the Inner Circle. If the Experiment
were to be made known to even a Factor, both that
Factor and the offending Chair would be immediately
targeted for death.
A more recent game of sorts played by the Chairs
is to pit their Factors against each other. Tradition
dictates that action cannot be taken by a Chair
directly against another Chair, but that does not
apply to a Factor. If a Chair interrupts the business
of another Inner Circle member, or even if a Chair
simply does not like what one of her cohorts is doing,
she may use her Factor to kill the Factor of a rival.
However, this is not common. While it does not break
the letter of the law prohibiting action against another
Chair, it does break the spirit of the law.
A Chair is likely to go through numerous Factors
during her tenure on the Inner Circle. While Factors
are often more secure than Agents, they are still out in
the world and at risk. Because of this, even the closest
relationship between Chair and Factor is more akin
to how a noble would treat a favorite hound. The
Chair knows that her Factor is not at her level, and
most have a list of possible replacements formed
well before the death of a Factor. A Chair may even
have her own Factor killed so that she may be able to
replace her with another who would more closely fit
the Chair’s needs.
Membership
Factors are not an official part of Novus Ordo Mundi,
only coming into popularity within the last few
decades. Because of this, there are few formal rules
governing the Factors. All Chairs demand respect
from their Factors; one may provide this freely and
truthfully, while another may laugh at his Chair
behind her back.
If a Factor acts against another Inner Circle
member, his actions fall back on his master. This
discourages a Chair from simply using her Factor as
an assassin against others within Novus Ordo Mundi,
but also allows a Factor to act against his own Chair.
It also provides an incentive for a Chair to take care
of her Factor. A displeased Factor could kill another
Chair and not be punished; rather, that Factor’s Chair
would receive punishment for acting against another
member. The Factor is considered to be a part of the
Chair, and if a Chair cannot control a part of herself
then her life is at risk.
Factors are always recruited directly by a Chair.
At times there has been competition for a Factor,
with multiple Chairs vying for the most talented.
The Chairs view this as a game within the game
of Factors, allowing the Chairs to work intrigues
against each other, which is usually strictly forbidden.
Unfortunately, in these cases it often causes a Factor
to think he is more important than he actually is.
Factors are almost always arrogant enough to believe
that they are better than their Chairs and more
qualified to sit at the Inner Circle. While they are
occasionally correct, more often than not they quickly
learn how replaceable they truly are.
Agents
Almost anyone could be an Agent of Novus Ordo
Mundi. Many do not even realize their role. While
Villains are commonly used by the Order, as they are
easier to manipulate and more likely to go along with
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
181
villainous plans, Heroes sometimes act as
Agents. Some Chairs exclusively use Heroes,
enjoying manipulating a Hero to accomplish
a nefarious end. These Chairs generally hire
different Heroes to implement different parts
of their schemes; the Heroes think they are
doing good deeds but, when examined as
a whole, are furthering the plans of Novus
Ordo Mundi. These Chairs enjoy Heroes
battling amongst themselves, and if a Hero
falls, so much the better. Heroes given in to
villainy are the favored Factors of some Chairs.
Agents of the Order are expressly forbidden
from being made aware of the secrets of Novus
Ordo Mundi. A Chair takes a serious risk
bringing an Agent into the fold. If anything
were to compromise that Agent, the Chair
would suffer the consequences. A trusted Agent,
used over the course of years, may be made
aware of the bigger picture, but she would never
be provided with all the information.
Agents, even more than Factors, are
completely disposable. An Agent is a tool to be
used until he is no longer useful. If one of her
Agents were thwarted it would be, at worst, an
annoyance to a Chair. Any tool can be replaced,
and there are always more Villains to fill in the
ranks. It is a common practice to kill several
Agents during the course of various missions.
Novus Ordo Mundi implements several layers
of separation between itself and its end goals:
Killing off two or three layers in the chain makes
it all the more difficult to track the scheme back
to its originator. The death of a Chair’s most
talented Agent would elicit the same response as
if a barkeep broke his best mug—a sigh before
moving on to the next option.
Agents are most often managed directly by
the Factors. A Factor will usually have Agents
he prefers to work with for different types of
jobs or in different areas. During most schemes,
at least one Agent will die to either keep a secret
or tie up a loose end. Some Factors try to make
these deaths look accidental or attempt to tie
them to another cause, but most do not care of
the effect on their reputations and rely on the
greed or cowardice of other potential Agents.
182
CHAPTER 9 | Novus Ordo Mundi
Incident Report - 19 Secundus
Officer Narrative: Officer Castellano arrived on the
Market Street scene after reports of a disturbance. No
respo nse to initial knock on door. Officer made her way
around the house and found one ground-floor window
that was not blocked. Inside, an unmoving body was seen
on the floor, with what appeared to be blood around the
torso. Officer retur ned to front door and forced door
open.
Inside, officer found three addit ional bodies in
entranceway, all deceased. Upon inspection, all bodies
showed signs of foul play through injuries concurrent
with bladed weapo ns. Furt her investigat ion required to
confirm cause of death. All bodies had defensive wounds
and signs of a struggle were seen.
Officer conti nued walkt hrough of scene; building
included four addit ional rooms. Each room contained
addit ional deceased with simil ar injuries and signs of
struggle. In total, 13 bodies were found, all with the
same apparent cause of death. Officer does not suspect
robbery as multiple victims still wore jewelry and
other valuables were not disturbed.
Officer unable to deter mine motive based on crime scene.
No evidence apparent amongst victims or remai nder
of house. Quest ioned neighbors infor med officer that
house had remai ned empty for several mont hs and was
only popul ated withi n the last week. Neighbors reported
no suspicious activity and that occupants kept to
themselves.
After completing initial investigat ion, officer remai ned
at scene while bodies were removed. Inspector Jefe
Montero took command of scene. Inspector ordered
other officers to vacate scene and that she would
conti nue investigat ion further.
Soldiers
Avalon
Soldiers are the messengers, the thugs for hire, and
any number of unimportant pieces that the Chairs
play with. The most talented Soldier could not begin
to comprehend the scope of her actions. Soldiers are
the least important part of Novus Ordo Mundi. So
much so that the title Soldier is entirely informal. Inner
Circle meetings never examine those directly involved
in a given plan enough to deal with the exact names of
those who carry out the most basic grunt work.
While a Chair may learn the name of a particularly
capable Agent in order to use him again in future
plans or to possibly recruit him as a Factor, Soldiers
are insects in the eyes of a Chair. Factors are unlikely
to know specific information about Soldiers more
than simply where they are located and what skill
sets they may possess. Agents are more aware of
the Soldiers who follow their orders, but Agents
themselves only consider themselves to be part of
Novus Ordo Mundi.
Soldiers are recruited almost exclusively by Agents. It
is the rare Factor who gets to know those so far below
her station, and the even rarer Chair who does the same.
Most Soldiers do not know that they do the bidding
of the Novus Ordo Mundi and are simply acting as
most thugs do, out of love of money or having latched
onto a more powerful Villain than themselves
The Glamour Isles, united under the rule of Queen
Elaine of Avalon, is one of the bastions of good in
Théah. While her hold on her Nation may be tenuous,
it is currently secure. She is beloved by the common
people and has the support of the O’Bannon in
Inismore as well as MacDuff in the Highland Marches.
As long as the Glamour Isles stand united under Elaine,
Novus Ordo Mundi will have someone to stymie its
plans. Because of this, the society is working toward
undermining and, eventually overthrowing the Queen.
Elaine’s claim to the throne of the Glamour Isles
is based in large part on her possession of the Graal.
Ten years ago magic returned to Avalon and all
three Nations of the Glamour Isles bowed to Elaine
because of it. Some members of Novus Ordo Mundi
have recommended stealing the Graal. However, the
Inner Circle rejected this plan of action. Even if the
plan could be successful, the Graal will always be seen
as Elaine’s. However, other artifacts were gifted to the
Glamour Isles at the same time as the Graal, which
have also been lost to history. These artifacts could
Operations
At any given time, Novus Ordo Mundi has plots in
motion across Théah. The society is slowly building
its influence outside of Théah as well, especially in
the recently discovered New World, but the primary
interest of the organization is on the continent. The
general goal of the Order is power: Most actions
voted on by the Chairs directly lead to the society
gaining influence and control. By keeping some
Nations in chaos, placing politicians under society
control into positions of power, and keeping Nations
engaged in beneficial wars, Novus Ordo Mundi
ensures that Théah is a place ripe for the taking.
What follows are the major goals of Novus Ordo
Mundi within each Nation of Théah. These are
schemes put into place by a majority vote of the
Chairs. Each member likely has his own schemes
going on within the various Nations that are often
not far-reaching enough to warrant an entry.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
183
allow a popular enough Avalonian to wrest control
of the Nation from Elaine if circumstances aligned.
So far only one artifact has been reclaimed by
Novus Ordo Mundi: the O’Bannon’s crown. Stashed
away in the possession of the First Chair of the Inner
Circle, it is safe. The Order still searches for the
My beloved Caiomhe,
By the time you are reading this letter, I am probably
already dead. As I mentioned in my previous letter, I came
upon something during my research that I wish I had not.
