7th Sea
At first, Salvador thought it was his seasickness returning again. He had never been one for sailing and he avoided it when he could. However, the only way to the island of Gralla was to take a ship out of San Cristobal. Salvador threw his legs out of the side of his hammock and was immediately shocked awake when his boots plunged into cold seawater before hitting the wooden floor of the deck. Spires of moonlight shone in through holes in the hull that hadn't been there moments ago. The boom of cannon fire in the air told him that the shudder he had felt had not been waves on the sea, but rather an indication that the ship was under siege.
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"All hands on deck!" Salvador bellowed as he charged up the stairs to the top deck. The deck of the San Juan was a flurry of activity as the night crew frantically prepared to repel the inbound ship. Salvador ran up to the poop deck where the captain spun the wheel to try to bring a broadside to bear.
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"A little busy for pleasantries, Salvador..." Captain Marco said before barking orders to his crew.
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"Where did they come from?"
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"They hid amongst the atoll and came at us from astern. They fired a volley before we even knew they were on us."
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"Where's your man in the crow's nest?" Salvador asked, squinting to see the top of the mainsail.
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"Our lookout and most of the gun crew were poisoned. We've been betrayed."
Salvador looked at the Captain and caught a glimpse of worry on the old seaman's eyes. As the enemy brig pulled alongside the San Juan, grappling hooks caught the rail and drew the ships closer. The Spanish swordsman rushed down to the quarterdeck as the first wave of pirates boarded. The sounded of metal on metal filled the deck, as the San Juan's crew fought their attackers. A student of the Torres school, Salvador brandished his rapier in a loose grip as he whirled like a matador into the fray, ducking under a swing of a pirate's cutlass. The pirate's blade only catching a vanishing cloak, as Salvador spun and struck home with his sword in a suddenly-taut grip before moving on to his next foe.
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As Salvador fought the pirates, he spotted the enemy captain readying a flintlock rifle and leveling it at the Captain. He immediately changed course, fighting his way through the melee to try to get to Marco. "Captain! Look out!"
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Marco was in the middle of a fight of his own, but he looked to Salvador and then turned toward the enemy ship just as the rifle fired. Captain Marco spun on his heels as the pellet struck home and fell to the deck. After a brief moment, the Captain opened his eyes and made eye contact with Salvador, signalling that he would be all right.
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Salvador pushed through the crowd, sheathing his rapier and drawing a flintlock of his own. Dodging under another attack, Salvador stepped up to the rail, leveled his pistol and fired at the enemy captain.
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The woman turned and nonchalantly snatched the round from the air, looked at it with a smirk and dropped it to the deck. Salvador grumbled under his breath. "Damned sorcerers... I guess I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way." Holstering his pistol, Salvador grabbed one of the ropes the pirates had used to initially board and swung over to the pirate's ship. Drawing his rapier, he dove into battle, taking the fight to them.
A World of High Adventure, Mystery and Action
The Year is 1668. Have a seat, young Hero. We have much to discuss.
Much has changed in recent years. Mankind's knowledge of the world around them has increased in leaps and bounds, even in the past few years. Thean civilization was built on the ruins of the old Numan Empire, however, as the frontiers of science have pushed ahead, we have discovered that ancient races, labeled the Syrneth came much before the Numans. Their technology is well beyond that of ours and they were definitely not human. Little is known about their people or their technology.
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Nothing may ever be known, however, if the Church has their way. According to the Vatacine Church, the end times are on the horizon and we should stop trying to make sense of this world, and prepare our souls for the next. And if the Inquisition has anything to do with it, some of us may see the next world sooner than we'd like.
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The different nations of Theah all have their own perceptions on the world and several would love to spread their perspective on their neighbours...forcibly if need be. The old aristocrats still have access to power passed down from ancient ancestors, coursing through their veins and use these old sorceries to push their personal agendas forward.
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In addition, the seafaring nations of Theah have discovered new lands far to the west. The fact that these nations already have people living there makes little difference to the ambitious rulers of the colonizing powers. These tribes of the far west are strange in their ways and rightfully defend their lands from foreign invaders.
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It is within this volatile climate of expansion, discovery and conflict that you are thrust. Are you the deposed noble, who lost their home to warfare? The trusty swordsman, on a journey of self discovery? The pirate with a heart of gold? Discover who you are, upon the waves of the 7th Sea.
Over-the-Top Cooperative Storytelling
7th Sea was originally launched in 1999 by Alderac Entertainment and I discovered the game at a convention several years afterwards. I was immediately drawn to the over-the-top action style of the game and the piracy mixed with magic theme of the game. Though it went out of print in 2005, I continued running it for years afterwards. When the original designer of the game started a Kickstarter for a 2nd Edition, I eagerly participated. The new Edition is vastly narrative with a greater emphasis on story, over dice, giving players almost as much opportunity to direct the story line as the GM.
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A session of 7th Sea often incorporates high action, skullduggery and often a few quick one-liners. The game is often light-hearted with an emphasis on movie-style action rather than realistic combat. I've been GMing the setting for 15 years and it is always fun and full of laughter.
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Ideal Group Size: 5-6
Suggested Age Rating: 13+ (PG-13 Rating)
System Complexity: 2/5
Character Creation Complexity: 2/5