Originally I thought it to be a great mystery, one that
would set me apart from my peers and end with my name
written in the annals of history. Instead I find myself
hiding out in a filthy Montaigne barn, afraid for my life.
I do not wish to write too much for fear of putting you
at risk. My trials began as soon as I put together the
existence of this organization, and if you knew even a
fraction of what I have deduced your life would certainly
be forfeit as well.
Just know that there is more to this world than what
appears. A shadowy organization is secretly pulling our
strings, Théah’s strings, from the background. And they
have been doing this for years, as far back in history as
I have been able to search. As far as I can tell there has
never been a time that this society has not meddled in
the affairs of Nations and the people alike. Every war
has occurred because they orchestrated it from behind
the scenes. Marriages, assassinations, it is all connected.
They thought me mad at the university, that it was all
just coincidence, but the first time they tried to have me
killed, I was sure I was right.
Now I sit here, alone with nothing but a few cows and the
storm outside for company. I did not want to make my
presence known to the family that lives here. I fear I have
sacrificed their lives as well; the last family to help me
was murdered the day after I left.
So please, do not seek to learn what I have. Forget me,
move on, marry someone close to home with no interest in
the world outside of the village. I wish I had never left.
Yours for eternity,
Donnchadh
184
CHAPTER 9 | Novus Ordo Mundi
remaining artifacts; if Elaine could take the crown
of Avalon with just the Graal, imagine what could be
done with two Seelie gifts.
Before Novus Ordo Mundi can implement its
plans to place a new ruler on the throne, Elaine must
leave the Glamour Isles. A brief journey to another
nation would not be enough. It would have to be
long-term. Long enough to call doubt into whether
the Queen would return. Currently, the society
believes that Elaine having to return to Bryn Bresail
is an eventuality rather than a possibility. Her alliance
with the Sidhe already took her from Avalon once,
so it stands to reason that if the Sidhe call on her
again she will answer. Even better if she takes Jack
O’Bannon with her, as he is what gives her dominion
over Inismore. If she were to leave the Glamour Isles
she would take most of her authority with her, and
that would allow for Novus Ordo Mundi to put its
scheme into action, to place someone on the throne
more easily controlled by the society. If its puppet
came at a time of great peril, and bearing fæ gifts as
great as the Graal, with Elaine gone the throne would
belong to the puppet ruler and, by proxy, the Order.
Elaine’s removal merely requires patience and
preparation. Two things at which Novus Ordo
Mundi excels.
Inismore
The king of Inismore, Jack O’Bannon, is the strength
of the Nation. While the Inish people appear to
follow Elaine’s rule based on her possession of the
Graal, in actuality it is O’Bannon’s devotion to the
throne that keeps his Nation in line. O’Bannon
cannot be bought, and the prevailing theory is that
he is half-mad at best. Because of this it would be near
impossible to blackmail him or otherwise convince
him to go against Elaine, and he truly does not care
if the Inish Parliament wants to go against his plans.
He always acts as he pleases, regardless.
Because of this, the simplest plan the Order can
implement is to kill Jack O’Bannon.
Killing the O’Bannon is easier said than done. He
is dangerous, crafty and impossible to predict. He also
has a knack for not being where he is expected. More
than one assassination attempt has been thwarted by
the O’Bannon suddenly being across the island when
he had been in the castle all day.
Jack O’Bannon has so far survived five
assassination attempts by Novus Ordo Mundi: two
poisoned meals, a knife in the darkness, a cut girth
on his horse, and a fire in his quarters. The Order
has been careful and is confident in their belief that
the O’Bannon does not suspect all of these attempts
come from the same organization. The society used
different assassins for each event, and different
channels to hire each assassin. And, even if he did
suspect a secret organization, it is debatable whether
he would even care.
Plans in Inismore, however, are less important to
Novus Ordo Mundi than other Nations. Inismore is
small and has rarely been considered a powerhouse
in the Théan political climate. Two Chairs voted
against taking any action against the island. They
suggested that if other schemes were successful
and a puppet can be raised to the throne of Avalon,
Inismore’s presumably aggressive response would
simply sow more chaos. Those Chairs were outvoted,
but over time and as more and more schemes to
destabilize Inismore fail, their wisdom seems more
obvious to the Order
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Two
The Highland Marches
Of the three Nations in the Glamour Isles, the
Highland Marches are most ripe for a political
revolution. Breaking up the Glamour Isles is a priority
for Novus Ordo Mundi, and the Highland Marches
are the easiest target. Avalon has its problems but
is largely loyal to the Queen, and as long as Jack
O’Bannon rules Inismore its support of the throne
is unquestioned. However, the Highland Marches
has a growing faction that would like nothing more
than to break off and form its own sovereign state.
The Unionists under the High King may be in power
now, but the Separatists are gaining more traction
with each year. Each time bad luck befalls Avalon and
every time a royal decree has a negative impact on the
clans, more flock to the Separatist banner.
In addition to those clans who have naturally moved
to support the Separatists, Novus Ordo Mundi has
been slowly paying off votes or, in some cases, killing
the clan heads so a more manageable heir would
gain the seat. The rate of establishing Separatists in
Parliament must be controlled, however, and needs to
coincide with several other schemes. If the Highland
Marches vote to leave the United Kingdoms while
Elaine is still secure in her throne, then it would
be possible for her to reclaim the Highland
territory through war. Ideally, this scheme would
not be put into motion until after the plans for
Avalon have been accomplished.
It is also worth noting that Golden Liberty
in Sarmatia has led to murmurs amongst the
Highlanders about their own democracy. So
far nothing has come from these whispers, but
this plays into Novus Ordo Mundi schemes
nonetheless. While some society Agents have
initiated these feelings, a surprising number
of those wanting to see the Highland Marches
adopt their own democracy when they break away
from Avalon has appeared on its own with no
Order involvement.
Castille
While it may come as a surprise, Novus Ordo
Mundi takes only a minor role within the most
villainous organization in Castille: the Inquisition.
While a Chair is a member and the society has
Agents within the Inquisition’s ranks, the Inner
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
185
Circle is happy to let Cardinal Verdugo run the
organization as he sees fit. From time to time the
society may nudge the Inquisition one way or another,
and absolutely uses Church assets for its benefit but
overall, it is pleased with Verdugo’s methods.
Novus Ordo Mundi does take an active role in
playing the Inquisition and the Castillian nobility
against each other. The society is also aware of the
truth behind King Sandoval. The plan to relocate the
young monarch to Vaticine City can be traced back to
the Inner Circle, which voted unanimously to initiate
the action. Novus Ordo Mundi Agents are also
helping coordinate a means of reuniting Rocío with
her brother. A Factor involved in this espionage once
noted that an Agent might work for the Inquisition
one day and the royal family the next.
Ensuring the rift remains between the nobility and
the Church is paramount to maintaining control
in Castille. If one side gains too much power it will
become difficult to perform the maneuvers needed to
ensure the society’s goals come to fruition. However,
due to their innate villainous nature, some within the
Inner Circle would prefer to use the entirety of Novus
Ordo Mundi’s influence to make the Inquisition
more powerful and to remove the nobility in all but
name. Currently this feeling is held by a minority of
members and the First Chair supports the current
plan of action. But that minority is doing what it can
to turn other members to its cause in hopes of calling
for a new vote on the matter.
Chairs this seemed as though it would be an example
of how everything could go right for the Order.
A year into the war, Novus Ordo Mundi remained
pleased with its efforts. It was making profits that put
dozens of other plans to shame. Five years into the war,
profits were still up, but the more savvy Chairs realized
that there was no end in sight to the conflict. And as
the years progressed, the mistake became more and
more apparent. War began to spill out of the intended
area, and thousands of Théans lost their lives.
The number grew with each passing year, until all
Chairs realized their folly. Too late they came to the
conclusion that Novus Ordo Mundi had built up
the Nations’ anger too well, and now Théah would
pay the price. While the society did not care for the
individual lives lost, the population of Eisen was
reduced in such a way that no one predicted. Losing
some soldiers to war is something that the Order was
prepared for. Plunging an entire Nation into chaos
was another thing entirely.
After all of these years, Eisen remains an unstable
mess. Novus Ordo Mundi, for all of their villainy,
never expected this. The Eisen Debacle, as the First
Chair refers to the War of the Cross, is mentioned
any time a plan is brought before the Inner Circle
that has not examined every contingency. Where once
the society counted its schemes in Eisen as a perfect
example of plans coming together, its legacy is now
one of what happens when plans are ill thought out
Eisen
The Second Chair has command of operations
within Montaigne. She concerns herself specifically
with the Nation and, with the support of the First
Chair, encounters little resistance. The Second Chair
implements all plots at the society level, and her
peers take a risk each time they take action within
Montaigne with their own schemes.
In recent years, the only concerted efforts taken
within Montaigne by Novus Ordo Mundi deal
with Porté sorciers. The Second Chair is consumed
with finding each and every user of Porté within the
Nation and runs dozens of operations, with hundreds
of Agents, to accomplish this goal.
However, rumors exist within the Inner Circle
that attribute l’Empereur’s simultaneous inability to
produce a male heir or an one gifted with Porté, to
Novus Ordo Mundi’s most recent scheme in Eisen
was the instigation of the War of the Cross. Thirty
years ago, the Chairs voted to begin a large-scale war,
one that Théah had not seen in decades. This was
sold by the Fourth Chair as a means to not only keep
several Nations off balance while other plots were put
into motion, but to also provide the society a means
of making a profit.
Novus Ordo Mundi had stores of weapons and
merchants on all sides of the conflict who could sell
weapons at hugely inflated costs. The motion passed
unanimously, and prompting the Nations to war took
little effort and less time. Novus Ordo Mundi had
been goading the Nations to war for years, and it took
only the smallest spark to ignite the flames. To the
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CHAPTER 9 | Novus Ordo Mundi
Montaigne
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
187
the actions of the Second Chair. The herb silphion is
known to cause infertility, and it is believed that when
specifically processed for the purpose, it could cause
the issues l’Empereur currently experiences. This
has not been confirmed by any Novus Ordo Mundi
members, and while an action of this magnitude is
usually one that would be voted on by the Chairs, the
Order’s rules are sometimes bent within Montaigne.
The Sarmatian Commonwealth
The Golden Liberty is by far the most important event
to come out of the Sarmatian Commonwealth, and
possibly all of Théah, in recent years. This act, elevating
all citizens of Sarmatia to a noble title and the ability
to vote in the Sejm, created the first true democracy in
Théah in thousands of years. The Sarmatians are proud
of it, nobles of other Nations fear that democracy may
soon come to their own doors, and the act is seen as a
positive act in a time of darkness.
It would shock the people to learn that the
Golden Liberty exists to further the plans of
Novus Ordo Mundi.
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Three 9 | Novus Ordo Mundi
188 CHAPTER
While it is known that Prince Stanisław II discovered
the loophole that allowed the king to make every citizen
a noble, the truth is murkier. The Rilasciare believes
that it was the guiding force behind this movement,
but the idea to make everyone in the Commonwealth
a noble was made by a librarian who had been paid
to bring the idea to the Prince by a merchant, who in
turn had been blackmailed into the act by a Vodacce
noble. If one were to trace the activity back to its origins,
eventually it comes to the Order. Luckily several links
in that chain are already dead.
Novus Ordo Mundi’s goals here are two-fold.
Initially, Golden Liberty provides them with a simpler
means to put someone else on the throne of Sarmatia.
The prince is admittedly well-loved by the population,
so this may seem to be a strange tactic. The society’s
concern is that the Sejm are too fickle; even if their
votes are bought, they could still act in their own
interests. Providing the vote to all Sarmatian citizens
ensures chaos, but chaos that can be controlled. It
would not be feasible to attempt to pay off enough
citizens to buy the election, but through the use of
propaganda, Novus Ordo Mundi could control how
the population as a whole feels about the candidates.
Just because the prince is loved today does not mean
that he will be loved tomorrow. Any scandal, whether
real or fabricated, could shatter the population’s views
of the prince. Novus Ordo Mundi actually hopes to
place King Stanisław I’s wife, the current queen and
mother of the prince, on the throne. The society already
has its hooks in her, and can manipulate her more easily
than the current monarch.
The second goal of Golden Liberty is to use Sarmatia
as a test. Democracy has not been seen since the early
days of the Empire, and members of Novus Ordo
Mundi are curious to see how the Nation will react over
time. Sarmatia was considered the perfect candidate
for the test; it is not as important to the global scene
as other Nations and therefore if the experiment fails,
nothing of importance is lost. The government was
already chaotic enough that it was difficult to predict
what would happen with the crown. This has the
added bonus of inciting the peasant classes of other
Nations into wanting democracy. More political chaos
in those Nations can only help the society’s goals.
Novus Ordo Mundi is prepared to discredit the
prince at the best possible moment, and even if the
queen does not seem to be a popular choice, the
scheme has other options. The Order is prepared to
place someone solidly under its thumb on the throne
of Sarmatia. It does not care who that new monarch is.
Ussura
Novus Ordo Mundi is not foolish enough to write
off the truth of the Leshiye. These spirits are real
and dangerous to anyone who threatens Ussura. The
Ussurans, as backward as they appear to the more
advanced Nations of Théah, rightfully entrust their
fates to these powerful beings. As long as the Ussurans
honor Matushka, actions against the Nation are
futile. While they may not even realize it, the lack of
technological advancement in Ussura is what makes it
such a threat. As long as Ussurans trust in Matushka
they have nothing to fear within their borders.
With that in mind, the goal of Novus Ordo Mundi
is to advance Ussura. Factions within the Nation are
already clamoring for the technology commonplace
elsewhere in Théah. The Order helps them acquire
what they are looking for. The Ussurans are slow to
adapt, but some progress has been made over the last
several years. Firearms, for example, were once nearly
impossible to find within the Nation. Nowadays,
while still rare, a commoner would recognize a
pistol if she saw one and be aware of its capabilities.
Architecture, medicine and other knowledge are
slowly gaining traction.
As the progressives bring more advancements to the
Nation, Ussura will rely on itself less and less. Novus
Ordo Mundi does not expect this to be a conscious
decision. Instead, the belief amongst the Inner
Circle is that over time the Leshiye will weaken as
technology advances. Where once an Ussuran would
rely on his belief in Matushka to feed his family and
keep them warm through the winter, he may soon be
able to do so with modern technology and a musket.
It is those small, nearly imperceptible blows against
the land itself that will weaken Ussura.
It has been brought up in Inner Circle meetings
whether it would be feasible to kill Matushka. While
no members were against the plan in theory, none could
think of a way to accomplish this task. Chairs remain on
the lookout for weapons that could destroy such a being.
The Order keeps tabs on those Ussurans who
are open to progress and does what it can to put
technology into their hands. The rare Ussuran who
seeks out training at a university may see her tuition
paid by an anonymous benefactor, with hopes that
she will take her knowledge back to her country.
Anything the society can do to provide advancement
to a progressive Ussuran is to be done. This is a
blanket order across the Inner Circle, to be kept in
mind during Chairs’ individual plans as well.
Because of this, Novus Ordo Mundi favors
Ketheryna Fischler Dimitritova’s claim to the Ussuran
throne. At any given time, there are a handful of
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
189
Agents, often unknown to one another, near Ketheryna
to whisper in her ear and provide insights that lead
to actions taken for the benefit of the Order. While
votes to have Ilya Sladivgorod Nikolovich assassinated
have so far failed, some within the Inner Circle feel it
would be much simpler to have that threat to its plans
removed permanently. However, until Ilya’s threat to
Ketheryna’s rule becomes more serious, Novus Ordo
Mundi sees no reason to remove the former heir.
Some within the Inner Circle, however, feel as though
taking no action with Ussura is the correct course.
Ussura is just one Nation, after all, and if the Order
is able to bring the rest of Théah under its sway then
Ussura will surely fall shortly thereafter. The First Chair
is opposed to this, however, and is concerned that even
against the rest of Théah, Ussura could hold. And Novus
Ordo Mundi will need all of Théah under its sway. Even
a single Nation outside of its domain is unacceptable.
Vestenmennavenjar
The interest Novus Ordo Mundi has in Vestenmennavenjar begins and ends with money. The
Nation has formed itself into an economic powerhouse within the last few decades, and the society
has been influencing Vesten from the shadows every
step of the way.
The Order has worked against a universal currency
in Théah for centuries. When moving funds, exchange
rates across multiple currencies allow Novus Ordo
Mundi financiers to more easily hide their actions.
This is even more important on a global scale. Funds
may originate in Eisen marks, convert into Vodacce
republics and be moved to Avalon’s pound sterling,
only to be used to pay a Vesten assassin in Guilders.
Because of this, the society takes action to block the
Guilder’s universality.
With this in mind, Novus Ordo Mundi is
orchestrating a trade war between Vesten and
Vodacce from behind the scenes. The goal is to have
this struggle continue indefinitely, or at least until the
society is able to bring its plans to fruition. By that
point even an immediate reconciliation between the
two Nations would be too little, too late.
Novus Ordo Mundi has recently begun opening
several banks across Théah. The first opened in Vendel
itself, but branches have grown over the last several
years in most major cities. A number of Vodacce banks
are now owned by the organization, as well as banks
located in Avalon, Montaigne and Castille. The Order
intends to have these banks continue growing until
they control the finances of Théah. Some Inner Circle
members see banks as the future powerhouses of the
continent. Controlling the nobility has been profitable
and important for the last several centuries, but in the
future, controlling the banks may provide the greatest
amount of power to Novus Ordo Mundi. After all, she
who controls the money, controls the world.
Vodacce
If Novus Ordo Mundi is apprehensive about taking
action within any specific Nation, it would certainly
be Vodacce. It is not the shifting political climate of the
Merchant Princes or the dangerous games they play. It
is the Fate Witches who most concern the society.
The Order’s safety is in its anonymity. If its
identities and goals were known, then each member
would be at risk of having Heroes kick in his door.
Chairs distance themselves from their plans in order
to protect their identities. It is common to have two
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CHAPTER 9 | Novus Ordo Mundi
or more middlemen between a Chair and whomever
implements his plan. This is considered standard by
the society, and when one takes into account the fact
that Novus Ordo Mundi often kills various Agents in
the chain, it makes it nearly impossible to tie anything
back to the Inner Circle.
However, any Strega would be able to track the
threads of a scheme of this nature back to the Chair
with ease. This worries the Chairs enough that they
do their best to avoid Vodacce unless some action in
the Nation is absolutely mandatory. When the society
does find that it must act within Vodacce’s borders,
it dramatically increases the number of middlemen
involved in the scheme. Where in another Nation a
Chair may indirectly hire three mercenaries to act
as links in the chain of a plan and kill one for good
measure, in Vodacce there may be as many as six or
seven middlemen hired and four would not wake up
the morning after the job. Even with this in mind the
more skilled Fate Witches may still be able to track a
Chair’s identity.
Because of this, the Inner Circle pays handsomely
for information about Vodacce Fate Witches.
Knowing which Merchant Prince has access to the
most clever Strega through his own family or his allies,
helps the Order determine areas to avoid.
Taking any action within Vodacce is always a
dangerous game of risk management for any Chair.
A Chair brave or clever enough to take action in the
Nation is rewarded with benefits some of her peers
do not have access to. Most Chairs would never
voluntarily take any action within Vodacce if there
is any possibility of a Fate Witch becoming involved.
The potential cost is simply too high for most to risk;
one would need to have the perfect plan in order to
be worth it. And even then there is always the chance
that a stray strand of Fate may catch a Strega’s eyes.
When working in Vodacce, death is always on the line
for a Novus Ordo Mundi Chair
Notable Members
Floriana Valencia
Mathematics has always come easy to Floriana
Valencia. From a young age, she was considered one of
the brightest minds of whatever school she attended.
While she was undeniably brilliant in all of her studies,
it was math in which she truly excelled. Her noble
family spared no expense in her education and she had
the privilege of attending any University she desired.
In her mid-twenties, Valencia abruptly decided to
step away from her studies and into the Church. She
quickly moved through the ranks and settled into its
accounting and finance arm, eventually joining the
Inquisition. It is here she has stayed for several years.
Since then she has made no advancements in position,
she seems content to keep to herself and monitor the
Inquisition’s finances.
In truth, however, Valencia is much more than she
would appear. It was during her time at the university
that she discovered the threads of plots that led her to
Novus Ordo Mundi. She was able to piece together
the bigger picture through hundreds of smaller clues,
which led her to discover the identity of one of the
Chairs. Initially, Valencia attempted to blackmail
the Chair. This extortion continued for a short time
until the remaining Novus Ordo Mundi members
discovered the breach within the Inner Circle. Rather
than kill Valencia, which is the most common result
of someone outside the society discovering the truth,
the remaining Chairs were impressed by her abilities
and discreetly removed their counterpart. Valencia
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
191
was offered the ring, which she gladly accepted. All
according to her own plan.
Moving into the Church and eventually into the
Inquisition was another plot of Valencia’s. Her role
keeps her unimportant enough to not draw unwanted
attention, but provides her the opportunity to use the
Inquisition for the Order’s gain. An assassin’s wage
is easily paid with a simple adjustment to a Church
expense report. A personal enemy who comes too close
to discovering Valencia’s true allegiance suddenly finds
himself branded a heretic. Everything costs money, even
in the Inquisition, and Valencia controls the money.
Portraying Floriana Valencia
Floriana Valencia is the embodiment of the
mastermind. While someone else may think two, five
or even ten steps ahead, she has already countered
those actions and moved on to the next scheme
before he even realizes the game had begun. She never
makes a decision without fully deducing the potential
outcomes, and even when at odds with another Chair,
her warnings are heeded.
To those unaware of her sinister double life,
Valencia appears as a prim and proper mid-level
accountant, wholly devoted to her job. However,
behind closed doors, she is absolutely immoral and
would not hesitate to eviscerate a child if it meant
furthering one of her schemes.
Story Hooks
• A member of the Vaticine Church, Mzabi,
has discovered flaws in the Inquisition’s
records. The Inquisition paid 10,000
Guilders to abduct a Castillian noble, but
there is no record of the act taking place.
Even more baffling, the noble is still alive
and well. This is not the first time Mzabi
has found inconsistencies such as this, but it
is the most glaring. The Inquisitor needs the
Heroes to determine what happened and get
to the bottom of this mystery.
• The Heroes intercept an Inquisition order
calling for the death of a noble. When they find
the noble, they discover nothing that would
have drawn the ire of the Inquisition. The only
thing out of the ordinary about this noble is
that he claims to be engaged in a shadow war
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CHAPTER 9 | Novus Ordo Mundi
with a mysterious organization, which has
already killed his son. The noble requests aid
from the Heroes against this organization,
providing them with the name “Floriana” and
warning the Heroes to take caution.
Wawrzyniec
Every Chair in Novus Ordo Mundi has secrets. It all
but comes with the role. Wawrzyniec takes secrets to
another level.
For one, none of the other Chairs even know if
Wawrzyniec is his real name. It is assumed by others
that the First Chair is the exception here, but he
has not volunteered the information to others in
the Inner Circle and none are in a hurry to ask him.
Wawrzyniec’s last name is a mystery as well.
His sudden appearance with the organization
is equally mysterious. None in the Order had ever
even heard of this man the first time he appeared,
summoned by the ring of his station as the Fourth
Chair. He offered no explanation, and all that he said
of his predecessor was that the woman had made
a bad deal. Any questions since then about what
happened are met with either a coy joke or an icy glare,
depending on Wawrzyniec’s mood at the time.
Wawrzyniec has yet to find his niche within Novus
Ordo Mundi, but this fact does not bother him. He
appears at meetings and votes as though he is flipping
a coin in his head. He might vote in favor of killing
a member of the Inish Parliament one month, then
two months later vote against another action in the
same plan. This is frustrating to many of his more
strategically minded peers, as it is nearly impossible to
plan for his vote. Wawrzyniec is also one of the few
Inner Circle members not afraid of voting against the
First Chair. On more than one occasion, he has been
the sole dissenting vote against a particular scheme.
Even when he loses, however, he does not seem to mind
and never loses the smirk that’s constantly on his face.
No matter how much he infuriates the other
Chairs, it is unlikely that any would act against
Wawrzyniec. Even if not for the vow that each Chair
takes preventing them from directly confronting their
peers, Wawrzyniec is, for lack of a better word, deadly.
His abilities in combat are superior, and he is able to
move at incredible speeds and strike impossibly hard.
While no Novus Ordo Mundi members would admit
it, many of them fear Wawrzyniec. Because of this
the other Chairs do their best to stay clear of any of
Wawrzyniec’s interests in case they draw his attention.
Story Hooks
• The Heroes are contacted by a strange
man saying that he has information on a
conspiracy at the top of every Théan Nation.
He provides enough documentation for
the Heroes to begin connecting the dots,
but then offers them a deal in exchange for
more information: One of the Heroes has to
murder someone in cold blood.
• The Heroes meet an apparent madman on
the road, ranting about having his destiny
stolen by a devil. He lists a number of
conspiracies to prove himself, and one rings
true. Is he telling the truth, or did he simply
have a lucky guess? The madman begs for
the Heroes to look into this matter for
him, believing that his destiny can only be
returned to him when the devil is slain.
Maeve O’Donagh
While magic may have only recently returned to
Avalon, rumors of Sidhe sorcery have been around
for centuries. The Inish druids are one such sect that
had demonstrated a small amount of magical talent
even before Elaine returned with the Graal. Maeve
O’Donagh was one of these druids.
Portraying Wawrzyniec
Wawrzyniec is an enigma. He has no friends as long
as anyone can tell, and none of the other members of
Novus Ordo Mundi have successfully discovered any
information about him. Wawrzyniec is a man who
acts as though nothing is important to him, only to
decide that one ploy or another is the most critical act
in all of Théah. He is supremely confident in his own
abilities and goes against the tradition of using a Factor.
Whether this is arrogance or confidence is up for debate.
Physically, Wawrzyniec does not appear imposing.
He is a tall man, but not overwhelmingly so, of
middling weight. He dresses in the current Sarmatian
fashion, and his clothing is all perfectly tailored. This
is contrasted by the fact that his clothing is often
worn sloppily, with missing buttons; his hair is rarely
combed. He is never seen without a sword at his
belt, and though he wields it as a master he has never
displayed a Duelist’s pin.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
193
O’Donagh grew up in a druidic circle as something
of an anomaly: She truly had a magical talent. Most
of her kin knew much of woodlore, what herbs could
bring down a fever, and how to predict the weather,
but had no more magical ability than anyone else in
Avalon. Because of this O’Donagh spent her formative
years seeking out a teacher. She found many willing,
but on each occasion she quickly found that she was
already beyond what the potential mentor could teach.
This went on until she found the wizard Derwyddon.
Initially, Derwyddon had no interest in taking on
a student. However, O’Donagh was persuasive and
cleverer than any Derwyddon had met before. Over
time, his convictions were worn down and the mighty
wizard took her on as his apprentice. O’Donagh
remained with him for years and was an adept student.
She drank in her lessons like a person dying of thirst.
Derwyddon thought perhaps he had found someone
worthy of taking over his mantle when his time in
Avalon at Queen Elaine’s side came to a close, and
taught his apprentice everything he knew.
Master,
The rumors you had me follow up on were true. I had to convi
nce the clan who lived nearby that I was on a quest from
the throne before they would give up their secrets. Appa
rently, their ancestors swore a færie oath generations
ago
to protect the item, until one who was wort hy appeared
to claim it. Do not worr y; I killed every man, woman and
child
in the village. I am well aware of the society’s policies on
loose ends. You should have seen the look of shock on the
chieftain’s face when I ripped his heart out. He could not
believe it.
The artifact was protected by powerful fæ wards; anyone
besides me would certainly have perished if he tried to enter
the cavern. I had but to cast a few spells to find it among
st the færie gold. It was the only item of value within the
cave.
Regardless, I sealed the cavern back up as I left. No reaso
n to make the journey easy on anyone who may have followed
me.
The artifact is being shipped to the fourt h safe house in
Charouse. The captain of the vessel is on my payroll and
knows
better than to risk my ire. And his orders are to kill any
of his men curious enough to investigate the package.
I am always your loyal servant,
Maeve
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CHAPTER 9 | Novus Ordo Mundi
Once O’Donagh completed her studies and found
there was nothing more Derwyddon could teach her,
she left him without a word. To this day she is one of
Derwyddon’s greatest shames, and he does his best to
quell any mention of his former student.
Now one of the most powerful sorceresses in Théah,
O’Donagh set off to make her place in the world. She
moved often, staying nowhere longer than a few years.
During this time she accumulated wealth and power,
but still she craves more. In recent years she was
approached by a stranger offering her a role in Novus
Ordo Mundi as a Factor. She accepted, hungry to gain
access to the Order’s resources, but is not content
to keep her current position. She imagines killing
a Chair and taking his place; preferably her own.
Nothing is off the table if it benefits Maeve O’Donagh.
Portraying Maeve O’Donagh
Few Théans will ever lay eyes on anyone as beautiful
as Maeve O’Donagh. Even fewer will lay eyes on
anyone more power hungry. A mighty sorceress in her
own right, she has done nothing but grow stronger
in her years with the Order. Where once she would
have fled from battle with her old teacher Derwyddon,
now she is convinced that not even he is her equal.
O’Donagh fears no one, confident in her abilities to
overcome any obstacle. She is loyal to herself first, and
Novus Ordo Mundi a distant second.
Story Hooks
record of Kirstin is when she showed up to the doors
of a University in Castille filthy and wearing rags,
requesting to be admitted. While initially laughed at
and chased off, she came to the University every day
for a week before a professor allowed her to take the
entrance exam, if just to get her to go away. Kirstin
performed well on the exam, and was admitted to join
the school of medicine.
Kirstin’s work advanced Theah’s knowledge
of anatomy in leaps and bounds, but eventually
attracted the ire of the Inquisition. Her drawings
were too accurate, there were too many accounts of
grave robbing, and there were rumors that the bodies,
when found, were missing pieces. An eye here, a hand
there, and eventually everything piled up enough that
Kirstin had to catch a midnight boat out of Castille
and away from the Inquisition.
After traveling Theah as a doctor, she was eventually
found by agents of Floriana Valencia. Floriana used
Inquisition records to track down Kirstin in order to
recruit her into the Novus Ordo Mundi. It was also
at this time that Kirstin’s Hexenwerk sorcery became
known. Kirstin began working for Floriana, eventually
becoming her Hand. While some Chairs and Hands
can be at odds with each other, Floriana and Kirstin
have a mutual respect for each other. Floriana knows
that Kirstin is capable enough to accomplish her goals,
and Kirstin knows that Floriana is clever enough to
keep them both in power.
• The wizard Derwyddon has sought out the
Heroes to send them on a dangerous mission.
He believes that he has tracked down the
location of a sorceress named Maeve, but he
cannot leave Queen Elaine’s side to deal with
it himself. He needs the Heroes to confront
this sorceress and bring her to justice.
• One of the Heroes receives a letter from
home, begging her to return. It says that a
beautiful woman arrived several weeks ago
and has since put the entire town under her
spell. Without aid, it is certain that the entire
town is in terrible danger
Kirstin Haupt
Kirstin Haupt’s early life is a mystery to all but
herself. While clearly of Eisen descent, the first
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
195
24 Quartus subject 115D
Successfully attached wight hand onto test
subject after severing subject’s left hand.
Subject reports ability to move new hand,
but has no feeling in said hand. Will require
further testing. Initial tests are promisi ng.
3 Sextus subject 14G: Subject expired
following procedure to attach gills. Need to
work out a means of bypassi ng respiratory
system long enough to keep subject from
suffocating during procedure.
17 Sextus subject 645C: Subject survived
ocular transpl ant. Requires time before
testing night vision. Subject completely blind.
22 Sextus subject 645C. Experiment failure.
It must not be the eyes that provide the
creatures with night vision. Further study
is required.
8 Coranti ne subject 801B: While venom sac
and fangs were successfully attached, subject
was unable to stop screami ng after regaining
consciousness. It seems as though the venom
burned from the inside. Severed subject’s
vocal cords and will monitor further.
8 Coranti ne subject 801B: Subject expired
after 4 hours, 22 minutes, 48 seconds. Fangs
and venom sacs were not salvageable.
1 Septimus: I have yet to find the part
of the Monster’s brain that allows it to
terrify its victims. The answer must be here
somewhere. I require more specimens.
29 Decimus subject 3421Y: Subject survived
attachment of three tentacles. Reports
sensati on in new limbs but is incapable of
effective movement. Human musculature seems
inefficient with moving foreign limbs. Look
into rebuildi ng muscle mass.
196
CHAPTER 9 | Novus Ordo Mundi
Kirstin has long used her scholarship as a means
of expanding her sorcerous capabilities. She is adept
with most known hexenwerk, and has even begun her
own offshoot branch of research dealing with removing
various parts of monsters and attaching them to
mundane humans. This science is still in its infancy, but
Kirstin is making great strides. This is in part due to her
correspondence with fellow scientist Viktor Franzeller.
He has been working on similar experiments, and
Kirstin has taken notes from his work.
Portraying Kirstin
Kirstin has come far in her life. Her past is a mystery,
but it couldn’t have been pleasant. Where she once
wore rags, she now dresses in the finest of silks. Where
once she was forced to conceal her studies, now she has
as many bodies as she could ever need. She is smart,
focused, and dangerous – even more so when you take
into account her sorcery. She has mastered the creation
of undead, and uses them as her slaves.
Story Hooks
• The dead are rising in Montaigne. There are
reports of a remote village in which zombies
and other horrors have been seen recently, all
centered around a manor outside of town. The
villagers spend their nights hiding in their own
homes, afraid to go outside, but every morning
they awake to find someone else missing.
• The Heroes encounter a street gang with
incredible abilities, sharing the traits
of various monstrous creatures. When
questioned the gang members say that their
powers were given to them by “Die Ärztin”.
Henri Laurent
Henri Laurent is ancient. He had already been working
as a servant in the palace for years when l’Empereur
was a child and has been at his post ever since. He has
been around so long that most do not realize when
he is in the same room. It was for this reason he was
originally recruited by Novus Ordo Mundi. Nobles
both foreign and domestic visiting the palace view the
help as furniture, and Laurent more than any other due
to his tenure. While dutiful, Laurent’s true goal is to
acquire information on behalf of a wealthy backer. In
truth, this backer is a member of the Order.
It was during his time as information gatherer that
Laurent began acquiring his list of Porté sorciers. While
many in Montaigne try to keep a list of who may be
a sorcerer, Laurent prides himself on having the most
complete list. Keeping track of the legitimate children
who inherit Porté is easier, but the names of secret,
illegitimate children are much more difficult to obtain.
Laurent’s list, however, has never been wrong. He has
no idea he works for an organization secretly looking to
reshape the world in its own image; he merely receives
a sizeable pile of soliels to keep tabs on those around
l’Empereur’s palace. Novus Ordo Mundi uses this list
to ensure that no Porté users are recruited into the
society without it knowing. And, if any were recruited,
that they can be quickly eliminated.
Laurent is also adept in the art of poison. He could
potentially handle the cup of anyone at the palace,
and it only takes a moment to drip a lethal dose of
poison into an unsuspecting visitor’s drink. The same
employers who buy his secrets occasionally pay him
to kill someone within the palace. Laurent has been
doing this for decades and has never been caught.
He rotates which poisons he uses so as to keep from
building a pattern, and the deaths are infrequent
enough so as not to arouse suspicion.
Portraying Henri Laurent
Henri Laurent is one of the plainest and most
unassuming people you could ever meet. This is by
design and allows him to blend into the background
of any situation. He is old and plays that up when he
needs the cover. In reality, he is still spry and his mind
is as quick as it was in his youth. In social situations,
he speaks when spoken to, and this carries over into
his personal life. He is much more likely to follow the
cues of another than to create his own schemes.
Story Hooks
• Within l’Empereur’s palace there has been
a recent string of random deaths. Some of
them young men showing no sign of sickness.
Dominique de Montaigne asks the Heroes
to determine if anything unnatural caused
these incidents.
• The Heroes find a handwritten book filled
with Montaigne names. There seems to be
no rhyme or reason to the list, until they
realize that each of the crossed-out names
corresponds with a suspicious death, and
that all of them were Porté sorciers. The
Heroes must investigate who wrote this
book, and if that person means harm to the
remaining names
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A pleasure to be
Henri
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
197
PROLOGUE: CLUES, PART 2
T
Clues, Part 2
he bloody fingerprint.
Adara knelt down, her wounds aching, and
lifted the spectacles from the floor. She went
back to his desk, looking over the papers. She had
already shifted through them, but she was looking for
one in particular. The one at the top. When she found
it, she saw what he wanted her to see.
Her heart pounded in her chest. “Clever old man,”
she whispered. And then, her heart sank. She looked
down at his body, so still, unmoving. Not even breath.
Adara’s eyes blurred with tears.
And then, she moved. Fast. Only at the last moment
did she sense the assassin behind her. His mace nearly
crushed her skull, but instead, it smashed the desk,
throwing the old man’s papers into the air.
Her wounds objected to her movement, but she had
no choice. The assassin’s mace would not be kind to
her sword when she parried, and if he was skilled, he
could probably break it in two, like he did with the
table. From what Adara saw, he was very skilled.
198
Prologue: Clues, Part 2
She dodged the mace again and it knocked away a
piece of the wall.
As she moved, she finally got a look at him. His dark
skin and shaved head. His clothing. His weapon. His
eyes glowed with the red of sunsets.
Despite the fear in her belly, Adara grinned. “You’ve
come a long way to kill me.”
“Further than you know,” he growled and swung
the mace again. This time, her quickness did not
save her. The mace smashed into her chest, sending
her flying back. She lost her balance and fell out
the open window.
***
Madalitso felt the impact of the mace up his arms as
he smashed the woman’s chest. She fell back, stumbling into the window before she tumbled out. He
allowed himself a short grin.
He walked to the desk. The woman was looking
for something. And as he looked, he did not see the
grappling hook and rope shot past the window. Nor
did he see Adara fly up and over it.
The ruins of the table told him nothing. The old
man’s papers were strewn everywhere. He cursed
quietly and walked slowly back to the window, looking
out to the ground far below.
She wasn’t there. No body.
That wasn’t possible. She was no Montaigne noble,
nor did she have access to…
He felt a boot on the back of his head, smashing his
face into the stone. He cursed and fell back, his vision
full of blood and pain. He swung the mace blindly in
front of him, hitting nothing. Then, right in front of
his nose, he heard a click.
Madalitso opened his eyes and saw the barrel
of a pistol not even a finger’s width away from his
eyes. The woman was on the other end of the arm
that held it.
“Drop the mace,” she said.
Madalitso saw blood on the woman’s lips. She held
her ribs where his mace hit her.
“You will not kill me,” Madalitso said. “You are a
Knight of the Rose and Cross and you made vows.”
“I made a vow to never kill unless it meant protecting
life. Right now, you’ve proven you’re willing to take
mine, so if I pull this trigger, I feel safe in knowing I’ve
not violated my vows.”
Madalitso saw her sincerity. It burned in her eyes.
“Now,” she said. “Drop it.”
Madalitso let the mace fall. It cracked the wooden
floor where it fell.
“Good,” she said. “Now talk.”
“I will tell you nothing,” Madalitso said. “No threat,
not even the threat of death is great enough to eclipse
the horrors that will happen to me if I tell you more
than I am allowed.”
Adara’s brow furled. “You’re not going to talk and I’m
not going to force you to.”
“We are at a stalemate, Rose and Cross.”
He watched her eyes. She was thinking. Measuring.
She was also buying him time. He saw her glare reconcile a notion in her head. She gestured with the tip of
the pistol toward the door.
“Go,” she said.
“That easy?”
“Let’s just say I believe you when you say you won’t
talk. I’m not going to kill you and I’m not going to
torture you.”
She took a step back, still aiming the pistol at his face.
“However,” she said, “from what you told me, it
sounds as if there are people who will. Especially when
they find out you failed.”
Madalitso felt his heart sink and his eyes widen.
“So, I don’t have to do those things. Someone else is
going to do them for me.”
“You are right, Rose and Cross,” Madalitso said.
“That is,” she said, lowering her pistol just a little.
“Unless you let me help you.”
Madalitso shook his head. “There is no place in
the world that is safe from them, Rose and Cross.
No place you can run to. No place you can hide. If
they want to, they will find you. All you are doing is
delaying the inevitable.”
She shook her head. “I am not alone. I may not be
able to protect you, but we can.”
“No, Rose and Cross. Nobody can.” He walked to the
door of the tiny room, pausing there. He did not look
back when he spoke. “I thank you for your mercy. I will
remember it. But I cannot promise I will offer you the
same when we meet again.”
And with that, he was gone.
***
Adara sighed when he left, tucking her pistol back
into her belt. Her chest made sounds when she
breathed and her cough tasted like blood.
He hit me good.
She waited a while, making sure he was gone. After
that, she went to the bookcase. Just behind her,
messed in with the other papers, was the page she
found before Madalitso attacked. There was a bloody
fingerprint, the same that was on the spectacles. She
read the message clear enough.
Adara. Look.
And on that paper was a catalogue of books in his
small library. The bloody fingerprint was on one in
particular. A Treatise of Secrets by Sophia Dufresne.
Adara found the book and pulled it from the shelf. As
she did, she heard a click.
Clever old man.
The book shelf moved aside, revealing a small
passage. Adara looked behind her, just to make sure,
then stepped inside.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
199
SECRET METONYM IN HELL
Secret Metonym in Hell
In ergodic literature, nontrivial effort is required to allow the reader to traverse the text. If ergodic literature
is to make sense as a concept, there must also be nonergodic literature, where the effort to traverse the text is
trivial, with no extranoematic responsibilities placed on the reader except (for example) eye movement and the
periodic or arbitrary turning of pages.
—Cybertext—Perspectives on Ergodic Literature, Espen J. Aarseth
It seems that the Parisian Oulipo group has recently constructed a matrix of all possible murder-story situations
and has found that there is still to be written a book in which the murderer is the reader.
Moral: there exist obsessive ideas, they are never personal; books talk among themselves, and any true detection
should prove that we are the guilty party.
—Postscript to Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco
200
Secret Metonym in Hell
Birth Inferno
I grew up loving conspiracy theory. I didn’t believe
any of it (except for one, which you can ask me
about in person), but I loved the world building. I
first stumbled into the whole mess when I read The
Illuminatus Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and
Robert Shea. If you want to dive into the wild world
of what if, this is essential reading. Later, I picked up
Wilson’s Cosmic Trigger and he hit me with a concept
that would change my life forever. It was like a weird
little Zen Kōan:
Reality is not a singular noun; it’s a plural verb.
No explanation. Either you get it or you don’t.
I carried around a copy of the Principia Discordia
wherever I went, got into William Burroughs’ cut ups
technique (which I used for the title of this essay)
and started using them in my regular speech just so I
could throw little golden apples at people. In college,
I took a class called “Speculative History” which
focused on conspiracies, those who come up with
them, how they work, and the kind of thinking you
need to come up with one. (Hint: It’s a whole ton of
post hoc reasoning. In other words, putting the cart
in front of the horse.) I became a Discordian Double
Agent. And its been a wild ride ever since.
I first learned about the cut up technique when
I bumped into the movie Naked Lunch in 1991
while I was still in college. I heard about the book,
was intrigued, but never got by the first few pages. I
wasn’t ready for it. Burroughs was using a technique
of cutting words and phrases out of magazines and
books then randomly pasting them together to
create a kind of stream of consciousness writing style.
Like I said, I wasn’t ready for it when I first found
it. After seeing the film, I wanted to read the book.
It wasn’t like any book I ever read before. I found
myself trying to force meaning onto the passages, and
quickly learned that was pointless. As Robin Laws
might have told me, I was trying to assert control over
chaos. When I just let go and allowed the words to
flow (reading them out loud helped a lot), I found
the poetry of it. The book felt like a dream and the
language was less literal than it was symbolic. Once I
got the flow of it, I began to understand of speculation
senior tradition. Give up. Surrender fascism. Walk
on into the water, unsure of your next step, letting it
overflow your head. Sink or swim. Rampant identity
chosen used true of him. With locals sedate religious
church who lend incompatible happiness. His
confrontation tolerated when with fairly ordinary or
to beliefs and talents. Secret metonym in Hell.
Now, there’s a lot of ugliness in conspiracy theory.
Just the anti-Semitism alone can make you sick.
There’s a lot that and it’s hard to ignore. Of course,
the magnum opus of conspiracy literature is Umberto
Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum, a book so dense and erudite,
and yet, reads like an adventure story. Unlike Joyce’s
Finnegan’s Wake (which I’m convinced is a practical
joke; ask me some time), which was eventually
overshadowed by Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code.
Let’s get straight on this. There is nothing more
symbolically important than the fact that Dan
Brown’s protagonist is a “symbologist.” There’s no such
thing as a symbologist. The study of symbols and
signs is called semiotics. It’s the thing Eco taught as
a professor. The fact that Dan Brown uses the wrong
term demonstrates everything you need to know
about his work. Much like Aristotle, he’s wrong about
everything. However, Mr. Brown did make conspiracy
theory popular again, and for that, we owe him a bow
and a thank you. Now, please take your Dan Brown
books to the used bookstore and trade them in for
Eco, Wilson and Burroughs. You’ll thank me. Now,
let’s get on with the real meat of this essay,
Still with me? That comma at the end of the last
sentence isn’t a typo. I put it there intentionally so
you’d understand that we’ve changed gears. You’ve
read through my pedantic and self-congratulatory
text and that means you’ve passed the first threshold.
You’ve come to the part where I tell you what’s
really going on with this essay. I’m about to spill
all the beans. Yes, I know at first glance, it appears
that this book has no mechanics. That’s a lie. A
deliberate deception. This book has mechanics for
the various secret societies you’ve read about, but
they’re all hidden in this text. That means I won’t be
using standard punctuation or capitalization for the
mechanics to keep them well-hidden. Also, a lot of
these mechanics are suggestions for things I’d do in
my own game. Feel free to adjust and modify them.
Keeping them vague only means they’re still a little
secret, a little unknown, and we want that. If some
player stumbles on these mechanics, there should be
no final say on any of them.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
201
This leads to three things, two of which go back
to the opening quotes. First, in order to get to the
meaty bits, you had to do a little extra work. That’s
the ergodic literature part. Second, I’m making you
a co-conspirator. If someone else doesn’t read these
pages full of what appear to be self-congratulatory
text, they won’t know what you and I know. That
makes you a co-conspirator. Yes, I’m letting you, the
reader, in on the crime, and by keeping the secret, I’m
making you a criminal. And finally, you don’t have to
read through the rest of this text to get to the good
parts. From this point on, any paragraph beginning
with a vowel is just filler. Any paragraph beginning
with a consonant is game mechanic material. Got it?
Good. Let’s get on with the show.
Riddle Key Contort
I think the key to understanding conspiracy theory
is the post hoc reasoning that makes it go. It really
is the engine. It’s the exact opposite of how science
works. Science is the method we use to differentiate
between what is true and what we want to be true.
202
CHAPTER 9 | Secret Metonym in Hell
Something happens, we all investigate, and based
on the evidence, we provide a tentative explanation.
Conspiracy thinking is the exact opposite of that.
It starts with the conclusion—Oswald didn’t
work alone—and looks for facts that back up that
conclusion. Well, we all know the human brain has a
wonderful way of counting the hits and ignoring the
misses, so conspiracy theory ignores all the evidence
that points away from the conclusion. If it doesn’t
fit, ignore it until we find a way to make it fit. This
isn’t how science works. Again, science isn’t looking
for a particular answer, it has to be content with the
answers it finds. Conspiracy thinking starts with
the conclusion and looks for the evidence to justify
that conclusion.
The other thing to consider is the importance of
symbols, such as the colors a ship flies. A flag is an
important symbol and can communicate an incredible
amount of meaning. Just imagine seeing the colors
for Reis’ ship on the horizon. The dread and terror
that would summon among your crew. A ship’s colors
say a lot about its character. It can be general (this
ship comes from Montaigne) or it can be specific (this
ship is captained by jolly red molly). Decide what
your ship’s flag says about your ship. Come up with
a motto or a catch phrase. When you roll dice on the
ship, you gain one bonus die for that action. You may,
when accomplishing a story, add to the bonus dice
your ship’s colors give you instead of taking the bonus
for the story.
And while that does take some fun away from
researching the past, it also paints a darker portrait
of human history. No, there is no grand conspiracy
moving civilization in a particular direction. “The
world is rudderless,” Alan Moore once wrote. It’s the
terrifying notion that nobody is in charge. The human
mind has a hard time accepting that. I think one of
the reasons the authors of the Principia Discordia
(Greg Hill and Kerry Wendell Thornley) made the
goddess of chaos the primary deity of their religion
was a subtle rib on conspiracy thinking in general.
Yes, the universe is pure chance. It’s the exact opposite
of what all the people who go around shouting
“Illuminati confirmed!” want to be true. They want
a central authority in charge of everything. But Eris
Discordia laughs at them. The world is rudderless.
Nobody’s in charge. Not even the goddess of chaos.
When considering how to incorporate existing
conspiracy theory into your stories, you should
also consider the importance of vows. Vows are a
key ingredient to dramatic literature (the Three
Musketeers are making vows all the time). The
knights of the rose and cross have a sacred and semimagical ritual they learn once becoming knights
called “the vow.” The vow is not something to be taken
lightly. After becoming a full-fledged knight, you have
the ability to make a vow that aids you in upholding
the three vows you took at initiation. A knight’s
extraordinary willpower causes this vow to come
to pass, although perhaps not in the manner they
intended. In game terms, you must declare your vow
to your game master, and she must approve it before
the vow can take effect. She may veto any vow. Some
guidelines. The vow cannot declare that you will take
an action that lead to corruption. You cannot use it
to make an impossible action, that violates physics,
such as leaping across an ocean. Also, you cannot use
the vow to take an action that directly or indirectly
violates any of the three vows. Also, your Vow cannot
directly affect the actions or will of others. In order to
make a vow, you must first spend five hero points. You
may make two vows at a time and you may not make
a second vow until the first is fulfilled.
Umberto Eco’s Pendulum presents exactly the kind
of paranoid mind we see in Mr. Brown, the kind
of person who reads symbolism into everything. In
Pendulum, the “loonies” (as Eco calls them) read too
deeply, looking for meaning where there isn’t any,
applying meaning where it doesn’t work, trying to
make the world fit their pre-determined world view.
This is the biggest danger in conspiracy thinking
and where it also stops being fun. No, Mr. Brown,
not everything is a symbol of the “sacred feminine.”
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. We were told that
that Nor needed the bill. The present matter put the
Mad Milkman among us, in fact concerned me. As to
needy me too if any happy bullet drove me off course.
Astral Masters
Weapons play an important part in conspiracy theory.
Consider the Spear of Destiny, Excalibur and the
Dietrich Sword from the Rose and Cross. The man
known only as Dietrich creates swords for the order’s
best knights. To gain one, you’ll need to earn a favor
from the order. Once you do, while using the sword,
you always re-roll ones when making risks with it.
Don’t lose it, by the way. That’s a great way to lose
favor with the order and possibly even get kicked out.
The only way to get back in? Bring back the sword.
They may even let you keep it.
I was once asked by a friend of mine who was
a teacher to come into class and talk about the
Illumanti. Her students were obsessed with “Illumanti
Confirmed!” I asked her the age of her class and
she told me they were fifth graders. Fifth graders!
Unfortunately, I never got the chance to do so. I
would have blown their minds when I revealed that I
was a Freemason—a fact that still catches people off
guard. Yes, I suffered the wounds of Hyrum Abiff. I’ve
been raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason.
One of the coolest things about being a Mason is
getting the secret handshake from perfect strangers
when I travel. I cannot tell you how that just sends
electricity up and down my spine. And the biggest
secret of being a Mason? We can never agree on what
kind of pie to have after our meetings. It’s true. That’s
the biggest secret.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
203
Believing in something you can’t prove is called
“faith.” And no order in the world is more beholden
to faith than the crusaders of the black cross. If you
are a member of this order, you may purchase a new
advantage called zaubernase (or, “nose for sorcery”).
You can only take it if you’re a member of the society
and it costs two points. You can spend a hero point
and concentrate on another character. This requires
an action. Once you do, you can ask the game master
one of three questions—and only one. You can ask if
that person has a monstrous trait, if they are inhuman
or if they have sorcery.
A serious and risk year most whether would now
of him last changers mind a to run ravings. There,
money worked to unfold a solution for from owners
resorting the Mad Finale. Painful by the turning, by
no temple paranoia they daily debate, incapable of
fate, these Doubt Paranoid Aspects are my paralyzing
screeds. No longer only in measures of faith and hope.
The people are the doubt. And now, in the middle
of this long paragraph of seeming random words,
those of you who took your time to look will find
a secret message that those who followed the rules
will never find. Only read the paragraphs that start
with a consonant. You ignored that and read it all and
now you get the reward. The secret meaning of it all.
Who are the seer-nehth? There are all my Hells in
awakening, a rightful, righteous thing. An alien race
who was once here and shall return again? Something
we forgot and shall remember? Dreams in a six pack
joke limited enough in quantity to drudge through
the sins? I am warm enough for a real rush of justice
nightmare be as poetic worse long dead. Any answer I
give will not be sufficient to satisfy the mystery. That’s
the truth. They aren’t a mystery meant to be solved.
We never designed them that way. They’re a literary
device we use to give a sense of scope and scale. They
were, they are no more. Just like we may be if we aren’t
careful. They’re a culture that is gone and will never
come back, and if we follow their footsteps, we’ll end
up in the same place. Rush subject conversations
without limit with no heed to danger or destruction.
Now you know.
Likewise, I’d consider using the kind of racism/
sexism you find in usual conspiracy theory fare as
fuel for your villains. However, if you’re thinking
about giving those fine explorer folks a hand as well.
204
Secret Metonym in Hell
Let’s give them a new advantage called I’ve seen that
somewhere before. Spend a hero point, focus on an
artifact and you can discern its effects upon usage.
However, the game master rolls a hidden die and
on an even number, your estimation is wrong. You
can avoid this by spending two hero points and get it
right. Whenever you’re in the middle of one of these
long diatribes you find in conspiracy documents,
you have to spend a lot of time separating the wheat
from the chaff.
Cohort
Compendium Requesite
Beneath the noble birth, the rise of popularity
in Merovingian theory is one that I never really
understood. I mean, I understand why someone
would want to write themselves in to alternate history,
but the invisible college has all that covered. We
talked about how the inquisition can never really keep
a hold on los invisibles, but let’s take a deeper look.
First, I’d make access to the slip free advantage to
every member, either for free or for one point rather
than two. I’d also give them access to an advantage
called I read something about that. This is a two point
advantage and you can spend a hero point to know a
single fact about any subject. Being well-read is a key
advantage in the world.
Loreena McKennitt’s Mask and Mirror album
proved to be an incredible inspiration for Jennifer and
I (we even used its music at our wedding). The songs
invoke so many mysteries and atmospheres, they
seem perfect for rituals, especially when you consider
the power of masks in los vagabundos. Each mask is
different, providing different benefits for who wears
it. I’d make myself a list of how many “real” masks
there are and give each one a specific advantage. You
wear the mask, you have that advantage. Also, the
masks seem to have personalities of their own that
can take over the personality of the wearer. It may
change their voice or even their physical features. But
one thing’s for sure, wearing one of the real masks
gives the wearer up to five hero points while they are
wearing it. Take it off, you lose the hero points. The
same thing for the black masks. Each one gives the
wearer an advantage, has a personality of its own
and gives the wearer danger points. Yes, you read
that right. Danger points. Have fun with that. And
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
205
make sure to consider McKennitt’s
music the next time you perform
some kind of holy or
sacred ceremony.
Jessica Kauspedas did
a ton of layout for me when I
was self-publishing. We live together
now and have been living together for
ten years or so. She was the inspiration for
The Shawl. I wanted a secret society that showed
the kind of empathy and compassion she has. And
because of that, members of the shawl can take a two
point advantage called the war is over. (Yes, it’s also
inspired by someone else. You know who.) You spend
a hero point after performing an act of compassion
or mercy or empathy. When you do, you can target
another character—even a villain—and that character
pauses, losing their next action, overcome with the
same empathy you showed. I’d also give them access
to the savior advantage found in heroes and villains.
It says it’s a knack (you can only take it at character
creation) but members of the shawl can go on
stories to buy it. So the next time you meet Jessica
at a game convention or if you come visit us and our
cats, be sure to throw her the secret sign to show her
you’re a member of The Shawl. She’ll probably give
you some soup.
Adam the Skyline Kid opines valentine side. Feel ill
leviathan. Moving down the street with electric kewl,
all overthrow Illuminati in his head. The wish family
haven’t any luck last on investigating kings. They and
thirty templars with a map working to wish with the
Pope poisoned with success. Once the happy well
Freemason cover on THE PLOT. Royal in those
critics, he completed the fraternity for Europe, years
overthrowing again and again. I’m thinking too hard,
gotten kings to project their tell alls and secrets and
reformers finished and rid pretty thinkers of pretty
poison. England’s secret lived off the land, the critics
the society of society democratic all in. Obey.
Discordian double agent is a term I’ve been using
since I was in high school. It means someone who
has infiltrated the Illuminati for the purposes of
throwing wrenches (golden apples) into the gears.
And nobody is better at this than the free thinkers.
Do you want an uppman’s coat? I know you do. Well,
for a small favor from the society, you can get yourself
206
Secret Metonym in Hell
one. What’s it good for? Well
first, it identifies you as a
member of the society but
more importantly, it counts
as a two point advantage
(which means you can get one
by spending a favor or going on a
two step story). The coat allows you
to hide any object in its many pockets.
Nobody else can find it. I’ve also been known
to give free thinkers a bit of luck (one free re-roll)
if they’re wearing their coat, but that’s just me. They
have a soft spot in my heart and I’m getting generous
in my old age. And if you’re interested in becoming
a Discordian double agent yourself, just tell me. You
know how. Give me a compliment about my coat.
Secret
Mandatory Library Card
In the end, there’s a reason we love secret societies,
and I believe a lot of that has to do with the first
word: secret. We’re intrigued by what we don’t know.
That means players who read through this book will
have a kind of confidence. “I know what’s going on
with the Rose and Cross.” Well, I’m afraid to say, you
don’t. The reason why is, I encourage each and every
GM to take what we’ve presented here and mess
with it. Screw it up. Use your players’ assumptions
against them.
You may notice that none of the NPCs listed in this
book have either the Villain or Hero tag, and if you
read through them, you may also notice that read a
certain way, all of them could flip to one side or the
other. That’s intentional. Is the leader of your favorite
Secret Society a Hero or a Villain? You won’t know
until you know. And that’s the way it should be.
Of course, the one exception is NOM. They’re
always Villains.
If you use these Societies—or even new ones that
remain undiscovered—never assume you know The
Truth. There are always deeper secrets waiting to be
found. Of course, once you find them, others will
more than likely kill to learn those secrets…
As usual, everything in this book is a suggestion.
There is no such thing as 7th Sea canon. Even I don’t
use everything as written. I change it, delete it, switch
it up. That’s the whole point of a roleplaying game.
My Théah isn’t your Théah and that’s a feature, not
a bug. If any part of 7th Sea should be up in the air
and undefined, it’s the Secret Societies. They should
be huge mysteries, onions with thousands of layers
that the players spend weeks unravelling only to find
that once they reach the center, they discover they’ve
only just started.
I encourage you, the GM, to use these groups to
mess with the players. And players, I encourage you to
use your Hero Points to make the Societies what you
want. Unhappy with the Rose & Cross we presented
here? Go ahead and change them up. I promise you
that I won’t take it personally.
And finally, some suggested reading for you all.
Check out The Illuminatus Trilogy by Robert Shea
and Robert Anton Wilson. Read Umberto Eco’s
Foucault’s Pendulum. Bob Wilson’s The Cosmic Trigger
may blow your mind the way it did mine. You should
also read his delightful book, Everything is Under
Control. In fact, just read everything by Bob. You’ll
thank me later. Christopher Hodapp’s Freemasons
for Dummies is a fantastic book, giving the reader
an inside (and authentic) look at how a real secret
society works. And be sure to check out The United
States of Paranoia by Jesse Walker and if you want a
complete brain whip, read The Nova Trilogy (The Soft
Machine, The Ticket that Exploded, and Nova Express)
by William S. Burroughs. You’ll never see the world
the same way again. Thow into that The Crying of Lot
49 by Thomas Pynchon. You don’t need to read his
longer stuff, just that short novel will do fine. Do not
read anything by Dan Brown.
7TH SEA: SECRET SOCIETIES
207
Index
A
P
A Pirate’s Word 12
Atabean Trading Company 6, 12, 13, 19, 21, 25, 45, 142
Porté 8, 34, 39, 58, 69, 186, 197
Q
B
Quitting the Brotherhood 18
Böse Wege 34
Brotherhood of the Coast 7, 11, 13, 15, 18, 19, 22, 141
R
Riskante Wege 38
C
Church of St. Dorothy in Agony 158
Covert Brotherhood Communications in
Your Game 13
S
D
Sanderis 38, 90
Sophia’s Daughters 143, 158, 159, 161, 164, 165, 167,
168, 171, 175, 176, 177
Sorte 8, 39, 40, 134, 161, 165, 171
Die Kreuzritter 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 38, 39,
40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 57, 67, 146
T
E
Et Bestiis Retorta 31
F
Flower Language 124
G
Galdr 38
Glamour 35, 38, 44, 183, 184, 185
H
The Big Joke 171
The Black Stone 106
The Explorer’s Society 47, 57, 58
The First Charter 7
The Great Secret 104
The Inquisition 30, 57, 73, 87, 90, 103, 104,
106, 120, 192
The Invisible College 71, 81
The Oath 27
The Queen of the Pirates 11
The Rilasciare 155, 164, 165, 167, 168, 188
The Three Vows 104
Hexenwerk 37, 39
J
Joining the Brotherhood 12
L
Los Vagabundos 30, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121,
124, 126, 127, 128, 129, 131, 132
M
Močiutės Skara 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140,
141, 142, 143, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 151, 152, 153
N
Novus Ordo Mundi 7, 11, 58, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182,
183, 184, 185, 186, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193,
195, 196, 197
208
Index
Z
Zauberer 34
Secret Societies
For untold centuries, they have controlled Theah’s destiny.
Sometimes for good, and sometimes for evil.
Secret handshakes. Passwords. Cryptic messages.
Allegorical symbols. On the continent of Théah, secret
societies have operated nearly unseen, manipulating
the lives of monarchs and merchants, and for the first
time, their secrets are now revealed. But beware! Such
knowledge always comes with a price that not all are
strong enough to bear.
This book contains material for 7th Sea: Second Edition.
It is a deep dive into the occult societies who have
battled an invisible war for the soul of Théah and the
souls of her heroes, including:
•
•
•
•
Detailed Histories on the Societies
Prominent NPCs
Adventure Hooks
Codes and Ciphers
It also includes hidden text containing even more
secrets for both players and their Heroes.
They say the secret history of Théah is an endless labyrinth
And around every corner is a beast hungry for the blood
of the curious